By Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- What do you do when you lose for the first time in almost two years, when a 22-game winning streak is snapped in heart breaking fashion against Ohio State, and now you have a challenging road game at Michigan, where Indiana hasn’t won since 1967?
When you’re Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti, you find perspective.
“I think we were all feeling pretty bad after the game that night, I'm sure,” he said. “I woke up with kind of a new perspective: that we proved that we're capable. We’ve just got to clean up a couple things and get a little better in certain areas.”
IU’s winning streak and last year’s national championship were fueled by minimizing mistakes and making key plays when it mattered most. Returning to that form will be crucial against Michigan (4-2 overall, 1-2 in the Big Ten).
The No. 6/6 Hoosiers (6-1, 3-1) have lost 21 straight games at Michigan Stadium, which seats nearly 108,000. Michigan leads the series, 62-11.
“This business and what we ask of players is not easy stuff,” Cignetti said. “This is hard.
“It took a lot of effort (against Ohio State). It was a physical game. A lot of guys felt a lot better 10 days ago -- after a dramatic comeback victory at Nebraska -- than they do now. We're heading into another one and one more after that (at home against Minnesota) and then we finally get an open week after nine games.
“We’ve got to suck it up and go. Got no choice.”
Michigan has potential quarterback intrigue after freshman Tommy Carr came off the bench in the second half to replace struggling Bryce Underwood and lead the Wolverines to a 21-18 win over Penn State to snap a two-game losing streak. Carr, the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr and the brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, sparked Michigan to a season-high 211 rushing yards, in part because of his ability to read the defense.
In his second appearance of the season, Carr went 5-for-7 for 47 yards. He also ran for 36 yards and a touchdown.
“They made a quarterback change in the second half at Penn State,” Cignetti said. “It gave them a shot in the arm. They scored three second half touchdowns to win the game.”
In the aftermath, Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham praised Carr’s preparation.
Carr’s Michigan family connection runs deep. His father, Jason, played quarterback for the Wolverines in the mid-1990s. His other grandfather, Tom Curtis, was a two-time All-American safety at Michigan who later played for the Baltimore Colts.
Underwood completes 58.1 percent of his passes for 924 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions. Carr is 7-for-9 for 70 yards and a TD.
Underwood has rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
“(Carr) came in and played really well,” Cignetti said. “The other quarterback has a cannon and can run; makes a lot of plays with his legs.”
Whittingham said on Monday their quarterback plan is in place, but he won’t reveal it until Saturday. Cignetti said it could involve using both quarterbacks at the same time, something Whittingham did while coaching at Utah.
“You can see what you need to see (about Carr) in the second half of Penn State in my opinion, which I watched,” Cignetti said. “I would assume it would be (Carr to start). It could be two quarterbacks on the field at the same time. That would not surprise me. They did a lot of that at Utah.
“The other guy (Underwood) can make plays. Schematically, they didn't change a whole lot in the second half.”
The Wolverines average 22.7 points and allow 16.2. They hold opponents to 89.7 rushing yards a game. IU leads the Big Ten by allowing 75.4 rushing yards. Iowa is second at 84.7.
Michigan has two other players who have rushed for at least 223 yards -- Jordan Marshall (293, four touchdowns) and Savion Hiter (223, two).
Andrew Marsh is the leading receiver with 28 catches for 289 yards and one touchdown. JJ Buchanan has 27 catches for 482 and four.
Six Wolverines have intercepted a pass. Two -- Jonah Lea’ea and Nathaniel Staehling -- have returned them for touchdowns.
Michigan has 15 sacks and 39 tackles for loss. Linebacker Troy Bowles leads with 50 tackles.
“I’m really impressed with their defense,” Cignetti said, “with their quickness, their tenacity, the way they play play-in and play-out, the way they run to the ball. It's a top-flight defense.
“After a victory, I’m sure they’ll be feeling pretty good about themselves.”
The Hoosiers rushing attack, so dominant in the first five games, has struggled the last two weeks against Nebraska and Ohio State, partly because of the quality of those defenses, partly because both loaded the box to shut down the run.
Indiana ran for 65 yards on 22 carries against Nebraska, and 73 on 29 carries against Ohio State.
Still, IU has a pair of dynamic running backs in Turbo Richard (643 yards, six touchdowns) and Lee Beebe Jr. (575 yards, four touchdowns). Plus, talented running back Khobie Martin might be back after hurting his arm early in the season opener against North Texas.
The offensive line is considered to be one of the Big Ten’s best.
What will it take to jump start the running game?
“It all starts up front,” Cignetti said. “We want more consistent production, more explosive plays. We haven't got any explosive plays the last two weeks in the run game.”
Quarterback Josh Hoover was 20-for-40 against Ohio State for 296 yards and one touchdown. He lost one fumble when he was hit from behind while attempting a pass.
“I thought he made good plays,” Cignetti said. “There are some he would like to have back, some overthrows for sure.”
As far as the overthrows, Cignetti said, “it’s just an accuracy issue. There have been a couple other overthrows in games.”
On Hoover’s fumble, Cignetti added, “They gave us a certain (defensive) look. We didn’t adjust. Sack. Fumble.”
For the season, Hoover is completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,660 yards, 18 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
IU had a chance to win in the final minute against Ohio State but just missed on a game-winning touchdown play. Under heavy pressure from an Ohio State blitz, Hoover’s pass drifted to the left side of the end zone. Wide open receiver Nick Marsh caught it, but his left foot came down out of bounds, resulting in an incompletion.
“We had a lot of guys hurting after that game,” Cignetti said, “and that play wasn't all on Nick. Three or four things happened on that play that led to a break down in execution.
“Nick will be fine. He played well. He had one or two plays he would like to have back, but we had some pressure on that play in Josh's face, and Josh's drop wasn't exactly correct and then he pass faked it, so he could have gotten it out a little quicker.
“But it was definitely a layup.”