There’s no recount required here. The Michigan Monkey is off Indiana’s back.
On a dominant Saturday afternoon, the Hoosiers came out firing all cylinders, grabbing an early lead and never looking back. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix finished 30-for-50, for 342 yards, and 3 TD. He usually had a clean pocket, and was able to find his receivers downfield.
WR Ty Fryfogle burned Michigan’s secondary repeatedly. CBs Gemon Green and Vincent Gray had a tough time dealing with Penix, Fryfogle, Whop Philyor, Peyton Hendershot, and Miles Marshall. All four pass catchers had a first half reception, as the Hoosiers totaled 254 passing yards before halftime.
One constant theme in the first half was Indiana using a hard count to keep the Michigan defense off balance. The Wolverines jumped across the line of scrimmage six times in the first half, leading to a bunch of free play opportunities for the Hoosiers offense. The first scoring strike of the day, a Penix deep ball to Marshall, came on one of those chances.
Two other moments stood out in the game’s first 30 minutes. IU safety Jamar Johnson was ejected for throwing a punch at WR Ronnie Bell. Bell finished the day with 6 receptions for 149 yards and a TD. The other key moment came with 6:53 left in the half, when Charlie Campbell fired a 52-yard field goal through the uprights, continuing his perfect start to the season. The kick gave IU a two-score lead.
After halftime, the Wolverines turned up their intensity as they tried to avoid a 2nd consecutive loss. Michigan quarterback Joe Milton started the second half 8-for-9 for 171 yards, as he used the deep ball, especially to Ronnie Bell, to beat the IU defense. Bell finished the day with six catches for a game-high 149 yards.
One key play that turned the tide was DB Devon Matthews intercepting an errant Milton pass and returning it back to the IU 34-yard line. The Hoosier secondary intercepted two passes on the day, with the second one snagged by Jaylin Williams. It was Williams’ 3rd INT in as many games.
HB Stevie Scott controlled the ground game for the Hoosiers, especially in the second half. Scott registered 97 yards and two TDs, running his career total up to 26.
