Tag: Devin Gardner

Preview: Michigan at Rutgers

Rush Offense vs. Rutgers Rush Defense
Michigan is #50 nationally with 185 yards/game on the ground, and they’re #35 with 5.15 yards/carry. However, the rushing output against power conference teams (Notre Dame, Utah, and Minnesota) have been relatively paltry, where Michigan has had 99 attempts for 301 yards, barely above 3.0 yards/carry. The leading rusher is Derrick Green (397 yards, 5.7 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns), but De’Veon Smith sparked a scoring drive last week and broke several tackled on the drive, including the 10-yard touchdown run. The offensive line is still in flux, because right guard Graham Glasgow has been battling injury and played left guard last week due to Erik Magnuson’s leg injury; Glasgow’s replacement on the right side was Kyle Kalis. The interior is supposed to be the “strength” of the offensive line, while tackles Mason Cole and Ben Braden have struggled mightily. Rutgers is #49 against the run, giving up just 135 yards/game. They also give up 3.98 yards/carry, good enough for #64 nationally. Redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Steve Longa (6’1″, 225 lbs.) leads the team with 37 tackles, and second is fifth year senior cornerback Gareef Glashen (5’10”, 180 lbs.). Unfortunately for Michigan, Rutgers makes a lot of plays in the backfield (tied for #9 overall with 37 TFLs). Redshirt senior defensive end David Milewski (6’4″, 235 lbs.), junior defensive tackle Darius Hamilton (6’4″, 260 lbs.), and redshirt freshman end Kemoko Turay (6’6″, 220 lbs.) have combined for 17 tackles for loss. They are not big, but they are quick, which might be worse for Michigan.
Advantage: Rutgers

Hit the jump for the rest of the preview.

Pass Offense vs. Rutgers Pass Defense
Michigan’s passing offense has been struggling mightily. Sophomore quarterback Shane Morris started last week’s game, but he got concussed (did you hear about that obscure event?) and will be replaced by the guy who should have been playing all along, Devin Gardner. Gardner is completing 63% of his passes for 733 yards, 7.5 yards/attempt, 5 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Those numbers are not great, but they’re better than Morris’s (36%, 3.3, 0, 3). Yikes. Michigan’s top receiver is junior Devin Funchess (24 catches, 321 yards, 3 touchdowns), but he has been slowed by an ankle injury since week two. No other player has been able to morph into a deep threat, so the offense has largely turned into a dink-and-dunk formula with a couple possession receivers in Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson. Michigan has given up 10 sacks (tied for #85 overall) and any kind of blitzing will leave Braden, Cole, and the various running backs utterly confused. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Rutgers is tied for #1 in sacks with 21. Turay leads the crew with 5, while Hamilton (3.5), Milewski (3), and fifth year senior strong safety Lorenzo Waters (2) follow closely behind. Glashen is their top corner with 29 tackles, 6 pass breakups, and 1 pick. This will probably not well for Michigan, because Rutgers will be all over Gardner in the backfield.
Advantage: Rutgers


Rush Defense vs. Rutgers Rush Offense
Michigan has mostly done well against the run, except against run-heavy Minnesota, a game in which Gophers running back David Cobb ran 32 times for 183 yards. The Wolverines are #21 nationally in yards given up (105 yards/game) and #22 in rushing average against (3.01 yards/carry). Linebackers Jake Ryan and Joe Bolden are tied for the team lead with 38 tackles apiece, while Frank Clark (5.5) and Ryan (4.0) lead the team in tackles for loss. The Wolverines have a solid front, but they met their match against an even more solid Minnesota offensive line. Rutgers ranks #58 with 176 yards/game and #70 in yards/carry at 4.24. The Scarlet Knights’ most dynamic running back, Paul James, will miss the game with an ACL injury. That leaves the job up to redshirt sophomore Desmon Peoples (5’8″, 175 lbs.), who has 67 carries for 288 yards and a 4.3 yards/carry average, but zero touchdowns. The Wolverines will also get a significant dose of sophomore Justin Goodwin (6’0″, 205 lbs.), who averages 4.9 yards/carry on 38 attempts. Only one of their offensive linemen is over 300 lbs. The top players on the front line are senior guard Kaleb Johnson (6’4″, 300 lbs.) and fifth year senior center Betim Bujari (6’4″, 295 lbs.), both of whom were named Second Team All-AAC last season. Rutgers likes to run the ball, but I don’t think Michigan will be blocked as easily this week.
Advantage: Michigan


