Michigan was in it until the end, but poor coaching and execution cost the Wolverines the win over Indiana on Saturday. Here are this week’s position grades:
The Michigan Wolverines were in it until the end, but poor coaching and execution cost the Wolverines the game. The Indiana Hoosiers escaped at home, 20-15, on Saturday.
Let’s get into the game’s position grades.
Quarterbacks: D+
Davis Warren made some throws, but he was largely inaccurate, completing just 50 percent of his passes for 137 yards. Alex Orji was also a limitation on offense, rushing for one yard on three attempts, and he lost a fumble as the Wolverines were driving in the second quarter. Offense coordinator Kirk Campbell is just as much to blame, but the quarterback position continues to be a thorn in Michigan’s side.
Running backs: C-
The Michigan run game continued to sputter, and it did not have any big plays for the fourth game in a row. Running backs coach Tony Alford continues to give the load of the carries to Donovan Edwards, despite Kalel Mullings being the most productive back, and the tailbacks averaged just 2.9 yards per carry with a long of eight yards. Interestingly, Ben Hall saw more carries than he had all season, picking up nine yards on four touches.
Wide receivers: C
What is new? Michigan’s leading receiver hauled in just three catches due to Warren and Orji’s lack of passing attempts. Tyler Morris finished with 36 yards, including a sideline grab that would have been ruled a catch in the NFL, and Peyton O’Leary had 24 receiving yards. Five receivers caught a pass, but still couldn’t produce a big play.
Tight ends: B
Colston Loveland led the team with 37 receiving yards and four catches, but it was tougher sledding compared to his 112 yards and seven catches against the Oregon Ducks last weekend. He was targeted 10 times, but the Hoosiers had a game plan to take away the Wolverines’ top target, and it largely worked. No other tight ends factored into this game.
Offensive Line: D
Michigan could not afford another injury along the offensive line, but starting right guard Giovanni El-Hadi went down with an apparent injury in the second quarter. With Dominic Giudice replacing him, Warren had very little protection in the pocket on passing downs, and the run game did not produce much either. It was another rough day for this unit.
Defensive Line: A-
Michigan was in the game until the very end, and it could be argued the defensive line played the biggest role. TJ Guy finished with five tackles and two sacks, Kenneth Grant made some key tackles and forced a pass breakup, and Mason Graham had a tackle for loss. Indiana was only able to produce 40 rushing yards. It will go as a loss, but the Wolverines had many chances to win because of the defensive line.
Linebackers: A-
Similarly to the defensive line, the linebackers showed up massively in the second half to keep Michigan close with Indiana. Jaishawn Barham was the premier guy with two tackles for loss and a sack. Hausmann had four solo tackles alongside him.
Defensive backs: C-
Outside of the Zeke Berry interception, the Michigan secondary was too inconsistent against Indiana. Kurtis Rourke threw two touchdown passes, one against Berry and one against Jyaire Hill. Makari Paige was missing tackles left and right out of the nickel position. Rourke threw for just 206 yards with a 61 percent completion percentage, but the play from the secondary in the first half left Michigan with too large a hole to climb out of.
Special teams: A
When Moore hands out his end-of-season awards, Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada better earn team MVP and every other top player award. Zvada broke a Wolverines’ record on Saturday, becoming the first player in program history to make five or more 50+ yard field goals. He made all three field goal tries against Indiana. Punter Tommy Doman was also good for the most part, sending away five punts for an average of 47 yards, including one for 56 yards. Finally, freshman running back Jordan Marshall was healthy for the first time since Week 2, and as the team’s kick returner, he took one back for 37 yards at the start of the second half.