The No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (10-1, 8-0) continued showcasing their dominance with a gritty win over the Indiana Hoosiers in their last home game of the season. Now to end the regular season, the maize and blue will travel to Columbus, Ohio for their annual rivalry matchup with the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Opponent Overview The defending Big Ten champions have continued to play like one of the best teams in the country. This came even after the Zach Smith scandal, which was a bad look for the program and led to head coach Urban Meyer being suspended for the season's first three games. The scarlet and gray's offense is led by redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins. He's not nearly as mobile as his predecessors who have started at QB under Meyer, but his 3,685 passing yards (3rd in FBS) and 36 touchdowns (Tied for 1st in FBS) make him the best passer that the head coach has had at OSU. The running back core is led by J.K. Dobbins. The sophomore leads the team with 194 carries for 915 yards and eight touchdowns. Dobbins is joined by junior Mike Weber who has 127 carries for 711 yards and four touchdowns. The receivers are headlined by senior Paris Campbell who leads the team with 66 catches for nine touchdowns to go with 711 yards. K.J. Hill leads in receiving yards with 772. Senior Terry McLaurin has 30 catches for 579 yards and nine touchdowns. Johnnie Dixon, Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor should also see snaps. Players to Watch The Front Seven-Over the past two games, Michigan's defense has allowed at least 190 yards rushing, their highest marks this season. This Wolverines unit can't afford to have a game like that against a running back core in Weber and Dobbins that has carved them up in recent years. It'll also be especially important for them to keep the pressure on Dwayne Haskins and force him to make mistakes. The Secondary-The back four have been arguably the best part of Michigan's dominant defense. However, they're about to face what is by far their biggest test of the season. Dwayne Haskins will have a lot of time to throw the ball, especially if Chase Winovich can't play. From Paris Campbell to K.J. Hill to Johnnie Dixon, Ohio State has lots of weapons on the perimeter to get you with and the secondary will need to be ready for it. Shea Patterson-This is the game that Jim Harbaugh got Patterson to come to Michigan for. The Toledo, Ohio native will get his first taste of one of the greatest rivalries in sports which, this year, will determine who gets to play in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 1. There's no longer an excuse to hold back what he's capable of. It's time for Shea to unleash everything he's got from his mobility to his efficiency as a passer. This Michigan offense will need everything they can get to win for the first time in Ohio Stadium since 2000. Michigan and Ohio State will kick off Saturday, Nov. 24 at Noon eastern on FOX.
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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. The No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (8-1, 6-0) have faced three ranked opponents in three consecutive games. The team outscored those opponents a combined 101-27 and have cemented themselves as the team to beat in the Big Ten as a result. This week, they'll hit the road to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Opponent Overview While the Wolverines have won eight straight games after losing their season opener at No. 3 Notre Dame, things have gone in the exact opposite direction for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights (1-8, 0-6) won their first game of the year against Texas State 35-7. They've since lost eight straight games and are dead last in the Big Ten's East division. The team's offense is led by Artur Sikowski. The freshman quarterback has thrown for 1,100 yards, four touchdowns and 15 interceptions, the most in college football. Running back duties are split between three players. Sophomore Raheem Blackshear leads the team with 100 carries for 437 yards to go with two touchdowns. Senior Jonathan Hillman leads the team with six touchdowns to go with 72 carries for 299 yards. Freshman Isaih Pacheco has 68 carries for 318 yards and two touchdowns. The receiving core is also led by Blackshear whose 35 catches for 316 yards and two touchdowns are all the highest marks on the team. Other names to look out for include Bo Melton, Eddie Lewis, Shameen Jones, Travis Volkolek and Jonathan Hillman. Jerome Washington could also see time, but he's missed the last four games with an injury. Players to Watch Rashan Gary-Seeing the star defensive end back on the field was a welcome sight for Wolverine fans everywhere. In his first game back from a shoulder injury, Gary had two total tackles and a QB hurry. It'll be interesting to see how he progresses in a game to be played in his home state of New Jersey. Tarik Black-The redshirt freshman receiver was also playing in his first game back from an injury on Saturday. Black made what would have been a 45-yard touchdown catch had it not been called back by a holding penalty on Michigan. How the coaching staff utilizes him going forward should be worth watching, especially given his power as a deep threat. Chris Evans-The junior running back saw more action than he had in a while even before the maize and blue entered garbage time against Penn State. His 12 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown was his best stat line since Sep. 15 against SMU. Meanwhile, his three catches for 30 yards were his best receiving marks of the season. It was one of those games that reminded fans just how versatile he can be. Maybe the coaching staff starts to utilize him more as the season goes on. The Wolverines and Scarlet Knights kick off Saturday, Nov. 10 at 3:30 eastern on the Big Ten Network. The No. 5 Michigan Wolverines are one of the hottest teams in the country right now following wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State in consecutive weeks. Fresh off a bye week, they'll look to keep the momentum going against No. 14 Penn State.
