Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Kalel Mullings. I respect Michigan’s 1-2 punch at running back, and they’ve done a good job (for the most part) of keeping guys fresh over the past several years and having at least two very good running backs. From Charbonnet/Haskins to Haskins/Corum to Corum/Edwards, the Wolverines have garnered a lot of respect. A couple games ago, though, the “Thunder” in this year’s thunder/lightning duo only had 6 carries. That’s not enough. Mullings had 15 carries for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns against Arkansas State, and he deserves to have just as many carries as Donovan Edwards, if not more. Michigan has a big game coming up this weekend, and Mullings should be getting the rock.
Hit the jump for more.
Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Kendrick Bell. This might just be me being contrarian, but Bell is in just his second year playing receiver after being a high school quarterback, and he plays like a position switcher. A couple weeks ago, broadcaster Joel Klatt was suggesting Bell should get the ball more. I’ve heard others say the same thing. I just don’t get it. He had 31 snaps against Arkansas State and 39 against Texas. He’s not productive in the area of statistics (2 catches, 18 yards), and his PFF grades this year have been 61.9, 53.1, and 52.2. He’s not a stellar run blocker, nor does he have great speed, and he doesn’t even have great size at 6’2″, 191. Michigan should be using other personnel, including tight ends and running backs, on the field instead of someone like Bell.
Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Ike Iwunnah. Iwunnah was mired on the bench for three years. And by “mired on the bench,” I mean he literally didn’t play a snap. But now he’s played some snaps this year, and he’s holding up okay. He played a career-high 26 snaps last week after playing a total of 10 snaps in the first couple games, and he also made his first career tackle for loss. He’s not ready to be a starter, but I think he’s to the point where he can be a rotational player.
Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Myles Pollard. Pollard may not have been the culprit on one of Arkansas State’s late touchdowns, but every time I see him on the field – whether it’s in a game or a spring game – he just looks like he doesn’t know how to get in proper position. And on top of that, he’s just slow to react to what’s going on around him. He’s not high in the pecking order at cornerback, but he probably gets more opportunities than he should. Pollard got 9 snaps against Arkansas State, while Keshaun Harris – a guy who has experience and is athletic enough to be trusted returning kickoffs – only got 4.
Play of the game . . . Kalel Mullings’s 30-yard touchdown run. It was a vintage Michigan running back touchdown when Mullings took an interior run, bounced it outside, and then shook off a couple tackle attempts to break a 30-yard touchdown run. He looked like Anthony Thomas or Hassan Haskins or Brandon Minor on the run – powerful and not fast, but fast enough.
Kalel Mullings previous game film is spectacular. 15 carries for 153 & 2 TD's. Could Edwards start losing snaps? 👀 pic.twitter.com/rBZkNC6lYo
— Alec Elijah (@ElijahVandross) September 17, 2024
MVP of the game . . . Kalel Mullings. As mentioned above, Mullings had 15 carries for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns on the game. He graded out as the nation’s top running back in week two and ranks #7 in the Big Ten in yards per carry (7.5).
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