the Wolverines break on top first, senior place-
kicker Matt Wile hammering home a 35-yard
field goal with a strong north wind 6:40 into the
game. The kick capped an eight-play, 60-yard
drive, highlighted by Gardner's 34-yard pass
down the western sideline to Darboh.
Indiana played perfect guests early, Coleman
fumbling away his next carry and Michigan
freshman defensive tackle Bryan Mone clawing
it in at the Indiana 27.
"It was a huge impact," U-M head coach
Brady Hoke said. "A guy punches the ball out,
guys playing and trying to get to the football.
Short fields are good for your offense. That hap-
pened a couple times. And turning the ball over
… we haven't done that very well. So it was
good to get some of those turnovers."
Gardner beat the blitz with a key third-and-10
toss to Darboh for 13 yards, then finished off
the six-play TD drive with an under-fire, six-
yard shovel pass to redshirt junior tight end
Keith Heitzman.
At 10-0, the Wolverines took some of the
frost out of the air early. With the Hoosiers not
gaining enough ground to plant a Blooming-
ton backyard garden, smiles in The Big House
broadened.
The 103,111 in Michigan Stadium actually
might have exhaled for one of the few times
in the Big Ten season moments later. Gardner
took the Wolverines on a 79-yard, 10-play,
second-quarter drive to put Michigan firmly in
command, 17-0. The drive featured an 18-yard
run by Johnson, and Gardner's 12-yard bullet
of a touchdown pass to Darboh, slanting hard in
front of a sealed-off Hoosiers defensive back in
Michigan's north end zone.
Even when the Wolverines set Indiana up
to score in the first half, the Hoosiers politely
declined. Gardner gunned a throw well short
of open junior wideout Devin Funchess (seven
catches, 47 yards) down the middle, Indiana
strong safety Chase Dutra picking it off and
racing back 39 yards to the Michigan 12.
