It was only the third game this season the No. 8 Hoosiers (10-0; 7-0 Big Ten) played in a one-possession game going into the fourth quarter.

Michigan held IU to a field goal in the second half and just 10 total yards of offense, but the defense forced a turnover on downs in the final two minutes to preserve the win. Linebacker Aiden Fisher stopped Peyton O’Leary inches shy of the first down marker on a last gasp effort from the Wolverines with just 1:41 to go.

IU football’s offense has its worst performance of the year

Indiana football’s offensive drive chart to start the second half was ugly — interception, punt and punt — and the numbers were even worse. The Hoosiers only had one first down during that stretch and two total yards of offense. That dry spell came after putting up 228 yards in the first half and having real success throwing the ball deep down field.

Michigan managed to dial up the pressure coming out of halftime and got much better coverage in a secondary missing starting corner Will Johnson. The Wolverines had a similar performance against Oregon last week in a game where they gave up 28 points and only forced one punt before halftime, but held the Ducks to just 10 points in the second half.

When Rourke was able to get the ball out of his hands — he was sacked three times in the second half — he was just 3-of-10 and only one of those completions went for positive yardage.

IU football’s defense holds its ground vs. hapless Michigan

Michigan displayed some rare offensive efficiency in the first quarter, but it was only temporary.

The Wolverines put together an impressive 14-play, 66-yard drive on their opening drive that took over more than seven minutes off the clock. The only thing that tripped them up was a self-inflicted wound at IU’s 3-yard line.

Warren, who was 5-of-6 for 66 yards on the drive, just dropped the ball as he was trying to throw it on third down — Terry Jones Jr. was coming off the edge on a blitz — but that resulted in a loss of 18 yards and forced Michigan to settle for a 39-yard field goal.

They had four gains of 10 or more yards on the drive, but only had one over the next two quarters.

Michigan coach Sherrod Moore subbed Warren out on a handful of snaps to get the ball in the hands of dual-threat quarterback Alex Oriji — two of those snaps came on a third down — and each time IU blew up the play. He also fumbled at midfield in the first quarter.

Indiana’s defense again shut down the run after setting a single-game record the previous week by holding Michigan State to minus-36 rushing yards. The Hoosiers held Kalel Mullings, who came into the game ranked in the top 10 of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (78.9), to just 30 yards on 10 carries and stuffed eight runs for no gain or a loss.

The defense held Michigan to another field goal after Kurtis Rourke threw an interception at IU’s own 7-yard line and nearly forced a turnover on downs when the Wolverines got back into the red zone in the fourth quarter. They stopped Michigan short of the goal line on three straight run attempts — Donovan Edwards dove over the pile on fourth and one — and got a stop on the 2-point conversion that would have tied the game.

Lady luck runs out for IU football?

Indiana football has stayed remarkable healthy throughout the 2024 season, but they suffered a tough blow during the week when starting left guard Drew Evans suffered an Achilles injury that will  90 minutes before kickoff when the Big Ten requires teams to release a weekly availability report.

Indiana’s chemistry on the offensive line had been a key factor to the offense’s success this season. Former JMU offensive lineman Tyler Stephens entered the lineup on Saturday and faced a tough task going up against one of the best defensive fronts in the Big Ten.

The Hoosiers allowed four sacks and eight tackles for loss while averaging just 1.3 rushing yards.

Indiana also lost starting receiver Myles Price and starting running back Justice Ellison wasn’t the same after taking a huge hit on the sidelines in the second quarter.

Those injuries will add up quickly for an IU team that doesn’t have a ton of depth up front and lost two receivers at midseason (Donaven McCulley and E.J. Williams) who opted to transfer. The Hoosiers also lost starting cornerback Jamier Johnson to a targeting call in the final minutes of the half.