Michigan Football Postgame Podcast– Karan Higdon, Chris Evans, Mason Cole Michigan 33 Minnesota 10
Nothing But ‘Net – Week #02 – 11/06/2017 – The Exhibition Game
Quick Look
The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game last week, and they won it handily. Of course, it was an exhibition game against a Division II team, but still. Wins are wins. On Friday (11/03/2017), UM defeated Grand Valley State 82-50 in Crisler Arena. This was an exhibition game, so Michigan’s record is still 0-0.
What Happened
Since it was an exhibition, Coach Beilein got to play almost everyone, and he got to try lots of different lineup combinations. Michigan pulled away early, and was never seriously challenged. The lead hovered in the 22-24 point range for most of the 1st half and the beginning of the 2nd half, before UM pushed it up into the 30s.
The game was sloppy for both teams, with 12 turnovers for Michigan and 13 for Grand Valley State. Michigan shot pretty well (31-for-60 = 51.7%), also pretty well from 3-point range (11-for-26 = 42.3%). Free throw shooting was a little off (9-for-16 = 56.3%). Here are the complete stats.
The starters were Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Charles Matthews, Duncan Robinson, Zavier Simpson, and Moritz Wagner.
Who Looked Good
The star of the game was Matthews. He was the leading scorer, with 23 points, and he looked comfortable out there. He shot pretty well (9-for-14, 1-for-3 from 3-point range), had 2 assists and 2 turnovers, and grabbed 4 rebounds.
Robinson had 11 points, and shot pretty well: 3-for-6 (3-for-5 from 3-point range). He grabbed 3 rebounds and had 4 assists.
The other player in double figures was Wagner, with 10 points. He shot 50% (4-for-8, 2-for-5 from 3-point range), and had 10 rebounds, for a double-double.
Ibi Watson looked a lot more comfortable out there, especially compared to last season. He had 8 points, on 3-for-5 (1-for-2 from 3-point range) shooting.
Jon Teske also looked a lot more comfortable out there. He only had 4 points (2-for-3 shooting), but he also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 0 turnovers.
Who Looked Not-So-Good
MAAR and Simpson both had quiet games, with 6 and 5 points, respectively.
Eli Brooks and Jaaron Simmons didn’t do much with their 15 minutes each. They both scored 5 quiet points.
Isaiah Livers played quite a bit (16 minutes), but failed to score. He did have 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Who Else Played
Redshirt freshman Austin Davis was the 3rd center, and he only played for 6 minutes. He made his only attempt, for 2 points.
Brent Hibbitts played for 4 minutes, but failed to score.
Freshman Jordan Poole only played for the last 2 minutes, in “garbage time”, and failed to score. It was somewhat surprising that he only got in at the very end.
The two scout team players, Naji Ozeir and Luke Wilson both got to play the last 2 minutes of “garbage time”. Wilson missed his only attempt, but Ozeir tossed in a 3-pointer.
The Big Picture
What can we learn from an exhibition game? Not much. Michigan was obviously quite a bit better than Grand Valley State, and they took care of business. It wasn’t pretty, but it was good practice. Michigan looked about as good as expected. On to the real games.
What’s Next
This week Michigan plays one game, in the “Maui On The Mainland” portion of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. This game is technically part of the Maui Invitational, but it doesn’t affect which teams go to the Championship Round in Maui on 11/20 – 11/22. It’s just a “warm up” game.
On Saturday (11/11/2017, 7:30 p.m., BTN Plus), Michigan plays North Florida. I expect Michigan to win this game handily, and get more chances to experiment with different lineup combinations.
Come on down to Crisler Arena to see how they do, and check back next week.
Go Blue!
Nothing But ‘Net – Week #01 – 10/30/2017 – Season Preview
Well, the college football season isn’t going as well as we would have hoped, but there’s always college basketball! Yes, it’s that time already. The first game is this Friday (11/03/2017) in Crisler Arena at 7:00. It’s an exhibition vs. Grand Valley State. In fact, the team has already had an open practice this past week (Tuesday, 10/24/2017) in Crisler. That went pretty well, and gave us a quick look at this season’s team.