Opponent Overview Despite heavy losses from last year's team, the Nittany Lions still have a lot of talent across the board. However, they haven't quite been able to put it together the way fans hoped they would. Penn State (6-2, 3-2) let a 26-14 fourth-quarter lead against Ohio State slip away as they lost 27-26. The next week, they led Michigan State 17-14 before a touchdown pass with 19 seconds left gave the Spartans the win. The team has since rebounded with wins over Indiana and Iowa. However, neither of them came easily. The offense is centered around quarterback Trace McSorely. The junior has completed 52.8 percent of his passes for 1,620 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's also taken 110 carries for 617 yards and nine touchdowns, the most in the Big Ten. In the backfield, he's joined by junior running back Miles Sanders. His 834 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground are both the second best marks in the Big Ten. He also had 15 catches for 112 yards. The receivers are led by true freshman KJ Hamler, whose 27 catches for 497 yards and five touchdowns are all team-highs. Juwan Johnson and DeAndre Thompkins make for dangerous deep threats while tight end Pat Freiermuth will make noise in the red zone. His four receiving touchdowns are second most on the team. Players to Watch Chase Winovich-The front seven has done well to start their season, but they're about to face their toughest test of the season. As a team Penn State has scored 27 touchdowns on the ground, tied for second most in college football behind Georgia Tech. It'll be up to guys like Chase Winovich and Josh Uche, who leads the team with 5 sacks, to hold down the backfield duo of McSorely and Sanders, especially if Rashan Gary has to sit out another week. Shea Patterson-Despite what he's been able to do already, Patterson will have to kick it into another gear. The junior will be tasked with matching Trace McSorely's offensive production in what might end up being a shootout. In doing so, he'll need to avoid a Penn State defense that has 28 sacks, the most in the Big Ten this season. Quinn Nordin-A guy who had usually been a reliable source of scoring has become very inconsistent. Nordin has made just three of his last six field goal attempts including a brutal miss from 38 yards out against Michigan State in the team's last game. Mistakes like that won't fly in games like the one coming up. Michigan will need all the points they can get to match the Nittany Lions and Nordin's consistency will be a big part of that. Michigan and Penn State kick off Saturday, Nov. 3 at 3:45 eastern on ESPN. 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. 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 (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 (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. It was more of the same from Michigan in their season opening loss to Notre Dame.
The offense was mediocre, the play calling showed no urgency, they missed out on chances to get momentum back and the defense let up just enough so that the team as a whole couldn't recover. And to top it all of, they still haven't beat a ranked opponent on the road since 2006. However, Michigan still has at least 11 more games to play this season, and their next game, a home matchup against Western Michigan, could be an opportunity to right the ship. Opponent Overview The Broncos find themselves looking for their first win of the year after dropping their home opener to Syracuse 55-42. Junior quarterback Jon Wassink threw for 379 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in that game. LeVante Bellamy had himself a day as Western Michigan's feature back. The junior had 11 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Over the course of 12 games last year, he had 49 carries for 394 yards and three touchdowns. Junior D'Wayne Eskridge and Freshman Jayden Reed appear to be the team's top wide receivers. Eskridge had eight receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns against Syracuse while Reed had seven receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. Players to Watch Nico Collins-Even with Shea Patterson making good throws, no one in the wide receiving core seemed to really stand out as a go-to playmaker. However, redshirt freshman Nico Collins made some nice grabs for the maize and blue, including a 52-yard catch on the first drive of the second half. Jon Runyan-The offensive line as a whole was the most concerning group in Saturday's contest. However, it was Runyan who looked the most overwhelmed. He allowed all three sacks on Shea Patterson to go along with eight QB hurries. The senior will have to improve fast or Patterson will have defensive linemen breathing down his neck all season. Josh Metellus-The safety was ejected in the first quarter against Notre Dame for targeting. His replacement, Brad Hawkins, would go on to let up the second touchdown of the game. Not only will Metellus need to keep his act together against Western Michigan, but he'll also need to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Wolverines take on the Broncos Saturday, Sep. 8 at Noon EST on ESPN. James Murphy Wolverines Take On Western Michigan In First Home Game 9/3/18 |
AuthorBeat writer for Michigan Wolverines football and basketball, Ithaca College '20 Archives
November 2018
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