2015 Season Countdown: #21 De'Veon Smith

De'Veon Smith

Name: De'Veon Smith
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 228 lbs.
High school: Warren (OH) Howland
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Smith #21 and said he would be the starting running back with 150 carries, 700 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He made two starts with 108 carries for 519 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Last season was another fairly disappointing year for Michigan's running game. Sprinkled throughout the year were some good games intermingled with some bad ones. Furthermore, no running back was consistently the best. If you ask three different people who the best running back was in 2014, you'll get three different answers. Smith earned his first career start against Michigan State after Derrick Green broke his collarbone and finished with 11 carries, 39 yards, and 1 touchdown. Statistically, his best two games were the opener against Appalachian State (8 carries, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns) and against Northwestern (18 carries, 121 yards, 1 touchdown). He also had some real stinkers, including six games in which he averaged 3.1 yards/carry or fewer. Toward the end of the year, Drake Johnson took over the starting gig and looked superior to Smith.

The battle rages on to be the starting running back at Michigan. Justice Hayes was a third down back, but he opted to spend his fifth year at Southern Miss. Drake Johnson looked solid at the end of the year, but he tore his ACL in the season finale against Ohio State. Green was the leading rusher for most of last season, but he had that broken collarbone and isn't the most instinctive runner. Ty Isaac sat out last year after transferring from USC, and lineman Kyle Kalis recently said that the line couldn't wait to get Isaac on the field after watching him bruise people up in practices last year. Karan Higdon is an unknown quantity as an incoming freshman.

I'm on the record as saying Isaac is the most talented back on the roster, but I think Smith has the mentality that these coaches like the most. He's a tough runner who will break some tackles and drive his legs. He won't outrun anyone, and his vision isn't great, but he can set the tone for the team to be a smash-mouth unit. I don't think he will get a stranglehold on the position because there are other guys who are more versatile and better athletes, but I think Smith will get a long look to try to be The Man. Normally, I would expect to put a starting running back higher than #21 on this list, but nobody has emerged from the pack at any point during their college careers. In fact, I'll go ahead and replicate what I predicted for him last year:

Prediction: Starting running back to begin the year; 150 carries, 700 yards, 8 touchdowns

2015 Spring Game: Blue 7, Maize 0

After watching the spring game on Saturday, here are some thoughts on each position group:

QUARTERBACKS: With Wilton Speight nursing a slight injury, this was a game between Alex Malzone and Shane Morris. Malzone had the superior completion percentage, but Morris looked like the better quarterback. Malzone still has an ugly, baseball-pitcher delivery that needs to be shortened up. He looks okay on quick throws (bubble screens, etc.), but any time he has to drop back and set up, the ball drops down to waist level and takes forever to come out. That is not something that gets fixed quickly. He made some good decisions but just doesn't have the ability to get the ball there quick enough (from a mechanical standpoint and an arm strength standpoint). Morris, meanwhile, also made some good decisions, showed nice touch on some throws we haven't seen him make before, and generally looked calmer in the pocket. His Blue team picked on "cornerback" Dennis Norfleet a bunch, which I thought was a bit unfair. Norfleet has been practicing mostly at wide receiver, but he was playing corner due to a lack of depth with the split squads. Morris and the Blue team sent Amara Darboh and Jaron Dukes deep on him several times, both of whom are significantly taller and veteran receivers. If the season were to start today, I think Morris is definitely the guy . . . but Jake Rudock is on his way from Iowa.

Hit the jump for some feedback on the rest of the position groups.

Spring Practice Rumblings

Mason Cole might not be blocking many edge rushers this season

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Based on recent developments and leaks, I'll toss out some of the recent rumblings from practice, which you can feel free to dissect/discuss.

Quarterback: Different sources will say different things. I don't really have much to add to that, except it seems like Shane Morris is mentioned most often as looking the best.

Running back: Ty Isaac had questions about his toughness coming out of high school, but he has played through some things this spring; however, he has been suffering from hand and hamstring injuries, so he is limited. Derrick Green has also been injured, and Drake Johnson is coming off that ACL tear. The one constant has been De'Veon Smith, who has been earning praise for his vision and attitude. It's not really a secret that Smith can have a sullen disposition at times.

Fullback: With Sione Houma out due to injury, it's still Joe Kerridge, Brady Pallante, and Chase Winovich getting reps at this spot.

Hit the jump for the rest of the positions.

Poll results: Who will lead Michigan in rushing in 2014?

De'Veon Smith was Michigan's leading rusher in 2014

I meant to post this a few months ago, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle. Here are the results of the poll posted over the summer. (Caveat: This poll closed on September 4, which was several days after Michigan's opening victory over Appalachian State.)

Derrick Green: 59%
Green ended up with 471 yards in half a season, which was 48 fewer than Smith's total for twelve games. (Green was my pick in the preseason, too.)

De'Veon Smith: 35%
Smith led the team with 519 yards but did not surpass Green until well after Green was lost for the season with a broken collarbone. Green averaged 78.5 yards/game, and Smith's only two games over 78.5 yards were the opener against Appalachian State (115 yards) and week 10 against Northwestern (121). Smith averaged 43.25 yards/game for the whole season.

Devin Gardner: 4%
Gardner finished fourth on the team with 258 yards. He undoubtedly would have gone for more, but an ankle injury slowed him down for much of the year.

Drake Johnson: 1%
Johnson was the team's best back for the last third of the season, rushing for an average of 80 yards/game against Indiana, Northwestern, Maryland, and Ohio State. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in the season finale.

Other: 0% (0 votes)
The only other tailback to get a shot was Justice Hayes, who averaged 4.4 yards/carry and ended up with 213 rushing yards on the season.

Michigan's leading rusher total of 519 yards is the lowest since Brandon Minor led the team with 502 yards in 2009, a year in which Michigan also went 5-7.

Michigan vs. Ohio State Awards

Drake Johnson (#20) scored two touchdowns in Saturday's rivalry game against Ohio State

Let's see more of this guy on offense next year . . . Dennis Norfleet. Michigan is lacking big-play threats, and while Norfleet has yet to break a truly big play, he is one of those guys who can gain yards in chunks. He ended the OSU game with 3 carries for 10 yards and 1 catch for 9 yards, but at least one decent run was called back for an Amara Darboh hold (Darboh was called for two holding penalties in the game). Norfleet's final carry of the day lost 3 yards when he tried to run outside of his block, but he at least threatens to make people miss. Virtually every other receiver and running back is very likely to be brought down by the first guy.

Let's see less of this guy on offense next year . . . De'Veon Smith. Smith was essentially forced into action late in the year when Derrick Green went down with a broken collarbone. Smith was the starter essentially by default, and he responded with just one solid game (18 carries, 121 yards, 1 touchdown against Northwestern). Drake Johnson started against Ohio State and did well, and then Smith stepped in with 3 carries for 4 yards when Johnson got hurt. Smith is too slow to be a full-time back, and he doesn't break as many tackles as an ideal short-yardage back should. It's not Smith's fault that he got so much playing time, but Michigan can do better. Johnson passed him up late in the year, starter Derrick Green will return in 2015, and the Wolverines will also have the services of USC transfer Ty Isaac. Barring injuries or transfers, I think Smith should be no higher than #4 on the depth chart next year.

Let's see more of this guy on defense next year . . . Ben Gedeon. It will be interesting to see how the linebacker positions shake out next year. With a potential coaching change coming, the scheme may also change. However, Michigan should once again be deep at the linebacker position. The sophomore Gedeon would be a starter on some Big Ten teams, but he was stuck behind Butkus Award finalist Jake Ryan at middle linebacker. Next year weakside starter and #2 tackler on the team Joe Bolden will return, and former starting inside linebacker Desmond Morgan will come back from his shoulder injury that caused him to redshirt this year. Furthermore, part-time starter at strongside linebacker James Ross III will be back. It would almost be a shame for Gedeon to have to wait until his senior year to start, but that's a possibility with Bolden, Morgan, and Ross returning, all three of whom will be seniors in 2015.

