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The Scarlet Knights blew into M Stadium Saturday riding the ill wind of a 48-10 loss to the Badgers of Wisconsin, an earlier one TD loss to the Spartans, a blow-out loss to the Scarlet and Gray, and Penn State got 28 on them for another loss, and so on this season.

So far it had been a rough Big Ten season for the Knights. Their armor was dented and pierced prior to Saturday’s trip to Michigan Stadium and they suffered more dents Saturday. Even so, their return game was certainly not rusty.

Saturday the Wolverines won the joust as Jake Rudock had his best day as a Wolverine. He was 18 of 25 for 377-yards and 2 TDs.  He seemed in tune with his receivers, and was poised.  He consistently fed the ball in there with precision.

Even though the Knights had trounced a Hoosier scoring machine (sans defense) by a couple of points in Hoosier land 55-52, Rutgers Head Football Coach, Kyle Flood, who had been suspended for cheating previously, had to be desperate to shore up the dam against the flood waters that are trying to deep six his regime. A Michigan tsunami flooded Rutgers.

The Knights had a sometimes explosive offense, three good running backs, and some great receivers.

Unfortunately for them, they also had the second worst defense in the Big Ten, and their best offensive player, WR Leonte Carroo did not play due to injury. He has missed about half of this season’s games this season because of injuries and discipline. The explosiveness of Rutgers did come within 7 of beating then unbeaten MSU.

It seemed that the Wolverine’s defensive backfield had learned from the sometimes poor effort that they displayed against the Gophers.

That that effort was poor was indicated by Secondary Coach Zordich in a prior interview, who said that the back end of the defense (the DB’s) did not play aggressively, or well in the Minnesota game. Against the Knights, that was remedied.

Those DB feet, hands, and eyes got coached up this week. Aggressive, they held Rutgers to 95-net yards passing on 11 completions in 27 attempts. Even well into the second quarter, Rutgers had not a single pass completion yard.

The same could not be said regarding the Wolverines problematic kick return coverage. Knight return man Janarion Grant ran 4 kick returns for 155-yards, including a stunning 98-yard TD. He also had a 67-yard punt return.

Several things energized the Wolverines, not the least of which was Harbaugh, who was incensed by half time tunnel talk in which the Knights said that they were game finishers, blah, blah, etc.  Jabrill Peppers mentioned trash talk in a post-game interview. Some Rutgers players were ignited by their late first half field goal.

Harbaugh apparently lit a fire under his team for the second half as they came out roaring. It was interesting JH went for a two point conversion after the first M TD of the half to drive the score from 35-16 to 42-16. Post-game, he cited “percentages”, and the venerable two point authorization chart as justification. Hmm. Could be.

Whatever the reason, more than one player cited Harbaugh’s fury at the half over two calls and the trash talking. One call was an overturned targeting call. This is the third such (targeting) call that has not gone the Wolverines way.

The other was an unsportsmanlike penalty, or “intention to deceive call”. Jake Butt with no intention of going off the field or to deceive, inadvertently trailed the players going off the field, but lined up. Noting the open receiver, Jake Rudock did what he was taught to do, toss to the open receiver. Harbaugh said he was “offended” by this call.

More incentive was that Rutgers came into the friendly confines of Michigan Stadium owning a winning record against the Wolverines. The Wolverines had never beaten them, and the Wolverines loss to them last year constituted another very low point for the last year’s team. I had not forgotten that Janarion Grant provided the FG block that provided the misery of defeat for last year’s Wolverines.  He burned them again Saturday.

Last year’s team did not have this year’s Jabrill Peppers advantage. Earlier, Coach Zordich recently had indicated that the coaches had to do a better job of getting him (Jabrill) into position, and he had to make the plays, noting his near interception against the Gophers.

While not an interception he had an outstanding TD run. It was rumored that Jabrill was somewhat dinged, and Jourdan Lewis supplied two kick returns for 59-yards with a long of 35. He likes to have the ball in his hands and ran well. Jabrill gave no indication of being dinged in the TD run, and had, overall, a very good outing.

Lewis also set a M record for pass break ups, eclipsing the former record of 18 by one in bettering Marlon Jackson and Leon Hall.

Peppers has reinforced his stature as Michigan’s best player this season. He is becoming a legend at Michigan. Ninety-two plays against the Gophers on offense, defense and special teams was a remarkable performance. And while he shared the load some with Jordan Lewis on kick returns Saturday, he had that outstanding 18-yard TD run after a lateral on what looked like it was going to become a wheel route, but was cut up field. This was as nifty a run as you will ever hope to see as he made tacklers miss. The usually more restrained Harbaugh was justifiably effusive in his post-game praise for both Jordan Lewis and Jabril Peppers.

