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3 keys to the Wolverines defeating PSU

What Michigan football has to do in order to secure a victory over the winless, but hungry, Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

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The once dominant Big Ten programs, Michigan and Penn State, have been less than good this year. The AP preseason polls came out with PSU at No. 7 and the Wolverines were No. 16 to start the season, but now the maize and blue are sitting at 2-3 on the year, while the Nittany Lions are 0-5 and still trying to find out how to notch a win in the 2020 season.

When the schedules came out in late October, this was supposed to be a big time matchup — and possibly a game to see who would go to the Big Ten championship game. Well, now it’s just another game on the schedule, and a very ‘mildly interesting’ game to the casual football fan.

This game still means quite a bit to each program — and more than likely to the fan bases — as PSU will try to win a game, and the Wolverines want to start a winning streak after defeating Rutgers last week in three overtimes.

Let’s discuss what three things Michigan needs to do in order to win this Saturday against a hungry, and desperate, Penn State team.

5 takeaways from Michigan’s 48-42 win against Rutgers

Michigan football defeated Rutgers on Saturday, winning 48-42. What are the biggest takeaways from the Wolverines triple-overtime victory?

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The three-game losing streak is officially over for the Michigan football team. Heading into this battle of 1-3 teams, Michigan was the favorite, and understandably so, despite the record, Michigan overall is the better team than Rutgers. You wouldn’t think that, though, as it was 17-7 Rutgers at halftime, but in the second half, the Wolverines offense found life, and it all came from a backup quarterback.

Starting quarterback Joe Milton trotted onto the field to start the game, but he wasn’t the guy to finish it as Milton finished going 5/12 for 89 yards before getting benched in the second quarter. Milton was making a few poor decisions, but drops and a running game couldn’t move the ball, along with an early turnover, killed his chances to prove himself as the guy at the position. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh pulled the plug on Milton and brought in backup Cade McNamara. That change was the difference-maker in the end.

On the first play of the second half, down 17-7, Michigan wide receiver Giles Jackson returned the kick 95-yards for a touchdown, and suddenly the Wolverines had life. While Rutgers would answer back quickly, it’s 24-14 lead would soon evaporate as the Wolverines came back and took down the Scarlet Knights in triple overtime 48-42 as the Wolverines improved to 2-3 on the year. What were the five biggest takeaways from the victory?

Halftime analysis of Michigan vs. Rutgers

Halftime is here as Michigan football is down 17-7 against Rutgers. What have been the biggest positive and negative takeaways so far?

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1-3 was a fair prediction for the record for Rutgers Scarlet Knights this season heading into this matchup. Well, while Rutgers is 1-3, so are the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan hasn’t been able to win since it beat Minnesota on opening weekend. This week, both teams look to grab its second win of the season and try and put some life back into its final five games.

Michigan would start the game on defense and quickly forced a three and out against Rutgers. In Michigan’s first offensive possession, the quarterback was still Joe Milton. The Wolverines were moving the ball until a pass was completed to wide receiver Cornelius Johnson for a first down until he fumbled it, and Rutgers would easily recover the football.

After both teams fail to put up points on its next drives, Rutgers would stop the Wolverines on a fourth down and one, giving them good field position to start its third drive of the game. Quarterback Noah Vedral found wide receiver Aaron Cruickshank for a 43-yard pass to put Rutgers inside the red zone. Backup quarterback Johnny Langan came in to run it in back-to-back plays and ran it for a three-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rutgers.

After both teams couldn’t move the chains, Michigan would get another chance as Milton found wide receiver Giles Jackson for a 31-yard pass. Michigan would have to settle for a field goal attempt, and kicker Quinn Nordin would miss the 49-yard attempt, keeping it 7-0 Rutgers.

Rutgers would take advantage of the field goal miss and the short field position once again as wide receiver Shameen Jones ran it 33 yards on a double reverse sweep to put the Scalet Knights inside the red zone. Two plays later, Langan would run it into the endzone for the second time tonight, this time only one yard out, and Rutgers would extend the lead against the Wolverines, making it 14-0.

Michigan continued to struggle on offense and would punt it away once again, and with where Rutgers was starting with the football, another short-field position for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers had some struggles on offense with a holding penalty and a fumble, but Michigan would get its first penalty of the game, and it would help move Rutgers into field goal range. The Wolverine secondary would get tested but would not fail as instead of a touchdown, the defense held Rutgers to a 38-yard field goal to make it 17-0.

