Zach Charbonnet – Page 14 – Syndication Server

How the return of Chris Evans impacts Michigan’s running game in 2020

Michigan football gets senior running back Chris Evans back for the 2020 season. How will his return help the Wolverines offense blow up?

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Last season was supposed to be a big year for Michigan running back Chris Evans. With former starting running back Karan Higdon graduating, Evans was poised to be the starter after years of being a backup or getting the start but not having as many carries as the backups. Sadly, Evans had some academic issues and was forced to miss last season, leaving him on the sidelines.

With him sitting out, freshman Zach Charbonnet had to step up, despite missing spring practices with knee surgery. He wasn’t alone as Hassan Haskins was converting from linebacker over to running back. With the lack of experience in the room, Tru Wilson was named the starting running back in July, but that wouldn’t stick to the wall as Charbonnet would start in the season opener against Middle Tennessee State.

Despite the lack of experience in the running back room last year, Michigan had some great success running the ball with their young players.

Charbonnet finished with 726 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with eight catches for 30 yards. Haskins had 622 yards and four touchdowns, along with six catches for 40 yards. Wilson had 221 yards and a touchdown with two catches for 14 yards. A player who was projected to have a big 2019, Christian Turner, only had 171 yards and a touchdown with four catches for 13 yards.

That running back room will look a bit different this year as Wilson transferred to Northern Colorado, and Turner opted out due to COVID-19. With those two departures, in walks two additions who could make this group even more explosive.

Freshman Blake Corum, who could see some serious playing time after getting 1,266 yards for 19 touchdowns and eight catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns during his senior year in high school.

Then the big return of Evans, who brings a different dynamic to the running back room. Charbonnet and Haskins are both fast running backs, but they aren’t your Chris Johnson type of fast running backs either. They both also had under 10 catches last season, as they weren’t used as receivers.

This isn’t to say that Evans is about to run a 4.24 40-yard dash, but Evans certainly has a different type of speed compared to Charbonnet and Haskins. Corum is a fast player as well, but once again he doesn’t have the receiving experience Evans has.

Evans was looked at as a wide receiver to some scouts back in high school, but at Michigan, he has been a running back that not only can outrun a lot of players, but he can make you miss with his quick feet as he jukes and spins around defenders. Oh and he can catch the ball in the backfield too.

In his career, Evans has run for 1,722 yards for 14 touchdowns and has 40 catches for 392 yards and two touchdowns. What can his role be like in the running back room that has two strong and young running backs and an incoming freshman that is also going to fight for playing time as the speedster? Ask offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.

“We did a lot of things that were similar last year with Giles Jackson, all the different alignments that he aligned on the field,” said Gattis. “You got a guy now in Chris Evans who has the ability to take those as actual hand-offs and not just be in the backfield catching routes coming out of the backfield. You’ve got a guy that can do both and that’s exciting.”

Mind you, Jackson is a wide receiver, not a running back. Last season, Jackson had more touches on the ground than through the air, carrying the ball 10 times for 69 yards and a touchdown, and nine catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. Jackson was used on jet sweeps and the like to get around the defense with his quick feet and acceleration.

Evans brings that to the offense and his speed is built for this offense that Gattis likes to run. Not only does he bring the speed on the ground, but he brings it in the receiving game, something the running backs last year had issues with. Michigan needs to have a running back that can go out and catch a ball if needed. Not that Charbonnet and Haskins couldn’t or didn’t but Evans is better than them when it comes to running routes and doing more than just pounding the rock.

What makes him a fun player in the backfield is you never know what he’s going to do. He can get the handoff and turn on the jets to get a big gain, he can catch a pass and make some people miss with his shiftiness, and he can even block to help give the quarterback time to throw.

Evans is an all-around running back, something this offense could really use. Having strong and quick running backs is great and all, but having some versatility in the backfield is what makes your offense more dangerous. This offense is built on speed in space, and adding another type of weapon that can do just that is what can help make this running back core even stronger after an impressive showing in 2019.

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Expectations for Hassan Haskins, Zach Charbonnet in 2020

The starting duo returns in 2020 after having a year of experience. How they can get better this year compared to last.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One thing Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh often says is that players make their biggest jump in development from Week One to Week Two. But, the same can often be said going from year one to year two.

At running back, that’s an enticing notion, considering that 2019 was Hassan Haskins’ first full year at the position, as he split time there and with the linebackers in 2018, while Zach Charbonnet was a true freshman working to get his feet underneath him.

Now both are wily veterans, having both gotten starts the past season, readying themselves to build upon solid first-year campaigns. But how can they improve?

Running backs coach Jay Harbaugh shared a laundry list of where they can better along with how they’re best utilized on Friday, noting that if they can turn intermediate runs into more explosive, home run-types, then either or both could be formidable for opposing offenses in 2020.

