After Indiana’s close 38-35 defeat on the road against Maryland last weekend, the Hoosiers will conclude their two-game road trip by playing No. 9 Michigan.
"Got a great opportunity this week to head to Ann Arbor, take on the Wolverines," head coach Tom Allen said in a press conference on Monday. "That's going to be a tough test for us as we progress through our season and continue to seek after getting a very important win."
IU is on a four-game losing streak, all coming from conference opponents. Its winless 0-5 conference record this season places them last in the eastern division.
To break its losing streak, IU will have to play against a top-10 foe in a hostile environment. Michigan's stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," has the largest capacity in the United States, seating approximately 107,600 fans.
The Hoosiers' last game in a similar-sized venue saw a 24-0 shutout loss to a top-10 Penn State team. While Michigan's atmosphere is not considered as hostile as Penn State, it can pack almost 1,000 more fans into its bleachers.
After injuries benched quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle, IU turned to third-string and true freshman Donaven McCulley against Maryland last week. McCulley completed 14 of 25 passes for 242 yards and threw two touchdowns in his first collegiate start.
However, McCulley's start in a 54,000 seat stadium, which Maryland fans didn't fully occupy, raises concerns that he isn't battle-tested enough. After all, McCulley was playing to achieve a sectional championship in high school this time last year.
"It's going to be a very hostile environment, a whole lot of fans cheering against him," Allen said on Thursday. "That'll be another growth opportunity for him and for our team."
Despite being so young and having to fill the role of the starting quarterback unexpectedly, Allen discussed positive attributes about McCulley's character.
"He's had to grow up really, really fast, but I think his poise and his natural confidence is starting to show," Allen said. "This is another opportunity; you never know how someone's going to respond in those adverse conditions."
Though the Hoosiers are nearly a 20-point underdog heading into the matchup, an invisible factor will potentially add fuel to the fire. IU is currently 2-6, and with only four regular-season games remaining, the Hoosiers presumably have to win out to contend for a bowl game.
"They understand. They know. We don't have to talk about it a lot. The captains mentioned it when I met with them," Allen said. "And they understand what's at stake."
However, it's not to say that Michigan won't have something to play for either. The Wolverines are coming off a close 37-33 road loss to No. 8 Michigan State that broke their undefeated 7-0 record. Now, Michigan has an opportunity at home for redemption against a winless team in conference matchups.
Michigan's offense primarily leans on rushing more than passing, averaging 239.9 yards per game compared to 216.63, respectively.
IU defensive coordinator Charlton Warren discussed how the defense could stop Michigan's running game in a press conference on Monday.
"You got to have set edges, you got to keep the ball in between your defenders, and you have to swarm it with effort and energy on every play. They have two unbelievable backs, they have a two-headed master at quarterback; one runs the ball extremely well."
Luckily for the Hoosiers, Michigan's running strength plays right into the defense's hand.
Despite allowing over 400 passing yards against Maryland, the defense has effectively stopped the run throughout the 2021 season. In a schedule featuring five ranked opponents, IU has allowed 125 rushing yards per game on average.
When IU played Michigan State this season, the defense held the leading rusher in the NCAA, Kenneth Walker III, to only 84 yards.
That success has been, in part, due to the effectiveness of linebacker Micah McFadden. He leads the Big Ten and is tied for second in the NCAA with 14 tackles for loss.
"Having a guy like him is what has kept us in games and allowed us to be successful against the run," Warren said. "His aura on the field with our players has really helped and as younger guys come in and they have to lean on him a little bit, he shows them how to play the game."
Last year saw IU's first win against Michigan since 1987. In the 20 matchups in Ann Arbor since 1967, IU has gone 0-20. A strong collective performance from McCulley and the defense could give the Hoosiers their first road win at Michigan in nearly 55 years.
The game is scheduled for Nov. 6th at 7:30 ET and will be available to watch on FOX.
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.
