Tag: Indiana

Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Drake Johnson (image via MLive.com)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Drake Johnson. Johnson had 16 carries for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. His longest run was a 32-yard burst, and he had several runs that gained chunks of yards. A caveat applies due to the weak opponent, but he has more speed than De’Veon Smith, more power than Justice Hayes, and better vision than Smith or the currently injured Derrick Green. This likely will not be a flash-in-the-pan appearance for Johnson. While success will be harder to find, I would not be surprised if he’s the starter next week at Northwestern.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . De’Veon Smith. Smith has had ample opportunities this season, playing in all nine games, getting the second-most carries on the team (77, compared to Derrick Green’s 82), and not doing a great deal with those chances. Sure, he leads the team with 5 touchdowns, but he’s a short-yardage and goal-line runner. Perhaps he should be leading the team in touchdowns even if everyone were healthy, because he’s able to plow through linebackers and defensive backs for some extra yards. But Smith’s vision isn’t Mike Hart-like, which many fans said early in the season, and he’s not quick enough through the holes that he sees. On a team that lacks big plays, your bell cow at running back shouldn’t be a guy so ponderous.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. Henry got hurt against Michigan State last week, and I am not sold on his replacement, Chris Wormley. Wormley seems to be good for one or two good plays a game, but he’s not consistent enough. Wormley’s motor has always been a question mark for me, and I have yet to see him play a full game of good football.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Delano Hill. Hill was in on 3 tackles this past Saturday, but he was again missing tackles and getting out of position at free safety. He did have a nice blitz in the third quarter, but otherwise, I was not impressed. I don’t know the answer, but Hill isn’t it right now. He has been a liability the past two weeks, although the impact in this game was minimal because of the opponent.

Play of the game . . . Drake Johnson’s 16-yard touchdown run to end Michigan’s scoring. Johnson burst up the middle, juked a defender to the right, and then high-stepped through a tackle attempt before crossing the goal line. It was a fun ending and a welcome sight for a team that has lacked suddenness at the running back position. Honorable mention for this award goes to Amara Darboh for blowing through a solid tackle attempt on a quick screen. Not a ton of yardage, but fun to watch.

MVP of the game . . . Drake Johnson. He offered Michigan fans some excitement when there was very little else to get the heart pumping. De’Veon Smith wasn’t getting the job done, and Justice Hayes is mediocre. Jake Ryan also had a very good game (11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles), but the linebacker position hasn’t been as concerning as the running backs.

Highlights: Michigan 34, Indiana 10

Michigan 34, Indiana 10

Drake Johnson (image via CBS Detroit)

Drake Johnson to the rescue. Thank goodness that Johnson appeared to rescue us from watching De’Veon Smith churn out somewhere between -2 and 2 yards. I have always been skeptical of Smith as a feature back. Indiana has a poor defense, and Smith managed just 21 yards on 7 carries before a minor ankle injury sidelined him. Smith is a short-yardage back and that’s about it, so I wish Michigan would stop trying to use him as a feature back. In stepped Johnson, who ran for career highs with 16 carries, 122 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He showed good burst on several plays, and while the only truly impressive run was the 16-yard touchdown to cap his day, it was better than any other running back has looked this year, save perhaps Derrick Green.

Move De’Veon Smith to the bottom of the depth chart. Michigan has been struggling to get big plays all season, and Smith is not the guy who offers big-play potential. You can see that he is either coached to get upfield, or he just doesn’t trust his speed – which he shouldn’t, because he’s slow. Smith is a between-the-tackles runner who isn’t quick enough to get through the generally small cracks that the offensive line is opening up inside. If Michigan wants a more diverse attack – one that can attack both inside and outside – the coaches have to use Johnson and Justice Hayes more.

Devin Gardner played like Northwestern 2013. Gardner threw just one interception in this game, but it was an ugly one where he missed the free safety sitting in the middle of the field and tried to soft-toss a post into the arms of Devin Funchess. The ball never even came close. Gardner had several other throws that could have or should have been intercepted. He did enough to win the game, but if Indiana had capitalized on some of the mistakes, it could have been another ugly outcome. His mechanics are all over the place, and his decision-making has been questionable for a while. He has lost trust in his offensive line to keep him healthy, and he has lost trust in his body after being so beaten up. Gardner (22/29 for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) still looks gimpy after spraining his ankle three weeks ago, so he may not be fully healthy for the rest of the year.

