UMGOBLUE.COM Michigan Wolverine Football & Basketball
By Fans…For Fans Since 1999
After two games where the offense stalled and Michigan was lambasted for barely winning, the coaching staff used the bye week to make some serious adjustments.
When the Wolverines took the field in front of a homecoming crowd to play Minnesota in their first Big Ten game of the season, some changes were evident.
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The Wolverines needed a positive start to the Big Ten campaign. They especially needed offensive rejuvenation. After demolishing Central Michigan Chippewa’s, and embarrassing Notre Dame’s Irish on the biggest possible prime time stage, before a record crowd of over 115,000, expectations were raised regarding the Wolverine’s capabilities locally and nationally.
Lowly Akron let the air out of that rising balloon, by not rolling over and playing dead, though M finally labored to victory. While Akron is well-coached, and played hard, they are among the MAC conference bottom feeders. Akron had lost to Towson earlier in the season. Towson? They did not, of course, honor that type of play against the Wolverines, presenting a well-coached and feisty game.
Surely that bad anomaly could not happen again. Even when it did, it should not have. The anomaly presented again against the Huskies of Connecticut. Not now at their peak of football prowess, the Huskies have since replaced then Coach Paul Pasqualoni, and are a struggling football team. As against Akron, the Wolverines were opposed by a team with an outstanding game plan, and with M buried in its own mistakes, the game was narrowly won by a late combination of offensive and defensive heroics. Again, too close for comfort, too close to brag about. Was this becoming routine and not an anomaly any more?
Before Minnesota, the Wolverines had looked like a championship contender for two games, and like an also ran for the most recent two. They were winning the games, but losing respect. They couldn’t protect the passer or rush the football. Minnesota just had to be the tie breaker, one way or the other.
For the first quarter the Wolverines played second fiddle to the Gophers running game. They dominated the Wolverines in yardage, and time of possession. The Gophers controlled 11.14 minutes to 3.46 minutes. Sloppy tackling hurt.
While the score was tied 7 up at the end of the quarter, it was mainly though the largess of Minnesota fumbling the football early, caused by a Jabreel Black hit and a by James Ross recovery. Otherwise M’s offense and defense struggled, and this was as bad a quarter of Michigan football as you want to pay to see. After a 16-play, 75-yard Gopher drive, the score was knotted 7-7 to begin the second quarter. The Gophers converted all five third downs on the drive.
In the second quarter the teams traded punts garnering great field position. The Gophers downed a punt on the M two, but Matt Wile bettered that with a punt downed on the Gopher one. The Wolverines then benefited from good field possession, and eventually Gardner hit Funchess for the score, on a 3rd and 14 from the 24. M led 14-7 at the half.
Receiving to start the third quarter, the Wolverines turned the game in their favor with an impressive 75-yard drive featuring a 21-yard Gardner to Funchess hookup, capped by a tough Derrick Green TD run from 2-yards out. M traded a Gopher FG for a 12-yard Fitz Toussaint TD romp, and the quarter ended M-28, Minn-10. Both Gallon and Dileo contributed important catches on the most important drive of the game.
Minnesota made it 28 to 13 with another field goal to start the fourth quarter, and the Wolverines answered with two TDs. Devin ran one in from 2-yards out, and Blake Countess zipped into the end zone from 72-yards out. Final M-42, Minn-13.
Lack of offensive line production has been problematic all spring and fall. Fans questioned whether it could suddenly improve against the Gophers. For at least part of the second quarter and the last half, the offensive line produced reasonably effectively. There were a few negative plays. The offense produced 348-yards on 52-plays. Fitz Toussaint ran for 78-yards on 17 carries, scoring two TDs.
The coaches dusted off five star recruit Derrick Green and he got 26-yards on 10 carries, with a strong run for a TD. Like Fitz he had a long run of 14-yards. Fitz is not so durable as to do all the heavy lifting at RB, nor is Devin. It was good to unlimber Green, even if he produced only modest results.
