Indiana left Ann Arbor with a win, but the route there was anything but clean. The No.
6 Hoosiers outlasted Michigan 13-6 in overtime on Saturday, getting just enough from a defense that carried a sputtering offense across the finish line. The result pushed Indiana to 7-1 and kept Curt Cignetti from taking his first two-game losing streak at the school.
The biggest issue once again was the passing game. Josh Hoover never got comfortable, finishing 8-of-18 for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception, his first of the season.
He may be playing through an injury, which could explain some of the rough edges, but either way it was a tough afternoon. For a second straight week, Indiana’s offense couldn’t build any real rhythm against a strong Big Ten opponent, and the burden on the defense kept growing.
That said, Hoover did deliver the one throw that mattered most. In overtime, he scored the go-ahead touchdown on a designed quarterback keeper, a rare moment of creativity from an offense that had spent most of the day looking flat. But one play can only cover so much, and the overall performance through the air fell well short of what Indiana needs from its starting quarterback if it’s going to hit its season goals.
If the offense was uneven, the defense was the reason Indiana walked away with the win. Michigan kept forcing the Hoosiers to defend while their own offense struggled to stay on schedule, and Indiana answered repeatedly. The challenge was made tougher by Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr, whose ability to extend plays with his legs created a different kind of stress for a defense with limited tape to study.
Even with the extra strain, Bryant Haines’ group kept coming through. Indiana has taken heat this season for giving up explosive plays through the air, but Saturday was another reminder of how good this unit can be when the moment calls for it. When the game reached its final snap in overtime, the defense slammed the door and kept Michigan out of the end zone to seal the victory.
The red zone remained a familiar headache for Indiana, too. The Hoosiers got inside Michigan’s 20 twice in regulation and came away with no touchdowns on either trip.
That’s been a recurring problem all season, with possessions too often stalling into the same predictable patterns - an inside run that goes nowhere, or a fade toward Charlie Becker that Hoover can’t place cleanly. Becker’s 6-foot-4 frame should make him a threat on contested throws, but he still needs the ball delivered in a spot where he can make a play.
Whether the fix comes from sharper play-calling, a steadier run game, or better execution from Hoover, Indiana clearly needs something different near the goal line. The overtime touchdown offered a glimpse.
Instead of forcing the same old script, the Hoosiers used a designed quarterback keeper and let Hoover punch in a five-yard score. It was a small change, but an important one.
Indiana doesn’t necessarily need more quarterback runs. It needs more answers, more variety, and more imagination in the part of the field where drives are supposed to finish. Saturday showed both the problem and a possible way forward.
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