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Breaking: Michigan doesn't expect flashy
About two weeks ago, after Michigan State held Michigan to minus-48 yards rushing, a man from Wolverine Lake was picked up for drunk driving in Dearborn.
His blood-alcohol level at the police station was 0.24 percent, above the state's 0.17 percent super-drunk standard. While being booked, he said he drank so much because he was upset that the University of Michigan's football team lost 29-6 at Michigan State University the day before. He said he also was upset with the play-calling of offensive coordinator Al Borges.
Well, it was the worst rushing performance since the school started playing football in 1879. UM followed that up with a rushing performance of minus-21 rushing in a home loss to Nebraska.
And a weekend later, after the Wolverines tipped Northwestern, 27-19, in three overtimes, Michigan might still be driving its fans to drink. UM is 7-3 (3-3 Big Ten) heading into Saturday's game at Kinnick Stadium against the Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-3), who were idle last week.
Michigan rebounded with 139 rushing yards against the Wildcats, when it took a miraculous 44-yard field goal to send the game into OT. Now, the Wolverines are up to 96th in the nation in rush offense with 135.7 yards a game.
In the run up to the Northwestern game, offensive coordinator Al Borges talked about the transition from an option offense (Denard Robinson) to more of a pro-style attack (Devin Gardner, who'll QB the Wolverines against Iowa). The numbers bear this out.
"I don't think there's any question we have the guys here to run any system we want, but there is a transitional phase here and you guys all know it," Borges said. "We're two years behind, really, because we didn't do it in the beginning. We have to start doing what we want to do. With that comes some growing pains.
"We've got a direction we want to go, and that's where we're going to go. It'll take, and when it does take, this program will be where we want it to be."
The chaos at running back might've settled last week in that starter Fitzgerald Toussaint didn't play because of not enough practice following a concussion. That opened the door for freshmen Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith. Green, a sturdy 240-pounder, started and received the bulk of the carries, taking 19 handoffs for 79 yards. Smith, meanwhile, had 8 carries for 41 yards.
During his Monday news conference, UM coach Brady Hoke said Gardner, who had his most total yards offense in three weeks with 245 against Northwestern, is beat up but better off than he was two weeks ago. Last week, though, he had to call a timeout because he couldn't feel his left arm. He had to rub it back to . . . consciousness?
"I think his attitude and just fighting, we kept going," Hoke said. "We called a timeout, he told me 'Coach you need to call a timeout, I can't feel my left arm,' so we called a timeout, and he worked it back where he could feel it and did a tremendous job."
Nineteen of the 31 sacks the Wolverines have allowed (10th in the Big Ten) have come in the last three games.
"I knew Devin was tough," Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said. "What has it been, 19 sacks in three games? I didn't know he was that tough. Obviously, we don't want to get him sacked the rest of the season, but if he does, I know he's going to get up. That speaks volumes for him as a leader."
Michigan's offense is transitioning to something that Iowa's offense has been at times this season -- physical on the line of scrimmage, play-action passes and fine tight end play (UM tight end Devin Funchess is sixth in the Big Ten with 42 catches for 68.4 yards a game).
Hoke doesn't expect Iowa to be flashy.
"They'll be physical at the point of attack," Hoke said. "They are not going to be flashy, and you know that going in."
Sophomore linebacker James Ross III doesn't expect flashy from the Hawkeyes.
"I haven't really got to the film yet, I plan on doing that today, but as for last year I know what this game is all about," Ross said. "It's about being really physical, not too flashy."
And Lewan . . . you know.
"They're not a flashy defense, they're not a flashy offense, they're not a flashy team," he said, "but they get the job done."
This sounds like last week's Northwestern-Michigan game turned out to be -- four quarters and three overtimes of grip and grunt.
Schedule 2013
Date
Opponent
Result / Time
8/31
vs. Central Michigan
W 59 - 9
9/7
vs. 14 Notre Dame
W 41 - 30
9/14
vs. Akron
W 28 - 24
9/21
at Connecticut
W 24 - 21
10/5
vs. Minnesota
W 42 - 13
10/12
at Penn State
L 40 - 43
10/19
vs. Indiana
W 63 - 47
11/2
at 24 Michigan State
L 6 - 29
11/9
vs. Nebraska
L 13 - 17
11/16
at Northwestern
W 27 - 19
11/23
at Iowa
11:01 CT
11/30
vs. 4 Ohio State
11:00 CT
Leaders
Passing Yards:
2411
Passing TDs:
15
Rushing Yards:
601
Rushing TDs:
11
Receiving Yards:
1062
Receiving TDs:
7
Interceptions:
4
Offense (FBS Rank)
Yards:
3833 (78)
Passing Yards:
2476 (47)
Rushing Yards:
1357 (91)
Points per game:
34.3 (35)
Yards per game:
383.3 (77)
Touchdowns:
39 (41)
Field Goals:
16 (13)
Defense (FBS Rank)
Yards:
3476 (15)
Passing Yards:
2364 (67)
Rushing Yards:
1112 (8)
Points per game:
25.2 (46)
Yards per game:
347.6 (16)
Touchdowns:
24 (20)
Field Goals:
22 (114)
Schedule 2013
Date
Opponent
Result / Time
8/31
L 27 - 30
9/7
vs. Missouri State
W 28 - 14
9/14
at Iowa State
W 27 - 21
9/21
vs. Western Michigan
W 59 - 3
9/28
at Minnesota
W 23 - 7
10/5
vs. Michigan State
L 14 - 26
10/19
at 4 Ohio State
L 24 - 34
10/26
vs. Northwestern
W 17 - 10
11/2
vs. 22 Wisconsin
L 9 - 28
11/9
at Purdue
W 38 - 14
11/23
vs. Michigan
11:01 CT BTN
11/29
at Nebraska
11:00 CT ABC
Leaders
Passing Yards:
1916
Passing TDs:
14
Rushing Yards:
777
Rushing TDs:
5
Receiving Yards:
304
Receiving TDs:
4
Interceptions:
3
Offense (FBS Rank)
Yards:
3979 (68)
Passing Yards:
2040 (82)
Rushing Yards:
1939 (43)
Points per game:
26.6 (73)
Yards per game:
397.9 (67)
Touchdowns:
27 (86)
Field Goals:
14 (26)
Defense (FBS Rank)
Yards:
3192 (8)
Passing Yards:
1892 (11)
Rushing Yards:
1300 (19)
Points per game:
18.7 (10)
Yards per game:
319.2 (7)
Touchdowns:
21 (12)
Field Goals:
11 (55)
Big Ten
Leaders
Conference
Overall
6-0
10-0
16 Wisconsin
5-1
8-2
3-3
6-4
2-4
4-6
0-6
3-7
0-6
1-9
Legends
Conference
Overall
6-0
9-1
4-2
8-2
4-2
7-3
3-3
7-3
3-3
6-4
0-6
4-6
Nov 16, 2013; Evanston, IL, USA; The Michigan Wolverines celebrate their overtime win against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 27-19 in triple overtime. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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