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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

Breakdown: ‘M’ vs. Colorado

By JACOB GASE 

Daily Sports Editor

After two stress-free wins over 

Hawaii and Central Florida, the 
No. 4 Michigan football team will 
finally face a bigger challenge this 
weekend in the form of Colorado, 
the Wolverines’ first Power Five 
opponent of the season.

Though 
Michigan 
remains 

strongly favored, the Buffaloes 
(2-0) are also coming off a pair 
of routs, trouncing in-state rival 
Colorado State, 44-7, and FCS 
opponent Idaho State, 56-7.

In the spirit of competition, 

neither team has released a depth 
chart this week. The Wolverines 
(2-0) haven’t put one out all season 
— coach Jim Harbaugh recently 
called the practice “outdated” — 
and Colorado responded in kind by 
releasing a mock chart consisting 
of all pop culture figures and even 
some fictional positions, including 
“roamer dude” and “costly safety.”

Unfortunately, the Daily isn’t 

qualified to speculate on new 
quarterback Elmer Fudd’s pocket 
presence, but we will break down 
the matchups we expect to actually 
see on the field Saturday.

Michigan rush offense vs. 
Colorado rush defense

Michigan’s run game had a 

down week against UCF, thanks 
largely to the Knights stacking 
the box and taking away that part 
of the Wolverines’ game. That 
strategy ultimately led to UCF 
getting torched by Speight in the 
play-action passing game, though, 
so Colorado might simply have to 
pick its poison.

Running backs coach Tyrone 

Wheatley and fifth-year senior 
offensive lineman Kyle Kalis weren’t 
at all concerned about the running 
backs’ quiet performance last week 
(just 2.9 yards per carry), saying it 
was more flattering than anything 
that the backs got so much attention 
from the defense. Still, Michigan’s 
stable of backs could stand to prove 
itself against a better defense — 
senior De’Veon Smith is a proven 
bruiser, 
but 
speedy 
freshman 

running back Chris Evans probably 
won’t be seeing many gaps as big 
as the ones he ran through against 
Hawaii two weeks ago.

Getting the best of the Buffaloes’ 

defensive line and linebackers could 
silence some of the running game’s 
doubters. Colorado comes in having 
allowed just 98.5 yards per game, 
good for 30th in the FBS. Granted, 
the Buffaloes’ first two opponents 
carried the ball just 48 total times 
after quickly falling behind on the 
scoreboard. Also, Colorado has just 
10 tackles for loss and three sacks 
(for reference, Michigan has 22 

and seven, respectively, while UCF 
had eight tackles for loss last week 
alone).

Expect the Wolverines’ backs to 

snap out of it against a run defense 
that hasn’t really been tested yet 
this season.

Edge: Michigan

Michigan pass offense vs. 
Colorado pass defense

Redshirt sophomore quarterback 

Wilton Speight has had about as 
strong a start as can be expected, 
throwing 
for 
457 
yards 
and 

tying a season-opening program 
record with seven touchdowns 
in two games. He hasn’t made a 
major mistake since throwing an 
interception on his first play as 
the starter, and he has proven that 
he’s capable of making plays under 
duress, like when he turned a near-
sack into an 8-yard dump-off pass 
to redshirt junior fullback Henry 
Poggi last week.

The 
Buffaloes’ 
secondary 

should be a huge step up from 
what the Wolverines have seen so 
far, though. Cornerback Chidobe 
Awuzie is an NFL-level player who 
had 85 tackles, seven pass breakups 
and two interceptions last season, 
and he already has one pick to his 
credit this year. Awuzie can’t cover 
three receivers at once, though, 
and Speight has to like his chances 
if any of the three find themselves 
in a one-on-one matchup.

Edge: Michigan

Colorado rush offense vs. 
Michigan rush defense

The Wolverines’ run defense 

allowed UCF to pick up 275 yards on 
the ground last week — most of them 
on a few big plays, like an 87-yard 
touchdown run in the second 
quarter and a few quarterback 
scrambles. When asked about it 
earlier this week, both fifth-year 
senior defensive tackle Matt Godin 
and redshirt sophomore defensive 
end Chase Winovich identified 
communication issues as the main 
culprit.

