As the curtain went up on this year’s iteration of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry, fans and media alike on the Wolverine side were far from confident. The home team prepared to revert to their original starter, Davis Warren, after failed experiments with two of his quarterbacking compatriots. This felt like a bleak prospect.
And yet, it was ultimately…fine? In terms of net success rates, the matchup was just about even. Michigan lost the battles for total yardage and time-of-possession battle. They made up for it by winning the turnover battle, committing none while forcing a crucial fumble. Michigan also took zero penalties, whereas the Spartans got dinged six times for 35 yards. The results: a 24-17 Wolverine victory, Paul Bunyan’s retention in Ann Arbor, and a much clearer shot at season-salvaging bowl eligibility.
Sherrone Moore will happily take a trophy game win. Let’s take a look at how elements of his team are trending as they head into a brutal home stretch.
Stock Up
Offensive Coordinator Kirk Campbell
Michigan’s offense has been justifiably disparaged all year long. You need not look further than this very publication for examples of Wolverine observers throwing up their hands in confused frustration. One game’s improvement does not undo the previous seven games’ worth of bewilderment, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Campbell’s game plan took a moment to get off the ground against MSU. The Spartans sold out to stop the run, crashing safeties into the line to hold Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards at bay. The pair eventually combined for just 42 yards on 22 carries. Fortunes seemed to turn on a Semaj Morgan completion with about two minutes to go in the first half. Michigan’s offense sparked from there, with Campbell scheming easy pitch-and-catch throws for Warren. The average depth-of-target wasn’t much, but it kept the ball moving forward and instilled newfound confidence in the previously benched quarterback.
Campbell also finally seemed to know what to do with Alex Orji, whose work in relief amounted to six carries, 64 yards, and a score to lead the team on the ground. It’s still a bit of a hodgepodge of a quarterback situation, and indeed for the offense as a whole, but Campbell’s work in this game should help cool down his seat. Plus, that Edwards-as-quarterback trick play? Chef’s kiss.
The Quarterbacks
Warren’s stat line: 13 completions on 19 attempts, for 123 yards and a touchdown. He took no sacks, threw no interceptable balls, and generally displayed the most capable quarterbacking we’ve seen in a Michigan uniform this season. It was postulated going into this year that these kinds of performances when paired with Michigan’s ground game and defense, could win games. Good on Warren for proving that at a pivotal point in the campaign.
Orji, for his part, threw no passes whatsoever, but as aforementioned was the team’s best runner on the day. Both signal callers put together their best games at the same time, which is encouraging. In a previously despondent situation, there’s at least hope that Michigan could amalgamate one solid quarterback out of two flawed ones.
Tight End Colston Loveland
Colston Loveland, a possible first-round NFL Draft pick can’t gain too much stock. Still, Loveland continued his dominance against MSU. He hauled in two scores and a two-point conversion, then added a little bit of end-game trash talk to keep the rivalry in a (healthily) feisty place. Michigan State fans will be overjoyed to see him elsewhere next year – he’ll finish his Michigan career with 10 catches for 146 yards and four touchdowns against the Spartans.
Additional Shoutouts
Will Johnson missed this game with an injury, and Jyaire Hill stepped up in his absence. He held his own in a contentious matchup with Nick Marsh (whose touchdown came against Aamir Hall). Hill also stepped up for a major solo tackle on Aidan Chiles in space – a particularly nice sight given how tepid his tackling was way back in the Texas game.
Josaiah Stewart’s relentless motor paid off in a big way. He chased down Chiles from behind and forced a fumble that Kenneth Grant recovered. It set Michigan up for essentially a free field goal and the lead going into the half.
Right tackle Evan Link, much maligned around these parts and elsewhere, acquitted himself well when filling in for an injured Andrew Gentry. Left guard Gio El-Hadi came in for one of Michigan’s best PFF grades on the line this season (80.9).
Stock Down
Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale
This comes down to one particular issue: Michigan had a miserable time getting off the field on third downs. The Spartans converted eight of fifteen third downs, including five for double-digit gains. Martindale split all-world defensive tackle Mason Graham out to the edge several times. Putting Graham out there is a great way to waste his ability to eat double teams and disrupt the middle of the line. Even if Graham gets a free run at the play, the offense can (and did) check into plays that run away from him and nullify that free run. The tactic also pushed Stewart further out as well. The strategy effectively deletes Michigan’s two best defenders before the ball is even snapped.
If it worked, it’d probably look pretty cool. It didn’t work, and it looked pretty weak. To be fair, some of those chunk runs could’ve used better tackling from the second level (more on that shortly). The more concerning point is that those double-digit gains probably don’t happen, or at the very least are reduced significantly if Michigan just runs a base play on those downs. There’s no need for Martindale to get cute with Graham. He’s a game-wrecking defensive tackle. Let him wreck games at defensive tackle.
Safety Makari Paige
Poor Makari Paige has possibly suffered the most in Rod Moore‘s absence. The longtime Wolverine and defensive captain was at his best playing field lieutenant to Moore’s impeccable field general. Without Moore, Paige has found himself out of position and getting toasted to a frustrating degree. That aside, he’s also missing more tackles than you’d ever expect of a fifth-year senior. Tough look.
The Backup Defensive Tackles
You can’t fault Ike Iwunnah, Trey Pierce, and Enow Etta for not being Graham and Grant. In the same breath, you can’t ignore that they are not Graham and Grant. With Rayshaun Benny out, Michigan had to play the backups quite a bit against Jonathan Smith’s heavier 12-personnel (one back, two tight ends). The results were middling. Defensive tackle is an incredibly difficult position, and outside of Michigan’s starters, it usually takes players several years to emerge there. There’s still hope for this depth chart, but at the moment they’re struggling to break even.
Punter Tommy Doman
His woes continued with five punts for 183 yards and a 36.6-yard average. Contrast that with MSU’s Ryan Eckley, who boomed three kicks for 155 yards, an average of 51.7. If Michigan’s going to stand a snowball’s chance against Oregon, Indiana, and Ohio State, they need to see improvement from Doman or look elsewhere.