The Wolverines received to start the game and botched the first play. What was called a fumble on the field, was the result of an awkward Rudock attempt to push the ball to Drake Johnson. The call was fortunately reversed and considered an incompletion. Then a ten play drive resulted in nothing as Kenny Allen missed a 37-yard field goal wide left.

FB Sione Houma got it started for the Wolverines with a 32-yard catch and run to the Rutgers 14, and Chesson caught a 13-yard TD for the Wolverines first points of the game. M-7, R-0.

Rutgers answered with a FG, but the Wolverines pushed in another score on with Jake Butt contributing to the drive by catching one for 20-yards. Butt was the Wolverines leading receiver with four catches for 102-yards.

The just recovered from injury Jake Ruddock ran it into the corner of the end zone, catching the pylon, on a play characterized afterwards by Harbaugh as Rudock exhibiting toughness. Harbaugh’s comment “As tough as a two dollar steak” fit Jake on this play and.  M-14, R-3.

The Wolverines got another first half TD to start the second quarter. Jake Butt had catches for 17 and nine yards and Jabril Peppers took it from there on a remarkable 18-yard scamper for 6. Seemingly trapped, he escaped and speedily made a beeline to score. Harbaugh lauded his remarkable ability after the game saying he did not know there was another rung to that (Peppers talent) ladder. M-21, R-3.

Rutger’s talented returner, Janarion Grant then took the ensuing KO 98-yards for Rutgers first score. He had two long TDs in previous games this season. It was M-21, R-10.

Drake Johnson made a nice run to score from the one, after a beautiful catch of twenty by Armara Darboh. M-28, R-10.

Rutgers then hit a 29-yard FG after a holding call on Jabrill, and it became M-28, R-13. The Knights kept hanging in there.

Dymonte Thomas provided the spark for the next Wolverine TD with a 28-yard return to the Rutgers forty. The Wolverines piled their score to 35 after an 8-yard Darboh end zone catch. Jake Rudock was on.

A pass interference penalty on Stribling preceded a Jarod Wilson interception at the M 15. This over the shoulder catch in traffic was an outstanding play by Wilson. Then happened the “unsportsmanlike” penalty. Coach Harbaugh and the Michigan crowd were understandably upset.

A 67-yard Janarion Grant punt return preceded another Rutger’s FG of 27-yards.

The Scarlet Knights brayed about that FG in the tunnel. The half ended at M-35, R-16.

The Wolverines kicked to start the second half, and came out energized. A personal foul on Rutgers was applied to better M’s good field position at the 50. A Chris Wormley 12-yard sack aggravated Rutgers problems and they punted to the put the ball at the M 40.

A 56-yard Jake to Jake pass took it the Rutgers 4. De’Veon Smith hammered it home. M-43, R-16.

M converted two FGs by Kenny Allen, and it was finally 49-16.

The Wolverines kept their foot on the gas in the second half offensively and defensively.

While individual football games have an ebb and flow of their own, this one seemed long.

Most fans are pretty consistent in what they want.

Some simply want their team to catch the opposing whippersnappers and belt them into an appreciation of the moral beauty of being Michigan, preferably while winning. Not always is this desired result an easy accomplishment.

What the coaches want is improvement in all aspects of the game weekly, preferably while winning. Nor is this always an easy accomplishment.

This was a hard hitting game for some of three quarters, with the Knights doing just enough to hang in there for a half or more. When you hit FGs instead of TDs, or don’t score during a half, it is hard to win.

Michigan’s defense held the Knights to 128 net yards rushing, and 97 passing. Chris Wormley had two sacks, and the two middle LBs, Bolden and Morgan, had 15 tackles (solos and assists) between them.

The Wolverines are still a work in progress, but you can see improvement each week, and they now are getting ready to face the aerial fireworks of the Indiana Hoosiers.

Go Blue!

Minnesota’s Gophers, led by their Mascot Goldie Gopher, left their Minnesota burrows, and settled into their football home Stadium with full intentions of finally nipping the Wolverine’s dreams of a shot at Big Ten prominence this year. They had many reasons to dispense another Big Ten loss to the Wolverines. The Gophers translated those reasons to the field as the they almost toppled the Wolverines.

At times, the defense did not play like the premier defense in the country or even like a top ten defense as they struggled to stop the pass and run. They let three interceptions slide through their hands. Their porous defense allowed the Minnesota offense to control much of the game, and make big plays. The Wolverines yielded 458-yards, including many significant pass plays over 20-yards.

Finally, the defense proved its mettle by conserving a victory with a last seconds stand at the half yard line. Not once, but twice. The M defensive line and linebackers controlled.

This was set up by trailing M DB Channing Stripling catching the Gopher receiver from behind, and getting his knee down a half yard from what would have been the winning TD. It looked like this 74-yard drive might be a game winner, with no time for M to answer offensively.

