FootballSaturday, September 12, 2015
6
Breakdown: ‘M’ vs. Oregon State
By MAX COHEN
Managing Sports Editor
On a day that will in all
likelihood be remembered as Jim
Harbaugh’s Michigan Stadium
coaching debut, there will indeed
be a football game played after
Harbaugh jumps up and touches
the banner.
When the Michigan football
team plays Oregon State on
Saturday, it will mark a matchup
between two head coaches at
new schools. The Beavers’ Gary
Andersen left Wisconsin after
last season to take the helm in
Corvallis.
The
Beavers,
unlike
the
Wolverines, won their season
opener,
defeating
Football
Championship Subdivision foe
Weber State, 26-7.
Here’s the Daily’s breakdown
of the upcoming matchup.
Michigan pass offense vs.
Oregon State pass defense
Members of the Wolverines’
offense
said
throughout
the
week that they see a great deal of
potential in their unit. Saturday’s
game will be their chance to
prove it.
For
fifth-year
senior
quarterback Jake Rudock, the
key will be taking care of the ball.
Rudock threw three interceptions
against the Utes in his Michigan
debut, a number that displeased
him greatly.
Saturday
will
be
another
chance for Rudock to further his
rapport with his receivers after
transferring from Iowa over the
summer. The process appeared
to be going smoothly with junior
tight end Jake Butt and redshirt
junior
wide
receiver
Amara
Darboh, each of whom hauled
in eight passes from their new
quarterback in the opener.
Exactly how productive Oregon
State’s defense will be against
Rudock and company is difficult
to predict. The Beavers return
just two defensive starters and
didn’t face much of a test against
Weber State in their season
opener.
Wildcats
quarterback
Jadrian Clark completed 19 of 35
passing attempts for 120 yards to
go along with one interception
against Oregon State.
Edge: Michigan
Michigan rush offense vs.
Oregon State rush defense
Michigan
junior
running
back De’Veon Smith was hard
on himself after the Wolverines’
season-opening loss, saying he
missed some holes that were
the size of a bus. Smith finished
the opener with 47 yards on 17
carries, while junior backup Ty
Isaac finished with 12 yards on
four carries.
Michigan’s
longest
run
of
the game was just seven yards
— hardly an explosion. Fifth-
year senior offensive lineman
Graham Glasgow said Tuesday
that he believes many of his
unit’s problems can be solved by
the linemen lowering their pad
levels, something they have been
working on all week.
Oregon State allowed 58 rushing
yards on 18 attempts to Weber State
in the opener, good for an average
of 3.22 yards per carry.
Edge: Michigan
Oregon State pass offense vs.
Michigan pass defense
Oregon State quarterback Seth
Collins made his career debut in
the team’s opener, completing
10 of 18 attempts for 92 yards
and two touchdowns. Collins is
known primarily as a rushing
threat, but Michigan will also be
wary of his arm.
Michigan
defensive
backs
coach Greg Jackson said this
week that the Beavers’ emphasis
on the running attack could
potentially
open
up
some
opportunities for deep passes,
putting the Wolverine defense
on alert. Michigan’s secondary
played with mixed results against
Utah — they didn’t allow the Utes
to break the game open, but there
were certainly lapses in coverage.
Another area in which the
Wolverine secondary hopes to
improve is in creating turnovers.
Michigan’s lone takeaway in the
opener came on redshirt junior
Jeremy Clark’s interception of a
Hail Mary at the end of the first
half. The Wolverines will have
an opportunity to increase that
number against an unseasoned
quarterback.
Edge: Michigan
Oregon State rush offense
vs. Michigan rush defense
The Beavers rushed for 281
yards against Weber State, with
Collins leading the way with
152 yards on the ground. The
Wolverines struggled to contain
Utah quarterback Travis Wilson
last week, who scampered for 53
yards and one touchdown on 12
carries.
However, Michigan did limit
Devontae Booker, expected to
be a top running back in the
Pac-12, to 53 rushing yards and
one touchdown on 12 carries.
The Wolverines also made some
big plays defending the run,
recording nine tackles for a loss.
Edge: Michigan
Special Teams
Michigan
fifth-year
senior
punter Blake O’Neill had a strong
debut, with a long of 50 yards and
another punt that pinned Utah
within its own five-yard line.
Senior kicker Kenny Allen missed
one field goal in the opener to go
along with one make.
Michigan redshirt freshman
Jabrill Peppers will be a threat in
the return game, both on punts
and kickoffs. Though he was
largely held in check against the
Utes, he displayed electricity on
his lone opportunity, returning
a kick for 36 yards in the fourth
quarter.
Oregon State kicker Garrett
Owens was a perfect 4-for-4 in
the opener, with a long kick of 45
yards. Punter Nick Porebski, an
Australian like O’Neill, punted
six times for 226 yards last week.
Edge: Oregon State
Intangibles
Harbaugh’s home debut could
provide the Wolverines an edge.
The Michigan fan base has been
waiting for this moment since
Harbaugh’s hiring last December.
Crisler Center erupted in a state
of
euphoria
when
Harbaugh
was introduced on the day of his
introductory press conference,
and the Big House is sure to
follow suit.
Edge: Michigan
Prediction:
Michigan
31,
Oregon State 10
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Fifth-year senior quarterback Jake Rudock makes his first career start at Michigan Stadium on Saturday against Oregon State.