Devin Gardner had the chance to settle in the pocket and fire the ball in good form. While his passing was a tad off at times, he was bailed out occasionally by great catches from Funchess and Gallon and all. DG completed 13 of 11 for 235-yards and a TD with a long of 46. Devin also ran for a TD, slipping inside the pylon with deft footwork. With no interceptions and only one miscue under center (recovered by M), his performance was virtually error free. This team had 9 interceptions going into the Gopher game, and 8 fumbles, with three lost. Gardner was able steady up. Better protection was a great part of that. The coaching staff and the offensive line earned credit in bettering both the running game and the quality of pass protection.
The offensive coaches were innovative in that they moved Taylor Lewan over to the right side where he lined up in the tight end position for an unbalanced line. This provided a stronger running base. Their experiment of moving Graham Glasgow from right guard to center, with beefy Chris Bryant becoming the left guard, seemed to work seamlessly and was an improvement. Equally satisfactory and innovative was some usage of Devin Funchess at wide receiver.
Hoke on the Funchess usage: “We obviously planned it that way, getting him out on the perimeter a little bit is mismatch in a lot of ways because he runs awfully well. He’s a big target. And then we get in some of the 11-personnel times that we want to, he’ll be at tight end. But just trying to really take advantage of his skill set.”
Funchess was the chief Wolverine receiver with 7 receptions for 151-yards and a TD. He made some outstanding catches.
The take away from this game in terms of good: This was a much needed Big Ten win. The Wolverines had to restore some of their confidence after recent inexplicable struggles against two poor football teams. Results proved the tinkering with the offensive line mostly effective, and that Devin Funchess can play wide receiver. The running game was improved. The Wolverines continued to rule their home field under Coach Hoke. This win made it 18 straight at home. The Wolverines are again an improving football team. They played a good to outstanding game in the last half of the 2nd quarter, and in the second half, on both sides of the ball.
With the exception of the first quarter, the defense was generally good, especially in the red zone. Mike LB Desmond Morgan continues to improve. He had 10 tackles, six solo. The defense held the Gophers to 281 net yards. The Wolverines are slowly rounding into a better football team.
Take away from this game in terms of bad: That first quarter was a nightmare, and it just might belong in the category below. The Gophers owned the ball in that quarter. It was a miserably slow start that could prove fatal against better competition.
Take away from this game in terms of ugly: A seemingly serious injury to DT Ondre Pipkins. We will have to wait for official word, but unfortunately he came off the field not touching the ground with one leg. If so, this is a major blow to the defensive line, but we have to wait and see.
Fortunately, the coaches had a bye week in which to prepare for Minnesota. They determined Chris Bryant would replace Graham Glasgow at left guard as Graham moved to offensive center, and that is what happened. This sat Jack Miller. The offensive inertia did not belong solely to Jack Miller. When playing, he snapped well, but sometimes appeared physically overwhelmed. Bryant is a load at 6-4, 316. He whiffed some, but contributed.
It seems the nascent running game finally is developing into a “Michigan” running game, but there are sterner tests ahead, and solid improvement is still needed. Next Saturday at Penn State at 5:00PM will be a sterner test. It will be bedlam, a sea of white.
Jerry Kills’ charges came into to Ann Arbor with fire in their eye and with every intention of providing at least a year’s room and board to the fabled Little Brown Jug, but the Jug is safely at home, and another Homecoming is history. It will be interesting to see how future scores are placed on the jug, as it is out of notation space.
The “Blast from the Past” was there and participated in another innovative halftime show. Unfortunately, Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill was not there as he had suffered another health issue and was not able to make the trip. Brady Hoke praised Coach Kill at the after game press conference, wishing him well, as we all do. Fortunately, the predicted rain and thunderstorms did not issue out of the leaden skies on a warm fall afternoon. This one is in the books.
Bring on the Nittany Lions.
Go Blue!
Heading into their bye week, it’s time for the Wolverines to make some changes to their offense, which currently rests at No. 63 nationally. With two weeks before their next game, now is the time to fix the problems that have prevented them from scoring more consistently.
