Tag: Michigan Football
Could Shea Patterson be more of a run threat vs. Michigan State?
Could we see more of the Wolverines quarterback keeping the ball against the Spartans?
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The moment that Michigan finished its win at Maryland, the team turned its attention directly to rival Michigan State, even if there was a waiting period of two weeks before the teams would actually face off against one another.
Sitting at a table in a small cramped room, Wolverines hybrid linebacker Josh Uche noted that the maize and blue already had the Spartans on the mind, a notion which quarterback Shea Patterson, seated next to him, nodded in affirmation.
But Michigan had a bye week, so how did the team handle it?
“Take a day or two to kinda relax – still watched all the games over the weekend,” Patterson said. “We had two or three good practices last week, and I think that carried over today. We had a really good one today.”
Given that the bye week is generally called ‘improvement week,’ and with two giant games remaining on the schedule, how did Patterson feel he, personally improved?
He pinpointed one area, and it’s something that fans have wanted to see all season long, where he particularly excelled down the stretch a year ago.
“I think maybe running, running a little bit more,” Patterson said. “Even if it’s not a designed run. If it’s a dropback pass, and you see a lane, just getting out and making something happen with your legs.”
But why is this ability to run emerging now?
We’ve seen it in small doses — starting late against Illinois and again against Penn State and Notre Dame. But the lack of Patterson keeping the ball and using his feet had to do with the injury he sustained on the very first play from scrimmage this season. While he did get healthier as the season went on, he insists that now he’s the healthiest he’s been.
“Just a little banged up earlier in the season,” Patterson said. “Just doing what I can do. Whatever I can do to help the team, I think. None of it’s really changed, just starting to execute more, and being a little more healthy.”
We’ll see if that plays dividends, especially given MSU’s proclivity at stopping the run — though, the Spartans have not been quite as stout as anticipated coming into the season.
Regardless, while Patterson says it’s not the chippiest rivalry, it’s certainly up there when it comes to intensity.
“I mean, it’s definitely the most intense,” he said. “Both sides of the ball, they’re gonna get our best game and we’re gonna get theirs. I think, the way they’re season’s going, they still have a lot to play for. They’re playing for their coach, they’re playing for the fans, they’re playing for that logo on their chest. We’re doing the same. I think it’s gonna be a well-fought game.”
The Wolverines and Spartans are set to face off on Saturday at The Big House, with kickoff slated for noon EST. The game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
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Michigan State vs. Michigan: Five most important Spartan players
Michigan State and Michigan face off yet again this weekend. Here are the five most important Spartan players in this interstate game.
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Michigan week is here. The Spartans travel to Michigan Stadium this Saturday (Noon, FOX) to play against the No. 14 Wolverines. As always, there is so much riding on this game. Most importantly, Michigan State football fans’ pride. Michigan comes into this game on a hot streak. The Spartans need to execute perfectly to win.
Here are the five most important players for MSU in this game:
‘It don’t have to be a close game’ if Michigan plays up to expectations vs. MSU
Why one Wolverine doesn’t think the margin between the rivals has to be a closer affair.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One of the biggest concerns before the 2019 season was how Michigan would play down the stretch, with a road game at Penn State preceding a rivalry game against Notre Dame. Then, the Wolverines would have to wait a few weeks to take on in-state rival Michigan State, a preseason Top 25 team.
All of this would need to be done while breaking in a new offense.
The early season growing pains on that side of the ball created a series of concerns, naturally, and though the maize and blue lost on the road to the Nittany Lions, that game was seen as a turning point for the Wolverines.
It was the week before when Michigan finally got its running game going, and it did it again against PSU and the top-ranked run defense, in terms of yards-per-carry allowed. It’s a credit to the offensive line and to the tailbacks who have really got things going up front.
But Saturday presents another challenge, as stopping the run is part of Michigan State’s modus operandi.
Michigan right guard Michael Onwenu acknowledges that the biggest thing for the maize and blue on Saturday is to play their game, or as he notes: ‘just sticking to the script.’ But also, having familiarity with some of the MSU players helps, he says.