Here’s my standard description of this weekly column:
Yeah, it’s time for University of Michigan men’s basketball, and this is the place to read all about it: “Nothing But ‘Net” on UMGoBlue.com. Check back every Monday morning between now and the end of the season for a quick, concise wrap-up of the previous week, and a look ahead at the upcoming week, all in one easy-to-read article.
As always here at UMGoBlue.com, the perspective is “by fans, for fans”. I’m a fan (since 1974), and I go to all the home games, and watch/listen to all the away games. I don’t have any special access (other than being an usher in Sections 209-210), I don’t go to the press conferences, and I don’t interview high school recruits. I see the same things you do, and write about them as a fan.
Once again, let’s get right to the big question:
How good is the 2017-2018 team going to be? The quick answer: not quite as good as last season.
So, how was last season? In my preseason preview last year, I predicted “pretty good”, and that was a little off. Last season’s team was better than predicted, winning the Big Ten Tournament, and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. I expect this season’s team to be OK, but not as good as last season’s team. They’re not ranked in the Coaches Poll, and they’re picked to finish anywhere from 5th to 8th in the Big Ten.
Read on for more details.
Last Season
Michigan ended last season with a record of 26-12 (10-8 in the Big Ten). They went 10-3 in pre-conference play, with some good wins (Marquette and SMU in the 2K Classic, and Texas at home), some understandable losses (at South Carolina, and at [#2] UCLA), one bad loss (Virginia Tech, at home), and a bunch of unsurprising wins against cupcakes. They did win the 2K Classic in Madison Square Garden, in convincing fashion, but they were manhandled in the losses to South Carolina and UCLA.
In Big Ten play, Michigan won a couple games that they weren’t supposed to win (at home vs. [#11] Wisconsin, and at home vs. [#14] Purdue), lost a couple games that they were expected to lose (at [#17] Wisconsin, and at Michigan State), and lost a few games that they really should have won (at Iowa, at home vs. Maryland, at Illinois, at home vs. Ohio State, at Minnesota, and at Northwestern). The Ohio State loss was particularly depressing. Still, they finished above 0.500 in the Big Ten, which was better than expected.
In the Big Ten Tournament, things really got interesting. Before they even got to Washington (DC) for the tournament, they had a big scare when the team plane slid off the runway on (aborted) takeoff. They flew to DC the next morning, and they got to the Verizon Center for their game less than 2 hours before tipoff. Michigan’s game uniforms were trapped on the damaged plane, so they had to play their first game in their practice uniforms. Michigan was the #8 seed, and they beat the #9 seed (Illinois) handily in the 2nd round game, which earned them a shot at the #1 seed (Purdue) the next day. Michigan beat Purdue in an overtime thriller, and advanced to the semifinal game vs. the #4 seed (Minnesota). Michigan won that game convincingly, and earned the right to play the #2 seed (Wisconsin) for the Big Ten Tournament Championship. They beat Wisconsin soundly, and won the title. It was very exciting.
In the NCAA Tournament, Michigan was a #7 seed in the Midwest Regional in Indianapolis (IN), and barely beat the #10 seed (Oklahoma State). Two days later, they played the #2 seed ([#10] Louisville), and won another tight game to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, in Kansas City (MO). They played the #3 seed (Oregon), and lost by one point. Still, it was a successful and thrilling tournament run.
Players Lost
Michigan lost 7 players from last season’s roster:
Andrew Dakich – Andrew redshirted last season (his senior season), so he could graduate and use the “graduate transfer rule” to transfer to a school where he might get more playing time. At first, it looked like he was going to Quinnipiac, but he suddenly changed his mind, and went to Ohio State instead. He played a small but important role on the team 2 seasons ago, when Michigan suffered a rash of injuries to key players, but he never really got much playing time besides that period. We all wish him well, except when Ohio State is playing Michigan.