“What I’m hoping for – I guess we can start with Hassan – he’s got a good long list, like everybody does – these are the focus points: I want to continue to have him expand what he can do without the ball in his hand,” Harbaugh said. “Become even more proficient. He was a pretty good pass protector but there are things that he will be able to bring us as a blocker in the sweep game, on the perimeter. Possibly as a lead blocker in terms of some of the two-back stuff. Kind of acting like doing some of the job that a fullback would sometimes do. He’s capable of all of that, so I think he’s gonna be able to take another step, going from just being decent at that to being really dominant. The other thing for him is continuing to open up his hips, improve his stride length and turn some of those 7-15 yard runs into really big ones. I think that everybody respects the way that he plays and loved watching him run last year. Hassan will be the first one to tell you, he wants to turn some of those runs into even bigger runs. So, find a way to make that extra hat miss and turn some of those medium runs into huge runs is gonna be a big difference for him.

“For Zach, it’s really not super different. We need to turn some of these medium, pretty good runs into explosive home run ones that send The Big House into an eruption. So both of those guys are kind of the same focus and I really believe that with the experience, the confidence, continuing to understand the system where the unblocked defenders are and just running with more confidence, they’re both gonna make a lot of improvements in that area.”

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But how does one learn to make defenses miss and get those home run-type runs?

Harbaugh says a good portion of that comes from within, with it being determined by the players’ own hunger to be great.

The staff immediately worked to correct mistakes upon the culmination of 2019, and the tailbacks took said advice to heart. If they’re to take that big leap forward in 2020, it will be because they were driven to put in the work themselves, especially considering the current ‘new normal’ due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Overall, I think that probably has to do with the guy that you recruit, more so than stuff that we can do here,” Harbaugh said. “Because the guy’s gotta have the hunger for greatness and that really strong desire to improve. And those guys all have it.

“After the season when they come in and we talk about, ‘Hey, these are the 10 things that we really, really need to improve and maybe there’s 3-4 that are really the most important,’ those guys really grab onto that. I’ve seen guys that save it and take it and put it as the background on their phone. They’re just really driven, they’re really motivated to take that next step. I wouldn’t say that it’s anything that we need to push them from a motivation standpoint, because they really have that, and they just have that passion and it’s part of the reason that they’re here.

“Our role is really more of a guidance, like, ‘Okay, this is what we’re trying to do. You want to make this guy miss, you want to get more yardage out of this play or have more big plays. Here’s the steps that you can can take from a training standpoint to do it. Here’s a cut up of this NFL player you should watch. Here’s an example of this run. Here’s a type of quiz or assessment so you understand the way this play is being blocked.’ So our role is more of a guidance and technical guidance type of role when you have such motivated players.”

Regardless, the two aforementioned players won’t be able to rely on what they did a year ago. Not only does former RB Chris Evans return after a year off due to academic suspension, but Christian Turner appears to be healthy, and true freshman Blake Corum is expected to make an early impact in his first year in Ann Arbor.

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Jay Harbaugh breaks down Michigan’s RB room at great length

A thorough breakdown of what each of the Wolverines RB are best at, where they are in their development and how they’ll be utilized in 2020.

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Michigan has something of an embarrassment of riches in its running backs room.

While there isn’t one breakout player as of current, a feature back, the Wolverines enter 2020 with four-to-five guys who can be difference-makers any give Saturday.

In 2019, we saw significant production from both Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet, as they combined for 1,348 yards on the ground and 15 rushing touchdowns to go along with 14 receptions for 70 yards through the air. But back in the mix is Chris Evans, a redshirt senior who missed last season with suspension. In his three years of play, Evans has 304 carries for 1,722 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns as well as 40 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

That’s not even mentioning third-year tailback Christian Turner, who was sidelined with injury throughout much of his time in Ann Arbor, and early-enrollee Blake Corum, the four-star from Baltimore who has the potential to be a star-player in his own right.

Managing a loaded room

Speaking with Jon Jansen on his weekly In the Trenches podcast, Michigan running backs coach Jay Harbaugh is excited about having such a loaded room, with so many potential contributors.

He shares how the competition will play a big role and how it should enhance the position come fall.

“The big thing right now – not that it’s super different from last year or the year before – but tremendous competition,” Harbaugh said. “You have guys now that are coming back that have played. Three guys that have really played substantial snaps and a really talented incoming freshman. So you have a group that’s highly capable. There’s gonna be great competition.

“And it’s exciting as a coach, because they all love to get after it. They love football, they love the team, they play a selfish position unselfishly. They help each other out. They really bring out the best in each other and we put together a good spring with that kind of mindset and same through summer and fall camp, I think the result will be really special.”

One of the big things about having five running backs each with a unique skillset is the possibility of getting multiple on the field at the same time.

