Tag: game preview

12Nov 2022

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Preview: Michigan vs. Nebraska

RUSH OFFENSE vs. NEBRASKA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #4 in rushing with 250 yards per game. They’re slightly lower at #8 with 5.65 yards per carry. Running back Blake Corum has 1,187 yards on 199 attempts and has scored 16 total touchdowns. Backup Donovan Edwards has 41 carries for 324 yards over the past three weeks, including two 100-yard games. Last week’s performance was particularly impressive considering left tackle Ryan Hayes missed the game, left guard Trevor Keegan was hurt for part of the contest, and right tackle Trente Jones has been out for the past several weeks. Michigan’s dominance of Rutgers took place minus three starters up front. Nebraska, meanwhile, is #107 in rushing defense (182.9 yards allowed/game) and allows 4.51 yards per carry, which is #99. They have done better in recent weeks by tamping down explosive running games of Illinois and Minnesota (neither team has topped 4.0 yards/carry), but Minnesota was missing its starting quarterback, which allowed the Cornhuskers to focus on running back Mo Ibrahim. Junior middle linebacker Luke Reimer (6’1″, 225) leads the team with 67 tackles, but the second leading tackler, safety Myles Farmer, will miss the game due to disciplinary issues. Sophomore safety Marques Buford, Jr. (5’11”, 190) has 62 tackles and sophomore nickel Isaac Gifford (6’1″, 200) has 52, meaning three of the top four tacklers are in the secondary. Junior edge Garrett Nelson (6’4″, 245) is the most dangerous edge defender on the team with 45 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
Advantage: Michigan

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4Nov 2022

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Preview: Michigan at Rutgers

RUSH OFFENSE vs. RUTGERS RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #5 in rush offense (246 yards/game) and averages 5.7 yards per carry, which is #8 nationally. Statistically, running back Blake Corum is on a Heisman-level pace with 1,078 yards and 15 total touchdowns through eight games. That puts him on track for 1,617 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns in twelve games. Backup Donovan Edwards has 26 carries for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns over the past two games. Rutgers is #19 in rushing defense (108 yards allowed/game) and gives up the 20th fewest yards per carry (3.3), but the two best teams on their schedule have run the ball well, with Ohio State racking up 252 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground and Minnesota rushing for 253 and 4. Senior inside linebacker Deion Jennings (6’1″, 230 lbs.) leads the team with 68 tackles, while senior safety Christian Izien (5’10”, 200) sits with 54 stops. Three Scarlet Knights are tied for the team lead with 6 tackles for loss each, including defensive end Wesley Bailey (6’5″, 250), outside linebacker Tyreem Powell (6’5″, 235), and former Michigan signee Aaron Lewis, Jr. (6’5″, 250) at end. This is a solid defense, but it’s tough to hold up for an entire game when the offense can’t do a whole lot.
Advantage: Michigan

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29Oct 2022

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Preview: Michigan vs. Michigan State

RUSH OFFENSE vs. MSU RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is tied at #7 in yards per game (241.71) nationally. Coincidentally, UAB has the exact same number of attempts (293) and yards (1,692) this season. Bell cow running back Blake Corum has 901 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, and backup Donovan Edwards went wild against Penn State two weeks ago and now averages 7.1 yards/carry with 4 touchdowns this season. The offensive line has noticeably improved since the beginning of the season, even with Karsen Barnhart taking over at right tackle for the injured Trente Jones. Michigan State is #80 in rushing defense (153.3 yards allowed/game) and gives up a statistically mediocre (#65 nationally ) 4.0 yards per game. One of their best defensive players, nose tackle Jacob Slade (6’4″, 305), missed four games earlier this year, but he returned for the game against Wisconsin on October 15. Sophomore linebacker Cal Haladay (6’1″, 230) leads the team with 58 tackles, and cornerback Kendell Brooks (6’0″, 215) is second with 57. Former Wolverine Ben VanSumeren is third on the team with 53 stops. The advantage here is clearly Michigan’s.
Advantage: Michigan

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14Oct 2022

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Preview: Michigan vs. Penn State

RUSH OFFENSE vs. PENN STATE RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #19 in rush offense (212.3 yards/game) and #14 in yards per carry, based largely on the vision, elusiveness, and toughness of Blake Corum, who led the country in rushing touchdowns (11) until Pitt’s Israel Abanikanda popped off with 6 scores last weekend to bring his total to 12. Backup Donovan Edwards has yet to really break out this season and had 7 carries for just 15 yards last week against Indiana. Penn State is #5 in rush defense (79.8 yards allowed/game) and allows just 2.96 yards per carry, which is #15 in the nation. Senior safety Ji’Ayir Brown (5’11”, 202 lbs.) leads the team with 18 tackles, followed by freshman inside linebacker Abdul Carter (6’2″, 233) with 17, but there are twelve players with between 10-17 tackles. Junior defensive end Adisa Isaac (6’4″, 233) paces the Nittany Lions with 4.5 tackles for loss. They are a good defense without a lot of standouts, but Michigan hasn’t been able to create much in the run game that Blake Corum hasn’t created for himself.
Advantage: Penn State

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30Sep 2022

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Preview: Michigan at Iowa

RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #11 in rushing offense (234.3 yards/game) and #6 in yards per carry. Blake Corum has been the workhorse so far, leading the team with 64 attempts for 478 yards and a nation-high 9 rushing touchdowns. Backup Donovan Edwards was rumored to have been coming back to play last week, but he sat out the Maryland game and has not broken out yet this year (127 total yards, 2 touchdowns). I’m cautiously optimistic that he will play against the Hawkeyes. Meanwhile, Iowa is #6 in rushing defense (73 yards allowed/game) and #4 in yards allowed per carry (2.21). They have yet to allow a rushing touchdown. Senior middle linebacker Jack Campbell (6’5″, 246 lbs.) spearheads the defense with 39 tackles and weakside linebacker Seth Benson (6’0″, 232) follows behind with 30 stops. Iowa’s two starting defensive tackles are 289 and 275 pounds, so they’re not big up the middle, but they are relatively quick and athletic. Lukas Van Ness (6’5″, 275) is part of a potent rotation at defensive tackle and leads the team with 5 tackles for loss. Iowa’s defensive backs also do a very good job of triggering on the run and tackling; the defensive backfield ranks #3 through #6 on the team in tackles, and while usually that’s not a good sign for the front seven, in this case they’re all part of a very good defense. Iowa runs a 4-3 (or 4-2-5) with two high safeties, so the defensive backs need to be good tacklers or else teams would run the ball all over them.
Advantage: Iowa

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