Let's see more of this guy on defense next year . . . Jabrill Peppers. Peppers, the 5-star cornerback who took a medical redshirt, is needed in the secondary. Michigan should be solid at the very least with everyone but Raymon Taylor returning, but Peppers' playmaking potential is desperately needed. Michigan got just 2 interceptions from defensive backs this season, both of which came from sophomore Jourdan Lewis. Peppers could play safety, but his tackling ability is a good fit at slot corner, too; he or Blake Countess could start on the outside, with the other guy playing in the slot.

Play of the game . . . Devin Gardner's touchdown pass to Freddy Canteen. It was only a 3-yarder and Michigan's fate was essentially already sealed, but Gardner rolled right to find Canteen in the endzone near the sideline. Canteen - who showed flashes of promise in the spring but was quiet all season - made an excellent diving catch, getting a foot down before sliding out of bounds.

MVP of the game . . . Drake Johnson. I would like to pick Gardner (22/32, 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception), who made some nice plays as well. But Gardner also gift-wrapped two touchdowns for Ohio State. The first one was an interception on the opening drive, setting up OSU on Michigan's side of the field. The second was a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee. So I'll pick Johnson as the MVP. Johnson carried the ball 15 times for 74 yards (4.9 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns, and he threw a halfback pass to Gardner for 18 yards. When Johnson went down with what I'm guessing is an ACL injury late in the game, Michigan's running game suffered greatly.

Ohio State 42, Michigan 28

Devin Gardner wishes good luck to J.T. Barrett after the Ohio State quarterback suffered a season-ending injury
(image via BR)

That was better than I expected. For the second year in a row, Michigan came into The Game with fans and analysts having low expectations. And for the second year in a row, Michigan made a game of it. I expected the Wolverines to keep it close in the first half, only to have the wheels come off late. The wheels certainly came off, but Michigan led the game for roughly half of the second quarter and they were tied until just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. Offensively, Devin Gardner turned it up a notch, Drake Johnson solidified himself as the best back available, and Doug Nussmeier unleashed some creative play calling that we had not seen for most of the year.

Drake Johnson is #1*. Of the runners available at the end of the season, I don't think there's any doubt that Johnson is the best option going forward. I hope De'Veon Smith got enough chances for fans and coaches to realize that he just doesn't have the speed to get the job done, and he's not the bulldozer that so many people thought he would be. Justice Hayes is a decent complementary or third down back, but Johnson (15 carries, 74 yards, 2 touchdowns) is quicker than the others and displayed some power on Saturday that might hint that he's learning how to run the ball in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, Johnson crumpled up on the ground when he scored his second touchdown, and it looked likely to be a torn ACL; Johnson also tore his ACL in the 2013 season opener, so it would be sad to see him have to go through the same rehab again. He ends the year with 60 carries for 361 yards (6.0 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns. Out of those totals, 57 carries, 333 of those yards, and all 4 touchdowns came in the final five games against Big Ten opponents. He didn't have the chance to rack up huge amounts of yardage against Appalachian State and Miami, although he did have the advantage of running behind an offensive line that improved throughout the year.

I'm going to miss Devin Gardner. Gardner turned out not to be the best quarterback. He showed signs of improvement in the second half of 2013, and then he regressed this year. You can blame it on Brady Hoke, Doug Nussmeier, Al Borges, the receivers, the offensive line, playing wide receiver in 2012, Gardner himself, etc. There are any number of directions you can point. There are two big things about Gardner that I will miss. Much like Denard Robinson, I will miss Gardner's attitude and leadership. He was not the most vocal guy, but the kid took a beating behind Michigan's offensive line and never pointed fingers or complained about the guys in front of him. He also showed some sportsmanship when Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett broke his ankle, with Gardner coming out on the field to wish him well before he was carted off. The second big thing I'll miss about Gardner is his athleticism. The guy was one of the best athletes to play quarterback at Michigan, perhaps second-best behind his predecessor, Robinson. Gardner could run through tackles, juke defenders, outrun defenders, throw the ball deep, put touch on his passes, and make the game of football a beautiful thing to watch at times. I kept waiting for this guy to break out, but for all the reasons mentioned above, I'll always be left to wonder what could have been.

Clock management failure #1. At the end of the first half, Michigan's drive stalled with over two minutes remaining. The punt team was summoned. Rather than allowing the play/game clock to wind down under two minutes, Michigan snapped the ball with about 20 seconds on the play clock and 2:20 left on the game clock. Ohio State got the ball and calmly waltzed down the field to score with :07 seconds remaining. If you're Brady Hoke, what can you possible be thinking at that point? We know by now that Hoke's plan was not to get a stop, get the ball back, and run a hurry-up drive to score. Hoke isn't that aggressive. If Michigan did get the ball back, they would have run the ball until halftime. The only possible explanation is that Hoke wasn't paying attention or thinking that far forward, which is a pretty damning trait.

Clock management failure #2. Even with three minutes left and down three touchdowns in the final game of the year, Michigan still couldn't run a halfway decent hurry-up. They were huddling at times, they didn't know how to line up, etc. while the clock was ticking down. They had no urgency whatsoever. Gardner did lead a successful drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown pass to Freddy Canteen, but it left just 1:15 on the clock to get an onside kick, score, get another onside kick, and score again. I am usually a person who thinks that the game isn't over until the clock says 0:00, but Hoke managed to suck that out of me this year. Just like we know Hoke can't use his timeouts or manage the end of a half properly, we also know that running an offense with any kind of tempo is out of the question. More so than a lack of player development, these issues with game management (the clock, the timeouts, having the right personnel on the field, etc.) are the ones most damning if he wanted to make a case to keep his job going forward.

The lack of personnel development. As I mentioned above, the lack of anyone stepping up throughout the year is almost amazing. You can point to a few individuals who got better from 2013 to 2014 (Jourdan Lewis, Derrick Green, Joe Bolden) or who improved throughout the season (Jake Ryan, Drake Johnson), but the only unit to improve was the offensive line. No other position group seemed to take steps forward, except perhaps the running backs, whose performance is tied to the OL.

Holy cow, there has been a lack of takeaways. Michigan ends the 2014 season with 5 interceptions, their lowest total in at least 20 years. I looked at stats from 1995 onward, and I only stopped because I can't find a reliable source of information any earlier than that. Michigan got picks from Lewis (2), defensive tackle Willie Henry, defensive tackle Matt Godin, and linebacker Jake Ryan. The Wolverines are tied for 120th in interceptions and might end up lower after a couple teams play in bowl games. Michigan is #123 in turnover margin with -1.33 per game. In fact, it's almost amazing that Michigan is #10 in total defense and #28 in scoring defense with the inability to create turnovers and an offense that can't sustain drives. The lack of takeaways is obviously a negative for defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, but it says something that his scheming and Michigan's solid tackling have helped to prevent a total team breakdown.

I'm sad the season is done. This was one of those years where you see a bunch of talent on the field and expect big things, but big things don't happen. Michigan had a record-setting quarterback, a wide receiver who looked like a potential first rounder, a very good tight end, a 5-star running back, a solid kicker, a former All-Big Ten punter, and loads of talent on the defensive side of the ball. All that gets boiled down to a 5-7 season and a career for some of these seniors that ends with a thud.

I'm sad this is how it went down for Brady Hoke. I was not a fan of Michigan's hiring of Brady Hoke in 2011. He hadn't proven enough at a high enough level, and it showed that he was in over his head. However, I did hope that he would have success at Michigan. Not only because I'm a fan of the Wolverines, but because Hoke seems like a good guy, I wanted him to win and win big. There aren't enough decent guys winning national championships out there. Instead, there are people like Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher. Now it appears that Hoke's head coaching career is over at Michigan. Wherever he ends up in the future, I hope he can find success.