Since he arrived last January, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis spoke at length about putting the defense in conflict. With five players with myriad abilities, it’s possible that we see multiple backs on the field at the same time in 2020, Harbaugh says.

“Yeah, that’s something we did a little bit, and Coach Gattis’ background, he’s been around some of that and done some of that,” Harbaugh said. “So we would love to do it. To do that, you have to have the guys, like you’re saying, that create that type of confusion, they create that conflict. I think that we do. So it would be good to get involved with that in spring. Selfishly, as the running back coach, you love having your guys out there. I’m sure, if you could play with seven linemen, you would love to do that! I think it’s something if it helps us win, if Coach Gattis sees it as a way for us to score points, then we’ll be ready for it.”

From there, Harbaugh spoke at length about each different tailback, what they bring to the table, where they’re at in their development, and how they all fit into the grand scheme of the offense.

Starting with returning senior Chris Evans.

Read about Evans’ return on the next page.

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What impresses Chris Evans about Michigan’s younger running backs

What impresses the returning senior about the (new to him) tailbacks in the RB room.

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BRIGHTON, Mich. — What was once seen as a perceived weakness very well should be a team strength for Michigan in 2020.

Though the Wolverines lose Tru Wilson to transfer, the running backs room returns most everyone, particularly co-starters from a year ago in Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins,

And they get another productive piece back, with Chris Evans’ reinstatement.

Evans returns a senior, with three years playing experience, and speaking with WolverinesWire on Saturday, he thinks the sky’s the limit for this emerging group.

“Real good,” Evans said. “We’re gonna push each other every day. Nobody’s gonna try to be the tough guy. We’re all gonna keep everything in the room. That’s how we’re gonna do it.”

He already has an inkling of what Haskins can do, having spent a year with him — though the third-year back spent much of his first year with the linebackers.

But Evans got to watch his team from afar while he was serving his one-year suspension, getting to see now-second-year tailback Zach Charbonnet ball out in his first season of college football.

Given his experience, what are Evans’ impressions of Charbonnet? Obviously, all great things.

“He’s a really good player,” Evans said. “Good pass protector, especially at a young age. Being able to see it – I really couldn’t see everything. At a young age, he’s very mature and carries himself well. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

In December, as Michigan prepared to take on Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, a loophole allowed Evans to participate in three practices, though he had not rejoined the team in official capacity just yet. But he wasn’t alone in that.

Big things are expected of recently signed four-star RB Blake Corum, who showed out in his senior year at Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy. Corum also partook in those three practices, and Evans likes what he’s seen from the guy who should still be in high school.

As a matter of fact, he sees a lot of the 2016 version of himself in Corum.

“(He’s) good – he got a mature mind in his head,” Evans said. “He’s all about work, just grind, grind, grind. As an older guy, you got no choice but to match him. It’s good to have a younger guy, because that’s how I was when I came in. Trying to push against the older guys, push against the older guys. I’m just gonna match his intensity.”

Michigan football offense grades from the 2019 season

Michigan football ended their season 9-4 with some big losses in big games. When looking at the offense, how did everything go?

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Headed into the 2019 season for Michigan there was a lot of hype around the team, more than it ever it seemed like. They were favorites to win the Big Ten Championship with Ohio State losing their head coach Urban Meyer and replaced with Ryan Day. They hired Josh Gattis from Alabama to be their offensive coordinator and preached “Speed in Space” all off-season long.

Michigan got quarterback Shea Patterson back for his senior year. After deciding to return to Michigan for another year, Patterson brought back leadership and experience. The biggest return besides Patterson was the healthy trio of wide receivers in Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, and Tarik Black. They would look to dominate for the first time together as a group and with this new offense, they could excel their abilities.

While those two positions looked strong, the running back room looked questionable. With Chris Evans getting suspended for the entire season due to academics, Michigan lost their best receiving running back, and one that was fast and shifty, making defenders left and right miss. They would have to rely on the youth that had never really played for the Wolverines yet. The offensive line would be filled with veteran starters except for right tackle as that battle was between Jalen Mayfield and Andrew Steuber, and it looked to be head coach Jim Harbaugh’s best group of guys he’s ever had.

Overall it was looked at a great chance for the Wolverines to finally claim the top spot in the Big Ten, yet, they finished the season 9-4. They beat Michigan State in back-to-back years for the first time since 2006-2007 and got revenge on Notre Dame from the loss in 2018. But when it came to taking on Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State, and even Alabama, Michigan couldn’t figure out how to get the job done.

With that said, it’s time to review how each position, including head coach and coordinators, did in the 2019 season, starting with the offense. While it wasn’t the result that everyone wanted, there are still some positives to take away from the 2019 season as the 2020 season is the next focus.

