Michigan 27, Indiana 20 (OT) Comment Count

Ace



Tyree Kinnel's fourth-down interception (finally) ended the game. [Bryan Fuller]

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Indiana put a harrowing scare into Michigan, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion.

A game that initially looked like it'd result in a comfortable Wolverines win got increasingly distressful. Two Quinn Nordin field goals and a 12-yard Karan Higdon touchdown run got Michigan out to an early 13-0 lead. While the Hoosiers netted a field goal shortly before halftime, the game felt fully in M's control; they held a 166-112 edge in total yardage and had a huge advantage on the ground. Sure, you could complain about the 11 penalties and the underwhelming passing attack, but the Hoosiers were having trouble just moving the football downfield.

Whatever was said at halftime, however, should probably never be spoken again.

An ugly Michigan three-and-out, capped by a John O'Korn completion to Jim Harbaugh, gave IU the ball with a chance to cut it to a one-score game. They did just that on a drive in which Mike DeBord and his offense utilized tempo to lock backup defensive linemen Aubrey Solomon and Carlo Kemp on the field in place of the dominant duo of Maurice Hurst and Rashan Gary. Hoosiers running back Morgan Ellison rushed for 45 yards on the drive, going virtually untouched on an eight-yard touchdown.

The game slowed to a slog. O'Korn missed a golden opportunity on the ensuing drive when Zach Gentry broke open downfield on a two-man route; O'Korn instead chose to throw at a well-covered Kekoa Crawford, and two plays later Michigan brought on the punt team. That'd become a familar sight for both squads; the next seven drives, four for IU and three for M, went three-and-out.

Higdon, who had a star-making afternoon, finally broke the drought when Michigan went to a ground-only attack. After four rushes gained a pair of first downs, the coaches broke out a slick new counter play to spring Higdon for a 59-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.



Dare I say Woodson-esque? [Fuller]

With Michigan now holding a 20-10 advantage, it looked like they'd ice the game when Lavert Hill intercepted Peyton Ramsey on a play reminiscent of the great Michigan cornerbacks of my lifetime. Indiana had already burned two of their timeouts on defense. A first down would've effectively put it away, but the offense bogged down, and the game suddenly turned sphincter-tightening when J-Shun Harris nearly housed Robbins's punt. Josh Metellus made a desperation tackle at the 16-yard line, but six plays later Ramsey hit Whop Philyor (a real name, that) for an eight-yard score.

Then things got really wild. With no timeouts left and 3:28 on the clock, Indiana went for an onsides kick, which took a high bounce that eluded Kekoa Crawford and went straight to IU's Simmie Cobbs for an apparent recovery. Cobbs, however, bobbled the ball ever so slightly as he stepped out of bounds, which the officials spotted live and upheld upon review—Michigan ball.

That allowed Higdon to run the clock down to 1:11, but he didn't convert a first down, and IU got the ball back on their 30-yard line after Michigan's school-record-setting 16th penalty added ten yards to a Robbins touchback. Two big pass plays by Ramsey, one to Luke Timian and the other to Cobbs, gave kicker Griffin Oakes a shot to send the game to overtime; his kick snuck just inside the right upright.



When Karan Higdon saw paydirt, he wouldn't be denied. [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

But Indiana remains Indiana. Michigan started with the ball in overtime and the Hoosiers initially stymied the first play. Higdon, who finished with 200 yards on 25 carries, eluded a defensive lineman in the backfield and bounced to the backside, gaining the edge and bolting down the sideline for his third touchdown.

"He was phenomenal," said Harbaugh. "I don't know how many yards he got after contact but those were tough yards. It looked like there'd be a tackle for loss, a small gain or no gain and he found a way to get four of five yards out of it."

The Hoosiers quickly worked their way to first-and-goal from the three. Gary surged though the line for a tackle for loss on first down, and after Ramsey missed J-Shun Harris in the end zone, he combined with Noah Furbush to stymie a Ramsey keeper. With the game down to one play, Chase Winovich put Ramsey under immediate pressure, and a desperation heave to Cobbs ended up in the hands of Tyree Kinnel. For the second time in as many trips to Memorial Stadium, the defense won the game with a goal-line stand.

"We were going to have to dig down deep to do it," said Harbaugh. "We responded with two tackles for loss, incompletion and an interception on the quarterback option route. It was a great four plays for us."

