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.
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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. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0) stuck it to the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines (0-1) beating them 24-17 in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday night.
Shea Patterson went 20-for-30 for 227 yards in his first start for Michigan. Karan Higdon had 21 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. The Fighting Irish got started early with a seven-play, 75 yard touchdown drive to start the game. They then marched 95 yards on the next drive to make it a 14-0 ball game. Michigan would add a field goal to start the second quarter. However, Notre Dame answered right back with a touchdown to make it 21-3. On the next kickoff, Ambry Thomas took it 99 yards for a touchdown, their first of the game. In the second half, Shea Patterson got the maize and blue deep into opponent territory before going three and out. When the team lined up for a field goal, the snap went high and the Wolverines turned it over on downs. They would then waste an interception and punt it on their next drive. Patterson would leave the game for a few played due to cramps in his calf. In his place, Dylan McCaffrey led the Wolverines into opponent territory but turned the ball over on downs. Once Patterson came back, he led the team on an 80-yard drive capped off by a Karan Higdon touchdown run to make it a one possession game with 2:18 left in the game. Michigan had a chance to come back and tie the game. However, Patterson fumbled the ball at midfield and Notre Dame recovered, locking up a big win to start their season. Usually a strength, Michigan's defense looked exposed against a Notre Dame offense that got a lot of big plays off. The secondary in particular continued to allow plays that kept the momentum on Notre Dame's side. The front seven also continued to leave running lanes open for Wimbush. The offense did look better with Patterson under center and Higdon was a reliable running back throughout the game. However, the play calling didn't seem to have any urgency. Deep vertical passing plays weren't really called until Michigan was already over 10 yards away from gaining a first down. Thankfully, it's only game one and there's still a lot of football left to be played in 2018. The maize and blue will look for their first win of the year next Saturday, Sep. 8 when they head home to face Western Michigan. For years they battled each other annually as two of the best programs in college football. They've combined for 1,828 wins, 22 national titles and 112 first-round draft picks. The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry was one of the most exciting in college football. However, it was put on hiatus so that Notre Dame could schedule more games against ACC opponents. The teams last played in 2014, when the Fighting Irish won a resounding 37-0 over Michigan. Much to the delight of college football fans, the rivalry between the two blue bloods will continue when the two teams play at Notre Dame Stadium to open up the 2018 season. It will be part of a home-and-home series between the two teams. Both Michigan and Notre Dame are still among the better teams in the country. However, they're no as close to competing for a national title as they once were. Winning this matchup will have big implications on whether or not they'll be able to do that this year. Opponent Overview The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP Poll, return starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who threw for 1,876 yards and 16 touchdowns while running for 803 yards and 14 touchdowns. However, Notre Dame lost a lot outside of him. Their leading running back-Josh Adams-and receiver-Equanimeous St. Brown-from last year have since graduated along with Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlichey, two offensive lineman taken in the first round of last year's draft. Expect Dexter Williams and Tony Jones Jr. to take most of the reps in the backfield. On the perimeter, Chase Claypool, Miles Boykin and Alize Mack will be some of Wimbush's preferred targets. Notre Dame comes off a 10-3 season in 2017. Their only losses were at home against SEC Champion Georgia, and on the road against No. 7 Miami and No. 21 Stanford. Players to Watch Rashan Gary-The projected first round pick is dealing with a minor injury but should be able to play against Notre Dame. He'll have to create pressure against an offensive line that isn;t what it was last year, but still has a lot of talent. Gary will also need to create pressure and force Wimbush to make more mistakes. Shea Patterson-Patterson has long been heralded as the offensive playmaker Jim Harbaugh's been lacking since he took over as head coach in 2014. His skills make him a threat to run and prove him to be a skilled passer. However, he'll need to keep the interceptions to a minimum. The Receivers-Whether it's Grant Perry, Sean McKeon, Zach Gentry or Donovan Peoples-Jones, someone from this unit needs to step up. The core only had nine total touchdowns and 2,226 yards, 106th in all of college football. With Tarik Black also out for this game and perhaps more to follow, this group of players will be hard pressed to make some noise. The two teams square off Saturday, Sep. 1 at 7:30 p.m. on NBC. James Murphy 8/28/18 A Rivalry Renewed: Previewing Michigan Vs. Notre Dame It's now or never in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Three years ago, Jim Harbaugh promised Michigan fans that he would take them back to the glory days. That the Wolverines would once again reign among the blue blood programs in the nation. That they would be at the top of the Big Ten and even compete in the College Football Playoff. The program has improved quite a bit since then, but no championships have come. Michigan struggles just to place second in their own division. Harbaugh's persona is no longer enough to woo fans or the college football world and the team still struggles against their two biggest rivals; Michigan State and Ohio State. Those concerns came to a deafening crescendo in 2017. Despite a great defense, Michigan finished 8-5 with instability at quarterback and an offense that failed to score more than nine passing touchdowns. Air Force and Navy, whose offenses are largely dependent on the running game, each had 10. Now it's 2018 and many of the team's top performers are set to graduate after this year. A few of them are even projected first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. So what cast of characters will have the role of bringing a championship to Ann Arbor? Let's take a look. The Wolverines saw three different quarterbacks start a game last year, neither of whom seemed to show any successful consistency. This year, they'll feature Shea Patterson a former five-star recruit who spent his first two years at Ole Miss. Following a scandal, he transferred to Michigan and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA. Patterson's only played 10 college games, but in those games he's thrown for 3,139 yards and 23 interception, a very impressive stat line for a Michigan team desperate for an offensive playmaker. He'll have some help from Karan Higdon and Chris Evans, the team's 1-2 running back punch. The perimeter players aren't very impressive and it looks like their best receiver, Tarik Black, will miss extended time with another foot injury. Outside of him, the team returns Donovan Peoples-Jones and Grant Perry as well as tight ends Sean McKeon and Zach Gentry. They also welcome four-star Mustapha Muhammad who could make an early impact this year. Wide receivers Nico Collins and Oliver Martin have also looked good in offseason practices. The defense has always been a forced to be reckoned with under Jim Harbaugh and this year is no different. Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary, perhaps the team's best player, lead a strong defensive line while Devin Bush, a preseason first-team all-american, leads the linebacker core. What's most impressive about the unit is its passing defense, which allowed just 142.2 passing yards per game, by far the best mark in college football. This year, it's led by the fearsome four of Khaleke Hudson, Tyree Kinnel, Lavert Hill and David Long, all of whom are returning starters. The maize and blue faces a tough schedule this season. They start off with a road game at No. 12 Notre Dame. On Oct. 13, they begin a string of three straight games against ranked Big Ten teams with a home game against No. 4 Wisconsin. The team then visits East Lansing to take on No. 11 Michigan State and heads home to host No. 10 Penn State the following week. The Wolverines wrap up the regular season with their annual showdown against No. 5 Ohio State in Columbus. Regardless of the circumstances, the Wolverines-especially Jim Harbaugh-will be hard pressed to prove that they can not just compete with but knock off some of the better teams in the Big Ten and in the country. They may never have as good a shot as they do now so the clock is ticking. James Murphy Sense Of Urgency Surrounds Michigan In 2018 8/24/18 |
AuthorBeat writer for Michigan Wolverines football and basketball, Ithaca College '20 Archives
November 2018
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