With the Wolverines down by 17, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh made a change at quarterback once again, as Cade McNamara would come in for Milton. Last week against Wisconsin, McNamara came in on his first drive and would put up the first (and only) touchdown of the game. This week, he does it again as McNamara found Johnson wide open for a 46-yard touchdown to cut the lead down to 10, 17-7 Rutgers.

McNamara was able to drive the Wolverines down the field once again before halftime, but a bad snap by the long snapper on the field goal attempt, forced holder Will Hart to grab it up high, which slowed down the hold and forced Nordin to stutter when trying to kick and the field goal was no good as Rutgers keeps it as a 10 point lead at halftime, 17-7.

Positives:

Michigan’s defensive line has been able to create some pressure on Vedral so far in this game. Defensive tackle Chris Hinton has a sack, and a few pressures from the line have forced Vedral to overthrow and miss his receiver. This defensive line hasn’t been the same since the season opener, and without its starting defensive ends, others need to step up and create that pressure.

Negatives

Same issue, different weeks as once again turnovers are an issue for Michigan once again. On the opening drive, Michigan moved the ball well until Johnson fumbled the football and returned to the Scarlet Knights. Michigan hadn’t fumbled since November last year, but no matter how the ball is turned over, Michigan can’t keep giving its opponents extra chances to win this game. While the turnover didn’t turn into Rutgers’ points, it stopped Michigan from at least getting three as it was in field goal range.
The offensive line is still having trouble, and with its starting center, Andrew Vastardis would join left tackle Ryan Hayes and right tackle Jalen Mayfield in missing this game due to an injury. Zach Carpenter would start at center, and on the fourth-down stop, Carpenter got beat easily, leading to the stop by the Scarlet Knights. Michigan is trying to run the football, but it isn’t having much success as running back Hassan Haskins leads the team with six carries for 15 yards. Milton was sacked once, and pressure has been coming at him and McNamara a few times as both haven’t had a clean pocket for most of the game so far.

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Fixing Michigan’s offensive line is the key for a 2020 turnaround

No unit on the offense has struggled more for Michigan football than the offensive line. If they can turn it around, the season can change.

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It’s year two under the speed in space offense run by Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Last year it showed flashes of what it could be, but it wasn’t up to par. With another year of learning, this offense has a chance to put up points week in and week out. There’s just one problem with that so far this season, and it’s the offensive line.

The offensive line was known to be taking a backseat in 2020. Despite having a great offensive line coach in Ed Warinner, it wasn’t looking well for the group. With four new starters among the line, it was well documented that this unit wouldn’t be as good as they were the year before.

Against Minnesota, that seemed to be gibberish. The offensive line kept Milton up almost all night with just allowing one sack, and it was on the first series of the game. The ground game was able to churn out yards and get into the endzone, finishing with 256 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries.

The unit seemed like it wouldn’t be a problem, like many expected. Then came the next game against Michigan State. Michigan was getting no push from its lineman and the ground game that worked well the week before was stagnant and not itself. The team was only able to get 152 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries. So with more carries, Michigan got over 100 fewer yards and two fewer scores. What hurt the team the most that game was losing starting right tackle, Jalen Mayfield.

This week against Indiana, Warinner needed to show that the depth he had at his positions were stout. The team wouldn’t see Mayfield play against Indiana, but they also wouldn’t see starting left tackle Ryan Hayes either, so now both starting tackles are injured for the Wolverines.

The offensive line would see a dramatic shift as Karsen Barnhart would start at left tackle. Zak Zinter would start at left guard. Andrew Vastardis would remain at center, while Chuck Filiaga would flip from left to right guard, and Andrew Stueber would move from right guard to right tackle. Stuber played right tackle before the 2020 season, so luckily, he’s had experience before at that position.

Heading into the matchup today, despite being weakened at the position, Michigan had a chance to run all around the Hoosiers defense. Against Penn State, Indiana allowed 250 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries. The week after against Rutgers, they allowed 121 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. If you average those two up, Indiana allowed an average of 185.5 yards per game and an average of 4.4 yards per carry.