Michigan needs safety help. Safety is a position that does require experience, in my opinion, so you can’t rush success. However, I am deeply concerned about the safeties here in 2014 and going forward. Jarrod Wilson has been pretty solid as an in-the-box safety, but Michigan’s free safety position continues to leak yardage. I thought Delano Hill’s angles and tackling were once again lacking in this one. He has taken over for Jeremy Clark, who had some of the same issues. Other options include freshman Brandon Watson (who is redshirting), sophomore Dymonte Thomas (who is injured), and 2015 commit Tyree Kinnel. With Wilson graduating after next season, I don’t know which one of those guys will step up, but those two spots have been big question marks for a good chunk of the past 15 years or so. You would think Michigan could develop a star safety at some point, even if just by accident. Any discussion of the best safeties in that time probably includes names like Thomas Gordon, Jordan Kovacs, Jamar Adams, and Ernest Shazor. That’s a solid group, but nobody stands out.

Indiana is kind of just bad. I wanted to watch this game, see Michigan win, and come to the conclusion that the Wolverines just put it all together and demolished a decent team after realizing the error of their ways in a 35-11 loss to Michigan State. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The defense is pretty good, the special teams are mediocre, and the offense is bad. Indiana is essentially on its fourth-string quarterback (Nate Sudfeld and Chris Covington are injured; Tre Roberson transferred to an FCS school before the season) and played the fifth-string guy for a stretch in this one. The offensive line is decent, slot receiver Shane Wynn is pretty good, and running back Tevin Coleman is very good – when not fumbling the ball – but the rest of the team is bad. Glen Mason kept saying that Indiana’s defense looks more aggressive, but it didn’t add up to much. I think head coach Kevin Wilson is a great offensive mind, but he doesn’t have much to work with.

It’s fun to watch Jake Ryan. Ryan had 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 2 forced fumbles in this one. He’s as fun to watch as any Michigan linebacker in my memory. The guy is now up to 79 tackles (#5 in the conference) and 12.5 tackles for loss (tied for #2) on the year.

What does this mean going forward? Nothing. Michigan has a pretty good defense, no consistent offensive playmakers, and lots of injuries and issues to sort through. They need to win two of their last three against Northwestern, Maryland, and Ohio State to be bowl eligible. They have at least a good chance against the Wildcats and Terrapins, and I guess anything can happen against the Buckeyes. I still don’t think Brady Hoke can save his job at this point, but it would be great to see him – and the program – save some dignity by earning bowl eligibility.

Preview: Michigan vs. Indiana

Rush Offense vs. Indiana Rush Defense
Michigan is #79 in rushing this season, but not for a lack of trying. They’re #56 in rushing average (4.45 yards/carry) and #90 in rushing attempts (272 total). Not exactly what you would expect from a Michigan team. Aside from a fairly productive blip against Penn State, Michigan has not gained more than 83 yards rushing in its last four games, with 64 or fewer yards in the last two. The team’s leading rusher is still Derrick Green, who has missed the past two games with a broken collarbone. Sophomore De’Veon Smith has amassed 33 carries in the last three games, but he has just 94 yards to show for it. Redshirt junior backup Justice Hayes has picked up some of the slack with 16 carries over the past two, but he has not been very effective either. Fifth year senior quarterback Devin Gardner is playing on an injured ankle behind a shoddy offensive line with a coach who doesn’t like to run him very much, so don’t expect much from Gardner on the ground. Indiana, meanwhile, is #74 against the run (169 yards/game) and tied for #78 in giving up 4.46 yards/carry, so they are below average but not terrible. The leading tackler is sophomore linebacker T.J. Simmons (6’0″, 230 lbs.) with 43 tackles, while senior cornerback Tim Bennett (5’9″, 185 lbs.) and sophomoe safety Antonio Allen (5’10”, 205 lbs.) are close behind with 38 and 36, respectively. Nobody truly terrifying exists on the defensive line, but sophomore nose tackle Nate Hoff (6’2″, 305 lbs.), senior defensive end Bobby Richardson (6’3″, 286 lbs.), and redshirt sophomore backup nose tackle Ralph Green III (6’5″, 325 lbs.) are the leaders in tackles for loss. In the last three games, Indiana has allowed 4.1+ yards/carry in each contest, including 330 yards on 6.5 yards/carry against Michigan State in their last outing. Michigan will not approximate those numbers, but I believe they will have a solid day running the ball.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for the rest of the preview.

