The Michigan defense allowed more than 300 yards for just the second time this season, but made big plays when it needed to during the team’s 35-10 win on the road versus Maryland.
The home team started redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Brand, a Detroit native, in place of the injured sophomore Max Bortenschlager. He became the fourth different starting quarterback the Terrapins have had this season, and the Wolverine defense forced him to make a couple of notable mistakes.
After marching 69 yards down the field in 11 plays late in the second quarter, Brand threw a pass that was intercepted by Michigan sophomore cornerback David Long in the end zone. Long took it back 80 yards to the Maryland 20, which set up a field goal attempt of 31 yards that was missed by redshirt freshman Quinn Nordin.
“I thought it was [sophomore cornerback] Lavert [Hill],” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “That was a heck of a play.It kept them out of the end zone. They were threatening there. He made a heck of a play. Good eyes, saw the ball come out of the quarterback’s hand, picked up some blocks and returned it darn near all the way.”
It was Long’s second interception of both his career and season. The first came earlier this year against Penn State.
“It feels really good to get the ball back in my hands and run around a little bit,” Long said. “At Penn State, it felt a little weird having the ball in my hands, but I’m getting more comfortable with the ball in my hands.”
The pick gave the Wolverines great field position to go up by 31 entering the half, but Nordin’s kicking struggles continued. He is now 14 of 19 this season and has missed his last three attempts and has not made a field goal since knocking through two at Indiana Oct. 14.
Following the miss, there was an exchange on the sideline between Nordin and Harbaugh, but the coach downplayed it after the game saying he was simply telling him he needed to make the next one and that Nordin replied saying he would.
In the fourth quarter, sophomore viper Khalake Hudson followed up his big game from a week ago (an NCAA record-tying eight tackles for loss) with his first career interception. He returned it 22 yards to the Maryland 19, allowing Michigan to run out the clock for the victory.
Hudson finished the game with seven tackles, good for third on the team behind junior safety Tyree Kinnel, who finished with 10 tackles, and fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr., who had nine tackles and the team’s lone sack.
It was the second-lowest sack total the Wolverines have had this season after not having any versus Michigan State.
“The quarterback did a good job getting rid of the ball really fast,” Hurst said. “I felt like we were steps away from him a lot of times and not really getting there. They did a pretty good job of picking up pressures, as well.”
Injury Bug Bites Wolverines
It was a bad day for the health of the Wolverines. Several key players went down and did not return.
On the offensive side of the ball, junior running back Karan Higdon left the game in the second quarter and didn’t come back. Defensively, Hill missed the entire second half with a concussion, and sophomore defensive lineman Rashan Gary exited in the second half with an arm or upper body injury and didn’t return. Long and fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray came out of the game briefly but both went back into action.
Harbaugh did not have any updates after the game.
Miscellaneous Notes:
· Redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich had three tackles for loss, bringing his season total to 14 — tied with Hudson for the team lead. Hurst had 1.5 in the game and ranks third with 12.5 on the year.
· Hurst has now recorded at least half a sack in five straight games. He ranks fourth on the squad with 4.5; Winovich also paces the team in that category with 7.0 on the year despite no quarterback takedowns the last two weeks.
· Michigan held Maryland to 3 of 16 on third down (18.8 percent). The Wolverines entered the game third nationally by allowing foes to convert on just 24.4 percent of their third-down tries.
· Sophomore safety Josh Metellus blocked a Maryland punt in the second quarter. It was the first blocked punt the Wolverines have had this season. Redshirt freshman linebacker Devin Gil recovered the block.
· Sophomore linebacker Devin Bush Jr. had two pass breakups, making him the team leader in that category this season with eight. Hill is second with seven.
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