With 19 seconds left, the Gophers lined up, shifted, wasting time and perhaps losing a third opportunity at a TD. Seventeen seconds evaporated, and there was only time for one more play during the remaining two ticks on the clock.

According to a player after the game, the Wolverines knew that it would be a QB sneak by the 240 pound Gopher QB, Mitch Leidner.

They submarined, and pushed Leidner back just enough to not break the plane. The call on the field was no TD, the review confirmed the call, and the final score of M 29, Gophers 26, went into the record book.

While the Wolverines were 75-25-3 against the pesky rodents coming into Saturday’s game, they also owned a recent 30-14 thrashing that the Gophers doled out last year. As Keith Jackson would have said it was a “Whuppin”.

The Gophers also out gained the Wolverines this year with 141-yards rushing, and 317 passing.

What was called by many pre-game the Number One defense in the country was embarrassed by the hard charging Gophers. It came down to the unlikely scenario of M QB Wilton Speight tossing the game winning pass to the emerging playmaker Jehu Chesson, who caught two TD passes. One thrown by Speight and one from Rudock. Chesson has become a weapon  on the ground and in the air. He also had a 22-yard run.

After the game Coach Harbaugh praised Rudock’s game, perhaps more than I thought he would. Jake left the game after a nasty hit as he was sliding. He was 13 of 21 for 140-yards and a TD, but also had a fumble and an interception.

Speight afterward said the coaches worked with him, and he got snaps just like a starter. He was 6 of 29 passing, hitting a leaping Chesson for the final, go ahead TD, and nailing a throw to Amara Darboh for a two point conversion to complete M’s scoring.

Speight did not have a prior completion in a game, but completed his first three in game time Saturday.

Michigan’s ground game was nothing special. The running game struggled. For example, D. Smith had 9 carries for 1.7 yards. Drake Johnson came on some though, hauling 10 times for 56-yards and a 5.5-yard average.

This year the Wolverine’s had to travel to Minneapolis to again possess one of the college football’s most venerable and storied collegiate football trophies, the Little Brown Jug. M now owns a 70-23-2 edge in the Jug series.

As you have heard by now, the competition for the oldest college football trophy originated after an M water jug was left in Minnesota hands by accident. M wrote a letter asking for it back and the Gophers replied by issuing a challenge to come and win it back. This inspired the Wolverine to do just that, and they met the challenge by claiming it back the ensuing year.

The trophy has gained lasting fame by ignoring its accidental origins. It is not abandoned or reclaimed by accident, or by re-enacting Caddy Shack gophers, but by being a visible representation of a serious football competition. The Gophers played some serious football against the Wolverines Saturday night.

It is a competition that had been improving under Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill and his resignation fueled their noisy home crowd which probably stirred in Coach Harbaugh residual memories of losing to the Gophers in the middle seventies.

Last Wednesday, the unwelcome and stunning news that Coach Kill was resigning before their game with the Wolverines on the advice of his medical advisers was announced.

Published reports said Coach Kill had long endured epilepsy, had suffered significant seizures during football seasons, had fought that serious disease tooth and nail, and avoided problems during a successful 2014 last, but sadly it had come to the point the that the situation was best fought without the chain of football coaching around his neck. Respected everywhere, he has endured over the course of a long and successful head coaching career. It was thought that his retirement might energize the Gophers and did it ever.

Kill was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2014, and had a 29-29 record as the Gopher head man.

The Minnesota DC, Tracey Claeys, had coached Minnesota during a prior Kill absence and again during Saturday’s game against the Wolverines.

Coach Kill’s rough and tumble approach to football, and his great defensive backfield, were much in evidence last Saturday. It was thought this resignation would add some extra emotion to the Gopher’s cause, and did it ever.

It was also thought that it was time for Jake Ruddock to make some plays. He did, but poor pass protection afforded a fumble, and an ill-advised, hurry up shovel pass which was tipped, provided a Gopher interception and early three point lead.

The game teetered back and forth in the first half, and ended with a late Gopher FG, securing a 16-14 lead at the half.

Offensively the Wolverines put up two TDs in the first half.  Harbaugh went to FB Joe Kerridge to squeeze out some yardage to jump start a sluggish running game and he scored.  Jake Butt had collared an 18 yard pass to enable the first TD drive, of the game .

Rudock hit a TD to Chesson, and Michigan had 14 points for the half. While the defense gave up a 1^st half 52-yard TD run to the Gophers, they made three stops that resulted in Minnesota 1^st half FGs.  Holding the Gopher offense to FGs was also critical to the win.

M received to start the second half and produced a great 75-yard drive culminating in a Jabril Peppers run of six yards.  What a run with a great burst to bull into multiple defenders at the goal line and into the end zone for his first offensive TD as a Wolverine.  The lead was now 21-16.  

