MICHIGAN RUSH OFFENSE vs. ARMY RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #37 in rushing after one week (233 yards) with the leading rusher being freshman Zach Charbonnet (8 carries, 90 yards). The Wolverines are massive up front, even if slightly less massive at left tackle with starter Jon Runyan, Jr. has been out with injury; his replacement, the 299-pound freshman Ryan Hayes, was named the team’s MVP last week. The Wolverines are mostly an inside zone team. Army’s defensive tackles are a 5’11”, 282-pounder and a 6’4″, 260-pounder. They run a 4-3 look with leading tackler Cole Christiansen (6’2″, 225 lbs.) as a senior and returning starter. The Black Knights gave up 181 yards on 30 attempts last week against Rice. Michigan should be able to gain yards in chunks on the ground.
Advantage: Michigan
MICHIGAN PASS OFFENSE vs. ARMY PASS DEFENSE
Michigan started off hot last week but throttled down the passing game once it was clear that quarterback Shea Patterson was rattled (due to a rib injury) and that Middle Tennessee State wasn’t going to mount a comeback. Patterson threw for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns on 58.3% completions. The leading receiver was redshirt sophomore Tarik Black (4 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD), who was considered to be a backup coming into the season; the availability of nominal starter Donovan Peoples-Jones is unknown after suffering an ankle injury in practice a couple weeks ago. Army allowed just 50% completions against the Owls last week for 62 yards total on 4.4 yards/attempt. They did not make any sacks and finished #69 nationally in sacks last year. Their most dangerous defensive back in senior Jaylon McClinton (5’10”, 200), who has 4 career interceptions.
Advantage: Michigan
MICHIGAN RUSH DEFENSE vs. ARMY RUSH OFFENSE
This is the most interesting matchup of the game. Will Michigan’s thin defensive interior be able to hold up against Army’s triple option? Army has four starting linemen who are 290+ pounds (the left tackle is 265), but they cut block like crazy. Michigan was already thin at defensive tackle coming into the season, and that was before Donovan Jeter missed week one and Mike Dwumfour missed all but one snap. Both will supposedly return to action this week, but they have one combined snap. Other options at defensive tackle include former fullback Ben Mason and former linebacker Carlo Kemp. Michigan was led in tackles last week by Viper Khaleke Hudson (8 tackles) on the way to allowing 67 yards on 2.4 yards/carry. Army rushed for 231 yards on 4.1 yards/carry last week. Quarterback Kelvin Hopkins (21 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD) and fullback Sandon McCoy (20 carries, 70 yards) were last week’s leading rushers.
Advantage: Michigan
MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE vs. ARMY PASS OFFENSE
What pass offense? Army threw just 8 passes last week, completing 3 of them for 53 yards. This is the norm for a triple option offense. Run the ball a ton, and then look for big plays in the passing game. The completions went for 19, 17, and 17 yards. Meanwhile, Michigan cornerback Ambry Thomas allowed 0 receptions and made 1 interception last week, while the guy on the opposite side of him is a potential All-American. Michigan should be pretty solid against the pass as long as the starters are in the game; things get dodgy when the backups come in, because Michigan’s backup corners are inexperience or just flat-out unready for prime time.
Advantage: Michigan
ROSTER NOTES
- Army players from Michigan include: DE Henry Janeway (Utica Eisenhower)
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED…
- Michigan is 4-3 against Army since 1949
- All those games have been in Ann Arbor except the 1950 contest, which was in New York City
- On October 6, 1962, Michigan ran 70 times for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns (throwing only 10 times)
- The final score was Michigan 17, Army 7
PREDICTIONS
- Christian Turner leads Michigan in rushing
- Michigan pulls away in the third quarter
- Joshua Ross makes 10 tackles
- Michigan 37, Army 13
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Thunder why do you think Turner will be the leading rusher? Charbonnet is the obvious choice so I’m interested in your thinking
Thanks
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It’s just a hunch. Things with the service academies don’t often go the way you expect them to go. And production aside, Turner got more attempts against MTSU than Charbonnet did.
