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Tuesday, September 5, 2017 — 3B
Five Things We Learned: Florida
Yes, things didn’t go perfectly. But,
all things considered, Michigan’s
33-17 victory over Florida in the
season opener at AT&T Stadium was
a win the Wolverines could be proud
of. For some reason, Jim Harbaugh
just seems to have Jim McElwain’s
number. Now, a young Michigan
team whose main detriment may
be inexperience can finally say it’s a
little less inexperienced — especially
after a top-25 win at a neutral-site
venue.
Here are five things we learned
from Saturday’s game:
1. There isn’t a quarterback
controversy
Yes, Wilton Speight did get
benched following the rarest of
occurrences — consecutive pick-
sixes, of which only the latter was
his fault. Harbaugh said after the
game that he wanted his starting
quarterback to ‘reset’ mentally.
The move seemed to pay off:
Speight’s first drive of the second
half saw him complete 5-of-7 passes
for 52 yards and lead Michigan
down the field for a touchdown that
allowed it to reclaim the lead.
“I thought Wilton did a good job
of getting calmed down and started
off hot and then hit the rough patch,”
Harbaugh said, “and then really
finished strong and led our offense
very well.”
Of
course,
Harbaugh
never
benched Speight when he struggled
last year, and John O’Korn did look
better than he has in the past when
he ran the offense for two series. But
there isn’t any debate: Speight is —
and will be — Michigan’s starting
quarterback for the foreseeable
future, and deserves to be so.
While many might point to the
interception on which he badly
overthrew junior receiver Grant
Perry, Speight did just fine — and
better than just fine occasionally.
There was the 46-yard touchdown
pass to freshman receiver Tarik
Black, or the numerous completions
in the short passing game where he
took what Florida’s defense gave
him, or the late deep ball to redshirt
freshman tight end Nick Eubanks.
Speight even showed promise on one
of his late miscues — an overthrow of
what would’ve been a touchdown —
by audibling into the play in the first
place.
Perhaps the best indicator of
what type of player Speight is, and
can be on a more consistent basis,
was his 28-yard pass to junior wide
receiver Grant Perry on the opening
drive of the third quarter. Perry was
between two defenders, but Speight
threaded the needle and placed his
throw perfectly. It was a tough play,
even more so considering Speight
had been benched just before. The
throw, and Speight’s willingness
and capability to bounce back after a
couple tough breaks, could certainly
portend good things for the future.
2. The defense looks elite once
again
The game was never more than
nine points out of distance for Florida
until the final few minutes, but those
nine might as well have been 50
considering how stifling Michigan’s
defense was.
This was a unit that lost nine to
10 starters from last year — and yet,
somehow, looks like it hasn’t taken
a step back at all. The Wolverines
looked eerily similar to last year’s
elite unit as they swarmed to the
ball, created havoc in the backfield
and imposed their will on Florida’s
offense.
The stats tell it all: the Gators
passed for just 133 yards and ran for
a measly 11 yards. There were several
chunk plays given up by the young
secondary, but Florida was unable to
capitalize and turn any of them into
points besides a 34-yard pass on the
first drive that led to a field goal.
But that unit will have time to
mature over the year, and the Big
Ten will never be confused with
the Big 12. There aren’t many elite
passing attacks that Michigan will
see this year.
And even if the secondary does
experience more growing pains,
realistically, that won’t matter if the
front seven is making life hell for the
opposing quarterback and offensive
line anyway.
3. Michigan looks deep at
running back
Sophomore Chris Evans earned
the majority of carries, rushing 22
times for 78 yards. But the two other
running backs to find playing time —
fifth-year senior Ty Isaac and junior
Karan Higdon — certainly played
like they were the feature back as
well.
Isaac received 11 carries and
turned those into a productive 114
yards. He ripped off several long
runs, including a 36-yarder on
Michigan’s first drive of the game.
Perhaps most impressive was an
18-yard scamper on a fourth-and-
one that showed the ability that
made Isaac so coveted as a five-star
recruit: He picked up the first down
easily, bouncing outside, before
displaying agility unnatural for his
size by juking a safety and tacking on
another 10-plus yards.
Higdon, meanwhile, toted the ball
just seven times, but made the most of
every carry. His speed was apparent
on one play when he bounced the ball
outside and outran a defensive back to
the first-down marker.
Former running backs coach
Tyrone
Wheatley
showed
a
predilection
towards
giving
other backs carries even with an
undisputed starter in De’Veon Smith
last year. And from the looks of it,
Jay Harbaugh — the position group’s
current coach — may do the same
with this year’s rotation and with
similar success.
4. Young tight ends could be
special
While
redshirt
junior
Ian
Bunting and redshirt sophomore
Tyrone Wheatley Jr. are the most
experienced members at tight end
and earned their fair share of snaps
Saturday, it was two of their younger
running mates in sophomore Sean
McKeon and redshirt freshman
Nick Eubanks who flashed the most
potential.
