Preview: Michigan at Iowa

 

RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #11 in rushing offense (234.3 yards/game) and #6 in yards per carry. Blake Corum has been the workhorse so far, leading the team with 64 attempts for 478 yards and a nation-high 9 rushing touchdowns. Backup Donovan Edwards was rumored to have been coming back to play last week, but he sat out the Maryland game and has not broken out yet this year (127 total yards, 2 touchdowns). I'm cautiously optimistic that he will play against the Hawkeyes. Meanwhile, Iowa is #6 in rushing defense (73 yards allowed/game) and #4 in yards allowed per carry (2.21). They have yet to allow a rushing touchdown. Senior middle linebacker Jack Campbell (6'5", 246 lbs.) spearheads the defense with 39 tackles and weakside linebacker Seth Benson (6'0", 232) follows behind with 30 stops. Iowa's two starting defensive tackles are 289 and 275 pounds, so they're not big up the middle, but they are relatively quick and athletic. Lukas Van Ness (6'5", 275) is part of a potent rotation at defensive tackle and leads the team with 5 tackles for loss. Iowa's defensive backs also do a very good job of triggering on the run and tackling; the defensive backfield ranks #3 through #6 on the team in tackles, and while usually that's not a good sign for the front seven, in this case they're all part of a very good defense. Iowa runs a 4-3 (or 4-2-5) with two high safeties, so the defensive backs need to be good tacklers or else teams would run the ball all over them.
Advantage: Iowa

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan vs. Maryland Awards

 

Blake Corum

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Donovan Edwards. Edwards caught 10 passes for 170 yards and 1 touchdown in the 2021 matchup against Maryland. This year he caught 0 passes for 0 yards. Because he didn't play in the game. Michigan only has four scholarship running backs on the team, and it appears that the Wolverines coaching staff only trusts two of them - Blake Corum and Edwards. So when one goes out with an injury, the other is going to get the lion's share of opportunities. Hopefully Edwards can return healthy from his leg injury to relieve Corum a little bit and they can be consistent as a 1-2 punch.

Hit the jump for more.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 4

 

Zach Charbonnet (image via Daily Bruin)

FORMER PLAYERS

C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting center.

RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet ran 9 times for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 45-17 win over Colorado.

zach charbonnet with a disgusting open-field move here. nasty pic.twitter.com/se0hKRFPpq

— Ray G 🏁 (@RayGQue) September 24, 2022

Zach Charbonnet 35 yard TD run! 🔥 #UCLA pic.twitter.com/Ru2ZthBHal

— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) September 24, 2022

S Sammy Faustin (UMass): Faustin did not record any stats in a 28-0 loss to Temple.

OG Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota): Filiaga is a sixth year senior who starts at right guard for the Gophers.

CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren did not record any stats in a 48-20 loss to Air Force.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 34, Maryland 27

 

Blake Corum (image via CBS Sports)

That was closer than it should have been. Maryland has scared me for years, because they've had offensive playmakers. This goes back to the days of NFL veteran receiver D.J. Moore, but also a variety of running backs like Ty Johnson and Anthony McFarland, Jr. Now the Terps have a stable of good receivers and a couple solid running backs in speedster Roman Hemby and 235 lb. Antwain Littleton II, who I learned during the game had been a 295 lb. recruit. But the defense is catching up to the offense with size and speed in the secondary. They're turning into a formidable opponent.

Hit the jump for more.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Maryland

 

Nyckoles Harbor (image via YouTube)

2023

Nathan Efobi - OG - Cumming (GA) South Forsyth: Efobi is a 6'3", 282 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, Miami, Michigan, and Penn State, among others. He's a 3-star and the #90 interior offensive lineman. This is an official visit, his first of the process.

Nyckoles Harbor - WR - Washington (DC) Archbishop Carroll: Harbor is a 6'5", 225 lb. athlete who could play wide receiver, tight end, or defensive end at the next level. He appears to be Michigan's #1 overall prospect. He's a 5-star, the #1 athlete, and #9 overall in the class. Georgia, South Carolina, and USC also seem to be in the running, but his recruitment is very interesting because he's also an elite level sprinter. While he looked like a defensive end early on, he's likely not interested in putting on a ton of weight to play on the line so he can maintain his sprint training. This is an official visit.

Mikey Matthews - WR - Mission Viejo (CA) Mission Viejo: Matthews is a 5'10", 185-pounder with offers from Boise State, Colorado, Michigan, and Utah, among others. He's a 3-star and the #67 wide receiver in the class of 2023.

