Monday Morning Quarterbacking: U-M's Offense Underwhelms In 10-3 Win
The Michigan Wolverines' football defense dominated Iowa on Saturday, but its offense had a difficult time getting anything going in what wound up being a 10-3 triumph.
We take a look back at what the Wolverines' defense all did right, but also why its offense struggled so mightily.
Key Moment of the Game
This one is obvious. With just 48 seconds remaining in the game and Iowa trailing 10-3 and facing a fourth-and-10, senior quarterback Nate Stanley took a shotgun snap from the U-M 44-yard line.
He was immediately pressured by senior viper Khaleke Hudson, who grabbed ahold of the signal caller but wasn't able to bring him down.
Just as fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow jumped in to help finish him off, Stanley hurled the ball away with his left hand to freshman running back Tyler Goodson, who actually had plenty of green grass in front of him.
Michigan's defense closed in on him near the sideline, however, and freshman safety Daxton Hill tripped him up at the U-M 45-yard line (and right by the line of scrimmage) to seal the victory.
Three Things That Worked
1. U-M's Pass Rush
Where in the world did this relentless Wolverine pass rush come from? A unit that was gashed for 359 rushing yards against Wisconsin allowed just one yard on the ground against Iowa, while also racking up 13 tackles for loss and eight sacks in what was a dominating effort.
2. U-M's Defensive Resilience
Iowa had ample opportunities to tie the game when Michigan led 10-3, specifically in the fourth quarter when it drove into Wolverine territory on two separate occasions. The Maize and Blue defense stood tall each time though, and answered the bell in impressive fashion.
3. The Emergence of Cam McGrone and Daxton Hill
Both redshirt freshman linebacker Cam McGrone and freshman safety Daxton Hill played significant roles for a second straight week on Saturday, and each of them shined. McGrone racked up six tackles, 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Hill also made several impactful plays, most notably his tipped pass in the third quarter that junior cornerback Ambry Thomas intercepted.
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