Today against Michigan, Indiana eradicated the Wolverines running game. Michigan was only able to get a measly 13 yards on 18 carries. That’s .72 yards per carry. Those numbers are unheard of when talking about Michigan football. Michigan is known for being a smashmouth running team that will make you pay for everything in the trenches. The trenches today for the Wolverines ran dry.

The theme of a poor offensive line continues to define the offense this season. When Michigan isn’t able to run the football well, the offense takes a hit. Despite the speed in space type of offense Gattis runs, it still needs the running game to be relevant because if it dies, so does the offense. In both losses, Michigan was not able to get the ball moving on the ground. They struggled with that against Michigan State and really showed its struggles against Indiana.

These teams aren’t the best rushing defenses in the country, either. Indiana allowed 250 yards on opening week, while the Spartans allowed 226 against Iowa today. It’s plain and simple. If Michigan can’t run the football well, they lose the game. What dictates whether the running game can work? The offensive line.

Michigan has plenty of weapons in the backfield with Hassan Haskins, Zach Charbonnet, the returning Chris Evans, and the freshman, Blake Corum. These players are good at what they do, and when they are asked to try and run through a wall of defenders because the offensive line doesn’t have any holes for them to run through, that is a lot to ask out of them.

Warinner needs to figure out what he can do with his guys. Injuries have certainly changed up the game for him, but if he can figure out what issues they are dealing with, the offense can do what it did against Minnesota two weeks ago. With the defense having issues, Michigan’s offense needs to put up points. The offense is the biggest issue overall for the team in 2020.

Sure, you can point at the defense and give them the blame, but if Michigan can put up points, drive after drive, and its defense can make one more stop, they win, easy as that. College football is moving away from its low scoring, defensive shutouts, and more towards the high-scoring action-packed games. Defenses don’t win you championships anymore in college; offenses do. If Michigan can figure out what to do with the offensive line and help the running game become relevant again, then this team has a chance to turn this around possibly.

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Jay Harbaugh explains current Michigan RB rotation

How Michigan football plans to proceed with the rotation now that it’s 1-1 and struggled on the ground in Week 2.

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While the biggest question facing Michigan football at the moment is how it will rebound this week against No. 13 Indiana, one of the frequent subsets is how the Wolverines will continue to attack via the run.

Everything worked out well in Big Ten Week 1, with seven players rushing for 277 yards, but in Week 2, it got to be more convoluted. Against MSU, there were six players who ran the ball, but for just 152 yards. No one had more than 60 yards on the day and only two had more than 50.

So how will it work going forward? Will Michigan try to find the hot hand and ride him throughout games? Or will it continue to just cycle through the four tailbacks while adding QB runs and WR jet sweeps?

There are different methods to it, running backs coach Jay Harbaugh said, noting to Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football program that all four tailbacks will get carries, but they’re trying to find ways to get them each to be successful in their own right.

“Each guy’s a little bit different, each guy brings a little something different to the table,” Harbaugh said. “A little bit of everything – putting guys in a situation to do what they’re really good at. Obviously, if a guy starts to catch fire, so to speak, and feel like he’s running it really well, that guy’s gonna get a little bit more of an opportunity. You saw that a little bit with Blake last week and Hassan a little bit, as well. So there are situations that come into play. I have a hard time imagining a scenario where all the guys don’t play, just because they all do bring a little something different to the table. If they were all more similar, I don’t think there’d be a reason to, but the fact that they provide a little bit of difference to the offense gives merit to all of the guys play, as long as they’re performing the way that they need to.

“Don’t anticipate anything changing in that regard, and obviously would love to see in the course of a game, being able to find a groove as an offense where guys are running and getting more productive. But it’s not a ‘hey, we don’t like how a guy’s playing, let’s pull them out.’ We’re trying to get them involved and get our talented players on the field and give them opportunities – and good things will happen if we do that.”

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So how does Michigan plan to get each involved? Obviously, you want to see more of what happened in Week 1 and less of Week 2, in that, you want multiple guys having success.

Harbaugh says the goal is to make everyone as close to a complete back as possible, so that any tailback, despite what they might be best at, can be in on any play. Then, you try to get them to do what they’re best at.

