It wasn't done in the prettiest of ways, but the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (10-1, 8-0) were able to hold off the Indiana Hoosiers (5-6, 2-6) beating them 31-20 on Saturday evening in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Shea Patterson had 250 yards and a touchdown through the air and 68 yards on 10 carries. Karan Higdon took 21 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Zach Gentry led the team with two receptions for 83 yards. This was the last home game for many of Michigan's players including Chase Winovich, Karan Higdon and Tyree Kinnel. Underclassmen players like Devin Bush and Rashan Gary, may leave school early to go to the draft. The Wolverines got the ball to start the game and got on the board immediately with a field goal by Jake Moody who replaced the usual starter Quinn Nordin. He would go on to make all of his six field goal attempts, a Michigan program record. The Hoosiers would answer two drives later with a touchdown run by running back Stevie Scott to go up 7-3. The Wolverines added two more field goals from Moody and Indiana added one of their own to make it 10-9. Michigan finally added a touchdown thanks when Shea Patterson found Nick Eubanks over the middle for a touchdown. The team would miss a two-point conversion on the next play. Once the Hoosiers got the ball back they would march 75 yards on nine plays to make it a 17-15 game. The maize and blue drove all the way to the Indiana 3-yard line with seconds left in the half. Shea Patterson found Sean McKeon at the Indiana 2-yard line who was tackled in bounds so that the clock kept moving. The Wolverines tried to get one more play off and score, but they ran out of time and went into halftime down 17-15. In the second half, the Wolverines held the Hoosiers to a three and out. Once they got the ball back they charged down the field and took the lead back thanks to Karan Higdon's 2-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, they would add on another field goal. The Hoosiers got the ball with 2:37 left in the game with a chance to stay alive. Indiana got all the way to their own 44 yard line before the Wolverines forced a turnover on downs, giving the maize and blue a win in their last home game of the season. The Hoosiers have still yet to beat Michigan since 1987. They haven't won in Michigan Stadium since 1967. Next week, Michigan will travel to Columbus, Ohio to face the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that will determine who wins the Big Ten East.
0 Comments
Though it wasn't the prettiest of performances, the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (9-1, 7-0) kept on rolling last Saturday with a 42-7 win over Rutgers. Now they'll return to Ann Arbor for their final home game of the season, a Senior Day matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Opponent Overview The Hoosiers (5-5, 2-5) have had a roller coaster season so far. They started off 4-1 before losing four straight games. The team was able to snap that streak in their most recent game, a 34-32 win over Maryland. Indiana's offense is led by Peyton Ramsey. The sophomore quarterback has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 2,335 yards and 17 touchdowns. He's also second on the team with 97 carries for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman Stevie Scott leads the team with 178 carries for 894 yards and eight touchdowns. Ronnie Walker should also see time in the backfield. The receiving core features ten players with at least 14 receptions this season. Leading the pack is Donavan Hale, who leads the team with 425 yards and six touchdowns. Luke Timian has a team-high 35 receptions to go with 323 receiving yards. Other names to watch on the perimeter include Nick Westbrook, Ty Fryfogle, J-Shun Harris II, Whop Philyor and Resse Taylor. Players to Watch The Front Seven-On the surface, these guys did what they had to do against Rutgers, but when you realize they allowed a season-high 193 rushing yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run, you'll realize that there's work to be done. Whether it was unpreparedness or simply coming in flat, the front seven can't afford to play like that against an Indiana offense that will be a lot less forgiving. They'll also need to put the pressure on Peyton Ramsey whose been sacked 23 times this season, the second highest mark in the Big Ten. Lavert Hill-The secondary has been arguably the strongest part of Michigan's defense this season and that's in large part thanks to Lavert Hill. However, the junior defensive back was placed in concussion protocol after taking a hit against Rutgers. His presence will be vital against an Indiana offense that ranks fourth nationally in completed passes. If he's unable to play, it'll be up to guys like Ambry Thomas to make things harder through the air. Karan Higdon-The good news is the senior from Sarasota, Florida became the first running back since 2012 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The bad news is he ran for just 42 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. It's good that he was able to score twice, but he needs to get a lot more yardage in order to keep Indiana's offense off the field. The Wolverines rank fourth nationally in time of possession and that'll be important to maintain on Saturday. The Wolverines and Hoosiers kick off Saturday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. eastern on Fox Sports 1. The No. 6 Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 4-0) kicked it into high gear for a 38-13 win over No. 23 Wisconsin. They not only continued their dominance that they've had over the past six weeks, but they also showed that they can play with some of the better teams in the country. However, they'll need to do it again in a big rivalry game against the No. 24 Michigan State Spartans.
