Report Card: Grading Michigan Wolverines Football In A Loss To Wisconsin
Michigan was a near-seven-point underdog heading into a home game with Wisconsin and lost by 38 points, 49-11.
We grade the Wolverines in all aspects of a 38-point beatdown.
Michigan Football Rushing Offense: F
Michigan managed 47 yards on 19 carries, including a grand total of 11 rushes for the backs, which gained just 32 yards. Redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins came into the game averaging 7.9 yards per carry and rushed once for six yards, while frosh Blake Corum picked up five yards on seven carries.
The Wolverines managed only four rushes of four yards or more, averaged 2.5 yards per carry overall, and were held out of the end zone on fourth-and-two-feet in the first half, going QB sneak shotgun. Wisconsin dominated the line of scrimmage and forced U-M to throw.
Michigan Football Passing Offense: D-
Only backup and redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara's one impressive series prevented this from being an 'F,' as well. He came in and threw four passes, including three beautiful completions and a touchdown to sophomore Mike Sainristil, as well as a two-point conversion on a fade to sophomore Giles Jackson that was perfectly thrown.
Redshirt sophomore Joe Milton struggled mightily, completing only nine of 19 passes for 98 yards and two picks, both coming on U-M's first two drives. He didn't get any help from fifth-year senior tight end Nick Eubanks on the first — he dropped a ball he should have caught and it was picked off. That set the tone for the offense.
Michigan Football Rushing Defense: F-
The Michigan front couldn't set the edge, and the Badgers had a field day exploiting it. Fullbacks, freshman running backs, wide receivers on jet sweeps ... they all combined for a whopping five touchdowns and 341 yards rushing, including chunk runs of 43, 30 and 23 yards, plus several more of 10-plus. Frosh Jalen Berger stepped up with 87 yards on 15 carries, but anyone could have run through the holes the line created.
U-M's linebackers continued to struggle against the run, getting little help from a defensive line on roller skates. The Badgers averaged 6.7 yards per carry overall … on 51 attempts. U-M totaled just two tackles for loss.
Michigan Football Passing Defense: C-
Redshirt sophomore Vincent Gray had a decent bounceback performance when the Badgers tried to pick on him — he's had a tough few weeks — and Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz also had two or three balls dropped in a 12-for-22, 127-yard, two-touchdown passing performance. He and his teammates could have thrown 15 times less and still won the way they were moving the ball on the ground.
The Badgers averaged 10.6 yards per completion and had three plays of 18 or more yards through the air.
Michigan Football Special Teams: C-
Jackson had a nice kick return for 43 yards and frosh Blake Corum added a 32-yarder. Redshirt junior punter Brad Robbins was decent in averaging 42.4 yards per boot on five tries.
U-M went after a punt in the third quarter after getting momentum and ran into the kicker, a five-yard penalty that gave the Badgers a second chance on fourth-and-four. It was costly — the visitors scored on that drive to all but put the game away.
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