McKeon caught three passes,
second-most on the team, for 25
yards, proving to be a reliable option
in the short and play-action passing
game for Speight. He runs well
for his size and showcased good
balance, breaking a tackle to rumble
his way for a first down. Perhaps
most tantalizing for Michigan’s
coaches was his blocking: McKeon
consistently executed his assignment
in the run game, helping pave holes
for his running backs. Blocking can
be the hardest aspect of the position
to grasp — even former All-American
and Mackey Award winner Jake Butt
struggled with it at times — which
makes
McKeon’s
performance
all the more impressive. If he can
be effective in both phases of the
position, that gives his coaching staff
flexibility; they won’t be tipping run
or pass whenever they put McKeon
in the game.
His counterpart, Eubanks, looks
more like a receiver. But if you’re
going to look like a receiver at tight
end, you’re going to have to play like
one, and Eubanks certainly did so.
In the fourth quarter, he lined up
as the tight end, ran down the seam
past a defensive back after Speight
faked a handoff, and then reeled in a
difficult over-the-shoulder catch as
two Gators tried to break the pass up.
Eubanks had a reputation as a
recruit for being raw — he played a
lot of receiver in high school — but
immensely talented. It was thought
he would take a couple years to
develop mentally and physically.
Saturday — when Eubanks finished
as
Michigan’s
second-leading
receiver — suggested he may be
progressing
faster
than
many
anticipated.
Couple
that
with
McKeon’s ability and the veterans,
and Michigan’s tight end group
could do better in replacing Butt
better than initially expected.
5. Bold prediction: Tarik Black
finishes as Michigan’s leading
receiver
Former star Mario Manningham’s
2005 season remains the gold
standard for freshman campaigns
in Ann Arbor — and he tallied just
27 receptions for 433 yards and six
touchdowns, a relatively modest
season by most standards.
Tarik Black, though, appears
poised to break that record and
more. After earning praise from
teammates and coaches all offseason,
Black was finally able to prove that
his performance on the field could
match the considerable amount
of hype. He led Michigan with 83
receiving yards and one touchdown
Saturday, hauling in a pair of deep
balls. He displayed a willingness to
block, ran crisp routes and was able
to win one-on-one matchups.
Given the opportunities Black
should receive as one of the
starting outside receivers, it’s more
than safe to say he should break
Manningham’s record. And, judging
from Saturday, it seems like he’ll be
Michigan’s No. 1 option this year.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight threw two interceptions, but there’s no quarterback controversy.
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
The good, the bad and the ugly: Florida
ARLINGTON, Tex. — One
win into the Michigan football
season has revealed so, so much.
We learned who is starting at
almost every position, where the
team needs to improve and who
has upped their game since the
Wolverines (1-0) last played in
2016.
After Michigan’s 33-17 win over
Florida (0-1), coach Jim Harbaugh
talked about a season opener filled
with both highs and lows. The
Daily breaks down the Wolverines’
turnaround victory over the Gators
at AT&T Stadium:
The good
Most
importantly,
redshirt
junior quarterback Wilton Speight
bounced back after a devastating
stretch of drives that resulted in
two pick-sixes. Harbaugh took
Speight out to calm him down,
and after a couple of unconvincing
drives
from
fifth-year
senior
John O’Korn, Speight returned
to command the game. The
Wolverines scored 20 unanswered
points and tallied 230 yards of
total offense in the second half.
The game could play a major role
in Speight’s development moving
forward.
Looking more specifically at the
position groups, wherever on the
field Michigan graduated players,
somebody new stepped up. The
defensive linemen and linebackers
looked almost as good as last year.
The D-line of sophomore Rashan
Gary, fifth-year senior Maurice
Hurst, senior Chase Winovich
and senior Bryan Mone pressured
Florida’s offense all game.
At the start of the game, the
Wolverines’ defense had zero
players on the field that started
for Michigan last year. Fifth-year
senior linebacker Mike McCray
watched from the sideline, to the
surprise of many. He eventually
entered the game, but the young
linebacker unit, including Devin
Bush (seven total tackles with two
sacks) and Devin Gil (one tackle),
was playing well anyway.
Michigan’s
defense
allowed
just 11 rushing yards and only
gave up three points Saturday. It
even capped the game off with a
touchdown of its own after forcing
Florida’s quarterback to fumble in
the end zone.
On the other side of the ball,
Michigan’s
offensive
position
players proved they are ample with
depth. At running back, sophomore
Chris Evans, fifth-year senior Ty
Isaac and junior Karan Higdon
combined for 231 rushing yards.
The trio helped the Wolverines
escape a handful of tricky third-
and-long scenarios, and Higdon
also notched his first touchdown of
the season.
Sophomore tight ends Nick
Eubanks
and
Sean
McKeon
displayed their speed and catching
ability in the second half. McKeon
made three catches for 25 yards,
and Eubanks made two catches
for 61 yards, all of which came in
the second half. The tight ends
combined well to fill the hole left
by former All-American Jake Butt.
The receiving core is also solid.
Starting for Michigan this year
are sophomore Kekoa Crawford,
freshman Tarik Black and junior
Grant Perry. Crawford’s day was
uneventful, but Perry made four
catches for 46 yards, and Black
made two for 83. Freshman
Donovan Peoples-Jones got into
the mix as well, but for now it
seems like he’ll mostly be used to
return punts.
