While the offense struggled for Michigan football vs. Indiana, as it has for six out of seven games this season, one element that has hampered the Wolverines all year did not show up against the Hoosiers.
The maize and blue had just one penalty all game, after averaging nearly eight through the first six games. But the one penalty that the Wolverines were called for was questionable, at best.
Analysts across the country called Tariq Boney's roughing the passer call the worst they had ever seen, with him having potentially grazed Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover's helmet after penetrating the offensive line and forcing an errant throw. On the Inside Michigan Football radio show, head coach Kyle Whittingham discussed the play and what the refs said about the call in real time.
"Yeah, well, they said there was, he hit him in the head with his hand, but he tried -- we teach matching the hand, when the quarterback is ready to throw the ball, we try to match the hand with our hand and try to knock the ball down," Whittingham said. "And after the throw, his hand just kind of touched the helmet."
I'm not one to complain about refs.
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) October 24, 2026
I also have a problem with being hyperbolic.
That said, this is the worst roughing the passer penalty I've ever seen at any level. pic.twitter.com/Ej3hZpnDlR
Whittingham continued, noting that it was inconsequential contact, and that he's seeking further explanations from the Big Ten.
"And I said, does it matter how hard he hits the helmet?" Whittingham said. "I mean, grazing it is one thing, just trying to match the hand, and an actual blow to the head and trying to hit the guy is different, but I didn't get a good explanation other than, 'Hey, he hit him in the helmet with his hand.' And so we got to, we send it into the league, and we'll get a response from the league, and that'll help us.
"We do that so we know how to coach it better, and get an exact feel for what the refs are looking for and how they're being trained by the Big Ten, so the next time that happens, we have a good way to handle that situation. But the one penalty we did have, as you mentioned, was questionable, and so even withstanding that, to only have one penalty in the game was really a great job by our guys."
Ultimately, the play advanced the Hoosiers' standing on the field, but it didn't result in a prolonged drive, nor did it finish in points.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Kyle Whittingham questions controversial Michigan penalty vs. Indiana