Indiana vs. Michigan: Game Grades, Analysis for the Wolverines

All things considered, Michigan delivered a very "passable" performance during Saturday's 34-10 homecoming win over Indiana. 

Sure, there are several other things more important to address than a single win in a single game over a below-average team, but Wolverines coach Brady Hoke wanted to shift the attention to Team 135. 

Because let's face it: It's about time the Wolverines had some sort of good news. 

During his postgame press conference, Hoke said that he'll talk about the other stuff Monday.

With that said, let's take a look at the game grades. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B	B+ (graded on a curve, had season-high 220 yards)
Run Offense	D (nothing)	A for Drake Johnson, C for everyone else (that's being generous)
Pass Defense	A	A+++ (24 yards speak for themselves)
Run Defense	B	B (kept elite RB at bay)
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	B-	B-

Pass Offense

Devin Gardner threw for a season-high 220 yards. He completed 22 of 29 attempts. He also threw for two—yes, two—touchdowns. The fifth-year senior has never been the ideal quarterback for the Wolverines, but he did enough Saturday night to help them earn the win. 

At this point, that's all the coaches can expect. At 4-5 (2-3 B1G), becoming bowl eligible is the name of the game. In order for Michigan to do that, Gardner must be effective. He doesn't even have to be good or great, just effective enough not to lose the game himself—which has been the case several times during the past two seasons. 

Gardner gets a B+. Had he not thrown a pick, his grade would be an A-. Look, this one's on a curve. Ordinarily, 220 yards and a few completions aren't anything to rave about. But when it's Gardner, you have to take what's given. 

Michigan did that Saturday. 

Run Offense

Tony Ding/Associated Press/Associated Press

Drake Johnson is the new name in town.

Well, actually, he's an old name; he starred at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, which is just across the street from The Big House. The redshirt sophomore had 16 carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns, including a 10-yarder that all but sealed the Hoosiers' fate in the third quarter. 

The 6'1", 211-pounder proved that he can hit holes and pick up yards. He wasn't overly flashy, but he showed a couple of moves. More importantly, he gives the Wolverines another option on the ground. After Saturday, Team 135 can't deny him—Johnson must get more carries. 

The run game as a whole gets a C. De'Veon Smith didn't do a thing, and he's struggled for most of the season. He's talented, sure, but can't get the wheels turning.

Individually, Johnson earned an A. 

Pass Defense

The Hoosiers threw for 24 yards. Team 135's pass defense gets an A+++. Outstanding. Gold star. Their parents should hang this report card on the fridge. 

Run Defense 

Tony Ding/Associated Press/Associated Press

Tevin Coleman who? 

In all fairness, Coleman is a great back. However, when Michigan's run defense is going at full throttle, not many backs have success. There have been two this season to really make a dent. The others, such as Utah's Bubba Poole, were more pesky than anything else. 

Michigan State's Jeremy Langford and Minnesota's David Cobb, two of the best in the B1G, ran for 177 and 183, respectively. Coleman, who entered the game leading the nation with 170.3 yards per game, was held to crumbs.

OK, not crumbs. He broke the 100-yard mark but barely. Because of his 108 yards, and having three digits in the stat column rather than just two, Michigan's run D gets a B-. It allowed just one touchdown (De'Angelo Roberts) and capped one of the nation's elite runners. 

Linebackers Joe Bolden and Jake Ryan, along with linemen Frank Clark and Brennen Beyer, did an exceptional job of stuffing plays at the line and disrupting flow in the backfield. 

Can't go wrong with a B- for this one. Solid effort. 

Special Teams

The Wolverines didn't give up any big plays. Matt Wile hit both of his field-goal attempts (35, 23), and Will Hagerup did a decent job of pinning the Hoosiers in bad positions. For that, Michigan gets a B. 

Coaching

Hoke and his staff let the players play, maybe for the first time all year. The offense looked crisp when compared to past efforts, and the defense was never in doubt. The Wolverines looked as good as they could have, given the circumstances. 

Hoke, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier can share the B- any way they choose. 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references to were obtained firsthand by the writer.