“I think I know two of the D-linemen, and a few through the secondary,” Onwenu said. “Last year, it was a dogfight. And it doesn’t have to be that way.”
But what does he mean when he says it doesn’t have to be a dogfight?
Again, if Michigan plays its game, despite the Spartans coming to town with the nation’s No. 24 defense, then the Wolverines should cruise to victory.
Call it confidence, call it bravado — whatever you will. But with the way that Michigan has played as of late compared to the Spartans, coupled with an extra week to prepare due to the bye week, Onwenu is sure that the Wolverines can get their first home win over MSU since 2012.
“It don’t have to be a close game,” Onwenu said. “(If) we come out and play like we did the last few weeks.
“I think the bye week did fall on a good week for us. We’ve been playing well these last few weeks, and now we can play even better with a few days of rest.”
The battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy is set to begin on Saturday at noon EST in Ann Arbor. The game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
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Why Michael Onwenu says Michigan-MSU might not be a close game
Despite being idle, Michigan drops a spot in latest College Football Playoff rankings
Michigan didn’t do anything in Week Eleven, on account of it being its second bye week, and the College Football Playoff committee took notice. Not exactly, but the Wolverines did fall despite being idle. Coming in ranked No. 14 in the inaugural …
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Michigan didn’t do anything in Week Eleven, on account of it being its second bye week, and the College Football Playoff committee took notice.
Not exactly, but the Wolverines did fall despite being idle.
Coming in ranked No. 14 in the inaugural poll of 2019, the maize and blue dropped a spot to No. 15, though a game was not played. But they weren’t alone in the shuffle, despite either forward momentum or no momentum.
For instance, the formerly ranked No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes — who loom at the regular season’s end — fell to No. 2, despite an absolute drubbing of Maryland. This is in large part due to Minnesota jumping up from No. 17 to No. 8, after taking down the former No. 4 Penn State, which fell to No. 9 after the loss.
Wisconsin is now ranked No. 14, and Notre Dame, which Michigan beat a few weeks back, comes in at No. 16.
Michigan also has a victory over No. 20 Iowa.
Indiana, which was ranked 24/25 in the AP/Amway Coaches Poll, and is the Wolverines opponent after this week, did not get ranked in the latest College Football Playoff standings.
Here’s the full #CFBPlayoff Top 25 rankings for games played through November 9.
Is your team in? 👀
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 13, 2019
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Donovan Peoples-Jones talks the Michigan-MSU rivalry
Mark Dantonio: Jim Harbaugh is a Hall of Fame football coach
Michigan football takes on Michigan State this week, and the Spartans head coach gave Jim Harbaugh a wonderful compliment on Tuesday.
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Heading into this rivalry game between Michigan and Michigan State, not much positive is said about the other team. Sure both teams give the other credit on what they do right and things like that, but both Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio have shown great mutual respect for one another this week.
On Monday, Harbaugh said Dantonio was a master motivator, had a great body of work with his track record and that he was a fine coach. Today, Dantonio went a step above Harbaugh and gave him a bigger compliment. He called him intense, and a Hall of Fame football coach.
That’s right, Dantonio believes Harbaugh is a Hall of Fame football coach.
That isn’t something you don’t hear much from rival schools heading into their game this week. The question is, is Harbaugh an actual Hall of Fame football coach? That point can be debated and will be depending on how Harbaugh’s coaching career ends whenever it does.
So far in his coaching career, Harbaugh has coached in the NCAA FCS and FBS subdivisions, and the NFL. In the NCAA, Harbaugh has coached for three teams, San Diego, Stanford, and Michigan. His collegiate record is currently 103-43, with two Pioneer League Championships at San Diego.
In the NFL, Harbaugh would coach the San Francisco 49ers for four years and finish with a record of 44-19-1 with two NFC West division titles, an NFC Championship title, and a Super Bowl appearance. He would also be the first coach in NFL history to have reached a conference championship game each of his first three years.