Pass Defense vs. Rutgers Pass Offense
The Wolverines are #21 nationally with giving up 178 yards/game through the air, but they’re #58 in passer rating against. Teams have not been overly productive, but they have been efficient. Furthermore, Michigan has failed to force takeaways. The lone takeaway in the secondary came from cornerback Jourdan Lewis, and the only other interception came from defensive tackle Willie Henry. Despite some pretty solid coverage, plays just aren’t being made on the ball. It doesn’t help that Michigan is just #56 nationally in sacks with 10 overall, with nobody having more than Brennen Beyer’s 2. Frank Clark is Michigan’s best pass rusher, but quarterbacks have been getting rid of the ball just before he gets home. Rutgers is #62 with just under 241 yards/game through the air, but they’re #14 in passer efficiency rating. Senior quarterback Gary Nova (6’2″, 220 lbs.) completes 64% of his passes, and while he has thrown 7 picks, he has 10 touchdowns and averages 10.8 yards/attempt. Junior wide receiver Leonte Carroo (6’1″, 205 lbs.) is a dangerous catch-and-run guy and has 25 catches for 475 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a state line of 7, 140, and 3 in last week’s win over Tulane. The only other player with double digit receptions is sophomore Janarion Grant (5’11”, 175 lbs.), but there are three guys on the roster averaging 18+ yards/catch. The offensive line has allowed just 6 sacks this season, which is good enough to tie for #34 in the nation. Carroo is dangerous, but Michigan should be able to slow down a big-play passing attack.
Advantage: Rutgers


Roster Notes

• Players who were offered by Michigan include S Johnathan Aiken, CB Nadir Barnwell, WR Leonte Carroo, OT J.J. Denman, RB Savon Huggins, and OG Chris Muller
• Players from the state of Michigan include LB L.J. Liston and QB Giovanni Rescigno
• Rescigno was Shane Morris’s backup at Warren (MI) De La Salle

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Never. 

Predictions

• Michigan’s offensive line struggles mightily with a quick defensive line.
• Devin Gardner gets knocked out of the game, paving the way for Russell Bellomy.
• Michigan’s defense plays fairly well until the fourth quarter.
• Rutgers 24, Michigan 10

Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards

Devin Gardner (image via ToledoBlade.com)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Gardner. Not for one second has Shane Morris given the slightest inkling that he’s a better quarterback than Gardner. Unless he’s hurt – as he was for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl last season – Gardner should be the starter at Michigan until he runs out of eligibility. Sometimes people can’t accept that a mediocre player can be the best one available. Commenters keep throwing out bizarre questions like “Are we going to win with Gardner at quarterback?” but that’s not even remotely the point. No quarterback can guarantee you victories, particularly behind a mediocre offensive line with a questionable running game. Gardner gives Michigan the best chance to win, and that’s all you can really ask for right now.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Shane Morris. The kid has a 0-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and he’s absolutely careless with the football. Gardner fumbles the ball when he’s fighting for extra yardage. Morris fumbles the ball when he’s just standing in the pocket and has nothing better to do. Looking ahead to 2015, Michigan should be exploring transfers and planning an open competition between Morris, Wilton Speight, and even Alex Malzone. The situation is dire.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Jabrill Peppers. Rumors were circulating that Peppers was hurt. Rumors were circulating that he didn’t play because of a disciplinary issue. Maybe it was a combination of both. I don’t know. What I do know is that Peppers has seen the field very little in his first five weeks as a college football player, and that’s extremely frustrating. There’s nothing the coaches can do about injuries, I guess, but he’s a playmaker on a team largely devoid of playmakers. If the defensive backfield is too jam-packed with veterans and talent, then play Peppers at slot receiver or running back or wideout or wildcat quarterback. The kid needs to be on the field if he’s healthy.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Dymonte Thomas. Thomas was the one who appeared to blow the coverage on Maxx Williams on Saturday, which led to a touchdown. Against Utah the week before, he blew the coverage that led to a touchdown for Dres Anderson. Opponents keep finding a way to attack him, and he’s not up to the challenge. Maybe Peppers should move ahead of Thomas in the safety rotation.