Mark Donnal – Mark graduated, but has one year of eligibility left, and is using the “graduate transfer rule” to transfer to Clemson. In his career at Michigan, he had some monster games, and a whole bunch of really quiet games. With all the depth at center/strong forward, he wouldn’t have played much at Michigan this season, so he went some place where he’ll get more playing time. We probably won’t miss him, and we all wish him well.
Zak Irvin – Zak graduated. He was one of the most polarizing players at Michigan in recent memory. He had some huge games and big moments, but almost as often, fans were upset with him. We’ll miss him, but we won’t miss the drama.
Sean Lonergan – Sean graduated, although he still has one year of eligibility left. He is no longer on the team, and he doesn’t appear to have transferred anywhere to use the “graduate transfer rule”. He never played much, and we all wish him well.
Derrick Walton, Jr. – Derrick graduated. He was a key player on several successful teams. We’ll definitely miss him.
DJ Wilson – DJ had a breakout season last season, and decided to enter the NBA Draft. Good choice: he was drafted 17th by the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s the player who could have come back that we’re going to miss the most this season.
Fred Wright-Jones – Fred left the basketball team to concentrate on his studies. He never played much, and we all wish him well.
Once again, an alarming number of players are voluntarily leaving the Michigan team. While none of them were projected to be key players on this season’s team, it is still a disturbing trend. Of course, it’s not limited to Michigan: the “graduate transfer rule” is getting more popular every season, and I expect the NCAA to make some modifications to the rule soon.
Players Returning
This is a very young team. Irvin, Walton, and Wilson were all starters and key players on last season’s team, and they’re all gone. Only two starters return. Subs from last season and new players will have to step up. Here’s a look at the returning players, by class year (eligibility):
Freshman Eligibility
Austin Davis #51 (6’10”, 245 pounds, F) – Austin was voluntarily redshirted last season, due to the logjam at center/power forward. The coaching staff had to pick one of the two freshman “big man” players to redshirt, and they chose to redshirt Austin and play Jon Teske. Later in the season, they questioned their decision, and said that Austin was really blossoming on the scout team. This season, we’ll get to see what we missed last season. Austin is reported to be a good scorer, a beast on the boards, and a good defender. He’s an old-fashioned, back-to-the-basket, physical center.
Sophomore Eligibility
Brent Hibbitts #0 (6’8″, 220 pounds, F) – Brent voluntarily redshirted his freshman season, and played sparingly last season, so he’s a redshirt sophomore. He will probably play sparingly again this season, mostly in “garbage time”.
Charles Matthews #1 (6’6″, 200 pounds, G) – Charles is a transfer from Kentucky, where he did pretty well as a true freshman. He sat out last season, due to NCAA transfer rules, so he’ll have redshirt sophomore eligibility. He has the potential to be one of the most exciting players in recent memory, if Coach Beilein can get his shooting stroke fixed.
Zavier Simpson #3 (6’0″, 185 pounds, G) – No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, Zavier changed the spelling of his first name from “Xavier”. He’s back for his sophomore season, after a pretty low-key freshman year. He had a few moments of brilliance, but most of the time he was out there, he didn’t seem very comfortable. He is still “the point guard of the future”, but maybe not the point guard of the present. Coach Beilein brought in a graduate transfer point guard (see below) as the main point guard for this season, to give Zavier another season to get up to speed. I expect him to play more than last season, and to be encouraged to play a little more fearlessly. We’ll see how that works out.
Jon Teske #15 (7’1″, 255 pounds, C) – Jon was the freshman “big man” that Coach Beilein and the coaching staff chose to play last season, while Austin Davis was redshirted. It didn’t work out very well. Jon had a very unimpressive freshman season, and often looked lost out there. He’s got all the tools he needs to be successful, he just needs to get his mental game in order. Just like Simpson, I expect him to play more than last season, and to be encouraged to play a lot more fearlessly.
