Michigan vs. Rutgers: Game Grades, Analysis for the Wolverines

Another week, another bad loss for Michigan. 

Now at 2-4, the Wolverines must scramble for answers if they hope to even remotely compete with Penn State this Saturday in Ann Arbor. 

But back to this Saturday's last-minute heartbreaker versus Rutgers, who won 26-24 thanks in part to Kemoko Turay's blocked kick. 

Mismanaged and poorly executed third downs yet again played a part in coach Brady Hoke's demise. His stumble in Piscataway, New Jersey, only rekindles the increasingly popular "hot seat" talk. He's been in Ann Arbor for roughly three-and-a-half years, and progress seems further away now than it did when he accepted the job in 2011. 

Now on to the game grades, which are determined by a mixture of stats, frequency of opportunity and overall performance through the first six games of 2014. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C- (despite moving the ball, no TDs were scored through the air)	D (just 178 yards, late interception, no TDs were scored through the air)
Pass Defense	D- (Gary Nova was just getting warm)	F (Gary Nova looked like a Heisman candidate, throwing for 404 yards, 3 TDs)
Run Offense	B+ (considering the struggles this year, yes, a "B+" was appropriate).	C (158 total yards, but Derrick Green showed promise)
Run Defense	B	C (Nova broke loose for a couple of nice runs)
Special Teams	C	F (Matt Wile's 56-yard game-winning attempt couldn't have been worse)
Coaching	C+ (the first half was actually decent)	D (unprepared in the second half)

Get the official box score on NCAA.com. 

Pass Offense

What pass offense? Devin Gardner moved the ball better with his feet. Devin Funchess made a great catch in the fourth quarter that set up Matt Wile's ill-fated attempt, but that's the problem: His efforts have been few and far between, it seems. Too little, too late. 

The 6'5", 236-pound junior finished with five catches for 71 yards, an otherwise respectable night. But not for guys like Funchess—not in games like Saturday's. No touchdowns and rare red-zone action from the No. 1 throw shade on this grade. 

Pass Defense

There's a problem when an average quarterback looks like an All-American. That's not a knock on Gary Nova. He'd probably admit that he's had many highs and many lows. But Saturday night, he was unstoppable, throwing for 282 yards in the first half. 

He finished with 404 yards and three touchdowns. He also eclipsed 8,000 career yards. And (yes, there's more) he led the Scarlet Knights to one of their biggest triumphs in program history. 

Michigan corner Blake Countess wasn't even close to the old Blake Countess. He was beaten on three plays that resulted in touchdowns. Leonte Carroo was the main man entering the game; however, he wasn't targeted much after suffering a blow to the head from Jarrod Wilson in the first half. 

Nova averaged 17.5 yards per completion and provided a lot of fun for Andrew Turzilli and Janarion Grant, who were more than adequate in Carroo's stead. 

Run Offense

If Derrick Green continues running the way he did versus the Scarlet Knights, Team 135 may actually have something to work with on the ground. The sophomore running back impressed with a pair of 20-plus-yard runs. However, his stat column wasn't that impressive: 12 carries for 74 yards. 

If you watched the game, you know: Green was much, much better than his numbers suggest. 

Team 135 scored each of its three touchdowns on the ground, so that's a plus. It averaged 4.5 yards per tote, too. 

But De'Veon Smith struggled, bringing down the overall grade. If you count Gardner, well, maybe the night deserves slightly more credit from this grader. But not much more. 

Run Defense

Desmon Peoples was supposed to give Michigan problems. He didn't. Instead, he averaged 2.5 yards per touch (team average, too) and was a relative non-factor in his team's victory. Well, that may be unfair. He didn't put up big stats, hence the "non-factor" label, but he commanded attention. That could have opened up things for Nova and the rest of the offense. 

Special Teams

Will Hagerup has had difficulty. He kicks too long when his team needs a pooch and shanks it when the Wolverines need a booming kick to the next area code. 

Michigan held its own on both sides of the ball during kick- and punt-return duties. Dennis Norfleet remains due for a touchdown, but he averaged 19.6 yards per attempt Saturday night. That helps with field position. Given the state of their offense, the Wolverines need every yard they can get from Fleetwood. 

What about the real play? You know, the one that decided the game? Ahh, yes. Wile's potential game-winner. Well, just watch the Vine. That explains everything. 

Coaching

Michigan has played six games, which leads to this question: What exactly has been worked on during the past month-and-a-half? Other than offensive spurts and the sporadic tackle from the defense, the Wolverines were anything but polished against Rutgers. 

This team has shown severe lapses in fundamentals since Week 2's 31-0 loss to Notre Dame. 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81