Grading all aspects of Michigan football’s 10-3 win over Iowa Saturday at The Big House:

Once again, Michigan’s best success in the running game came early. Freshman Zach Charbonnet’s three best runs came on the first two series and he didn’t finish with a rush over seven yards en route to 42 net yards and a score on 13 totes.

Senior Tru Wilson had some late success in the fourth quarter with a pair of runs for eight and 11 yards … and then he never carried again. He finished with 28 yards on four carries, while redshirt freshman Hassan Haskins gained 22 yards on his two tries.

The Wolverines managed only 17 yards on seven first-down rushes in the second half, and finished with 120 net ground yards on 33 totes. Even when taking the two Shea Patterson sacks out, U-M gained only 135 yards on 31 carries (4.4-yard average).

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Patterson only went deep once — and it worked. He connected with junior receiver Nico Collins for a 51-yard reception that set up the Wolverines’ only touchdown in the first quarter. Patterson got it working on the first drive of the fourth quarter with completions of 10, 10 and 20 yards, but it resulted in a missed field goal.

Still … only two explosive plays in the passing game is not good enough.

Sack yardage skewed the stats, but the Hawkeyes ran for only one yard total and managed only 67 gross yards from the running backs. They had only one carry for two yards by a back in the fourth quarter, having abandoned the running game, and notched only one run over five yards the entire game, a 15-yarder on the first play from scrimmage of the second half.

This grade would be higher but for a handful of big passing plays on third-down conversions, including a 34-yard gain on third-and-22 and 19 yards on a third-and-10 in the first half. The Hawkeyes also hit U-M for 22 yards on a third-and-15 screen pass.

Iowa threw for 260 yards with a few explosives, but the Wolverines picked quarterback Nate Stanley — who entered the game with eight touchdowns against no interceptions — off three times and racked up eight sacks.

Iowa notched a 37-yard kick return and four punt returns for 54 yards in U-M’s worst coverage game of the year.

Redshirt junior punter Will Hart averaged 45.6 yards per punt but put two in the end zone for touchbacks when he had a chance to pin the Hawkeyes deep.

Michigan’s kickers missed two field goals, including a 34-yarder from sophomore Jake Moody that would have all but clinched a win.

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