Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia grades Michigan football after the Wolverines' 13-6 overtime loss to Indiana, in Week 8 of the 2026 college football season at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Offense: F
Six points. Total. It's just the second time this decade the Wolverines have gone 60 minutes (or more) without a touchdown (Ohio State, 2025) and the first time U-M has been held to fewer than seven points since 2014. It wasn't all bad, though it might be hard to see: Tommy Carr made plays with his legs, took what the defense gave him with his arm and mostly threw the ball away when there was nothing. Unfortunately, it came after two turnovers. The first came on a speed option to the left – supposed to go to the right, according to head coach Kyle Whittingham,
but there was a "miscommunication" in the huddle. Then, instead of just falling, he tried to make a tough pitch, which was fumbled.
Later, he threw into quadruple coverage on third and long for an interception. IU scored field goals off both turnovers.
Carr completed 20 of 32 passes for 167 yards with four passes of 15 yards or longer, three of which came in the second half. As bad as the passing was, the rushing was even worse: U-M mustered just 1.4 yards per carry, and no running back had even a single carry of 10 yards. And then there were the baffling plans, topped by offensive coordinator Jason Beck's third-and-goal call from the 1 – a play-action bootleg with a pass to the "rhino" offensive lineman. Instead, Carr was sacked for a 13-yard loss.
"The three main issues in that football game were our inability to run the ball, couldn't get anything going in the run game; couldn't get anything in the red zone ... and minus- in the red zone," Whittingham said postgame. "That [third-and-goal] was not a good football call."
Defense: A
The defense was genuinely outstanding in its toughest test to date. Indiana had 11 drives in regulation, none of which went more than 32 yards or lasted longer than 3:25. The Hoosiers had to punt seven times, attempt three field goals (with two makes coming on short fields) and had one turnover − QB Josh Hoover's first interception of the year. The secondary had its best day of the year, holding Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker to a combined five catches for 57 yards, all in the first half.
Chris Bracy led the way with 13 tackles, Jyaire Hill had two pass breakups, Smith Snowden had a critical sack on third down in the fourth quarter to force a punt and Zeke Berry had a momentum-changing interception and 37-yard return which set up Michigan's offense at the IU 13 in the third quarter. Indiana had just four plays of 10 yards or more all afternoon, as Hoover had his worst day of the season. This unit deserved better.
"Secondary was outstanding. ... Held one of the best receiving duos in the country to very little production," Whittingham said. "I can't say enough good things about the secondary. ... 80 yards of throwing with that quarterback and those receivers? That's pretty good."
Special teams: D
To think, even with an anemic offensive performance, U-M could've won the game without some mistakes in the kicking game. Trey Butkowski, who was 4-for-4 on field goals entering Saturday, made two field goals, including one from 26 yards out as time expired to force overtime. But he also missed two critical ones. The first was tough − a 53-yard attempt shortly before the half, missed well left. The second came after the disastrous "rhino" pass/sack; Butkowski missed left on a chip shot from 32.
Cam Brown was OK in the punt game, averaging 43.7 yards with two of five attempts pinning IU inside its 20. Salesi Moa looks like a nice boost in the punt game, with two returns for 25 yards.
Coaching: D
After making a quarterback switch and getting another four quarters (plus an OT possession), it seems that Beck is the key variable in a group that simply can't get anything going. Michigan was a combined 8-for 23 on third and fourth downs, and moved backwards too often. Whittingham (and Beck) simply hasn't been able to press the right buttons. The Wolverines have an elite defense, and if it was solely up to that unit, U-M would likely be in College Football Playoff contention. But the offense has been truly disastrous as U-M has three Big Ten losses before Halloween for the first time since 204. Whittingham criticized Beck's "rhino" play call afterward, but during the game, he didn't override it. That's just brutal.
"You name it, and we've got to work on it," Whittingham said. "That's our challenge. That's my challenge. That's Jason's challenge, and it's squarely on our shoulders."
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Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football grades vs Indiana: Anemic offense is huge liability
