Hoosiers Fall Against No. 13 Michigan, 39-14

Saturday, November 23

Bloomington, Ind.

3:30 p.m.

Indiana University

Michigan

11/23/2019 6:49:00 PM | Football

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Khalil Bryant paused for perspective. Would you expect anything less? A Top-15 opportunity was lost, a rivalry game could be won.

Amid Saturday's post-game moment in a somber Memorial Stadium weight room, a 39-14 loss to Michigan in the rear-view mirror, an Old Oaken Bucket opportunity against Purdue looming, Bryant spoke a Cream & Crimson truth as real as the Sample Gates.

"This is a big-time rivalry game," Indiana's senior safety said about next Saturday's trip to West Lafayette. "We lost the Bucket. We have to get it back."

Another pause.

"We take a lot of pride in this game. We have to get the Bucket back. That's the bottom line."

It was a day for cold and snowy bottom lines, for an Indiana team that had the fast start it wanted -- taking leads of 7-0 and 14-7 against a team it hadn't beaten since 1987 -- and an ending it didn't. Michigan scored the game's final 32 points.

"It was disappointing on both sides of the ball," head coach Tom Allen said. "We didn't play well. That's on me. That's my responsibility."

IU (7-4) had spent the season playing to its expectations, and sometimes beyond. That regression came, linebacker Reakwon Jones said, tough to take.

"I'm surprised about the lack of execution," he said. "We didn't win enough of the one-on-one matchups. All we can do is take it like men, learn what we did wrong, go back to work and get ready for Purdue."

The Hoosiers will face a 4-7 Boiler team with no postseason stakes. A third-straight bowl trip under head coach Jeff Brohm ended with Saturday's 45-24 loss at No. 12 Wisconsin.

IU has lost the last two Bucket meetings.

"When I talked to our players," Allen said, "I was very blunt. This was not what we wanted, but how are you going to respond? What's your reaction going to be to this setback?

"We can't change what just happened, so we're going to focus on the task at hand.

"We all understand what's next. We have a chance to get our eighth win. We've got a chance to win the Bucket back. Those are two huge things we'll put a huge premium on.

"This team will be ready. We're going to move ahead because we know what's coming."

IU went 0-2 against Top-15 teams Penn State and Michigan over the past two weeks to dull -- but not ruin -- the momentum from a 7-2 start. The Hoosiers made plenty of big plays against both squads to suggest a strong regular season finale is coming.

Quarterback Peyton Ramsey insisted it's been a good regular season given it's IU's first winning record since 2007.

"When you look back, especially for guys who have been here a while, it's not been this way," he said. "We have not had seven wins since we've been here."

IU had pushed Michigan (9-2) to overtime in its previous two Memorial Stadium matchups.

But while this is a better Hoosier team, it's a much better Wolverine squad. They have been dominant over the month, and could challenge unbeaten Ohio State next week in Ann Arbor.

That's irrelevant to IU, which is focused on beating Purdue for the first time since 2016.

"It would be good to go out on a win and a high note," Ramsey said.

Michigan was too good on Saturday at Memorial Stadium just as Ohio State was in September.

The Hoosiers had to pressure Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson, but couldn't do it with a four-man rush. That meant sending extra players, which left defensive backs facing one-on-one coverage.

The problem -- Michigan's fast guys were faster than IU's. The Wolverines got them the ball in space, and the result was a huge day for Patterson. He threw for 366 yards and five touchdowns.

Wolverines receiver Nico Collins caught six passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Donovan Peoples-Jones caught five passes for 73 yards and one TD. Giles Jackson caught one pass for 50 yards.

"One of my concerns was their receivers against our secondary," Allen said. "We play a fair amount of man. Our guys have to win those one-on-ones. We didn't win many. That was the biggest frustration.

"They've got some big guys, and a lot of speed to go with that length. But I was not pleased with the way we competed for those balls."

Despite taking a brutal first-half shot to the ribs and being sacked three times, Ramsey finished 17-for-29 for 217 yards. He didn't miss a play until being replaced by Jack Tuttle in the fourth quarter.

"I got the wind knocked out of me," Ramsey said. "It took a couple of seconds to get back in the swing of things.

"I was a little dinged up. That's the way it is. Sometimes you have to play through stuff. I was good enough to play."

Added Allen: "He got hit pretty hard, He's a tough kid. I don't think it affected him. He'll be fine."

Left tackle Matthew Bedford, running back Stevie Scott III and receiver Ty Fryfogle were among the Hoosiers getting banged up on Saturday. Already out was leading receiver Whop Philyor.

"I don't know about the long term for next week for Bedford and Stevie," Allen said, "but I think the rest of those guys seemed okay."

Tight end Peyton Henderson was Ramsey's main target with six catches for 62 yards.

IU came out throwing. Ramsey hit Fryfogle for 16 yards, Scott for eight and Hendershot for 12. Add a pass interference call and the Hoosiers were inside the Michigan 30-yard line before their first run -- a Ramsey 6-yard gain.

The Hoosiers went to the power approach on their last three plays of the 10-play, 75-yard drive. Scott's leaping 1-yarder put IU ahead 7-0 five minutes into the game. It was his 20th-career Hoosier touchdown.

A 50-yard pass play helped Michigan tie the score four minutes later.

IU was driving again when Ramsey took that rib shot while throwing. The pass was intercepted.

Michigan had the ball, but the Hoosier defense had the resolve. They forced a three-and-out, and a short Michigan punt set up IU at midfield. After a couple of big Scott runs, Ramsey scored from the 1-yard line for a 14-7 Hoosier lead.

The Wolverines tied it early in the second quarter on a tough catch by People-Jones despite Tiawan Mullen's outstanding coverage.

The Wolverines added another TD for a 21-14 halftime lead.

IU's second half keys were simple -- jump start an offense that had struggled in the second quarter, and shut down Michigan.

Neither happened.

The Wolverines got a field goal on their first third-quarter drive, a touchdown on their second. The Hoosiers punted on their first two possessions. That made it 32-14.

An IU fumble led to Patterson's fifth TD pass near the end of the third quarter and that final 39-14 score, which meant a tough ending for the Hoosiers' 16 seniors in their last home game.

"This hurts," Ramsey said. "This isn't what they deserved. It's sad and hard, but we still have things ahead of us. We have to continue to push on and fight."