The Michigan Wolverines hosted the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers at the Big House on Saturday. The game came down to the wire, but Michigan couldn’t pull off the upset. The Wolverines finished the game with just six points, 57 rushing yards, and 167 passing yards. The Michigan defense was phenomenal for all but a few plays. Here are our three winners and three losers after the tough overtime loss.
Loser | Turnovers
Michigan QB Tommy Carr didn’t look great in Michigan’s loss. He fumbled the ball once trying to pitch it out
to RB Savion Hiter. He also threw a bad interception. While they didn’t end up costing the team too many points, it’s still not a great look for the offense. The missed field goals turned the ball over without any points. I’m just going to include those here, too, because that stunk.
Winner | Third-down Defense
As previously mentioned, the defense was pretty great in this game. They held an IU team to just 212 yards and really limited the explosive plays. They limited the turnovers and got the Hoosiers off the field quickly. Indiana only had the ball for 26:16 and was 4-of-14 on third down. Michigan held them to just two field goals in regulation. They didn’t hold up in overtime, but it was a really good day for the defense.
Loser | Offense
This offense is just not good. The turnovers are just part of the issue. Yes, the offensive line is dealing with injuries, but it’s just painful to watch this team when they have the ball. They can’t get out of their own way on the field. Even if you don’t want to put more of the blame on OC Jason Beck, the players on the offense just aren’t executing, and so they’re going in the losers column. We’re comparing this offense to the offenses of the past two seasons, and that just seems unbelievable given the talent we supposedly have on this roster. Carr took four sacks in this game and lost 41 yards.
Winner | Cornerbacks
The cornerbacks had a tough game last week, but against Indiana they were pretty impactful. Jyaire Hill had a few great breakups, and Zeke Berry picked off QB Josh Hoover for the first time this season. He ended the day with six tackles and more yards than nearly every player on Michigan’s offense, so great job by him. Smith Snowden also had a huge tackle at the start of the fourth quarter that really helped this team stay in the game.
Loser | Coaching decisions
Michigan’s OC Jason Beck didn’t get out of his own way in this one. The third-down plays when Michigan had a chance to easily punch it into the end zone were frustrating. It’s easy to let him off the hook given the injuries on the offensive line, but it’s literally his job to figure out how to score points. He isn’t doing that. There were a few other areas in managing the clock that really aggravated me in this one.
We know you guys have thoughts after a loss, so let us hear them! Join in on the conversation in the comments below.
