Michigan vs. Alabama Awards

Devin Gardner's only reception was this 44-yard touchdown (image via MLive)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Gardner.  Gardner played quite a bit against Alabama, but Michigan needs to keep finding ways to get him the ball.  He almost made a few nice plays, and while I know "almost" doesn't do much for the final outcome of the game, the potential there is obvious.  He had 1 catch for 44 yards and a touchdown, but has the speed to get downfield and the leaping ability to go up and over almost any defensive back.  Most teams Michigan plays won't have a 6'1", 200 lb. cornerback like Dee Milliner to knock the ball out of Gardner's hands.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Thomas Rawls.  Alabama was superior to Michigan in almost every way, and it didn't help that the offensive line had a rough day.  But Rawls didn't do a single impressive thing the entire game.  He had 6 carries for 9 yards, danced too much, and for a big back, he sure did get lambasted by strong safety Vinnie Sunseri.  Rawls might be able to run over the Air Forces, UMasses, and Minnesotas of the world, but it looks like he'll struggle against teams like Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan State.  Fitzgerald Toussaint is clearly a step above the other running backs on the roster.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . James Ross.  Ross wasn't ready for the physicality of Alabama, but he showed some good instincts and speed in the game.  He should be able to hone his skills in the next couple games and be an asset when it comes to the Big Ten schedule.  He got snaps at both inside linebacker positions and has already surpassed upperclassmen Brandin Hawthorne and Mike Jones.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . T.J. Yeldon.  Alabama's best running back in Saturday night's game made just about everyone on Michigan's defense look silly.  Michigan won't see many guys like him this year.  Perhaps the closest approximation will be Michigan State's Le'veon Bell, who is just as strong of a runner but probably not as fast.  The whole defense played poorly on Saturday night, including such stalwarts as Thomas Gordon, Jordan Kovacs, and Jake Ryan.  That's more due to Alabama's excellence, though, so I'm not sure that anyone really deserves to see his playing time diminish.

Play of the game . . . Denard Robinson's 71-yard bomb to Jeremy Gallon.  Gallon torched the defense and Denard Robinson hit him with an almost perfect throw to get down to the 1-yard line.  Robinson has often struggled to beat defenses over the top unless he puts the ball up for grabs, so this was a nice play that Robinson, Gallon, and other receivers can hopefully replicate several times this season.

MVP of the game . . . Jeremy Gallon.  Gallon had 4 receptions for 107 yards.  Two receptions came on bubble screens where he made a couple guys miss; one was the aforementioned bomb; and the other was a nice leaping catch near the right sideline.  He and Robinson seem to have developed a nice chemistry.