I still have high hopes for next year. Regardless of who the coach is, Michigan has a lot coming back in 2015. Devin Gardner is the only senior on offense to start, and Devin Funchess might declare for the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Michigan has lost its best two players on defense (Jake Ryan and Frank Clark, the latter of which was kicked off the team, anyway), cornerback Raymon Taylor, senior kicker Matt Wile, and senior punter Will Hagerup. There are capable replacements for most of those guys, with the kicking job as the biggest question mark. This was a young team that should improve going into 2015.

Michigan vs. Maryland Awards

Devin Gardner

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . a healthy Devin Gardner. Gardner had some very nice throws, and he had several that were just a little off target. Most of all, though, he looked healthier, which means that he can be dangerous on the ground. That adds an element to Michigan's attack that has not existed for the last several weeks. A healthy Gardner gives Michigan a chance. He ran for over 80 yards in this game, including a 24-yarder and then a 15-yard touchdown. When Gardner is on, he looks like Colin Kaepernick. Hopefully he can stay healthy and break out a big game like he did last year against Ohio State.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . De'Veon Smith. Smith has no speed element to his game, and he doesn't break enough tackles to warrant being the main guy. Michigan gave Smith 10 carries in this one, which earned them 28 yards. Meanwhile, Drake Johnson (14 carries, 94 yards) and Justice Hayes (6 carries, 36 yards) combined for 20 carries and 130 yards. Michigan's offensive line isn't great, but there are some holes occasionally. I am looking forward to next season, when Derrick Green will hopefully be healthy and Ty Isaac will be in the mix. There's also a chance that Green could return for the Ohio State game after missing the last several weeks with a broken collarbone.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. I'm assuming Henry has been playing a limited number of snaps because of the hand injury he suffered several weeks ago, so I don't know if anyone deserves blame here. But without Frank Clark on the roster, I think Henry is arguably the best defensive lineman on the roster. He played a little bit against Maryland, but he didn't show up on the stat sheet and we're seeing a lot of Matt Godin. Godin did okay and even notched his first career sack, but he's not Willie Henry.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Matt Godin. I don't know who else to pick, so I'll choose the guy who would be replaced by Henry. You can't argue with that pristine logic.

Play of the game . . . Joe Kerridge's fake punt run. It showed some creativity in play calling that we haven't often seen from this Michigan staff. Granted, it was perhaps the most boring kind of fake punt possible. Baby steps. Kerridge rumbled for 52 yards before being taken down inside the 10 yard line. I'll just throw this out there, but if that were Ben Gedeon, I think Gedeon would have scored. But hey, that will probably go down as Kerridge's biggest play of his career (he had only 1 career carry for 3 yards going into the game, and his longest catch was a 17-yarder against Indiana a few weeks ago), so hopefully he enjoys the memory.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. There aren't many options here. Nobody really stood out on defense as they gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the offense stalled out regularly, as usual. Gardner looked more like the player from the second half of the 2013 season, someone who was dangerous on foot (14 carries, 82 yards, and 1 touchdown) and potentially through the air (13/24 for 106 yards and 1 interception), though his receivers dropped numerous balls.

Michigan 10, Northwestern 9

This was the scene for most of the first half (image via Zimbio)

Ugly. That was a terrible performance by everyone except Michigan's front seven and Northwestern's secondary. Each team turned over the ball 3 times, nobody could move the ball consistently, quarterbacks were falling down without being touched, and there were no big plays except when Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell returned an interception 79 yards. The Wildcats are banged up, and their offensive line isn't very good. Michigan's top skill players - Devin Gardner, Devin Funchess, Dennis Norfleet, and Derrick Green - are all limping or out entirely.

Michigan's defensive tackles have matched the secondary in interceptions. Matt Godin's interception gives the tackles two (Willie Henry had a pick against Utah), while cornerback Jourdan Lewis has 2 - and is the only player in the secondary to record an interception. The Wolverines now have 5 picks on the season after linebacker Jake Ryan got one in this game, too, but it has been a largely unproductive season for Michigan's defensive backs.

Quarterback play is wretched. Devin Gardner made some terrible decisions in the passing game, much like he did last year at Northwestern. He finished the game 11/24 for 109 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Michigan was winning the field position battle in the first half, playing in Northwestern territory almost the entire time. That added up to 0 points. On the play that turned into Campbell's interception, Bo Dever was wide open deep on the right sideline, but Gardner tried to hit Freddy Canteen in the middle of the field. Gardner looks indecisive, doesn't throw on time, and won't tuck the ball and run with any authority. When he does make a quick decision, it's usually the wrong one.

Offensive line improvement. Michigan fans may not like to hear it, but this offensive line is getting better. The Wolverines did a good job of keeping pressure off of Gardner, and they were opening up decent-sized holes in the running game. Northwestern did not get a ton of penetration, and while they don't have any huge playmakers on the defensive line, this still represents a step forward for Michigan. Fans who want head coach Brady Hoke and offensive line coach Darrell Funk gone after this season are not gathering convincing evidence on the field from the offensive line. Of course, Michigan's skill players aren't doing much with the holes provided, either.

Running back situation. Last week I called for Drake Johnson to get more playing time, and he did (10 carries for 30 yards). However, he and De'Veon Smith both looked bad early. I thought Smith, in particular, looked indecisive and slow to the hole in the first half. He spent way too much time dancing in the backfield, trying to wait for something better. One of the coaches on the sideline - presumably Fred Jackson - must have talked to Smith, because when he finally decided to hit the line with authority, the running game took off. Smith finished with 18 carries for 121 yards and 1 touchdown. Johnson, meanwhile, is the faster of the two backs, but he struggles to break tackles. I believe we saw the last of him when he fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Joey-on-the-Spot Kerridge.

The wide receivers are slow. This is not new news, but it is painfully obvious. Funchess has more speed than he's showing, but I just don't see him running hard. I think his ankle is still bothering him. Maybe that's what's sapping his concentration, since he seems to drop half the passes thrown his way. Jehu Chesson has decent speed, but he has been banged up and has perhaps the worst hands out of the entire receiving corps. Norfleet is out. Gardner - who is playing poorly anyway - has limited options, none of whom can get separation unless the defense blows a coverage. Unfortunately, there's not much help in sight. I have hopes for Maurice Ways, who I think is going to surprise some people when he hits the field. Drake Harris, who is redshirting along with Ways, used to be fast before he had a two-years-long hamstring injury. I am not counting on him to return to form. Da'Mario Jones can't seem to find his way onto the field.

The defensive line made Northwestern look silly. When backup defensive end Mario Ojemudia bull rushes through your offensive line for 2 sacks, you know things are bad. Michigan totaled 6 sacks, including 1.5 from Frank Clark, 1 from Brennen Beyer, and 1 from Willie Henry. Michigan's defensive line made Northwestern's linemen, quarterback, and play calling look silly at times. Color guy Ed Cunningham kept questioning Northwestern's decision to call dropback passes, and I actually agreed with an analyst for once. The Wildcats finally seemed to have some success when they called shorter pass routes and kept backs in the backfield to protect the quarterback. It just took them a long time to realize it. Northwestern just couldn't handle trying to block Michigan's defensive line one-on-one while waiting for routes to develop. Clark, in particular, had a great game, especially in the first half.

Jake Ryan is a monster. He had 11 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. He and Clark could both feasibly earn Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten, which Ryan also won last week against Indiana. I thought all the linebackers played well, including Joe Bolden (7 tackles) and James Ross III (5 tackles).

