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Michigan starts the season 1-0 by imposing 40-21 against the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee.
The long-awaited attack led by coordinator Josh Gattis has had some success, but there are still some problems to be solved. Quarterback Shea Patterson played well, but had some problems, scoring 17/29 for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He also had nine runs for 28 yards and two fumbles. There were times when Patterson held the RPO ball too long or simply did not see very open receivers.
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said we would see two quarters and we did it. Quarterback Dylan McCaffrey entered the game in the first quarter and caught a pass of one meter. In the third quarter, he would start playing quarterback with a double for 17 yards. He had eight passes for 42 yards and one touchdown, so he was still efficient on the field. He also fumbled, jumping out of bounds, so it was not a ride.
The defense started early with some early tackles, but it would get to work as the game progressed. The Blue Raiders were only able to score when the Wolverines went astray. The Wolverines' two fumbles gave the Blue Raiders tremendous possession of the field twice, leading to their only touchdowns.
All in all, it's a win for Michigan and that's how they wanted to start this season, but there are some points to discuss about what happened. Here are my five takeaway dishes of victory.
1. Ambry Thomas seems to be fine
Cornerback Ambry Thomas announced that he would take on colitis and started practicing this week. There was nothing that confirmed he would play this week, but he did it and he started with the cornerback next to Lavert Hill.
Thomas seemed to be doing well, as he would get an interception in the middle of the second quarter, then in the next possession he would find a fumble to give the offensive an excellent position on the court.
Thomas had two tackles to go with that, one for defeat and seemed to play as if nothing had happened. Having Thomas on the field is a great help for the junior high who is behind Hill and Thomas. He did not kick or kick back, but if he thought he could handle it, he could also be in a position.
2. The depth of the Michigan wide receiver will be tested
Even before the start of the match, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was seen wearing city clothes and walking boots. He would obviously not play, but wide receiver Tarik Black would leave the game in the middle of the second quarter. Fortunately, it was only for the fluids.
With Peoples-Jones injured, others will have to set up. Cornelius Johnson got some play time and had two catches for 19 yards. Ronnie Bell saw more play time, getting two catches for 18 yards, but he also dropped a very open touchdown.
Next week it will be interesting to see if Peoples-Jones will come back and Black can stay hydrated. We talked about the depth of the position in low season, it's time to highlight it.
3. No clear leader in running
Harbaugh did not say who would start running. Well, the first return on the field was rookie Zach Charbonnet. He played well, getting eight runs for 90 yards, but he did not have the most touches.
This went to Christian Turner, who roared with anger whenever he had football. He had 11 runs for 49 yards and sometimes looked like a killer and could be the power back for the Wolverines this season.
The offensive midfielder Harbaugh called the starter in July, Tru Wilson, had only two runs for eight yards. Ben VanSumeren also attended an action with four runs for seven yards and one touchdown. Hassan Haskins had two carries for zero yards.
Thus, while Charbonnet got the start and more yards, Turner saw more keys. It will be something to watch for next week as it could be a two man duty at the station with both of us playing well tonight.
4. Speedy offenses could be a problem for Michigan's defense
Middle Tennesse was able to create games with their legs and the Wolverines sometimes had problems with them. That reminded me a bit of last season's game in the Ohio State, where wide receivers were easily open and there were decent holes for the backs.
Blue Raider quarterback Asher O'Hara had 13 carries for 32 yards and one touchdown. Even if there is not much, he managed to escape the pressure and fight for yards while the defense should have buckled.
14 different receivers have caught the ball for the Blue Raiders and this shows how many players they have who can contribute. They combined for 234 yards at the front desk, but a good portion of these games were due to short shots that the receivers were able to catch and get a good amount of yards after taking.
The Michigan defense will have to contain the speed of the fouls or otherwise next week against the Army, and the final of the season against the Ohio State could even scare.
5. Kickers could share homework this season
Quinn Nordin and Jake Moody have played each other since the end of last season. Moody impressed and started against Ohio State and Florida. Would he start against Middle Tennessee? Yes but also no.
Moody was going out and making the first goal of the night, but when it came to extra points, it was Nordin who made them. Moody would later score the second goal and Nordin was awarded the extra three points.
It's an interesting way to compete. Next week they could change roles, or maybe that's how Harbaugh gives both players time to play.
Contact / Follow @WolverinesWire/ @BKnappBlogs
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