Tag: Taylor Lewan

Preview: Michigan vs. Iowa

Iowa running back Adam Robinson averages 96 yards a game rushing.

I haven’t had time this week for a full preview, so this is going to be fairly brief.

Rush Offense vs. Iowa Rush Defense
Iowa has the #2 rush defense in the country.  Michigan has the #6 rush offense.  Something has to give.  I’ll bet that Michigan runs for more than 63.2 yards (Iowa’s average), but Denard Robinson won’t be getting 200 yards against the Hawkeyes.  I like Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan as a football player, but Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn is probably going to eat him alive.  Still, Iowa hasn’t played a team yet that has a great running game.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Iowa Pass Defense
Iowa is #28 in pass defense (179 yards a game), but #10 in pass efficiency defense.  I have a feeling that Denard Robinson is going to continue struggling in the passing game this week, because Iowa should be able to get a pass rush and harass him.  If Iowa’s defense can corral him with their front four, then Iowa’s back seven should be able to confuse Robinson and force him into some turnovers.
Advantage: Iowa

Rush Defense vs. Iowa Rush Offense
Iowa running back Adam Robinson is averaging 96 yards a game.  His backups are somewhat meaningless, but the starter averages 4.9 yards per attempt and Michigan can’t stop the run very well.  The game won’t be won on the ground by Iowa, but they should be able to pick up some yards in chunks, especially if nose tackle Mike Martin’s sprained ankle slows him down.  Reports indicate that middle linebacker Kenny Demens might get significant playing time, so perhaps there’s some hope for improvement against the run.
Advantage: Iowa

Pass Defense vs. Iowa Pass Defense
I’ve never been very impressed with Ricky Stanzi, but he’s doing well so far this year.  He’s thrown 10 touchdowns compared to only 2 interceptions.  Meanwhile, Iowa has a couple big play receivers in Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (15.9 yards a catch) and Marvin McNutt (18.3).  Those could be killer combinations for a Wolverines secondary that ranks #119 in the country against the pass.
Advantage: Iowa

Final Predictions

• Denard Robinson throws two interceptions but breaks a 60-yard run.
• We see more of the backup running backs than we did last week.
• Ricky Stanzi throws a stupid interception like the gimme he tossed to Donovan Warren last year.
• Cameron Gordon gets beaten up the seam by a tight end.
• Iowa 28, Michigan 24

Michigan vs. UMass Awards

Michael Shaw

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Taylor Lewan.  Lewan entered the game in the second half, filling in at left tackle for Mark Huyge.  Lewan played extremely well and had a few pancake blocks.  The thing I liked most about him coming out of high school was that he blocks through the echo of the whistle, and that was evident on Saturday.  I didn’t see a single missed blocking assignment, unless you count a sweep to the offense’s right and the OLB blitzed around the edge.  Lewan didn’t touch him, but the blitz took the defender out of the play, anyway.  This is Michigan’s left tackle of the future, and the future might not be too distant.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Vincent Smith.  He’s averaging 3.4 yards per carry, and that’s including his 11 carries for 42 yards (3.8 ypc) against an overmatched UMass defense.  Despite the fact that Michael Shaw had runs of 34 and 50 yards (Smith’s season long is 13), the diminutive Smith got only one less carry (11) than Shaw (12).  I honestly don’t understand Rich Rodriguez’s insistence on getting Smith so many snaps.  He’s not a productive running back.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . an edge pass rusher.  Michigan is not adjusting well to the 3-3-5 defense.  Despite having two potentially solid replacements for Brandon Graham at the 5-tech defensive end spot (Ryan Van Bergen, Craig Roh), Rich Rodriguez and his staff have been employing a 3-3-5 stack most of the time.  The Wolverines have two sacks this season (one from Thomas Gordon, one from Mike Martin) against teams that have thrown the ball a great deal (111 pass attempts in 3 games, an average of 37 per game).  The competition level will only get better once Michigan reaches the Big Ten season, and I’m guessing Big Ten quarterbacks are licking their chops.  Big yards without getting pressured?  Yes, please!

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Jordan Kovacs.  Before you get bent out of shape, read the rest of the entry.  It’s not that Kovacs is doing a bad job, and I don’t want him benched permanently.  But if Marvin Robinson is healthy this week against Bowling Green (he missed the UMass game due to a shoulder injury), then I’d like to see what Robinson can do on defense.  I don’t think Kovacs is the long-term answer at Bandit, although he’s probably the best guy for the position right now.  Kovacs could be part of a decent defense, but if Michigan’s going to be an elite team in the next couple years, I think he needs to be replaced.

MVP of the UMass game . . . Michael Shaw.  One reason that Shaw was able to run for 126 yards on 12 carries and score 3 touchdowns was because of the threat of Denard Robinson.  So while it’s tempting to pick Robinson again, Shaw was the most explosive player on the field Saturday.  He had a 34-yard touchdown run and added a 50-yarder.  Even if you take those two big runs out of the equation, Shaw had 42 yards on 10 carries, which is still a solid average of 4.2 yards per carry.

Unsung Hero of the UMass game . . . Kelvin Grady.  He earned a lot of hype during fall practices, but he hadn’t done much this year until Saturday.  Grady had a nice over-the-shoulder catch of 43 yards and a 15-yard run on an end around.  Grady’s not going to get the ball a ton, but he has the ability to make big plays because of all the other homerun threats around him.

2010 Countdown: #28 Taylor Lewan

Name: Taylor Lewan
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 283 lbs.
High school: Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, AZ
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #77
Last year: I ranked him #79 and said he’d redshirt. He redshirted.

Lewan came in last year and was in the 270 lb. range. He was a highly touted prospect by the end of the recruiting cycle, shooting up the charts after switching to offensive tackle from defensive end. His high school highlights are chock-full of him blocking fools until the echo echo echo of the whistle. Despite incredible talent, that lack of size prevented him from competing for playing time last year. But reports from practice said that defensive players hated playing against him because he’s nasty and never stops blocking. Among others, he and Greg Banks got into a scuffle when Banks took umbrage at some of Lewan’s tactics.

Naturally slotted at left tackle, Lewan will battle senior Perry Dorrestein for playing time. According to a source, it’s Dorrestein’s spot to lose, although Perry has been fighting a back injury for several months. There’s also a chance that Lewan will outperform him in fall camp to win the starting job. It’s bound to be a battle to the end, but I’m giving the edge to Dorrestein for now. Lewan is ranked this highly because a) he’s nearly neck-and-neck with the “starter”, b) injuries are common on the offensive line, and c) starting tackles Dorrestein and Mark Huyge could slide inside to guard if Patrick Omameh or Steve Schilling gets hurt.

Prediction for 2010: Backup left tackle, spot starter

2009 Countdown: #79 Taylor Lewan