“In the flow of the game, there can be some challenge to it,” Harbaugh said. “I think Coach Gat does a great job going into the game of giving us a heads up what calls are gonna be coming, possible sequence of calls that could come up. The ability of coaches to try to get a call in for a certain player or whatever. But as a running back position, you can’t be a specialist, so to speak, where you can only do these types of runs or run these types of routes. You can’t limit yourself. Because if you do that, you get into a real problem in terms of substitutions as well as in terms of (attacking the defense) with the backs, we try to become complete players where you don’t have anything that you can’t do. If you set that as a baseline, where you can have a freshman in Blake Corum in there on protection downs, that’s really helpful. Then the defense can’t tee off every time he’s in there, thinking, ‘Hey, this is gonna be for sure a run for him or a perimeter run.’ So having that balance is key and the way the guys prepare rounding their games out makes that real possible to be well-rounded like that.”

We’ll see if the rushing attack improves in Big Ten Week 3, when No. 23 Michigan takes on No. 13 Indiana in Bloomington. Kickoff is slated for noon EST.

Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 2 loss against Michigan State

Michigan football wasn’t able to take down Michigan State in the 27-24 loss yesterday. How did each position grade out in the big loss?

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After starting the season with a big win over Minnesota, Michigan took a big step back as it was upset by Michigan State, 27-24. The loss was an unexpected disaster that could derail the Wolverines’ 2020 season.

The Wolverines offense was shut down against the Spartans defense, a complete 180 after putting up 49 points the previous week. The Wolverines had issues passing and running the football. Neither could move the chains.

Michigan didn’t lose because one unit or one play changed the outcome. Overall, Michigan was outplayed by the Spartans, and it seemed MSU wanted it more than Michigan. The loss puts Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his team back to the drawing board. It starts by looking back at how each unit performed in the game. How would each position grade out in the loss?

Offense

Quarterback: B

Starting quarterback Joe Milton was asked to do more than what was expected coming into this game. Milton finished 32-of-51 for 300 yards and 12 carries for 59 yards. Despite Milton throwing for 300 yards, the passing attack wasn’t very effective in putting up points and moving the ball down the field against MSU. Milton’s wide receivers weren’t able to get open, and multiple drops didn’t help.

Milton faced a lot of pressure and had to leave the pocket countless times. There was even a moment where Milton stood up in the pocket and took a huge hit while throwing a pass that was completed. Milton made a few risky decisions, and on the final drive, he kept throwing short passes over the middle when the time was important. It wasn’t as good as a performance last week, but Milton still played a sound game overall.

Running Back: C

Michigan’s rushing attack went from being the main source of offense to being a unit that struggled to get the ball rolling. Hassan Haskins was the top running back once again, finishing with eight carries for 56 yards and a touchdown, while he was also 0-of-1 on a halfback pass play that was almost intercepted. He wasn’t the only running back to find the end zone. Freshman Blake Corum scored twice with five carries for 15 yards.

Zach Charbonnet was held to a quiet five carries for three yards, while Chris Evans had three carries for 10 yards. Milton was the leading rusher, and when your quarterback is your leading rushing threat, that isn’t the best thing for your running backs. The group struggled all game to break tackles and find any hole to gain yardage against this defense. It seems as if you can slow or stop the Wolverines ground game, you have a better chance of winning.

Wide Receiver: C

Despite having 300 yards in the air, Michigan only scored on the ground. Multiple wide receivers dropped passes yesterday, and there were issues with separation between the receivers and the MSU defensive backs. Giles Jackson was the top wide receiver with seven catches for 58 yards. Freshman Roman Wilson got involved heavily and finished with five catches for 71 yards.

The top wide receiver last year, Ronnie Bell, had four catches for 46 yards. Cornelius Johnson, who didn’t get involved last week, had five catches for 52 yards. Michigan’s wide receivers couldn’t elevate their level of play when the Wolverines needed it most. When the Wolverines needed a strike downfield, they weren’t able to do so. This offense is dependent on the receivers beating their defenders, and if they are unable to do so, it falls flat on its face.

Tight End: C+

Starting tight end Nick Eubanks made his 2020 debut, but he couldn’t do much through the air with just one catch for five yards. Erick All, who started last week, had three catches for 13 yards. All had an impressive double block in the game where he blocked one player, then moved over and blocked another to help the running back gain yards. Overall the group wasn’t effective through the air, and the blocking was fine but could have been better to help the running game.

