Preview: Michigan at Minnesota

Preview: Michigan at Minnesota


October 30, 2015


I hate to say it, but football season is kicking my ass. Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day, and that goes for every day lately. So by necessity, here’s an abbreviated preview of Saturday’s game against Minnesota (7:00 p.m. on ESPN).

RUSH OFFENSE VS. MINNESOTA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan: #49 in yardage (181 yards/game), #57 in average (4.44 yards/carry)
Leading rushers: De’Veon Smith (436 yards, 4.5 yards/carry, 4 TD) and Ty Isaac (205 yards, 6.8 yards/carry, 1 TD)
Minnesota: #53 in yardage (151 yards/game), #45 in average (3.9 yards/carry)
Leading tacklers: S Antonio Johnson (48 tackles), LB Cody Poock (45 tackles)

PASS OFFENSE VS. MINNESOTA PASS DEFENSE
Michigan: #98 in yardage (186 yards/game), #96 in passer rating (117.46)
Leading passer: Jake Rudock (61.7%, 1303 yards, 5 touchdowns, 6 interceptions)
Leading receivers: WR Amara Darboh (28 catches, 332 yards, 2 TD), TE Jake Butt (23 catches, 278 yards, 1 TD)
Minnesota: #18 in yardage (177 yards/game), #21 in passer rating (107.92)
Leading defenders: DT Steven Richardson (3.5 sacks), CB Jalen Myrick (3 interceptions)

RUSH DEFENSE VS. MINNESOTA RUSH OFFENSE
Michigan: #2 in yardage (65 yards/game), #2 in average (2.14 yards/carry)
Leading tacklers: LB Desmond Morgan (44 tackles), LB Joe Bolden (40 tackles)
Minnesota: #85 in yardage (157 yards/game), #77 in average (4.11 yards/carry)
Leading rushers: Rodney Smith (467 yards, 4.1 yards/carry, 1 TD) and Shannon Brooks (316 yards, 7.0 yards/carry, 3 TD)

PASS DEFENSE VS. MINNESOTA PASS OFFENSE
Michigan: #4 in yardage (146 yards/game), #1 in passer rating (85.42)
Leading defenders: DT Willie Henry (6 sacks), CB Jourdan Lewis (14 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown)
Minnesota: #95 in yardage (194 yards/game), #106 in passer rating (113.31)
Leading passer: Mitch Leidner (59.2%, 1310 yards, 7 touchdowns, 6 interceptions)
Leading receivers: WR K.J. Maye (33 catches, 350 yards, 3 TD), WR Drew Wolitarsky (26 catches, 297 yards, 1 TD)

ROSTER NOTES

  • Players recruited by Michigan: RB Jeff Jones, OT Jonah Pirsig
  • Players from the state of Michigan: WR Ray Buford, RB Berkley Edwards, P Jacob Herbers, S Dior Johnson, TE Bryce Witham
  • RB Berkley Edwards (5 carries, 29 yards) is the son of former Michigan RB Stan Edwards and the brother of former Michigan WR Braylon Edwards

LAST TIME THEY PLAYED . . .

  • Concussiongate happened, yet somehow Minnesota DE Theiren Cockran didn’t get penalized for targeting
  • Inexplicably, Shane Morris started over Devin Gardner and went 7/19 for 49 yards, 0 touchdowns, and a pick-six
  • Will Hagerup averaged 50 yards/punt on eight attempts
  • De’Veon Smith and Devin Gardner each scored a rushing touchdown
  • Jerry Kill was still the head coach for the Gophers

PREDICTIONS

  • Jarrod Wilson makes his first interception of the year
  • Ian Bunting scores his first career touchdown
  • Jake Rudock gets knocked out of the game, Wilton Speight can’t find his helmet, and Shane Morris burns his redshirt to come in and win the game
  • Michigan 24, Minnesota 13

11 comments

  1. Comments: 1356
    Joined: 8/13/2015
    Roanman
    Oct 30, 2015 at 6:27 AM

    Is your team still playing?

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Oct 30, 2015 at 10:02 AM

      Yep, still playing…

      • Comments: 1356
        Joined: 8/13/2015
        Roanman
        Oct 30, 2015 at 11:31 AM

        Excellent!!!

  2. Comments: 117
    Joined: 9/28/2015
    PapaBear
    Oct 30, 2015 at 9:45 AM

    13? 3 scores from the same Gophers Squad that put up 10 vs. Kent State? I am certain that they will play with passion, but as a coach, you know that being overly emotional only takes you so far!

    On the other side of the ball, IF UM can only roll up 24 against this banged up defense, we are pretenders!

    Love the site! Usually pretty credible and honest! But 13?

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Oct 30, 2015 at 10:07 AM

      Minnesota has only scored fewer than 13 points twice (Northwestern, Kent State), and the KSU game was in week three. I know neither one has a defense as good as Michigan’s, but it’s not like Minnesota has been totally failing. They scored 41 and 25 points the past two weeks, and they ran for 300+ yards against Purdue and threw for 300+ yards against Nebraska. Again, not great defenses, but they’re not totally inept.

      Also, I do think Michigan is a bit of a “pretender,” not a contender. I’ve said that multiple times over the past few weeks. We can’t push the ball downfield, we have little speed at WR (except Chesson, who isn’t on the same page as Rudock), and we lack explosiveness in the running game.

      • Comments: 6285
        Joined: 8/11/2015
        Lanknows
        Oct 30, 2015 at 6:09 PM

        That’s only because they won’t let Ty Isaac play! They have the guy at 3rd (or 4th) string but as soon as he bulks up to 280 pounds he’s going to just run over everybody. Rare blend of speed and power. Just has to get healthy or acclimated or a chance to show us what he can do.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Oct 31, 2015 at 8:28 PM

      There’s your 13 points, and it’s only the second quarter.

  3. Comments: 313
    Joined: 8/17/2015
    JC
    Oct 30, 2015 at 9:46 AM

    I don’t think we’ll ever see a player not able to find his helmet again.

    With the team coming off an improvement week, and Minnesota’s offense as bad as it is, I don’t think the defense will allow a score.

  4. Comments: 118
    Joined: 10/22/2015
    SinCityBlue
    Oct 30, 2015 at 1:38 PM

    All Good Thunder. I appreciate the effort. This is the first site i goto when i come to work in the morning…

  5. Comments: 6285
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    Lanknows
    Oct 30, 2015 at 6:12 PM

    27-3 Good Guys over Gophers

    Part of me thinks the Gophers will be revved up to win one for Kill, but eh…I don’t think they have the horses to defeat maybe the best defense in college football.

    Our offense should be able to out-talent them for enough points.

    I have blanked out the misery and fury of last season from my mind. Did that really happen? Did we really bench a senior QB that played his heart out for Shane Morris?

    • Comments: 183
      Joined: 9/3/2015
      suduri xusai
      Oct 31, 2015 at 1:14 AM

      That’s why Hoke is an effing idiot.

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