I haven’t done one of these posts in a few weeks, so I may include some notable performances from week 7 and 8.
FORMER PLAYERS
Raheem Anderson, C (Western Michigan): Anderson is a backup lineman for Western Michigan.
Andrel Anthony, WR (Duke): Anthony had 2 catches for 16 yards in a loss to Georgia Tech last week. This past weekend was a bye for the Blue Devils.
Jeremiah Beasley, LB (Missouri): Beasley has not recorded any stats in the past two weeks, including a 17-10 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Kechaun Bennett, DE (UCLA): Bennett has 4 tackles and 1 tackle for loss over the past two games against Maryland (a 20-17 win) and Indiana (a 56-3 loss).
Tristan Bounds, OT (Arizona): Bounds is a backup offensive tackle for Arizona.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. MICHIGAN STATE RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #22 in rushing offense (212.1 yards/game) and #10 in yards per carry (5.78). The team took a little bit of a hit over the past six quarters without star running back Justice Haynes (95 carries, 705 yards, 7 TD), who missed last week’s game after getting hurt against USC. Haynes could possibly return, but the running back position is still in solid hands with Jordan Marshall (25 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD last week). It’s just not very deep since the next two guys are true freshman Jasper Parker (15 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD) and walk-on Bryson Kudzdal (6 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD). Starting LT Evan Link will also be out after suffering a leg injury last week, so Michigan will be starting three redshirt freshmen on the offensive line: LT Blake Frazier, RG Jake Guarnera, and RT Andrew Sprague. Michigan State is #52 in rush defense (131.3 yards allowed/game) and #81 in yards allowed per carry (4.24). Against other Big Ten teams, they’re giving up over 39 points per game, 5.1 yards/carry, and 181 rushing yards/game. Junior LB Jordan Hall (6’3″, 238) leads the team with 51 tackles, followed by senior LB Wayne Matthews III (6’2″, 230), a former Old Dominion Monarch with 41 stops. Former Michigan DT commit Alex VanSumeren (6’3″, 295) ranks third on the team with 29 tackles. The only Big Ten team the Spartans have “stopped” on the ground is Nebraska (31 attempts, 67 yards, 3 TD), but that game included 5 sacks for 35 yards, so the true rushing numbers were more like 26 carries for 102 yards. In other words, Michigan should be able to run the ball pretty consistently even if Haynes is out. Advantage: Michigan
NOTE: Again, I apologize for the inconsistent posting schedule lately. Too many things going on right now. I’ve started preview posts the past two weeks and just haven’t been able to finish.
Bryce Underwood is a dude. The talent of Bryce Underwood is off the charts. Michigan has never seen anything like him on their roster. The closest is Drew Henson or Devin Gardner, but Underwood is a twitchier athlete than Henson and a better thrower than Gardner. Underwood completed 21/27 passes for 230 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, and he looked to be in control the entire game. There were a few drops, but I don’t love taking away the drops and making pronouncements about what his completion percentage should be, because then you’re not comparing apples to apples when it comes to other quarterbacks or general expectations. It’s sufficient enough to describe his accuracy by saying he completed 21/27 passes.