Pass Offense vs. Indiana Pass Defense
The Wolverines are #116 in passing offense (170 yards/game), #120 in passer rating, and they’ve thrown more interceptions than 119 teams. It’s an ugly passing offense because the offensive line is bad, the receivers can’t get separation, and Gardner looks lost at the quarterback position most of the time. He has completed 61% of his passes for 6 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His favorite target is junior Devin Funchess (41 catches, 12.8 yards/catch, 4 touchdowns), and his second favorite is redshirt sophomore Amara Darboh (15 yards/catch), who is quite the acrobat but runs routes like he’s never been coached. The Wolverines have allowed 18 sacks, which is tied for 80th nationally. Defensively, Indiana is tied for #83 nationally with 14 sacks, and they are led by Richardson with 4 quarterback takedowns. They are #114 against the pass, giving up 283 yards/game, and #88 in passer efficiency defense. They are tied for #89 in interceptions with 5 total, led by freshman linebacker Tegray Scales’s (6’0″, 216 lbs.) 2 picks. Bennett has 8 pass breakups after notching 20 last season. The Wolverines had a great deal of success last season against this defense when Gardner set a Michigan record with 503 passing yards, but that included 14 catches and 369 yards from the departed Jeremy Gallon. Nobody else has shown that kind of explosiveness. Michigan should still be able to throw the ball, but this season makes no sense.
Advantage: Indiana


Rush Defense vs. Indiana Rush Offense
The Wolverines had a bad week against Michigan State in their last outing, but they’re still #16 while giving up 109 yards/game. They allow just 3.06 yards/carry, which is #12. Michigan’s leading tackler is Jake Ryan with 68, and fellow linebacker Joe Bolden has 63. Ryan has 10 tackles for loss, while senior defensive end Frank Clark has 9.5. Michigan got overpowered last week by a physical offensive line and a power running back, but this will be a different challenge with a more athletic offensive line and a speedier back. Indiana’s premier player is junior running back Tevin Coleman (6’1″, 210 lbs.), who is the nation’s top runner (170 yards/game) and averages 8.8 yards/carry. Coleman is a slasher who can take it to the house on any given play, and he runs with a little bit of power, too. Senior backup D’Angelo Roberts (5’10”, 207 lbs.) averages a healthy 5.0 yards/carry and has 5 touchdowns on 83 carries. Fifth year senior center Collin Rahrig (6’2″, 285 lbs.) and junior left tackle Jason Spriggs (6’7″, 300 lbs.) were both All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, but Spriggs was carted off the field in Indiana’s last game with an apparent neck injury. Offensive line coach Greg Frey was Michigan’s line coach for three years, and I was impressed with his player development; this will be a solid group, but they’ll be hurting a little bit if Spriggs does not return. Coleman averaged 7 yards/carry against Missouri, 15 yards/carry against Iowa, and 9 yards/carry against Michigan State. If Michigan shuts down the Hoosiers on the ground, it would be a great feat.
Advantage: Indiana


Pass Defense vs. Indiana Pass Offense
Michigan is #41 against the pass (210 yards/game), which is no small feat considering some early struggles and the offense’s inability to keep the defense off the field. They’re #79 in passer efficiency rating defense and tied for #115 in interceptions with just 3, including 2 by sophomore Jourdan Lewis; he also leads the team with 4 pass breakups, which is not a significant number. The corners and linebackers are talented, but the safeties often appear clueless. Michigan is #38 in sacks with 19, led by energetic but limited senior defensive end Brennen Beyer with 4. The linebackers don’t blitz as often as perhaps they should, so that leaves the pass rush up to the defensive linemen, who have 15 of the 19 sacks. The Hoosiers are #114 in passing (170 yards/game) and #108 in passer efficiency rating. Those numbers might get worse, too. Starting quarterback Nate Sudfeld hurt his shoulder, backup Chris Covington tore his ACL, and the job will go to true freshman Zander Diamont (6’1″, 175 lbs.), whom the Hoosiers were hoping to redshirt. In his only action this season, he went 5/15 for 11 yards, plus 10 carries for -12 yards, against Michigan State. If Indiana has a chance to win this game, it’s with the running game. The receivers are led by slot guy Shane Wynn (5’7″, 167 lbs.), a speedy kid averaging 15.7 yards/catch. Senior Nick Stoner (6’1″, 190 lbs.) and freshman J-Shun Harris (5’8″, 180 lbs.) are the other starters, but both are averaging fewer than 10 yards/catch.
Advantage: Michigan


