Mission accomplished.
That is how the Michigan Wolverines should look at their 59-9 opening week victory over Central Michigan.
Not only were the Wolverines able to cruise to a 1-0 start to the season, but they also accomplished the next most important goal in weak non-conference games – stay relatively healthy.
Backup running back Drake Johnson is out for the season with a torn ACL, but there were no other significant injuries.
While it was a great start for Michigan, there were some areas that will definitely need to get cleaned up, especially with a matchup against Notre Dame looming.
Offense:
Oh, Devin Gardner, why must you make all Michigan fans bipolar?
On the Wolverines second play of the game, Gardner forced a throw to tight end Devin Funchess, which was easily intercepted. The reason it was such an easy interception is because Gardner’s eyes were locked in on Funchess immediately after the ball was snapped.
However, on the next series, Gardner was able to scramble around and find time before hitting Drew Dileo for a 36-yard gain deep into CMU territory. On the next play, Gardner was able to walk into the end zone untouched on a 22-yard touchdown run.
It was an up-and-down performance for Gardner, who finished 10 of 15 for 162 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also had 52 yards rushing – a career high – and two touchdowns.
The running game was very strong throughout the game for Michigan and was led by Fitzgerald Toussaint (11 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns) and Derrick Green (11 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown).
The most impressive drive for the Wolverines offense occurred in the third quarter when they ran the ball on all 10 plays for 55 yards.
The drive was capped off by Green’s one-yard touchdown run, in which he plowed through two CMU defenders at the line of scrimmage. Plays like that explain why running back coach Fred Jackson said Michigan’s offense would not lose in short yardage situations.
Offensive formations with two tight ends and a fullback – remember those days Michigan fans? They finally returned to the Big House turf this weekend and for those of us that enjoy power football, it was a GLORIOUS sight!
Despite the 59 points scored, there are still areas of concern for the Wolverines offense – most notably pre-snap penalties (three in the first half) and who will step up as the third receiver.
Neither Jehu Chesson nor Jeremy Jackson made enough of an impact to win the position battle. While both are very good downfield blockers, one will need to step up in the passing game to secure playing time.
It’s imperative that one of them steps up, or it will be difficult for Michigan’s passing game to be as good as it needs to be to win a Big Ten championship.
Defense:
As I wrote about in last week’s preview article, depth on the defensive side of the football is going to be a strength for Michigan in 2013. They put that depth on display early and often against the Chippewas.
Ten different defensive linemen played in the first two series of the game and 21 different players saw playing time on defense in the first half.
As the season wears on, that depth will be important for the Wolverines to keep top talent rested and strong for late game situations.
Of the ten defensive linemen that saw early action, three stood out as players that could cause havoc this season – Ondre Pipkins, Jibreel Black and Frank Clark.
Pipkins was very difficult to block in the run game and had great push on a 2nd-and-Goal play for CMU in the first quarter. He penetrated the line and forced CMU’s running back to bounce the play outside, where a trio of Michigan tacklers were waiting for a no gain.
Black ended the day with a sack, but was able to get constant pressure on the quarterback.
Clark was also able to cause havoc against the pass and was a split-second away from a sack on three different occasions. However, he must do a better job against the run. Clark often over penetrates, which makes run blocking much easier for the offensive tackle.
Before the game it was announced that starting strong safety Thomas Gordon was suspended for violation of team rules. The Wolverines were already missing free safety Courtney Avery.
However, the play of backups Jarrod Wilson and Josh Furman was very inspiring. Both players were around the football a lot and CMU was not able to take any shots downfield.
While Gordon will likely resume his starting role next week, Avery may be in a position battle again with Wilson.
The biggest concern in the secondary was how often CMU attacked Blake Countess – who missed all of last season with a torn ACL after a phenomenal freshman season.
Countess was out of position on a few plays and seemed very hesitant to challenge wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. It’s never easy to come back from a significant knee injury, but Michigan will need Countess to be the ball hawking playmaker he was in 2011.
The linebacker core continued to be the most solid position on the defense. Desmond Morgan looked like he had been playing middle linebacker the last two seasons and Cam Gordon made fans forget that Jake Ryan was out of action with injury.
In the second half, true freshman Ben Gedeon saw a lot of playing time and he finished the game with four tackles. It will be interesting to see how Gedeon’s playing time increases or decreases as the season goes on.
Remember, Michigan was not afraid to play Joe Bolden and James Ross a significant amount last year as true freshman.
Play of the Game: Blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown less than two minutes into the season opener is a heck of a way to get a year started – and that’s exactly what Michigan did. Dymonte Thomas came unblocked off the edge for the block and Joe Reynolds easily returned it 30 yards for the touchdown. It game the Wolverines a quick 7-0 lead and they never looked back.
Player of the Game: There are many players who stood out yesterday, but Cam Gordon was a step above everybody else. He had huge shoes to fill – starting for the injured Jake Ryan – and took advantage of his opportunity, finishing the day with four tackles, two sacks, another half tackle for a loss, and a pass deflection. Michigan needs Gordon to be a big time contributor while they wait for Ryan’s ACL to heal – in the first game, he was.
Final Verdict: Great start to the season for Michigan, but people need to remember one important fact – it’s one game. Big Ten Networks Gerry Dinardo said Michigan is now his favorite to win the Big Ten and ESPN’s Dari Nowkah said Michigan is the 10th best team in the country right now. While it is nice for the Wolverines to receive so much respect, it’s too soon for that much applause.
Up Next: It will be “Under the Lights: Part 2” next Saturday at the Big House. No. 14 Notre Dame (1-0) comes to Ann Arbor after a 28-6 victory over Temple. Michigan will try to get revenge for last year’s 13-6 loss in South Bend. Denard Robinson threw four interceptions and the Wolverines failed to score on three of their five trips in the red zone – a missed field goal and two turnovers.
Garrett’s Top Five: 1. Alabama 2. Oregon 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson 5. Stanford
