Tag: game preview

Preview: Michigan at Indiana

RUSH OFFENSE vs. INDIANA RUSH DEFENSE
It’s too early for advanced stats, so Michigan is #25 in rushing average (204 yards/game) and still #4 in yards per carry (6.28) despite an overall poor effort last week against Michigan State. The Wolverines did not play well up front against an attacking, downhill defense, and the team may be without its only returning starter, right tackle Jalen Mayfield, due to an injury. Hassan Haskins leads the team at 9.9 yards/carry with 3 touchdowns. Indiana is #80 in rush defense (185.5 yards allowed/game) and tied for #73 in yards allowed per carry (4.36). The leading tacklers are junior middle linebacker Micah McFadden (6’2″, 235) and junior safety Jamar Johnson (6’1″, 197) with 16 takedowns each.
Advantage: Michigan

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Preview: Michigan vs. Michigan State

RUSH OFFENSE vs. MICHIGAN STATE RUSH DEFENSE
Last week against Minnesota, Michigan averaged 8.26 yards per carry, which is currently #1 in the country. It’s only one game, but anytime you average over 8 yards/carry, things look pretty good. Michigan’s revamped offensive line looked good and did not allow much penetration. The mammoth offensive guards were moving people. Michigan’s top two backs, Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins, averaged 17.5 and 13.7 yards/carry, respectively. Michigan State is #20 in rush defense after a loss to Rutgers, in which the Spartans allowed 106 yards on 41 carries. (Oddly, they allowed 4 rushing touchdowns.) Leading tackler Antjuan Simmons (6’0″, 225 lbs.) made 11 tackles and Noah Harvey (6’4″, 240) made 9. Defensive end Drew Beesley (6’2″, 260) made 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack. The Spartans have some large defensive tackles, namely Naquan Jones (6’4″, 340), but Jones tends to be somewhat upright and shouldn’t get a ton of penetration.
Advantage: Michigan

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Mini-Preview: Michigan at Minnesota

I have to be honest, and I’ve been so busy with finishing up the season preview and a bunch of other stuff that I haven’t had time to do a good preview. And tonight while I’m finishing this up, I’m deciding to watch the presidential debate instead of trying to watch a bunch of Minnesota stuff.

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, October 24th, 2020: 7:30 p.m. EST on ABC

ROSTER NOTES

• Minnesota players offered by Michigan: OL Curtis Dunlap Jr., OL Daniel Faalele, DB Benny Sapp III, DB Benjamin St-Juste
• Minnesota players from the State of Michigan include: LB Trenton Guthrie (Northville), DL Ali Saad (Dearborn), TE Bryce Witham (Grand Rapids West Catholic)
• Minnesota DB Benjamin St-Juste signed with Michigan out of high school before transferring to Minnesota
• Minnesota DB Benny Sapp III is the son of former NFL DB Benny Sapp II, who played with the Chiefs, Vikings, and Dolphins

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Citrus Bowl Preview: Michigan Defense vs. Alabama Offense

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With the lovely triumvirate of holidays, traveling, and illness, I ran out of time to put together a full breakdown of Alabama’s passing offense and rushing offense against Michigan’s defense. So here’s a mini-preview and some final predictions.

Citrus Bowl Preview: Pass Offense vs. Alabama Pass Defense

MICHIGAN PASS OFFENSE

Michigan is #47 in passing offense (252.3 yards/game), #49 in passing efficiency, and tied for #31 in yards per attempt (8.1). All those numbers sound about right. Quarterback Shea Patterson seemed to settle in during the second half of the year, and his yards per attempt were solid the final three weeks (11.6, 11.4, 7.1 against MSU, Indiana, and OSU, respectively). The numbers against Ohio State should have been better, but Michigan’s receivers – mainly Donovan Peoples-Jones – lost their focus and forgot how to catch. Speaking of former 5-star Peoples-Jones, he was somewhat pedestrian during the regular season with 33 catches for 404 yards and 6 touchdowns. Injury did play a part early in the season, but he was outplayed by slot receiver Ronnie Bell (44/705/1) and gargantuan outside guy Nico Collins (33/681/7). Tight ends Sean McKeon and Nick Eubanks are also factors with 36 catches for 464 yards and 5 scores between them. Michigan’s offensive line gives up 1.83 sacks/game, which is #53 in the country.

ALABAMA PASS DEFENSE

Alabama is #9 in pass defense (183.4 yards allowed/game) with the #7 passer efficiency rating defense and the #5 yards per attempt defense (5.9). There had been some concern about their defensive backs going into the season, but they played well overall; however, star cornerback Trevon Diggs is sitting out of the Citrus Bowl to save himself for the NFL, taking his 3 interceptions and 8 pass breakups with him. Sophomore Josh Jobe (6’1″, 189) and redshirt freshman Jalyn Amour-Davis (6’1″, 182) are the possible replacements and should be frequent targets of Michigan’s passing offense. Elsewhere, safeties Jared Mayden (6’0″, 205) and Xavier McKinney (6’1″, 200) have combined for 7 interceptions. Alabama is #52 in sacks, led by senior linebacker Anfernee Jennings (6’3″, 259) with 7.5. Second-leading sacker Terrell Lewis will be hanging out with Diggs and watching the game from their safe space.

Advantage: Alabama. I do think Michigan can get some plays in the passing game, because I don’t see them getting a ton of pressure on the Wolverines. But the defensive backs at Alabama are well coached, so unless Patterson can get some big plays against Diggs’s replacement, there won’t be a ton of separation.