Tag: Jabrill Peppers

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.

Michigan vs. Notre Dame Awards

Devin Funchess

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Khalid Hill. Hill has been a pleasant surprise this year, and while he hasn’t been a huge contributor, he made 1 catch for 9 yards where he broke a tackle, and he also had a crushing block in the open field. Hill seemed like a smooth pass catcher coming out of high school, but he looks bigger and is playing more physically than I think was expected in his redshirt freshman year. I think Michigan may have found a pretty good sleeper in this one.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. If the line isn’t opening holes, then I think De’Veon Smith should be getting more carries. Green actually ran harder than I thought he did last week, but he made one confusingly bad cutback when he should have gone to the front side, and he just doesn’t have the same power as Smith. I still think Green is the more explosive player, but this line doesn’t create enough room for that to matter much.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Jabrill Peppers. Peppers rolled his ankle against Appalachian State, so he wasn’t able to play against Notre Dame. I think that may have had a huge effect on this game. Peppers is a playmaker with his speed and hitting ability, and it seemed like Notre Dame was picking on replacement Delonte Hollowell. I think Hollowell is a decent backup, a solid tackler, and someone you can throw in there in dime packages or for short stretches. But if you’re counting on him to be nearly a full-time guy as your nickel corner, that’s going to be an issue. Hopefully Peppers gets healthy soon.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Channing Stribling. Once again I’m addressing the cornerback position, but I just don’t think Stribling has “it” yet. He doesn’t have great recovery speed, he’s not particularly physical, and he just doesn’t make any plays. He let Corey Robinson beat him on a skinny post for a 22-yard gain, and Stribling had a bead on a quick screen but proceeded to biff the tackle. The lack of healthy corners (Peppers and Raymon Taylor were both injured) forced Stribling into the game, but Michigan just needs to get healthy at the corner position.

Play of the game . . . why must I choose? There’s almost nothing to pick. Michigan didn’t score or create any turnovers. The only sack they notched was a snap over the quarterback’s head. I guess I’ll have to go with Devin Funchess’s 33-yard catch over top of cornerback Cody Riggs’s head down the right sideline. Whoopee.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Funchess and Jake Ryan. I thought both players had good games. Funchess (9 catches, 107 yards) was every bit the mismatch problem we expected, and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier moved him around to prevent the defense from keying on him. I also liked that he made an attempt to re-enter the game after getting hurt. Ryan made 11 tackles and was flying all over the place to stop the run. I could have done without his 15-yard penalty for hitting Everett Golson late, but the game was out of hand by then, anyway.

Michigan 52, Appalachian State 14

Devin Funchess had three of these touchdowns on the day (image via Fansided)

The Doug Nussmeier Effect: Quarterbacks.

 Yes, it was only newly minted FBS team Appalachian State, but starting quarterback Devin Gardner looked about as good as possible. He was 13/14 for 173 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions; he also ran 5 times for 9 yards. Best of all, he made good decisions and his only miss was a laser that fell harmlessly to the turf behind a crossing receiver. I think Nussmeier will use him more often as a runner as the game and situation dictate, but there’s no need to get him banged up in a blowout against ASU. Backup Shane Morris (3/5, 37 yards, 1 interception) looked a little shaky, especially on a comeback throw that never should have been released and got picked off by an undercutting corner. That’s now 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions thrown in his career.

The Doug Nussmeier Effect: Running Game. Opponent caveats apply, but Michigan struggled early before quickly finding a rhythm. The combo blocks looked cleaner and the offensive line looked crisper than they did at almost any time last year. The running backs combined for 31 carries, 345 yards, and 3 touchdowns. The inside zone run seemed ineffective at times because Michigan couldn’t get a great push. That’s a Nussmeier favorite, so they will surely continue to work on that play. Interestingly, Michigan’s revamped power play seems to have improved, even though that was a supposed staple of Al Borges’s offense and not considered to be a Nussmeier specialty. Perhaps Appalachian State was surprised, or maybe Michigan just executed the power really well in game one.