Opponent Overview The Spartans (4-2, 2-1) went into the year as a popular dark horse pick to win the Big Ten. However, their season has been a roller coaster so far. They've lost at Arizona State and at home to Northwestern. However, they went on to upset No. 18 Penn State last week in University Park, a very hard place to play. Their offense is headlined by Brian Lewerke, one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten. His 1,587 yards are fifth most in the conference. He's also had a team-high 55 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. The rushing attack is led by sophomore Connor Heyward whose 50 carries for 191 yards and three touchdowns are the highest marks on the team for any running back. He also has 20 receptions for 125 yards. La'Darius Jefferson and LJ Scott should also get snaps as well. Felton Davis III leads a deep receiving core with 31 catches for 474 yards and four touchdowns. He joins Cody White and Darrell Stewart Jr. to make up the perimeter attack for the Spartans. Players to Watch The Front Seven-Last year, Brian Lewerke made things difficult for the Wolverines defense. He accounted for both touchdowns in the 14-10 MSU win and accumulated 155 total yards. However, he has been pretty susceptible this season. Lewerke has thrown seven interceptions, the second highest mark in the Big Ten. He's also been sacked 14 times, also second in the Big Ten. If the front seven can get to him early and often and force him to make mistakes, they'll make things a lot easier for the rest of the maize and blue. Shea Patterson-The junior starter for the Wolverines made the plays he needed to give his team a big win on Saturday. Most of those plays came on the ground as he took nine carries for 90 yards and a touchdown, a season high stat line for Patterson. However, Patterson threw for just 124 yards and no touchdowns in that same contest. Rushing games like the one against Wisconsin will help, but he needs to be better at putting the ball in the air if he wants to get out of this matchup with a win. Karan Higdon-To say Higdon has been great as of late might be an understatement. The senior bell-cow has run for at least 100 yards in his last six games. However, that streak will surely be tested against a Spartan defense that only allows 62.3 rushing yards per game, the best mark in college football. He and Chris Evans will need to keep doing their part for their offense to keep things going. The Spartans and Wolverines kickoff Saturday, Oct. 20 at Noon eastern on FOX. TThe No. 12 Michigan Wolverines (5-1, 3-0) have played well since a 24-17 loss at No. 5 Notre Dame to start their season. Their offense has improved, especially in the passing game, and their defense continues to be one of the best in the country. However, their improvement is about to be measured this week when the No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers come to visit.
Opponent Overview Last year, the Badgers went 12-0 before losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. They'd go on to finish the season 13-1, their best record in program history. This year has been good but the team hasn't quite met expectations. Their defense isn't nearly as dominant as it usually is, especially with a banged-up, inexperienced secondary that gave up 400 passing yards for the first time in 13 years in last week's game against Nebraska. However, there has been improvement on this team and no one player has improved more than quarterback Alex Hornibrook. The junior has completed 64 percent of his passes for 963 yards, seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. However, their offense runs through Jonathan Taylor (no pun intended). The sophomore running back and Heisman trophy candidate has 126 carries for 849 yards, third best in college football, and eight touchdowns. The receivers are led by A.J. Taylor. The junior from Kansas City leads the team with 18 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson follows him with 16 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Expect Garrett Groshek, Kendrick Pryor and Danny Davis III to see time as well. Players to Watch The Front Seven-This will be an area to watch throughout the game, especially if Rashan Gary can't play. The Wolverines surrendered 182 yards on the ground to the Badgers. That's not something they'll be able to afford if they want to survive this game. With or without Gary, the front seven can't afford to get down early like they have the last two games. Karan Higdon-The senior running back has done well this season, running for 100 yards in each of his last four appearances. However, he'll be hard pressed to chip away at a Wisconsin defense known for its ability to stop the run game. This will be especially noteworthy if Chris Evans still can't play. Shea Patterson-The junior quarterback has been a stable force on offense over the past month. However, he'll need to be more of a playmaker against Wisconsin, that means more deep throws down field and more mobility in the pocket. This is the kind of game that Michigan got him for, now it's time for him to prove he can deliver. : The Wolverines and Badgers kick off Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 eastern on ABC. The No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (5-1, 3-0) picked up a big win during Homecoming weekend beating the Maryland Terrapins (3-2, 1-1) 42-21 on Saturday afternoon for their first loss against a Big Ten team this season.
