Michigan narrowly pulled off the victory on Saturday night, defeating Western Michigan by a 13-12 final score on a last-second Hail Mary. Across the board, this was a pretty disappointing game despite the victory.
Here’s a look at each position group on the roster with grades for how each of them performed.
Quarterback – D+
Bryce Underwood looked to be in control of the offense on the opening drive, but after that, all the old habits seemed to return with questionable decision-making and some throws that just weren’t
precise. The worst of it was in the final minutes of the game when he fumbled with the game on the line to allow Western Michigan a chance to run out the clock. However, he made a heck of a throw on the last play of the game to J.J. Buchanan to seal the victory. There’s still much to improve, though.
Running backs – C-
What was expected to be the strongest position group on the team ended up having a rather underwhelming night. It wasn’t all their fault (more on that later), but the running backs didn’t capitalize on their chances either. Jordan Marshall had just 44 yards on 11 carries. Savion Hiter wasn’t all that involved in his first game, getting just six touches. What was expected to be a dominant rushing attack didn’t get off to a good start at all, and there’s also going to need to be big improvement over the next week.
Wide Receiver – A+
To be clear, this is JJ Buchanan’s A+. He was as advertised coming out of the transfer portal, making some impressive grabs, including the game-winning catch for 47 yards as the clock hit zero. He had six receptions for a total of 126 yards. For the rest of the group, they weren’t really asked to do much, with just 12 completions on the night. The lack of a big showing from the passing attack wasn’t exactly their fault.
Tight End – D-
The tight ends were pretty non-existent in the game plan in this one. Hogan Hansen was ruled out pre-game with an injury, and Jalen Hoffman got the start. Hoffman had one 13-yard reception on the opening drive, and that was it for the tight ends on the night. We’ll see if they’re more incorporated going forward.
Offensive Line – F
Michigan continued to rotate its offensive linemen, particularly at guard, and it led to some real issues aside from the team’s opening drive. Pass protection didn’t look all that much better than what we’d seen last year, but the run game was even more concerning, struggling badly to open up holes for the running backs or get any sort of push against Western Michigan’s defensive front. We’ll see if a solid starting five is locked in for next week, but the game against Oklahoma could get ugly if the issues up front aren’t rectified.
Defensive Line – C
The defensive line was one of the better positions in this game. Dominic Nichols, who got plenty of hype this offseason, looked the part of a burgeoning star against both the run and the pass, finishing with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Enow Etta and Trey Pierce were also pretty impressive in setting up the “run wall,” especially in the first half. However, the group did get run over a bit during a second-half drive from the Broncos that took 13:40 off the clock, something that played a big role in the game taking on the tone it did.
Linebackers – C-
The concerns about the linebackers coming into the year were valid, as the group was rather unimpressive against Western Michigan. The Broncos chose to operate moving laterally for much of the night, and Michigan didn’t have the speed to catch up. Furthermore, they weren’t able to support the defensive line in run defense, particularly in the second half when Western Michigan’s offense started to roll a little bit. Troy Bowles was the lone standout from this group with 12 tackles, including two for a loss.
Secondary – C
Michigan’s secondary did a pretty good job of keeping the Western Michigan passing attack in check. There wasn’t much of a test vertically, but the Wolverines did a good job of limiting yards after the catch, holding the Broncos to just 89 yards through the air despite 15 completed passes. Chris Bracy, Smith Snowden and Jyaire Hill (who had an interception negated by a pass interference call) were the biggest standouts from the group.
Special Teams – D+
The special teams grade is largely sullied by a muffed punt from Andrew Marsh in the first quarter, something many fans thought had been left in the past after last year’s non-stop special teams debacles. Additionally, a questionable decision by Bryson Kuzdzal to bring a kickoff out of the end zone in the fourth quarter only got the Wolverines to their 18 yard line. Punter Cam Brown looked to be pretty solid, averaging 44.7 yards per punt; the problem was he had to punt six times.
