2024 Recruiting Update: October 31, 2023

 

(image via @UMichFootball on Twitter)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2024

Kewan Lacy - RB - Lancaster (TX) Lancaster: Lacy (3-star, #30 RB, #351 overall) decommitted from Nebraska. Alabama, Florida, and Ole Miss are all in the mix, and the current crystal ball leader is Ole Miss. Michigan seems pretty set at running back with Micah Ka'apana and Jordan Marshall.

Drelon Miller - WR - Silsbee (TX) Silsbee: Miller (4-star, #14 WR, #66 overall) decommitted from Texas A&M after having been committed to the Aggies since June. He had 59 catches for 1,401 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2022. His two official visits went to Miami and USC.

Joseph Stone - WR - Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes: Stone (4-star, #46 WR, #300 overall) decommitted from LSU after pledging to the Tigers in July, just a couple weeks after being offered. It's a little surprising that a talented receiver would leave LSU since they have two of the best receivers in the country in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan's 10 Longest Plays vs. Purdue

 

Tony Boles

If you're like me and you enjoy big plays, here are some great ones against the Boilermakers over the years:

1. Tony Boles 85-yard kickoff return TD (1989)
2. Rick Leach 83-yard TD pass to Jim Smith (1975)
3. Chuck Ortmann 82-yard kickoff return (1949)
4. Martavious Odoms 73-yard punt return TD (2008)
5. Dave Glinka 72-yard TD pass to Bennie McRae (1961)
6. Jim Harbaugh 65-yard TD pass to John Kolesar (1985)
7. Phil Webb 65-yard TD run (1985)
8. Rick Leach 64-yard TD pass to Jim Smith (1976)
9. Raymon Taylor 63-yard interception return TD (2012)
10. Steve Smith 62-yard TD pass to Anthony Carter (1982)

Hit the jump for some clips.

Michigan's 10 Longest Plays vs. Michigan State

 

Dennis Fitzgerald (image via Go Blue History)

If you're like me and you enjoy big plays, here are some great ones against the Spartans over the years:

1. Dennis Fitzgerald 99-yard kickoff return touchdown (1960)
2. Desmond Howard 95-yard kickoff return touchdown (1990)
3. Cade McNamara 93-yard touchdown pass to Andrel Anthony, Jr. (2021)
4. Drew Henson 81-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Knight (1999)
5. Derrick Alexander 80-yard punt return touchdown (1992)
6. Shea Patterson 79-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones (2018)
7. Rob Lytle 75-yard touchdown run (1976)
8. Mike Sainristil 72-yard interception return touchdown (2023)
9. Anthony Thomas 69-yard touchdown run (1998)
10. Tom Hendricks 67-yard punt return touchdown (1954)

Hit the jump for some clips.

2023 Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 8

 

Eyabi Okie-Anoma (image via Charlotte Athletics)

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FORMER PLAYERS

TE Erick All (Iowa): All tore his ACL in week seven. He led the Hawkeyes in all receiving categories, catches (21), yards (299), and touchdowns (3) by a wide margin at the time of his injury.

WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony is out for the season. He caught 27 passes for 429 yards and 1 touchdown this season before the injury.

QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 24/38 throws for 210 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a 48-34 win over West Virginia.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 49, Michigan State 0

 

Michigan 49, Michigan State 0 (image via AP/Al Goldis)

Emotional edge FTW. Going into this game, I felt like Michigan had more of a reason to win this game. I mean, aside from the fact that Michigan State sucks and surely really wanted to win because sucking isn't fun, Michigan should have had more of a reason. This stems mostly from the fact that Gemon Green and Ja'den McBurrows were viciously attacked in the tunnel last year. But this past week's cheating allegations probably cheesed off the Wolverines quite a bit since their accomplishments were considered to be tainted by some. But it seems like emotion sometimes forces players and/or coaches to press. So in my game preview, I predicted a 34-10 victory. I thought Michigan might come out a little slow, might get caught by a trick play, etc. But it turns out Michigan didn't have any trick plays up their sleeve. They didn't really have much of anything up their sleeve.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan at Michigan State

 

RUSH OFFENSE vs. MSU RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #41 in rushing offense (182 yards/game) and #35 in yards per carry (4.88). I thought Michigan might take off a little bit against Indiana last week, which had the #91 rushing defense, but that didn't happen so much. Blake Corum (96 carries, 546 yards, 12 touchdowns) leads the way . . . and that includes nationally, because he tops the country in rushing touchdowns. Donovan Edwards has been a disappointment on the ground, averaging just 3.28 yards/carry this year, but he did break through with his first touchdown of the year last week. Kalel Mullings (23 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD) and Ben Hall (11 carries, 60 yards) are also options. Michigan State is #33 in rushing defense (114.8 yards allowed/game) and #36 in yards allowed per carry (3.48). They have only allowed 3 rushing touchdowns this year, which is tied for #8 nationally. But last week against Rutgers, MSU allowed Kyle Monongai to run 24 times for 148 yards and a touchdown. The teams they have shut down in the run game include FCS Richmond, Central Michigan, and the inept Iowa offense. Junior LB Cal Haladay (6'1", 235 lbs.) leads the team with 41 tackles, followed by S Malik Spencer (6'1", 195) with 36 and CB Dillon Tatum (5'11", 200) with 30. The leaders in tackles for loss include DE Zion Young (6'6", 265) with 4.5 and Haladay with 4. They're tied at #67 in tackles for loss per game with 5.83. I have a feeling that Michigan might try to bludgeon MSU, and considering the fact that the Spartans have only had success against weak teams, this might be a day for Blake Corum to have a signature performance.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Josh Metellus