The Doug Nussmeier Effect: Running Backs. I would have to go back and check to be sure, but it seemed like Michigan really struggled early when they tried to run inside zone. Derrick Green (15 carries, 170 yards, 1 touchdown) got the first series of snaps, and his vision has always been somewhat questionable; those carries did not go well. When he returned to the game, Nussmeier ran power with him. Green hit the hole hard and did well. Meanwhile, for whatever reason(s), De’Veon Smith (8 carries, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns) seemed to get a little better blocking on inside zone plays, and his vision paid off with some nice runs. Green is leaner and quicker than last year, and Smith is what we thought he was. When the offensive line opens holes, they are capable of making some things happen. Drake Johnson (3 carries, 28 yards), Justice Hayes (4 carries, 23 yards), and Wyatt Shallman (1 carry, 5 yards) got some run late in the game, but Green and Smith clearly seem to be the top two options.

Devin Funchess is wearing the #1 jersey. Funchess is the first Michigan player to wear the #1 jersey since Braylon Edwards in 2004. Brady Hoke said that Funchess asked to wear it, so perhaps that’s the difference, but it seems odd to me that he was given the jersey while previous standout Jeremy Gallon was not. Gallon had the same number of catches (49) and more yards (829 to 748) in his redshirt junior year than Funchess as a sophomore, and you could tell he was in for a big year because of his connection with Gardner. Gallon, of course, ended up setting receiver records last year. Regardless, Funchess looked very good on Saturday (7 catches, 95 yards, 3 touchdowns) and has the talent to fill the shoulder pads of the #1 jersey.

At least nobody can say Michigan sold out. Because they didn’t. The announced attendance was 106,811, which is the 252nd straight game of over 100,000 fans.

Freshman redshirts got burned. Reasonably this time! The only true freshmen to play in the game against Appalachian State were Freddy Canteen, Mason Cole, Bryan Mone, and Jabrill Peppers. This would be excellent news if it holds up, because that means Michigan can save some of its highly touted recruits all the way until they’re 22 or 23 years old. I do believe that a couple more freshmen might play this season, especially weakside end Lawrence Marshall.

How ’bout that tight pass coverage? It was pretty tight. Michigan didn’t make any picks, but they broke up three passes and came up to tackle well. Jourdan Lewis is as sticky as they come, and he’s just a backup. I thought new safety Jeremy Clark looked pretty good in Delano Hill’s absence.

How ’bout that defensive line? When it comes to the defensive line, I actually don’t think we learned much. If the quarterback held the ball for longer than the play was designed for, he was usually getting hit. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, that wasn’t often. Pretty much every defensive lineman bulled his way into the backfield based on sheer size and strength against an overmatched and small-ish offensive line. Appalachian State had some repeated success on their shotgun inside zone play, which also worked well for Indiana and some other teams last year. Michigan might have been able to stop it if there had been a point to do so. But really, if you’re whooping a team’s butt on the scoreboard and they want to run the ball to deplete the clock, there’s not a huge incentive to sell out for stopping that play.

JABRILL PEPPERS. Peppers made 1 nice tackle, dove to make a fair catch on a punt, and returned 1 punt for 6 yards. Then he left the game with a bum ankle. It did not look serious, and Brady Hoke agrees with the first clause of this sentence. He should be back for next week.

The offensive line can’t get any worse than last year. I agree. I really think last year’s offensive line would have still struggled to churn out yards on the ground like they did in this game. Appalachian State nose tackle Tyson Fernandez (6’2″, 330 lbs.) was a load in the middle, and defensive end Ronald Blair (6’4″, 275 lbs.) didn’t seem too shabby, either. Blair overpowered freshman left tackle Mason Cole on an inside move to sack Gardner, and defensive end Odawala Dada (6’0″, 235 lbs.) successfully juked guard Kyle Kalis on his way to a quarterback hurry. Otherwise, it was rare to see an offensive lineman beaten cleanly. There were some frustrating stalemates, and there will be plenty more – along with outright whoopings – to come this year. Michigan’s line never coagulated last year, but even if a little less talented, this group is going to be better.

2014 Season Predictions

Devin Gardner

Here’s a link (LINK) to a review of my 2013 season predictions if you like to look into the past.