So, Harbaugh has had some great success at different programs and levels of competition. Is he a Hall of Fame lock? Very possible, but his career is still young at just 55 years old. He could still coach for another 10 plus seasons if he wants to, or he could retire after this season and either way it will still be a great career.
Harbaugh wants to win though, he’s an intense coach like Dantonio said, so expect him to retire anytime soon. He wants to win a conference championship and win the National championship. He’s at his alma mater and wants to give them something to be proud of, and he’s done a good job at turning the ship around so far.
Now he just has to reinforce the ship and build it up to the likes of the Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State. Consistent reloading and small mistakes. Dantonio see’s what Harbaugh is as a coach and you bet he wants to try and beat him in front of his own crowd on Saturday in Ann Arbor once again.
This game is a big one for both head coaches, as Dantonio is dealing with his own demons, Harbaugh is 2-2 against his in-state rival and finally having a winning record over the Spartans would help him out as well, along with being on a two-game win streak against them. If Harbaugh can start to figure out Michigan State, then there is just one rival he has to try and stop. Ohio State.
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Week 12 Big Ten power rankings, Michigan falls during bye week
Michigan Football moves down on their bye week, how far do the Wolverines fall after the dust settles in my latest Big Ten power rankings?
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The bye week was a good week overall for the Wolverines. Penn State, a team ahead of them in the Big Ten championship race fell, and Michigan State blew a 28-3 lead against Illinois. Even with those moves, Michigan falls back in my Big Ten power rankings. There were some huge Big Ten games last week, so expect some big changes in the rankings. You can check them out below.
1. OHIO STATE 9-0 (6-0)
Ohio State came off their bye with a suspension from their star defensive end Chase Young. No length has been determined for his suspension, but he didn’t play against Maryland last week and most likely won’t play Rutgers this week.
Moving to the action last week against Maryland, the offense never put their foot off the gas in the 73-14 beatdown. Ohio State put up 705 yards of offense, 322 came from the four different quarterbacks that played and combined for four touchdowns. The other 383 yards came on the ground as eight different people ran the football for those yards and six touchdowns.
The defense played hard, holding Maryland to 139 yards of offense. They had Maryland try out both quarterbacks Josh Jackson and Tyrrell Pigrome, holding them to 77 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Buckeyes take on Rutgers this week in what could be a repeat of this game.
2. MINNESOTA 9-0 (6-0)
Minnesota was able to pull off the upset last week, beating Penn State 31-26. Quarterback Tanner Morgan played lights out, going 18/20 for 339 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense was able to create some big turnovers, forcing Penn State to throw three interceptions and make it a struggle to pass the ball on them. The win moves Minnesota to the second spot as they look to keep their Big Ten championship hopes alive as they are in the driver seat. They play Iowa this week as a win would officially eliminate the Hawkeyes and make it come down to their game next week to clinch their spot in Indianapolis.
3. PENN STATE 8-1 (5-1)
Penn State possibly just knocked themselves out of the playoff picture and the Big Ten title picture with their 31-26 loss to Minnesota. Quarterback Sean Clifford struggled, going 23/43 for 340 yards with only one touchdown and three interceptions. The running game had some better production, as the leading running back Journey Brown had 14 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense couldn’t stop the Minnesota passing game and only forced one fumble all day long. They did hold the Golden Gophers to 121 rushing yards and a touchdown on 40 carries, so they were forced to pass and it was still working. Penn State will look to rebound this week against Indiana as they try and keep their playoff and Big Ten championship hopes alive.
4. WISCONSIN 7-2 (4-2)
Wisconsin moves up with their 24-22 win over Iowa as they take over the second-place spot in the Big Ten West, with hopes that Minnesota slips up just once before they take them on in the season finale. Running the football with Jonathan Taylor was the main focal point of the offense, as Taylor had a whopping 31 carries for 250 yards, but he never found the endzone.
The defense made it a mission to shut down the Hawkeyes ground game and they did just that, holding the Hawkeyes to 87 yards on 23 carries. Wisconsin looks to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive as they take on Nebraska this week.
