Michigan Football Week 1 Review
Michigan's season got off to a nice start. The Wolverines were able to control the game against a solid UConn team to get a 30-10 win.
It was Michigan's rushing attack that enable them to control the game. This allowed a suspect Michigan defense to stay off the field a little bit. Despite looking okay at times, the defense still has plenty of work to do.
The defense did hold UConn to just 10 points, but UConn’s offense struggled at times, and shot themselves in the foot too much. Too many dropped passes and bad throws at times really cost them chances to make this a closer game.
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The Wolverines did force one fumble that they were able to recover when it appeared UConn was on a scoring drive.
The offense looked unstoppable on occasion. Denard Robinson really took the next step in his collegiate career and cemented himself as Michigan’s starting quarterback this year.
In a surprise move, last year’s QB Tate Forcier was listed on the depth chart as the third-string QB. If he remains there all season, I would assume he will transfer elsewhere, because this kid has some talent.
It just so happens that Denard does too, and he fits this scheme better.
Robinson was proficient in the passing game, connecting on 19 of his 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore really made his presence felt in the rushing game, though, as he put up a whopping 196 yards.
One of the biggest things for this Michigan offense was the fact that they didn’t turn the ball over. In the past two seasons, that has been a problem for the young Wolverines.
The special teams look like they need a lot of work.
Sophomore Brandon Gibbons missed an extra point and a 43-yard field goal. The kicking situation really needs to get situated, because you cant leave three points out on the field in conference games.
The punt return and kick return game also needs some work. Jermey Gallon dove to catch a punt, and it hit him and became a live ball, which Michigan was lucky to recover. That is a big no-no in football—you never dive to catch a punt.
Later in the game, Terrence Robinson caught a kickoff on the ground and tried to get up and run, but in college or high school, you cannot have a knee down and get back up and run.
The Wolverines are still a young team, but the future looks pretty promising.
If Denard can keep the turnovers to a minimum and the offensive line can continue to play well, then this team can be a good team. The defense has work to do, but they don’t appear to be as bad as many had thought.
rip_city is a Jabberhead, Wolverines fan, & SJ Contributing Author
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