Ibi Watson #23 (6’5″, 200 pounds, G/F) – The third member of last season’s freshman scholarship class that got to play, and the third member that needs to work on his mental game. As with Simpson and Teske, he has all the tools he needs to be successful, he just needs to go out there and play smoothly and fearlessly. He had a horrible freshman season, and there’s nowhere to go but up for him.
Junior Eligibility
Moritz Wagner #13 (6’11”, 245 pounds, F) – Moe is the undisputed star of this team, and the centerpiece that the whole team is built around. He was awesome last season, and big things are expected of him this season. He flirted with the NBA Draft after last season, but chose to come back. He won’t be coming back after this season, so Michigan needs to get the most out of him while they can. He presents a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. If the opposing center comes out to guard him on the 3-point line, where he’s deadly, he has the moves to blow right past him for the dunk. If the opposing center gives him a couple feet to keep him from driving, he can easily pop in a 3-pointer. Just ask Louisville and Purdue. He schooled them.
Senior Eligibility
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman #12 (6’4″, 190 pounds, G) – MAAR is the quiet senior leader on the team this season. He’s a steady player, and a very good on-ball defender. He’s the best player at slashing to the rim, and he has shown great athleticism against bigger players. He doesn’t have the court vision of a point guard, and he doesn’t have the 3-point touch of a shooting guard, but he is fast and fearless.
Duncan Robinson #22 (6’8″, 215 pounds, G/F) – Duncan proved that he belongs in Division I basketball, after transferring from a Division III school. He can be a deadly 3-point shooter, but his shot has a bad habit of abandoning him at inopportune moments. He has worked hard on the rest of his game, and while he will never be a great defender, he has steadily improved on the defensive end. If he can consistently hit his shots, the team can withstand any defensive liabilities he brings to the table. If his shot cools off, his playing time could go down.
New Players
Coach Beilein brought in another great recruiting class this season, with three scholarship players, one “graduate transfer rule” player, and two preferred walk-on players:
Scholarship Players
Eli Brooks #55 (6’0″, 170 pounds, G) – You’ve gotta love a 6-foot freshman point guard wearing a center’s number (#55). Eli is another “point guard of the future” on this team, which now has 3 point guards (along with Simpson and Simmons).
Isaiah Livers #4 (6’7″, 230 pounds, F) – Isaiah is a solid small forward/wing, with good rebounding and defensive skills. He was Michigan’s Mr. Basketball last year.
Jordan Poole #2 (6’4″, 190 pounds, G) – Jordan is a good-sized shooting guard with a nice 3-point stroke. His high school team won the national championship.
Graduate Transfer Rule Players
Jaaron Simmons #5 (6’1″, 185 pounds, G) – Jaaron is the first “graduate transfer rule” player to play for Coach Beilein. He graduated from Ohio University with one year of eligibility remaining, and he is an experienced point guard. As opposed to the two “point guards of the future” (Simpson and Poole), he is the “point guard of the present”. He will play the most minutes at point guard, while Simpson and Poole get up to speed.
Preferred Walk-On Players
Naji Ozeir #25 (6’8″, 225 pounds, F) – Naji is a freshman scout team player.
Luke Wilson #11 (6’0″, 165 pounds, G) – Luke is a freshman scout team player.
