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