Reasons Michigan can beat Michigan State

On paper, I don’t feel like Saturday’s meeting with Michigan State is a good matchup for Michigan. Despite that, there are some areas I think Michigan can take advantage of. Here are some of the reasons the Wolverines can beat the Spartans.

- One-on-one coverage – Michigan State’s defense is so good that the Spartans can play one-on-one coverage on the outside. Most teams have taken a number of deep shots on the Spartans, but have been unable to capitalize on those attempts. Devin Gardner isn’t a great short-field passer, but has a big arm and a couple of athletic receivers in Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess. Michigan has the potential to hit on some big plays down field if Gardner gets time to throw deep.

- Mobile quarterback – Denard Robinson didn’t have a lot of success against Michigan State, but last season, mobile quarterbacks posed a problem for the Spartans. This is a different MSU team, but the defensive philosophies are still the same. Braxton Miller had over 300 total yards of offense in beating MSU in East Lansing last season while Taylor Martinez rushed for 205 yards while throwing for 160 at Spartan Stadium in 2012. Gardner is a better passer than Robinson and also has plenty of mobility, as he has rushed for 520 yards and nine scores this season.

- Dennis Norfleet – Norfleet hasn’t exactly been outstanding on kick returns, averaging just 24 yards per return, but it is clear he has the ability to break one. Norfleet could be a big weapon for the Wolverines on Saturday if he gets an opening. With the MSU defense being as strong as it is, Michigan is going to have to take advantage of special teams, with Norfleet being its biggest key.

- Connor Cook – Ultimately, this game looks like it will be decided by the Michigan State quarterback. Which Connor Cook will show up on Saturday? Will it be the one that struggled mightily against Purdue, going just 13 of 25 passing for 107 yards, or will it be the one that showed up last Saturday at Illinois, going 15 of 16 passing for 208 yards with three touchdowns? If Michigan faces the bad Cook, or if Cook feels the nerves in his first start in this rivalry, the Wolverines will have a great opportunity to win at Spartan Stadium.

Reaction to Michigan's 41-30 win over Notre Dame

Michigan got a big win at home Saturday night and Devin Gardner got a marquee win as starting quarterback of the Wolverines under his belt.

He almost let the game get away from him, but composed himself and helped lead the offense to finish the job in the fourth quarter.

There is reason for optimism at Michigan. It is now 2-0 and looking at a schedule that should allow the Wolverines to be 7-0 heading into the home stretch of the season.

The offense was great, racking up 460 yards of offense on Notre Dame. The Wolverines consistently moved the ball down the field and Devin Gardner took a step forward as a quarterback while Jeremy Gallon further improved his status as a playmaker.

Gardner finished with 294 yards and four touchdowns on 21 of 33 passing while rushing for 82 yards on 13 carries and a score. Gardner also overcame a bad situation in the game. Up 14 in the third quarter, he made a poor decision by trying to extend a play when it wasn’t necessary. He could have taken a sack and the game would have been in Michigan’s control, but instead he ran backwards into the end zone. From there, instead of take the safety that was inevitable, he tried to heave the ball away while being hit, but it ended up being caught by the Irish in the end zone for a touchdown, completely changing the complexion of the game.

Had Notre Dame went on to win and Gardner folded from that point forward, it could have changed the whole dynamic of the season and his career. Instead, he bounced back and threw another touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Gallon had a tremendous game, catching eight passes for 184 yards. He made play after play for Gardner. Some were ad-libbed, and some were not. He is clearly establishing himself as a top receiver in the Big Ten.

Where Michigan can be somewhat concerned is on defense. The Wolverines gave up 410 yards to Notre Dame, including 314 passing yards. Michigan had plenty of chances to keep Notre Dame from staying in this game, but the defense just couldn’t get the stops.

Michigan isn’t going to face any powerful offenses for at least a month, so the Wolverines have time to fix the problems, but Michigan will certainly face better offenses than Notre Dame as the season progresses. The Wolverines found themselves getting pushed around up front later in the contest. It could have been fatigue, but it’s something that will have to be addressed.

All-in-all, it was a good night for Michigan and a big win on national television.

