Grading all aspects of Michigan’s 49-24 blowout of Minnesota Saturday night.

The running back group was as good as advertised, a blend of styles and big plays that resulted in 264 gross yards and 8.8 yards per carry after taking out yardage lost on one sack.

They worked in the offseason on turning modest gains into big plays, and it paid off in a dynamic performance with only 20 carries coming from the backs. It was so competitive that sophomore Zach Charbonnet managed only three more carries after his 70-yard burst that tied the game in the first quarter.

Redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins showed better vision, found the end zone twice and bounced another outside for a 66-yard gain. As promised, the Wolverines showed more two-back sets, something Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck admitted caught them a bit off guard, and it paid off with a great showing. Redshirt sophomore Joe Milton also proved to be a load as a runner, averaging 8.6 yards per tote (after removing the lone sack).

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Milton’s 15 yards per completion were deceiving, given that most of his big gainers originated at or near the line of scrimmage. Big plays to junior Ronnie Bell (30 and 35 yards) started in the flat, and a 27-yarder to sophomore tight end Erick All came a play-action drag.

In fact, Milton didn’t connect on a single ball that traveled more than 18 yards in the air.

That’s good game planning by the offensive staff to get Milton comfortable, and he was. His 15-of-22 passing line — for 225 yards and a score — couldn’t have been scripted much better and would have been even better if not for a couple drops, including a well-designed play to All that would have been a score.

Call it harsh, but we expected more from this group. Everyone will be quick to jump on the defensive line, but the breakdowns were tough to discern without seeing film. There were times it appeared, to the naked eye, that linebackers were out of position or the gap fits just weren’t what they needed to be.

But credit Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, too, for his vision and quickness to the holes. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry, and the Golden Gophers 4.7 as part of their 168 gross yards (minus sack yardage).

This is an area that needs to be shored up in coming weeks, but losing sophomore safety Daxton Hill in the first half didn’t help. It appeared his replacements had a hard time containing the edge at times and missed a few assignments, to be expected of some of the first-time players.

Redshirt sophomore viper linebacker Michael Barrett was one of the game’s pleasant surprises. He was all over the field in notching seven tackles (1.5 for loss), including the big sack and forced fumble that led to a defensive TD.

One blown coverage resulted in a 14-yard touchdown pass to an uncovered Ko Kieft behind the Michigan secondary, and there were still some big plays against the Wolverines’ man coverage. One appeared to come on a push-off on redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green, who played a very good game for a first taste of significant game action.

Redshirt sophomore Vincent Gray, however, struggled a bit, and freshman safety Makari Paige’s head was spinning at times. The experience, though, will serve him well down the road.

Passing defense, however, includes pressure up front, and the Wolverines created a touchdown on Barrett’s sack that resulted in redshirt junior lineman Donovan Jeter’s score and got plenty of pressure on Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan, sacking him five times. Morgan finished 18-of-31 passing for 197 yards, but he was under the gun much of the night.

Definitely a mixed bag here, and a few areas that need to be shored up. The Wolverines allowed a blocked punt early that led to a score and gave Minnesota the early momentum, and it came right up the gut.

Junior Jake Moody, apparently substituting for injured fifth-year senior Quinn Nordin, missed all three of his field goals, though the last one was a bad snap/hold. That was one of the night’s biggest disappointments.

Barrett’s 66-yard return of a short kick was a huge play and the coverage was good overall, but there's definitely room for improvement.

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