Published Oct 8, 2022
Halftime reactions: Michigan struggling to handle Indiana
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Brandon Justice  •  Maize&BlueReview
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It hasn't been easy for Michigan football on the road in Bloomington against Indiana.

The Wolverines are tied up with the Hoosiers at halftime after both teams went back and forth throughout the first half.

Each team blocked a field goal nearing the conclusion of the second quarter, keeping the game knotted up at 10-10.

Here are three halftime reactions from the Big Ten matchup.

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Indiana's offensive counters are working

Indiana isn't more talented than Michigan, but the offensive scheme is doing enough to compensate.

Utilizing a ton of tempo, the Hoosiers are forcing U-M, who mixes in subs defensively, to make plays with a quick turnaround on the next snap. While running the offense at a fast pace, Indiana QB Connor Bazelak is benefiting from bunch sets that are causing Wolverine defenders to miss assignments and get lost in either man or zone.

Bazelak is rolling towards his throwing arm a bunch, too, which is getting him away from pressure, where he's found wideouts underneath on various patterns, mostly crossing either underneath or in the middle.

Michigan will need to counter but will need guys like DJ Turner and Junior Colson to play better in the second half.

Michigan needs to capitalize on turnover-worthy throws

We knew Bazelak would throw the ball a lot, and with 31 attempts in the first half, head coach Tom Allen didn't wait to let his QB's arm work.

I don't have the metrics, but by my count, Bazelak made back-to-back turnover-worthy throws. DE Eyabi Okie dropped the first, and Rod Moore intercepted the second.

Bazelak has one of the highest turnover-worthy throw rates in college football and chasing an enormous upset as 22.5-point underdogs; it wouldn't come as a shock if he forced a few in the second half.

Michigan is at full strength in the back end of its defense and is built to create turnovers with its disguised blitzes and multiple looks.

But the only way to make turnovers points is either through a defensive touchdown or the offense capitalizing on the other end.

Moore's interception put Michigan's offense in plus-territory, but it settled for a short field goal on goal-to-go, which Indiana blocked.

This leads me to our last reaction.

What is Michigan's offense doing?

Against the 118th-best pass defense in college football, sophomore QB J.J. McCarthy is 4-of-9 without a touchdown and two turnover-worthy throws since starting the game 8-for-9.

Meanwhile, Michigan, praised for its rushing attack, started the day looking like it has all season with a long Blake Corum run setting up a Corum touchdown.

Since his first two carries totaled 51 yards, Corum has 8 carries for 9 yards.

The Wolverines have no rhythm, and the offensive line, which lost its right tackle Trente Jones to a knee injury in the first half, allowed multiple negative run plays, including one outside run from sophomore Donovan Edwards that ended in a five-yard loss.

Michigan hasn't attempted a deep pass yet. Indiana's two deep passes led to a defensive pass interference call and a 40-plus-yard completion. The Hoosiers cashed in with a touchdown two plays later.

It might be time to see what McCarthy's vaunted arm is made of -- though, he's looked uncharacteristically errant on a couple of throws.

With the run game being basically shut down and canceled out for the bulk of the first half, can Michigan's offense respond in the second?