NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
So Michigan sits at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Now we host the defending National Champion, the Indiana Hoosiers, who are 6-1 and coming off a heartbreaker against that team from Ohio we NEVER name. Can we win this game? How do we win this game? Indiana will be coming in to upset and looking to start a new winning streak.
The big question is a quarterback. Freshman Tommy Carr is set to make his first career start, as confirmed by first-year head coach Kyle Whittingham after benching Bryce Underwood, who was anything but good last week and, frankly, most of this season, taking off the rose-colored glasses of Wolverine fans. Carr came in with Michigan down 3-0 at halftime last week to Penn State, led two 3rd-quarter touchdown drives, and capped it with a 12-yard touchdown run on 3rd-and-9. That 21-18 win kept Michigan from its first 0-3 Big Ten start since 1967. He will be the fifth true freshman to start at QB for the Wolverines.
Key No. 1: Run the ball and protect the kid.
Carr is a first-time starter facing a defense that ranks 11th nationally in sack rate. Michigan can’t let Indiana pin its ears back. A committed ground game on early downs should keep the Hoosiers’ pass rush honest, shorten the field, and make play action work. Carr showed me he can move the chains with his legs, gaining 36 yards and a touchdown versus Penn State. Designed runs and a few boot-action throws can stay in the game plan. The goal is simple: avoid third-and-long where the Indiana pass rush EATS.
Key No. 2: Win the turnover battle
Turnovers are what killed the QB battle in the first place. Bryce has thrown 6 interceptions to his five touchdowns this season. Including two picks in the 2nd quarter last week. We can’t hand a team this good short fields. On the other side, Michigan’s defense takes the ball away 1.3 times per game. Indiana just showed last week they can be in a low-scoring game. A takeaway or two, plus playing clean Carr, gives the Wolverines a chance.
Player to watch: Tommy Carr
Well, Tommy, this is your moment. He comes from a Michigan football family, the grandson of Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis and brother of Notre Dame QB CJ Carr. Whittingham says no quarterback he’s been around studies more than Carr does. Saturday asks for more than half of relief work. He will have to read an Indiana defense that will hide coverages. Get through his progressions and not have that one throw that can flip the game. Short completions, a couple of shots downfield, and smart scrambles can do it. He doesn’t have to be Superman, just steady.
Player to watch: Jordan Marshall
With Justice Hayens gone, Marshall is the veteran piece in the backfield that will carry the mail for the run game and offense. If we want to control the clock and keep Indiana on the sidelines, a run game is key. It starts with him. Marshall can shorten the game, take pressure off Carr, and make the Hoosiers’ defensive front work for four quarters.
The bottom line
The last time Indiana won in Ann Arbor was 1967. Well, the times have changed, and these teams are not the same. Michigan is the clear underdog, but a team with a clean quarterback, a real run game, and a couple of takeaways can win this one. If Carr plays as he did in the 2nd half against Penn State, the Big House could be loud late and primed for an upset. I have a wait-and-see approach to this game; I’ll go Indiana 27- 17 over the Wolverines. As always, GO BLUE!!