It sure wasn't pretty, and for large swaths it sure wasn't fun, but Michigan found a way to hold on and move to 5-1 on the season. Next weekend's trip to Happy Valley looms large, however, and could ugly fast if the Wolverines can't get a whole lot more out of John O'Korn, who managed only 58 yards passing on 20 attempts and had a horrible interception negated by an iffy pass interference call. Harbaugh probably has to stick with O'Korn at this point lest he want to throw a redshirt freshman QB behind a porous offensive line on the road against a top-five team. One way or the other, winning at Penn State is a tall order. For the time being, though, Michigan can at least enjoy the ride home.

"We move on to a big road game next week," said Harbaugh. "But this was a big game for our team. Mistakes were made, but it's something we can really grow from."

Comments

jmblue

October 14th, 2017 at 8:26 PM ^

If this were a veteran team barely escaping, I could understand your pessimism.  But this is one of the youngest teams in the country.  Harbaugh will probably never again have so few upperclassmen on the team.

For this particular season, we should probably lower our expectations, but I wouldn't draw many conclusions from this year about Harbaugh or the program in general, other than that this level might be our floor.

 

Blue Velvet

October 14th, 2017 at 7:40 PM ^

RR wins were less frequent but equally frustrating in precisely the opposite fashion - some fun on O and absolutely no defense.  I'll take this year's team and our direction forward over RR any day.  Talk about depressing.  This is, at worst, a season similar to many we had under Bo and Lloyd.

BlueMk1690

October 14th, 2017 at 5:45 PM ^

It's one thing to eke out 20 points on the ground vs Indiana..another thing to do it vs PSU. And I am not a believer in the 'Penn State are Bama v2.0' theory, the same would apply if we played any other good team this coming week.

The team today came out tight and with a lack of confidence and the penalties hint at a lack of focus too. This game and the way it went isn't likely to instill a lot of confidence either. The team looked exhausted and relieved at the end. If you're relieved at the end of a test and then remember oh yeah this was the supposedly easy test and the next one is much, much harder..that's unlikely to make you feel very good or loose.

PSU wants our scalp badly - if you think IU or PU seemed like they were a bit desperate to win the game vs us, man PSU wants this even more and they got more talent to do it. We're not technically PSU's rivals but given they have no real rivals, we're the stand-in every year basically (On a side note, it is 'funny' how their worshipped criminal mastermind/coach Paterno essentially deprived them of having a real rivalry with Pitt out of a sense of petty-minded myopia).

Of course, I'm gonna hedge here and say that it could all happen very differently, but based on what I've seen so far, next weekend is our first appointment with a dentist and he oddly enough has a German accent.

 

 

 

Alumnus93

October 14th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^

Takes US? you man, like we did them last year with Speight? THAT was a drubbing. Harbaugh won't get taken to cleaners by anybody no matter show bad the QB is. Speaking of which should they play to JOK strength and go deep? I'm so sick of these low potential dink passes and the three and outs. Air it out.

BrightonB

October 14th, 2017 at 8:09 PM ^

That is the strength of O'Korn.  He can espape very well.  He is NOT a deep ball pocket passer.  He seems to be far more accurate while running.  Which again makes me say ..... more QB designed runs .. more options with him as that will open op more throws while on the run.  QB run ....then roll him out and pass ... etc etc.  He just doesn't see the field good is what I am seeing on his check downs.  The play calling is actually ok as again what I see are wide open guys (esp TE's) out there.  The plays are there he is just not making the proper choice so simplify it .. .roll him out .. QB designed runs ..options etc.  Then you can try and sneak a few seam passing in there as they won't be as ready. 

He can espape and I think he throws a good ball on the run 80% of the time but one thing to me is easy  ..... he is NOT  pocket passer so don't use him like that.

Glad for the win but I think we all agree (maybe?) we should of won by 2 TDs easy against Indiana. 

I 100% think we win at PSU.  Our D will keep us in the game.  I feel we just need 17 points and we win it.    Shakey ... but glad for the win today ..... Sheeeeeew.

TIMMMAAY

October 14th, 2017 at 9:44 PM ^

I don't like our chances next weekend, but no way we lose that badly. Our defense is way too good for that. I'd put it more like 17-10, or 24-13, something like that. 

That said, I still think we have a shot at the win, if our defense plays well. Just need a few breaks to go our way, with some help from special teams. However it goes, I don't think we'll get crushed. 