Everyone except Jourdan Lewis is a step slow. Michigan's secondary just isn't making plays this year. Everyone seems a step slow, even against a Northwestern offense that is slow and lacking playmakers. The one exception appears to be Lewis, but even he a) should have been called for pass interference at least once and b) should have intercepted a pass thrown to Kyle Prater. The commentators praised Lewis for batting down the ball, but he should have planted his back foot and gone up to get the pass at its highest point. Meanwhile, whenever backup cornerback Delonte Hollowell is in the game, I think opposing offensive coordinators target him; he is, of course, the guy who allowed Northwestern's lone touchdown. That has been his M.O. this year. I believe Notre Dame, Utah, and Northwestern have all scored touchdowns against Hollowell on flat routes near the offense's left sideline.

Pat Fitzgerald's decision at the end of the game. With Michigan hanging onto a 10-9 leading with a pending extra point attempt, Fitzgerald decided to go for the two-point conversion. I agree with the decision, but not the execution. Northwestern had momentum at that point, but for the entire game, Michigan dominated defensively. It seemed to take everything Northwestern had to muster that late-game rally. After losing for two straight years in overtime, it's understandable that Fitzgerald wanted to go for the win. The maxim is that you should go for the tie at home, and go for the win on the road, but Michigan had been the more consistent team in this one. Northwestern had been hitting short passes late in the game, and I believe they should have continued with what was working. They should have gone with max protection and tried to hit someone short. Instead, they rolled quarterback Trevor Siemian to the right, and when Frank Clark ended up in his face, Siemian's foot slipped and he fell to the ground. Game over.

What does this all mean? It means Michigan's offense is still terrible, and Michigan's defense is pretty good. The Wolverines managed just 256 yards, went 1-for-12 on third downs, 0-for-1 on fourth, and had just 13 first downs the whole game. The defense allowed -9 total rushing yards, and while Northwestern threw for 273, it was largely on dink-and-dunk passes late in the game.

Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Drake Johnson (image via MLive.com)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Drake Johnson. Johnson had 16 carries for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. His longest run was a 32-yard burst, and he had several runs that gained chunks of yards. A caveat applies due to the weak opponent, but he has more speed than De'Veon Smith, more power than Justice Hayes, and better vision than Smith or the currently injured Derrick Green. This likely will not be a flash-in-the-pan appearance for Johnson. While success will be harder to find, I would not be surprised if he's the starter next week at Northwestern.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . De'Veon Smith. Smith has had ample opportunities this season, playing in all nine games, getting the second-most carries on the team (77, compared to Derrick Green's 82), and not doing a great deal with those chances. Sure, he leads the team with 5 touchdowns, but he's a short-yardage and goal-line runner. Perhaps he should be leading the team in touchdowns even if everyone were healthy, because he's able to plow through linebackers and defensive backs for some extra yards. But Smith's vision isn't Mike Hart-like, which many fans said early in the season, and he's not quick enough through the holes that he sees. On a team that lacks big plays, your bell cow at running back shouldn't be a guy so ponderous.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. Henry got hurt against Michigan State last week, and I am not sold on his replacement, Chris Wormley. Wormley seems to be good for one or two good plays a game, but he's not consistent enough. Wormley's motor has always been a question mark for me, and I have yet to see him play a full game of good football.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Delano Hill. Hill was in on 3 tackles this past Saturday, but he was again missing tackles and getting out of position at free safety. He did have a nice blitz in the third quarter, but otherwise, I was not impressed. I don't know the answer, but Hill isn't it right now. He has been a liability the past two weeks, although the impact in this game was minimal because of the opponent.

Play of the game . . . Drake Johnson's 16-yard touchdown run to end Michigan's scoring. Johnson burst up the middle, juked a defender to the right, and then high-stepped through a tackle attempt before crossing the goal line. It was a fun ending and a welcome sight for a team that has lacked suddenness at the running back position. Honorable mention for this award goes to Amara Darboh for blowing through a solid tackle attempt on a quick screen. Not a ton of yardage, but fun to watch.

MVP of the game . . . Drake Johnson. He offered Michigan fans some excitement when there was very little else to get the heart pumping. De'Veon Smith wasn't getting the job done, and Justice Hayes is mediocre. Jake Ryan also had a very good game (11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles), but the linebacker position hasn't been as concerning as the running backs.

Michigan 34, Indiana 10

Drake Johnson (image via CBS Detroit)

Drake Johnson to the rescue. Thank goodness that Johnson appeared to rescue us from watching De'Veon Smith churn out somewhere between -2 and 2 yards. I have always been skeptical of Smith as a feature back. Indiana has a poor defense, and Smith managed just 21 yards on 7 carries before a minor ankle injury sidelined him. Smith is a short-yardage back and that's about it, so I wish Michigan would stop trying to use him as a feature back. In stepped Johnson, who ran for career highs with 16 carries, 122 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He showed good burst on several plays, and while the only truly impressive run was the 16-yard touchdown to cap his day, it was better than any other running back has looked this year, save perhaps Derrick Green.

Move De'Veon Smith to the bottom of the depth chart. Michigan has been struggling to get big plays all season, and Smith is not the guy who offers big-play potential. You can see that he is either coached to get upfield, or he just doesn't trust his speed - which he shouldn't, because he's slow. Smith is a between-the-tackles runner who isn't quick enough to get through the generally small cracks that the offensive line is opening up inside. If Michigan wants a more diverse attack - one that can attack both inside and outside - the coaches have to use Johnson and Justice Hayes more.

Devin Gardner played like Northwestern 2013. Gardner threw just one interception in this game, but it was an ugly one where he missed the free safety sitting in the middle of the field and tried to soft-toss a post into the arms of Devin Funchess. The ball never even came close. Gardner had several other throws that could have or should have been intercepted. He did enough to win the game, but if Indiana had capitalized on some of the mistakes, it could have been another ugly outcome. His mechanics are all over the place, and his decision-making has been questionable for a while. He has lost trust in his offensive line to keep him healthy, and he has lost trust in his body after being so beaten up. Gardner (22/29 for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) still looks gimpy after spraining his ankle three weeks ago, so he may not be fully healthy for the rest of the year.

Michigan needs safety help. Safety is a position that does require experience, in my opinion, so you can't rush success. However, I am deeply concerned about the safeties here in 2014 and going forward. Jarrod Wilson has been pretty solid as an in-the-box safety, but Michigan's free safety position continues to leak yardage. I thought Delano Hill's angles and tackling were once again lacking in this one. He has taken over for Jeremy Clark, who had some of the same issues. Other options include freshman Brandon Watson (who is redshirting), sophomore Dymonte Thomas (who is injured), and 2015 commit Tyree Kinnel. With Wilson graduating after next season, I don't know which one of those guys will step up, but those two spots have been big question marks for a good chunk of the past 15 years or so. You would think Michigan could develop a star safety at some point, even if just by accident. Any discussion of the best safeties in that time probably includes names like Thomas Gordon, Jordan Kovacs, Jamar Adams, and Ernest Shazor. That's a solid group, but nobody stands out.

Indiana is kind of just bad. I wanted to watch this game, see Michigan win, and come to the conclusion that the Wolverines just put it all together and demolished a decent team after realizing the error of their ways in a 35-11 loss to Michigan State. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The defense is pretty good, the special teams are mediocre, and the offense is bad. Indiana is essentially on its fourth-string quarterback (Nate Sudfeld and Chris Covington are injured; Tre Roberson transferred to an FCS school before the season) and played the fifth-string guy for a stretch in this one. The offensive line is decent, slot receiver Shane Wynn is pretty good, and running back Tevin Coleman is very good - when not fumbling the ball - but the rest of the team is bad. Glen Mason kept saying that Indiana's defense looks more aggressive, but it didn't add up to much. I think head coach Kevin Wilson is a great offensive mind, but he doesn't have much to work with.

