Grand Rapids (MI) West Catholic defensive end Carl Myers committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on. Myers is a 6’3″, 270 lb. prospect who chose the walk-on route over a scholarship offer at Air Force.
Hit the jump for highlights and a bit of analysis.
Jake Rudock had a record-setting day on Saturday
Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Joe Kerridge at H-back. Kerridge, a virtual starter on offense at fullback, has been splitting time with Sione Houma. Kerridge, however, is the superior blocker, and that’s pretty much all H-back Henry Poggi does on offense. With Michigan’s defensive line depth depleted, it might be a good idea to get Kerridge some snaps at H-back and let Poggi concentrate on defense. Meanwhile, Houma can handle the fullback duties.
Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.
Former Michigan offensive line coach Greg Frey
FORMER PLAYERS
CB Blake Countess, Auburn: Countess made 7 tackles in a 20-13 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.
TE/DE Keith Heitzman, Ohio: Heitzman had 1 catch for 2 yards in a 27-0 win over Kent State.
LB Kaleb Ringer, Georgia State: Ringer made 9 tackles in a 41-19 win over Texas State.
Hit the jump for updates on former coaches and commits.
Jehu Chesson had a great day receiving, although this attempted leap did not end well.
I’m glad Jake Rudock transferred to Michigan. I’m not sure what Michigan’s record would be without Rudock, but they wouldn’t be 8-2. This one would have been a loss for sure. Rudock was 33/46 for 440 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception. On top of that, several times he bailed out Michigan with his legs and finished as Michigan’s leading rusher with 7 carries for 64 yards (9.1 yards/carry). He accounted for 504 total yards, which (I believe) is the second-most total yards in Michigan history, behind Devin Gardner’s 584 total yards against Indiana in 2013.
Rush Offense vs. Indiana Rush Defense
Michigan has struggled to run the ball the past three weeks. After topping 4.0 yards/carry for five straight weeks, the Wolverines have averaged 1.9, 3.7, and 3.6 yards/carry in the past three; that last number came against Rutgers, who didn’t sack quarterback Jake Rudock even once. De’Veon Smith leads the team with 524 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he made it through last week’s game without appearing to re-injure his ankle. He’s the bruiser and needs all the leg drive he can get. Meanwhile, Drake Johnson is the speedster and is averaging 4.9 yards/carry. Ty Isaac is back on the depth chart after two weeks of banishment for an undisclosed reason. Michigan is #66 in rushing yardage (172 yards/game) and #72 in rushing average (4.27 yards/carry). Indiana is #78 in rushing defense (174 yards/game) and #92 in rushing average against (4.73 yards against/carry). Indiana’s leading tackler is linebacker Marcus Oliver with 79. Next on the list is fellow linebacker T.J. Simmons, but the next three are defensive backs: strong safety Chase Dutra, free safety Jonathan Crawford, and cornerback Rashard Fant. Outside linebacker Zach Shaw, defensive end Nick Mangieri, and defensive tackle Darius Lathan share the team lead with 8 tackles for loss each. Indiana runs a 3-4 defense that can function a bit like a 4-3 with Shaw at the end position. Indiana manned up to hold Michigan State to 3.23 yards/carry, and the Wolverines aren’t any better at running the ball than the Spartans. Michigan will probably need to throw the ball to free up the running game.
Advantage: Indiana
Hit the jump for the rest of the game preview.