Michigan will have to be careful 

not to allow a repeat performance, 
as 
Colorado 
quarterback 
Sefo 

Liufau has a proven ability to 
scramble out of the pocket. The 
junior quarterback ran for 266 yards 
and five touchdowns in 2015 and 
already has 120 yards and a score in 

two games this year. The Buffaloes 
use a stable of backs, with Phillip 
Lindsay and Kyle Evans getting the 
bulk of the carries, but have no real 
standout runners. Still, the group as 
a whole has averaged 261 yards in 
their first two games.

After having a week to clean 

up their mistakes though, the 
Wolverines’ elite defensive line 
and solid linebacking corps should 
be able to play up to their usual 
standard this week.

Edge: Michigan

Colorado pass offense vs. 
Michigan pass defense

Michigan is still missing senior 

All-American cornerback Jourdan 
Lewis, but the rest of the secondary 
has more than made up for his 
absence at this point in the season. 
He remains questionable for this 
weekend, but senior cornerback 
Channing Stribling, fifth-year senior 
cornerback Jeremy Clark and senior 
safeties Delano Hill and Dymonte 
Thomas have allowed the ninth-
fewest passing yards per game in the 
country even without him.

Like the Wolverines, though, 

Liufau has a three-headed monster 
of receiving targets at his disposal. 
Receivers 
Shay 
Fields, 
Devin 

Ross and Bryce Bobo each have 
eclipsed the 100-yard mark already 
this season, meaning Michigan’s 
secondary will have its hands full.

The Wolverines have yet to 

allow a reception of longer than 
28 yards this season, but it’s a safe 
bet the Buffaloes are poised to 
change that this weekend. Lewis 
or no Lewis, this will be the biggest 
test Michigan’s defensive backs 
have faced all year, but a wealth of 
game experience makes them well-
equipped to handle it.

Edge: Michigan

Special teams

Apart from one dropped snap 

by fifth-year senior kicker/punter 
Kenny 
Allen, 
the 
Wolverines 

had a near-perfect performance 
on 
special 
teams 
last 
week. 

Sophomore safety Tyree Kinnel 
got his fingers on two punts, while 
fifth-year senior defensive lineman 
Chris 
Wormley 
blocked 
one 

field goal and altered the path of 
another. Michigan also recovered 
a fumble on a kickoff and had 
redshirt 
sophomore 
linebacker 

Jabrill Peppers return a punt all 
the way to the 12-yard line, while 
Allen went 3-for-3 on field goals to 
remain perfect for the season.

The Buffaloes haven’t had many 

spectacular displays on special 
teams so far this season, ranking 
68th in the country in ESPN’s 
special teams efficiency metric. 
Kicker Diego Gonzalez is 3-for-3 on 
field goals this season, but he has yet 
to try a kick longer than 30 yards.

Last season, though, Colorado 

struggled 
immensely 
in 
this 

area. Gonzalez was just 18-for-29 
on field goals and the Buffaloes 
had field goals blocked in losing 
efforts against USC and Utah. The 
Wolverines are not likely to be a 
good matchup for this unit.

Edge: Michigan

Intangibles

For the second straight week, 

most of the talk surrounding 
Michigan’s opponent has stemmed 
from events that occurred 20 
years ago. After former Nebraska 
quarterback and current UCF 
coach Scott Frost resurrected 
memories of the 1997 national 
championship 
controversy 
last 

week, the Buffaloes now bring 
memories of the “Miracle at 
Michigan” — a 64-yard Hail Mary 
touchdown pass from Kordell 
Stewart that guided Colorado to an 
upset of the Wolverines in its last 
visit to Ann Arbor in 1994.

No one at Michigan has had much 

to say about the game — less than 
a quarter of players on the roster 
were even alive when it happened 
in the first place — but the Buffaloes 
certainly haven’t forgotten about 
it, opting to wear 1994 throwback 
jerseys on Saturday.

The 
Wolverines 
will 
have 

coincidentally entered both games 
being ranked fourth in the country, 
but this is far from the same 
Colorado team that was ranked 
seventh 22 years ago. Michigan 
has the second-highest combined 
margin of victory in the country, 
and Harbaugh has made it clear that 
the Wolverines aren’t taking the 
Buffaloes lightly with the Big Ten 
schedule on the horizon. Michigan 
has too much at stake to let a similar 
letdown happen this weekend.

Edge: Michigan

Prediction: Michigan 38, 
Colorado 17

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Jehu Chesson has been a potent threat but is still seeking his first touchdown.

