Michigan Football: Grading All 22 Starters from the Michigan State Game

A win is a win is a win. Even though the Michigan Wolverines' win over the Michigan State Spartans wasn't pretty, it was a win nonetheless.

It was clear to see that these Wolverines have areas that simply need to improve, particularly on offense.

Which players need to step up their game? Here's a look at all 22 offensive and defensive starters, and a grade for each of them.

An "E" is the worst possible grade available.

QB: Denard Robinson

Robinson just couldn't get it going on the ground all day, but that's really not too big of a surprise. He did rush for 96 yards, but a 44-yard run really helped pad those stats.

The interception he threw was meaningless, so it was good to once again not see him not throw a pick at a crucial juncture.

Overall, Robinson's performance was right about average.

Grade: C+

RB: Fitz Toussaint

Toussaint had a few nice runs, but for the most part was shut down. His 5.2 yards per carry looks impressive, but a 38-yard run was the main reason for that.

The offensive line simply needs to block better for him, but Toussaint does also need to get up field faster.

His performance was also mediocre.

Grade: C

WR: Jeremy Gallon

Jeremy Gallon had one catch for 22 yards but probably should have had a touchdown as well. Robinson missed him wide open in the end zone, a play that was crucial at the time.

Gallon could have made a better effort on the ball, but at the same time it would have been an extremely tough catch.

Grade: B-

WR: Devin Gardner

Gardner had only one catch for eight yards. At one point it looked like he made a spectacular catch near the end zone while falling back, but the ball ended up popping out.

It would have been an enormous play for Michigan, but it's a ball Gardner has to hold onto.

Grade: C

WR: Roy Roundtree

Roundtree also only had one catch, but it was a big one late in the game. In fact, he caught with his fingertips and actually made it look somewhat easy.

Roy takes a lot of pride in his blocking, and even though it doesn't show up in the box score, he seemed to have gotten that part of his job done.

Grade: B

TE: Devin Funchess

Funchess had one catch for 13 yards; it came at a crucial juncture late in the game.

He was targeted earlier in the end zone but had the pass broken up and swatted away. That play was a perfect example of Michigan using his height as a mismatch on smaller defensive backs.

Grade: C+

LT: Taylor Lewan

Lewan had a personal foul penalty on one of the first plays for Michigan, something that nobody wants to see.

He was going up against a tough front seven, and although he didn't necessarily play great, we can't really complain about his performance.

Grade: B

LG: Ricky Barnum

Barnum had a tough assignment going up against the interior of this MSU D-line.

The holes weren't very big most of the day, but a few opened up throughout. His performance wasn't terrible, but the blocking does need to get better.

Grade: C-

C: Elliott Mealer

The Paul Bunyan look-alike continues to play at a high level. Mealer and his beard have sure garnered a lot of attention, but so has his play on the field.

It had to feel especially good for a fifth-year senior like Mealer to bring Paul Bunyan back home where he belongs.

Grade: B

RG: Patrick Omameh

Omameh, also a fifth-year senior, has to love bringing Paul Bunyan back home to Ann Arbor.

These seniors can take pride in the fact that Team 133 was the team that finally put State back where they belong, which is on the short end in this rivalry.

Grade: B

RT: Michael Schofield

Schofield was beat a number of times in this game, as he couldn't always keep the end from rushing in.

He also had a huge penalty called against him late in the game that killed Michigan's drive.

Schofield hasn't been a huge disappointment, but his game does have to pick up along with most of the Michigan offensive linemen.

Grade: C-

DE: Brennen Beyer

Beyer saw the most time on Saturday that he had seen in a while. Injuries had derailed him lately, but he looked at full strength on Saturday.

Regardless, he was constantly rotated in and out with two or three other ends.

Grade: B

DT: Will Campbell

The interior of this Michigan line is playing extremely well. Even though Campbell isn't racking up sacks, he is still getting the job done by clogging up the middle.

Le'Veon Bell was completely shut down, and Campbell and the rest of the front seven was the main reason why.

Grade: B+

DT: Quinton Washington

Quinton Washington just continues to impress. MSU wasn't able to move the ball effectively on the ground at all, as Michigan's D-line constantly clogged running lanes.

Most people didn't think Michigan would shut down Bell as easily as they did.

Grade: A-

DE: Craig Roh

Craig Roh doesn't receive much attention during games, but he still seems to do an adequate job.

MSU tried to stretch Bell and have him reach the edge but were never really successful. Roh has a lot to do with that, even if he doesn't receive credit for the tackle.

Grade: B-

LB: Kenny Demens

Kenny Demens looks like a different player the last few weeks, as he seems to be involved on every single play.

The level the linebackers are playing at is incredible; this looks like a completely different group than the one we saw the first few weeks of the season.

Demens and the rest of this unit are a big reason the run defense is looking so good.

Grade: A-

LB: Desmond Morgan

Like Demens, Morgan seems to be involved on most defensive plays. He is always around the football, whether it be making a tackle or assisting on one.

His play continues to improve as the season progresses.

Grade: B+

LB: Jake Ryan

Ryan, once again, collected another sack on Saturday. He actually went right through Bell to get to Maxwell.

Michigan's rush defense stepped up in a big way, holding Bell to only 68 yards and 2.6 yards per carry.

Grade: A

CB: J.T. Floyd

For a cornerback, Floyd seemed to be involved on most of the plays. MSU targeted him a lot and had little success.

He also had a huge hit on a receiver that really ignited the crowd. As a whole, Floyd had a darn good game.

Grade: A-

CB: Raymon Taylor

Ray Taylor was picked on a number of times as well. Even though MSU did complete 21 passes, Michigan's secondary helped them to 5.6 yards per pass.

It was a shame to see Taylor leave late in the game with a injury, though.

Grade: B+

S: Thomas Gordon

Gordon gave up a huge pass play where he had his back to the ball and could have easily swatted it if he would have looked.

Other than that, there's nothing to complain about with his performance. This secondary played well against MSU's passing attack.

Grade: A-

S: Jordan Kovacs

Jordan Kovacs showed up in a big way for this game. Not only did he collect a number of tackles, but he also recorded a huge interception for the Michigan defense.

This came late in the game at a point when Michigan needed a spark. Kovacs is one of the few fifth-year seniors on the team, making it feel especially good for them.

Grade: A