12Mar 2016
De’Veon Smith
Projected RB starter: Senior De’Veon Smith. Smith is not the most dynamic back, but he does possess the toughness Jim Harbaugh wants in a running back. Last season he led the team in rushing yards (753) and touchdowns (6), despite having the lowest yards per carry on the team (4.18). However, he did end the season on a strong note with 25 carries for 109 yards against a pretty good Florida defense.
Departures: Rising senior Derrick Green decided to transfer, although his destination is not yet known. Florida is one possibility, where former Michigan offensive coordinator holds the same position. Green was the team’s sixth-leading rusher last season. Redshirt junior Ross Taylor-Douglas managed just 1.8 yards/carry last year and announced that he would be transferring to Rutgers.
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Michigan suffered a big loss with Mario Ojemudia’s injury.
Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Drake Johnson. Johnson looked a little slow in the first half, and I do think he has lost a half-step or a step since last year. I guess that happens sometimes when you tear an ACL, especially for the second time. His best asset before the injury was his speed, and he also showed pretty good vision last year. But once he caught the screen pass for a 31-yard touchdown, he seemed to find his confidence a little bit. He finished the game with 13 carries for 68 yards and 1 touchdown, plus the touchdown catch. He should probably be the #2 guy going forward.
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Drake Johnson
Ty Isaac thud. I was very disappointed in running back Ty Isaac’s performance. As the second-string running back, he got a chance to start this game since De’Veon Smith was injured and stayed home. He promptly fumbled twice (losing one) on his way to a 6-carry, 17-yard performance. He was not seen after the second fumble except on special teams. In addition to the fumble, Isaac extended a drive by roughing the punter. He had a chance to stake his claim as the potential starting running back, and he literally fumbled away the opportunity, putting the ball on the ground 33% of the time. Welcome to third- or fourth-string, Ty. You just lost your job to Drake Johnson.
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Jourdan Lewis
Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Ty Isaac. This is not a new refrain for me, but it’s worth repeating. I think Isaac is the most talented back on the roster, and while his best career game did come against UNLV – which is not a quality opponent – it’s important to note that starter De’Veon Smith didn’t perform very well, either (13 carries, 33 yards). Meanwhile, Isaac had 8 carries for 114 yards and 1 score. Take away his 76-yard touchdown run, and he still ran 7 times for 38 yards (5.4 yards/carry). As things stand right now, Smith is averaging 3.9 yards/carry and Isaac is at 8.9, while Derrick Green sits at 3.5 and Drake Johnson has 5.2. Yards per carry is not the only measurement of a running back, but his primary job is to gain yards on the ground. Smith has 53 attempts this year, while Isaac has only 18. That’s too much of an imbalance.
Hit the jump for the rest of the awards for this week.
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