Offensive line: D

No offensive unit did worse in the loss than the offensive line. This line went from looking like a top line in the conference to looking like the unit has four new starters across the board. The linemen faced a lot of heavy pressure from Michigan State. While they only allowed one sack again, the pressure Milton faced was different than what he faced last week. Milton had to leave the pocket countless times to keep plays alive and to avoid sacks.

Not only did linemen struggle to help the passing attack, but they also struggled heavily helping the running game move the ball. There were never really holes for the running backs to find. Michigan State stuffed the running lanes and force the running backs to bounce outside, where they wouldn’t find much success either. Starting right tackle Jalen Mayfield left the game early with an injury, so this unit could face even more struggles with its best player possibly missing time.

Now onto the defense and special teams…

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3 things we learned after Michigan defeated Minnesota

After a 49-24 win over the Gophers, here are three things we can expect to continue to improve for Michigan football.

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After 7 weeks of college football being played without Michigan, we all finally got our wish in CFB Week Eight.

Big Ten football is back. More importantly, Michigan football is back.

There were multiple unknowns about Michigan as game time swiftly approached, and all eyes were on the Wolverines for a primetime matchup against Minnesota. Not many people knew what to expect from the Wolverines with a new starting QB and four new starting offensive linemen.

After a dominating performance and a 49-24 win, here are the three things that we learned from the first game of the year:

Michigan is loaded at running back

Most people believed that Michigan was going to be fairly strong at running back this season with returnees Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins.

With Chris Evans returning to the team this season, and the speedster, true freshman Blake Corum coming into the fold, it makes this group arguably the strongest position on the team.

Michigan ran for 253 rushing yards as a team Saturday night, and the running back group had 192 of it. As a group they averaged a stunning 9.6 yards per play on the ground. That’s nearly a first down every time they touch the ball. Got to give the offensive line a ton of praise last night, as the unit had created giant holes for the backs most of the evening.

The eye vision from Haskins and Charbonnet was spot on. Haskins found a gap on the right side of the line for a 66 yard run, and Charbonnet hit a hole up the middle for a 70 yard TD run on the secnd drive of the game for the Wolverines.

We also saw some explosive plays from Evans and Corum throughout the night. Corum’s first play was a 24 yard catch-and-run from Milton where he showed off his speed. And Evans found the end zone for the first time since 2018.

With Michigan being able to rotate four backs during any game, it will give them a major advantage all year. Keeping these guys fresh and energized will go a long way.

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NEXT: Improved QB play and a new star on defense

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Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 1 win over No. 21 Minnesota

Michigan football dominated for a majority of the game as they defeated No. 21 Minnesota 49-24. What grade does each position receive?

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With months of anticipation, Michigan football returned Saturday night as it defeated No. 21 Minnesota on the road 49-24 in a huge Big Ten Week 1 victory.

The Wolverines exceeded expectations. The offense was explosive with seven touchdowns, while the defense slowed the Golden Gophers’ strong offense.

Michigan saw multiple positions make big plays from a vast number of people at those fronts. The depth some of these positions have is ridiculous and gives Michigan more chances to win these big games. Having that depth gives players more rest with not much of a difference in the group’s performance. Check out how each position was graded in the win last night.

Offense

Quarterback: A-

Starting quarterback Joe Milton made his first career start Saturday night. While people were expecting fireworks, they didn’t see much firepower but still got a solid performance from the redshirt sophomore. Milton finished the game going 15 of 22 for 225 yards and a touchdown, along with eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. Milton didn’t connect on any deep passes people were hoping to see, but, overall, he performed well in his starting debut.

Milton was sacked on the opening drive, which was the only time he was sacked all game. Milton didn’t face much pressure, and when he did, he avoided it to keep the play alive or escaped and ran for a few yards. Milton had a few overthrown passes, but the accuracy issue many were concerned about didn’t materialize. He had a 68% completion percentage.

Milton looked calm all night and never seemed fazed by what the defense was giving him. He made smart decisions and didn’t get cute with the football. His performance last night was a great sign of the future he has in Ann Arbor.

Running Back: A

The four-headed beast that is the running back corps of Michigan football showed its teeth last night. Zach Charbonnet was the starting running back, and, on the second drive of the game, Charbonnet found the huge hole up the middle and ran for a 70-yard touchdown. Charbonnet finished with four carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t the only running back to score. Hassan Haskins produced 82 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.