As for the future, here we go:

Leading Rusher
I’m backtracking a little bit here. It seemed like De’Veon Smith was getting a little more hype at the beginning of the summer, but now Brady Hoke is saying that Derrick Green would be getting the first carry against Appalachian State. I have always thought that Green had more upside because of his superior speed, so hopefully the line can block well enough to get him to the second or third level.
Prediction: Green, 700 yards

Leading Receiver
The best receiver on the team is clearly Devin Funchess, and I think this is a pretty obvious pick, barring injury. The only real question appears to be whether he’ll break the 1,000-yard barrier. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier likes to run the ball, and he seems to like to spread out the ball among his receivers.
Prediction: Funchess, 950 yards

Leading Tackler
Michigan rotates linebackers a lot, so I don’t think the tackle totals for any one player will be astronomical. It looks like Desmond Morgan will rotate in with both Joe Bolden and Jake Ryan, and the combination of James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone looks pretty neck-and-neck right now, too. Throw in a dose of Ben Gedeon, and nobody racks up the tackles. Last year’s leading tackler was cornerback Raymon Taylor, but Michigan’s tighter coverage will hopefully prevent as many completions in front of the corners.
Prediction: Ryan, 75 tackles

Hit the jump for the rest of the predictions.

Leading Sacker
Strongside end Brennen Beyer has never been much of a pass rusher, and the edge rushing of Jake Ryan is not as much of a threat with Michigan’s move to the Over front. I think the clear selection here is weakside end Frank Clark, who turned on the jets in the second half of 2013.
Prediction: Clark, 8 sacks

Leading Interceptor

Tighter man seems to lead to more picks for safeties, because they play over the top of quarterbacks trying to fit balls into tight windows, and the safeties get some bounces, too. I’m tempted to pick Jarrod Wilson for that reason, but I’ll stick with First Team All-Big Ten selection Blake Countess, who had 6 picks last year.
Prediction: Countess, 5 interceptions

All-Big Ten First Team
Prediction: Devin Gardner, Jake Ryan, Blake Countess

Leading Scorer (non-QB, non-kicker)
Nobody seems likely to pile up touchdown after touchdown, so I’ll choose Funchess here.
Prediction: Funchess

Breakout Offensive Player
Michigan will probably continue to struggle to run the ball, although I do expect the running game to improve a little. Derrick Green looks like a good choice, but I might wait until 2015 for him, once the offensive line has some experience and age. Instead, I’ll go with a guy who has been playing quite a bit on special teams but appears #1 on the depth chart at slot receiver. I have some questions about Dennis Norfleet’s hands, but he could be a dynamo in the slot if he can catch some short passes and get into space. He won’t light the world on fire, but he could be fun to watch.
Prediction: Norfleet

Breakout Defensive Player
This is a very difficult choice, because I think several players are going to take large steps forward this season. I think Jarrod Wilson will turn into the ball hawk that Michigan fans have been looking for at the safety position. I also think Willie Henry is going to be very tough for opponents to handle at the 3-tech position. I don’t like to do this, but I’ll go with the bandwagon pick in freshman Jabrill Peppers. The nickel corner position is involved in a lot of different things, and Peppers seems like a guy who’s quick/strong enough to blitz effective, speedy enough to cover, and stout enough to stop the run.
Prediction: Peppers

Most Disappointing Offensive Player
Michigan fans want big things from the offensive line, but I don’t think they’ll get them with Ben Braden at right tackle. He’s huge, but I think he’s still a year or two away from actually being good. He’s stiff in pass protection and teams are going to confuse him with stunts. The left side looks to me like the strong side.
Prediction: Braden

Most Disappointing Defensive Player
I think Michigan fans are going to be disappointed in Ondre Pipkins by the end of the year. He was a 5-star recruit (to ESPN), but he’s coming off an ACL tear and didn’t look great before the injury. It would have been beneficial for him to redshirt either this year or last, but the injury came too late in the season to apply for a medical scholarship in 2013.
Prediction: Pipkins

The Big Finish
August 30 vs. Appalachian State: WIN. Michigan has some extra incentive, since . . . you know . . . that thing happened in 2007.

September 6 at Notre Dame: WIN. Notre Dame is going through some turmoil, probably missing some starters, moving to a different defense, and a little overrated, in my opinion.

September 13 vs. Miami (OH): WIN. The RedHawks went 0-12 last year. Yikes.

September 20 vs. Utah: WIN. This might be a close game, but I think Michigan will pull it out.

September 27 vs. Minnesota: WIN. The Gophers scare me a little bit this season, and they have been improving. I’ll stick with the Wolverines since the game is in Ann Arbor.