Play of the game . . . Frank Clark and Taco Charlton’s sack of Mitch Leidner. Give me a break. There are so few good plays to choose from. Clark leaped over a cut block from a running back before charging ahead to sack Leidner for a loss of five yards. Charlton latched on to help take Leidner down. It’s sad when this is the highlight.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. Again, the pickings are slim. Gardner entered the game with under eight minutes remaining, immediately leading a touchdown drive. He went 3/6 for 39 yards, and he ran the ball 5 times for 23 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run. Yes, he took a sack, and he almost threw an interception (or took a safety) from his own endzone. However, the team got a spark from his appearance. Any further heroics or shenanigans were thwarted by Brady Hoke’s inexplicable decision to punt with four minutes remaining while down by two scores.

Minnesota 30, Michigan 14

Should we go with the guy who was bestowed with Tom Harmon’s jersey, or the guy with zero career touchdowns? (image via 247Sports.com)

End the Shane Morris experiment now. We have seen Shane Morris play a fair amount of football now that we’re five games into his sophomore season. In 2013 he played a respectable number of snaps against Central Michigan, Michigan State, and Kansas State; this year he has seen an appreciable amount of time against Appalachian State, Utah, and Minnesota. What have we learned? He’s not good at football right now. He can’t progress through his reads quickly, he’s careless with the football, and he’s not accurate, especially when throwing to his right. He finished the game 7/19 for 49 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception (returned for a touchdown), and 3 fumbles (1 lost). He now has a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 0-to-5. The kid should have redshirted in 2013, or maybe even this season. He’s not even to the point where he should be an option for a big-time program like Michigan right now.

How about now? Devin Gardner has been the starting quarterback since 2012 for a reason. He is one of the best athletes in the country at his position, he has good (not great) arm strength, and he has the ability to put the team on his back for entire games (for example, last year against Notre Dame, Indiana, and Ohio State). He certainly has flaws – the interceptions, the fumbles, the ill-advised throws from his own endzone – but that’s not the point. The question Brady Hoke should be asking himself on a weekly basis is this: Which quarterback gives this team the best chance to win right now? The answer to that question is Gardner. The switch to Morris should never have been made in the first place. Sometimes you have to tell fans and media to suck an egg, that you’re going to stick with your guy. It’s okay to be Grady Little once in a while. In another dimension, Pedro Martinez held onto the lead.

Michigan should have recruited a quarterback in 2012. This doesn’t have much to do with this game in itself, but I just feel the need to point out that the Wolverines whiffed on a couple quarterbacks in the 2012 class and then said, “Eh, who cares? We’ve got Shane Morris in the pipeline.” I care, and I said so at the time. I was appalled that Michigan didn’t go after another signal caller, and that mistake is rearing its ugly head as the Wolverines are trying to field a competent starter and/or backup. This exact situation is evidence that a quarterback should be recruited in every class. They want to bench their fifth-year senior, the redshirt junior was terrible, the sophomore is in over his head, and the freshman is probably maizeing his pants in fear of playing behind Michigan’s offensive line.

