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This game wasn't as close as the score for most of the game, but to Michigan's credit, the defense made some good adjustments at halftime and the game was still in reach near the end.
The defense didn't look good the first half. Wimbush had some good running lanes, mostly because Michigan was running itself out of position. I get the gameplan, put pressure on the QB. Wimbush did a great job escaping in the first half. In the second half, Michigan adjusted its pressure and Wimbush had more trouble running the offense. Probably the most frustrating thing to watch was bad passes for Notre Dame that should have been picks. Besides the 1 interception, there were 3 more passes where Michigan was in good position to make the pick. One was on the first touchdown drive and the receiver ripped it out of the db's hands for a big 1st down. Another was the second ND touchdown, where Finke again took the ball out of the defender's hands. Those big plays made a huge difference.
Then there was the offense. Overall, I thought Patterson did ok. The offense looked a little improved from last year. But you could tell he did not trust the line, and with good reason. That being said, I thought the line gave him a little more time than Speight or O'Korn got last year. Maybe the o-line is improved from terruble to just not good. Any quarterback looks bad when they're getting a lot of pressure, and there is no time to set up deep routes. You could tell by a few games last year that both Speight and O'Korn were jittery in the pocket because there was no faith in the o-line. I expect Patterson to have the same issue this year. Clock management at the end of the game was pretty terrible, but with no time to get a throw off, it didn't matter.
Special teams looked decent. First kickoff return for a touchdown in 3 years.
Predicting a win against Western Michigan next week.
49-3 vs Western Michigan. Playing against an inferior team Michigan looked pretty dominant. When the O-line has a big size advantage, Michigan will win big. When it doesn't- Wisconsin, PSU, OSU; Michigan will continue have a tougher time.
Notre Dame is a game I wanted win. Western Michigan is a game I expected to win. There's tough games ahead. State just dropped a win to ASU. Anything can happen. Work on some aspects and win games rolling into the games against Wisconsin and Nebraska.
45-20 over SMU. O-line looked decent after the 1st quarter, but against a not so great opponent. Metellus' pick 6 as time expired in the first half was fun to watch. Penalty after penalty extended SMU drives and kept Michigan from completely putting this away. The passing game looked better, with Peeples-Jones having 3 TD grabs and the TE Gentry having a few nice catches. A couple of good scrambles for Patterson, but a team like SMU shouldn't be able to get pressure on him. Next week vs Nebraska, predicting a win. NU has not looked sharp so far this season, with losses to CU and Troy.
56-10 over Nebraska (Now 0-3). The defense played well and Nebraska couldn't handle pressure. I've given the O-line grief for 2 seasons, so I'll be the first to say they impressed me today. Good run blocking and good running. NU's defense looked like they threw in the towel. It was fun seeing some of the younger guys get in during garbage time in the 3rd or 4th quarter. Nebraska looks like they're in for a long season. Michigan has been there, and I feel for them, but it was a fun win except for the Khaleke Hudson targeting ejection. Michigan got a safety, several long runs, and a punt returned for a touchdown, which made it fun to watch for a Wolverine fan even as it turned in to a blowout.
Next up, Northwestern (1-2), who is coming off of an early bye. Northwestern has struggled so far this early this year, but they always seem to play tough against Michigan. Predicting a Wolverine victory.
Michigan 20-17 over Northwestern (now 1-3). Not a great game for the Wolverines. Too many frustrating penalties either killing Michigan's drives or extending Northwestern's. Still, nice to see the team rally after starting down 0-17. NW always seems to play Michigan tough in Evanston, regardless of difference in talent. The defense looked good from about midway through the 2nd quarter. Patterson had some nice scrambles. The running game and O-line didn't look great.
Next werk, Michigan (4-1) vs Maryland (3-1). Michigan's next 4 games are tough, and Maryland in Ann Arbor may be the best chance to get a win of those 4. I haven't seen much of Maryland this year, but saw part of their game against Texas and they looked decent. I think Michigan has a talent advantage, but if the Wolverines play like they did against NW, Maryland will win.
Great effort on the comeback. I checked out early but Michigan delivered. The win is important but they shouldn't be struggling against a Northwestern if they want to contend.
Michigan 42-21 over Maryland (now 3-2). Overall a good game for Michigan. The offense moved the ball well, and the defense stopped Maryland for most of 3 quarters. Patterson had a great game, and the tight ends and wide outs played well. The O-line play decent. Of course the Maryland kickoff return for a touchdown was frustrating to watch, although special teams has done fairly well this year up to that point.
The biggest concern from this game was injuries. Michael Dwumfour had to be carted off the field after a lower leg injury (details pending). The way everyone came out on the field, I'm worried he may be done for the season. I hope he recovers well. With Rashan Gary in street close from his shoulder, and Carlo Kemp also having to be helped off the field, all the sudden the D-Line that was one one of the strongest units on the team is looking a bit thin. I wonder how much injuries and fatigue may have led to the 2 successful drives that Maryland had in the 4th quarter.
Next week starts Michigan's toughest stretch of the schedule, with the Wolverines (5-1) taking on Wisconsin (4-1). I think Michigan has a good shot at a W, but the injuries on the D-line concern me a bit, especially against a Wisconsin team that loves power running. If Michigan's passing game is clicking, I expect a high scoring game.
Wolverines bested the Badgers. State upset PSU. Big Ten could get interesting especially if Harbaugh gets over the OSU hump.
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