Michigan 63, Hawaii 3

Tag: Mike McCray


3Sep 2016
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Michigan 63, Hawaii 3

Chris Evans 318x

Chris Evans was the star of the show (image via MLive)

I’m still in the same place I was with Wilton Speight. I have confidence that Jim Harbaugh can pick the right quarterback, so I believe Speight is the best guy for this team. However, I’m still not in love with Speight as a guy who can take this team to the next level. He started off the game with a bootleg on which he tried to dump the ball over the head of the flat defender, which ended with an interception. Okay, fine. No real harm done, but it was an inauspicious beginning to the Wilton Speight Era. By the end of the game, Speight was 10/13 for 145 yards, 3 touchdowns, and the 1 interception. Hawaii didn’t make it difficult, and Speight mostly made the right throws to the right guys. He did make another mistake when he hung a deep ball short that was intended for Darboh, but a spectacular interception turned into an incompletion when the safety couldn’t hold on. On the plus side, Speight threw a nice corner route to Grant Perry for the first TD, and he bought some time outside of the pocket to redirect Maurice Ways for a 20-yard catch. Otherwise, it was a pretty ho-hum day for a Michigan QB against an overmatched opponent.



Hit the jump for more takeaways from Saturday’s blowout of Hawaii.

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22Aug 2016
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2016 Season Countdown: #19 Mike McCray II

Mike McCray II

Name: Mike McCray II
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 248 lbs.
High school: Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #8
Last year: I ranked McCray #32 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He did not play at all due to injury.

Going into his fourth year, Michigan’s presumed starter at WILL linebacker has only played in eleven football games during his career. He redshirted in 2013, played some in 2014, and then missed all of 2015. His most noteworthy moment so far in a limited career was when he blocked a punt against Appalachian State in 2014, allowing fellow inside linebacker Ben Gedeon to return it for a touchdown. Last year a recurring shoulder injury held him out for the year, and Michigan’s linebacker play was questionable. It’s not clear whether he would have been a step up, but he would have at least provided competition.

Now there isn’t a ton of competition. Four senior linebackers departed, and the starting linebackers are the only linebackers who have ever stepped on the field in college. With Gedeon starting in the middle and Jabrill Peppers starting at SAM, that’s a pretty experienced duo. McCray, on the other hand, played mostly on special teams when he did see the field. He has bulked up to nearly 248 lbs. to handle the run-stuffing duties on the inside, while Michigan recruited a shorter, quicker backup for the WILL spot in Devin Bush, Jr. I expect Bush to spell McCray at times, and McCray would probably slide over to MIKE if anything were to happen to Gedeon. McCray did a nice job of tackling and stuffing the run in the spring, and he was decent in pass coverage coming out of high school a few years ago. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and be a pleasant surprise for the Wolverines in 2016.

Prediction: Starting WILL linebacker; 60 tackles

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2Apr 2016
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Spring Game Observations

Ty Isaac 806x

Ty Isaac beat Jabrill Peppers to the edge for a long gain (image via MLive)

QUARTERBACK
After watching Brandon Peters last week and now this week, I have very high hopes for him. He’s not ready yet, but he’s adjusting to the college game quickly and is a good athlete. I think he has the highest upside on the team. I still think it’s a neck-and-neck battle between Speight and O’Korn. I want O’Korn to win the job because I think he has better athletic skills and you can do more things with his legs, but it’s a tough choice. (Yes, I realize Speight scored a TD on a naked bootleg, but the guy he burned was walk-on linebacker Jack Dunaway. Also, I’ve seen Peyton Manning score on a similar play, and Manning is nobody’s idea of a mobile QB.)

RUNNING BACK
I’ve said it for a long time, but Isaac was the best runner on the field. He finished with 10 carries for 78 yards, including two long runs. He was also running behind an offensive line that included mostly backups, freshman left tackle Grant Newsome, and center Mason Cole. He’s not without flaws (for example, he doesn’t have the same angry fervor as De’Veon Smith when trying to break tackles), but Isaac looks improved from last year. Kareem Walker looked decent, though the competition he shined most against were walk-ons. Kingston Davis recovered enough from last week’s undisclosed injury to notch a couple carries, but he didn’t have a lot of room to run; he looks like a truck, but he probably needs to shed a few pounds. Of the fullbacks, I’m not in love with Henry Poggi because he’s just not a guy who’s a threat with the ball in his hands. I really like Khalid Hill there, and I think Bobby Henderson can be a Kerridge-like player (though I’m not sure about his hands yet).

Hit the jump for the rest of the position-by-position rundowns.

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31Mar 2016
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5 Defensive Players to Watch in Michigan’s Spring Game

Mike McCray 792x

LB Mike McCray II

Michigan held some open practices in Florida and another at Ford Field last Saturday, but for many, the spring game will be the first opportunity to see the Wolverines in person or at least in action. I posted some notes on the defense earlier this week (LINK), and here are the top five defensive players I’ll be watching at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night:

LB/S Jabrill Peppers
It’s no surprise that Peppers would be first on my list. He might not be Michigan’s best defensive player, but his athletic abilities outstrip those of everyone else on the team. Peppers spent most of his time doing drills at SAM linebacker last Saturday at Ford Field, but when the Wolverines lined up for scrimmage action, he also played safety. The 6’1″, 208-pounder will line up at the line of scrimmage in a 9-technique, over slot receivers, or back deep in coverage. There’s reason to believe he will be a big-time playmaker, so prepare to be impressed when things go live.

Hit the jump for four more players to watch.

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31Mar 2016
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5 Defensive Players to Watch in Michigan’s Spring Game

Mike McCray 792x

LB Mike McCray II

Michigan held some open practices in Florida and another at Ford Field last Saturday, but for many, the spring game will be the first opportunity to see the Wolverines in person or at least in action. I posted some notes on the defense earlier this week (LINK), and here are the top five defensive players I’ll be watching at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night:

LB/S Jabrill Peppers
It’s no surprise that Peppers would be first on my list. He might not be Michigan’s best defensive player, but his athletic abilities outstrip those of everyone else on the team. Peppers spent most of his time doing drills at SAM linebacker last Saturday at Ford Field, but when the Wolverines lined up for scrimmage action, he also played safety. The 6’1″, 208-pounder will line up at the line of scrimmage in a 9-technique, over slot receivers, or back deep in coverage. There’s reason to believe he will be a big-time playmaker, so prepare to be impressed when things go live.

Hit the jump for four more players to watch.

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