Coaching tip #1: Put your damn helmets on. In the fourth quarter, Shane Morris was knocked out of the game with one or more injuries (more on that later). Devin Gardner was inserted for a couple plays, upon which his helmet came off and he was forced to sit out one play. Third-string quarterback Russell Bellomy, caught totally unaware, had no clue where his helmet was. He tried on one that didn’t fit, then another that didn’t fit, then turned to all his friends and said, “No, guys, don’t you remember Nebraska?!?!?!” Then everyone nodded and gently nudged the (allegedly) concussed guy out there for another play.

Coaching tip #2: You can’t punt when you’re down by 16 with four minutes left. I don’t give a hoot if it’s 4th-and-36 from your own 1-yard line. If you’re down two scores with roughly four minutes remaining, you go for it, especially with only one timeout left. Minnesota is a ball control offense who can certainly run the ball and keep the clock running for the remainder of the game. And that’s exactly what they did. That showed me that Brady Hoke didn’t want to win the game, and it also showed that he didn’t have faith in his team to make a game of it. He was trying to save face and prevent the team from giving up 37 points. If they don’t get the first down, everyone in that locker room knows that the final seven points wouldn’t really matter. There’s no discernible difference between a 37-14 loss and a 30-14 loss. At least if you go for it, you show your team that you believe in them and will keep clawing for victory until the end.

Shane Morris may or may not have been concussed. I know there’s a lot of hand wringing about concussions these days, and I know Morris took a nasty shot from Theiren Cockran (that should have resulted in an ejection, by the way). I have seen a fair number of concussions, and I have to say that Morris did not look concussed on the sideline. I know people saw him stumble and nearly collapse on the field, but I got the vibe that it was because of the obvious pain in his left ankle. The kid could barely put pressure on his left leg from the third quarter onward, and I’m sure the hit from Cockran was not pleasant. Morris’s demeanor on the sideline afterward appeared to be that of a coherent young man who needed an ice bath, a massage, and some pictures to make him feel better. I could be wrong, and there’s no way to play doctor from my seat on the couch, but that was my interpretation of what I saw. . .

However, Morris should have been removed from the game permanently. On top of the fact that he never should have started the game in the first place, Morris twisted his ankle and/or knee early in the third quarter. He was limping noticeably. It seemed to affect his play negatively. He then took a couple more hits and came up limping even worse. In my years of sports experience, people who limp are generally worse at sports than those who are not limping. If that weren’t the case, Verbal Kint would be in the Hall of Fame. Michigan fans can rest easy knowing that a sixth year of Brian Cleary eligibility is still a possibility.

What about Minnesota, though? They’re not bad. They have a very good offensive line, they have some hard-running backs, they have a quarterback who fits their system, and they have a fundamentally sound defense. Other than running back David Cobb (32 carries, 183 yards), nobody wowed me. Cobb is just a guy who refuses to go down on first contact, and he has some burst that a guy like De’Veon Smith lacks. Tight end Maxx Williams might be able to squeeze into that category of “wow” guys, too, but he wasn’t a game-changer in this one. When a guy – whether it’s a star or a scrub – makes a diving, one-handed catch like he did down the sideline while being well covered by safety Jeremy Clark, you just have to tip your hat and acknowledge that there are other guys who can make plays, too.

Who starts at quarterback? It has to be Devin Gardner. Even if Shane Morris travels to Elysium and gets back in time for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition  on a Sunday night in 2003, Gardner should be the starter. Always and forever. He’s wearing the #98 jersey for a reason. (The reason is that Dave Brandon is a greedy bastard; I didn’t say it was a good reason.) Unless he re-breaks his foot or tells everyone in the MUG to “f*** her right in the p****”, Gardner should be the one fumbling Michigan’s season away.