Shea Patterson completed 19 of his 27 throws for 282 yards, a season high to go with three touchdowns and an interception. Karan Higdon continued to serve as Michigan's workhorse back leading the team with 25 carries for 103 yards. However, it was fullback Ben Mason who had the team's lone touchdown on the ground. Zach Gentry led the team with seven catches for 112 yards. Meanwhile Ronnie Bell, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Jared Wangler each had a receiving touchdown. The game started off relatively slow as no points were scored in the first 13 minutes of play. The maize and blue would break the ice with a field goal curtesy of Quinn Nordin. However, Ty Johnson would run the ensuing kickoff back 98-yards to put Maryland up 7-3 going into the second quarter. The Wolverines seemed to be shaken for a bit, but an 11-play, 95-yard drive capped by Ben Mason's touchdown run would ease those worries. Shea Patterson would add a touchdown pass to Ronnie Bell to make it 17-7 before halftime. Another Quinn Nordin field goal and another Patterson touchdown pass would add on to the lead, but the Terps scored their first offensive touchdown of the game with 11:28 left to make it a two-touchdown game. However, Shea Patterson would throw another touchdown pass to extend the lead. On Maryland's next possession, Brandon Watson returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown, sealing the deal for the maize and blue and making a Maryland touchdown with 1:50 to go meaningless. This was an impressive win for Michigan. Maryland may not be elite, but they've been pretty impressive to start the season. However, the Wolverines now begin a part of their schedule that will define their season. It starts next week when the maize and blue host the No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers in a game that neither team can afford to lose. The No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (4-1, 2-0) are fresh off a 20-17 win over Northwestern that saw them come back from a 17-point deficit, the third largest comeback in program history. While an impressive feat, the maize and blue will hope for a much easier win in their first Big Ten East game against the Maryland Terrapins.
Opponent Overview The Terps (3-1, 1-0) have been shrouded by an offseason scandal involving the death of a player, Jordan McNair, because of the medical staff's inability to treat him properly following a workout. As a result, the school has received a lot of backlash and they've been forced to fire D.J. Durkin, a former defensive coordinator at Michigan. Even then the team has held its own well. They opened the season with a win over now No. 19 Texas and have only lost one game since then; a 35-14 blowout at the hands of Temple. The offense is spearheaded by Kasim Hill. The freshman from Washington D.C. has thrown for 516 yards and three touchdowns to start his 2018 season. Ty Johnson leads a deep Maryland running back core. His 40 carries for 300 yards are best on the team. Meanwhile Tayon Fleet-Davis leads the team in rushing touchdowns with three and is second on the team with 30 carries. Expect Anthony McFarland, Lorenzo Harrison and Tyrell Pigrome to see the field as well. The receivers are headlined by senior Taivon Jacobs, whose 12 catches for 132 yards and one touchdown are best on the team. He's followed by DJ Turner, Jeshuan Jones and Jahrvis Davenport, who each have a receiving touchdown. On defense, Tre Watson is the biggest force to be reckoned with. The senior linebacker has 25 total tackles and two interceptions. Players to Watch Karan Higdon-The senior running back was arguably the biggest part of Michigan's recent comeback against Northwestern and was used often. Based on that alone one would assume he would be used just as much against Maryland. However, the maize and blue face a tough stretch after Maryland as they'll host No. 16 Wisconsin, travel to face No. 20 Michigan State and then return home to take on No. 11 Penn State in consecutive weeks. Could the coaching staff try and rest Higdon in an effort to have him more ready for that upcoming stretch? It'll be interesting to see the answer. The Secondary-Despite a phenomenal second half by the defense, the first half left much to be desired, especially when it came to the secondary. Cornerbacks and safeties allowed 174 passing yards against Northwestern, the second most they've allowed to an opponent all season. That'll need to change against a Maryland offense that won't go so easy. Shea Patterson-The junior quarterback was another big part of Michigan's historic comeback, not only because of the passes he made, but also the plays he made with his feet. Patterson had a season high seven carries for 31 yards. The stats may have been better had it not been for an objectively egregious holding penalty called against Karan Higdon. Nevertheless, Shea Patterson showcased his mobility like fans have never seen before and he'll need to do it more often in order to take Michigan's offense to the next level. The maize and blue will host the Terrapins Saturday, Oct. 6 at Noon eastern on ABC. The No. 14 Michigan Wolverines (4-1, 2-0) came back from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Northwestern Wildcats(1-3, 0-2) 20-17 on Saturday night in Evanston, Illinois.