Quarterback: B+

Patterson had his final season in Ann Arbor be the best one he’s ever had. While he wasn’t in the Heisman conversation or blowing up the stat sheet, Patterson overall had a good year. His struggles with fumbling were the main issue in the first half of the season and it was a serious issue for him that was hurting the team. He did have some accuracy issues as well, overthrowing open wide receivers, or making some questionable throws into coverage.

The second half of the season though, his fumbling issues were almost gone, and he started clicking with his receivers on some big plays. Patterson finished the year going 214/381 with a 56.2 completion percentage for 3,061 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 87 carries for 50 yards and five touchdowns. The completion percentage was his worst since his freshman year at Ole Miss, and while he is to blame for some of the issues, there were games where the ball would be right where it needed to be and the wide receivers couldn’t hold onto the football.

Patterson was inconsistent at times and that’s not what you can be when it’s time to play in the big games. Either way, Patterson did all he could and in the end, it wasn’t enough to push Michigan to the next level.

The backups got some action this year. Backup Dylan McCaffrey went 10/20 with a 50 percent completion percentage for 116 yards and a touchdown, along with 13 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Third-string Joe Milton went 3/7 with a 42.9 completion percentage for 59 yards with a touchdown and an interception, along with five carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. These two will duke it out over the offseason this year and battle for the starting rights in 2020.

Running Back: B

With Evans suspended, that left freshman Zach Charbonnet as the projected starter, but he would have to earn it. Harbaugh named Tru Wilson the starter at the Big Ten Media Days, but Wilson would never start. Charbonnet would eventually start, but as the season progressed, that job went to Hassan Haskins. Those three running backs, along with Christian Turner, would see some playing time, but it was Charbonnet and Haskins who ended up being the best of the group.

Charbonnet finished the season as the leading rusher with 149 carries for 726 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with eight catches for 30 yards. Charbonnet would have some wear and tear heading into the season coming off a minor surgery on his knee in March and he would be limited after a few games into the season, but he’d play in every game. He had the best season as a freshman running back in school history since Mike Hart back in 2004. Charbonnet has a bright future with a full off-season to prepare for the 2020 season and without going to surgery.

Haskins finished the season with 121 carries for 622 yards and four touchdowns, along with six catches for 40 yards. Haskins took advantage of the time Charbonnet was limited and forced himself to be involved with the offense more. His involvement will be interesting next season with Evans returning.

Wilson would get involved with the running game still, finishing with 44 carries for 221 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 14 yards. Turner, a player projected to compete for the starting running back job, only played in eight games and was pushed down the depth chart with others out-performing him. He finished the year with 44 carries for 171 yards and a touchdown, along with four catches for 13 yards.

Wide Receiver: B-

The wide receivers at Michigan were projected to have a big year in the new offense, along with the others as it fits their style and it could help them open up some lanes for the running backs as well. In the end, they weren’t as explosive as they’d like to be, but it took six games to get things to click and when things are clicking, this offense is putting up points easily.

Peoples-Jones would somewhat regress in the offense, getting only 34 catches for 438 yards and six touchdowns, along with 24 punt returns for 173 yards. 2018 saw more catches, yards, touchdowns, return yards and even a punt return touchdown for Peoples-Jones. While Peoples-Jones took a small step back, Collins improved off his sophomore campaign. Collins finished the season with 37 catches for 729 yards and seven touchdowns.

Collins and Peoples-Jones were the big two wide receivers, but Black was the third piece that has been limited since arriving in Ann Arbor in 2017 as he’s dealt with two separate foot injuries that held him to just six games the past two seasons. Black would play in 11 games this year, but his play seemed to have taken a hit, along with others around him emerging, his playtime would be limited, finishing with just 25 catches for 323 yards and a touchdown.

One of the biggest wide receivers to play big this season was Ronnie Bell, who finished as the leading receiver in yards and catches, with 47 catches for 747 yards and a touchdown. Three freshman wide receivers got involved with the offense as well, showing the future is bright at the position. Giles Jackson had nine catches for 142 yards with one touchdown, along with 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. Mike Sainristil had eight catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, while Cornelius Johnson had four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

The biggest flaw for the group this year was dropping catches. Some of the drops were due to good hits by the defense, others were wide open and the ball would drop out of their hands. They couldn’t hold onto the football when they needed it most sometimes and that is not what you want to see when down and trying to move the ball down the field.

Tight End: C+

With the change of the offense, the tight ends wouldn’t be used as much in the passing game as their blocking was more of the focus to help the running game get extra help. Senior Sean McKeon’s final season was this year and he finished with 13 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Eubanks was used more as the receiver with 26 catches for 254 yards and four touchdowns.

Some of the blocking by both men was inconsistent, as one week they’d do well, the other they’d miss and struggle. With the offense not using the tight ends as much, they became less of an offensive weapon and more of a blocker, which opened up doors for more wide receivers to get in on the receiving action.

