The Michigan Wolverines' football defense gave up scoring drives to Indiana on two of its first three possessions (of 75 and 52 yards, respectively), allowing the Hoosiers to grab a 14-7 lead at 14:09 of the second quarter.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown's crew buckled down after that, though, not giving up a single point for the rest of the game.
"We just did what we’re supposed to do [after IU's scoring drives]," senior linebacker Josh Uche explained after the win. "We just stayed on the little things, the details and executed.
"Coach Brown called an excellent game, and we did whatever he told us to do. He makes the calls, and I know what my responsibility is and that I’m going to do that job. It’s up to Coach Brown to make those adjustments. We communicate with him on what we feel is working and what their tendencies are, and what they’re leaning toward."
Two crucial turnovers contributed to Michigan's defensive success in Bloomington, with freshman safety Daxton Hill picking off a pass from redshirt junior quarterback Peyton Ramsey on the Hoosiers' second possession of the afternoon.
Uche caused and recovered U-M's second turnover, when he forced Ramsey to fumble on a sack late in the third quarter, giving U-M's offense outstanding field position by picking it up at the Indiana 19-yard line (senior quarterback Shea Patterson found junior receiver Nico Collins in the end zone on the ensuing play).
"The sack-fumble was big," head coach Jim Harbaugh recapped. "Josh Uche was having a heck of a game with the pressure he was applying. He takes speed and turns it into power and made a big sack fumble.
"He also stopped their fly sweep off the edge, and it was big getting their inside running game stopped."
After yielding 127 yards on IU's first two scoring series, Michigan's defense only gave up 194 yards the rest of the day, and forced punts on five of Indiana's final nine possessions.
The four drives that didn't end in punts concluded with (in chronological order): the end of the first half, the fumble Uche forced and recovered, a failed fourth-down attempt and the end of the game.
Quinn Nordin Continues To Excel As Michigan's Kicker
Redshirt junior kicker Quinn Nordin and sophomore Jake Moody had primarily alternated on U-M's extra points and field goals throughout the first two months of the season, but the former was given the nod on all three of Michigan's field goals and all five of its extra points last week against MSU (and converted on all eight kicks).
Nordin once again was the man for both jobs on Saturday against the Hoosiers, connecting on his lone field goal attempt (from 27 yards out) and all four of the club's extra points, while Moody handled kickoff duties and posted four touchbacks on seven tries and never had a kick returned.
Redshirt junior punter Will Hart, meanwhile, endured the worst outing of his career, averaging just 31.2 yards on four punts (his previous low had been 35 yards, which he had done three times).
A bit of an odd sequence occurred at 14:09 of the second quarter when freshman wideout Giles Jackson fielded a kick at his own goal line, and advanced all the way to his own 37-yard line before appearing to be tackled.
The whistle never blew, however, and Jackson proceeded to take the kick all the way to the house. Replay showed the freshman was clearly down, though, and the touchdown came off the board.
Jackson as a whole averaged 27 yards on three kick return attempts throughout the afternoon.
More Miscellaneous Michigan Football Notes
• IU's longest run on Saturday was 17 yards, meaning Michigan has not given up a run of 20 or more yards in its last 32 quarters.
• The Hoosiers' 321 yards of offense were the most U-M had surrendered since the Sept. 21 loss at Wisconsin (487). It also stood as just the second time an opponent had surpassed 293 yards this season against the Maize and Blue defense.
• IU averaged 2.6 yards per rush, marking the seventh time this season U-M has held an opponent to 2.6 yards per carry or fewer.
• The Wolverines' 25-point margin of victory was their biggest against the Hoosiers since 2006, when Lloyd Carr's Maize and Blue squad won in Bloomington, 34-3.
• Indiana sophomore running back Stevie Scott had been averaging 79.1 yards per game entering the weekend (fourth most in the Big Ten), but Michigan held him to just 54.
• Daxton Hill made his first career start on Saturday, filling in for injured junior safety Brad Hawkins. Hill also recorded his first career interception in the first quarter and became the first freshman to start a game on defense under Harbaugh. The freshman led the defense with eight tackles.
“We’ll see [if Hawkins is able to play next week]," Harbaugh revealed. "Brad had an injury during the week of practice. Daxton knew he’d be starting right around Wednesday."
• U-M's average margin of victory over its last four games (45-14 over Notre Dame, 38-7 at Maryland, 44-10 over Michigan State and 39-14 at Indiana) has been 30.2 points.
• Sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson registered his sixth pass breakup of the year in the first quarter and is tied with junior cornerback Ambry Thomas for the second most on the team. Senior cornerback Lavert Hill leads the way with 10.
• Indiana's 224 passing yards were the third most Michigan had allowed this season.
• In its last eight games, U-M has surrendered 13 touchdowns and forced 14 turnovers.
• Uche recorded two of the team's four tackles for loss.
• The Wolverines forced IU to go three-and-out on three of its 12 possessions.
• Michigan improved its all-time record against Indiana to 59-9, and has won 24 straight in the series and its last 11 in Bloomington. IU's last triumph against U-M came in 1987.
• Uche's strip sack in the third quarter brought his sack total to a team-best 10.5 on the year (he led the club with seven last season).
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