A Dominant Second Half Propels Michigan To Victory
It did not come easy in Bloomington.
Marred by penalties, early secondary troubles, unexpected injuries, and a quiet run game, the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines had to win with grit, and JJ McCarthy’s arm.
They were able to do so in a hard-fought 31-10 victory, improving to 6-0 on the season. The game remained close into the second half, but the Wolverines’ offense came to life late, and three second half touchdowns took the game well out of reach.
The Wolverines started off hot.
After receiving the kick to start the game, Blake Corum broke off for a huge 50-yard run after shedding a tackle and cutting past multiple Hoosier defenders, helped by a block downfield from Andrel Anthony. Corum punched it in on the next play to take a seven point lead.
Towards the end of the first, running backs coach Mike Hart reportedly suffered a seizure on the Michigan sideline, and was subsequently carted off the field. Players on both teams took a knee, and Hart gave a thumbs up as he was carted off. Hart was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
Hart’s disappearance was an emotional blow to the Wolverines, with both running backs Corum and Donovan Edwards clearly shaken up on the sidelines.
After this, Michigan’s offense looked lost, only scoring a field goal in the rest of the half. The running game’s production dried up as well. Both Edwards and Corum only logged 26 yards in the half after the opening drive, forcing the Wolverines to rely on a pass game that also looked lost. Corum, usually able to showcase his quick cuts and flashy speed, looked pedestrian early, as the holes opened earlier this season were nowhere to be found.
Indiana’s offense answered back on its second drive, helped by a pass interference call that gifted it a fresh set of downs. Hoosiers quarterback Connor Bazelak was productive, finding multiple receivers deep and capping the 10-play, 76-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass.
The Hoosiers followed up that drive with a second quarter field goal, and headed into the half tied at 10.
Michigan’s defense locked down in the second half. The Wolverines forced five straight punts, and Bazelak, who previously had plenty of time in the pocket, was constantly pressured. This pressure resulted in seven sacks and nine tackles for loss.
Eyabi Okie and Mazi Smith each made big plays on the line, Okie logging a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss, and Smith logging four solo tackles and being a major part of shutting down the Indiana run.
McCarthy and the offense solved their earlier problems in the second half, logging three touchdowns, putting the game well out of reach. McCarthy took some successful deep shots, and Corum was productive, averaging more than five yards per carry as well.
But the game was sloppy, and many parts of their game will need to be fixed before a top-ten matchup with Penn State in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines logged 10 penalties for 85 yards, far eclipsing their season average of three. The offense also looked lost at times when the running game wasn’t productive. McCarthy also had problems with finding the deep ball, maybe the product of overly conservative play calling.
And against an undefeated Nittany Lions squad coming off a bye week, any remaining shortcomings will definitely be exploited.
