There weren’t a lot of bright spots as the Michigan Wolverines suffered a disappointing 31-13 loss at the USC Trojans. Here’s how each position group performed as Michigan allowed 489 total yards and committed
two turnovers in the loss.
Quarterbacks: C
Bryce Underwood showed glimpses of his potential — leading a 14-play, game-tying drive in the first half, and finding wide receiver Andrew Marsh for a 69-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter — but he struggled mightily at times as well. His accuracy and ball security is still inconsistent, and that was apparent on a critical interception that essentially sealed the loss.
Running backs: C
Justice Haynes was on track to record his sixth straight game with more than 100 rushing yards before suffering an injury in the second quarter and missing the rest of the game. Jordan Marshall stepped in and played fine, but certainly wasn’t a difference maker, finishing with 68 yards on 14 carries. Before exiting with an injury, Haynes had 51 yards on 10 rushes.
Wide receivers: C+
Even though it was a frustrating loss, the wide receiving corps does seem to be slowly making progress. Marsh provided a major boost to the offense since becoming a starter last week, going for a career-high 138 yards and one touchdown on eight catches. Donaven McCulley had 39 yards and one touchdown on three catches and seven targets.
Tight ends: C-
The tight ends unit continues to be a disappointment, as Marlin Klein posted only one reception for five yards. He also had a false start that led to a failed third down conversion and the Wolverines were forced to punt. Since Klein racked up a career-high 93 yards in the season opener, the tight ends have totaled a combined 116 yards in the last five games.
Offensive line: C-
Giovanni El-Hadi returned from injury and regained his starting spot at left guard, but the offensive line was thoroughly outplayed by USC’s physical defensive front. Plain and simple, USC was the tougher team on the line of scrimmage on Saturday, and it showed as the game went on. Michigan allowed three sacks and five tackles for loss, and averaged just 3.5 yards per carry.
Defensive line: C-
It was obvious from the opening possession that Michigan’s defensive line wasn’t prepared for USC’s up-tempo offense. USC snapped the ball on several instances before the Wolverines even lined up properly, and it didn’t get much better as Michigan gave up a concerning 224 rushing yards and 6.2 yards per carry. Tre’ Williams led the group with five tackles.
Linebackers: C
The linebackers have been arguably the best position for the Wolverines this season, but that just wasn’t the case on Saturday. Ernest Hausmann and Cole Sullivan missed key tackles that could have forced USC to punt, and Jimmy Rolder was beat for a first down as well.
Secondary: C
The secondary has been inconsistent all season, and that continued at USC as missed tackles and poor coverage plagued the Wolverines once again. Brandyn Hillman and TJ Metcalf both missed tackles on a fourth down in the first half, then Hillman and Rod Moore missed a tackle that allowed USC to convert a 3rd-and-26 in what was the biggest momentum shift in the game. However, Zeke Berry did record an interception and Jyaire Hill forced a fumble early in the game.
Special teams: C+
There wasn’t a ton of action for the special teams unit because Michigan didn’t kick any field goals or have any kickoff returns. Hudson Hollenbeck recorded an impressive 49-yard punt on his first attempt of the game and Joe Taylor made a nice shoestring tackle in punt coverage. Hollenbeck also pinned USC at their own 10-yard line, but his final punt attempt went just 28 yards.
