Report Card: Grading Michigan Football In A 35-14 Loss At Wisconsin
Grading Michigan in all phases of a 35-14 loss to Wisconsin:
Michigan Football Rushing Offense: F
Michigan freshman Zach Charbonnet was "limited," according to head coach Jim Harbaugh, and his absence was felt. He carried only twice for six yards.
U-M's longest run by a running back was six yards (by redshirt freshman Christian Turner) and the longest overall was nine by backup quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, who was subsequently targeted in one of the cheap shots of the year and knocked out of the game with a concussion.
The U-M line's reaction to the blow to the head? Gosh … I hope he's okay. Former Michigan linemen would have had to be held back from destroying the perpetrator.
Michigan Football Passing Offense: D
The game was essentially over by the time Michigan finally opened it up in the fourth quarter and gave the receivers a shot with some 50-50 balls. Sophomore Ronnie Bell had two grabs for 81 yards and was robbed of a beautiful, diving catch that was somehow overturned … he was targeted too much, however, and senior quarterback Shea Patterson missed a number of wide-open receivers.
Pass protection was poor, leading to Patterson's happy feet, and junior Nico Collins (66 yards) and redshirt sophomore Tarik Black (57) should have been targeted much earlier than they were. The Wolverines also threw two picks.
Michigan Football Rushing Defense: F
Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor ran for 143 yards ... in the first 12 minutes. He finished with 203 and two scores on only 23 carries, and he probably could have run for 300 himself if he hadn't cramped up.
By the end of the game, it seemed as though Michigan's defenders were done trying to tackle him after getting pushed around the majority of the game. The Badgers finished with 359 yards rushing … an embarrassing effort for the U-M defense.
Michigan Football Passing Defense: D
Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan didn't have to throw much — the Badgers probably could have won this game if they hadn't thrown at all — but when he did, he usually had time, completing 13 of 16 passes for 128 yards.
Coan's biggest completion came on a fourth down play with the Badgers up 14-0 at U-M's 43. He completed a 26-yarder to Quintez Cephus to keep the drive alive … and the rout was on.
Michigan Football Special Teams: B-
A formation penalty cost the Wolverines on a punt after Will Hart had pinned the Badgers deep, but Hart was good. He averaged 51 yards per kick and might have been Michigan's player of the game. There wasn't much else to grade in the return game or in coverage, which was fine.
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