Indiana had quarterback questions in the week leading up to the Michigan game.
They continued throughout the tight contest in Ann Arbor.
The staff saw ominous signs at practice ahead of the road trip.
With starting signal caller Josh Hoover nursing an injury he suffered against Ohio State, there were clear signs IU might struggle through the air.
“In practice last week the pass game wasn’t very good,” IU coach Curt Cignetti said Monday. “I expect it to be better this week.”
Cignetti said he expects Hoover to “be fine and better this week” when the Hoosiers host Minnesota (3:30 p.m. ET/CBS). Indiana has not disclosed the nature of his injury, but he could be seen favoring his shoulder area at times on Saturday.
Hoover will need to be sharp against a Minnesota pass defense that ranks No. 11, allowing just 165.1 yards per game through the air. Opponents have thrown eight touchdown passes against the Golden Gophers and seven interceptions, and Minnesota has 15 sacks on the season.
Cignetti says his receivers will need to be better Saturday as well.
“We didn’t separate at receiver in this (Michigan) game, and, you know, we obviously didn’t throw the ball very well or very often, and a lot of that was because of type of game it became,” he said.
STAYING HEALTHY
Indiana’s Big Ten availability report generated buzz last week.
How could a team be seven games into the season, coming off physical games against Nebraska and Ohio State, and have not a single player even questionable to play?
Cignetti said it’s part the way his team practices, and part just good luck. Recognizing the luck factor, he literally knocked on the wood lectern as he responded to a question about his team’s overall good fortune with health.
“You try to control what you can control, and there are some things outside of your control, like losing those two corners in the first quarter of the opener, and Khobie Martin,” Cignetti said.
“But we try to keep them healthy in practice and still prepare them, which I think we do a good job of. We’ve just had some good fortune.
“Look, this is our ninth game in a row, is it? So everybody that has played significant snaps is hurting somewhere, but they’re all able to play.”
RED ZONE DEFENSE KEEPING IU IN GAMES
Indiana has only allowed two touchdowns in 10 red zone trip by opponents over the last three games. With the offense struggling in those contests, allowing field goals rather than touchdowns has allowed the Hoosiers to pull out two challenging road contests, and stay within striking distance against Ohio State.
On three of the 10 red zone trips, IU didn’t allow any points.
“Timely plays and getting 11 guys to do their job,” Cignetti said of his defense playing with it’s back against the wall. “We got good players. We are good up front. Our front seven, eight, we’re hard to run against.
“We got all 11 doing their job it’s pretty tough. The goal is always to hold them to a field goal which our defense did a tremendous job of.”
SPECIAL TEAMS PRAISE
Every yard and point counted at Michigan. And punter Billy Gowers and kicker Nico Radicic delivered for IU.
Gowers punted seven times for 316 yards at Michigan. His 45.1 average was a season high.
And after missing two field goals against Ohio State — 40% of his career misses in one game — Radicic made 22 and 34 yard field goals.
“Billy Gowers I thought was tremendous,” Cignetti said. “Nico was too with two field goals.”
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