Minnesota’s QB Mitch Leitner ran 24-yards for a TD to make it 21 to 23 Gophers. Then they hit a 45-yard FG, and it looked like M might be going down as they gave up a 5 point lead with about 10 minutes left, with their starting QB on the bench, injured.

Unexpectedly, inexperienced Wilton Speight was equal to the task, tossing a TD to the improving Chesson for a 12-yard TD, and another to Amara Darboh for a two-point conversion.  This produced a final score of  29 to 23.

Then, the defense came through with its finest seconds of the game, and the lead stood.

There were a number of up sides to this game. The Jabril Peppers saga is just getting going at Michigan. He ran for 16-yards for a TD in impressive fashion, made a 41-yard punt return, had a 43-yard kick return and played fine defense. He was in action for an impressive 92 plays. Kenny Allen hit three of five KOs for touch backs. Blake O’Neill punted 5 times for a 44-yard average.

The offense and defense both did enough to preserve the win, notwithstanding too many penalties, defensive lapses to yield big plays, offensive errors and the lack of an effective running game.

After a severe disappointment two weeks ago, and a uniquely energized Gopher team this week, suffice it to happily tuck this one into the record books and return to the friendly confines of Michigan Stadium to confront Rutgers.

Go Blue!

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It was Michigan State’s Football Spartans versus the Michigan Football Wolverines Saturday at 3:30 P.M. at a jam packed, and noisy Big House.

Annually the rough and tumble Spartans want to play trick or treat with the Wolverines around Halloween. The Spartan mascot, that gruff, bulgy, mean effigy of Spartan Spirit, plays trick or treat with the hopes and dreams of Michigan fans annually. They had successfully dashed those hopes and dreams the last two years, winning the last two games in the unfriendly confines of Spartan Stadium. Last year’s iteration was a “whuppin” of the Wolverines 11 to 35. Spartan Head Coach D’Antonio now owns a sparkling 7 and 2 record against the Wolverines pregame.

This year’s loss was not a “whuppin”. In fact the Wolverines, with the dreadful exception of the last 10 seconds, when they experienced a special teams breakdown, had otherwise played well enough to win, and held a lead of 23-20 with 10 ticks on the clock.

Terrific defensive stands held the last ditch MSU offensive flurries, and the Wolverines had the ball with the intent of running out the clock. Three bumps into the line by D. Smith did not garner a first down, so a punt into the empty backfield of MSU was perfectly in order.

Maybe a quick kick on third down would have been fine. What happened wasn’t, as the special team gaffe described below ensued. The lucky Spartans, with the clock at all zeros, had prevailed. It was their first and final lead. Fate had played a nasty Halloween trick on the Wolverines.

The Wolverines had every intention of erasing some of the burnish from that Spartan’s season, and they did, but not to the desired degree. The Spartans had seemed a little more vulnerable this year, and they were. They had some significant injuries at key positions like the offensive line. MSU had lost four players for the year permanently, and had struggling to squelch the likes of Rutgers in a close win. Yet the Spartans pass protected well enough to gain 328-yards passing last Saturday.

The Wolverines had a lead with 10 seconds left, but they managed to turn the game around on a low snap, and on a bobbled ball, turning it over to the Spartans who ran it in for the game winning TD without so much as a thank you. This was the Wolverine’s most visible error, and it will be blamed far and wide for the loss. Unfortunately, it will have the half-life of plutonium.

The punter Blake O’Neill, had done a splendid job before the botched punt. He had an 80-yard punt, and had provided decent field position during most of the game. But the low snap on the last second punt and fumble unfortunately will be remembered over all the good he had provided, and probably that good which he provides in the future.

It is unfair and foolish to write nasty emails to him or otherwise try to denigrate, bully or threaten him. Published reports say this has already happened on social media, including death threats. Stuff happens on the football field. It is still only a game played by college kids. It is a time for perspective.

There were other M contributions to the loss. It was as much a team loss as it would have been a team victory. All they needed to win was one first down, one measly first down, but they couldn’t get it on their last drive for a number of reasons.

During the course of the game, they had two stalled drives that resulted in FGs instead of TDs. M’s momentum was stalled when the interesting targeting call was made on Joe Bolden, and he was ejected. M’s defense allowed a 74-yard play by a Sparty fullback. M was held to 62-yards on the ground and MSU to 58, but the Wolverine defense yielded 328-yards passing..

There comes to each coach and team a new challenge every week. Usually a team or a college football coach is only as good as his last game indicates. Here came a red letter game, one of the two this season that all thought would be the litmus test of the return to prominence of Michigan Football, and it was. This game reflected tremendous improvement over last year for the Wolverines. 

They were competitive against the stark reality of those wearing the most recent version of the Spartan helmet.