Who starts at head coach? I don’t know. I think every coach hits a point where you say, “Yeah, this just isn’t going to work out.” For whatever reason, I think Rich Rodriguez’s moment was “You Raise Me Up,” even though his defenses sent up warning flags. This game may have been Hoke’s moment. I’m not saying that I think he’ll be fired on Monday (who would you promote to interim head coach?), and I’m not saying that a 9-3 finish (hey, it’s possible) couldn’t save Hoke. But the handling of Gardner, the handling of Morris, and curling up into the fetal position at the end of game is a potentially lethal combination. If Doug Nussmeier or Jeff Hecklinski is the head coach sometime soon, I will not be surprised.

We’re totally going to beat Rutgers. This was all a ploy to sucker them in, like a McDonald’s with free wi-fi. They step inside, check their e-mail, order a sweet tea, and BOOM! That’s right. The cashier gave you herpes. Oh, and diabetes. You gotta watch out for that diabetes sneaking up on you like an, I dunno, Mitch Leidner bootleg. Wait, what was I talking about?

Rutgers has herpes.

Utah 26, Michigan 10

This is a sad sight in so many ways.

Shane Morris is no better than Devin Gardner. There is a large contingent of fans who always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. They clamored for Shane Morris, and they finally got him in the fourth quarter. What was the result? An interception, a fumble, and a sack. It’s the difference between a Ford Explorer and a Mercury Mountaineer. Until Michigan can establish a consistent running game, pressure will be on the quarterbacks. And if the Wolverines can’t find another solid receiving target outside of Devin Funchess, things are going to get even worse. When times get tough, the only thing Michigan does is script throws from Devin Gardner to Devin Funchess. Another receiver has to step up, the offensive line has to block better, and/or the running backs need to improve.

Willie Henry was your leading scorer. Michigan scored ten points altogether, with six coming on Henry’s awesome interception return for a short touchdown. I like that Michigan is scoring some non-offensive touchdowns (Ben Gedeon returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Appalachian State, remember), but it’s sad that the defense scored more points than 4-star recruit Devin Gardner, Biletnikoff Award watch list receiver Devin Funchess, Rivals 5-star running back Derrick Green, and so on.

In some ways, Funchess hurt the team. The most glaring example of this was when Gardner threw a skinny post to Funchess in the second quarter. Perhaps because of a bum ankle or laziness or inexperience at playing the wide receiver position, Funchess threw one paw out to try to catch a slightly overthrown pass. He could have stuck out both hands, and some guys would have dove. Instead, the ball bounced up to safety Brian Blechen, who pulled it in for the interception (and a nice return, which was negated by a questionable block-in-the-back penalty). Less obviously, Gardner seems more democratic with the football when Funchess is not on the field. The favorite target becomes Amara Darboh, but Darboh’s not so overwhelmingly athletic that Gardner thinks he can beat triple coverage. With Funchess on the sideline, Gardner has to scan the whole field and will throw to Darboh, Jehu Chesson, Dennis Norfleet, Jake Butt, Khalid Hill, anyone. I’m not suggesting that the 6’5″, 230 lb. guy with the #1 jersey should stay off the field altogether, but his presence – especially when he’s limping – makes Michigan more of a one-dimensional team than they should be. That’s the coaches’ job to sort out.

The defense played great overall. Some people might point to the way-too-easy touchdown by Dres Anderson or the 67-yard screen pass to Bubba Poole as reasons that the defense underachieved in this one, but I don’t think that was the case at all. Sure, those were flubs, but those happen in every game. Anderson’s touchdown was a blown coverage, seemingly at the hands of sophomore safety Dymonte Thomas. The screen pass to Poole was a great call by Utah offensive coordinator Dave Christensen – and a terrible play by redshirt sophomore safety Jeremy Clark. Clark had no idea what to do and got caught up in the wash of a couple offensive linemen releasing downfield, rather than trying to get on top of Poole’s route to slow him down. Overall, though, Michigan held Utah to 286 total yards (6 more than they allowed to Notre Dame), one offensive touchdown, and 13 first downs. Utah averaged 2.2 yards/carry as a team, including just 3.7 yards/carry by the running backs. If you told me before the game that Michigan would hold Utah to just one offensive touchdown and four field goals, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