Shea Patterson completed 15 of his 24 passes for 196 yards. Karan Higdon carried the ball 30 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Nico Collins led receivers with six catches for 73 yards. The maize and blue came out flat to start this contest, giving up 10 points in the first quarter and getting a lot of penalties called against them. They would end up being penalized 11 times and losing 110 yards in the game. The Wildcats took a 17-0 lead with 12:56 left in the second quarter after a John Moten IV touchdown run. Michigan would add a touchdown thanks to Karan Higdon before halftime. The Wolverines came out a lot sharper in the third quarter, keeping Northwestern's offense under reps. They even added two field goals to make it 17-13. However, they still couldn't get that crucial touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the maize and blue took over at their own 33-yard line with 10:05 left in the game. They'd drive 67 yards on 11 plays, including a Shea Patterson run to get a first down on a crucial 3rd and 9, to score a touchdown thanks to Karan Higdon, putting them up 20-17 and giving them their first lead of the game. Northwestern would get two opportunities to get the lead back, but they were shut down by Michigan's defense both times and so Michigan completed one of its bigger comebacks in recent memory. The Wolverines will return home next weekend to host the Maryland Terrapins. The No. 14 Michigan Wolverines (3-1, 1-0) started conference play on the right foot with a 56-10 win over Nebraska last week. Up next is a road game against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Opponent Overview The Wildcats (1-2, 1-0) started their season with a win at Purdue. However, they've since dropped home games against Duke and Akron in their last two games. They even lost top running back Jeremy Larkin who, after leading the team in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns to start the season, has been forced to retire from football due to cervical stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal chord. Even so, this isn't a team to snuff at. Last year they knocked off Michigan State, ranked No. 16, 39-31 in triple overtime. They also finished 10-3 and ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll. The Wildcats' offense is led by Clayton Thorson who's gone 71/116 for 753 yards and three touchdowns this season. With Jeremy Larkin gone, Northwestern has a lot to figure out when it comes to their running backs. John Moten IV leads active rushers with 12 carries for 21 yards and a touchdown. Kyric McGowan and TJ Green should also see more time. How time will be shared among the running backs remains to be seen. Flynn Nagel leads a deep wide receiver core with 20 catches for 226 yards. Cameron Green is second on the team in both categories and leads the Wildcats with two touchdowns. Bennett Skowronek should also get plenty of looks from Clayton Thorson. Players to Watch Josh Metellus- As a team the maize and blue have improved quite a bit none more so than Metellus. The junior safety from Pembroke Pines, Florida has two interceptions this season to go with 19 total tackles and two passes deflected. He'll need to keep the momentum going against a Northwestern offense that'll be more inclined to throw the ball after losing its top running back. Ben Mason-The sophomore fullback went off for three touchdowns against Nebraska and has four over his last two games. he hasn;t gotten nearly as many touches as Karan Higdon or Chris Evans, but it will be interesting to see how the Wolverines continue to utilize him against Northwestern. Donovan Peoples-Jones- Michigan's leading receiver had a more pedestrian day against Nebraska, making just one catch for 10 yards. He'll need to be utilized more often against a Wildcats team the maize and blue need to be ready for. The running backs alone won;t carry the offense in this contest. Michigan takes on Northwestern Saturday, Sep. 28 at 4:30 eastern on FOX. The No. 19 Michigan Wolverines wrapped up their non-conference slate with a 45-20 win over SMU last Saturday. In Week 4, they'll host the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their first conference game of the season.