Offensive Line: A-

The lone position to get an A this season, the offensive line was the strongest it’s been at Michigan in a very long time. While Michigan would be without starting left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. for the first two games, backup Ryan Hayes did well in his place and will certainly be a starter or close to it next season. Left guard Ben Bredeson had another solid season, starting center Cesar Ruiz was great once again, and he declared for the draft after another great year, and starting right guard Michael Onwenu was huge once again.

The big battle at right tackle between Andrew Stueber and Jalen Mayfield ended before the season started as Stueber tore his ACL. Mayfield would play well as the starting right tackle and will look to defend his job in 2020 as Stueber returns and will be looking to start at that position or left tackle, possibly even at guard too.

When reviewing the season as a whole, the coaches got to get involved too…

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Michigan football grades from VRBO Citrus Bowl loss against Alabama

Michigan football lost to Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl 35-16. How did each position grade out in the season finale?

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It wasn’t the way the Wolverines wanted to end their 2019 season, but against Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, they lost 35-16. It wasn’t a playoff game between the two programs, but it was still a prime bowl game for both teams.

Michigan had the lead at halftime 16-14, but they weren’t able to muster up any kind of offense in the second half against the Crimson Tide. The defense had trouble trying to stop the mighty offense from Alabama, and while they contained it at first, they couldn’t hold them back in the end. Check out below how each position was graded on their performance in the loss yesterday.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: C+

Shea Patterson didn’t play well in his final game as a Michigan Wolverine. He finished 17/37 for 233 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, along with a fumble that was luckily recovered by the offense. He overthrew some passes to wide receivers that were wide open. He also didn’t have help sometimes as he would make some good throws to his receivers, but they couldn’t come down with it.

He took three sacks, which is a blessing as the Michigan offensive line helped him greatly. He did all he could to avoid pressure, but he just didn’t have it in him to play to his best abilities. Michigan needed the passing game to work, and with Patterson struggling it didn’t make anything easier for the offense.

Running Back: B

While the passing game was suffering, the running game was getting some action on the ground. Zach Charbonnet led the team in yards with 84 on 13 carries. Hassan Haskins got the start, but wasn’t as successful as Charbonnet, getting 61 yards on 18 carries.

The offensive line helped create good running lanes for both running backs, but they also broke some big tackles to gain extra yardage. Once Alabama started shutting down the running game though, Michigan’s offense crumbled.

Wide Receiver: C-

Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins both have to decide within the next 18 days on if they are going to the NFL or returning to Michigan for their senior year. Collins played well with four catches for 48 yards, but Peoples-Jones only could get one catch for 34 yards. That kind of performance won’t help his draft stock if he plans on declaring for the NFL.

The other wide receivers did well but also struggled with drops. Ronnie Bell had four catches for 53 yards, and Giles Jackson had four catches for a team-high 57 yards. Mike Sainristil had only one catch for eight yards. Overall the receivers couldn’t get much separation from the Alabama secondary and with drops all around the board, they weren’t helping out much either.

Tight End: B-

Nick Eubanks was the lone player to score on offense as he finished the game with two catches for 14 yards and a touchdown. The blocking by him and Sean McKeon was average and it was able to help out Patterson when he was faced with pressure.

Offensive Line: B+

The best unit on the offense was the offensive line hands down. While they let Patterson get sacked three times, they gave him a lot of time to throw the football. Even with the extra time, Patterson was forced to make some tough throws as the wide receivers couldn’t figure out how to get open.

Starting center Cesar Ruiz will have to decide his future at Michigan as well within the next 18 days. His loss would be a big blow to a unit that is already losing three starters, but his return to the school would help others develop and prepare to start on both sides of him.

Now onto the defense and special teams…

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5 Takeaways from Michigan’s 35-16 loss against Alabama

Michigan football lost against Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl 35-16. Here are my five takeaways from the final game of the season.

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The matchup people have wanted to see for years finally happened. Jim Harbaugh vs. Nick Saban. Michigan took on Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl and while a lot of people were expecting a blowout, the game was closer in the end, and Michigan was on the losing end of the game, losing 35-16.

The high power offense of Alabama was somewhat contained, but their defense stepped up big in stopping the Wolverines offense. Michigan’s offense had some moments of big plays, while their defense did the best they can to slow down the Crimson Tide passing game.

Check out my five takeaways from the 35-16 loss against Alabama

1. Michigan’s Secondary did the best it could against Alabama’s wide receivers

Coming into this game, the biggest talking point between Michigan and Alabama was the battle between the Alabama wide receivers and the Michigan defensive backs. Alabama’s top three wide receivers put up 2,878 yards and 29 catches for 174 catches this season. Michigan had to somehow slow that down and while it wasn’t pretty, they did the best they could.

The top wide receiver on the team, DeVonta Smith had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. The projected first wide receiver to get drafted in the 2020 NFL draft Jerry Jeudy had a great game, getting six catches for 204 yards and a touchdown. The third best receiver on the team, Henry Ruggs III had only two catches for 27 yards and left the game early with an injury.

