Video: Michigan vs. Air Force - Every Snap

Video: Michigan Rewind - Air Force

Michigan vs. Air Force Awards

Devin Funchess caught 4 passes for 106 yards and this touchdown.

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Funchess.  The freshman tight end burst onto the scene Saturday with a 4-catch, 106-yard, 1-touchdown performance.  His 30-yard touchdown reception showed him getting behind a safety and leaping to snatch the ball out of the air.  Brandon Moore can't do that, and I doubt A.J. Williams can.  Kevin Koger could do it occasionally, but Koger caught 4 passes just twice in his career and never had more than 60 yards in a single game.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Denard Robinson.  Twenty carries is too many.  The team needs to get the running backs going.  Fitzgerald Toussaint had 8 carries for 7 yards in this game.  Thomas Rawls had 6 carries for 9 yards last week.  And those were your starting tailbacks.  Yep, 14 carries for 16 yards through two games.  Michigan needs to improve the play of the offensive line and let these tailbacks run a little bit.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Courtney Avery.  I was not impressed with Raymon Taylor's performance at cornerback on Sunday, and I think Avery should remain the starter at field corner.  The coaches need to find another contributor for the slot corner spot, whether it's Taylor, Delonte Hollowell, or Thomas Gordon.  The injury to Blake Countess and the departure of Terrence Talbott have really hurt Michigan's secondary.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Frank Clark.  Clark is still too undisciplined.  Yes, he made a couple nice plays, but he also made a couple bone-headed plays where he was culpable for losing contain.  He needs to be more consistent.  Hopefully Brennen Beyer's injury isn't too serious, because Beyer needs to get a bunch of snaps there.  Mario Ojemudia also looks decent as a bit player, although his size will become more of a detriment once the Big Ten season hits.

Play of the game . . . Denard Robinson's 58-yard touchdown run.  The first touchdown run was longer (79 yards), but the second was more fun to watch.  He slid to the left, waiting for Patrick Omameh to pull through the hole, then burst forward, cut to the right, cut upfield, jumped outside to the right sideline, and outraced the Air Force defense to the corner.

MVP of the game . . . Denard Robinson.  Jake Ryan had a great game, too, but Robinson had 218 rushing yards, 208 passing yards, and accounted for all 4 of Michigan's touchdowns.  He could have thrown the ball better, but he made just about every play possible in the running game.  He also seems to be developing a rapport with wide receiver Devin Gardner and tight end Funchess.

Highlights: Michigan 31, Air Force 25

Michigan 31, Air Force 25

Denard Robinson rushed for 218 yards and threw for 208, accounting for 4 touchdowns
(image via Sporting News)

The officials were terrible. Terrible. Air Force's first touchdown should have been called back for illegal procedure.  Quarterback Connor Dietz tossed to A-back Cody Getz, who beat everyone to the edge.  In the meantime, the wing started moving forward  prior to the snap like he was in the CFL and chopped down safety Jordan Kovacs, who was responsible for the pitch.  Without that forward momentum, Kovacs - Michigan's best open-field tackler - very well could have stopped Getz before the goal line.  Later in the game, Air Force converted on a key third down when both the quarterback and the running back - who were in a shotgun formation - started moving to their right before the ball was snapped . . . and a slot receiver was already in motion.  So three  guys were moving prior to the snap, and the play was allowed to stand.  Those were obvious, blatant non-calls and each one could have had a significant impact on the outcome of the game.

Devin Funchess is the new Junior Hemingway. The freshman tight end is listed at 6'5", 229 lbs.  I expected him to look skinnier than he does, but he's fairly solid looking and showed an ability to stretch the field a little bit.  He caught a 29-yard wheel route and a leaping 30-yard touchdown, totaling 4 receptions for 106 yards and that TD.  Jump balls aren't going to work with most receivers on the roster, but this guy could be Denard Robinson's savior.

These are not the droids you're looking for.  Forget what you saw the defense do yesterday.  Yes, it was ugly.  Michigan allowed 290 yards rushing and 127 yards passing, but Michigan won't see another triple option offense this year unless they meet Air Force or Georgia Tech in a bowl game.  The defensive line won't see cut blocking like this, the outside linebackers and safeties won't have to be as disciplined, etc.  I know yesterday was frustrating and too close for comfort, but it's also mostly irrelevant to the rest of our opponents.

