The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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138 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Indiana has lost their fair share of heart- breaking close games in recent times under former head coach Kevin Wilson and now Tom Allen, who is entering his fourth full season at the helm. The Hoosiers' contests with Michigan over the past five years were seemingly a mi- crocosm of their seasons as a whole — close, but not enough. In U-M head coach Jim Har- baugh's first four meetings with Indiana, the Wolverines pulled out nail-biting triumphs, with the average margin of victory just 8.75 points (with two games going to overtime). Last season, though, was different. After falling behind 14-7, U-M took control and pounded the Hoosiers 39-14 in Blooming- ton. That game occurred in a year when Indiana won eight games for the first time since 1993. The club still suffered heartbreak in 2019, with three of the team's five losses coming by 10 points or fewer, including falling one point short in the Gator Bowl against Ten- nessee. A group that didn't have much depth a year ago not only returns 17 starters on of- fense and defense, but has younger and more talented players that Allen recruited behind them. That all starts at the quarterback spot. Pey- ton Ramsey took a graduate transfer this offseason and landed just hours away at Northwestern. The Hoosiers need not worry, because redshirt sophomore Michael Penix Jr. had already passed over Ramsey for the starting job, but missed seven games last season with injuries. He is healthy and ready to go for the 2020 campaign. First-year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan (a former U-M QB) has a plethora of weapons, including senior wide receiver Whop Philyor, who was on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award (for the top wideout in the country) last season, racking up 1,002 yards on 70 catches with five touchdowns. Third-team All-Big Ten redshirt junior tight end Peyton Hendershot is back after bringing in 52 catches for 622 yards and four scores last season. A deep backfield remains largely in place, too. Junior running back Stevie Scott III will look to hit the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season after gaining 845 yards on 178 carries (4.7 yards per carry) in 2019 and landing on the All-Big Ten second team. Indiana's defense was solid a year ago, giving up 24.4 points and 352.2 yards per game, which ranked ninth in the Big Ten and in the top 45 nationally in both categories. The defensive line brings back four start- ers and should stay fresh, with plenty of tal- ented depth. Fifth-year senior tackle Jerome Johnson was a beast last season, recording 43 stops with 7.5 for loss and 5.0 sacks. He leads all active Hoosiers with 9.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss during his career. Linebacker is deep, as well. Junior Micah McFadden topped the Hoosiers last season with 61 stops and 10 tackles for loss, tied for the team lead with two picks and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades in the process. Fifth-year senior Marcelino Ball will once again play the hybrid linebacker role for the club. He did it all for Allen's defense in 2019, tallying 47 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two passes defended. The secondary, like the rest of the Hoo- siers' defense, is much deeper than a year ago. Sophomore cornerback Tiawan Mullen excelled in his rookie campaign, notching 29 tackles (3.5 for loss) and breaking up 13 passes. Junior safety Jamar Johnson will look to build off of what he did in 2019, when he registered 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two interceptions and six passes broken up. Notes Former Indiana and now Northwestern quarterback Peyton Ramsey accumulated 6,581 passing yards and 42 touchdowns while completing 66.5 percent of his passes in his three years in Bloomington … Fifth- year senior hybrid linebacker Marcelino Ball suffered a season-ending injury after starting the first three games of the 2017 campaign — for his career, he's notched 201 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three picks and 16 passes defended. ❑ Hoosiers Aim To Build Off Eight-Win Season 2020 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2019 Result Sept. 4 at Wisconsin — Sept. 12 Western Kentucky — Sept. 19 Ball State W, 34-24 Sept. 26 at Connecticut W, 38-3 Oct. 10 Maryland W, 34-28 Oct. 17 at Rutgers W, 35-0 Oct. 24 Michigan State L, 40-31 Oct. 31 Penn State L, 34-27 Nov. 7 at Ohio State L, 51-10 Nov. 14 Illinois — Nov. 21 at Michigan L, 39-14 Nov. 28 Purdue W, 44-41 PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Whop Philyor, Sr., WR The 5-11, 177-pounder was a second- team All-Big Ten choice in 2019 … Over his career, he has tallied 126 receptions for 1,572 yards and nine touchdowns, while compiling six 100-yard games and five double-digit catch games. Defense: Micah McFadden, Jr., LB The 6-2, 239-pounder was honored as Indiana's Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the 2019 season … He has to- taled 81 tackles and 11.0 stops for loss in his career. Redshirt junior Peyton Hendershot set the Indiana single-season tight end record with 52 receptions, which was 10th in the Big Ten last season. PHOTO COURTESY INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS GAME 11 • INDIANA HOOSIERS • NOV. 21 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 59-9 First Meeting: U-M 12, Indiana 0 (Nov. 3, 1900 at Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: U-M 39, Indiana 14 (Nov. 23, 2019 at Bloomington, Ind.) Head Coach: Tom Allen, 18-20 at Indiana and overall (4th full year) 2019 In Review: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten (4th East) Final 2019 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 20 (8 offense, 9 defense, 3 spe - cialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2019 (Gator Bowl vs. Tennes- see, L 23-22) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Michael Penix Jr. (1,394 yards, 10 TD, 4 INT) Rushing: Stevie Scott III (845 yards, 10 TD) Receiving: Whop Philyor (1,002 yards, 5 TD) Tackles: Micah McFadden (61) Sacks: Jerome Johnson (5) Interceptions: Jamar Johnson and Micah McFadden (2)