 

Josh Metellus

Minnesota Vikings captain and safety Josh Metellus had one of his best games as a professional, totaling 8 tackles with 1 sack and 1 forced fumble in a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears. That fumble was returned for a touchdown. Unfortunately, it was on rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent out of Shepherd University and not Ohio State product Justin Fields, who is expected to be out for a few weeks with a dislocated thumb.

Josh Metellus with the strip sack! He has really become a great pro player recently! Go Blue! 〽️

pic.twitter.com/y2QqzQkySQ

— JD 〽️ (@MGoJDBlue) October 15, 2023

HONORABLE MENTION

• RB Zach Charbonnet (Seahawks): Charbonnet ran the ball 9 times for 46 yards in a 37-27 win over the Panthers.
• WR Nico Collins (Texans): Collins caught 4 passes, including three for first downs, and 80 yards in a 20-13 win over the Saints.
• DE Brandon Graham (Eagles): Graham made 2 tackles and 0.5 sacks in a 20-14 loss to the Jets.
• S Dax Hill (Bengals): Hill made 8 tackles and 2 pass breakups in a 17-13 win over the Seahawks.
• LB Khaleke Hudson (Commanders): Hudson made 3 tackles in a 24-16 win over the Falcons.
• DT Maurice Hurst, Jr.: Hurst made 2 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in the Browns' 27-3 victory over the Titans.
• DE Aidan Hutchinson (Lions): Hutchinson made 3 tackles in a 20-6 win over the Buccaneers.
• CB Jourdan Lewis (Cowboys): Lewis made 3 tackles in a 20-17 win over the Chargers.
• S Jabrill Peppers (Patriots): Peppers made 7 tackles and 2 pass breakups in a 21-17 loss to the Raiders.
• TE Luke Schoonmaker (Cowboys): Schoonmaker made his first professional catch for 1 yard. Unfortunately, he was targeted six times and reeled in just the one catch, but a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
• CB D.J. Turner II (Bengals): Turner made 4 stops in a 17-13 win over the Seahawks.

2023 Ex-Wolverine Updates: Week 7

 

Erick All

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FORMER PLAYERS

TE Erick All (Iowa): All had 2 catches for 19 yards in Iowa's 19-6 win over Wisconsin, but the bigger news was that he suffered a nasty knee injury on his second catch. All leads the Hawkeyes in all receiving categories, catches (21), yards (299), and touchdowns (3) by a wide margin.

This is a better look at the Erick All injury. Viewer discretion: don't watch too closely if you're at all squeamish. pic.twitter.com/KIrsZN7U02

— Owen Siebring (@owensiebring) October 14, 2023

WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony is out for the season. He caught 27 passes for 429 yards and 1 touchdown this season before the injury.

QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 28/41 passes for 336 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions in a 39-32 win over Kansas. As good as those numbers sound, that's just his sixth-highest passing yardage total in a game. His highest total was when he threw for 605 yards against Houston as a freshman for Texas Tech in 2018.

Right out the gate ‼️@alanbowman_ finds @Ollie_Gordon2 in the flat and @CowboyFB scores on its opening drive in front of the home crowd.

📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/eqO10k3CVr

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 14, 2023

Granny Throw TD by Alan Bowman 👵

Oklahoma State up by 14 early in the first! @CowboyFB #CFB #CollegeGameDay

pic.twitter.com/t8pDnzX7tI

— Jens Van Hulle (@vanhullejens) October 14, 2023

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 52, Indiana 7

 

Colston Loveland (image via Yahoo! Sports)

Run the damn ball. Coming into the game, Indiana was ranked #91 in rushing defense. And it was raining. So naturally, Michigan decided to come out throwing, with four pass plays and two rushes in the first six plays. Two of those pass plays resulted in sacks, and one was a drop by Colston Loveland. Meanwhile, the two carries by Corum averaged 4.5 yards per rush. Michigan wasn't necessarily going to obliterate Indiana on the ground with huge runs, but they could have just taken over the game physically instead of trying to throw in those conditions.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan vs. Indiana

 

(Image via Craig Bisacre/Indiana Athletics)