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The University of Michigan Wolverines invaded East Hartford, Connecticut to face Connecticut’s Huskies in their second prime time football game of the season. Not only were they trying to secure their first victory away from the friendly confines of Michigan Stadium this season, where they seem to win whether they play well or not under Coach Brady Hoke, they wanted to erase any vestiges of doubt caused by last Saturday’s edging of a game Akron team. While they won, they did not accomplish that goal. For a large portion of the game, I thought Bill Martin had done us an extreme disfavor for scheduling this home and home. Many questions remain unanswered.
There were sighs of relief after the game last Saturday, but appropriately little victory jubilation was justified or evident. They were a pretty somber group of Wolverines after that game at the press conference. Captain Taylor Lewan provided a forcefully unique tirade regarding the team’s performance. He certainly was blaming the concentration and intensity without blaming individuals directly. That did not seem help to improve Saturday night’s offensive performance. The errors at the Quarterback position (2 interceptions and a fumble) and elsewhere (lost another fumble for a total of 2 of their 4 fumbles). This kept the heat on the Wolverines while the effort of Connecticut deserves credit. They also came to play. UConn had 3 sacks, their first of the year.
Last minute heroics by both the offense and defense, preserved the victory both last Saturday and this, but when it comes down to the necessary victory ingredient being a last minute scores and desperate defensive stands late in game against over matched opponents, things have obviously not gone well. Especially against two determined teams of provable lesser quality. That M did score 17 straight points is a bright spot.
The play of Devin Gardner in this one was perplexing. He demonstrated an inability to get rid of the football to avoid a sack. He often carries an unsecured football, but in spite of all this, he is still the Wolverines’ best offensive weapon, and it isn’t even close. His 11 passes netted only 64-yards, and no TDs. He had 3 sacks. Devin ran 19 times for 120 net yards and a TD.
This week was eerily similar in tone to last week. Down in the 4th quarter, and offensively sputtering, it seemed old mo was on the other side, this time UConn. Mike LB Desmond Morgan dropped into the passing lane and made a remarkable one handed collar of a Husky pass in the secondary, and rumbled forward 30-yards to the 12-yard line. Fitz ran it in for the 21-21 tie.
The Wolverines were sloppy regarding penalties, turnovers, and pass protection, both last week and this week. Their offensive execution was not consistently sharp, both weeks, but especially in the first half this week’s game. The second quarter was a nightmare. It seemed they had an extended Notre Dame game hangover. Finally, they did just enough to win.
Redemption was a prime Wolverine goal Saturday night, to prove they could play so-called “Wolverine” football, and that were ready for the grueling Big Ten season. Perhaps the defense is ready, or can soon be ready, but obviously the offense is not. This game was hardly reassuring on that count, and relieved few concerns..
The rushing game had been underwhelming, other than Gardner. They wanted to hone that against the Huskies and did to a small degree. The ground game was a priority over the spring and fall camps, yet it remains inconsistent. A 3.7-yards per rushing carry was dismal prior to Saturday’s game, and now is only slightly better.
Fitz Toussaint had his best rushing game of the season, but even so there were too many plays stopped for losses. Fitz rushed for 120-yards, and scored two second half TDs. The rushing attack totaled two-hundred yards and three TDs but was inconsistent, and ineffective for chunks of the game. Reference much of the first quarter, and the terrible second quarter. It appears that this offense is not sure of its identity, but that the defense is making strides. UConn got just one first down in the first quarter, but had three sacks on the day.
Devin Gardner again showed that he can make plays with his feet, but he took unnecessary sacks, fumbled, threw interceptions, seemed to have his confidence shaken in the passing game, and does not seem to be improving from prior games this year. Not a stellar performance by Devin. Even so, he did enough to enable a win.
Defensively, M needed a pass rush. It was thought Frank Clark would provide it, even though he had played below expectation in that area before the game with the Huskies. He was outstanding Saturday. Only five sacks going into this game was dismal for the defense. The defense improved on that statistic. Frank contributed two sacks.