The cornerbacks are scaring me. Raymon Taylor was very, very weak in run support.  I'm not a huge fan of J.T. Floyd in run support, either, but Taylor looks to avoid contact with blockers whenever possible, and that's a bit scary.  Now I'm going to go back to forgetting what the defense did.

The offensive line has taken a step backward.  The absence of David Molk is noticeable, and I still wonder whether it was a good idea to let Rocko Khoury walk instead of getting a fifth year.  Starting center Elliott Mealer's snaps have been good, but he's much slower than Molk.  Meanwhile, Michael Schofield looked much better at left guard last year than he does at right tackle.  The offseason was rife with talk about how Schofield looked so great at right tackle, but I'm just not seeing it.  Some people mentioned how Fitzgerald Toussaint looked rusty, but it wasn't Toussaint - it was the offensive line allowing so much penetration.  He had nowhere to run at all.

Dennis Norfleet wants to eat.  When Norfleet jumped in front of Drew Dileo to steal a kickoff return, I sort of felt bad for Dileo.  Dileo's body language indicated he wasn't too happy about it, either.  Norfleet got hit after a short return, but then he bounced off and turned in a nice play.  He had 3 returns for 77 yards yesterday, an average of 25.7 per return.  The kid is going to be exciting to watch for the next few years.

BREAKOUT PLAYER JERALD ROBINSON! He had 1 reception for 10 yards.  Departing seniors have been calling for him to explode for the last two seasons, and now he has 1 career catch.

The linebackers will be awesome for years to come.  Jake Ryan had 11 tackles, including a nice tackle on the second-to-last play, and a leaping pass breakup on Air Force's final pass attempt.  Overall, he had an excellent day.  Sophomore Desmond Morgan made some nice plays at times, freshman Joe Bolden made 10 tackles, and freshman James Ross made a couple nice plays.

Denard Robinson continues to destroy mediocre defenses.  It was a blast watching Denard Robinson yesterday as he demolished the Falcons' defense, but it wasn't unexpected.  This is what he does to so-so defenses (see Bowling Green, UConn, UMass, Indiana, Eastern Michigan, etc.) and occasionally to good defenses (see Ohio State circa 2011).  A guy who's faster than Usain Bolt (not really) ought to run away from a bunch of Air Force Academy cadets, and Robinson looked fairly comfortable in the pocket.  If Michigan continues to struggle blocking for the running backs, Robinson is going to need to replicate this performance many, many times this year.

Hail to the Air Force Academy.  I'm sort of glad that Air Force put up a good fight.  My father and grandfather are veterans, another close family member graduated from the Academy, and I have a strong appreciation for those in the military.  They don't deserve to be embarrassed anywhere, including on the football field.  They should be proud of the way they played on Saturday.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Air Force