It's fun to watch Jake Ryan. Ryan had 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 2 forced fumbles in this one. He's as fun to watch as any Michigan linebacker in my memory. The guy is now up to 79 tackles (#5 in the conference) and 12.5 tackles for loss (tied for #2) on the year.

What does this mean going forward? Nothing. Michigan has a pretty good defense, no consistent offensive playmakers, and lots of injuries and issues to sort through. They need to win two of their last three against Northwestern, Maryland, and Ohio State to be bowl eligible. They have at least a good chance against the Wildcats and Terrapins, and I guess anything can happen against the Buckeyes. I still don't think Brady Hoke can save his job at this point, but it would be great to see him - and the program - save some dignity by earning bowl eligibility.

Michigan 18, Penn State 13

Devin Funchess scored Michigan's lone touchdown (image via CBS Detroit)

So this is what a victory feels like. It seems like it has been a long time since Michigan won a game, and I guess that's pretty accurate. Michigan went almost a full month, from September 13th to October 11th, between victories. For the previous couple weeks, I had some optimism. This week I was steeling myself for another disappointment. But this makes my weekend a little bit happier, and now we have two weeks to revel in the glory of beating a mediocre Penn State team before facing Michigan State.

Devin Gardner needs bubble wrap. I just received a couple orders from Amazon, so I would be glad to donate some bubble wrap to protect Michigan's only competent quarterback. He did not have a great game (16/24 for 192 yards, 1 touchdowns, 1 interception), but the other quarterbacks on the roster look downright terrible this year. I think Michigan needs to seriously look at any grad-year transfers this off-season and see what they can find. Brady Hoke said after the game that second-stringer Shane Morris - who was concussed two weeks ago - could have played, but it was Russell Bellomy who entered the game when Gardner injured an ankle. Bellomy - whose career numbers were 4/21, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions prior to the game - promptly handed off several times and then nearly threw two interceptions, including a certain pick-six to middle linebacker Mike Hull if only Hull could have held onto the ball.

The whole team needs bubble wrap. The list of injuries keeps growing, and it seems every game involves a series of scares. Let's run through the injuries that have occurred over the past week or so:

• Starting quarterback Devin Gardner (probable sprained ankle)
• Starting running back Derrick Green (broken collarbone)
• Starting wide receiver Devin Funchess (aggravated sprained ankle)
• Starting wide receiver Jehu Chesson (undisclosed lower leg injury)
• Starting kickoff/punt returner Dennis Norfleet (undisclosed injury, but returned to game)
• Starting defensive tackle Willie Henry (probable broken hand)
• Backup tight end Khalid Hill (torn ACL)

Gardner, Funchess, and Norfleet all returned to the game, but the former two seemed hobbled. That list doesn't include virtual starting linebacker Desmond Morgan, starting left guard Erik Magnuson, and virtual starting nickel corner Jabrill Peppers, all of whom have been injured for several weeks and whose returns from injury are in question. I also did not see backup nose tackle Ondre Pipkins on the field last night. Football is a tough sport, and injuries happen to every team. But Michigan was down six starters for the entire evening (Green, Chesson, Henry, Morgan, Magnuson, Peppers) and three more for stretches of time (Gardner, Funchess, Norfleet). Michigan has enough troubles when healthy, but it's tougher to stay competitive when so many people are missing.

Penn State's offensive line is approximately as bad as Michigan's. The Wolverines held the Nittany Lions to 54 rushing yards on 35 carries (1.5 yards/carry), including 6 sacks of quarterback Christian Hackenberg. This is either the best Michigan's defensive front has looked in a long time, or PSU is just bad up front. Unfortunately, it's probably the latter. Regardless, the Wolverines made 11 tackles for loss and those 6 sacks in the game, both of which are reminiscent of opponents' statistics against the Maize and Blue. I have to give credit to the likes of Brennen Beyer (4 tackles, 2 sacks), who doesn't do anything flashy but has held his ground enough to lead the team in sacks so far this season. Penn State was running the ball decently at the beginning of the game when Michigan was missing Ryan Glasgow (who appeared to miss the first quarter, perhaps because of some undisclosed disciplinary issue) and Henry, their two starting defensive tackles. After that the line really seemed to shut them down.

Christian Hackenberg did not impress me. Maybe I'm looking for reasons not to be impressed by Hackenberg, but he has never looked good to me. He does a decent job of checking down to open receivers, and he has a strong arm. I will admit that his touchdown pass to DaeShawn Hamilton was very well done, and there was not much Blake Countess could have done on that play. Otherwise, I would say his best quality is fending off would-be tacklers to create extra time, kind of like a slower Ben Roethlisberger. I would take him at Michigan right now, but I just don't see the reason for the hype. I didn't see it last year, either, because I thought he was a guy getting bailed out by his receivers. Time will tell, I guess.

Michigan's rushing struggles continue. Penn State has one of the best run defenses in the country, so maybe this was bound to happen. But Michigan just couldn't run the ball with any consistency last night. Other than a 25-yard zone read keeper by Gardner, Michigan had 20 carries for 47 yards from their backs (and slot receiver Dennis Norfleet). With Green out, the new starter is De'Veon Smith (12 carries for 24 yards), who is too slow to do anything outside the tackles. The next guy is Justice Hayes (7 for 20), who has speed but doesn't break tackles. Drake Johnson did not touch the ball. Furthermore, they barely attempted any runs to the right, presumably to avoid running behind right tackle Ben Braden.

Hooray for Matt Wile. A week after getting a potential game-tying field goal blocked, Wile looked pretty darn solid as the placekicker. He went 3/3 on field goals from 45, 42, and 37 yards. The first two were right down the middle, and the go-ahead, 37-yarder was squeezed tightly inside the right upright.

The uniforms weren't bad. I'm a traditionalist, and I really like Michigan's regular uniforms. But I have to say that I thought the one-off uniforms looked pretty good. The navy blue jersey-and-pants combination looked slick, and I liked the maize shoes. I wouldn't mind seeing something like them again, but I have not been impressed with most of Michigan's alternate uniforms. My one problem with these was that some of the 6's looked like 8's, so I thought Jourdan Lewis was #28, Jack Miller was #80, Ryan Glasgow was #98, etc.

Thank goodness for a bye week. These guys need a week off, and hopefully Brady Hoke will give them a chance to rest and recuperate. Several of the guys listed above should be better by the October 25th game against Michigan State. Add to that the fact that it's a tough opponent, and the Wolverines really need this preparation time. I do think Hoke can work his way out of the hot seat with a strong finish to the season, but that probably has to include a victory against the rival Spartans.

Go Blue! Yeah.

Preview: Michigan at Rutgers

Rush Offense vs. Rutgers Rush Defense
Michigan is #50 nationally with 185 yards/game on the ground, and they're #35 with 5.15 yards/carry. However, the rushing output against power conference teams (Notre Dame, Utah, and Minnesota) have been relatively paltry, where Michigan has had 99 attempts for 301 yards, barely above 3.0 yards/carry. The leading rusher is Derrick Green (397 yards, 5.7 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns), but De'Veon Smith sparked a scoring drive last week and broke several tackled on the drive, including the 10-yard touchdown run. The offensive line is still in flux, because right guard Graham Glasgow has been battling injury and played left guard last week due to Erik Magnuson's leg injury; Glasgow's replacement on the right side was Kyle Kalis. The interior is supposed to be the "strength" of the offensive line, while tackles Mason Cole and Ben Braden have struggled mightily. Rutgers is #49 against the run, giving up just 135 yards/game. They also give up 3.98 yards/carry, good enough for #64 nationally. Redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Steve Longa (6'1", 225 lbs.) leads the team with 37 tackles, and second is fifth year senior cornerback Gareef Glashen (5'10", 180 lbs.). Unfortunately for Michigan, Rutgers makes a lot of plays in the backfield (tied for #9 overall with 37 TFLs). Redshirt senior defensive end David Milewski (6'4", 235 lbs.), junior defensive tackle Darius Hamilton (6'4", 260 lbs.), and redshirt freshman end Kemoko Turay (6'6", 220 lbs.) have combined for 17 tackles for loss. They are not big, but they are quick, which might be worse for Michigan.
Advantage: Rutgers

Hit the jump for the rest of the preview.