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Unexpected prediction from Thunder but I believe CT got better grades in PFF and Mgoblog UFR.
I would guess both get similar number of carries with Wilson out. Flip a coin.
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I’ve got 27-13, with Michigan shutting it down again. Boring game to start week2 in CFB, but at least we can go into our bye healthy
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As I was reading your breakdown of advantages I really started to think about what teams see in practice and of course the match ups that should wear on Army as the game goes on.
Army is used to seeing a QB run. So if we pass and use our skill players at receiver that should be big. The pass option in the RPO should work. With our line we should be dominant at least eventually in our own running game.
If we are not prepared to hold our defensive assignments, or are not prepared to take advantage of Army’s defensive backfield on offense much will be on UM’s game planning. Again. I’d like to score early, build a decent lead and then use our running game to burn the clock and beat the hell out of the smaller Army personnel.
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My dumb predictions:
How our run D handles this is the game. Don Brown is ready. This isn’t Oklahoma.
Nor is it Rice’s offense. I think we score early and often. It’ll be over early and Michigan romps by 30+.
Foot off the gas in the second half? Maybe in tempo and downfield shots, but McCaffrey and Milton can still put up points and our backup OL is probably pretty solid too. I think we’ll run our offense.
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My dumb predictions.
How our run D handles this is the game. Don Brown is ready. This isn’t Oklahoma.
Nor is it Rice’s offense. I think we score early and often. It’ll be over early and Michigan romps by 30 or more.
Foot off the gas in the second half? Maybe in tempo and downfield shots, but McCaffrey and Milton can still put up points and our backup OL is probably pretty solid too. I think we’ll run our offense.
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38-7 with Collins and Black scoring – can’t see Army defending UM Receivers with the size and speed advantage. Even if UM builds lead and goes to backups Macaffrey and Milton will still put points on board just running the basic RPOs. Turner goes over 100yds by virtue of a 70+ yd TD run but Zach gets more snaps and carries. After 60 mins of cut blocks just want see D healthy at end of game.
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Michigan wins 45-10
-Collins and Black both score in first half as Army cannot match the size.
-Turner gets 100+ yds rushing although most comes on one 70+ yd TD run. Zach gets more carries and scores 1 rushing TD.
-Bell TD from Mac
-Last TD is Milton scramble late in game.
Interested to see how much Uche plays as Army rarely throws the ball and to see whether Jeter or Dwumfor play. Mostly want to see no injuries on D after a full day of cut blocks.
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Michigan 45 Army 7
-Collins and Black each have receiving TD. Little chance Army can defend their size and speed.
-Charbonnet has rushing TD and most carries.
-Turner has 100+yds with the bulk of it on a 70+yd TD run.
-Bell has Receiving TD from MaCaffery
-Milton scores last TD on run.
-Runyan and DPJ sit another week – no real need to use them given depth at WR and showing by Hayes last week.
On defense will just be happy to see no one hurt after a full day of cut blocks.
* This is 3rd attempt to post – first 2 disappeared on ipad. Hopefully 3 is a charm
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For some reason your posts are often being filtered out for approval. I don’t know why. I do look through “spam” comments about once a day and restore them if they aren’t actually spam, but that’s what’s going on. It’s happened to some of Lanknows’s and je93’s posts, too. In fact, it seems to happen to everyone once in a while.
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This is one post I bet you wish stayed in spam!
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That was ugly. All facets of the game, bad. JH needs to own up to this
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Agree, but I doubt he does. Sloppy ball handling, mental mistakes, and poor visualization of his receivers by Patterson, and predictable play calling. All total up to some greater or lesser degree of coaching inadequacies.
Can’t believe it, but am happy that the defense played about as good as we expected and came up even bigger in OT.
Can’t believe our OL couldn’t handle Army’s defense. Charb is a man! Our offense was carried by a freshman reincarnation of the A-Train. 30 carries?
I’d like to know if the fake punt early on was an audible? Or was that the only play Gattis called? Ha Ha.
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