Report Card – Grading A Loss To MSU – Rivals.com – Michigan

Grading Michigan football in all facets of a loss to Michigan State:

Not only did the offensive line get beat up front, but the backs’ carries were once again distributed iwith seemingly no rhyme or reason. Redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins was solid in rushing for 56 yards and averaging 7.0 yards per carry, but the line struggled and the Wolverines stubbornly continued to test the interior of the MSU line rather than the perimeter with their speed.

Where was frosh Blake Corum on a pitch sweep to get him in space, or at the goal line when they pulled out the wildcat with Haskins and left four points on the board? And why take quarterback Joe Milton off the field in that situation, anyway?

Sophomore Zach Charbonnet, meanwhile, managed only three yards on five carries. Haskins was the only U-M back with an average north of 3.3 yards per carry.

The Spartans had six tackles for loss, totaling 20 yards.

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Milton threw for 300 yards, but it took 51 throws and a number of them late against a prevent defense. Michigan State dared him to throw deep and took away the perimeter, for the most part, and he did okay. Milton threaded some throws to frosh Roman Wilson (71 yards), including a 26-yarder, and had some nice intermediate throws to his other receivers.

But there were no explosive plays, and there were (again) a handful of drops. There was little separation on the deep ball, which is where we expected Milton to have more success this year. Guys just aren’t getting open, or when they are Milton isn’t finding them.

Michigan State ran for 126 yards a week after running for 50 against Rutgers. Twenty-eight of them came on one Jordon Simmons carry, but the Spartans were always falling forward and avoided the negative plays. The Wolverines managed only two tackles for loss for seven yards.

The Spartans won this game through the air.

From the non-existent pass rush against max protection to a back end that just couldn’t hang with MSU’s receivers — think what Indiana’s and Ohio State’s will accomplish if the Wolverines don’t change it up — this was a complete failure.

The Spartans’ chuck-it deep offense worked well, with frosh Ricky White abusing the U-M secondary for 196 yards, and all five of their plays that went for at least 30 yards came through the air. Both White and Jalen Nailor hauled in receptions of 50 yards or more from quarterback Rocky Lombardi, who played well.

Give MSU’s receivers credit, too, for a number of tough catches.

But blame the Michigan coaches here for putting their players in positions for which they simply couldn’t hang, not to mention failing to challenge a couple of key passes that looked like they hit the turf. Redshirt sophomore corners Vincent Gray and Gemon Green were left hanging out to dry; sophomore safety Daxton Hill was U-M’s best cover guy.

Fifth-year senior Quinn Nordin replaced junior Jake Moody and made a 23-yard kick and all three extra points.

Sophomore Giles Jackson was fortunate to return a punt he let bounce over his head for a 32-yard return — a good, bad play — but he needs to be better.

Redshirt junior punter Brad Robbins pinned the Spartans deep on a pair of kicks and was the special teams’ MVP. He kicked four times and put three inside the 20, averaging 42.0 yards per kick, while fifth-year senior Will Hart struggled (four punts with a 37.8 average and just one inside the 20). Robbins might get a look to be the full-time punter by this time next week.

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