2024

2025

All-Time Single-Game Rushing Leaders

 

Ron Johnson (image via 247 Sports)

Last week I posted the all-time season rushing leaders (LINK), so this week is the top 25 single-game rushing leaders.

Preview: Michigan vs. Maryland

 

Taulia Tagovailoa (image via SI)

RUSH OFFENSE vs. MARYLAND RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #17 in rushing offense (231 yards/game) and tied for #9 in yards per carry at 5.98. They have also scored 15 rushing touchdowns, which is #2 in the nation behind Minnesota. Starting running back Blake Corum leads the squad with 235 yards on 34 carries (6.9 yards/carry), and his 7 rushing touchdowns are tied for #1 in the country with Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim. It's unclear whether star sophomore Donovan Edwards (15 carries, 90 yards, 2 TD) will be back for this game, so the primary backup may be true freshman C.J. Stokes (22 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD). Maryland is #49 in rushing defense (118.3 yards allowed/game) and #44 in yards allowed per carry (3.29). They have yet to allow a team to average more than 3.6 per rush. Their leading tackler is 6'1", 200 lb. junior safety Beau Brade with 27 stops, followed by 16 from true freshman Jaishawn Barham (6'3", 230), who caused a stir during his recruiting cycle by silently committing to Maryland, publicly committing to South Carolina, and then signing with the Terps. Maryland is tied for #100 in tackles for loss with just 13 so far. Maryland's two starting defensive tackles are JUCO transfers, and there are five transfer starters total; all four starting defensive lineman are seniors or fifth year guys.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 59, UConn 0

 

Blake Corum (image via USA Today)

Well, that was a butt whoopin'. Everyone expected a Michigan blowout, but UConn couldn't do anything. Other than an 18-yard scramble by quarterback Zion Turner, UConn's longest plays were 9 yards, 8 yards, 7 yards. When's the last time you saw a team only have one double-digit offensive play? That's an odd thing to remember off the top of my head even if it's happened in the last 20 or 30 years, but I don't remember another time when that was the case. Altogether, UConn's quarterbacks combined to go 5/20 for 24 yards. That's 1.2 yards per attempt.

Hit the jump for more.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 3

 

Eric Gray (image via SI)

FORMER PLAYERS

C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting center.

RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet ran 13 times for 78 yards and caught 3 passes for 51 yards in a 32-31 win over Alabama State.

S Sammy Faustin (UMass): Faustin did not record any stats in a 20-3 win over Stony Brook.

OG Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota): Filiaga is a sixth year senior who starts at right guard for the Gophers.

CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren did not record any stats in a 27-0 loss to Iowa.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan vs. UConn

 

UConn RB Nathan Carter (image via UConn Huskies Sports)

RUSH OFFENSE vs. UCONN RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #9 in rush offense (251 yards/game) and #4 in yards per carry (6.88). The team has rushed for 9 touchdowns, which is tied for #5. Keep in mind that those stats have come against a couple cupcakes. Blake Corum (164 yards, 2 TD) is the leading rusher, and the #2 guy is true freshman C.J. Stokes (96 yards, 1 TD). Star sophomore Donovan Edwards has an ankle injury and may not be available. Connecticut is #94 in rush defense (165 yards allowed/game) but is a little more respectable in yards per carry allowed (3.9). Junior inside linebacker Jackson Mitchell (6'3", 227 lbs.) leads the team with 39 tackles, followed by senior Ian Swenson (6'2", 215) with 25. The Huskies have decent size up front but the leading tacklers for loss are three guys with 2 TFLs each. I'm not expecting a dominant performance because Michigan hasn't necessarily blown the first two teams off the ball, but the Wolverines should win this battle.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan vs. Hawaii Awards

 

J.J. McCarthy

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Roman Wilson. It's only on three total receptions, but this guy has 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. One touchdown was a 61-yard catch-and-run bubble screen against Colorado State, and the other was a 42-yard bomb against Hawaii. Good things happen when you run a 4.37 forty and have ball skills. He's already playing quite a bit, but the speed and big play ability are really enticing.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 2

 

Wake Forest RB Christian Turner (image via SI)

FORMER PLAYERS

C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting center.

RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet did not play in a 45-7 win over Alabama State.

S Sammy Faustin (UMass): Faustin did not record any stats in a 55-10 loss to Toledo.

OG Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota): Filiaga is a sixth year senior who starts at right guard for the Gophers.

CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren made 1 tackle and 1 pass breakup in a 55-41 loss to Incarnate Word.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 56, Hawaii 10

 

J.J. McCarthy (image via WXYZ)

Hello, J.J. McCarthy. Well, McCarthy didn't wait too long to stake his claim for the starting quarterback job. He completed 11/12 passes for 229 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions while rushing 1 time for 16 yards. His first pass was a 42-yard bomb to Roman Wilson for a touchdown, and he didn't really slow down after that. Every pass was accurate, even a crisp RPO slant to Ronnie Bell that accounted for McCarthy's lone incompletion. It was an excellent starting debut against an atrocious team.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan vs. Hawaii

 

RB Dedrick Parson (image via AP/Darryl Oumi)

RUSH OFFENSE vs. HAWAII RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #32 in rushing after one game of rushing for 234 yards. The wild card this week is quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is starting in place of Cade McNamara. McCarthy ran 3 times for 50 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown, and he expands the playbook. Blake Corum (13 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD) and Donovan Edwards (12 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD) also ran the ball frequently, but the offensive line was not as dominant as I expected. Part of that may have been the absence of left tackle Ryan Hayes (who is expected to play this week) and backup Karsen Barnhart, which caused some reshuffling up front. Hawaii is #127 in rushing defense, giving up 272.5 yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry. They gave up 404 yards on 9.2 yards/carry to Vanderbilt two weeks ago. Hawaii is experienced up front - all four defensive linemen are in their fourth or fifth year - but they lack size. Both defensive tackles are around 300 lbs., but the ends are hovering around 230. The leading tacklers are 6'0", 190 lb. safety Leonard Lee and 6'3", 245 lb. middle linebacker Penei Pevihi with 11 and 10, respectively.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Season Countdown: #1 Mazi Smith

 

Mazi Smith (image via USA Today Sports)

Name: Mazi Smith
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 337 lbs.
High school: Grand Rapids (MI) East Kentwood
Position: Nose tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #58
Last year: I ranked Smith #5 and said he would be a start nose tackle with 15 tackles and 3 tackles for loss (LINK). He made 37 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, and 4 quarterback hurries.
TTB Rating: 86

2022 season prediction: Starting nose tackle; 45 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks

2022 Season Countdown: #2 Junior Colson

 

Junior Colson (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Junior Colson
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood
Position: Linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #25
Last year: I ranked Colson #42 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He made 61 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 89

2022 season prediction: Starting middle linebacker; 110 tackles, 4 sacks

2022 Season Countdown: #3 Blake Corum

 

Blake Corum

Name: Blake Corum
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Corum #17 and said he would be a backup running back (LINK). He ran 143 times for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns; caught 24 passes for 141 yards and 1 touchdown; and returned 12 kickoffs for 304 yards.
TTB Rating: 83

2022 season prediction: Starting running back; 200 carries for 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns

2022 Season Countdown: #4 Olu Oluwatimi

 

Olu Oluwatimi (image via Twitter)

Name: Olu Oluwatimi
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 307 lbs.
High school: Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Position: Center
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #55
Last year: I did not rank Oluwatimi. He started twelve games at center for Virginia and was a finalist for the Rimington Award.
TTB Rating: N/A

2022 season prediction: Starting center

2022 Season Countdown: #5 D.J. Turner II

 

D.J. Turner II

Name: D.J. Turner II
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 181 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Turner #18 and said he would be a starting cornerback with 20 tackles and 1 interception (LINK). He started eight games and made 33 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, and 9 pass breakups, and he was named Honrable Mention All-Big Ten (coaches, media).
TTB Rating: 82

2022 season prediction: Starting cornerback; 35 tackles, 3 interceptions

2022 Season Countdown: #6 Ryan Hayes

 

Ryan Hayes

Name: Ryan Hayes
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 305 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #76
Last year: I ranked Hayes #11 and said he would be the starting left tackle (LINK). He started all fourteen games.
TTB Rating: 84

2022 season prediction: Starting left tackle

2022 Season Countdown: #7 Zak Zinter

 

Zak Zinter

Name: Zak Zinter
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 315 lbs.
High school: North Andover (MA) Buckingham Browne & Nichols
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #65
Last year: I ranked Zinter #12 and said he would be the starting center. He started twelve games at right guard and was named 2nd Team All-Big Ten (media) and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (coaches).
TTB Rating: 76

2022 season prediction: Starting right guard

2022 Season Countdown: #8 Cade McNamara

 

Cade McNamara

NOTE: Due to 1,000,001 things going on, I am not going to be able to finish the season countdown as well as I would like. I will present the top eight in this fashion, with relevant stats and predictions but without the multi-paragraph write-ups. I apologize but I just don't have time to wrap it all up. It's been a crazy year.