As always the Spartans were dedicated to bringing a fierce defense, playing aggressively and physically, and wearing that huge chip on their shoulder they manufacture and customize annually. The Wolverines answered in kind,

The Spartans will bray about this victory a long, long time. As the Wolverines would were the situation reversed

They also brought one of the best QBs in the B1G to Michigan Stadium. Their experienced QB Connor Cook can fling it, or thread the needle. They also brought the best group of receivers the Wolverines had had to defend all season. The highly recruited WR Aaron Burbridge, who disdained the Wolverines, has finally come into his own, and was a thorn in the Wolverines side all game long.

While it was thought that the Spartan defensive backfield was not up to last year’s standard, and could not excel as well in press coverage as last year’s iteration.  That seemed true, but their defensive line remained as good as ever. DE Shelique Calhoun is played well again.

While many outsiders were caught up only in the national rankings for each team, many on both sides were caught up in the chance to leap ahead in the Big Ten standings. This year it was more than just the rivalry.

This game was fraught with all kinds interesting aspects, some not usually seen in past Wolverine/Spartan meetings. National rankings, and a big step to become a genuine contender for a shot as the East Big Ten representative in the East/West Division title game, plus the usual unbridled fervor of this intra-state contest, that was intensified by the hyped up hype that was bestowed to newly minted M head man.

The Wolverines lost some of these chances, but still, according to Coach Harbaugh, played well enough to win. But then came those regrettable last ten seconds that finally sealed their fate.

I have a great respect for the intense physicality the Spartans bring to this game. They have often brought their best against the Wolverines, and have had some incredible strokes of “luck”, which continued Saturday. Such as the Desmond Howard end zone trip for a win, and clock gate (not all luck, but some design), and now comes last Saturday’s game ending ten seconds.

The first quarter was basically dominated by the Spartans. In the second M got it offense moving. Jake Rudock had a solid passing day going 15 of 55 for 168-yards with a long of 32. A series of short runs by Smith were supplemented byFB Sione Houma romping for 27-yard TD. Previously, Rudock had hit TE A.J. Williams with a well-conceived 21-yard third down pass.  M-7, MSU-0.

The Spartans answered quickly on an 11-yard TD run, aided and abetted by a controversial targeting call on Joe Bolden. This swung momentum and exited Bolden for the balance of the game and for half of the Minnesota game. Ouch! Suddenly it was 7 up.

Jabrill Peppers returned a kick 49-yards, on an outstandingly evasive run, but the Wolverines offense stalled, and and they settled for a 38-yard Allen field goal. It was 10-7 at the half.

Momentum swung M’s way in the Spartan’s first possession of the second half, as a fake punt was stopped by the Wolverines.

Enter Jabrill Peppers on offense for the first time. His 28-yard jet sweep took it to the MSU 3. The on field officials could not agree with the review cameras as two called TD’s were overturned. FB Houma finally punched it in, and the finally camera agreed. M-17, MSU 7.

On MSU’s next series, Cook tossed a 30-yard TD. M-17, MSU-14, and once again it was too close for comfort. M replied, but only with a field goal to make it 23-14.

In the final quarter, MSU gambled on a 4^th and 10 from the M 32. The M defense stopped them, but the offense could only generate another Allen FG. It was important at the time, but inadequate in light of future game events. M-23, MSU-14. The Wolverines were done scoring.

The Spartans weren’t, as Connor Cook hit a steaking FB for a 74-yard play to M’s 1. The review showed no TD, but MSU easily put up six. M-23, MSU-21.

The rest is not pleasant history for Michigan fans. An outstanding M defensive stand, which stopped the Spartans out of field goal range on a 4^th and 19 on a splendid play by DB Dymonte Thomas, was effectively nullified by the special teams error. Whether Punter O’Neill was trying to lateral the ball, or it got knocked into the air by a defender, is a moot point.

This was a very swift, and unpleasant change of fortune, similar to the last minute end zone reception by Colorado’s Kordell Stewart to make M a loser in 1994. This one will have a long shelf life for winner and loser.

It is ironic that the special teams, who made up for the yardage shortfall of the offense enough to gain the last minute lead, became the goat. Jabrill Peppers had a fumble on a punt return, but also returned three for 48-yards. He returned three kicks for 81-yards, with a long of 49. Jehu Chesson, in addition to being the leading receiver with 4 grabs for 58-yards and a long of 23, returned a kick for 25-yards. These yardages, and Blake O’Neill’s usually precise punting, provided admirable field position. Together with Kenny Allen’s hitting from 38, 21, and 38, and Allen’s KO touch backs, effective special teams are that which kept M in the game.  Just one little momentary error…….

The Wolverines will have a bye week in which to deal with healing, before possession of the venerable Little Brown Jug is contested yet again. We go from a trophy created through on purpose political purpose (the Bunyan) to a much more revered accidental trophy (The Jug). While it would be nice to have both on hand, that remains in the future. For now it’s the Jug, the Jug, the Jug.