Finally,
it’s
impossible
to
evaluate
Michigan’s
scoring
weapons without looking at its
newest kicker, sophomore Quinn
Nordin. Nordin, who originally
committed to Penn State, flipped
and committed to Ann Arbor after
Harbaugh slept over at his house a
few years ago. The efforts clearly
paid off. Nordin went 4-6 on field
goals against Florida, hitting a
50-yarder and a 55-yarder in the
process.
The bad
The offensive line returned
just two of five starters, senior left
tackle Mason Cole and sophomore
left
guard
Ben
Bredeson.
Unsurprisingly, the left side of the
line looked just fine in protecting
Speight’s blind side. The right side,
however, struggled to contain
Florida’s imposing defensive ends.
The Gators sacked Michigan’s
quarterbacks five times Saturday.
Harbaugh complimented the
new starters on the O-line after the
game, including fifth-year senior
center Patrick Kugler, sophomore
right guard Michael Onwenu and
redshirt sophomore right tackle
Nolan Ulizio. Redshirt sophomore
Jon Runyan also stepped in for a
few downs at right tackle.
Harbaugh
emphasized
the
importance of improving on the
offensive line from week one to
week two, and that playing against
Michigan’s strong defensive line
throughout fall camp has helped
them progress.
The ugly
The obvious choice here is
Speight’s two interceptions. The
first pick, though, may not have
been as bad as the ensuing Florida
touchdown
seemed.
Speight
actually threw a pretty decent
pass, but receiver Kekoa Crawford
couldn’t corral the ball, and ending
up batting it straight up for the
Gators’ secondary to pick off.
Speight’s second pick-six, though,
was worse. He sailed a pass well
over Perry’s head right to a Florida
cornerback who easily strolled into
the end zone.
Speight has thrown some big
interceptions before — two against
Ohio State and one on his first pass
in the season opener in 2016. The
Wolverines can’t afford those kinds
of mistakes if they want to get over
the hump this year and compete
for a Big Ten championship.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Michigan’s defense looked like it hasn’t lost a step since last year in the season-opener against the Gators.
FOOTBALL
Black, Isaac boost
Michigan’s offense
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Tarik
Black’s name had been tossed
around plenty throughout the
offseason.
Talk of an “electric, young”
wide receiver buzzed about,
but questions remained as to
if he — or any of the receivers
— could step up and replace
Michigan’s leading wideouts
from 2016.
Saturday
afternoon
at
AT&T
Stadium,
Black
answered the call in his first
career game, as the No. 11
Michigan football team (1-0)
beat No. 17 Florida, 33-17.
Early on, with the game
tied
at
three
and
the
Wolverines’ offense deep in
Gator territory, Black lined
up to the left. His matchup
was another true freshman,
Florida
cornerback
Marco
Wilson.
Michigan snapped the ball,
and Black ran 10 yards down
and in, 10 yards down and
out and then cut in one last
time. He’d completely shaken
off
Wilson
and
streaked
unguarded to the end zone.
Redshirt junior quarterback
Wilton
Speight
threw
a
lofty pass, landing it right in
Black’s arms. It was Black’s
first career reception, and a
46-yard touchdown at that.
“I was a little nervous,”
Black said of the play. “I used
to play in front of a hundred
people, now I play in front of
100,000. It was pretty nerve-
wracking, but as long as you
just focus and look at the ball
all the way in, you should be
fine.”
The play call also signaled
that Michigan’s new passing
game
coordinator,
Pep
Hamilton, can adjust well on
the fly.
On the prior play, Florida’s
senior safety Nick Washington
left the game with an injury.
Replacing him on Black’s side
of the field was another true
freshman,
defensive
back
Shawn Davis.
Michigan’s
coaching
staff recognized the Gators’
inexperienced secondary, and
attacked it to perfection.
Black ended the day with
83 receiving yards, looking
very
sure-handed
for
the
Wolverines.
Michigan’s other offensive
standout
was
fifth-year
senior
running
back
Ty
Isaac.
Sophomore
Chris
Evans earned the start, but
when Evans struggled, Isaac
stepped in to settle the nerves
and
ultimately
made
the
biggest impact.
Isaac ran for 114 yards on 11
carries Saturday, highlighted
by a 36-yard gain to help
Michigan
escape
a
third-
and-13 situation in the first
quarter.
“We
called
some
off-
schedule third-down runs…
and we were able to pick
those up through the running
game,” Harbaugh said. “Ty
Isaac did a great job, so really
happy for him. That really
gave us a boost.”
Isaac’s performance marked
his first 100-yard rushing
game since 2015. Consistency
has been an issue for him
ever
since
he
transferred
to Michigan from Southern
California after his freshman
year. But a running back
rotation with Isaac, Evans and
junior Karan Higdon provides
quality depth for Michigan
in case one of them struggles
to perform. Saturday was
evidence of such.
Isaac
and
Black
were
instrumental
in
sparking
Michigan’s
433
yards
of
total offense, quieting any
questions about ‘filling gaps
from 2016’ at the running
back or receiver slots.
TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer