8 — September 29, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Bye Week: Evaluating Michigan’s 2017 season so far

One-third of the way through 

its 2017 season, the No. 8 
Michigan football team has 
defied expectations.

Despite losing 18 of their 22 

starters from a year ago, the 
Wolverines (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0 
overall) have found reliable 
options at most, if not all, 
positions on the field. Even 
significant 
question 
marks 

before the season, such as 
the receiving corps and the 
secondary, have proven to be 
surprising standouts so far.

While there have certainly 

been a fair share of early 
struggles — notably, turnovers 
on the offensive side of the 
ball and an adjustment process 
at punt returner — Michigan 
is 
entering 
its 
bye 
week 

undefeated. For a team as 
young as the Wolverines, with 
opponents as strong as then-No. 
17 Florida and Purdue, that’s no 
small feat.

Still, only one game into its 

Big Ten season, much is yet to 
be determined for Michigan 
this year. The Daily evaluates 
the Wolverines’ performance 
so far in 2017:

Offense: C-
There is no doubt which 

phase of the game has caused 
the most concern for Michigan.

It may not seem to be the 

case at first glance, as the 
Wolverines have scored 126 
points in just four games. But 
that total is quite deceptive. 
Michigan 
has 
scored 
nine 

offensive touchdowns on the 
year, dropping that number 
down to 91. The Wolverines 
have their defense and special 
teams unit to thank for the rest.

Redshirt junior quarterback 

Wilton 
Speight 
has 
had 
a 

tumultuous start to his second 
season under center. Against 
Florida 
in 
the 
opener, 
he 

threw back-to-back pick-sixes. 
Against Cincinnati in the home 
opener, he fumbled the ball not 
once, but twice. And against 
Air Force, he led Michigan 
into the red zone four times, 
but couldn’t manage to score a 
single touchdown.

Yet, none of that compared 

to 
what 
happened 
to 
him 

against 
Purdue 
in 
the 

conference 
opener. 
Halfway 

through 
the 
first 
quarter, 

Speight was tackled twice in 
rapid succession. The first hit 
amounted to a sack, while the 
second knocked him out of the 
game with a soft-tissue injury. 
Fifth-year senior quarterback 
John O’Korn took over and 
put together an impressive 
showing, 
throwing 
for 
270 

yards and a touchdown.

After losing all three of its 

top targets from last year, the 
receiving corps has managed to 
maintain a reasonable level of 
production. Junior Grant Perry, 
sophomore 
Kekoa 
Crawford 

and freshman Tarik Black — 
before his likely season-ending 
injury — have provided solid 
targets for Speight. Each of 
the three has one touchdown 
on the season, and only one — 
Crawford — has fallen shy of 100 
yards receiving, sitting at 99. 
Redshirt sophomore tight end 
Zach Gentry and sophomore 
tight end Sean McKeon have 
also 
grown 
into 
reliable 

outlets for the quarterbacks, 
particularly for O’Korn against 
Purdue. 

While the passing game has 

been sorting itself out, the 

running game has provided 
necessary stability. The trio 
of fifth-year senior Ty Isaac, 
junior 
Karan 
Higdon 
and 

sophomore Chris Evans has 
each taken a turn atop the 
pecking order. Isaac has gained 
the most yards with 356, while 
Higdon and Evans have both 
scored two touchdowns.

Defense: A
There is also no doubt which 

phase of the game has brought 
the 
Wolverines 
the 
most 

success.

By every measure, Michigan 

owes its early success to the 
players on the defensive side of 
the ball. After losing all but one 
starter from a season ago, that 
has certainly come as a pleasant 
surprise.

The Wolverine defense has 

demonstrated not only that it 
is the best unit on the team, 
but that it is the best unit in 
the country. Michigan ranks 
first in the NCAA in total 
defense, allowing an average 
of just 203.3 yards per game 
and six opposing touchdowns. 
Meanwhile, 
the 
Wolverines 

are tied for second in the 
country with three defensive 
touchdowns — one via fumble 
return and two via interception 
return.

The defensive line, last year’s 

backup unit, has shined in their 
new starting roles. Redshirt 
junior end Chase Winovich has 
been the class of his position 
group, accumulating 24 tackles, 
including 7.5 for loss, and a 
team-high 5.5 sacks — not to 
mention a forced fumble in 

the end zone against Florida 
that led to a touchdown. He 
was named the Walter Camp 
National Player of the Week on 
defense for his performance at 
Purdue — Michigan’s first since 
Jabrill Peppers last season.

Despite 
his 
individual 

dominance, there is another 
Wolverine who has already 
seemed to stake his claim for 
breakout player of the year. 
Sophomore linebacker Devin 
Bush Jr. has proven himself to 
be the best all-around defender, 
tallying 33 total tackles, 5.5 
tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks.

The 
secondary, 
another 

potential 
area 
of 
concern 

coming into the season, has 
shown that it is anything but. 
Junior safety Tyree Kinnel and 
sophomore cornerback Lavert 
Hill have led the charge in that 
regard, totaling 19 and eight 
tackles and two and three pass 
breakups, respectively. Both 
also have their names attached 
to the Michigan’s two pick-
sixes.

Special teams: A-
Redshirt 
freshman 
kicker 

Quinn Nordin seems to be more 
machine than man.

In just four games, Nordin 

has been responsible for 44 of 
the Wolverines’ total points, 
hitting 11 of his 13 field goal 
attempts. He can be forgiven for 
missing the other two, as they 
came on a day he had already 
nailed four kicks — including 
two from farther than 50 yards 
to set a Michigan record for a 
freshman.

Fellow freshman Donovan 

Peoples-Jones has also made 
noise on the special teams unit. 
First, for a series of mistakes 
against Cincinnati that got him 
benched for the second half, and 
more importantly, for a 79-yard 
punt return touchdown against 
Air Force that came when 
the Wolverines were clinging 
tightly to a three-point lead.

BY THE NUMBERS

Offense

9

Touchdowns scored

54.32

Completion percentage by redshirt 
junior quarterback Wilton Speight 

76

First downs gained

1629

Yards gained, an average of 407.3 

per game

BY THE NUMBERS

Defense

4

Touchdowns scored

33

Team-high total tackles by 

sophomore linebacker Devin Bush Jr.

 46

First downs allowed

813

Yards allowed, an average of 203.3 

per game

BY THE NUMBERS

Special Teams

1

Touchdown scored

11

Field goals made by redshirt 
freshman kicker Quinn Nordin

79

Yards for freshman receiver 

Donovan Peoples-Jones’ punt return 

touchdown

751

Yards punted on 20 attempts, an 

average of 35.85

After winning the first four games of the year, the Wolverines will have a break this weekend

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s team has certainly faced bumps along the road, but ultimately, the Wolverines are entering their bye week undefeated.

BETELHEM ASHAME

Managing Sports Editor