Go, Blue!

The 13th ranked Northwestern Wildcats roared out of Evanston to pounce on the 18th ranked Michigan Wolverines in Michigan Stadium Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM.

It was a crucial Big Ten battle. Gone are the “Mildcats” of yore, as this edition is large, athletic, more defensive minded, and came into the game undefeated. They seemed to mirror the Wolverines in many respects, but the Wolverines seriously out played them Saturday.

Their style this year, together with the style of the Wolverines, foretold a game that would be close, hard hitting, and low scoring. The Wildcats favor the run. The Wolverines wanted to put a cork in that bottle as a first priority, and did they ever. The Wolverine’s defense was nothing less than superb.  They have compiled three shut outs in a row.

For the game, the Wolverines had 201 net yards rushing and the Wildcats 38. The Wolverines had 179 net passing yards to the ‘Cat’s 130. M had 21 first downs to the Wildcat’s 13. You name the category, and the Wolverines dominated. They dominated on Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Even the usually careful Coach Harbaugh admitted that they were good in all the categories and he ran it down position group by position group.

Many foretold a close game in which errors, such as fumbles, missed tackles, interceptions, penalties, and other lapses would spell doom to hopes of victory.

And in a way an error helped spell Northwestern’s doom, as Jourdan Lewis laid hands on an otherwise completed pass, whisked the ball away from the receiver, grabbed the falling ball off his thigh, and zipped thirty-seven yards into the end zone for six to increase an already insurmountable lead. The Wolverines did not fumble, nor did Jake Rudock throw an interception.

The Wolverines did make a serious error. James Ross, a replacement for Mario Ojemudia, drew a penalty for targeting a Wildcat receiver with the crown of his helmet. A review sustained the call on the field. For this move, he is banned from playing in the first half in next week’s game with the Spartans. Replay showed the call justified, but the crowd understandably was incensed by a prior non-call involving a hit on sliding QB Jake Rudock, which was, on review, called a non-penalty. It was not surprising Coach Harbaugh did not care to comment on either circumstance at his post-game press conference.

The Wildcats wanted to slug it out on the ground. The Wildcats long time weapon of choice is no longer an aerial circus. They still want to outscore, but they want to control the ball with a ground game. Welcome to the club.

The Wolverines won this battle, and forced the Wildcats to pass more that they wanted to. Northwestern RB Justin Jackson had been piling up 100 plus yardage in a number of games. He had 32 net yards Saturday.

Their running game was 14^th in the nation prior to Saturday. They were 1^st against scoring and 5^th in total defense.

This would be, many pundits thought, a low scoring slug fest as some thought M’s offense would have a problem solving their defense. Wrong as the whole offense, including the offensive line,  played well.

The Michigan defense, which plays better each time I see it in action, pitched another shutout, its second shutout in two weeks. To me, this was the most impressive victory of the season so far, but sterner tests loom as the competition gets tougher, as the current possessors of the Paul Bunyan trophy come to town.

Football wins depreciate as fast as a good meal. When a team trounces another it is often thought that the trounced team just wasn’t as good as they were thought to be before the win. We’ll see how the Wildcats fare after being demolished, but I think the Wolverines trounced a quality team Saturday.

At the coin toss to start the game, things started to go bad for the Wildcats as they won the toss and deferred. That turned out to be an unlucky move as Jabril Peppers and Jehu Chesson were patiently waiting for the KO , each capable of doing damage.

Jehu caught the high kick at his own four yard line, chose a clear path, half circling from the east sideline to the west, and then headed south with ball.  The Wildcat’s fortunes in the game headed south with him.  He crossed the plane in the south end zone after ninety-six yards, and the Wolverines had all the points they needed for the win. M-7, NW-0.

Chesson also had a great 27-yard run. The crowd and players were jacked up. The atmosphere was electric.

The first quarter deluge continued as the Wolverines continued to rain on the Wildcat’s parade. A defensive three and out, and the Wolverines offense got its first chance and made the most of it.

D. Smith rushed for 7, 18, and then 1 yard. Rudock hit Jake Butt for 32-yards. Drake Johnson pushed it in from the one, and at 10:20 it was M-14, NW-0.

NW than produced a 10 play drive that finished in a missed 42-yard field goal.

From their own 25, the Wolverines moved to the NW 2, and then into the end zone on a strong Jake Rudock run as he bulled to the goal line, and reached over for six. The big play of the drive was a 34-burst by Joe Kerridge. A great run by Kerridge even if he was caught from behind.

After the Rudock score, it was 21-0 as the Wolverines played their best quarter this year in all three phases of the game.

The defense held NW to 21-yards rushing, and 35-yards through the air, and to zero first downs during the first quarter. 

