11/5/2020 football Edit

Game Preview: No. 13 Indiana vs No. 23 Michigan

Jordan Gould • TheHoosier

Staff

Jordan Gould is an incoming senior and sports media student at Indiana University. Gould is interested in video production and broadcasting, in addition to writing.

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After winning on the road against Rutgers last weekend, the Indiana Hoosiers have started 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1991.

The team that gave Indiana their first conference loss that year in their third Big Ten scheduled matchup? Michigan, who defeated the Hoosiers 24-16 that season.

Now, No. 13 Indiana (2-0, 2-0 B1G) welcomes No. 23 Michigan (1-1, 1-1 B1G) to Memorial Stadium this Saturday with a chance to begin the 2020 season 3-0 for the first time since 1988.

Learn everything you need to know leading up to the matchup here:

Last Time They Played

Indiana and Michigan last faced off against each other on Nov. 23 of last year in Ann Arbor. Michigan handled Indiana easily, 39-14. A big reason for the Wolverines’ success came from their play in the second half, outscoring the Hoosiers 18-0— all the scoring coming in the third quarter.

The quarterback play for both teams looked very different when these teams matched up against each other in 2019. For Indiana, Peyton Ramsey struggled to get much of anything going on offense. Ramsey finished the game completing 17 of 29 passes for 217 passing yards, and also threw an interception. Meanwhile, Shea Patterson threw for 366 passing yards and tied his career-high with five passing touchdowns, a total he reached just once before when he was with Ole Miss in 2017 against UT-Martin.

When looking at the head-to-head team statistics, Indiana and Michigan played very similarly:

both teams went 5-for-12 on third down conversions, and the Hoosiers actually controlled the time of possession, 31:54-28:06. However, Michigan won several key categories against Indiana, including turnovers (+1), passing yards (366-224), and total yards (453-321).

The loss put Indiana at a 7-4 record, and 4-4 in the conference for the season.

Indiana looks to take down Michigan for the first time since 1988.

Three Key Matchups

1. Win the Second Half

Michigan looks to extend their win streak to 25 against Indiana this weekend when they visit Memorial Stadium to take on the Hoosiers. Harbaugh is in his sixth season as head coach at Michigan, with a 48-19 (.716) record with the program. (Rick Osentoski)

So far this season, Indiana is being outscored 42-36 in the second half and overtime. As for Michigan, they are outscoring their opponents over that same time period, 28-20.

Indiana’s offense has struggled to perform well until late portions of games this season. If Indiana can avoid their early-game mishaps and convert opportunities against Michigan in the first and second quarters, Michigan could be in for a long afternoon against the Hoosiers.

2. Win the Turnover Margin

Indiana (+4) ranks first in the Big Ten in turnover margin through the first two weeks of conference action; Michigan (+3) ranks tied for second with Purdue. (Vincent Carchietta)

What made Indiana so successful at times against Rutgers last weekend were their ability to force turnovers to set the Hoosier offense up with short scoring drives. Indiana ranks second among FBS schools in their average turnover margin per game (+2), while Michigan is right behind them tied for third (+1.5) in that category.

On the season, Indiana has forced six turnovers and have committed two turnovers. A big reason for the success of the defense has fallen on junior defensive back Jamar Johnson, who has recovered a fumble and has intercepted one pass this season. Dating back to the bowl game against Tennessee from Jan.2, Johnson had three turnovers in his last three contests (two against Penn State, one against Tennessee).

Last season, Indiana lost the turnover battle against the Wolverines, 2-1. For Indiana to pull off the “upset” on Saturday— and yes, it would be an upset for a team that hasn’t beaten Michigan in over 30 years— they cannot turn the ball over, especially in the red zone. Indiana is perfect on scoring opportunities within 20 yards of the end zone this season.

3. Stop Another Running QB/RB Duo

Michigan quarterback Joe Milton will play similarly to how Sean Clifford of Penn State did several weeks ago against the Hoosiers. Milton has just two total touchdowns through his first two games at quarterback for the Wolverines. (Rick Osentoski)

In the opening weekend of return to action for the Big Ten, Indiana ran into a run-heavy quarterback in Sean Clifford with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Against the Hoosiers, Clifford ran for 119 yards on 17 attempts. Indiana struggled to slow down Clifford on his quarterback-designed runs, and on the run-pass option plays Penn State displayed against the Hoosiers.

Indiana will face junior quarterback Joe Milton on Saturday, who has played well in both games Michigan has competed in this season. In their victory against Minnesota, Milton threw for 225 passing yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 52 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. In their loss against Michigan State last weekend, Milton threw for 300 passing yards, and completed 32 of his 51 passing attempts.

The Indiana defensive line unit as well as the linebacker and husky core will have to find ways to contain Milton and keep him inside the pocket to give the Hoosiers a great chance at winning this football game.

How to Watch

The No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers return home to play the No. 23 Michigan at Memorial Stadium at noon. The game will air on FS1.

Michigan opens up as a 3.5 point favorite, with the over/under for total points currently slated at 54. The expected forecast at kickoff is 72 degrees with partly cloudy skies.

Michigan has won the last 24 consecutive games against Indiana dating back to 1988. Michigan leads the all-time series, 59-9.

TheHoosier.com will have continued coverage leading up to kickoff, throughout, and following the game. Be sure to follow along during the season as Indiana continues their action in Big Ten play.