Overall Michigan held those three to 287 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches. That isn’t great by any means, but those numbers are as good as you can do against that trio from the Crimson Tide. They had a lot to overcome, but it was just too much for them in the end.

2. Zach Charbonnet leading the charge into Sophomore season

Michigan freshman running back Zach Charbonnet had an impressive freshman year, rushing for 726 yards and 11 touchdowns. He finished the season with 84 yards on 13 carries against Alabama today. Next season, Chris Evans will return after being suspended for the 2019 season and he will be the main receiving back for the Wolverines.

Hassan Haskins will be back, along with Christian Turner and you can’t forget about incoming freshman Blake Corum. The running back room that was questionable heading into the season will now be vastly improved and Charbonnet has to be the leading back when the season begins.

He’s not going to be an every-down back, even though he could be. While he won’t, he deserves to be the starter next season. He has been the best running back Michigan has had since Mike Hart and needs to be a focal point for the group next season.

3. Michigan’s offensive line was the biggest difference for the offense

Michigan’s offensive line was the difference-maker when they were on the field today. The running game was able to get some good gashes on the Alabama defense and open up the passing game. The passing game needed some time to develop, which it was able to with the help of the offensive line.

Patterson did get sacked three times, and while that isn’t good, that’s the best they were able to do with the time they were giving Patterson. Patterson didn’t have his best day, finishing the game going 17/37 for 233 yards with a touchdown, and two interceptions, but it could’ve been worse if the offensive didn’t play as hard as they did.

The offensive line deserves to be the MVP for the offense in this game as, without them, Michigan wouldn’t have been able to move the ball on the ground or give Patterson time to help the passing game. The receivers needed time to get open and the offensive line did that for them.

4. Donovan Peoples-jones didn’t show much to scouts in today’s game

Michigan wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is a junior and is able to declare for the NFL draft this season. He has been projected as a second-third round wide receiver in multiple mock drafts and hasn’t announced what his decision is going to be just yet.

College football players have until January 20 to decide whether they are going back to school or entering the NFL, so Peoples-Jones still has 19 days to make up his mind, and after today’s performance, he probably didn’t impress many scouts.

Peoples-Jones finished the game with only one catch for 34 yards. His career at Michigan so far has been 102 catches for 1,293 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with 88 punt returns for 745 yards and two touchdowns. Peoples-Jones has time to make his mind up, but this game didn’t seem to help his draft stock much and might have hurt it.

5. The defense rebounded better in 2019 than 2018

After getting embarrassed by Ohio State last season 62-39, Michigan rebounded with another embarrassing loss in their bowl game to Florida, losing 41-15. This year, Michigan lost to Ohio State 56-27 and didn’t get beat down as bad as it was projected.

The defense did allow 480 yards and 35 points. Last year when playing Florida they allowed 427 yards and 41 points. While it wasn’t that big of an overall difference, this offense by Alabama is better than what Florida’s offense had last year and holding them to fewer points on more yards is

Michigan’s defense did the best that they could against this high-power Alabama offense. They weren’t going to shut them out or force them to change up their style of offense. They had to just hope they could go pound-for-pound with the Crimson Tide and in the end, it just wasn’t enough.

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Halftime Analysis of No. 13 Alabama vs No. 14 Michigan

It’s halftime in the VRBO Citrus Bowl and Michigan is up 16-14 against Alabama. What’s going the Wolverines way and what isn’t so far?

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Coming off their 56-27 beatdown from Ohio State, Michigan is looking to finish their 2019 season on a high note with an upset over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Michigan is looking for their 10th win of the season, the fourth 10-win season under the five years head coach Jim Harbaugh has been at Michigan. Alabama is 10-2 coming in with close losses to LSU and Auburn, with their chance to finish their season 11-2, or possibly 10-3, which would be their worst record since 2010.

Starting the game, Michigan had wide receiver Giles Jackson returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to midfield. The offense would stall out and get only two yards, punting the ball away on the first series. Alabama would respond with a bang, as quarterback Mac Jones found wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for an 85-yard touchdown pass and the Crimson Tide took the 7-0 lead.

Both teams would punt once again, then on Michigan’s third offensive possession, they would finally get a spark as the running game started to move the ball as the wide receivers couldn’t get much separation from the Alabama secondary. They would finish the drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shea Patterson to tight end Nick Eubanks and Michigan tied the game at seven.

Alabama couldn’t do much on their following drive and had to punt again, and Michigan would keep on scoring. While it wasn’t a touchdown, Michigan was able to move down the field again and kicker Quinn Nordin would make a 36-yard field goal to take the 10-7.

