Michigan Wolverines Football: Top Five Players Of The Game
Michigan's 40-21 win over Middle Tennessee State featured a number of highlight performers. Here's our top five:
1. Senior quarterback Shea Patterson — Yes, he put the ball on the turf multiple times, including a fumble on the opening play from scrimmage. Yes, he was hard on himself in the postgame, and justifiably so at times. He was also productive in a new offense, throwing for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 17 completions. He’s not happy, but he made things happen.
2. Junior cornerback Ambry Thomas — For starters, Thomas started, which came as a huge surprise to many. Afflicted by colitis in the days leading up to the season, he’d just recently returned to practice. So to get him back in uniform was a big deal. It became bigger when he recovered a fumble and made an interception in his first time back, while providing steady pass coverage.
3. Freshman running back Zach Charbonnet — Charbonnet carried the football only eight times, but nearly cracked the 100-yard mark. He ripped off a 41-yard run to help get him to 90, showing speed, balance and some toughness up the middle. Jim Harbaugh said he’d made No. 1 on Michigan’s internal depth chart, and 110,000-plus saw why in person.
4. MTSU quarterback Asher O’Hara — O’Hara did some nice work against a relentless Michigan pass rush. At times he got the ball off quickly enough to catch the Wolverines off guard and take advantage of their aggressiveness. He wound up throwing for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns, giving MTSU a respectable showing.
5. Redshirt sophomore wideout Tarik Black — Black scared many uninformed onlookers when he headed off to the locker room at one point. But it only involved cramping, and when he was on the field, nobody cramped his style. He made four catches for a team-leading 80 yards and a touchdown, giving everyone a taste of coming attractions.
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