Michigan Football Postgame Podcast: Marcus Ray With John Borton
Big Ten Network analyst Marcus Ray doesn't shy away from strong takes on Michigan and the Big Ten East. He's back with more, following the Wolverines' win over Minnesota.
Ray discusses what went right in the 33-10, weather-delayed triumph over the Gophers. He also discusses at length an interesting day in the Big Ten and how things got shaken up.
Here is the podcast…
Here are some podcast highlights, including Ray on…
• Michigan's win over Minnesota: "It was a good win for Michigan. It was interesting to see how the weather affected really all the games on Saturday. They pushed the kickoff back, but it was good to see the player respond, stay focused and come out and run the ball effectively. The offensive line, I thought, did a fine job.
"They really took advantage of their strengths against Minnesota's weaknesses in that run game. They blocked it pretty good. It was just good to see a bunch of positive-yardage plays."
• Sophomore viper Khaleke Hudson's big night, with 6.5 tackles for loss: "Khaleke is a fine player. He's a great athlete. He's in a system right now that will allow him to be productive. Same thing you saw with Jabrill Peppers — closer to the ball, playing in space.
"He has the athletic ability to run mobile quarterbacks down. That's what you're coached to do when you go after the quarterback, try to get the sack/fumble if you can. He had a monster game … six-and-a-half tackles for loss, a couple of sacks, forced fumble. That's just how disruptive he was.
"I thought he did a phenomenal job. Charles [Woodson] even texted me and said, 'Hey, man, I really like Khaleke Hudson.' I said me too. He's a versatile guy, and he has the skill set that you want in that 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 system, playing down closer to the ball."
• The Big Ten East race: "I think Michigan State is going [to Columbus] with all the confidence in the world. Even though I think Ohio State will play better next week, I think they'll be a little apprehensive, because the last time [Michigan State] came in there, [Michigan State] beat them.
"And, they're coming in off a big win over Penn State. That one could go either way. But Michigan State, man … the coaching job [Mark Dantonio] has done after nine games is just on a different stratosphere, just looking at the cards he was dealt and all the adversity and the schedule. It's amazing to see that.
"That's the game of the week, obviously. I truly think the winner of that game will go to Indianapolis [for the Big Ten championship game]. It will get a little tricky, depending on how everything else plays out, but next week is the Big East championship."
• Michigan's opportunity down the stretch: "I think they have some great opportunities ahead of them. You can give [redshirt freshman quarterback] Brandon Peters some exposure on the road. Maryland is going to come to play, for about a half or so. It should be a good game.
"You talk about going to Wisconsin and they're undefeated, so that's on opportunity to play a top-10 team, top-five team in their house, and make a statement. There's a lot to play for, and you still have the Buckeyes.
"Michigan has a lot to play for. Their schedule has helped along the way, but they've found some things they can hang their hat on. [Junior tailback] Karan Higdon is the No. 1 back, Peters is the No. 1 quarterback. Try to find ways to win the turnover battle, time of possession and field position, and that gives Michigan a stronger chance to win.
"That's their formula right now. They have an identity, something they didn't have a month ago. They've come into their own. Now they've got to come out, put it on the table and see how they match up against some of these other teams."
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