This Season
Let’s take a look at Michigan’s schedule for this season:
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) |
| 11/03/2017 (Fri) | Grand Valley State (exh) | Ann Arbor, MI | 7:00 p.m. |
| Maui Jim Maui Invitational – Maui On The Mainland | |||
| 11/11/2017 (Sat) | North Florida | Ann Arbor, MI | 7:30 p.m. |
| 11/13/2017 (Mon) | Central Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 7:00 p.m. |
| 11/16/2017 (Thu) | Southern Mississippi | Ann Arbor, MI | 7:00 p.m. |
| Maui Jim Maui Invitational – Championship Games | |||
| 11/20/2017 (Mon) | LSU | Lahaina, HI | 12:30 a.m. (Tue) |
| 11/21/2017 (Tue) | Notre Dame/Chaminade | Lahaina, HI | 9:00/11:30 p.m. |
| 11/22/2017 (Wed) | Finals/Consolation | Lahaina, HI | TBA |
| 11/26/2017 (Sun) | UC Riverside | Ann Arbor, MI | 4:00 p.m. |
| ACC/Big Ten Challenge | |||
| 11/29/2017 (Wed) | North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC | 7:30 p.m. |
| 12/02/2017 (Sat) | Indiana | Ann Arbor, MI | 12:30 p.m. |
| 12/04/2017 (Mon) | Ohio State | Columbus, OH | 6:30 p.m. |
| 12/09/2017 (Sat) | UCLA | Ann Arbor, MI | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12/12/2017 (Tue) | Texas | Austin, TX | 9:00 p.m. |
| 12/16/2017 (Sat) | Detroit-Mercy | Detroit, MI | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12/21/2017 (Thu) | Alabama A&M | Ann Arbor, MI | 9:00 p.m. |
| 12/30/2017 (Sat) | Jacksonville | Ann Arbor, MI | 6:00 p.m. |
| 01/02/2018 (Tue) | Iowa | Iowa City, IA | 7:00 p.m. |
| 01/06/2018 (Sat) | Illinois | Ann Arbor, MI | 12:00 p.m. |
| 01/09/2018 (Tue) | Purdue | Ann Arbor, MI | 9:00 p.m. |
| 01/13/2018 (Sat) | Michigan State | East Lansing, MI | 12:00 p.m. |
| 01/15/2018 (Mon) | Maryland | Ann Arbor, MI | 6:30 p.m. |
| 01/18/2018 (Thu) | Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | 9:00 p.m. |
| 01/21/2018 (Sun) | Rutgers | Ann Arbor, MI | 12:00 p.m. |
| 01/25/2018 (Thu) | Purdue | West Lafayette, IN | 7:00 p.m. |
| 01/29/2018 (Mon) | Northwestern | Ann Arbor, MI | 7:00 p.m. |
| 02/03/2018 (Sat) | Minnesota | Ann Arbor, MI | 2:30 p.m. |
| 02/06/2018 (Tue) | Northwestern | Evanston, IL | 7:00 p.m. |
| 02/11/2018 (Sun) | Wisconsin | Madison, WI | 1:00 p.m. |
| 02/14/2018 (Wed) | Iowa | Ann Arbor, MI | 6:30 p.m. |
| 02/18/2018 (Sun) | Ohio State | Ann Arbor, MI | 1:00 p.m. |
| 02/21/2018 (Wed) | Penn State | State College, PA | 7:00 p.m. |
| 02/24/2018 (Sat) | Maryland | College Park, MD | 12:00 p.m. |
| Big Ten Tournament | |||
| 02/28/2018 (Wed) | Opening Round | New York, NY | TBA |
| 03/01/2018 (Thu) | 1st Round | New York, NY | TBA |
| 03/02/2018 (Fri) | 2nd Round | New York, NY | TBA |
| 03/03/2018 (Sat) | Semifinals | New York, NY | TBA |
| 03/04/2018 (Sun) | Championship | New York, NY | TBA |
Some comments on the schedule:
- There are several good teams in the Maui Invitational: LSU, Notre Dame, Marquette, VCU, Wichita State, and California. It will be a challenging tournament.
- Playing at North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is going to be extremely challenging. Extremely.
- The two Big Ten games (Indiana and Ohio State) early in December are a result of moving the Big Ten Tournament up a week, to get into Madison Square Garden.
- The home game against UCLA is the best home non-conference opponent. It will also be very challenging.
- The game at Texas will be a big challenge.
- The rest of the non-conference opponents are cupcakes.
