BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The fireworks boomed and the towel-waving sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium roared to salute an Indiana team that won its 10th game for the first time in school history.

Curt Cignetti, the coach who orchestrated the most impressive freshman season in recent college football history, hugged his wife and granddaughter, and then his two daughters, as fans chanted “Cig! Cig!” Indiana, a bottom-ranked program that hasn’t even shared a Big Ten title since 1967 and never made the College Football Playoff, improved to 10-0 with a 20-15 win against defending champion Michigan, which came in as an underdog. to the Hoosiers for the first time since 1968.

But there was no field storm on Saturday, and Cignetti and many others came away feeling more relieved than triumphant.

An Indiana team that had won each of its first nine games by 14 or more points and led the nation in scoring margin (419 to 123) on Saturday got its first real scare as its halftime deficit dropped from 17-3 to two points. and then five in the closing minutes. But Indiana’s defense prevailed and prevented Michigan from gaining a first down on the game’s decisive possession. The Hoosiers, who debuted at No. 8 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, dragged down by a schedule that didn’t include a Top 25 opponent, will ride a perfect record to No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 23.

“There’s not a lot of style points, not a lot of people beating the drum saying Indiana should be rated higher… and all that good stuff, but the Indiana Hoosiers are 10-0,” Cignetti said.

He later added: “I’m happy we won. I don’t like the way we played.”

Indiana appeared to be on its way to its standard lopsided victory, outscoring Michigan 228 to 94 in the first half and getting two touchdown passes from standout quarterback Kurtis Rourke. But the Hoosiers then endured their worst offensive quarter of the season, including a Rourke interception near the goal line that led to a Michigan field goal, and just seven net yards on seven plays.

Michigan took away the lead and had a chance to tie the score with 9:35 to go before Davis Warren’s pass on a 2-point conversion attempt went incomplete. An Indiana offense that ranked second in scoring Saturday (46.6 points per game) remained stagnant, but Ke’Shawn Williams, who returned punts because primary returner Myles Price was injured, had a 22-yard running back to save a ​IU field goal to set up. .

“I wasn’t too concerned or too curious,” said Williams, who led Indiana in receptions (6) and receiving yards (70). “When you perform like we performed all year long, there’s never any doubt. We never stand on the sidelines and say, ‘Damn, this could be it.’ We know when we go out there, we’re going to do our thing, you know, we’re going to make some things happen.”

A Hoosiers defense that has improved significantly under Cignetti rose again, forced three incomplete passes and then stopped Michigan’s Peyton O’Leary a yard from the marker on fourth-and-10.

Indiana held Michigan to 69 rushing yards on 34 carries and just one touchdown, which came after Michigan had a short field.

Two Indiana runs clinched the win, aided by Michigan’s inexplicable decision not to call a timeout immediately after a Ty Son Lawton rush.

“A lot of people will argue for Indiana, ‘Where should they be in the rankings? Should they be above this team,'” linebacker Aiden Fisher said. “We leave that up to them. That’s not something we really care about. What we ultimately care about is making sure we leave the field with a satisfied fan.”

Rourke completed just 3 of 10 passes for 16 yards and the interception in the second half, well below his production. He said the surgically repaired thumb on his throwing hand did not hinder him and continued to improve, but praised Michigan’s defense and said Indiana had to be “near perfect” to build its lead in the first half.

“These are games that really test you as a team. See if you can hang in there, if you can win those exciting games,” Rourke said. “We knew at the end of the day that we were going to be in a game where it was going to be close. We were going to have to see what we’re made of, so I’m very proud of how we handled it. Our defense has stepped up in big time. It’s again a big moment for this season.”

Cignetti noted how Saturday was the first game this season in which Indiana didn’t win on style points, adding, “Our numbers are through the roof.” Even brief downturns, like a 10-0 deficit against Michigan State last week, have been met with huge upswings.

The narrow win against a Michigan team coming in with four losses — three in the previous four games — could cost Indiana in the next CFP rankings. But all of Indiana’s goals, which were unthinkable outside the schedule at the start of the season, are all still on the table.

“Championship teams find a way to win football games,” Cignetti said. “I can’t say enough about these guys. I don’t throw around a lot of bouquets, but these guys have accomplished quite a bit.”