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| Devin Funchess scored Michigan’s lone touchdown (image via CBS Detroit) |
So this is what a victory feels like. It seems like it has been a long time since Michigan won a game, and I guess that’s pretty accurate. Michigan went almost a full month, from September 13th to October 11th, between victories. For the previous couple weeks, I had some optimism. This week I was steeling myself for another disappointment. But this makes my weekend a little bit happier, and now we have two weeks to revel in the glory of beating a mediocre Penn State team before facing Michigan State.
Devin Gardner needs bubble wrap. I just received a couple orders from Amazon, so I would be glad to donate some bubble wrap to protect Michigan’s only competent quarterback. He did not have a great game (16/24 for 192 yards, 1 touchdowns, 1 interception), but the other quarterbacks on the roster look downright terrible this year. I think Michigan needs to seriously look at any grad-year transfers this off-season and see what they can find. Brady Hoke said after the game that second-stringer Shane Morris – who was concussed two weeks ago – could have played, but it was Russell Bellomy who entered the game when Gardner injured an ankle. Bellomy – whose career numbers were 4/21, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions prior to the game – promptly handed off several times and then nearly threw two interceptions, including a certain pick-six to middle linebacker Mike Hull if only Hull could have held onto the ball.
The whole team needs bubble wrap. The list of injuries keeps growing, and it seems every game involves a series of scares. Let’s run through the injuries that have occurred over the past week or so:
- Starting quarterback Devin Gardner (probable sprained ankle)
- Starting running back Derrick Green (broken collarbone)
- Starting wide receiver Devin Funchess (aggravated sprained ankle)
- Starting wide receiver Jehu Chesson (undisclosed lower leg injury)
- Starting kickoff/punt returner Dennis Norfleet (undisclosed injury, but returned to game)
- Starting defensive tackle Willie Henry (probable broken hand)
- Backup tight end Khalid Hill (torn ACL)
Gardner, Funchess, and Norfleet all returned to the game, but the former two seemed hobbled. That list doesn’t include virtual starting linebacker Desmond Morgan, starting left guard Erik Magnuson, and virtual starting nickel corner Jabrill Peppers, all of whom have been injured for several weeks and whose returns from injury are in question. I also did not see backup nose tackle Ondre Pipkins on the field last night. Football is a tough sport, and injuries happen to every team. But Michigan was down six starters for the entire evening (Green, Chesson, Henry, Morgan, Magnuson, Peppers) and three more for stretches of time (Gardner, Funchess, Norfleet). Michigan has enough troubles when healthy, but it’s tougher to stay competitive when so many people are missing.
Penn State’s offensive line is approximately as bad as Michigan’s. The Wolverines held the Nittany Lions to 54 rushing yards on 35 carries (1.5 yards/carry), including 6 sacks of quarterback Christian Hackenberg. This is either the best Michigan’s defensive front has looked in a long time, or PSU is just bad up front. Unfortunately, it’s probably the latter. Regardless, the Wolverines made 11 tackles for loss and those 6 sacks in the game, both of which are reminiscent of opponents’ statistics against the Maize and Blue. I have to give credit to the likes of Brennen Beyer (4 tackles, 2 sacks), who doesn’t do anything flashy but has held his ground enough to lead the team in sacks so far this season. Penn State was running the ball decently at the beginning of the game when Michigan was missing Ryan Glasgow (who appeared to miss the first quarter, perhaps because of some undisclosed disciplinary issue) and Henry, their two starting defensive tackles. After that the line really seemed to shut them down.
Christian Hackenberg did not impress me. Maybe I’m looking for reasons not to be impressed by Hackenberg, but he has never looked good to me. He does a decent job of checking down to open receivers, and he has a strong arm. I will admit that his touchdown pass to DaeShawn Hamilton was very well done, and there was not much Blake Countess could have done on that play. Otherwise, I would say his best quality is fending off would-be tacklers to create extra time, kind of like a slower Ben Roethlisberger. I would take him at Michigan right now, but I just don’t see the reason for the hype. I didn’t see it last year, either, because I thought he was a guy getting bailed out by his receivers. Time will tell, I guess.
Michigan’s rushing struggles continue. Penn State has one of the best run defenses in the country, so maybe this was bound to happen. But Michigan just couldn’t run the ball with any consistency last night. Other than a 25-yard zone read keeper by Gardner, Michigan had 20 carries for 47 yards from their backs (and slot receiver Dennis Norfleet). With Green out, the new starter is De’Veon Smith (12 carries for 24 yards), who is too slow to do anything outside the tackles. The next guy is Justice Hayes (7 for 20), who has speed but doesn’t break tackles. Drake Johnson did not touch the ball. Furthermore, they barely attempted any runs to the right, presumably to avoid running behind right tackle Ben Braden.
Hooray for Matt Wile. A week after getting a potential game-tying field goal blocked, Wile looked pretty darn solid as the placekicker. He went 3/3 on field goals from 45, 42, and 37 yards. The first two were right down the middle, and the go-ahead, 37-yarder was squeezed tightly inside the right upright.
The uniforms weren’t bad. I’m a traditionalist, and I really like Michigan’s regular uniforms. But I have to say that I thought the one-off uniforms looked pretty good. The navy blue jersey-and-pants combination looked slick, and I liked the maize shoes. I wouldn’t mind seeing something like them again, but I have not been impressed with most of Michigan’s alternate uniforms. My one problem with these was that some of the 6’s looked like 8’s, so I thought Jourdan Lewis was #28, Jack Miller was #80, Ryan Glasgow was #98, etc.
Thank goodness for a bye week. These guys need a week off, and hopefully Brady Hoke will give them a chance to rest and recuperate. Several of the guys listed above should be better by the October 25th game against Michigan State. Add to that the fact that it’s a tough opponent, and the Wolverines really need this preparation time. I do think Hoke can work his way out of the hot seat with a strong finish to the season, but that probably has to include a victory against the rival Spartans.
Go Blue! Yeah.