Are injuries a problem? I feel like injuries are a problem. I know every team goes through injuries, but it seems that Michigan’s star player(s) get hurt every year. Devin Funchess got hurt in the second game and was still limping around in this one with an ankle injury that may linger for a while. Starting tight end Jake Butt is playing less than the ideal number of snaps because of his ACL recovery. Jabrill Peppers got hurt in week one, missed the Notre Dame game, and seemed to disappear for a stretch this game. Starting cornerback Raymon Taylor got hurt against the Fighting Irish and has yet to return. Both guys who were presumed to start at safety – Jarrod Wilson and Delano Hill – have missed extended time due to injuries. “Starting” linebacker Desmond Morgan has missed the last couple games, too. I would not say that the Wolverines have been devastated by injuries, but they aren’t at full speed, either.

Derrick Green, you are not Darren Sproles. You are a 220 lb. former high school offensive guard. Run like it. I like that you have learned to pick up your feet in traffic, and I like that you are improving your vision. What I do not like is you tiptoeing through a hole on a straight-ahead run, getting planted on your butt by cornerback Tevin Carter, or running out of bounds when you have the choice to truck a defensive back or two. They say discretion is the better part of valor, but they also say “More yards good, less yards bad.”

Derrick Green, you might be Darren Sproles. After years of eschewing passes to anyone other than Vincent Smith, the tailbacks finally got a chance to be involved in the passing game. Derrick Green had 2 catches – including a one-hander – for 26 yards, and Justice Hayes had 2 for 25. I don’t think Green has the ability to become the next Eric Metcalf or Larry Centers, but Doug Nussmeier showing a willingness to throw to the running backs might set up other plays in the future.

What’s Devin Gardner’s problem? If I knew how to fix Gardner, I wouldn’t be writing this here blog post. But as a blogger, it’s my job to pretend I know.

1. Gardner has an inherent – or coached – fixation on whoever his favorite target is from year to year. In 2012 it was Jeremy Gallon. In 2013 it was Jeremy Gallon. This year it’s Funchess. Gardner locks onto his favorite receiver too quickly, and he throws to him even when he’s well covered. This results in some amazing catches that make us think Gardner, Gallon, and Funchess are awesome. It also leads to lots of interceptions.
2. Gardner has played for two coordinators who don’t understand him. Both Nussmeier and Al Borges call too many play action waggles because they like to run the ball with lots of people stacked inside. Meanwhile, Gardner turns his back to the defense without having a good understanding of what’s going on behind him, and it cuts the field in half. He generally keeps the ball or dumps it over the head of the unfoolable outside contain man to a fullback or tight end in the flat. Michigan has I-formation or under center tendencies with a quarterback – in my opinion – who should be running a pro-style shotgun/pistol offense the majority of the time.
3. Michigan has yet to develop a solid complementary receiver to Funchess. Darboh is not a great route runner. Jehu Chesson does not have great ball skills. Dennis Norfleet seems comfortable only on bubble screens and swing passes. Jake Butt has been hurt. In yesterday’s game, the big-play guy for Utah was Dres Anderson, but quarterback Travis Wilson was just as comfortable going to possession guy Kenneth Scott on any given play.
4. The offensive line and defensive coordinators are in his head. Much like what we expected, the interior offensive line has improved its pass protection and blitz pickups, but the young/inexperienced offensive tackles are barely treading water. If any defensive coordinator fails to run an edge blitz on a critical down, it’s probably because he feels sorry for Ben Braden and Mason Cole. Gardner’s internal clock is screwed up because of it, so he spooks early.