The returning Chris Evans found the end zone and finished with five carries for 19 yards and a touchdown, along with a catch for 10 yards. Freshman Blake Corum also got the start and produced five carries for 24 yards along with two catches for 36 yards. Fullback Ben Mason got involved as well. He had the only receiving touchdown on an 8-yard catch.

The running game had 31 carries for 256 yards and five touchdowns. Despite Milton having a strong arm, Michigan will continue to pound the rock and score more touchdowns on the ground than through the air. This four-back depth at the position gives the Wolverines versatility and fresh legs on the field with a player that can make plays for them.

Wide Receiver: B

Another position with a swarm of playmakers is wide receiver. Last year’s leading receiver Ronnie Bell led the team once again with four catches for 74 yards.

The youngsters gained plenty of playing time. Freshman Roman Wilson had two catches for 34 yards and the other freshman A.J. Henning had a catch for 14 yards and a carry for 6 yards. Mike Sainristil had a catch for 11 yards, and Giles Jackson had a catch for 5 yards with one carry for 8 yards.

A few drops from the group hurt, but it didn’t change the outcome of the game. If they can catch more of those passes, they can put up more yardage through the air.

Tight End: C+

Starting tight end Nick Eubanks didn’t play due to an undisclosed reason, so Erick All got the nod, and his performance was fine. He dropped a wide-open catch with nobody in the area that he could have walked into the end zone. The next play after the drop, Milton threw it right at him to underscore his confidence in him.

All finished the game with two catches for 33 yards. Backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker drew a penalty and didn’t catch any passes. The group’s blocking was solid, but the group wasn’t as involved as they might usually be when Eubanks is on the field. Having Eubanks out was a blow to the offense, but Michigan can clearly put up points without him.

Offensive line: A-

The offensive line was the biggest question mark of the offense heading into the 2020 season, and outside of the opening drive, the unit played almost a perfect game. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield was the lone returning starter. Two positions had first-time starters: left guard Chuck Filiaga and center Andrew Vastardis. The other two players had started previously but were new to their roles: left tackle Ryan Hayes and right guard Andrew Stuber.

The offensive line allowed a sack on the opening drive, but got its act together. Filiaga made a huge block to open the hole on that Charbonnet touchdown, which was the group’s turning point. The unit kept Milton upright after the sack, and he seldom faced pressure all game long.

Now onto the defense and special teams…

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5 Takeaways from Michigan’s 49-24 win against No. 21 Minnesota

In the return of Michigan football, the Wolverines dominated No. 21 Minnesota 49-24. Here are my five takeaways from the win for Michigan.

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Michigan football started the 2020 season with a bang as they dominated No. 21 Minnesota, in a 49-24 win. Head coach Jim Harbaugh got his second road win against a top 25 team, the first since he beat Michigan State in 2018. Michigan needed to make a statement in their Big Ten Week One game, and they certainly did.

The offense was explosive, but while they had 481 yards of offense, there were few explosive plays for the group. Running back Zach Charbonnet had a huge 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but most of the plays by the Wolverines were good chunk plays, and with Minnesota missing their starting kicker and punter, they had short field position for a majority of the game.

The defense played lights out after a slow start, and they were able to shut down the high-powered offense that Minnesota had from last season. Minnesota’s star wide receiver, Rashod Bateman, was held in check with nine catches for 101 yards. While 101 yards is a lot to allow for a wide receiver, most of them were in just two plays. Keeping Bateman in check was a big objective, and the Wolverines did just that. Check out my five takeaways from the Wolverine’s huge win over the Golden Gophers.

1. The running game is as advertised

Michigan has a loaded running back room with every type of running back you can imagine. From a pass-catcher to a speed demon to a power back, Michigan has everything you need. We knew all four running backs would get involved, and all four each had a moment for themselves.

Freshman running back Blake Corum had five carries for 24 yards, along with two catches or 36 yards as he was the first person to catch the ball from Milton. The other speedy running back, returning Chris Evans, made his presence known as he had five carries for 19 yards and a touchdown, along with a catch for 10 yards.

Most of the ground game yardage came from the dynamic duo of last season in running backs, Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins. Charbonnet helped the Wolverines get back in the game after an early hiccup, running 70 yards for a touchdown. He would finish the game with four carries for 70 yards and one touchdown. Haskins had six carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns. The running game was advertised to have multiple weapons, and it was shown tonight.

