Michigan football made a huge change last week, going to Tommy Carr as the starting quarterback.
Kyle Whittingham decided to pull Bryce Underwood at halftime of the Penn State game after two first-half interceptions. There were some other mistakes, too.
It was simply time for a change. The offense ran better under Carr. Much of that was because the running game was much better. He took advantage of his opportunities, though. Most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over.
If Carr does that on Saturday, Michigan will have a chance to pull off the upset. Looking ahead to Saturday's showdown, here are three keys to knocking off the national champs.
Win the turnover battle
Michigan needs to take care of the ball on offense. It also needs to take it away on defense. All of the Wolverines points against Penn State came after takeaways. Two of those possessions started in Penn State territory.
It made life easier on Tommy Carr. So did the running game and the offensive line. Indiana isn't quite as good as it was last season. The Hoosiers lost at home to Ohio State, but could have lost at Nebraska, too, trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska's defensive line was able to generate pressure. The Husker also stopped the run. If Michigan can do that, it feels like it should be able to force some turnover-worthy plays. The Wolverines just need to take advantage when those chanes arise.
Carr also has to manage the game. Throwing the ball away and punting are good plays. Carr shouldn't have to win this game, but he needs to make sure he doesn't lose it.
Run the ball effectively
Indiana likes to send a bunch of exotic things that look like five or six-man pressures, but are usually just four. The Hoosiers run a ton of simulated pressures.
If the offensive line can figure out who to block, it should hold up. The Hooisers have 24 sacks in seven games. They sacked Anthony Colandrea, a four-star starter who can move, five times.
One way to slow down the pass rush is running the ball. Michigan football showed some stretch zone last week, which is hard to stunt against. Some of the straightforward run stuff forces defenses to play honestly.
If Michigan runs the ball well, Indiana won't be able to get quite as aggressive. It will also keep Carr in manageable situatioins, as well as allowing the Wolverines to shorten the game.
All of those things are wins for Michigan football. The issue is that Indiana has an elite defensive line, one that allows just 2.3 rushing yards per attempt in Big Ten play.
Hit the quarterback
If Michigan is going to win this game, the jersey of Josh Hoover needs to get dirty. That's metaphorical because the Big House uses an artificial surface, but the Wolverines' pass rush needs to win.
Both teams are in the top five in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed and sacks. The secondary will need to hold up, however, it will have a much better chance against Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh if Hoover is uncomfortable.
If the Wolverines win on early downs, the pass rush can pin its ears back, and if Michigan gets after the quarterback effectively, it can win the game.
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