- The toughest stretch in the Big Ten schedule is the Purdue (home), Michigan State (away), Maryland (home) section. If Michigan can win 2 of those 3 games, they should be in good shape.
- There’s a second tough stretch of Big Ten games: Purdue (away), Northwestern (home), Minnesota (home), Northwestern (away), and Wisconsin (away). If Michigan can win 3 of those 5 games, they’ll finish in the top half of the Big Ten standings.
-
Each Big Ten team plays 8 teams once (4 home/4 away) and 5 teams twice, for a total of 18 games. This season, Michigan plays:
- Once: Indiana (home), Illinois (home), Michigan State (away), Nebraska (away), Rutgers (home), Minnesota (home), Wisconsin (away), Penn State (away).
- Twice: Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern.
- Once: Indiana (home), Illinois (home), Michigan State (away), Nebraska (away), Rutgers (home), Minnesota (home), Wisconsin (away), Penn State (away).
Expectations
I like to divide the games up into 3 categories (“Should Win”, “Should Lose”, and “Toss Up”):
- Should Win (13) – North Florida, Central Michigan, Southern Mississippi, UC Riverside, Ohio State (twice), Detroit, Alabama A&M, Jacksonville, Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers, Penn State.
- Should Lose (7) – North Carolina, UCLA, Iowa (away), Michigan State, Purdue (away), Wisconsin (away), Maryland (away).
- Toss Up (11) – LSU, 2nd round Maui Invitational, 3rd round Maui Invitational, Indiana, Texas, Purdue (home), Maryland (home), Northwestern (both), Minnesota, Iowa (home).
If UM can win all 13 of the “Should Win” games, and just over half (6) of the 11 “Toss Up” games, that would give them a record of 19-12 (10-8 in the Big Ten). That might be good enough to get UM into the NCAA Tournament, depending on how they do in the Big Ten Tournament.
This Week
As you can see in the schedule above, Michigan’s first (exhibition) game is Friday (11/03/2017, 7:00 p.m., BTN Plus) vs. Grand Valley State. Of course, UM will win handily and get to try all kinds of combinations of players out there. Come on down to Crisler Arena to check out this season’s edition of Michigan Basketball, and stop by sections 209/210 to say hi.
Go Blue!
Game Commentary Podcast– “The bird has the left the nest!” Michigan smacks Rutgers
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL 2017: BRANDON PETERS ERA BEGINS WITH 35-14 WIN OVER RUTGERS
The Wolverines returned home to Ann Arbor Saturday afternoon to host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Alumni and fans celebrated Homecoming, and the Blast From The Past on a windy, chilly football Saturday.
Before Saturday, the Scarlet Knights were the proud owners of victories in their last two of three games, while the Wolverines had lost two of three.
Beating Purdue and Illinois was quite an accomplishment for a Rutgers team that had been struggling for wins under Head Coach Chris Ash. They nailed Illinois and then Purdue. Nailing Purdue was an especially good win for them, while the Illinois win was necessary for residency above the bottom of the Big Ten football barrel.
The Boilermakers produced over 472-yards of offense to Rutgers paltry 217, but two turnovers and red zone woes killed their chances of a win against a lesser team. On the other side of the ledger, as good as the win over Purdue was, an earlier Rutgers loss to Eastern Michigan seems bad.
The fact that M won 78-0 last year was immaterial. Wins are never automatic, and everyone in the Big Ten can mount a challenge. That score was source of pride for the Wolverines last year, but it is a regrouping focal point for the Knights this year. They even had T-shirts showing the score. But it was all to no avail for the Scarlet Knights, as an effective Brandon Peters replaced the struggling Jon O’Korn at QB and engineered the win.
PETERS’ TAKEOVER AT QB PROVED PROVEDENTIAL FOR THE WOLVERINES’ FORTUNES ON SATURDAY: Despite guiding an 80-yard, 13 play drive for an early second quarter TD, the mistake plagued John O’ Korn struggled through the first quarter, and into the second. He threw an interception and muffed a snap twice. While the Wolverines covered the fumbles, they obviously destroyed drives, and wasted downs. Interceptions speak for themselves.