Opponent Overview Many Cornhusker fans in and around Lincoln had high expectations for this season after Scott Frost, who led UCF to a 13-0 season in 2017, returned to his alma mater to become the head coach. However, the team, now 0-2, hasn't improved the way people thought they would, or at all for that matter. Not only are the Big Red struggling, but they're also without star quarterback Adrian Martinez, who suffered a knee injury in their first game against Colorado. It's not currently known whether or not he'll start. If he doesn't, expect Andrew Bunch to lead the Cornhuskers offense. The workload in the backfield is split between Greg Bell, Maurice Washington and Devine Ozigbo, each of whom have at least 22 carries in the team's first two games. Bell leads the pack with 168 yards to start the season while Ozigbo has the trio's only touchdown. Stanley Morgan and JD Spielman are the big playmakers on the perimeter. Morgan has made 10 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown while Spielman had nine catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Players to Watch Shea Patterson-Patterson has done a good job as the stable quarterback Michigan has needed. However, fans are still waiting for him to really go off and have a monster game to lead the offense. He did throw for a season high 237 yards and three touchdowns against SMU, but fans know he's capable of more. Is this the week the offense lets him fly? Karan Higdon-The feature running back for the maize and blue couldn't play last Saturday because of an undisclosed injury. Fortunately, he's healthy enough to play against Nebraska, according to running backs coach Jay Harbaugh. Higdon will be an integral part of the offense moving forward and the Nebraska game will be a great opportunity for him to continue his production. Josh Metellus-The junior defensive back had five tackles and an interception taken back 73 yards for a touchdown, a great sign for a player known for costly blunders in big games. If he can keep that going against Nebraska, it'll be a sign that he's really making strides as a safety. The maize and blue host Nebraska Saturday, Sep. 22 at Noon eastern on Fox Sports 1. The No. 19 Michigan Wolverines (1-1) showed lots of improvement in a 49-3 blowout of Western Michigan on Saturday. The team looked a lot better offensively, especially Shea Patterson, who threw for three touchdowns and 121 yards. They'll conclude their non-conference slate with a home game against the SMU Mustangs.
Opponent Overview The Mustangs are still looking fir that elusive first win of the season after losing their first two games against North Texas and No. 16 TCU. Junior Ben Hicks leads the SMU offense. The third-year starter has completed 48.4 percent of his passes for 363 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to start his season. The running game is led by Braden West. The senior has carried the ball 19 times for 104 yard and two touchdowns. He also has five receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown, second best on the team. Xavier Jones and Ke'Mon Freeman have also taken some snaps and will probably continue to do so. They each had over 125 carries in 2017. Freeman led the team with 11 touchdowns while Jones led the team with 1,075 yards. James Proche leads SMU receivers with eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. Reggie Roberson Jr. and Myron Gailliard will also be involved throughout the contest. Players to Watch Josh Metellus-After being kicked out of the season opener against Notre Dame, Metellus led all Wolverines defensemen with seven total tackles to go along with four solo tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. It's a good sign for a guy who always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time last season. His progress against SMU will be worth keeping an eye on. Donovan Peoples-Jones-The sophomore wide receiver posted one of the better stat lines of his Michigan career against Western Michigan catching four passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Peoples-Jones currently leads receivers with 10 receptions and his 69 receiving yards are second best on the team behind Nico Collins' 100 yards. Hopefully this is a sign that he's finally reaching his potential. Chris Evans-The junior out of Indianapolis had just two carries for a yard against Notre Dame. However, he took a huge step forward against Western Michigan, taking 10 carries 86 yards for two touchdowns. The more productive he is, both as a running back and a pass catcher, will be huge for an offense still in need of playmakers. The maize and blue take on the Mustangs this Saturday, Sep. 15 at 3:30 eastern on the Big Ten Network. |
AuthorBeat writer for Michigan Wolverines football and basketball, Ithaca College '20 Archives
November 2018
Categories
All
|