Name: Cade McNamara
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 206 lbs.
High school: Reno (NV) Damonte Ranch
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #12
Last year: I ranked McNamara #2 and said he would be the starting quarterback with 2,800 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions (LINK). He completed 210/327 passes for 2,576 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.
TTB Rating: 65

2022 prediction: Starting quarterback; 2,000 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions

2022 Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 1

 

Zach Charbonnet

FORMER PLAYERS

C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting center.

RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet ran 21 times for 111 yards and 1 touchdown, and also caught 5 passes for 36 yards, in a 45-17 win over Bowling Green State University.

ZACH CHARBONNET INTO THE END ZONE

The first of many this season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VssPvy7tFC

— Barstool UCLA (@StoolWestwood) September 3, 2022

Sammy Faustin (UMass): Faustin did not record any stats in a 42-10 loss to Tulane.

OG Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota): Filiaga is a sixth year senior who starts at right guard for the Gophers.

CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren made 1 tackle and 1 pass breakup in a 38-24 win over UTSA.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 51, Colorado State 7

 

Blake Corum (image via Yahoo)

Who's your QB? Cade McNamara started the game and completed 9/18 passes for 136 yards and 1 touchdown. It was not a great start. He threw an easy completion into the dirt, had guys drop a couple passes, and had to throw a couple balls away. One play looked like a bad interception initially, until you realized that tight end Erick All fell down coming out of his break; luckily, the pass was ruled incomplete after replayed deemed it hit the ground. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy played sporadically, completing 4/4 passes for 30 yards and running 3 times for 50 yards and 1 touchdown. I don't put too much stock in either performance. McNamara started off slowly last year and had a good season. McCarthy's package against an inferior team is not a large enough sample size to make an overall decision.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan vs. Colorado State

 

Jay Norvell (image via FootballScoop)

RUSH OFFENSE vs. COLORADO STATE RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan had a top-15 rushing offense in 2021, and they might not drop off much - if at all - in 2022. The team returns three of five starters, the new center nearly won the Rimington at Virginia last year, and the new right tackle was the sixth lineman last year. All of these players are experienced. The biggest question mark is how well they will replace powerful running back Hassan Haskins. Blake Corum (144 carries, 952 yards, 11 TD) will be the lead back and Donovan Edwards (35 carries, 174 yards, 3 TD) will be the backup, but the #3 guy could be any of three unproven guys in Tavi Dunlap, C.J. Stokes, or Kalel Mullings. Colorado State held a couple top-25 teams to poor rushing efforts in 2021, including Iowa (32 carries for 54 yards) and Utah State (48 carries for 111 yards). The defense is anchored by a couple solid linebackers in Cam'Ron Carter (100 tackles, 7.5 TFLs in 2021) and Dequan Jackson (84 tackles, 8.5 TFLs). Both starting defensive tackles are around 6'1" and 300 pounds, so there's not a ton of size up front. Michigan will definitely have the advantage, but the Rams may not be pushovers.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Season Countdown: #9 Ronnie Bell

 

Ronnie Bell (image via MLive)

Name: Ronnie Bell
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #8
Last year: I ranked Bell # and said he would be a starting wide receiver with 43 catches for 670 yards and 4 touchdowns (LINK). He caught 1 pass for 76 yards and 1 touchdown and returned 1 punt for 31 yards.
TTB Rating: 71

Bell was Michigan's two-time defending champ when it comes to receiving going into 2021. Despite a lot of people thinking he wasn't fast enough or big enough, he just kept coming through. And despite higher ranked receivers also existing on the roster, he kept outperforming them. I only gave him a TTB Rating of 71 coming out of high school, but I hopped on the bandwagon after watching him bounce off of tacklers over and over again, just like he did in high school. He might have better balance after contact than any Michigan receiver I remember.

And 2021 was off to a great start.

He made a spectacular one-handed grab in the opener that was somehow ruled incomplete.

And he made a 76-yard touchdown catch.

And he made a 31-yard punt return . . .

. . . and at the end of it, he tore his ACL.

He averaged 76 yards per catch and 31 yards per punt return, the best season in Michigan history.

With the miracle of modern medicine, Bell should be back to full speed to start the season. He's already up to full speed in captain voting, being voted a captain for a second year in a row. I expect him to once again lead Michigan's team in receiving, but the presence of a solid crew of receivers keeps him here at #9, one spot below last year's rank. The team showed they could win without him, yes, but he's an emotional leader who can do a lot of different things - catch, run after the catch, block, return, etc. - as well as make plays on deep, intermediate, and short routes.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 45 catches for 650 yards, 5 touchdowns