While it was a team effort on defense, Jerrod Wilson had 7 tackles, with 4 solo  Willie Henry had 4 solo and 2 sacks in this game.

Blake O’Neill hit a 59-yard punt as Michigan’s first drive of the second quarter stalled. The two sides traded punts. Finally Jourdan Lewis made his outstanding interception, turning what I thought was a completion into a spectacular interception and 37-yard TD. M-28, NU-0 and the suspense was mostly gone. M Freshman tail back Karan Higdon got his first carries in the first half as a Wolverine, and showed some talent on subsequent runs.

NW was held to 3-yards rushing, and 36 passing in the second quarter, and lost their poise a little, suffering 5 penalties for 39-yards.

Up 28 to zip, the Wolverines had completed a fine half or football, arguably their finest of the year, with 213-yards of offense to Northwestern’s 95.

In the third quarter the combatants traded punts until M, starting at their own 33, got Kenny Allen into position to hit a 47-yard field goal. M-31, NW-0. Smith had run for 19 and 3. Jehu Chesson had run for 12 to the MW 33, but Rudock was sacked to the NW 29 to stall the drive.

By the start of the 4^th quarter Derrick Green was the running back, and doing well. De’Veon Smith, now healed, was the leading rusher at 58-yards gained. Drake Johnson was dinged with an undisclosed injury, which is probably why Karan Higdon burned his red shirt.

At just under 10:00 left, Green ran for six and Ty Isaac for 7. A.J. Williams collared a 16-yard pass and the Wolverines were on the move again. Houma hit for 5, and it was Green into the end zone from 4 out for the final score of 38 to zip.

It’s been a while since the old stadium has rocked with so much enthusiasm. The fans were energized as the resurgent Wolverines showed the many aspects of their improvement. It was a near perfect Homecoming performance against a team that brought a good coach, Pat Fitzgerald, and his previously unbeaten and ranked team, to Ann Arbor.

It appears the Wolverines are primed and ready to battle the Spartans next Saturday. It will be a battle as usually the Spartans play their best against the Wolverines. Throw out the records, this free for all is unpredictable.

ESPN Game Day will be there.

To say that the old Stadium will be rocking is probably an understatement. It ought to be quite a game as it looks as if the Wolverines can be competitive.

Go Blue!

The Wolverines trekked into Maryland and to College Park for a battle with the University of Maryland’s Football Terrapins in spite of a predicted rough weather spillover from Hurricane Joaquin.

Fortunately much of the worst of that storm missed College Park, and the worst weather enemies of good football on the field were just gusty winds, drizzle, and a wet football.

It turned out that Hurricane Joaquin had veered away from the East Coast, preventing much anticipated severe destruction, and some probable loss of life, but it still bestowed a legacy of significant winds, and harmful rainfall to the region as a whole.

This was the Wolverine’s first visit to Byrd Stadium (51,802). It recently had artificial turf installed. The field was playable Saturday with intermittent drizzle.

Last year’s Wolverine loss to the Terps was inexplicable, even unimaginable, a further sign of a crumbling season, and Brady Hoke’s coming end of tenure. The Wolverines, while out gaining the Terps fell victim to their own errors, and let the Big Ten newcomer Terps walk away from M Stadium with a win that everyone on the Michigan side felt should have been theirs, but wasn’t.

For a short time last Saturday I wondered if it wasn’t going to happen again, but the Wolverine’s returned the favor today with domination.

After today’s win, M now leads the series 4-1. The Terps nabbed an interception and a fumble in the first half, and Michigan countered with their own interceptions as Maryland made its own mistakes. Wolverine’s LB Desmond Morgan, Corner Jeremy Clark, and Corner Jourdan Lewis all collared interceptions.

Maryland hadn’t been playing well this season. In their four prior games, they had collapsed big time against Bowling Green, and also against Number 23 West Virginia, giving up some 600-yards each game.

Their offensive angst was further proved by the musical chairs that their quarterback corps was playing. First, QB Perry Hills, starter for the 1^st two games, was replaced by Caleb Rowe in the second game. He did well against South Florida, but imploded against WVA, tossing four interceptions. Last Saturday, fifth year coach Randy Edsall jerked his chain in favor of Daxx Garman later in their game against the Wolverines. As advertised, Rowe had started against the Wolverines, but had a rough outing.

The Terps have some talented players. Good tight ends and running backs, such as rising RB Ty Johnson. DE Yannick Ngaboue has been outstanding. BB Davis had been a terror on one corner, causing fumbles and interceptions, while the other corner back position was filled by the team’s best player, who owns the unlikely name of Will Likely. Against the Wolverines he had four returns for 24-yards, with his longest being 12-yards. M special teams were up to the task. Likely made some impressive defensive plays from his corner back position.