2. The offensive line looks solid

With four starters leaving for the NFL, Michigan was left with just one returning starter on the offensive line. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield was expected to lead this inexperienced group when the game began, but luckily for him, some of his new buddies along the line have started in games before.

Right guard Andrew Stueber started three games at right tackle in 2018 before he tore his ACL and missed the 2019 season. Ryan Hayes started the first two games of the 2019 season at left tackle while Jon Runyan Jr. was injured. Those two players would start, Hayes at left tackle and Stueber at right guard.

The other two new starters never had starting experience before in left guard Chuck Filiaga and center Andrew Vastardis were the new faces on the line, and overall the unit played well. Milton was sacked on the first drive of the game but could stay upright for the rest of the game and had time to throw a majority of his passes. They also helped open up holes for the running game. Overall this group didn’t appear to have multiple starters; they exceeded the expectations, and if they can continue this stellar play, it can be the difference-maker for the offense to put up 40+ points a week.

3. Joe Milton wasn’t flashy but got the job done

Michigan starting quarterback Joe Milton had a lot of hype coming into the 2020 season. With the cannon of an arm he has and how much he was putting in work during the off-season, Milton was seemed to have a chance of a big game opening week. While it wasn’t a monster game for Milton with few deep passes, he did a good job in his first start.

Milton finished the game going 15/22 for 225 yards and a touchdown, along with eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. His accuracy didn’t seem to be much of an issue as he overthrew two passes. The rest were just dropped balls or close catches. Milton used his legs more than was expected, and it helped confuse the Minnesota defense.

Every week you shouldn’t expect Milton to be throwing for over 300 or 400 yards along with three or more touchdowns. Milton doesn’t need to blow up the opposing defenses; he needs to make some plays and move the ball down the field as the running game seems to be how the Wolverines will score most of the points this year.

4. The defense could have gotten better

Last year was the worst year for the defense for the Wolverines under defensive coordinator Don Brown. Before 2019, Michigan repeatedly had a top-five defense. In 2019, they finished 10th. 10th was the worst they’ve had, and that’s still pretty good.

Michigan looked like they could be a top-five defense once again with the performance they had against Minnesota tonight. The Wolverines were able to get five sacks, force a fumble, and an interception. Minnesota was held to 326 yards of offense, and multiple times Michigan was bending but didn’t break.

The defense had multiple players step up and make plays for them tonight. Viper Michael Barrett played fantastically with seven total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Defensive end Kwity Paye finished with four total tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Defensive tackle Carlo Kemp made some big plays and finished with four total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack.

5. The delima at kicker needs to be handled fast

Something that wasn’t discussed much before the season began was the kicker battle between Jake Moody and Quinn Nordin. Both kickers were in a rotation last season before Nordin seemed to have taken over at the position to close out the season. Harbaugh never named either one the starter, so we weren’t sure who would start this season until the first field goal attempt would happen.

Moody was the first kicker on the field, and while he was 7/7 on extra-point attempts when it came to kicking field goals, he struggled heavily. His first attempt was 38 yards out, and it was not close as it was wide right. His next kick was further away at 48 yards, and while this one was more accurate, it still was off to the left. The final kick was 33 yards out, and while it was a bad snap, Moody still couldn’t make it. Every point matters in these games, and missing those aren’t what you want to see from your starting kicker in the first game.

Nordin never saw the field, and maybe he should be given a chance to kick field goals next week. Missing one kick doesn’t mean you should lose the starting job, but missing three in the first week, against a top 25 opponent on the road, should make it a question if you are the right guy. Whoever Michigan has out there next week needs to be the starting kicker for the rest of the season, as a rotation doesn’t cut it, and pulling a kicker every other week doesn’t help their confidence. Let the battle this week be for the rest of the season, without making it a week-by-week case.

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Halftime analysis of No. 18 Michigan vs No. 21 Minnesota

It’s halftime between Michigan and Minnesota as it’s 35-17 Michigan. What has worked and what hasn’t so far for the Wolverines?