In Connecticut, M faced their second trap game in a row. The Huskies home base is Rentschler Field. An estimated 42,000 attended. M visions of a switch to a nearby pro stadium and filling it with pro Wolverine fans was understandably squashed by the Connecticut AD. Michigan’s football reputation being what it is, this was deemed by them to maybe be the best football program to play in their stadium. A win would have cemented their football reputation like none other, and they almost made it happen.
Built in 2003, they packed 42,000 into Rent, which was sold out for M’s second night game of the year. Michigan had better talent, more speed, and three wins on the season. The Huskies had lost to Towson 33-18, and 33-18 to Maryland. East coast writers gave the Huskies little chance, even though the Huskies were well coached under Paul Pasqualoni, who coached in the NFL Some critics saw his job in jeopardy with the unpopular loss to Towson. A perfect trap was set.
U Conn is now a refugee from the Big East Conference. The Huskies are part of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Their football high point was participation in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, which they lost to Oklahoma.
UConn team has some talent, not the least of which is Yarwin Smallwood. He had 14 tackles against Maryland,16 against Towson, and 17 against the Blue. He caused a fumble. Huskies QB Chandler Whitmer has a strong arm and good receivers. Unfortunately for their cause, they had three dinged starters, including Yarwin, who played anyway, and showed no effects. Whitmer lost 34-yards rushing but completed 16 of 32 passing attempts for 159-net yards, and two TDs. He suffered 4 sacks, plus the game changing Morgan interception.
Matt Wile punted well, but put a KO out of bounds at a critical time. Drew Dileo returned three punts, one of them at crunch time for 24-yards.
First Quarter:
Michigan’s offensive prowess played second fiddle to its defense in the first. Gardner threw an interception on M’s first possession, but recovered to score the only TD of the quarter, on a 69-yard, 11-play drive. Devin supplied a 17-yard scoring run. M-7, UC-0.
Second Quarter:
The M offense continued to stumble, with another interception being thrown. UC drove to 7 with an 11-yard pass, and it was 7 all. M fumbled and UC subsequently scored on a 7-yard pass. M-7, UC-14.
Third Quarter:
The Wolverines received the KO, punted, held, then fumbled. On a weird error by the M offensive punt team, a punt rolling on the ground was touched. UConn reovered, and advanced thirty-four yards for a score. M-7, UC-21. Fortunately that ending UConn’s scoring for the day. Fitz ran in a 35-yarder after the defense held. M-14, UC-21, to restore a degree of hope.
Fourth Quarter
At 9:55 Desmond Morgan made his leaping interception and thirty-yard run to the UC 12. Fitz scored from there on a very nice run, and it was tied at 21 up. Brendan Gibbons secured the final lead with a 21-yard FG. Final M-24, UC-21. M’s defense was outstanding in the 4th quarter and U Conn QB Whitmer was often not left standing in that quarter.
The bright spot in this game was the play of the defense. Many of the younger players played at crunch time, and acquitted themselves generally well. Chris Wormley contributed.
The future effectiveness of the offense remains a question with Big Ten play coming up. Against good teams, and UConn was not one, offensive mistakes could bury the Wolverines championship hopes. It is not all Devin Gardner, although his errors are a consistent concern. The consistency of the offensive line is another. Outside of Devin, the running game is not robust, even with Fitz running for 120-yards against inferior football competition. UConn had not had a sack this season and got three against the Wolverines. The past two Saturdays have proved more of a challenge to the Wolverines than expected.
If there ever is a time to give others a look on the OL, and tweak it, now is the time with a bye coming up.
Those pesky Gophers look more competitive this year. Is possession of the jug in jeopardy?
Like last week it is so much better to teach when winning, rather than losing, but the hurdles will continue to be tougher to surmount as this season progresses. The Wolverines will have to rise to the challenge. They are not there yet.
Go Blue!