Michigan 34, Miami-OH 10

Derrick Green (image via 247Sports.com)

That was too close. The final score said 34-10, but it was 10-10 in the second quarter, 17-10 at halftime, and Michigan didn’t get separation until tight end Jake Butt caught a touchdown pass with 3:44 remaining in the third quarter. The offense was inconsistent once again. The Wolverines had 460 yards of total offense to Miami’s 198, which should indicate a whooping. But Devin Gardner threw an interception through the hands of Jehu Chesson, Amara Darboh fumbled, and the kickoff return team botched a short kick, all in the second quarter. Maybe the Wolverines were still in shell-shock from last week’s 31-0 loss, but Miami was on an 18-game losing streak and gave Michigan a scare. This game won’t do much to alleviate the pressure on Brady Hoke.

We have running back answers? Derrick Green was the workhorse back on Saturday afternoon with 22 carries, 137 yards (6.2 yards/carry), and 2 touchdowns. Michigan had a stretch in the second half where they needed to run the ball and take some pressure off of quarterback Devin Gardner, which they did. Green was the guy they looked to, and he produced. The offensive line also did a decent job of opening up some holes, but Green seemed to find the creases that he missed last week. He showed some nifty feet and decent burst, and he started to run through some tacklers. He also had zero negative-yardage plays. Meanwhile, De’Veon Smith had 9 carries for 44 yards (4.9 yards/carry), and while he can still power through some tackles, his speed on a couple outside zone plays was once again lacking. Third down back Justice Hayes had 5 carries for 24 yards, and that’s a fitting role for him.

Big plays are lacking without Devin Funchess. Devin Funchess missed the game due to the injury he suffered late in the Notre Dame contest, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be back next week or not. Michigan’s receivers seemed to struggle getting separation from Miami’s secondary at times, and I don’t see anyone who can stretch the field or gain yards after the catch consistently. Jehu Chesson has some speed, Amara Darboh has the strength and decent size, and Dennis Norfleet has the ability to run after the catch, but nobody has all those qualities rolled into one. Darboh (6 catches, 88 yards, 1 touchdown) appears to be Gardner’s go-to guy without Funchess available. The longest plays on the day were a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jake Butt and 27-yard runs by Green and backup quarterback Shane Morris.

I like Michigan’s corners. Jabrill Peppers (3 tackles) played quite a bit on the outside, and while he looked raw in some aspects of coverage, he clearly has the speed, strength, and hips to be a very good corner. It’s just a matter of time with him. Jourdan Lewis (1 interception) also looked like a good man coverage guy, which we already knew. They both seemed to get a little more playing time than Blake Countess, although I could be wrong about that. Once Raymon Taylor comes back, I think Michigan will be in good shape. Miami quarterback Andrew Hendrix was completing 48% of his passes but for 338 yards/game coming into this one, and he finished 12/26 for 165 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick.

Where’s the pass rush? Michigan is getting some pressure on quarterbacks, but they’re not getting home. Brennen Beyer got Michigan’s lone sack on Saturday, basically by outworking Miami right tackle Collin Buchanan – who had 3 false starts on the day, if I remember correctly. Michigan didn’t roll out the exotic blitzes they showed against Notre Dame, but they didn’t sit back and rush four defensive linemen all day, either. The Wolverines just aren’t beating guys off the line like you think they would once in a while. The pass rush improved as the 2013 season wore on, so hopefully that becomes the case once again. The Wolverines have just 4 sacks in three games this year.

The run defense still looks good. Miami isn’t a good running team, but Michigan did well against Notre Dame on the ground and held Miami to 33 yards on 24 carries (1.4 yards/carry). The defensive linemen aren’t getting a ton of penetration, but they’re not losing ground, and the linebackers are doing a good job of cleaning up behind them. Joe Bolden even made a nice pass breakup on a post route, which is probably the first time I can say that during his career. The linebackers are pretty solid all-around.

WHY, JEHU CHESSON II, WHY?!?!?! When he got his hands on the Shane Morris pass in the endzone that would have made it 37-10 (before the extra point), I really thought my score prediction of 38-10 was going to come true. Chesson must read my blog – and he must not be a fan – because he made the Wolverines settle for a field goal that made it 34-10.