Once again Alabama wasn’t able to get much of the offense rolling and was forced to punt. Michigan had some issues on offense but still was able to fight through the penalties they got on themselves. They could have possibly been able to keep fighting for more yards, but an illegal touching penalty killed them on third down and once again Michigan would have to kick a field goal. Nordin would make a 42-yard field goal to make it 13-7 Michigan.

Alabama would drive down the field, with some help from the Michigan defense as they had two penalties that extended the drive for the Crimson Tide. The drive would finish with a nine-yard touchdown run by running back Najee Harris to give Alabama the 14-13 lead.

Michigan wouldn’t finish the half quietly though, as they would get a first down on a crucial fourth and short play. While they couldn’t get further down the field, Nordin would barely make a 57-yard field goal and the Wolverines have the lead at halftime 16-14.

POSITIVES:

The ground game was working for the Wolverines, with running back Zach Charbonnet getting 10 carries for 73 yards. Running back Hassan Haskins got the start but hasn’t been able to do too much, getting 11 carries for 47 yards.
The offensive line has been giving Patterson time for most of the game. That has been huge for the offense as the receivers are needing time to separate themselves from the Alabama secondary players. The offensive line needs to keep Patterson upright and creating holes for the running backs as they have been the biggest difference so far today.

NEGATIVES:

While the Michigan secondary has been containing the Alabama wide receivers, the one they haven’t been able to contain well is Jeudy. He has four catches for 132 yards with a touchdown. While it is negative, the fact that Michigan is only letting one of the Alabama wide receivers play well instead of two or three of them is positive. Still, if the secondary can even slow down Jeudy somewhat, their defense has a better chance of keeping them in this game.
On the second touchdown drive for Alabama, Michigan had two penalties that kept Alabama alive, pass interference and a roughing the passer. Besides that drive, they have been doing well when it comes to not having penalties called on them. If Michigan didn’t hurt themselves on that drive, they could have held Alabama to three points, possibly zero. Those are when penalties are huge and can change up a game.

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5 Takeaways from Michigan’s 56-27 loss against Ohio State

Michigan football lost to Ohio State in The Game with the final score of 56-27. Here are my five takeaways from the huge loss.

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Ann Arbor, MI. — Michigan had all the momentum headed into their game against Ohio State this year. Four game winning streak, the offense was clicking and the defense was stout, coming in as the fourth-ranked defense in the country.

That didn’t matter in the end because Ohio State was the number one team in the country, and had the number one defense. While the Buckeyes had issues at first, they would slow down the Michigan offense in the end, while their own offense never really seemed tested all game long. Once again the team with the most rushing yards won the game and Ohio State dominated in that category, outrushing Michigan 264 to 91.

Check out my five takeaways from the 56-27 loss to the Buckeyes.

1. Shea Patterson did everything he possibly could

Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson played as best as he could today, going 18/43 for 305 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Despite the fumble in the endzone in the second quarter, he played with everything he could against the toughest defense he’s ever gone against. Patterson was expected to struggle as his receivers went up against a great Ohio State secondary and a monstrous defensive line, yet he didn’t face pressure much and was able to throw to some open receivers. What killed Patterson in the second half was drops by his wide receivers as most of the throws hit the receivers in the hands but just couldn’t come down with it.

Patterson was able to overcome a lot this season, from fans booing him in the home opener, to dealing with injuries he played his best football this season in Ann Arbor. He finished the year throwing for 2,828 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions, his best year ever in college. While he won’t get his name called early in April, Patterson is showing he could still be drafted in the NFL.

2. Chase Young wasn’t an issue for Michigan

The huge question headed into this game for the Michigan offense was how they could deal with the best defensive player in the country, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. Well, Michigan handled him with ease honestly. They held him to just two QB hits overall. That’s right, no recorded tackles or sacks. Young applied pressure on two passes but never recorded a tackle or sack.

Keeping Young out of the game was huge for the offense and something they executed very well at doing. He faced left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. one-on-one and dealt with right tackle Jalen Mayfield with help from right guard Michael Onwenu.

With Young out of the game, for the most part, it kept Patterson upright and gave him time to throw the football around, but Michigan still couldn’t find an answer on the ground. Young can be a force on the rushing defense too, but him being restricted in the passing plays was a big help for the Michigan passing game.

3. Running game Didn’t have an answer

Michigan started out the season strong on the ground and was able to run the rock with ease at times against some opponents. Today against Ohio State, it wasn’t even an option as the passing game was working well once again. You would think that Ohio State would eventually allow a big run or multiple three/four-yard gains by the Michigan running backs with the passing game working with ease, but you’d be wrong.

Freshman running back Zach Charbonnet had just four carries for seven yards. Hassan Haskins had 12 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Giles Jackson doesn’t even play wide receiver and he had more yards on fewer carries than Charbonnet, finishing with three for 26 yards and a touchdown. All together Michigan only put up 91 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns.

