Tale Of The Tape: Sizing Up Michigan Football And Washington

Michigan Wolverines football (1-0) will host the Washington Huskies (0-1) in a primetime matchup at The Big House Saturday night.

Here, we've set the stage for each aspect of the matchup between the Wolverines and the Huskies, and give our take on who has the advantage in each area.

RELATED: Staff Predictions: Michigan Wolverines Football vs. Washington

RELATED: Previewing Michigan vs. Washington With A Husky Insider

After one week, Michigan's offense ranks ninth nationally in ESPN's FPI offensive efficiency, while Washington's defense checks in 36th in the country.

Passing Game

Michigan's passing attack was seldom used last week in a 47-14 win over Western Michigan, but shined when it was. Redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara completed 9 of 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, before freshman J.J. McCarthy came in and completed 4 of 6 passes for 80 yards and one score.

The Wolverines allowed just one sack and one quarterback hurry, but the overall pass-blocking grade PFF awarded them was 56.5, which is a below-average mark.

The Maize and Blue will be without junior wide receiver Ronnie Bell, who suffered a season-ending injury against Western Michigan, the team's best wideout. Others will have to step up to fill the void.

In an embarrassing 13-7 loss to FCS-level Montana last week, the Huskies downed the Grizzlies' quarterback just once — a loss of four yards created by freshman outside linebacker Cooper McDonald — but was able to force nine hurries. The pass defense was more than solid overall, allowing just 105 yards through the air for an average of 4.6 yards per attempt and zero touchdowns.

The sophomore cornerback duo of Trent McDuffie, a preseason third-team All-American who notched two pass breakups last week, and Kyler Gordon, a two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention, is a tough challenge for opposing wideout and quarterbacks. McDuffie gave up one reception for 14 yards on four targets last week, while Gordon yielded two catches for 22 yards on three targets.

It's worth noting that the Huskies' play in the nickel (five defensive backs) a significant amount of the time, and junior nickel corner Brendan Radley-Hiles, an Oklahoma transfer, has started 32 career games and has 12 career pass breakups.

Advantage: Washington

Running Game

Michigan's rushing attack was potent last week, racking up 334 yards on the ground, the most the team had gained since 2017.

Second-year freshman running back Blake Corum's 111 yards and one touchdown led the way, while redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins chipped in 70 yards and a score himself. All told, the Maize and Blue were able to churn out a ridiculous 7.8 yards per attempt.

The run blocking from the offensive line was solid, grading out well above average on PFF (74.), but the Wolverines were going up against and undersized and undermanned WMU front.

This week, the challenge becomes stiffer.

Washington's front seven is led by sophomore linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, a preseason first-team All-American who had five tackles and a stop for loss last week. However, the interior defensive linemen are big (literally, at 300 pounds each) question marks, and the Huskies rotated heavily at the spots last week, never finding the right combination.

Montana averaged just 3.7 yards per carry against the Husky front, but stuck with it and was able to gain 127 yards for the game. The Huskies' rushing defense graded out a measly 55.2, and its tackling a 61.6 (both below average, which is 64).

Advantage: Michigan

Despite allowing just 14 points to what was thought to be a solid WMU offense, Michigan's defense ranks 53rd nationally in ESPN's FPI ratings, while Washington's offense — more appropriately, perhaps — slots 123 in the country after putting up just seven points on Montana.

Passing Game

To say Washington's passing offense struggled against Montana would be an understatement, especially considering the level of competition. Redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Morris completed 27 of 46 passes for 226 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions, and was sacked three times and hurried on six occasions.

The Huskies' offensive line, which was highly-touted entering the season, struggled, posting a PFF pass-blocking grade of 51.5.

Washington could be without four wide receivers due to injury, a big storyline to watching heading into the contest.

Michigan's pass defense struggled on the opening drive against the Broncos, allowing a 75-yard possession that resulted in six points, before strapping in and putting on an impressive performance to close things out.

All told, WMU completed 20 of 37 pass attempts for 191 yards and one touchdown, while being sacked once and hurried a whopping 11 times according to PFF.

The one knock on the Maize and Blue's pass defense is that it didn't notch any interceptions despite having a few prime opportunities. However, the Wolverines' starting cornerbacks — redshirt sophomores Gemon Green and Vincent Gray — looked more confident than a year ago, combining to give up four receptions on nine targets, while sophomore safety (and nickel) Daxton Hill allowed five catches on seven targets but for an average of just 3.6 yards per reception.

The Maize and Blue also limited big plays, yielding just eight plays of 10 or more yards through the air and four snaps that resulted in 20 or more passing yards.

Advantage: Michigan

Running Game

The Huskies' offensive line struggled in this area, too, posting a PFF run-blocking grade of 59.4. The run game, led by sophomore and Doak Walker Award preseason watch list member Richard Newton, mustered up just 2.4 yards per carry and a total of 65 yards, stats that speak to how poor of an offensive showing it was for the team.

Far too many negative plays plagued Washington, which lost 32 total yards on run plays.

Michigan's run defense was solid against the Broncos, despite playing much of the game in the nickel formation with only two down linemen and two outside linebackers wide of them. The Wolverines yielded 126 yards on 32 attempts (3.9 yards per carry), and notched three tackles for loss.

The defensive front seven is headlined by junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross, who led the squad in tackles with six.

Advantage: Michigan

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