RUSH OFFENSE vs. INDIANA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan ranks #38 in rushing offense (185.2 yards/game) and #26 in yards per carry (5.07). Blake Corum's 5.95 yards/carry ranks sixth in the conference, while backup Donovan Edwards's mystifying 3.47 yards/carry ranks #32, lowest of any qualifying back in the conference. Kalel Mullings has stepped up his game with 23 carries for 147 yards and 1 touchdown this year. Michigan seems to have found a solidified starting five up front with Arizona State transfer La'Darius Henderson at left tackle and Karsen Barnhart at right tackle. Indiana is #91 in rushing defense (156.4 yards allowed/game) and allowed Akron's Lorenzo Lingard over 8.0 yards/carry a few weeks ago, along with 10+ yards per rush to Maryland's Antwaine Littlejohn despite his not getting above 3.7 against any other opponent. They give up 4.74 yards per carry, which ranks #108 in the nation. Having watched some of Indiana this year, their tackling is the worst I've seen it in Tom Allen's seven years at the helm. Fifth year senior middle linebacker Aaron Casey (6'2", 235 lbs.) leads the squad with 43 stops, followed by sophomore strong safety Phillip Dunnam (6'1", 190) and senior free safety Louis Moore (6'1", 190) with 35 and 25, respectively.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 52, Minnesota 10

 

Cornelius Johnson (image via Star Tribune)

Zone coverage FTW. There was a time when we lamented that Michigan defensive backs were terrible at looking back and finding the ball. There were interceptions to be had, but Michigan didn't, you know, have them. Don Brown had the defensive backs in chase mode all the time, and even though he was really good at his defensive coordinator job - Ohio State be damned - he hated zone defense. In this game a dose of zone coverage was enough to confuse inexperienced Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, and he threw more touchdown passes to Michigan's guys (Will Johnson, Keon Sabb) than his own. In fact, he completed just 5/15 passes for 52 yards, 35 of which came on the final offensive play of the first half, a virtual Hail Mary that happened to come down in the hands of a diving Daniel Jackson for the Gophers' only touchdown of the night. That passing total was the fewest amount allowed by Michigan since they allowed 24 against UConn in 2022.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan at Minnesota

 

RUSH OFFENSE vs. MINNESOTA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #31 in rushing offense (184 yards/game) and #33 in yards per carry (4.95). Blake Corum is at 5.74 yards per carry and is tied for the national lead rushing touchdowns with 9 despite being tied for #31 in rushing attempts. (The other two players with 9 scores are Marshall's Rasheen Ali and Georgia State's Marcus Carroll, who have 91 and 115 carries, respectively, compared to Corum's 74.) Kalel Mullings had his first kind of breakout game with 5 carries for 43 yards last week and now has 15 attempts for 100 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown last Saturday. Donovan Edwards has been clunking along at 3.34 yards/carry (3.43 last week, though!) so we're still waiting for him to show his elite capabilities in the open field. Minnesota is #54 in rushing defense (127.2 yards allowed/game) and #81 in yards allowed per carry (4.18). Somehow they held North Carolina to 2.84 yards/carry a few weeks ago, but last week Louisiana-Lafayette carved them up for 177 yards on just 27 attempts. Freshman linebacker Maverick Baranowski (6'3", 230) leads the team with 35 tackles, followed by senior safety Jack Henderson (6'3", 215) with 30 and sophomore safety Darius Green (6'1", 200) with 27. The Golden Gophers play a 3-4 look with senior Kyler Baugh (6'2", 305) at nose tackle, where he has 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the year. Baranowski has 3.0 tackles for loss and JACK linebacker Danny Striggow (6'5", 255) has 4.0, so they're decent at getting into the backfield at times. But Michigan should have good success in the run game.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 45, Nebraska 7

 

Kenneth Grant (image via AP)

That was domination. More so than any other game this season, that felt like Michigan truly dominated the team across from them. Despite winning by 24+ points against every other team on the schedule, it seemed like Michigan had gone through some rough stretches, including being down early against Rutgers and struggling for a while with Bowling Green. But right from the start, it seemed like Michigan just had way too much for Nebraska to handle. The #2 rushing defense in the country gave up 249 yards rushing to the Wolverines at 4.9 yards per carry. Punter Tommy Doman was only needed once - other than holding on kicks - and boomed his 1 punt for 65 yards. The only thing preventing Michigan from having a 45-0 shutout was a late 74-yard run by Joshua Fleeks, who sliced through a bunch of backups. Credit to him and Nebraska for not giving up, but it was indeed a garbage time score.

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Michigan's 10 Longest Plays vs. Minnesota

 

Steve Breaston

Michigan has played Minnesota 104 times throughout history and has a 76-25-3 record against the Golden Gophers. They first played in 1892, and the winner of the game after each meeting earns the Little Brown Jug Trophy.

Here are the longest plays for Michigan in the history of the rivalry:

1. Steve Breaston 95-yard kickoff return TD (2005)
2. Chris Howard 86-yard TD run (1996)
3. Gilvanni Johnson 85-yard punt return TD (1985)
4. Carlos Brown 85-yard TD run (2007)
5. Darrell Harper 84-yard punt return TD (1959)
6. Courtney Avery 83-yard fumble return TD (2011)
7. Karan Higdon 77-yard TD run (2017)
8. Tom Brady 76-yard TD pass to Tai Streets (1998)
9. Lowell Perry 75-yard punt return TD (1951)
10. Steve Smith 75-yard TD run (1983)
11. Scott Dreisbach 75-yard TD pass to Amani Toomer (1995)

Hit the jump for videos of Breaston and Brown.