The Indiana Hoosiers moved to 7-1 with a 13-6 victory over the Michigan Wolverines in Week 8. It wasn't the prettiest game we've seen, and in fact it was rather ugly from start to finish. But an ugly win is still a win, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
Saturday's clash between the Hoosiers and Wolverines told us a lot about each team. Here's a look at two winners and three loses from this low-scoring Big Ten affair.
Winners
1. Indiana finding a way to win
Indiana just continues to find ways to win. Saturday's victory against the Wolverines was just the latest victory for the Hoosiers when they haven't looked their best. Indiana got all it could handle from Northwestern, but still won by six. The Hoosiers struggled at Nebraska, but still won by three. Indiana couldn't do anything offensively in Ann Arbor, but still prevailed with a huge overtime win. Once again, the Hoosiers made winning plays when it mattered most. There's still a lot to correct, but digging deep and finding wins––especially on the road––is always a welcome sight.
2. Indiana's defense
The Hoosier defense put forth another dominating performance against the Wolverines. Indiana held Michigan to just 224 yards and didn't allow a single touchdown. It marked the third time this season that the Hoosiers have held their opponents without a touchdown. Indiana also foreced two turnovers and sacked Michigan QB Tommy Carr four times. On the season, Indiana ranks 2nd in the country by allowing just 12.0 points per game. Furthermore, Indiana is allowing just 264.8 total yards per game, which is good for 8th nationally.
Losers
1. Offense
The offense in this game was downright awful for both teams. Indiana managed just 212 total yards of offense, while Michigan wasn't much better with 224. Explosive plays were non-existent, as Josh Hoover totaled just 4.5 yards per attempt while Tommy Carr had 5.2 yards per attempt. Furthermore, neither running game could get going with IU totaling 3.7 yards per rush and Michigan averaging a lowly 1.4 yards per carry. The offensive futility made this game a tough watch, and neither team should walk away feeling confident about the state of their respective offensive attacks.
2. Tommy Carr
Michigan QB Tommy Carr gave the Wolverine offense a boost last week against Penn State. Michigan trailed 3-0 when Carr took over for the benched Bryce Underwood, and led the Maize and Blue to a 21-18 win. Carr was named the starter for the Indiana game, and Michigan fans were hopeful that he would lead a much-needed offensive surge. But that didn't even come close to happening. Carr threw for just 167 yards on 32 attempts, and tossed one interception without a touchdown. He also struggled to get anything going on the groud, as he ran for a measly six yards on 15 carries. Moving forward, one has to wonder if the Wolverines would just be better off going back to Underwood?
3. Jason Beck
Michigan offensive coordinator Jason Beck had a rough day. Carr's poor performance didn't help, but Carr's woeful play-calling and scheme fell flat in the worst way possible. Carr couldn't get any momentum going, and bringing in Underwood to try to fake out the IU defense into thinking he won't run the ball, and then having him run, didn't work. Beck's play-action call on 3rd and goal from the 2-yard line was also ridiculous. Indiana wasn't fooled at all, and now Beck finds himself in even hotter water in Ann Arbor.
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