Roster Notes

• The lone Indiana player recruited by Michigan is OG Tim Gardner
• Players from the state of Michigan include Orchard Lake St. Mary’s LB Kenny Arnold and Macomb Dakota OG Bernard Taylor
• Offensive line coach Greg Frey was Michigan’s offensive line coach from 2008-2010 under Rich Rodriguez
• Michigan cornerback Raymon Taylor was committed to Indiana at one point

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Devin Gardner threw for 503 yards, ran for 81 yards, and totaled 5 touchdowns
• Jeremy Gallon caught 14 passes for 369 yards (#2 in FBS history) and 2 touchdowns
• Thomas Gordon made 2 interceptions, and Raymon Taylor broke up 4 passes
• The two teams combined for 1,323 yards of offense, 63 first downs, and 110 points
• Michigan 63, Indiana 47

 Predictions

• Michigan adds 2 interceptions to their season total
• The Wolverines manage a respectable running game with 170 yards
• Tevin Coleman runs 20 times for 160 yards
• Michigan 28, Indiana 21

Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Devin Gardner passed for 503 yards and ran for 81, totaling 5 touchdowns.

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Erik Magnuson. Magnuson started at right guard on Saturday afternoon, and things went fairly well (248 team rushing yards, 7 touchdowns). His body still needs some work, but he’s suited just fine for guard if Michigan is going to run a lot of spread looks. The left guard spot still looks questionable, but I thought Magnuson looked solid for Michigan’s “new look” offense.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Jeremy Jackson. Slot receiver Drew Dileo appeared to have been injured and spent much of the game on the sideline with a headset (why does a slot receiver need a headset?), and Jackson stepped in with 2 catches for 23 yards. I have never been a fan of Jackson, largely because of his lack of speed. Here’s hoping that Dileo comes back for the next game, because he’s a superior target who can run a little bit after the catch.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Jourdan Lewis. Lewis played as a backup cornerback yesterday and ended the day with 5 solo tackles. He was beaten on a long pass, but the coverage was almost perfect. He also nearly had a pick on a late throw by Tre Roberson, tipping it into the hands of safety Thomas Gordon. Michigan might need not need him for a few weeks, but Lewis could be valuable against up-tempo teams like Northwestern.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Channing Stribling. Cornerback Stribling started the game because Michigan spent almost the entire day with at least five defensive backs, moving Blake Countess into the slot. It looked like Stribling blew a coverage on Indiana slot receiver Shane Wynn’s 5-yard touchdown catch, and Stribling also got out-muscled and out-techniqued by Kofi Hughes on a 67-yard touchdown. Instead of leaping with his fingers up to get the ball at its highest point, Stribling tried to cradle the ball into his chest – a high school-level technique issue – and allowed Hughes to come over the top for a catch. The coaches seem to like Stribling more than Lewis, perhaps because of the difference in size and strength; but Lewis seems to be more ready for the speed of the college game.

Play of the game . . . Jeremy Gallon’s first 70-yard catch. In an unbalanced set, quarterback Devin Gardner ran a play fake to the left. As he turned around, Indiana’s backside end came bearing down on him, forcing Gardner to sidearm the throwback to Gallon. Gallon caught it in stride, came inside his block, dodged a couple tacklers, and started racing downfield. Meanwhile, center Graham Glasgow was almost stride for stride with Gallon for about 40 yards before finally realizing that he’s supposed to be slow. Safety Greg Heban eventually chased down Gallon on the right sideline, but it was a pretty play up to that point.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon. I can’t pick just one, so they share the trophy. Without Gallon, Gardner doesn’t have a record-setting day. And without Gardner, Gallon doesn’t have a record-setting day. Take away either one, and this likely would have gone down as a loss. Gardner had the second-best total yardage performance in Big Ten history (503 passing, 81 rushing), set a school record for passing yards, and totaled 5 touchdowns. Gallon had the best receiving yardage total in Big Ten history (369 yards) while catching 14 passes and scoring 2 touchdowns; he also had two 70-yard receptions in one game, similar to Roy Roundtree’s 246-yard performance against Illinois in 2010 in which he had two 75-yarders.