BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Time after time, Michigan junior running back Karan Higdon was not going to be denied.

"He was phenomenal," Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh said.

"I don't know how many yards he got after contact. But they were tough yards. It looked like he was going to be tackled for a loss, a 1-yard gain or no gain, and he found a way to get 4 or 5 yards out of it. We got a big boost from Higdon."

Higdon rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including the game winner, to lead No. 17 Michigan to a 27-20 overtime victory against Indiana on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Michigan improved to 5-1 and 2-1 in the Big Ten; Indiana fell to 3-3 and 0-3.

Indiana's Griffin Oakes hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to tie the game 20-20.

On the first play in overtime, Higdon ran 25 yards for the touchdown, breaking around the left corner after Indiana appeared to have him bottled up.

"There was nothing there and I had to make something happen," Higdon said. "I went the other way and it was off to the races."

The Hoosiers earned a first down on the Michigan 1-yard line in their overtime possession, but they went backward before the Wolverines' Tyree Kinnel snagged an interception in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 4.

"I thought our whole team dug down to do it," Harbaugh said. "Our goal-line stand was great, an opportunity to keep them out of the end zone and win the game. It was a great four plays for us."

After IU reached the 1, freshman running back Morgan Ellison lost 2 yards on first down. Redshirt freshman quarterback Peyton Ramsey's second-down pass was incomplete and then he lost a yard on the next play, followed by the interception.

"Tough to convert against those guys, for sure," Indiana coach Tom Allen said. "But they whipped us up front with those couple of runs and we rolled out on those couple (passes) trying to create some space and couldn't convert, so disappointing."

Leading 13-10 in the fourth quarter, Higdon broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run to give the Wolverines a 20-10 lead with 10:25 to go.

J-Shun Harris' 53-yard punt return helped give the Hoosiers hope, putting the football on the Michigan 20. Ramsey connected with Whop Philyor for an 8-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 20-17 with 3:27 to go. Indiana nearly recovered the onside kick but officials ruled Simmie Cobbs Jr. was out of bounds when he pulled in the ball after a Michigan player touched it.

Allen disagreed with the call.

"He had a foot inbounds with the ball and he had it controlled," Allen said. "So (the officials) didn't see it that way."

Indiana got its final possession in regulation after forcing Michigan to punt after a three-and-out.

Ramsey completed 20 of 41 passes for 178 yards with two interceptions.

Ellison's 8-yard TD run sliced Michigan's lead to 13-10 with 12:06 left in third quarter. Ellison had a 31-yard rush to help set up the score. Michigan had limited the Hoosiers to 22 rushing yards in the first half.

Michigan's biggest issue in the first half was 11 penalties for 98 yards, finishing with 16 for 141 yards.

The Wolverines scored first on a 40-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin with 6:35 left in the first quarter.

Michigan's Maurice Hurst blocked Oakes' 51-yard field goal attempt and Lavert Hill returned it 35 yards to the IU 27. Hampered by penalties, Michigan settled for a 38-yard field goal by Nordin to take a 6-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

Higdon's 12-yard touchdown run pushed the Wolverines' lead to 13-0 with 10:19 left in the first half. The drive was helped by a 15-yard personal foul penalty against IU cornerback Tegray Scales on quarterback John O'Korn. Scales was originally called for targeting, but that call was reversed.

O'Korn completed 10 of 20 passes for 58 yards.

"The running game was working," O'Korn said of why his team didn't pass more.

NOTES: Indiana's last victory over Michigan was 30 years ago (14-10 in Bloomington). Michigan now leads the all-time series 57-9 and has won 22 in a row. ... IU first-year running backs coach Mike Hart is Michigan's all-time leading rusher. ... This was Michigan's 500th victory in Big Ten play. Michigan's record is 500-203-18 in its 110th season in the conference. ... The Wolverines were coming off a 14-10 loss to visiting Michigan State. "The last game left a sour taste with us," RB Karan Higdon said. "We went with the running game (Saturday) and that was good for us."