Michigan vs. Miami-OH Awards

Derrick Green

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. He saw plenty of action this past Saturday, but he looked pretty darn good. Green ended the game with 22 carries for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. Granted, Michigan has played two patsies so far in the form of Appalachian State and Miami, but Green is on pace for 200 carries, 1,228 yards, and 12 touchdowns. That pace won't hold up, but he showed nifty feet and improved vision from the past couple weeks. He also got stronger as the game went on and started to run through some tackles. I was okay with the distribution of carries in this game, but it seems like Green is separating himself from De'Veon Smith. On a side note, Smith's body language suggested to me that he is none too happy about playing second fiddle to Green. I think that dynamic may be interesting to watch as their careers develop.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Amara Darboh. I only say this because I want Devin Funchess back on the field. Darboh is a complementary receiver, and while he led Michigan in receptions and yardage, he just looks raw in several ways - route running, running after the catch, etc. He will improve over time, just like Jehu Chesson did last year, but Darboh's not ready to be a featured receiver.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Blake Countess at nickel corner. My current feeling on the cornerback situation is that Michigan needs guys on the outside who can play press coverage, like Jourdan Lewis, Jabrill Peppers, and perhaps Raymon Taylor. It's tougher to play press man on slot receivers because of their alignment and such, so perhaps Countess would be better off inside.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Delonte Hollowell. Hollowell didn't play a lot against Miami, but he played enough to get beaten for another touchdown on an out route. That's the second week in a row, and teams are probably going to continue to test him out there. He's best deployed as a special teamer, and he just doesn't have the quickness to be effective at corner, in my opinion.

Play of the game . . . Jake Butt's 29-yard touchdown catch. On a fake tunnel screen, Butt hit the corner and then turned upfield. Miami's secondary bit on the pump fake, and Gardner's pass was a wee bit too far. Butt was able to tip it to himself and jog into the endzone with no RedHawks in sight. That was the first time Michigan has shown the play so far, and they probably would have liked to have saved it for later in the year against a more formidable opponent, but Michigan was up just 17-10 at the time and it helped the Wolverines pull away.

MVP of the game . . . Derrick Green. There aren't many choices here on a team that was missing several key players - safety Jarrod Wilson, wide receiver Devin Funchess, and cornerback Raymon Taylor - and couldn't put away a MAC team on an 18-game losing streak. The Wolverines had some trouble getting open, protecting Gardner in the pocket, and getting Gardner on the edge, so Green's running was a big key in helping Michigan pull away in the second half.

Michigan 52, Appalachian State 14

Devin Funchess had three of these touchdowns on the day (image via Fansided)

The Doug Nussmeier Effect: Quarterbacks. Yes, it was only newly minted FBS team Appalachian State, but starting quarterback Devin Gardner looked about as good as possible. He was 13/14 for 173 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions; he also ran 5 times for 9 yards. Best of all, he made good decisions and his only miss was a laser that fell harmlessly to the turf behind a crossing receiver. I think Nussmeier will use him more often as a runner as the game and situation dictate, but there's no need to get him banged up in a blowout against ASU. Backup Shane Morris (3/5, 37 yards, 1 interception) looked a little shaky, especially on a comeback throw that never should have been released and got picked off by an undercutting corner. That's now 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions thrown in his career.

The Doug Nussmeier Effect: Running Game. Opponent caveats apply, but Michigan struggled early before quickly finding a rhythm. The combo blocks looked cleaner and the offensive line looked crisper than they did at almost any time last year. The running backs combined for 31 carries, 345 yards, and 3 touchdowns. The inside zone run seemed ineffective at times because Michigan couldn't get a great push. That's a Nussmeier favorite, so they will surely continue to work on that play. Interestingly, Michigan's revamped power play seems to have improved, even though that was a supposed staple of Al Borges's offense and not considered to be a Nussmeier specialty. Perhaps Appalachian State was surprised, or maybe Michigan just executed the power really well in game one.

The Doug Nussmeier Effect: Running Backs. I would have to go back and check to be sure, but it seemed like Michigan really struggled early when they tried to run inside zone. Derrick Green (15 carries, 170 yards, 1 touchdown) got the first series of snaps, and his vision has always been somewhat questionable; those carries did not go well. When he returned to the game, Nussmeier ran power with him. Green hit the hole hard and did well. Meanwhile, for whatever reason(s), De'Veon Smith (8 carries, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns) seemed to get a little better blocking on inside zone plays, and his vision paid off with some nice runs. Green is leaner and quicker than last year, and Smith is what we thought he was. When the offensive line opens holes, they are capable of making some things happen. Drake Johnson (3 carries, 28 yards), Justice Hayes (4 carries, 23 yards), and Wyatt Shallman (1 carry, 5 yards) got some run late in the game, but Green and Smith clearly seem to be the top two options.

Devin Funchess is wearing the #1 jersey. Funchess is the first Michigan player to wear the #1 jersey since Braylon Edwards in 2004. Brady Hoke said that Funchess asked to wear it, so perhaps that's the difference, but it seems odd to me that he was given the jersey while previous standout Jeremy Gallon was not. Gallon had the same number of catches (49) and more yards (829 to 748) in his redshirt junior year than Funchess as a sophomore, and you could tell he was in for a big year because of his connection with Gardner. Gallon, of course, ended up setting receiver records last year. Regardless, Funchess looked very good on Saturday (7 catches, 95 yards, 3 touchdowns) and has the talent to fill the shoulder pads of the #1 jersey.

At least nobody can say Michigan sold out. Because they didn't. The announced attendance was 106,811, which is the 252nd straight game of over 100,000 fans.

Freshman redshirts got burned. Reasonably this time! The only true freshmen to play in the game against Appalachian State were Freddy Canteen, Mason Cole, Bryan Mone, and Jabrill Peppers. This would be excellent news if it holds up, because that means Michigan can save some of its highly touted recruits all the way until they're 22 or 23 years old. I do believe that a couple more freshmen might play this season, especially weakside end Lawrence Marshall.

How 'bout that tight pass coverage? It was pretty tight. Michigan didn't make any picks, but they broke up three passes and came up to tackle well. Jourdan Lewis is as sticky as they come, and he's just a backup. I thought new safety Jeremy Clark looked pretty good in Delano Hill's absence.

How 'bout that defensive line? When it comes to the defensive line, I actually don't think we learned much. If the quarterback held the ball for longer than the play was designed for, he was usually getting hit. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, that wasn't often. Pretty much every defensive lineman bulled his way into the backfield based on sheer size and strength against an overmatched and small-ish offensive line. Appalachian State had some repeated success on their shotgun inside zone play, which also worked well for Indiana and some other teams last year. Michigan might have been able to stop it if there had been a point to do so. But really, if you're whooping a team's butt on the scoreboard and they want to run the ball to deplete the clock, there's not a huge incentive to sell out for stopping that play.

JABRILL PEPPERS. Peppers made 1 nice tackle, dove to make a fair catch on a punt, and returned 1 punt for 6 yards. Then he left the game with a bum ankle. It did not look serious, and Brady Hoke agrees with the first clause of this sentence. He should be back for next week.

