Run the damn ball. Coming into the game, Indiana was ranked #91 in rushing defense. And it was raining. So naturally, Michigan decided to come out throwing, with four pass plays and two rushes in the first six plays. Two of those pass plays resulted in sacks, and one was a drop by Colston Loveland. Meanwhile, the two carries by Corum averaged 4.5 yards per rush. Michigan wasn’t necessarily going to obliterate Indiana on the ground with huge runs, but they could have just taken over the game physically instead of trying to throw in those conditions.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. INDIANA RUSH DEFENSE Michigan ranks #38 in rushing offense (185.2 yards/game) and #26 in yards per carry (5.07). Blake Corum’s 5.95 yards/carry ranks sixth in the conference, while backup Donovan Edwards’s mystifying 3.47 yards/carry ranks #32, lowest of any qualifying back in the conference. Kalel Mullings has stepped up his game with 23 carries for 147 yards and 1 touchdown this year. Michigan seems to have found a solidified starting five up front with Arizona State transfer La’Darius Henderson at left tackle and Karsen Barnhart at right tackle. Indiana is #91 in rushing defense (156.4 yards allowed/game) and allowed Akron’s Lorenzo Lingard over 8.0 yards/carry a few weeks ago, along with 10+ yards per rush to Maryland’s Antwaine Littlejohn despite his not getting above 3.7 against any other opponent. They give up 4.74 yards per carry, which ranks #108 in the nation. Having watched some of Indiana this year, their tackling is the worst I’ve seen it in Tom Allen’s seven years at the helm. Fifth year senior middle linebacker Aaron Casey (6’2″, 235 lbs.) leads the squad with 43 stops, followed by sophomore strong safety Phillip Dunnam (6’1″, 190) and senior free safety Louis Moore (6’1″, 190) with 35 and 25, respectively. Advantage: Michigan
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony caught 5 passes for 42 yards in a 34-30 win over Texas, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the process.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 19/35 passes for 235 yards and ran 5 times for 14 yards in a 29-21 win over Kansas State.
Michigan has played Indiana 71 times throughout history and has a 61-10 record against the Hoosiers. Indiana had not beaten the Wolverines since 1987 . . . until the COVID-married 2020 season. And Michigan has won both meetings since.
Here are the longest plays for Michigan in the history of the contests:
Grant Mason 97-yard kickoff return (2004)
Tony Boles 91-yard TD run (1989)
Steve Breaston 83-yard punt return TD (2006)
Jim Smith 77-yard TD run (1975)
Leon Hall 76-yard punt return TD (2004)
Shea Patterson 76-yard TD pass to Nico Collins (2019)
Tom Brady 75-yard TD pass to Marquis Walker (2000)
Denard Robinson 74-yard TD pass to Roy Roundtree (2010)
Denard Robinson 72-yard TD run (2010)
Chuck Heater 71-yard TD run (1973)
Desmond Howard 71-yard kickoff return (1991)
Hit the jump for videos of Mason, Boles, and Hall.