TIMMMAAY

October 14th, 2017 at 9:41 PM ^

What "check downs"? He doesn't check down, like, ever. You can tell 100% of the time where he's going with the ball, he locks on immediately upon starting his drop back. Every damn time. If he doesn't throw it there, it means he's scrambling, or sacked. 

getsome

October 15th, 2017 at 12:31 AM ^

meyer / osu didnt take harbaugh to the cleaners 2 yrs ago?  didnt m score like 13 points and get run into the ground?

and okorns strength is throwing deep?

i love the optimism, i truly do (and i think harbaugh is a very good coach) - just not blind or misguided optimism

Squash34

October 15th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^

Michigan was blown out in the second half of that game by a OSU team that was pissed off and probably the most talented in the country that year. It was year one and people probably blocked it out of their memory when making statements like this.
But, it is an outliner, all his other loses at Michigan have been one score loses.
O'Korn has thrown several fades down the sideline that were good to great throws, some that were bad decisions and bad throws. Just because only black has came down with them does not mean he does not mean he can't throw it. At a certain point any QB will look worse than he is if the wr are not helping him out. And, the wr have not helped him out on hardly any deep balls.

ppudge

October 14th, 2017 at 5:46 PM ^

Well, there will be a distinct lack of pressure on the team next week as very few people will expect us to win. Only game this year where it looked like we were loose and free was the Florida game.

Alumnus93

October 14th, 2017 at 5:54 PM ^

LMAO. I'll gladly take Harbaugh over Franklin and the points whatever you clowns will give me. We are playing down to our competition right now because our QB play is low right now. But Harbaugh has ALWAYS played up to the competition, the few times he had to. We just lost our starting QB in Speight.. this is what it tis right now. But to think we are gonna get whipped is just wrong.

Maynard

October 14th, 2017 at 9:43 PM ^

Doesn't matter if the glass is half full or half empty if you dump the fucker on your head. But hey, keep popping those Zoloft and read The Power of Positive Thinking and maybe, just maybe it'll still feel like a win when we cover the spread. LMAO

IowaWolverine

October 14th, 2017 at 5:46 PM ^

So first of all we have a new passing game coordinator and a new running back coach we lost a ton of talent on both sides of of the ball the defense has been stellar credit Don Brown the offense is breaking in new TE with Tyrone Wheatley Jr. out. Our wide outs just don't have enough experience. Harbaugh is not a miracle worker. O Korn is obviously not the answer you can't expect everything to go smoothly after losing everybody like that. Coordinators, talent. Michigan should have won last week but Michigan St. got a couple of breaks. It happens. We should have whooped Indiana but we didn't. Partially because we have become one dimensional. We need a quarterback to complete basic throws. Enough to keep the opposing defense honest.

Bertello NC

October 14th, 2017 at 6:37 PM ^

Ya as much as I dislike huard as an analyst he pointed out that OKorn is predetermined to throw certain passes most notably the deep pass, when most of those are low percentage options and there are crossing TE’s and WR’s wide open. It’s concerning because of who our coach is. If Hoke was here... understandable. He’s not. If we could ever get to a point with any of our QB’s where they can see other options opening up our offense would turn a corner.

Esterhaus

October 14th, 2017 at 5:50 PM ^

Will sell out to stop the run. If our QB can manage to hit his TEs, we'll have our shot at a win. If not, this game looks to be a tough one to watch for us.

taut

October 14th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^

Can a team win and still drop several places in the rankings? Because, no matter what our record ends up being, we looked pretty 7-5 today. I hate that this defense is wasted on this offense.

Squash34

October 15th, 2017 at 5:10 AM ^

You do realize 7 top 25 teams lost to unranked trams,right? Most of which are on par or worse than Indy.
Hell wsu got beat by 37 to a bad call team. Washington was shutout for 55 min to a team that has given up over 30 in 11 straight.

Auburn gave up a 20 point lead to an lsu team that got beat by Troy two weeks ago.

Clemson was spotted a 14 point swing by the refs and still lost to middling Syracuse team.

Sdst got beat by Boise who got dumped on by Virgina two weeks ago.

Miami never lead to GT until 4 seconds left and USC lost to Utah after Utah went for two and failed.
But yeah Mich will drop in the polls.

kingsyzd614

October 14th, 2017 at 5:55 PM ^

Harbaugh played this one like an NFL game. We were up most of the game so we just kept pounding the rock. Our defense will keep us in every game this season. Yeah against the good teams, like the one we play next week, we are going to have to make some plays on offense to win. But Harbaugh knows we are going to have to grind out victories the rest of the season. The offense is just not explosive enough to keep trying to air it out when it isn't necessary.

Amutnal

October 14th, 2017 at 6:32 PM ^

When has running 3 straight times and punting to seal a game with the less worked in the past 2 years when up by less one score? Iowa? MSU? FSU? Today? Never. It’s stupid. I know hindsight is 20/20 but we somehow find ways to fuck up and other team gets back in anyway. So why not try and keep it under our control and be more aggressive?