The offensive line can't get any worse than last year. I agree. I really think last year's offensive line would have still struggled to churn out yards on the ground like they did in this game. Appalachian State nose tackle Tyson Fernandez (6'2", 330 lbs.) was a load in the middle, and defensive end Ronald Blair (6'4", 275 lbs.) didn't seem too shabby, either. Blair overpowered freshman left tackle Mason Cole on an inside move to sack Gardner, and defensive end Odawala Dada (6'0", 235 lbs.) successfully juked guard Kyle Kalis on his way to a quarterback hurry. Otherwise, it was rare to see an offensive lineman beaten cleanly. There were some frustrating stalemates, and there will be plenty more - along with outright whoopings - to come this year. Michigan's line never coagulated last year, but even if a little less talented, this group is going to be better.

2014 Season Countdown: #21 De'Veon Smith

De'Veon Smith

Name: De'Veon Smith
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Warren (OH) Howland
Position: Running back
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Smith #86 and said he would redshirt. He played in four games at running back and had 26 carries for 117 yards.

With an established starter (Fitzgerald Toussaint), some experienced backups (Thomas Rawls, Justice Hayes), and a guy who earned some coach praise (Drake Johnson) already on the roster, I assumed at least one of the freshman running backs would redshirt in 2013. Instead, every one of those guys played in the season opener. There was a long stretch where he went without touching the ball, but he looked somewhat improved by the time he saw daylight again. He broke a 16-yarder against Northwestern and a 38-yarder against Ohio State. Of course, everything is relative; Michigan was the worst in the country at allowing negative-yardage runs because of a porous offensive line, so even a 16-yard run was a jaw-dropping moment in 2013. It appeared that Smith's bruising style fit the system and personnel best because he could actually run through tackle attempts occasionally, a skill with which the other running backs struggled.

Now the running back job is really up for grabs. Toussaint graduated, Rawls transferred to Central Michigan, Johnson is once against receiving praise from Coach Hoke after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the 2013 season opener, Hayes started the bowl game, and sophomore Derrick Green has shed over 20 lbs. since his freshman year. Hoke has openly stated that Smith had an edge on Green coming out of the spring due to superior pass protection abilities, so that's where I assume things stand right now. Smith seems like a high-effort player who carries out his fakes, blocks physically, and will throw his body around. What he lacks is breakaway speed, a category in which he's behind the likes of Johnson, Green, and Hayes. With a young offensive line, Smith should probably be the choice to get the plurality of carries. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier spread out the carries among multiple backs at Alabama, so I would still expect to see a couple other guys get large chunks of playing time.

Prediction: Starting running back; 150 carries, 700 yards, 8 touchdowns

Video: Derrick Green and DeVeon Smith interviews

Hit the jump for DeVeon Smith's interview.

An Average Season Under Doug Nussmeier

Devin Gardner has gone from catching touchdown passes against Alabama to likely throwing them
for Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Every team is different, but I wanted to take a stab at what kind of production we can expect from new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier while he's here in Ann Arbor. I looked at his last five years, which he spent with Washington (2009-2011) and then Alabama (2012-2013). I then averaged those seasons together to come up with a rough estimate of what types of numbers the Wolverines will put up. The player listed with the projection is my early guess at the depth chart for this upcoming fall.

Quarterback (Jake Locker, Keith Price, AJ McCarron):
230/395, 2800 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
184/332, 2265 yards, 17 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
242/362, 3063 yards, 33 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
211/314, 2933 yards, 30 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
226/336, 3063 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Devin Gardner projection: 219/348, 62.9%, 2825 yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions
2013 Devin Gardner stats: 208/345, 60.3%, 2960 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions

Running Back #1 (Chris Polk, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon):
226 carries, 1113 yards, 5 touchdowns
260 carries, 1415 yards, 9 touchdowns
293 carries, 1488 yards, 12 touchdowns
204 carries, 1322 yards, 17 touchdowns
207 carries, 1235 yards, 14 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Derrick Green projection: 238 carries, 1315 yards, 11 touchdowns
2013 Fitzgerald Toussaint stats: 185 carries, 648 yards, 13 touchdowns

Running Back #2 (Demitrius Bronson, Jesse Callier, T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake):
19 carries, 89 yards, 0 touchdowns
77 carries, 433 yards, 0 touchdowns
47 carries, 260 yards, 1 touchdown
175 carries, 1108 yards, 12 touchdowns
92 carries, 694 yards, 8 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 De'Veon Smith projection: 82 carries, 517 yards, 4 touchdowns
2013 Derrick Green stats: 83 carries, 270 yards, 2 touchdowns

Wide Receiver #1 (Jermaine Kearse, Amari Cooper):
50 catches, 866 yards, 8 touchdowns
63 catches, 1005 yards, 12 touchdowns
47 catches, 699 yards, 7 touchdowns
58 catches, 999 yards, 11 touchdowns
45 catches, 736 yards, 4 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Devin Funchess projection: 53 catches, 861 yards, 8 touchdowns
2013 Jeremy Gallon stats: 89 catches, 1373 yards, 9 touchdowns

Wide Receiver #2 (Devin Aguilar, D'Andre Goodwin, Kevin Norwood):
42 catches, 593 yards, 5 touchdowns
44 catches, 530 yards, 4 touchdowns
41 catches, 611 yards, 6 touchdowns
29 catches, 469 yards, 4 touchdowns
38 catches, 568 yards, 7 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Jehu Chesson projection: 39 catches, 554 yards, 5 touchdowns
2013 Devin Funchess stats: 49 catches, 748 yards, 6 touchdowns

Wide Receiver #3 (James Johnson, Devin Aguilar, Kasen Williams, Kenny Bell, DeAndrew White):
39 catches, 422 yards, 3 touchdowns
28 catches, 352 yards, 2 touchdowns
36 catches, 427 yards, 6 touchdowns
17 catches, 431 yards, 3 touchdowns
32 catches, 534 yards, 4 touchdowns
----------------------------------------------------------
2014 Amara Darboh projection: 30 catches, 433 yards, 4 touchdowns
2013 Jehu Chesson stats: 15 catches, 221 yards, 1 touchdown

Tight End #1 (Kavario Middleton, Marlion Barnett, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Michael Williams, O.J. Howard):
26 catches, 257 yards, 3 touchdowns
4 catches, 31 yards, 0 touchdowns
41 catches, 538 yards, 6 touchdowns
24 catches, 183 yards, 4 touchdowns
14 catches, 269 yards, 2 touchdowns
----------------------------------------------------------
2014 Jake Butt projection: 22 catches, 256 yards, 3 touchdowns
2013 Jake Butt stats: 17 catches, 235 yards, 2 touchdowns

Tight End #2 (Chris Izbicki, Michael Hartvigson, Kelly Johnson, Brian Vogler):
3 catches, 7 yards, 1 touchdown
2 catches, 16 yards, 1 touchdown
8 catches, 30 yards, 1 touchdown
5 catches, 39 yards, 0 touchdowns
8 catches, 71 yards, 1 touchdown
-----------------------------------------------------------
2014 A.J. Williams projection: 5 catches, 33 yards, 1 touchdown
2013 A.J. Williams stats: 1 catch, 2 yards, 1 touchdown

Poll results: Who will lead the team in carries in 2014?

According to readers, Derrick Green is the leading candidate for the starting running back job in 2014

I may present this poll again closer to the season, because a new offensive coordinator will mean a different philosophy and perhaps some different personnel. But in the meantime, before Al Borges was let go, I asked which running back would get the most carries in 2014. What you said:

Derrick Green (So.): 60%
Green had 83 carries for 270 yards (3.3 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns in 2013. Green showed pretty good speed and fell forward after contact, but he didn't break many tackles or show a lot of wiggle. Of course, nobody should have expected a 6'0", 230 lb. running back to show much wiggle. He did start off the year heavier than he should have been, which may have diminished his effectiveness. New offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and his fellow Alabama staff members recruited Green to Tuscaloosa, so it would make sense that Nussmeier has an eye toward Green being his horse.