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After months of waiting, Michigan football returned tonight! The Wolverines were looking to take down Minnesota on the road, and it didn’t start the way they were hoping for. After a screen pass from quarterback Joe Milton to freshman running back Blake Corum for 24 yards, things went downhill quickly. Fullback Ben Mason received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, making it second and long. An incomplete pass followed by a sack made it fourth and long for the Wolverines.

That’s not where it stops, though.

In just two plays after the blocked punt, Minnesota scored a touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Morgan to tight end Ko Kieft to take the early 7-0 lead in the first quarter. That lead wouldn’t hold on for long, though. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Zach Charbonnet would run up the middle through a wide-open hole for a 70-yard touchdown run to tie the game up 7-7.

After the Wolverine defense forces a three and out for Minnesota, Michigan drives down the field and was held to a 38-yard field goal attempt. A question that wasn’t answered this off-season was who won the starting kicker job between Jake Moody and Quinn Nordin. Moody would kick the extra point and the field goal, but he would miss the field goal, and the game would stay tied 7-7.

On the first play of the third drive, Michigan’s defense showed its teeth as viper Michael Barrett sacked Morgan and forced a fumble. The ball popped out of the air, and defensive tackle Donovan Jeter caught it as he ran it back for a touchdown, and Michigan took the lead for the first time, 14-7.

Minnesota would keep fighting as Morgan found wide receiver Chris Auman-Bell for a 45-yard pass to give them a boost after struggling in back to back drives. Michigan’s defense would bend but not break and hold the Golden Gophers to a field goal, making it 14-10 Michigan.

The Wolverines would take advantage of the Minnesota special teams missing three of its starters as Barrett would return a kick 66 yards to put Michigan at the eight-yard line. Milton would find Mason as he would flip into the endzone for a touchdown, making it 21-10 Wolverines.

Minnesota was not giving up as wide receiver Rashod Bateman contributed with two catches for 23 yards. A Michigan facemask penalty moved the Golden Gophers down the field for a free 15 yards. It would end with running back Mohamed Ibrahim running for a 16-yard touchdown run to make it 21-17.

The Wolverines kept pounding it on the ground, but more so with Milton as he had three carries for 38 yards on the drive. The drive would end with a wildcat formation four-yard touchdown run by running back Hassan Haskins. Michigan would make it 28-17 just under five minutes to play in the half.

Minnesota went bold on their next drive. After getting a three and out, Minnesota would try a fake punt that would net them two yards when it was fourth and four. Michigan took advantage of the short field position, and Haskins would run it in once again for an eight-yard touchdown to make it 35-17.

Michigan would hold off Minnesota once again, and while the Wolverines were able to push down the field, Moody would miss another field goal, this one from 48 yards out. Michigan goes into halftime up 35-17.

Positives:

The viper position is in good hands with Barrett. Not only is he helping out on defense, but he’s also helping out big on special teams with that 66-yard return. Barrett doesn’t want to get off the field; he wants to help the team as much as he can. With former viper Khaleke Hudson now gone, it was unknown how much Barrett would impact the team, and his presence was felt quickly.
In his first half of play, Milton did well, going 9/14 for 100 yards and a touchdown, along with six carries for 41 yards. He never looked rattled or uncertain when he was on the field. He was sacked in the first series, but that didn’t make him scared to line back up in the next series. There was an overthrow, but for the most part, Milton did well with his accuracy, a concern many had about him. He was more mobile than many expected, but it certainly helped move the chains.
The offensive line is impressing early on so far in this game. While Milton was sacked in the opening drive, they have created big holes for Charbonnet and Milton. They have been giving Milton time to throw with a clean pocket for a majority of the passes. With two new starters and two players with limited starting experience, this offensive line has eliminated many doubts about them coming into the season.

Negatives

While we’ve only seen it appear once, the special team punting group needs to improve. The blocked punt gave Minnesota great field position, and they would use that momentum to score in just two plays to take the early lead. It was only one play, but that blocked punt could give them the confidence to do it again.
The secondary is struggling, but not as bad as you would think with two new starters. Cornerback German Green let up while in man coverage on Autman-Bell, which allowed the 45-yard catch to happen. Morgan is 12/15 for 84 yards and a touchdown in the first half, so while Michigan has held him to under 100 yards, the completion percentage is too high as multiple wide receivers are open and getting easy catches. It could be a lot worse though, so while it needs to get better, it’s doing better than expected.

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