Michigan and Michigan State are both 2-0, but both fan bases have to feel drastically different about the state of their current teams.

Thoughts on Michigan's 33-28 loss to South Carolina

Well, it was a heck of a football game.

But, in the end, Michigan allowed too many big plays to the South Carolina offense and lost the Outback Bowl, 33-28.

After digesting the game for a few hours, I still stand by my initial feelings that this was Michigan’s game to lose, and the Wolverines did just that.

It became clear during the game that South Carolina was not able to really put a drive together on offense, and was living off the big play.

Seemingly all Michigan had to do was keep the South Carolina receivers in front of them to win, but the Wolverines couldn’t do it.

Offensively, I was pretty impressed with Michigan. I thought Devin Gardner struggled with his passing accuracy, but he made up for it with some big throws later in the game and he also had some really impressive runs that sustained drives.

Denard Robinson looked like a competent running back. It is one thing to run from the quarterback position, it is another thing to play the role of the running back. Robinson did that well. He took the handoffs well. He followed his blockers and made good reads on his running lanes. He was a consistent presence in the offense and didn’t do anything to really hurt the team.

Jeremy Gallon made some impressive catches during the day as well.

The offensive line wasn’t outstanding, but wasn’t awful. Obviously Jadeveon Clowney had some massive hits and a key fumble late in the game, but it is going to be a tall order to keep him from making a big play.

Michigan had 29 more plays than South Carolina and held the ball nearly 16 minutes longer than the Gamecocks, yet the Wolverines still lost.

The Michigan defense didn’t come through today. Three touchdowns of over 30 yards, a 64-yard run from Connor Shaw and even a punt return for a touchdown (not that that’s on the defense, but it is still a coverage unit). Those were the plays that Michigan had to prevent. It’s one thing to allow one or two, but five plays of that nature is not acceptable from this defense. Especially against an average offense in South Carolina, that had just 21 rushing yards outside of Shaw’s 64-yard scamper.

I will get into Michigan’s season in a few days, but this loss puts one last punch in the gut to the Wolverines’ disappointing season. You have to call it disappointing. Michigan wasn’t favored in this game, but it had a win there for the taking and lost. The Wolverines failed to beat any team of significance this season and will probably finish outside the top 20 in the rankings.

If Michigan is truly going to get back to being a national power, 8-5 seasons won’t cut it. I am not trying to rain on the Wolverines’ parade, because an 8-5 season isn’t that bad in the grand spectrum of college football. However, Michigan coaches, players and fans want to live by a high standard, so I am holding them to that standard.

Big Ten Teleconference Quotes for Sept. 4

Here are some quotes from Michigan coach Brady Hoke and MSU coach Mark Dantonio during Tuesday's Big Ten Coaches Teleconference.

Brady Hoke

On the players confidence following the Alabama game

We had a great practice last night. I think we had a good mentality. I thought we had a good tempo as far as how we like to practice. I think our guys are mature enough to understand that that is one of 12 guaranteed opportunities we have and now we have 11 left.

How much falls on him and how much falls on the players to move on from the game

I think it is a combination of both (the coaches and the team leaders). Our seniors, who have been through seasons, know you have to get ready every week. I think they will do a great job.

On what went wrong against Alabama

(Alabama) is a great team. There is no question about it. They do a nice job and are well coached, but I think at the same time, there were things that we did that probably didn’t help us as much as we’d like to.

What has impressed you most about Denard Robinson in your time with him

First and foremost is him as a person. Then, when you go a little further into it, the athleticism that he has. He can start and stop on a dime. His acceleration is something I haven’t seen…a guy that can get to a top speed so quickly.

Does your history in the Mountain West help you for this week’s game

I think Troy (Calhoun) and his staff do such a good job. There are different wrinkles from when we were there two years ago that you see in the offense from when we were there at San Diego State. I think the tempo and the things they are doing are really good. As you know, you have to be such a disciplined defense on doing your job against a football team like this. I also think (Air Force’s) talent level is very good.

Jeremy Gallon’s performance

Jeremy is a guy…he’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he plays hard. He blocks the perimeter about as well as anybody for a guy who is not real big. He runs good routes and he is a guy that makes plays and has made plays for us. I think he continues to improve and you will see us use him a lot and in a lot of different situations.

