Highlights: Michigan 33, Minnesota 10

Tag: Minnesota


3Nov 2017
Blog, homepage 6 comments

Preview: Michigan vs. Minnesota

RUSH OFFENSE vs. MINNESOTA RUSH DEFENSE

Michigan is up to #38 in rushing offense (193.4 yards/game) and #57 in yards per carry (4.57). Karan Higdon has taken over the leading role with 604 yards and 8 touchdowns on 5.9 yards/carry. Ty Isaac has also run well, but he left last weekend’s game with an injury, and Kareem Walker also left with a sprained ankle. The other top option is Chris Evans (298 yards on 3.9 yards/carry). The offensive line is #19 in Adjusted Line Yards this season. The group has improved noticeably over the past few weeks, particularly in the run game since right tackle Nolan Ulizio was replaced by Juwann Bushell-Beatty. The Gophers are #36 in rushing defense (132.8 yards allowed/game) and #54 in yards allowed per carry (4.12). The leading tackler is middle linebacker Thomas Barber (6’1″, 233 lbs.) with 75 stops, and he’s followed by weakside linebacker Jonathan Celestin (6’1″, 232) with 60 tackles. Barber is #2 on the team in tackles for loss (8.0), topped only by DE/OLB Carter Coughlin (6’4″, 245) and his 8.5 tackles for loss. Minnesota has a solid interior defensive line with nose tackle Steven Richardson (6’0″, 300) and 3-tech Gary Moore (6’4″, 295). The Gophers are solid up front, but Michigan seems to have an upward trend right now that I expect to continue in the running game.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more on this Saturday’s game.

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2Nov 2015
Blog, homepage 10 comments

Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards


Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . 
Drake Johnson. Much like last year, it seems like Drake Johnson (10 carries, 55 yards) is the only guy who can infuse life into the running game right now. For whatever reason, Ty Isaac and Karan Higdon did not participate in Saturday’s game, and Derrick Green (3 carries, 4 yards) is still just a guy. Meanwhile, starter De’Veon Smith (9 carries, 16 yards) is just limping along at this point. I’m unimpressed with Michigan’s options at the position, but there isn’t anyone new coming through the door just yet.

Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.

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1Nov 2015
Blog, homepage 36 comments

Michigan 29, Minnesota 26


That was a great game for Minnesota. If the Gophers were facing almost anyone else, I would have been rooting for them to win. With the recent retirement of Jerry Kill, the frenzied crowd, the excited players, that was a fun game to watch. As a Michigan fan, player, or coach, you had to be wary of the emotions of the game. Some teams totally cave in that situation, and some play out of their minds. Minnesota did the latter. Unfortunately for them – but not for Michigan – I think head coach Tracy Claeys and his staff let the moment get a little too big for them at the end with some questionable game management.

I was closer to being right than I wanted to be. In my game preview (LINK), I predicted “Jake Rudock gets knocked out of the game, Wilton Speight can’t find his helmet, and Shane Morris burns his redshirt to come in and win the game.” Well, hot damn. Rudock did get knocked out of the game, and Shane Morris was warming up on the sideline, but it was Speight – helmet and all – who came in to throw the game-winning touchdown pass. Michigan seemed snake-bitten all game, and at one point late in the game, Michigan was without its starting QB, its starting RB, and its starting TE. I had started to think that it just wasn’t meant to be for the Wolverines on Saturday night.

Hit the jump for the remainder of the recap.

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30Oct 2015
Blog, homepage 11 comments

Preview: Michigan at Minnesota


I hate to say it, but football season is kicking my ass. Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day, and that goes for every day lately. So by necessity, here’s an abbreviated preview of Saturday’s game against Minnesota (7:00 p.m. on ESPN).

RUSH OFFENSE VS. MINNESOTA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan: #49 in yardage (181 yards/game), #57 in average (4.44 yards/carry)
Leading rushers: De’Veon Smith (436 yards, 4.5 yards/carry, 4 TD) and Ty Isaac (205 yards, 6.8 yards/carry, 1 TD)
Minnesota: #53 in yardage (151 yards/game), #45 in average (3.9 yards/carry)
Leading tacklers: S Antonio Johnson (48 tackles), LB Cody Poock (45 tackles)

PASS OFFENSE VS. MINNESOTA PASS DEFENSE
Michigan: #98 in yardage (186 yards/game), #96 in passer rating (117.46)
Leading passer: Jake Rudock (61.7%, 1303 yards, 5 touchdowns, 6 interceptions)
Leading receivers: WR Amara Darboh (28 catches, 332 yards, 2 TD), TE Jake Butt (23 catches, 278 yards, 1 TD)
Minnesota: #18 in yardage (177 yards/game), #21 in passer rating (107.92)
Leading defenders: DT Steven Richardson (3.5 sacks), CB Jalen Myrick (3 interceptions)

RUSH DEFENSE VS. MINNESOTA RUSH OFFENSE
Michigan: #2 in yardage (65 yards/game), #2 in average (2.14 yards/carry)
Leading tacklers: LB Desmond Morgan (44 tackles), LB Joe Bolden (40 tackles)
Minnesota: #85 in yardage (157 yards/game), #77 in average (4.11 yards/carry)
Leading rushers: Rodney Smith (467 yards, 4.1 yards/carry, 1 TD) and Shannon Brooks (316 yards, 7.0 yards/carry, 3 TD)

PASS DEFENSE VS. MINNESOTA PASS OFFENSE
Michigan: #4 in yardage (146 yards/game), #1 in passer rating (85.42)
Leading defenders: DT Willie Henry (6 sacks), CB Jourdan Lewis (14 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown)
Minnesota: #95 in yardage (194 yards/game), #106 in passer rating (113.31)
Leading passer: Mitch Leidner (59.2%, 1310 yards, 7 touchdowns, 6 interceptions)
Leading receivers: WR K.J. Maye (33 catches, 350 yards, 3 TD), WR Drew Wolitarsky (26 catches, 297 yards, 1 TD)

ROSTER NOTES

  • Players recruited by Michigan: RB Jeff Jones, OT Jonah Pirsig
  • Players from the state of Michigan: WR Ray Buford, RB Berkley Edwards, P Jacob Herbers, S Dior Johnson, TE Bryce Witham
  • RB Berkley Edwards (5 carries, 29 yards) is the son of former Michigan RB Stan Edwards and the brother of former Michigan WR Braylon Edwards

LAST TIME THEY PLAYED . . .

  • Concussiongate happened, yet somehow Minnesota DE Theiren Cockran didn’t get penalized for targeting
  • Inexplicably, Shane Morris started over Devin Gardner and went 7/19 for 49 yards, 0 touchdowns, and a pick-six
  • Will Hagerup averaged 50 yards/punt on eight attempts
  • De’Veon Smith and Devin Gardner each scored a rushing touchdown
  • Jerry Kill was still the head coach for the Gophers

PREDICTIONS

  • Jarrod Wilson makes his first interception of the year
  • Ian Bunting scores his first career touchdown
  • Jake Rudock gets knocked out of the game, Wilton Speight can’t find his helmet, and Shane Morris burns his redshirt to come in and win the game
  • Michigan 24, Minnesota 13