Posts under: Blog

Preview: Michigan vs. Central Florida

RUSH OFFENSE vs. UCF RUSH DEFENSE

After one week, Michigan is #14 in the country with 306 rushing yards/game. The biggest chunk of that yardage came from freshman third-stringer Chris Evans, who had 112 yards on just 8 carries. Primary backup Ty Isaac had 9 carries for 52 yards. The starter hasn’t been mentioned yet, because De’Veon Smith had a ho-hum day (6 carries, 27 yards) before leaving with a rib injury. Those three players represent speed (Evans), power (Smith), and a nice mix of the two (Isaac). Fifth year senior Drake Johnson did not play, and sophomore Karan Higdon provides depth. Up front, Michigan has a mix of experience and talent. Fifth year senior left guard Ben Braden missed the Hawaii game but should come back this week, but even if he doesn’t, redshirt junior Pat Kugler filled in fairly well for him last week. Jim Harbaugh said fifth year senior right tackle Erik Magnuson graded out the best. Elsewhere, Michigan has mammoth sophomore left tackle Grant Newsome, junior Mason Cole at center, and fifth year senior Kyle Kalis at right guard. Central Florida is #32 in rushing yards allowed (85.0) and #38 in rushing average against (2.66), though those numbers came against FCS team South Dakota State. UCF employs a 3-4 defense. The top seven tacklers last week were linebackers, and the next three were defensive backs. You have to go all the way down to 11th before finding a defensive lineman. Leading tackler Mark Rucker, a fifth year senior inside linebacker, is 5’9″, 217 lbs. Freshman starting defensive end Trysten Hill (6’1″, 295 lbs.), nose tackle Jamiyus Pittman (6’0″, 295 lbs.), and defensive end Tony Guerad (6’3″, 275 lbs.) make up the starting line. One guy to watch is redshirt junior outside linebacker Shaquern Griffin (6’1″, 213 lbs.). The biggest linebacker is 230 lbs. and the biggest lineman in the rotation is 295, so it’s not a very big front seven. Michigan should be able to run the ball with some regularity.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more on Michigan vs. Central Florida.

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Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 1

Mike Weber (image via Cleveland.com)

If you’re like me, sometimes you wonder “What happened to _____________?” But the difference between you and me is that I’m nerdy enough to research it. So here are a bunch of former Michigan players, coaches, and commits, and how they’re faring at their new schools.

Former DE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown made 1 catch for 23 yards in Oregon’s 53-28 win over UC-Davis. He’s back on the field after suffering a devastating knee injury in 2014 and missing the entire 2015 season.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley made 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Ohio State’s 77-10 win over Bowling Green State University.

Former CB commit Shaun Crawford: Crawford made 5 tackles and 1 interception (returned for 22 yards) in a 50-47 Notre Dame loss to Texas. He also returned a blocked extra point for a 2-point conversion.

Hit the jump for many more updates on former Michigan players and coaches.

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Highlights: Michigan 63, Hawaii 3

Recruiting Update: September 6, 2016

Henry Ruggs III (image via Lee Generals Athletics)

Since I got so busy with football season and completing the countdown, recruiting updates were something I put on the back burner for a while. So here’s a summative update since last we came together for a recruiting post.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017

Walnut Creek (CA) Berean Christian wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins decommitted from Washington State. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #50 wide receiver, and #352 overall. Oregon and Oregon State are considered the leaders right now.

Hit the jump for more.

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Michigan vs. Hawaii Awards

Wilton Speight (image via Houston Chronicle)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Chris Evans. If you watched the game, you already know that Evans was the breakout star of the opener. He ran 8 times for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a nifty run where he dived for the left pylon, showing good field awareness and body control. The other was a 43-yard burst right up the middle after being untouched at the line of scrimmaged. He hurried a couple runs, but he showed good patience on most of his rushing attempts. That’s how you average 14 yards/carry. Evans looks like the most explosive running back the Wolverines have had in several years.

Hit the jump for more awards from the Hawaii game.

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