Michigan’s offense is known for its ground and pound attitude, and with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis coming in, that would change. With their success early on in the season, it seemed like it would still be a point of emphasis and a staple of the team, but with the passing game improving they weren’t needed as much. When they needed it most today though, they couldn’t seem to get anything working.

4. Jim Harbaugh now 0-5 against the Buckeyes

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh just can’t seem to find an answer. In 2015 it was his first year without his group of guys and he got blown out. In 2016 a questionable spot by the officials changed the outcome. In 2017, injuries and poor play was the reason why Michigan lost.

In 2018 Michigan came in favored and got embarrassed. 2019 was almost a repeat of 2018, except Michigan wasn’t favored to win by any means. Ohio State had its best team in years and once again dominated the Wolverines. Harbaugh has beaten Michigan State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Penn State, all of the major players in the Big Ten, except for just one.

Harbaugh is in year five at Michigan and doesn’t seem to have an answer for what he can do against Ohio State. This is the longest winning streak by the Buckeyes in the history of the games between the two teams. If Harbaugh wants to achieve anything at Michigan, he has to go through Ohio State. People expected a win by year five, but now year six will be the next chance he has at them.

5. Don Brown just can’t stop Ohio State

Last year after the 62-39 beatdown that Ohio State gave Michigan, defensive coordinator Don Brown was upset with himself. This year was supposed to be different and while he held OSU to fewer points, the offense wasn’t able to put up as many as this year’s OSU defense was better than 2018’s.

While it wasn’t Brown’s fault the Wolverines could only find the endzone three times, he put pressure on them to be perfect in the second half as his guys allowed 318 yards and 28 points in just the first half alone. Deep throws by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields were an issue for the defense, and so was running back J.K. Dobbins who had 211 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries, along with two catches for 49 yards. Fields finished the game going 14/25 for 302 yards and four touchdowns, along with 25 rushing yards on six carries.

Ohio State finished the game with 577 yards on offense in on just 77 plays, averaging 7.5 yards per play. Brown simply didn’t have an answer for what Ohio State was doing once again in back-to-back years. While only one crossing route killed the defense, everything else seemed to be an issue. Brown wasn’t able to rebound this year like he did with Penn State last year. Once again the Buckeyes know exactly what to do on offense against him and Michigan.

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Michigan football quick film hits: Indiana

Michigan football defeated Indiana 39-14 as they improved to 9-2 on the season. What did I discover upon rewatching the win?

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After beating their rival Michigan State 44-10 at home last week, Michigan had the task of taking on Indiana before Ohio State once again this year. Michigan’s biggest challenge was to not overlook the Hoosiers and they didn’t. They let them have their all and won the game 39-14.

Quarterback Shea Patterson had another phenomenal game as he is heating up at exactly the right time of the year as the Wolverines prepare to take on Ohio State next week. The defense suffered some cuts early on, but wounded those cuts later in the game and shut down Indiana’s offense.

Check out what I found when rewatching the win over Indiana.

OFFENSE

In the first quarter on Michigan’s second offensive possession of the game, wide receiver Ronnie Bell was clearly interfered with on a passing play before the football got there. He was hit mid-air, changing his direction and helped force an incomplete pass. Huge missed call by the refs as it would help Indiana force Michigan to punt the football on that drive.
On running back Zach Charbonnet’s big 22-yard run in the second quarter, it doesn’t happen if tight end Nick Eubanks doesn’t get his block down. He didn’t just block the defender, he blocked him and pushed him out of the way of the running lane so the defender couldn’t possibly make a play if he got free.
That touchdown catch by wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is still a beauty to watch a second time. The throw by Patterson was a dime as well. A great play overall.
In the second quarter on third and five, Patterson threw an incomplete pass to Bell who caught the football but couldn’t get a foot in. Patterson was locked on him the entire way through and if he just looks left, he has Charbonnet wide open for an easy first down and more. Patterson has to look for other players if his main option isn’t there.
I like the offense lining up wide receiver Giles Jackson in different ways. At wide receiver, at running back, and he comes in on a sweep for a handoff or a fake. He is a threat to opposing defenses that his presence alone changes up the play call by the defense.
Once again the wildcat formation is called at a poor time. On fourth and one, on Indiana’s 16-yard line and only up by seven. It got the first down, but that scenario is once again not one where I try it out.
The second wildcat attempt is a better one, as Michigan is up 32-14 with 2:58 to go in the third quarter and they are near midfield. I don’t get why you’d take out your hot quarterback, but at least you have a solid lead and are in good field position where if it doesn’t work out you can pin the opponent deep on a punt next play.
Patterson’s worst throw of the day was the interception as he was off-balanced and threw it to a covered receiver. Luckily it was late in the fourth quarter and Michigan was already up by 25. Nothing worth worrying about for him.

Now onto the defense and their performance…

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