While John was decent in the Purdue game, he threw game ending interceptions against MSU in the monsoon.
That the offense was ineffective against Penn State was not all O’Korn, who endured seven sacks. It was a team loss with the defense struggling mightily too. Still the passing game wasn’t working. and that is supposed to be a QBs forte.
Watching the first quarter, in which the Wolverines were scoreless, it appeared John was regressing against the Knights.
He did lead a scoring drive mentioned above 80-yards in 13 plays and contributed a 15-yard run in the series. Kahlid Hill finished from the one, and the Wolverines had a 7-zip lead, but M couldn’t protect the lead and needed more. They did not get more until Brandon Peters took over the offense.
John’s interception, and the two fumbled snaps, brought Peters into the game. This was about when everybody expected Peters to be inserted for a few plays or a series. Harbaugh said after the game, that they knew Monday Peters was going to play.
Brandon entered the game in mid second quarter, and the Wolverine’s offense rejuvenated. They scored on the next three series. With a bevy of short pass completions, the running game began to work better. The seemingly rough-cut-offense began to smooth out. Many of the passes were catchable and were caught. Not all of Peters’ passes were great, as a few were not on target, but he hit receivers regularly, and had no interceptions. The chains moved. He was 10 of 14 for 124 net yards, a TD, and he pitched a long throw of 20-yards.
Coach Harbaugh said after the game, with a smile, that a bird has left the nest.
SCARLET KNITGHTS HAD SOME TALENT AND THE SAME BIG TEN RECORD AS THE WOLVERINES BEFORE SATURDAY’S GAME:
The Scarlet Knights had a trio of running backs, the most productive of which is usually Gus Edwards. The Wolverines held him to 34 net yards on Saturday, but he did get a short TD.
Saturday their most effective runner was Janarion Grant. The returner/receiver/tailback showed his stuff again, as he has in prior years. He had five carries for 71-net yards, but one of those was a 65-yard streak for a TD. He makes a habit of that kind of play.
The Rutgers QB, Giviani Resigno hails from Michigan, and is more adept at running then passing. He started in two prior games before entering Michigan Stadium.
Michigan’s defense held up well against him, and the other Rutgers threats in general. They were held to 94 net yards rushing on 31 carries. 65-yards of the 94 were the result of Janarion’s long run. They were held to 101-net yards passing, as they completed 8 of 16. Meanwhile, the Wolverines amassed 334-yards rushing and 137-yards passing.
HARBAUGH HAD BEEN UNDER FIRE FROM SOME DISGRUNTLED FANS AND SOME OF THE NATIONAL MEDIA THAT HELPED BUILD HIM UP: Coach Harbaugh will not wilt under the stain, and he is not in any kind of a hot seat, nor is he leaving in the foreseeable future.
He is not ranting and raving and tossing blame around willy-nilly for the PSU team loss, or other woes. I am sure that he is discreetly assigning some well-deserved blame to both players and coaches, when and where deserved. The Wolverines did what they always do after a loss under Harbaugh. They went back to work. This time though, there seemed to be a lot more work to be done. A great deal of it seemed to have been accomplished for Rutgers Saturday, but not all.
To the disappointment of a growing group of fans, he had not been throwing any mud at the quarterback wall. He had solidly supported his starting QB, John O’Korn.
Before the game, many fans certainly hoped that Brandon Peters would at least get a few quality snaps or more against the Knights, even if he did not start.
Surprisingly, he played for much of the second quarter and earned the whole second half. He has surely earned the start next week.
While there will undoubtedly be some controversy as to why he did not take over sooner, there is no cloud in my mind. To me, the time was ripe, and the time was right.