De'Veon Smith (So.): 30%
Smith had 26 carries for 117 yards (4.5 yards/carry) as a freshman. After not playing much early in the year, something got sparked in him during the last few weeks of the regular season, when he totaled 15 carries for 98 yards (6.5 yards/carry) against Northwestern and Ohio State. Smith is a more violent runner than Green, but his speed leaves something to be desired.

Drake Johnson (RS So.): 3%
Johnson had 2 carries for 9 yards before tearing his ACL in the season opener against Central Michigan. Up until that point, he had been listed as Michigan's #2 tailback. An accomplished high school track athlete, Johnson's main claim for playing time was based on his speed. The fact that he tore the ACL in late August means he should be almost back to full speed by the time the 2014 season rolls around, but sometimes it takes a couple years for guys to totally recover.

Other: 2%
This could refer to junior Dennis Norfleet, who moved to slot receiver; or redshirt freshman tailback/fullback Wyatt Shallman, who looks like an H-back to me; a freshman like Jeff Jones or Vic Enwere, neither of whom have committed to Michigan; or perhaps quarterback Devin Gardner. If you gave me all of their carries combined, I would still bet on one of the other guys.

Justice Hayes (RS Jr.): 1%
Hayes had 2 carries for 6 yards on the season, but by golly, he was the starting running back against Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The best thing Hayes has going for him is some decent speed, but he doesn't have the greatest vision or tackle breaking ability. He was even reported to be moving to slot receiver before injuries and ineffectiveness forced him back to running back.

Thomas Rawls (Sr.): 0%
Rawls had 3 carries for 12 yards and 1 touchdown, all of which came against Central Michigan in the season opener. He played some special teams after that, but you wouldn't really have known he played at all unless you checked the participation reports after the games. There have been rumors that he will not return to the football team in 2014.

Who should be happy/sad about the Doug Nussmeier hire?

Could Shane Morris be the next A.J. McCarron?

THIS HIRE IS GOOD FOR . . . 
Fifth year senior quarterback Devin Gardner. Gardner has one final chance to show his stuff at quarterback, and I think Nussmeier will bring a more cohesive offense to Ann Arbor. Gardner can run out of the shotgun and pistol, and he's not bad throwing from under center. I expect Nussmeier to simplify Michigan's blocking schemes, which should help out the young linemen and the quarterback. The new offensive coordinator also likes to push the ball down the field (as did Al Borges), which suits Gardner well because he has a strong arm and throws a nice deep ball.

The offensive line. Michigan's young offensive line was terrible this past season, and it appears that Nussmeier may bring in a new offensive line coach to help him out. Whether coach Darrell Funk remains or not, I expect that Nussmeier will want a little more beef up front, and his coaching pedigree at Alabama suggests that he can help those guys achieve a new level of success.

Sophomore running backs Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith. Nussmeier utilized the inside zone game and zone sweeps to great effect at Alabama, which recruited Green out of high school. Both Green and Smith fit the role of good inside zone runners, because both of them are north-south runners capable of running through tackles. Green has the better speed of the two and would likely be more effective on the zone sweeps.

Sophomore quarterback Shane Morris and freshman quarterback Wilton Speight. Nussmeier has tutored numerous successful college quarterbacks (A.J. McCarron, Jake Locker, Drew Stanton, Jeff Smoker) and spent time with the St. Louis Rams under passing game guru Mike Martz. I can see Morris as a McCarron-like Game Manager Plus, a guy who can not only take care of the football and keep his team in the game, but make some downfield throws to really stress defenses.

Redshirt freshman H-backs Khalid Hill and Wyatt Shallman. Nussmeier likes to use his H-backs as lead blockers, wings, slot receivers, etc. Hill and Shallman appear to be good fits for this role, more so than the fullbacks who have been playing the past couple seasons.

THIS HIRE IS BAD FOR . . . 
Redshirt junior running back Justice Hayes. Nussmeier does not appear to be a fan of scatback types, at least not for featured roles. Hayes was reported to be moving to slot receiver, although he started Michigan's bowl game at running back. His chances of winning the running back job next year likely took a hit with this hire.

Junior fullback Sione Houma and redshirt junior fullback Joe Kerridge. Nussmeier is a proponent of a one-back offense and doesn't have a whole lot of use for true fullback types. The hire will almost certainly diminish their role in the offense, which was already more significant than it should have been based on Michigan's personnel and abilities.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Running Backs

John Hubert (#33) is essentially Kansas State's only running back.

MICHIGAN
Starters: Late in the season, freshman Derrick Green (5'11", 240 lbs.) essentially took over the starting role and bowled his way to 265 yards and 2 touchdowns on 82 carries, a 3.2-yard average. Green looks to be the guy, but really, any of three players could garner the bulk of the attempts. He has some giddyup, but mostly, he's a between-the-tackles runner who won't make many people miss. The other likely option is fifth year senior Fitzgerald Toussaint (5'10", 200 lbs.), a scatback type who has been slowed a tiny bit since a broken ankle suffered in 2012. He's started most of the games this year and has 183 carries for 646 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, plus 17 catches for 203 yards. Toussaint has the best big-play ability of the backs and seems to have taken on more of the third down back type snaps late in the season. The starting fullback is redshirt sophomore Joe Kerridge (6'0", 238 lbs.), who has 1 carry and 5 catches on the season, mostly playing the role of a lead blocker.
Backups: Freshman De'Veon Smith (5'11", 224 lbs.) is the main backup after the first two guys, and he's a ball of churning legs who runs like I imagine a stegosaurus might: slowly but dangerously for anyone trying to bring him down. He has just 22 carries on the year for 110 yards, but his best game came in the regular season finale against Ohio State (7 carries, 57 yards). Redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes (5'10", 192 lbs.) is mostly a third down back and has spent some time at slot receiver; he has just 1 carry for 7 yards on the year, plus 3 catches for 18 yards. I do not expect to see him much. Sophomore fullback Sione Houma (6'0", 231 lbs.) has 1 catch for 9 yards and fills in occasionally for Kerridge.

KANSAS STATE
Starter: Fifth year senior John Hubert (5'7", 191 lbs.) gets the vast majority of the running back carries and will likely surpass 1,000 yards in the bowl game; he currently has 182 carries for 968 yards and 9 touchdowns. He runs with a fair amount of power and quickness and has gone over 900 yards for three consecutive years. Look for Hubert to try to take advantage of cutback lanes out of the pistol, and he's quick enough to get on the edge with some option looks. The Wolverines are solid against the run, but Hubert presents a challenge and is coming off a 220-yard performance against Kansas. Redshirt freshman Glenn Gronkowski (6'3", 234 lbs.) is the younger brother of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and the starting fullback. He's rarely used in the running game, but he has 4 catches for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns; his scores have gone for 67, 50, and 29 yards, so he can be dangerous out of the backfield.
Backups: Senior Robert Rose (5'4", 176 lbs. and no, that's not a typo) is the only notable backup, but he has 22 carries for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. Co-starting quarterback Daniel Sams (profiled yesterday) is essentially Hubert's partner in crime in the backfield.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan's running backs have yet to put fear into anyone this season, and despite a slight improvement in the running game over the past couple contests, the likelihood is small that Michigan blows the doors off KSU on the ground. Of course, much of that is the result of a young, underperforming offensive line. Meanwhile, Hubert has had more room to run than Michigan's guys, and he has a skill of elusiveness that . . . uh . . . eludes Michigan's trio of runners. We have seen the Wolverines come out with some innovative game plans in recent years (2008 against Florida, 2013 against South Carolina), but offensive coordinator Al Borges has limited options with what his line can block and what his backs can do. The Wolverines will probably do what they've been doing over the past couple games (lots of inside zones, bubble screen draws), and the Wildcats will also probably try to do what they do best and run inside zones and some powers with Hubert and Sams.

ADVANTAGE: Kansas State