October 4 at Rutgers: WIN. If nothing else, Michigan will win this with their defense. I can see this type of game being frustrating for Michigan offensively.

October 11 vs. Penn State: WIN. I think the Nittany Lions might be another year away from being very good, so Michigan wins it because the game is in Ann Arbor.

October 25 at Michigan State: LOSS. Michigan’s offensive line woes will once again frustrate Michigan, but this is a game I could see coming down to the final play.

November 1 vs. Indiana: WIN. Practicing against a little more up-tempo offense might help Michigan’s defense against the Hoosiers, and they also lost quarterback Tre Roberson to transfer.

November 8 at Northwestern: WIN. Northwestern is stout up the middle on defense, but Michigan can beat them on the edges. And the losses of quarterback Kain Colter and running back Venric Mark do not bode well for the Wildcats’ chances.

November 22 vs. Maryland: WIN. I think Michigan has the athletes to match up with Maryland’s wide receivers, who are dangerous nonetheless.

November 29 at Ohio State: LOSS. The addition of Larry Johnson as the defensive line coach in Columbus is the clincher for me in this one. I feel like the Buckeyes will be able to control the line of scrimmage, and the game is in the terrible state of Ohio.

Final record: 10-2.

2014 Season Countdown: #23 Jabrill Peppers

Jabrill Peppers

Name: Jabrill Peppers
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 202 lbs.
High school: Paramus (NJ) Catholic
Position: Defensive back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #5
Last year: Peppers was a senior in high school. He had 57 tackles and 4 interceptions.
Final TTB Rating: 100

With the vast amounts of recruiting coverage these days – four major websites, nationally televised all-star games, nationally televised workouts and touch football, and numerous blogs including this one – it’s only natural that recruiting hype surpasses that of which occurred five or more years ago. Inflation even taken into account, Peppers might be the most hyped recruit in Michigan history. His high school games were nationally televised, his announcement was nationally televised, and I even had a defensive back the other day say he wanted to be like Jabrill Peppers. Just for a refresher course on his ratings as a prospect, let’s take a look:

ESPN: 5-star, #1 cornerback, #2 overall
Rivals: 5-star, #1 cornerback, #3 overall
Scout: 5-star, #1 cornerback, #3 overall
247 Sports: 5-star, #1 athlete, #4 overall

During the Rivals era (since 2002), Peppers is Michigan’s highest-ranked commit. Next is quarterback Ryan Mallett (#4 in 2007) and then linebacker Prescott Burgess (#6 in 2003).

As for his accomplishments on the field, Peppers and his Don Bosco team won state championships when he was a freshman and sophomore. Then he transferred to Paramus Catholic prior to his junior year, where he and his team won state championships when he was a junior and senior. As one might expect, he was a do-it-all player at Paramus Catholic, where he played quarterback, running back, receiver, cornerback, safety, and returner. He did them all well. He was an Under Armour All-American. And by the way, he won the state championship in the 100 meters with a time of 10.52 seconds and holds the state record in the 200 meters with a time of 20.79 seconds.

What should we expect from him on the field in 2014? Nobody really has a clue. Head coach Brady Hoke insists they’ll start him off as a nickel corner. Jabrill Peppers has reportedly told people he’ll play safety. Hoke doesn’t want to give him too much responsibility right off the bat. Peppers has said that he’ll do whatever the coaches ask, but that he’s looking forward to being used on both sides of the ball at some point. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that he will be given a chance to return kickoffs and punts, but will he beat out incumbent Dennis Norfleet for the kick return job? Can he nab the punt return job from the guys jostling to replace Jeremy Gallon?

The best way for me to go about predicting his season is to break it down position-by-position:

Kickoff return: Peppers will be out there alongside Dennis Norfleet from week one.
Punt return: The coaches will play it safe with a more experienced player (Norfleet, Jourdan Lewis, Blake Countess) to start the year. Peppers might get a chance depending on how sure-handed those guys are.
Wide receiver: Peppers will start seeing some offensive snaps midway through the season.
Slot corner: Peppers will get his feet wet as the fourth cornerback behind Countess, Lewis, and Raymon Taylor. By the end of the season, he will be starting at . . .
Strong safety: Peppers’s playmaking ability is too difficult to keep off the field, and Delano Hill/Dymonte Thomas aren’t exactly established veterans themselves.

Let’s once again enjoy his senior highlights: