Grading all areas of the Michigan Wolverines’ 39-14 win at Indiana:
Michigan Football Rushing Offense: C
Michigan didn’t need to run the ball against the Hoosiers and didn’t really try, handing to the backs only five times in the first quarter and 24 times total.
Freshman Zach Charbonnet gained 22 of his team-best 46 yards on one carry and managed only 24 yards on his seven other carries. Redshirt freshman Hassan Haskins carried 13 times for 44 (3.4 per rush) with a long of only seven, and frosh receiver Giles Jackson managed only seven yards on two end arounds.
The Wolverines did have good success on first down, however, running 10 times for 54 yards through three quarters before the game got out of hand. That helped keep Indiana guessing and opened up success for the passing game.
Take out the two sacks of Shea Patterson, and the Wolverines gained 104 yards on 27 totes (3.9 yards per attempt).
Michigan Football Passing Offense: A
For the second weekend in a row, Patterson enjoyed a career game, throwing for 366 yards and five touchdowns while only being sacked twice. He would have eclipsed 400 if not for a couple of overthrows and dropped passes (one by sophomore Ronnie Bell that he should have hauled in for about 40). He was 20-of-32 passing, and his one interception came after the game was no longer in doubt.
Nine different Wolverines caught passes, led by junior Nico Collins’ six grabs for 165 yards and three scores, including a 76-yard touchdown. U-M threw on 10 of 17 first downs in the first half and four out of seven in the third quarter when the game was still in doubt, including completions of 18, 29, 24 and 19 yards, two of them touchdowns to Collins.
U-M averaged 11.4 yards per attempt and 18.3 yards per completion. The latter would be higher than the average of any team that throws the ball regularly (Louisville is No. 1 nationally at 17.2 yards per reception).
Michigan Football Rushing Defense: A-
The Hoosiers ran the ball well in the first half, 17 times for 60 yards (3.5-yard average), and a 17-yard Stevie Scott run set up IU’s second touchdown. U-M clamped down in the second half and held the Indiana rushing attack to 37 yards on 20 carries, including three carries for just six yards on first downs in the third quarter when the Wolverines asserted their dominance.
Indiana was forced to throw while playing from behind and totaled minus-4 yards rushing in the third quarter on seven carries.
Scott finished with 54 yards, but 29 yards of the Hoosiers’ 97 came on two carries, and they managed only 2.6 yards per rush. Forty-one of their rushing yards came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach, and U-M was substituting.
Michigan Football Passing Defense: C+
Last year’s Indiana game was billed as a look at how Michigan’s defense might fare against mighty Ohio State. The Hoosiers beat U-M on some crossing routes underneath, OSU took it to another level the following week, and the rest is history.
IU started strong without receiver Whop Philyor, one of the Big Ten’s best. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey was on the money with his throws, completing 8 of 10 for 84 yards alone in the first half and leading IU to a 14-7 lead early second-quarter, but a big hit on him and a pick by freshman safety Daxton Hill changed the game. A tipped ball prevented a potential big play on that one to receiver Ty Fryfogle, who was banged up later in the game after a few big hits and never the same.
The Hoosiers hit on a few big plays and had a handful of receptions of 20-plus yards and drew two or three pass interference penalties on deep balls, but this is an explosive offense. All in all, it was a solid effort.
Michigan Football Special Teams: A-
Freshman return man Giles Jackson continues to look more and more comfortable in the kick return game. He notched a 38-yarder among his three returns for 81 yards (27-yard average). Redshirt junior Quinn Nordin made his only field goal, sophomore kicker Jake Moody didn’t have a single kickoff returned — his hang time forced a number of fair catches — and U-M’s gunners downed a punt inside the five.
Redshirt junior punter Will Hart needs to be better next week. He averaged only 31.2 yards per kick on four punts and set up Indiana in good field position twice with short kicks.
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