LaQuon Treadwell

Visitors

• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech defensive end Joshua Alabi.  Alabi is a 6'4", 245 lb. defensive end from the class of 2015.
• Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell offensive tackle Alex Bars.  Bars is a 6'6", 255 lb. kid who doubles as a defensive end, but Michigan has offered the 2014 prospect as an offensive tackle.  His brother is Michigan true freshman Blake Bars, but he also has a brother at Penn State.
• Pickerington (OH) North tight end Jake Butt.  Butt is already committed to Michigan.
• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech quarterback Jayru Campbell.  The 6'3", 175 lb. Campbell led Cass Tech to a state championship last year despite being just a freshman.  He has offers from Alabama and Notre Dame already. (Highlights.)
• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive tackle/guard David Dawson.  Dawson is already committed to Michigan.
• Grand Rapids (MI) Christian offensive tackle Tommy Doles.  Doles is a class of 2014 kid who has visited Michigan multiple times and lists them among his leaders.  Iowa State is the only other team to offer so far.
• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back/linebacker Deon Drake.  Drake is a 6'1", 215-pounder with offers from Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Notre Dame, among others. (Highlights.)
• Muskergon (MI) Muskegon offensive guard Kenny Finley.  Finley is a 6'4", 270 lb. guard from the 2014 class with zero offers.  Muskegon is typically a good program, but no Wolverine has come out of there since Terrance Taylor.
• Detroit (MI) East English Village tight end Khalid Hill.  Hill committed to Michigan back in February.
• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back/linebacker Gary Hosey.  Hosey is a 6'0", 230 lb. back from the class of 2014.  He has zero offers at this point, but Michigan has discussed recruiting him at running back; I don't think he has the speed to be an elite prospect. (Highlights.)
• Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison linebacker Mike McCray II.  McCray is already committed to Michigan.
• Macomb (MI) Lutheran North kicker J.J. McGrath.  McGrath has zero offers at this point, but offers usually come later for kickers than other positions.
• Warren (OH) Howland running back DeVeon Smith.  Smith is already committed to Michigan.
• Middletown (OH) Middletown tight end Chance Sorrell.  Sorrell is a 6'6", 225-pounder from the class of 2014 without any offers so far.  Michigan has offered three other tight ends in the class, but Nic Weisher seems to be the only viable option of those three.
• Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wide receiver LaQuon Treadwell.  Treadwell is Michigan's top target at wide receiver for the class of 2013; likewise, Michigan has reportedly been at the top of his list for most or all of his recruitment.  He has visited Ann Arbor several times before, but he also has serious interest in other schools, including pass-happy Oklahoma State. EDIT: Treadwell is no longer visiting Michigan this weekend.  (Highlights.)
• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver/cornerback Damon Webb, a 2014 prospect, will be visiting.  Webb has been offered by Michigan and his leaders are the Wolverines, LSU, Michigan State, and Ohio State.  Webb transferred to Cass Tech prior to this season, so his bond with other Michigan-bound players from that school (David Dawson, Jourdan Lewis, Royce Jenkins-Stone, Terry Richardson, etc.) may not be as strong. (Highlights.)
• Detroit (MI) Cass Tech linebacker William White.  White is a 6'1", 220 lb. linebacker from the class of 2014.  He has zero offers at this point, but some will likely be coming down the road. (Highlights.)
• Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park wide receiver Csont'e York.  York is already committed to Michigan.

Preview: Michigan vs. Air Force

Rush Offense vs. Air Force Rush Defense
Michigan struggled to run the ball effectively against an Alabama defense that finished #1 in the country last season, but that should not continue to be the case this week.  The Wolverines' rushing offense was #13 nationally in 2011, and most of the key components return except center David Molk.  Meanwhile, Air Force finished #109 in rush defense last season, giving up almost 220 yards per game.  Air Force's linemen are limited in size due to the recruiting and regulations at the academy, so Michigan should be able to run over the Falcons, while Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint can run around them, too.  Michigan will pass the ball to get some chemistry going, but the game will be won the ground.
Advantage: Michigan


Pass Offense vs. Air Force Pass Defense
Air Force's pass defense last year was #6 overall in yardage (under 167 yards/game), but that was largely because their rush defense was so woeful.  The Falcons were #81 in pass efficiency defense.  Meanwhile, Robinson has some capable receivers who should be able to get open even if nobody in the group is stellar.  This will be a good chance to get the Robinson-to-Devin Gardner partnership in sync, not to mention guys like Jeremy Gallon and Roy Roundtree.  Michigan will likely turn the ball over to the ground game by the third and fourth quarters, but the first and second quarters should be rather balanced.  Except some throws over the top.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Air Force Rush Offense
Air Force's triple option offense is designed to keep a defense off balance, so there will probably be some blown assignments for some long-ish runs by running back Cody Getz, who had 218 yards rushing last week, albeit against Idaho State.  However, the offensive line averages 255 lbs., and Michigan's defensive line averages about 293.  Furthermore, guys like Jibreel Black and Craig Roh are good athletes who have bulked up rather than big lugs who are in there for their size, so the quickness advantage on Air Force's part might not be particularly large.  Michigan typically struggles with option stuff early on, but once the defenders settle down into a rhythm after about a quarter, they should be able to make some plays.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Air Force Pass Offense
Air Force quarterback Connor Dietz was 8/11 for 142 yards last week against Idaho State, so he's capable of making plays in the passing game.  However, he's never lit the world on fire as a passer and might not have much time to throw if Michigan's defensive line quickly overpowers the Falcons offense.  The triple option doesn't lend itself to a lot of fireworks through the air, and Dietz's receivers aren't particularly outstanding.  If triple option teams struggle on the ground, they typically can't overcome that issue by throwing.
Advantage: Michigan

Predictions

• Fitzgerald Toussaint and Thomas Rawls each run for 100 yards
• Denard Robinson throws for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Jake Ryan has a monster day
• Michigan 49, Air Force 10

Pre-Snap Read: #49 Air Force

Pre-Snap Read  previews the Air Force Falcons, who are coming off of a 7-6 season.