5. MICHIGAN 7-2 (4-2)
Michigan was on a bye week this week as they fall a spot with Wisconsin winning over Iowa. They take on Michigan State this week as they try and keep the Paul Bunyan trophy in Ann Arbor for at least another year.
6. INDIANA 7-2 (4-2)
Indiana moves up with the Iowa loss as they were on a bye week as well. The Hoosiers have a chance to ruin Penn State’s season this week and what better way to do that than in front of their own fans.
7. IOWA 6-3 (3-3)
Iowa falls a spot after their 24-22 loss to Wisconsin as they need a miracle to reach the Big Ten championship game now. Quarterback Nate Stanley went 17/28 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and a fumble. The running game struggled to get into the end zone, getting held to just 87 yards.
The defense was able to hold quarterback Jack Coan in place, having him go 16/25 for 173 yards with two touchdowns, an interception, and a fumble, but stopping Taylor wasn’t possible unless it was out of the endzone as he ran for 250 on them. Iowa takes on Minnesota this week as they look to try and ruin their perfect season and keep their Big Ten title hopes alive.
8. ILLINOIS 6-4 (4-3)
Illinois got a huge win last week as they came back down 28-3 and beat Michigan State 37-34. Quarterback Brandon Peters played very well, going 22/42 for 369 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe had a great game too, with four catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense, while allowing over 500 yards of offense, held MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke in check by forcing him to go 19/36 for 251 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Illinois gets a week off this week but takes on Iowa next week.
9. PURDUE 4-6 (3-4)
Purdue jumps after their own comeback as they came back down 14-0 to win 24-22 over Northwestern. It was behind their quarterback Aidan O’Connell who went 34/50 for 271 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The defense did their best in stopping Northwestern’s passing game and it did as well as it could, holding them to 184 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Purdue gets a week of rest as they take on Wisconsin as they try and keep their bowl hopes alive.
10. MICHIGAN STATE 4-5 (2-4)
Michigan State falls two spots after blowing a 25 point lead to Illinois at home. While Lewerke struggled, the running game had some better success, getting 275 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as the team was able to average 5.4 yards per carry.
The defense is where things fell apart as they let Illinois get back into the game with a 25 point lead. While they couldn’t stop Peters that much, they did well in stopping the Illinois rushing attack, holding them to 36 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. They take on Michigan this week as they try and upset the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
11. NEBRASKA 4-5 (2-4)
Nebraska sits still after their bye week. This week they take on Wisconsin as they try and eliminate the Badgers from the Big Ten title picture. Nebraska is looking to make a bowl game as well as they need to win two of their final three games.
12. MARYLAND 3-7 (1-6)
Maryland is officially out of the bowl game picture after its 73-14 loss to Ohio State. Maryland couldn’t do much on offense, and it showed as they were only able to muster up 139 total yards on offense as the running game had 62 yards and a touchdown on just 32 carries.
The defense couldn’t do anything to stop Ohio State, allowing 705 total yards and 10 touchdowns. Six came on the ground, and four in the air. Maryland has a bye week this week, but they take on Nebraska next week.
13. RUTGERS 2-7 (0-6)
Rutgers had a bye week last week and this week they look to have a huge upset as they try and take down Ohio State.
14. NORTHWESTERN 1-8 (0-7)
Northwestern blew a 14 point lead and lost to Purdue 24-22 as they couldn’t keep their offense moving constantly. The running game was the bread and butter for the team, getting 251 yards and a touchdown on 45 carries.
The defense had troubles in stopping the passing game, but when it came to stopping the run they had more success, holding Purdue to 74 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Northwestern takes on UMASS this week in a late non-conference game.
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Locked On Wolverines Podcast (Ep. 254): Michigan vs. MSU
Thoughts on the two press conferences, the MSU depth chart and where the Wolverines have clear advantages.
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There’s a lot to parse through as the in-state rivalry readies to take place. We get into all of it, the MSU depth chart, the matchups, Michigan’s advantages and what the players and coaches are saying on both sides.
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