Michigan Rebounds with Win Over Indiana Behind Haskins, Defense

Saturday, November 6

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:30 PM

Michigan

8-1 , 5-1

Indiana

2-7 , 0-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Indiana

Michigan

Hassan Haskins (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Rebounds with Win Over Indiana Behind Haskins, Defense

11/6/2021 11:27:00 PM | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes Player Participation PDF Boxscore In the Trenches Podcast: Indiana Postgame Photo Gallery

By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard

» Running back Hassan Haskins ran for a career-high 168 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown against Indiana.
» Tight end Luke Schoonmaker caught a pair of touchdown passes.
» David Ojabo collected his eighth sack and forced his fourth fumble of the season, both of which lead the Big Ten.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #9 Michigan 29, Indiana 7
Records: U-M (8-1, 5-1 B1G), IU (2-7, 0-6 B1G)
Attendance: 109,890
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 13 -- at #22 Penn State (State College, Pa.), Noon (TV: ABC)

• Postgame Press Conferences: Jim Harbaugh | Players

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan football team bounced back from a difficult loss at Michigan State a week ago with a resounding 29-7 victory over Indiana on Saturday (Nov. 6) in front of a crowd of 109,890 under the lights at Michigan Stadium.

The Wolverines handed the Hoosiers their sixth straight conference loss and their 21st consecutive at Michigan Stadium dating back to the 1960s, using a career-best night from running back Hassan Haskins and a stifling defensive performance highlighted by linebacker David Ojabo on Military Appreciation Day.

Blake Corum, the Big Ten's third-leading rusher and second-ranked all-purpose offensive player on the 2021 season, exited the game with an injury early in the first half, but Haskins was more than capable in shouldering the load as he amassed 168 yards on 27 carries and ran for a touchdown.

His performance on the ground was complemented by a solid night through the air by quarterback Cade McNamara, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 168 yards and two touchdown passes to tight end Luke Schoonmaker. McNamara and backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy combined to find wide receiver Cornelius Johnson for 108 yards in his second 100-yard game of the year.

Ojabo bolstered his Big Ten-leading sack and forced fumble totals with his eighth and fourth of the year in those respective categories, setting up the Wolverines' first touchdown of the game and leading a defense that limited the Hoosiers to less than 100 yards passing and just over 100 on the ground.

It took until the clock expired on the first quarter for the Wolverines to put the game's first points on the scoreboard, as a Jake Moody field goal from 34 yards outl capped a 15-play drive to give Michigan a 3-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

Michigan's defense gave the offensive unit even better field position just over a minute later, as Ojabo dropped Hoosier quarterback Donaven McCulley for a sack and forced a fumble that lineman Christopher Hinton recovered just outside the red zone at the Indiana 24. Haskins brought the Wolverines to the threshold with a 20-yard completion from McNamara, and punched it in two plays later on a two-yard rush to give Michigan a 10-0 lead with 12:35 remaining in the first half. The Hoosiers responded on the next drive to cut the lead back to three points, 10-7.

The Wolverines wasted little time in their answer, as Haskins struck again, finding a seam through the left side of the Indiana line and bolting up the left sideline for a 62-yard gain to the Indiana 12. Two plays later, McNamara faked a rerun of Haskins' long run play, but scrambled to his right and hit Schoonmaker -- who had nearly caught a touchdown pass on the previous drive before being pushed out of bounds -- on the run for a 12-yard touchdown strike to reclaim a 10-point lead over the Hoosiers, 17-7, that would stand for the last 6:28 left in the half.

Just as they were in the first half, the Wolverines were the first team to score in the second as big plays from Haskins (19-yard rush) and McCarthy to wide receiver Mike Sainristill (23-yard completion) set up a 32-yard field goal from Moody to extend Michigan's lead to 13 at 20-7 with 5:44 to go in the third. The next Michigan drive went much the same way, as a big punt return for DJ Turner to midfield and a 25-yard strike from McCarthy to Johnson set up up Moody for a 34-yard field goal -- his third of the game -- to stretch the Michigan advantage to 16, 23-7, in the closing minutes of the third.

Despite settling for two field goals in the third quarter on offense, the Michigan defense maximized the impact of those kicks by limiting the Hoosiers to 19 yards and no first downs on nine plays in just 3:26 of possession time.

It took only 20 seconds for the offense to spark in the fourth quarter as Johnson streaked down the middle of the field and hauled in a 50-yard heave from McNamara to the Indiana 10-yard line. Two plays later, McNamara found Schoonmaker in the end zone for the second time on the evening for an eight-yard completion as Michigan opened up a 22-point lead, 29-7, with 13:39 remaining.

Neither team would score again for the remainder of the contest, though what was initially ruled a fumble recovery touchdown for the Wolverines was overruled upon further review.

U-M will hit the road for the first of back-to-back away contests, heading to State College, Pa., to battle No. 22 Penn State next Saturday (Nov. 13) at noon on ABC.