M’s offense had fallen to 10th in the Big Ten in points scored in games this season prior to Rutgers. They also lagged in most other offensive categories. It’s was not just O’Korn. Receivers did not break open, and catchable passes were dropped at critical times. Backs have not blocked well in pass pro at times.
The nature of the quarterback position is that it is at the center of the offensive storm that occurs when an offense is not playing well. A play action team prospers when there is both a robust passing game and running game. It’s hard to have one without the other.
PETERS AND THE OFFENSE DIDN’T WIN IT ALONE: The Michigan defense showed up. With the exception of about four plays, they were absolutely outstanding. They had 11 TFLs for thirty-nine yards in losses. They had 5 sacks. They allowed Rutgers 11-yards in the first quarter and only 17 fourth quarter yards. Mo Hurst had M’s first sack on the first snap of the game to set the tone.
LB Devin Bush led the group with 3 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles for a total of 11. Mo Hurst had 2 and 6 for a total of 8. Viper Kaleke Hudson had 4 and 1 for 5.
DE Rashan Gary regretted afterwards that he did not flatten as many of the Knights as he would have liked to, but he provided great pressure that drove them into other Wolverine hands.
DE Chase Winovich had three sacks, and one was spectacular. One of his sacks flattened the Rutgers QB, who then was fortunate enough to recover his own fumble.
THE SCORING: The scoring started in the 2nd quarter as the first quarter was barren.
The Wolverines opened the scoring on a one-yard TD plunge by Kahlid Hill, and the Wolverines were in the lead 7 zip.
This 13-play drive engineered by O’Korn, covered 80-yards with O’Korn contributing a run, and the rest of the running game was working, but after that offensive production lapsed.
In the second quarter, Rutgers’ Janarion Grant ran in a 65-yard TD for a 7-7 tie. The run completed a three play 75-yard drive.
After this score, Brandon Peters was taking snaps as the Wolverines quarterback. The Wolverines pulled ahead with Karan Higdon providing runs of 8 and 12, and then producing a 10-yard TD. Ty Isaac had a good 6-yard run in that drive too. Before that score, Wheatley had caught a nifty Peters 15-yard pass. M-14, R-7.
Peters than provided a flawless two-minute drill to close the second quarter, and half. Higdon ran for 3 and 4-yards. Peters hit Gentry for 12-yards, and Isaac ran for 10-yards. Then it was an Evans catch and scamper for twenty yards-and six. If you blinked you likely missed it. The half ended 21-7.
Early in the third quarter, Higdon was at it again, rushing for 32-yards. Kareem Walker pushed for 5-yards and the TD. M-28, R-7. This was a 4-play, 54-yard drive.
Rutgers answered on a 2-yard Gus Edwards TD run. This ran the score to M-28, R-14.
Karan Higdon produced a 2-play, 51-yard drive for a score with runs of 12, and 49-yards. The beautiful 49-yard TD capped the scoring, and produced the final score of 35-14.
A TOAST TO THE RUNNING BACKS AND OFFENSIVE LINE: The backs benefitted from better OL play.
Karan Higdon was at his best, toting 18 times for 158-net yards, and two TDs with a long of 49-yards. Ty Isaac had a good game too, carrying 14-times for 109 net yards with a long of 21. Kareem Walker ran hard 6 times for 34-yards, and his first collegiate TD, with a long of 13. All this did not happen without the OL blocking better in the running game, and some good running performances.
SOME TAKEAWAY: The insertion of Peters into the line-up provided an offensive spark that has been missing for some time. He is not a cure all. He will face challenges as a starter that he has not had to handle yet. Tougher circumstances, and rougher, tougher, opponents.
Things will get tougher than in this game as the season progresses. Pass rushes, better defenders, higher stakes. Everything. His performance Saturday showed poise and talent, and provided a very promising lift for his team. He throws a nice ball with accuracy.
It should be fun to watch him develop over the rest of the season, if that is in his future, and it now appears that might happen. He will have to continue to compete with the rest of the quarterback roster. His job has just begun.
Go Blue!