RUSH OFFENSE vs. NORTHWESTERN RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #6 in rush offense (246.5 yards/game) with two of the more interesting backs in the Big Ten: bruiser Hassan Haskins (492 yards, 8 TD) and lightning-in-a-bottle Blake Corum (610 yards, 8 TD). They have 97 and 101 rushing attempts, respectively, so Michigan is bound to use either one at any given time. The Wolverines are mostly a downhill rushing team, but they can hit the edges, like Corum did with a 31-yard touchdown scamper on a BASH play against Nebraska two weeks ago. Michigan had some issues with the health of their offensive guards (five played against the Cornhuskers), so it may be interesting to see who's ready to go on the offensive line this week. Northwestern is #118 in rushing defense (206.2 yards allowed/game) and they're giving up 5.4 yards per attempt, which is #119. The Wildcats have experience up front, but not much talent. Junior defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore (6'2", 265) is the best of the bunch with 22 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The leading overall tackler is senior SAM linebacker Chris Bergin (5'11", 223 lbs.) with 63 tackles, followed by sophomore safety Brandon Joseph (6'1", 192) with 40 tackles. One of the best rushing offenses against one of the worst rushing defenses? I expect Michigan to stick to the ground for much of this one.
Advantage: Michigan

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2022

Kenneth Grant - DT - Merrillville (IN) Merrillville: Grant is committed to Michigan.

Will Johnson - CB - Grosse Pointe (MI) South: Johnson is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Marlin Klein - TE - Rabun Gap (GA) Nacoochee: Klein is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Tyler Morris - WR - La Grange Park (IL) Nazareth Academy: Morris is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jimmy Rolder - LB - Chicago (IL) Marist: Rolder is a 6'2", 220-pounder with offers from Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. He's a 4-star, the #36 linebacker, and #334 overall.

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The Cleveland Browns' Donovan Peoples-Jones had an outstanding game on Sunday, catching 4 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. The two scores were a short catch-and-run and a 57-yard Hail Mary at the end of the first half.

DPJ 🤫

2017 All-American Donovan Peoples-Jones (@dpeoplesjones) with the wild Hail Mary reception. #Browns #AllAmericanBowl 🇺🇸

pic.twitter.com/7SDxroKqqY

— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) October 17, 2021

HONORABLE MENTION

• QB Tom Brady (Buccaneers): Brady completed completed 24/42 passes for 297 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a 28-22 win over the Eagles.
• LB Devin Bush, Jr. (Steelers): Bush made 6 tackles and 1 fumble recovery in a 23-20 win over the Seahawks.
• WR Nico Collins (Texans): Collins caught 4 passes for 44 yards in a 31-3 loss to Colts.
• RB Chris Evans (Bengals): Evans caught 3 passes for 49 yards and his first NFL touchdown, while also running the ball 4 times for 18 yards, in a 34-11 win over the Lions.
• DE Kwity Paye (Colts): Paye made 1 tackle and 1 interception in a 31-3 win over the Texans.

KWITY PAYE DIVING INTERCEPTION?! pic.twitter.com/0B2vYxAs8T

— Indy SportsOne (@IndySportsOne) October 17, 2021

• S Jabrill Peppers (Giants): Peppers made 9 tackles in a 38-11 loss to the Rams.
• DT Chris Wormley (Steelers): Wormley made 5 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass breakup in a 23-20 win over the Steelers.

Jacksonville (FL) Terry Parker safety Damani Dent committed to Michigan on Monday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Oregon and Pitt, among others.

Dent is listed at 6'0" and 190 lbs.

RATINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: 3-star safety, 5.6 grade
247 Sports: 3-star, 86 grade, #52 safety

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FORMER PLAYERS

LB Jordan Anthony (Troy): Anthony made 2 tackles in a 31-28 win over Texas State.

RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet had 21 carries for 131 yards and 2 catches for 10 yards in a 24-17 win over Washington.

WR Kekoa Crawford (Cal): Crawford made 6 catches for 50 yards in a 24-17 loss to Oregon.

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DECOMMITMENT

Clewarwater (FL) Gaither outside linebacker Mario Eugenio decommitted from Michigan. This seems to have been a mutual parting of ways, according to Sam Webb, but I like Eugenio and wish he were still a part of the class. He's a 4-star and the #268 player in the country.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2022

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy offensive tackle Aliou Bah decommitted from Florida State, which seems like a smart decision these days. Now he seems to be headed for Georgia. I would not expect Michigan to be a factor here.

Concord (CA) De La Salle cornerback Zeke Berry decommitted from Arizona. Berry was relatively recently offered by Michigan. He's a 3-star, the #38 cornerback, and #382 overall. 247 Sports has him ranked highest at #142 overall. The Wolverines are expected to be involved as he makes his final decision.

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Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . A.J. Henning. Henning, who is athletic enough to be Michigan's punt returner, had 0 offensive touches against Nebraska and has 0 catches for the past three weeks.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . backup offensive guards. Michigan played five offensive guards due to injuries. The offensive guard position has been a relative weakness for Michigan this year, but nobody is good when they get down to guard #5. I've seen worse problems at guard #3 or #4, so this isn't a glaring weakness, but it would be nice to have some consistency and for somebody to step up and take over both guard positions.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . nobody.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . nobody.

Play of the game . . . Brad Hawkins's forced and recovered fumble against Adrian Martinez. Late in a tied game, Nebraska had the ball and had a chance to drive down the field for a score. Star quarterback Adrian Martinez took off on a rush attempt, and while trying to fight for a first down, he was held up by a couple Michigan defenders. Despite his claims that he was "just standing there" and thought the play was over, he was fighting for extra yardage and driving his feet forward. The whistle wasn't blown, and Hawkins ripped the ball out. That turned into the game-winning field goal for the Wolverines.

1:45 left in a tie game on the road. There's not a Michigan fan alive who wasn't expecting the worst.

Brad Hawkins makes the play of his career. pic.twitter.com/6tQemb3UFX

— Due# (@JDue51) October 10, 2021

MVP of the game . . . Aidan Hutchinson, Daxton Hill, and Hassan Haskins. Triple H. Hutchinson made 6 tackles and helped keep Martinez in check. Hill made 5 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception, playing solid in coverage and making that 1 ridiculously nice pick. Meanwhile, Haskins churned out yards with 21 carries for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a highlight-reel hurdle over a defender and tons of yards after contact.