Did you take any time during fall camp to prepare for the option

We did a little bit. Not as much as maybe we have in the past. Some of that is, you get your fair amount of option with what Air Force does, but Troy still, with some of his NFL background, you are still going to get some traditional pro plays. We did some of it but maybe not as much as did in the past at other places.

Mark Dantonio

On heading to Mt. Pleasant to play CMU in what is billed as their biggest home game in history

I think it is going to be a historic event up there. We are looking forward to that opportunity. As far as them getting ready to play us and us getting ready to play them, there is a history here. They beat us in ’09 so there is a history here of us having to play and play well to come away with a win. I am sure (CMU) is going to be very excited and I am sure they are going to play very well and play very excitedly. We need to be able to match that enthusiasm and execute as well.

His overall thoughts on traveling to places like CMU, WMU and EMU as part of this in-state series agreement

To me, we wanted to do something for the commerce of the state of Michigan by doing this series. I thought it was a positive thing for us to do to be able to reach out to other programs in the state and other communities in this state. That is why we did it. The other factor, to me, that came into this was I knew we’d have a new starting quarterback. If we are going to play an away game at some point, I would rather it be 60 miles up the road in this state, in terms of being our first away game. We will learn from these things.

On Andrew Maxwell’s performance Friday

He was calm and collected and he showed great leadership skills. He had to handle some adversity, which is always key, and how you respond after that. I thought he threw the ball pretty decisively. He had some drops out on the field and there were a couple tipped passes that went away and were picked off. But, I thought he played well, especially for his first time out in a major media event or a nationally televised game, and also with Boise State and some of the things they were doing. There is no question we can improve. But, I liked what I saw when I looked into his eyes and who he was as a young man and a competitor, and the resiliency he showed and the nature he showed in terms of his leadership abilities.

On how the defense was able to react to different situations in Friday’s game

I think the situations we are talking about here is the ability to play after an interception, play in the red zone and be able to limit (Boise State) to a field goal. When the ball gets down to the 4-yard line, to be able to play great goal-line defense. To be able to adjust to the speed of the game and the different formations and what they are doing. To show leadership coming out in the second half and get our football team turned in a different direction. 

On margin of victory and what it means in college football today

I guess the only thing I would say there is they all count one, as coach Perles would say when he was here. They all count one. We feel fortunate to have won and the way we won the other night. That is what is important to me, in terms of how we perform and we move ahead. I am not really looking around the country and saying “wow, this is going on or that is going on.” Everybody takes care of their own program.

On what he sees in Dan Enos as a head coach and what he is doing with the CMU program

I know Coach Enos. Obviously he was in our program here and he also played here, so he knows the core of our players and he knows what Michigan State is about. When you become a head football coach and bring your own program into place, there is transition. You make your way through it. There is going to be problems everywhere you turn. There are always problems if you are here, there or somewhere else. I think the key to every leader is how you perform under adversity. I think he is doing that. I think he is performing. Based on what I saw the first game, they played extremely well and ran the ball very well. They look like they have a good football team.

How is Le’Veon Bell feeling after carrying the ball 44 times on Friday

He is feeling great. He is dressing today. There is no more bumps and bruises than he would normally have. If anything, it creates some excitement for him that he was able to do that. It builds even more confidence for him. We are always going to ride the hot back here. Whoever is hot, whoever is making the yards, that is who we are going to ride. That is what we’ve always done here. We need to be effective and just sort of go with the flow in that situation. It’s not like we don’t have other running backs. We have a number of other guys that can make plays as well. It just depends on how everyone is performing in the game.

The Michigan vs. MSU Checklist

The anxiousness for college football games is growing by the minute.

But the debate never has to end.

Today I will break down each position group for Michigan and Michigan State, sort of like a checklist, to see who comes into the season with the better team on paper.

