Monday Morning Quarterback: Milton Was One Of The Positives For U-M At IU
We take a look back this morning at what went right and what all went wrong for the Michigan Wolverines' football team in Saturday's loss at Indiana. The coaching and performance of U-M's team were both subpar once again this weekend, though there were a few bright spots we've singled out as well.
It was another all-around disappointing performance that we've summed up below in this season's third edition of "Monday Morning Quarterback."
Key Moment of the Game:
With Indiana leading 31-21 and 12:45 remaining in the game, Michigan was looking to drive into IU territory to potentially make it a one-score game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Milton took a shotgun snap from his own 47-yard line and fired the ball downfield toward the left sideline.
The pass was unfortunately thrown right to junior safety Jaylin Williams, with Milton apparently never even seeing him. Williams returned it all the way to U-M's 29-yard line, with his pick all but ending Michigan's hopes of a comeback.
The Wolverines at least showed life in the second half after trailing 24-7 at one point, and could have cut the Hoosiers' lead to 31-28 with a touchdown on the aforementioned drive.
The interception was Milton's first of the year, and he proceeded to throw a second one on Michigan's ensuing series as well.
Three Things That Worked
1. Milton and the Passing Attack
He finished with 344 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-34 passing (52.9 percent), with his 344 yards standing as the 15th-most any U-M signal-caller had ever thrown for in a game. Explosive plays were also prevalent through the air, with five different players hauling in at least one reception that went for a minimum of 21 yards.
2. Rush Defense
Michigan's rush defense did its part against the IU rushing attack, limiting the Hoosiers to 118 yards and 3.1 yards per carry. Hoosier junior running back Stevie Scott finished the day with 97 yards and two scores, but it came on a dismal four yards per rush.
3. Punting
Michigan has undoubtedly found its replacement for struggling fifth-year senior Will Hart, with redshirt junior Brad Robbins averaging an impressive 53.6 yards on seven punts. Four of his seven punts went 50 yards or longer, and four also landed inside the Indiana 20-yard line.
Three Things That Didn't Work
1. The Pass Defense
This was the biggest storyline for a second week in a row, with Michigan's secondary getting shredded for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Vincent Gray was the primary target once again, as defensive coordinator Don Brown seemingly failed to fix the deficiencies that occurred last week against MSU.
2. Michigan's Rushing Attack
How can U-M's offensive line be this bad? Yes, both starting tackles — redshirt sophomores Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes — were out with injury, but there's still no excuse for the team only being able to muster 19 rushing yards on 0.7 yards per carry. The dismal offensive line play obviously contributed to the nonexistent rushing attack, which put all the offensive pressure on Milton's arm.
3. Discipline and Penalties
U-M's undisciplined play continued again on Saturday, with the team committing eight penalties for 89 yards. The defensive line in particular frequently jumped offsides thanks to Indiana's deceptive cadence, an occurrence that eventually became an embarrassing trend. Do the players jumping offside deserve blame for it? Of course, but the coaches deserve more for not fixing it immediately.
Position-by-Position Battles
Michigan's offensive line vs. Indiana's front seven
Michigan's front five turned in a putrid performance, failing to create any rushing lanes all game long for the Wolverine running backs. The pass blocking was better but also iffy at times, with the Hoosiers racking up three sacks and five tackles for loss.
Indiana's offensive line vs. Michigan's front seven
Michigan's defensive line played better than it did last week against MSU when it was nonexistent from a pass rushing standpoint, but nevertheless failed to record a sack for a second straight week. It did at least perform well against the run, though junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson departed the game with injury and never returned. There is no timetable on when he might be back.
Michigan's wide receivers vs. Indiana's secondary
Several U-M wideouts enjoyed huge afternoons, with junior Ronnie Bell leading the way by hauling in six receptions for 149 yards and a score. Freshman wideout Roman Wilson also reeled in his first career score, while sophomore Cornelius Johnson grabbed a touchdown of his own and finishing with a career-best 82 yards. The receivers helped Milton average an impressive 19.1 yards per completion.
Indiana's wide receivers vs. Michigan's secondary
This was a major mismatch, with senior wideout Ty Fryfogle hauling in seven grabs for 142 yards and senior receiver Whop Philyor bringing in 11 receptions for 79 yards. Gray and redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green were once again picked on all game long, and didn't have many answers for what Indiana was doing through the air.
Quarterbacks
Both quarterbacks posted stellar statistics, but Indiana redshirt sophomore Michael Penix gets a slight edge here due to the fact he never turned the ball over. He finished with 342 yards, three scores and a 60 completion percentage, while Milton threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns as well. Milton's 52.9 completion percentage was underwhelming, and his two picks occurred in the fourth quarter when Michigan was attempting to mount its comeback.
Running backs
Indiana easily gets the nod here, though Scott only averaged four yards per carry. Michigan's rushers were nonexistent, however, thanks in large part to the play of the offensive line. Redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins led the way with 19 yards on six carries, while fifth-year senior Chris Evans was the next leading rusher with just five yards. Explosive plays were nowhere to be found either, with an 11-yard run by Haskins standing as the only rush that went longer than four yards from the running backs.
Special teams
Robbins was a special teams bright spot for U-M on Saturday, averaging a booming 53.6 yards per punt. IU punter Haydon Whitehead had a solid afternoon of his own, tallying 46.2 yards on five punts. Fifth-year senior Quinn Nordin never attempted a field goal, while Indiana's Charles Campbell nailed his only try — a 52-yarder. It was also a quiet day in the return categories for both sides.
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