IU finally snapped its four-game losing streak last week with a 34-32 win over Maryland.
After withstanding a furious fourth-quarter comeback from the Terrapins, the Hoosiers now hold a 5-5 record — just one win away from bowl eligibility. This Saturday, IU travels to No. 4 Michigan for its toughest matchup this season.
Here’s three things to know about the Wolverines.
The Wolverines have won nine straight games.
After losing its season opener to Notre Dame, Michigan has rattled off nine consecutive victories and looked dominant while doing so. The Wolverines have decimated their opponents this season, winning games by an average of 27.8 points. Although many thought Michigan’s success was due to their softer schedule, its dominant wins over Michigan State and Penn State proved Michigan was for real.
With a season-defining game against Ohio State on the horizon, there’s a chance this could be a trap game for Michigan. It’s likely the Buckeyes will be ranked in the top 10 and the Wolverines will be traveling to Columbus, Ohio, so a matchup with the Hoosiers may not be on the front of Michigan’s mind. With IU’s notable struggles against the Big Ten’s better teams, this might be the best chance IU has for a win.
Michigan boasts one the best defenses in the nation.
Not many teams in the country can go toe-to-toe with the Wolverines’ defense. Michigan has stifled teams all season, holding its opponents to less than 13 points per game. In fact, the Wolverines have given up 20 or more points on only three occasions. Michigan is ranked third nationally in scoring defense, just behind national powers Clemson and Alabama.
The Wolverines don’t have many weaknesses on defense, if they have any at all. Michigan is incredibly tough against the run, giving up an average of just 3.1 yards per carry, good for 13th in the country. And as tough as the Wolverines are against the run, they might be even tougher against the pass. Opponents are completing just 47 percent of their passes against Michigan, and when they do, they aren’t going anywhere, averaging just 4.8 yards per completion.
Quarterback Shea Patterson is excellent at avoiding turnovers.
After having some problems at the quarterback position last season, Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson has stepped in and played extremely well. Although his passing numbers may not be the flashiest, Patterson has managed the offense and made enough plays to win games. With Michigan’s running game doing most of the damage, Patterson only averages 22.7 pass attempts per game, but he’s been fairly effective on those throws, completing 67.3 percent of them. Additionally, he’s only thrown three interceptions this season and hasn’t turned it over since Oct. 6 against Maryland.
While Michigan’s passing game is fairly limited, Patterson has been impressive over the last few weeks. Patterson has thrown for seven touchdowns in the last three weeks, and he ran for a score against Penn State. It’s looking like Patterson is playing some of his best football down the stretch, and IU will have its hands full trying to stop him Saturday.