QUARTERBACKS – This is an easy one. Denard Robinson is in his third season as starter and even the backup, Devin Gardner, has more snaps in live action than MSU’s first-year starter, Andrew Maxwell. Maxwell could be good but it would be very hard to see him being better than Robinson. Advantage Michigan

RUNNING BACKS – This is a tough call, but I think the Wolverines have the edge here. Fitzgerald Toussaint appears to be the best back of the group, but at this time it is unknown how many games he could miss from a suspension. MSU has a good group of backs that could produce more yards this year, but if you factor Robinson’s rushing ability, Michigan should have the stronger rushing attack. Advantage Michigan

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT END – Michigan has the clear edge here. The Spartans don’t have a returning starter at the position and will be playing a lot of underclassmen. Michigan isn’t overly loaded with experience either, but have guys like Roy Roundtree and Jeremy Gallon, who have some chemistry with Robinson. Advantage Michigan

OFFENSIVE LINE – Michigan might have the best single player on the line in Taylor Lewan, but Michigan State has four starters back from a group that allowed just 16 sacks in 2011. Advantage MSU

DEFENSIVE LINE – MSU has the clear edge in this one. William Gholston is one of the top defensive ends in the country and he is joined on the other end by Marcus Rush. Defensive tackle is a question, but the ends should be strong enough to help overcome the issues up the middle. Michigan is lacking in experience up front and now has some depth issues due to injuries and suspensions. Advantage MSU

LINEBACKERS – Both teams should be strong at linebacker, but MSU has a slight edge in my eyes. The Spartans have a pair of 2011 All-Big Ten selections in Denicos Allen and Max Bullough. Michigan returns all three starters, but the trio doesn’t quite have the numbers that the MSU trio does. Advantage MSU

SECONDARY – Again, both should be solid, but I like MSU’s unit over Michigan’s. Johnny Adams has emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the country and he is one of three starters back for MSU. For Michigan, three starters are also back, but the Wolverines don’t quite have the same production out of their secondary. Advantage MSU

SPECIAL TEAMS – Got to go with Michigan State here. Dan Conroy struggled with some short kicks, but was 8-for-9 in FG’s between 30-50 yards. Punter Mike Sadler has a better average and more punts inside the 20 than Will Hagerup of Michigan. The Spartans also have better numbers in the return game, led by Nick Hill. Advantage MSU

COACHING – It’s easy for Michigan fans to want to immediately say Brady Hoke is the better coach, but he still has to prove that. One season doesn’t make him better than Mark Dantonio right now. I am not saying he can’t be the better coach over the long haul, but right now, I have to give the nod to Dantonio. Certainly the recruiting is going in Hoke’s favor. If that recruiting translates on the field, Hoke will have the edge soon. Advantage MSU

That puts the tally at 6-3 for Michigan State. However, some of the positions that MSU gets the nod are closer than the ones where Michigan tops MSU. Quarterback and receiver stand out. It appears on paper both teams should be equipped for a strong year, which is what should make this season a great one.

Roundtree's knee surgery adds to a bad month for Michigan

It hasn’t been a great month for the Michigan football team.

Already with two players suspended, head coach Brady Hoke revealed on Sunday, at the team’s Media Day, that receiver Roy Roundtree had arthroscopic knee surgery this past Friday.

While Roundtree is only expected to be out a few weeks, the surgery still raises a red flag and could be something that lingers into the season. Considering he is just 6-foot-0, 177 pounds, Roundtree relies on his quickness and his cutting ability to get open.

If you take Roundtree out of the equation, the Wolverines are in a very similar position to Michigan State when it comes to experience at receiver.

Aside from Andrew Maxwell at quarterback, the biggest question mark for MSU this season is the inexperienced receivers.

That is starting to become an issue with the Wolverines.

Jeremy Gallon is the leading returning receiver for Michigan from last year, but he had just 453 yards.

Roundtree took a step back in 2011 compared to his 2010 season (953 yards to 355 yards), but he is expected to be relied on as the playmaker for this group now that Junior Hemingway is gone.

Maxwell needs his receivers more than Robinson, because Robinson is considered the play maker for Michigan, while Maxwell needs to rely on his guys to make plays.

However, Robinson will need some receivers to step up at times, mainly Roundtree, since he is the experienced senior in the group.

Time will tell just how severe this knee injury is, but the Wolverines have to have some anxiety about Roundtree’s status.