Michigan Football: Indiana at Michigan — What Happened and What It Means — Part I
Posted at 5:30am — 10/21/2013
Michigan Football: Indiana at Michigan — What Happened and What It Means — Part I
Holy Cow!
The routine is familiar and is always looked to with joy. The trip from cowtown to Ann Arbor in a northerly fashion starts early in the morning, even for a 3:30 game (which later in the year becomes harder to tolerate as light and temperature decline. Mrs. Doc was informed (and ignored) that mid October offers at least a good chance of reasonable football weather. But the truth is that mid October games have seen worse weather the last few years compared to November home games.
Oct 19, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke yells on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 63-47. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsSo, into the car and up the road, it rained and rained. It rain upon arrival, the sun came out briefly, then more rain, then it hailed. But then the real storm hit on the football field.
Anyone looking for a true old-style field position game found the wrong venue, same thing in Ypsi, as Ohio University and Eastern Michigan scored a ton of points. So, is it the water in Washtenaw County, no athletes on defense, or just a little random selection of a universe seeking some balance?
The game started off in a normal manner, there were punts and a back and forth flow of typical proportions. But then invisible lightning struck and records were smashed that would have made Bill Veeck delighted.
Indiana’s offense is not a joke. The Hoosiers can put out two talented athletes at quarterback, one a passer, and one a dual purpose threat, some very nice wideouts, and a couple of decent running backs. Combine this talent with a Blitzkrieg attack that seeks to run off many plays within 10 seconds of the previous play, keep defensive substitutions off the field, and create havoc in defensive decision makers, and chaos or fast break football is the result.
Oct 19, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (28) is congratulated by quarterback Devin Gardner (98) after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsIndiana has had many talented football coaches since Cam Cameron. And the Hoosiers have scored many points with the pistol and other attacks. The problem is that the Hoosier defense remains in the bottom two or three Big Ten defenses. Compounding this reality is the side-effect of quick strike offense: having the defense on the field with little rest. And so it was Saturday, Indiana on a quick strike and Michigan responded with points, either by a semi-grinding ground game or the Hoosier toxic combination of Gardner to Gallon.
Michigan made another wholesale change in the interior offensive line. The three youngsters who played guard should be accredited with a passing grade. But it was Indiana, was the call by some to diminish the good results. Make your own decision, neither side of the coin cannot really be espoused as total truth.
Mags and Bosch looked at least good enough to hold forth some hope. Still, it is highly probable that the results will be different against top competition.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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