The Wolverines were unable to get it done on Saturday despite uncharacteristically strong PFF grades from the wide receiver corps and the defense. We dive into this week’s data to try and understand what went wrong for Michigan against No. 8 Indiana.
A year after dominating Indiana by 45 points, Michigan looked like a very different team against the Hoosiers on Saturday, especially in the first half. The Wolverines turned the ball over, racked up penalties, misused a challenge for the second straight week, and gave up too many big plays.
Despite these setbacks, Wink Martindale’s defense put together a strong second-half effort, keeping the offense within striking distance and posting a commendable 82.1 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus.
There’s a ton to unpack in this one, so let’s dive into the PFF data to review snap counts, as well as the best and worst grades from the game.
Offensive snap counts
Evan Link – 69
Myles Hinton – 69
Josh Priebe – 69
Greg Crippen – 68
Davis Warren – 65
Dominick Giudice – 59
Tyler Morris – 53
Colston Loveland – 43
Donovan Edwards – 43
Marlin Klein – 42
Peyton O’Leary – 42
Kendrick Bell – 27
Semaj Morgan – 26
Max Bredeson – 23
Kalel Mullings – 21
Fredrick Moore – 14
Giovanni El-Hadi – 10
Benjamin Hall – 9
Alex Orji – 4
Andrew Sprague – 1
Raheem Anderson – 1
C.J. Charleston – 1
Five best grades (min. 10 snaps played)
Colston Loveland – 71.4
Tyler Morris – 68.6
Kendrick Bell – 68.5
Fredrick Moore – 65.1
Kalel Mullings – 62.7
Notably, this week’s offensive data showed four Michigan pass catchers ranked among the Wolverines’ top five offensive grades for the first time this season. Despite a modest passing performance from Davis Warren (16-of-32 for 137 yards), Loveland, Morris, Bell and Moore made crucial catches in key moments. This group had previously been regulars in the five lowest graded category, but with the run game struggling, they proved they could be relied upon to a significant degree.
Five worst grades
Marlin Klein – 45.1
Giovanni El-Hadi – 46.7
Max Bredeson – 48.2
Evan Link – 48.8
Dominick Guidice – 49.4
Michigan delivered some of its worst performances to date in pass protection and run-blocking this week, earning season-low grades of 39.1 and 47.7, respectively. Offensive linemen Evan Link, Giovanni El-Hadi, and his injury replacement, Dom Guidice, were among the lowest graded players.
On the ground, the Wolverines struggled to break free, with no rush exceeding eight yards. The running backs were effectively contained, prompting the coaches to bring in Alex Orji in predictable run scenarios. This resulted in a costly fumble near midfield that ended one of the team’s few promising drives. With another subpar performance upfront, Michigan’s PFF grade of 47.5 in the run game reflects its most challenging outing of the season.
Defensive snap counts
Jyaire Hill – 52
Ernest Hausmann – 49
Mason Graham – 48
Makari Paige – 48
Kenneth Grant – 45
Zeke Berry – 45
Quinten Johnson – 45
Jaishawn Barham – 42
Wesley Walker – 40
Derrick Moore – 39
Josaiah Stewart – 34
TJ Guy – 24
Rayshaun Benny – 23
Brandyn Hillman – 22
Cameron Brandt – 19
Aamir Hall – 19
Jimmy Rolder – 16
Mason Curtis – 9
Jaydon Hood – 9
Kody Jones – 6
Trey Pierce – 1
Five Best Grades (min. 10 snaps played)
Cameron Brandt – 91.4
Zeke Berry – 83.8
Jaishawn Barham – 79.8
Kenneth Grant – 70.1
Josaiah Stewart – 70.7
Michigan’s defense played a crucial role in keeping the game within reach, especially when it looked like Indiana might pull away early on. The collective effort from the edge rushers, particularly Cameron Brandt, disrupted Indiana’s offense and provided the Wolverines’ offense ample opportunity to get things going. Brandt recorded a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss, forced his first fumble, and led the team with an impressive overall grade of 91.4.
With Will Johnson sidelined again this week, Zeke Berry stepped up as the team’s starting outside corner for a second consecutive game. Berry delivered, posting a season-high mark of 83.8 overall, accompanied by an outstanding 88.6 in coverage. He recorded three pass breakups and an interception, bringing his team-leading total to eight pass breakups. Berry is now also tied with Johnson for the most interceptions on the team.
Five Worst Grades
Quinten Johnson – 57.5
Wesley Walker – 58.3
Makari Paige – 58.8
Derrick Moore – 59.0
Jyaire Hill – 60.0
There were definitely some positives to take away from Michigan’s secondary this week. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke completed 17-of-28 passes for a manageable 206 yards and two touchdowns, while Berry’s interception shifted the momentum and kept Michigan in the game. All things considered, it wasn’t a poor showing, especially with Johnson absent.
However, a few big plays slipped through, including a double move on Jyaire Hill that resulted in a 36-yard touchdown. Makari Paige also had another tough week — allowing five receptions on six targets. While there’s been noticeable improvement in both play calling and the secondary’s performance, the Wolverines will need this position group to deliver collectively and consistently if they hope to find a win among the final two games.