That Hurts

I did not see this coming.  The Indiana Hoosiers had been improving each week and I thought they could be competitive for a quarter or two.  But this was The Big House.  Michigan was 3-0 and ranked in the Top 25.  IU had not won there since the 60s.  There was no way they could make this compelling.  Everyone was wrong, the Hoosiers outplayed the Wolverines and had them on the ropes.  They were down by three but had plenty of time to go on a drive to tie or win the game.  That was when the referees gave the Wolverines the game and ended the Hoosiers chance at the upset.  I don't care what anyone says, that final "interception" was simultaneous possession.  The rules state that when there is simultaneous possession, the ball goes to the offense.  There is no judgement call, it is in the rules.  Indiana got robbed because the Big Ten needs Michigan to be in the national spotlight and a loss to IU would have hurt.  

Okay, that rant won't solve anything but it is the truth.  I give credit to Tate Forcier for the game winning drive he orchestrated, he played well in the fourth quarter.  IU lost and it hurts to come that close but there are a lot of positives that came out of the game. 

Darius Willis is For Real

I was extremely impressed with the Indiana running game, particularly redshirt freshman

 Darius Willis.  Willis ran for 152 yards with two touchdowns.  He had a 9.5 yards per carry average which included the 85 yard touchdown run that put the Hoosiers back on top late in the game.  Willis has speed to burn, he can break tackles and he appears to have great vision in the backfield.  Indiana fans should be very excited, it looks like the Hoosiers have a feature running back.  The running game produced 190 yards with an average of six yards a carry.  An impressive performance for the pistol offense.

Middleton and Kirlew Wreak Havoc

Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew put pressure on Tate Forcier all day.  They both consistently got into the backfield and made plays.  Middleton had two sacks and six tackles.  Kirlew had seven tackles including two for a loss.  Pressure on the quarterback is one of the most important things a defense can do and IU has two players that can apply it.  Even the mobile Forcier had a difficult time escaping the pressure.  Michigan has a high-powered offense and I think Indiana's defense did an admirable job against them.  

Great Play-Calling

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada and head coach Bill Lynch developed an outstanding game plan for this Michigan defense.  I loved the triple option they implemented for the Wild Mitch formation.  I thought the run and pass balance was spot on.  The "swinging gate" play they ran for a nice screen pass to Willis was effective.  The Hoosiers threw the kitchen sink at Michigan and it almost got them the win.  

Chappell Manages the Game

I know "managing the game" can take an ugly connotation.  I mean it as a compliment.  I was extremely impressed with the Hoosiers quarterback on Saturday.  Chappell was 21-38 for 270 yards.  He did have a interception but, as previously discussed, that was bogus.  Chappell didn't force anything and I think he has proven to be a capable passer.  If the running game can continue to be effective, Chappell will get his chance to throw deep.  The Hoosiers outgained Michigan 467-372.  

If everything was positive, Indiana would have won.  There were a few mistakes that cost Indiana the game.  

Red Zone Miscues

IU had five trips inside the red zone and should have come out of them with at least three touchdowns.  But, they only came up with one TD and four field goals.  Kudos to kicker Nick Freeland for hitting four of five kicks and not having any blocked but IU needs to do better in the red zone.  They did not get stuffed at the goal line or anything but they couldn't get in on several plays inside the ten yard line.  If IU could have converted even two of their red zone chances, they win.  

Carlos Brown Carves Up Defense

I don't know why Michigan stopped giving Carlos Brown the ball.  He killed the Hoosiers in the

 first quarter with screen passes to the outside.  IU didn't miss any tackles on him, he just blew past them.  For some reason, Michigan tried to work Brandon Minor and Denard Robinson into the game.  Brown ended up with 85 yards rushing and 61 yards receiving but he only touched the ball 13 times.  I think Michigan had a mismatch they didn't exploit enough.  

There are not many negatives to the best performance I can remember from the Hoosiers in a while.  If IU can produce the same kind of effort every week, they will be going back to a bowl game.  I don't see them beating Ohio State next week but if they play like they did Saturday there are at least three wins left.  Illinois, Northwestern, Virginia, Purdue and Wisconsin are all winnable games.  

Tomorrow, I will wrap up a crazy week in college football.  Until then, stay vigilant and God Bless America.