Tag: Indiana

Preview: Michigan vs. Indiana

RUSH OFFENSE vs. INDIANA RUSH DEFENSE

Michigan is #31 in rush yards (215 per game) and yards per carry (5.02). They’re led by Karan Higdon, who topped 1,000 yards (1,005 to be exact) for the season, the first time a Michigan running back has hit 1,000 yards since 2011. Indiana is #85 in rushing defense (181 yards allowed/game) and #87 in yards allowed per carry (4.58). Senior strong safety Jonathan Crawford (6’2″, 196 lbs.) leads the team in tackles with 55, and it’s generally not a good thing when a safety leads a team in that category. In fact, three of the top four tacklers on the squad are defensive backs, with the lone exception being senior linebacker Dameon Willis, Jr. (6’1″, 225), who’s second with 51. Sophomore hybrid space player Marcelino Ball (6’0″, 222) leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss. Michigan’s offensive line struggled a little bit against Rutgers last week, so there’s no guarantee that this will be a walkover, but it should be a decent day for the Wolverines.
Advantage: Michigan

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Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Karan Higdon

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Ty Isaac, Chris Evans, and Lavert Hill. WTF? Yeah, I listed two running backs and a cornerback. Michigan needs to think outside the box as they game plan moving forward. Hill was a productive receiver and special teams player in high school, and Michigan should try to get the ball in his hands in limited ways. Put together a package with him as a slot receiver, which would offer a different dimension than running out three or four tight ends. As for Isaac and Evans, they’re better players than guys like Maurice Ways and Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. A couple years ago against Maryland, Michigan trotted out a full house backfield for a stretch. Maybe having Isaac, Evans, and Karan Higdon in the game at the same time isn’t a perfect trio, but two of those guys with Khalid Hill and/or Ben Mason might make for an interesting combination.

Hit the jump for more awards from Saturday’s game.

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Michigan 27, Indiana 20

Karan Higdon (image via USA Today)

John O’Korn was bad.

I expected a better John O’Korn to show up on Saturday, but that wasn’t the case. He finished 10/20 for 58 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He also ran 2 times for 8 yards. Early in the game, he missed a wide open deep post route to Donovan Peoples-Jones that might have given him and the team some confidence, but it was overthrown by a few yards. O’Korn did pull some magic out of his hat when he escaped three seemingly unblocked defenders in the pocket to scramble to his right and find a well covered Peoples-Jones. Otherwise, he just locked onto his primary receiver and never came off the read. It was astounding how little he went through his progressions. Believe it or not, I actually think O’Korn played better in the Michigan State game, because a couple of his interceptions were decent ideas but bad throws. Against Indiana, the bad ideas and bad throws combined for a very ugly game.

Hit the jump for more on Saturday’s win.

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Preview: Michigan at Indiana

RUSH OFFENSE vs. INDIANA RUSH DEFENSE

Michigan is #63 in rushing offense (167.8 yards/game) and #84 in rushing average (3.98 yards/carry). That’s on the heels of 2.6 yards/carry against Michigan State last week. Ty Isaac leads the squad with 61 carries, 365 yards, and 5.98 yards/carry, but a fumble last week got him removed from the game for a stretch and he seems to have been hampered by an injury for the past couple games. Meanwhile, Karan Higdon had 12 carries for 65 yards last week and ran hard. It’s anyone’s guess who gets the ball most in this game. On the offensive line, Michigan replaced right tackle Nolan Ulizio with Juwann Bushell-Beatty, who isn’t very good, either. On the other side of the ball, Indiana is #67 in rushing yards allowed (152.4 yards allowed/game) and tied for #39 in yards allowed per carry (3.61). Ohio State and Georgia Southern fared well against the Hoosiers, but Penn State and Saquon Barkley averaged just 1.05 yards on 37 attempts. Senior middle linebacker Tegray Scales (6’0″, 230 lbs.) and senior weakside linebacker Chris Covington (6’2″, 230) lead the team with 42 and 32 tackles, respectively. Overall, Indiana is #35 in tackles for loss, led by Scales (6.5) and Covington (4.0). Fifth year senior nose tackle Nate Hoff (6’2″, 310) is Indiana’s toughest defensive lineman. This is a stout front that will give Michigan’s soft offensive line issues.
Advantage: Indiana

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Recruiting Snapshot: Indiana

Juwan Burgess (image via Bulldawg Illustrated)

2017 Team Ranking: #64. Indiana signed twenty-two 3-stars and one 2-star.

Cream of the 2017 Crop: The highest ranked prospect is 6’1″, 185 lb. safety Juwan Burgess from Tampa (FL) Plant. He’s a 3-star, the #26 athlete, and #421 overall. A high school quarterback, wide receiver, safety, and returner, he’s expected to play free safety. He has a pretty impressive highlights film:

Another noteworthy player is the one guy who earned a Michigan offer, and that’s Janesville (WI) Parker defensive tackle Juan Harris (3-star, #62 DT, #875 overall). Harris is an early enrollee after a roundabout recruitment when he committed to Iowa multiple times (I lost track after three, but I think it was four).

Hit the jump for a look at the 2018 recruiting class.

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