Prior to the game, Coach Harbaugh referred to Likely as perhaps the best return man in college football. He owned returns of 67 and 85-yards prior to Michigan’s visit. Wolverine special teams prevented him from being a factor Saturday.

This had every indication of a trap game. Poor weather conditions away from home, against a desperate team fighting for a respectable B1G season, before a crowd trying to generate winning electricity. I thought this game might find the Wolverines possibly subject to a letdown after their hard fought victory against BYU.

It seemed that way offensively in the first quarter and one half, and defensively for a few series.

Early errors by M’s offense were a concern. Two fumbles and an interception (a fumble and interception by Jake Rudock, and two fumbles by Ty Isaac, one lost, one recovered), all led to early concern regarding M’s offense. A half without a TD is a concern. Sloppy play is another. So is converting only 5 of 17 first downs.

The offense helped themselves out of the first half doldrums by scoring some TDs in the second half through inventive play calling, the return of a healthy Drake Johnson at running back, a speedy Jehu Chesson, and some good blocking.

Drake Johnson was the leading rusher with 23 attempts for 68-yards.By the middle of the third quarter the offense had corrected the earlier TD scoring deficiency. The offense had some stalwart help from its friends on the defense and special teams.

It didn’t take the defense as long to correct things.

Except for a little stint at the start of the game when the Terps got 70-yards on 16 plays, the defense was spectacular. After that, the Terps were shut down to a total 35-yards gained on 46 plays for an average of 0.8 yards gained per play.

The defense pitched its second shut-out of the season back to back with the one last week against BYU. Peppers had a kick return of 21-yards, and a punt return of 29-yards. Blake O’Neill has a terrific game spot punting, dropping one on the one and leaving one another inside the five.

Despite M’s 3 turnovers (two fumbles, and an interception), the Terps managed just a minus one yard after the errors. The Terps punted twice, and threw an interception of their own after M’s errors. The defense effectively erased the effect of these errors. Maryland was 1 of 18 on third down attempts. They gained 105 yards as did BYU last week.

The defense handled sudden turnover situations well, and almost everything else, well. They are a weapon. 

The only bad news for the defense and the team is that reliable reports indicate that the injury to Mario Ojemudia is a serious achilles tendon injury.

After a Jake Rudock run of thirty-yards, M’s Kenny Allen finally hit a 30-yard FG late in the second quarter, and the Wolverines were on the board. After a TE Jake Butt screen pass catch and run of 44-yards, Allen hit another 32-yard FG for a skinny 6 to zip lead at the half. The Wolverines had squandered opportunities, but fortunately the Terps matched that with errors of their own.  This is a blessing that likely will not happen in future games.

Jake Rudock did not have an extraordinary game.  He fumbled once, and threw an interception. He missed Chesson once on a sure long TD. He drew a flag when he threw the ball away into an area with no receiver, compiling too many mistakes. That will bite the Wolverines as the competition toughens up as it does next Saturday and will after. But he did engineer a 28 to nothing win, this time, in spite of them. Rudock was 16 of 32 for 180-yards with one TD, one interception, and was sacked once.

The offense didn’t take significant command of the game until, at 8:11 of the third quarter, Drake Johnson captured a screen pass, and sped outside to his left for 31-yards, making a tremendously athletic move to make the ball violate the plane of the end zone for 6. A 2-yard pass to Kahlid Hill secured the 2 point conversion, and finally the Wolverines had a more comfortable lead. A score of M-14, T-0 relieved some of the tension.

The good field position before the TD was set up by a 59-yard O’Neill punt to the Terp 29. On the ensuing Terp possession, Jourdan Lewis intercepted a Terp pass. Cutting in front of the receiver, he tapped the ball so he could catch it, and M was in great scoring position, and took advantage.

The offense then got the ball to Jehu Chesson, and on one play he scampered 66-yards on a jet sweep down the sideline for six. The call or QB read gave the ball to Chesson on a play that had been run before with the back getting the ball each time. It was a great call, as was its blocking and execution. M-21, T-0.

It was Drake Johnson again as he ran one in from one yard, jumping high over the pile into the end zone for six. The Final was now established at 28-0.

The return of Johnson to form could not have been any more-timely than it was, with Smith’s injury against BYU keeping him in Ann Arbor, and the es of the other backs struggling against the Terps. They needed a slasher among their corps of big backs, and some speed. Johnson is both. Final M-28, Terps-0.

The stakes will be considerably higher next week as the undefeated Northwestern Wildcats charge into Michigan Stadium for a 3:30 PM start. In order to win the Wolverines will need to bring their best game of the season to date, as the schedule toughens up. The Wildcats have a great defense, and they are undefeated. Last Saturday they hammered the Minnesota Gophers 27 to 0. The Wolverines will have their hands full, and will need to play error free football.

It will be a 3:30 start.

Go Blue!