The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 29 ons, especially when Black returns. "Once we get Tarik back — if he comes back — our receiving corps will be unstoppable," Collins said. A WORK IN PROGRESS For now, though, it's about incre- mental improvement. Harbaugh al- ways talks about each day being bet- ter than yesterday, tomorrow better than today, etc. For all the angst about an offense that started slowly against SMU after a 49-point outburst against Western Michigan, it did put points on the board on its last six drives in the 45- 20 win, and five of the scores were touchdowns. "We're getting closer to being re- ally good, but we're still not quite there yet," Harbaugh said. "I see im- provements to be made. "It's always a process, but we're definitely seeing progress. There's more to be had." They'll need every bit of it to stay in contention in the Big Ten East. The schedule doesn't look as daunting as it did preseason — Wisconsin and Michigan State dropped games to BYU and Arizona State, respectively, and looked mediocre doing it, while Penn State nearly lost at home to Appalachian State — but teams im- prove, and Michigan will have to, as well, to have a shot. This team comes to work every day, Harbaugh noted, and he's pleased with the progress. "They're really doing well," he said. "They really practice well, and they practice hard. It's really a fo- cused group. I enjoy going out every day to practice with this team, and I'm really excited about getting them coached, getting to practice and con- tinuing on. "Onward." ❏ Michigan's offense has looked good in spurts, especially at the quarterback position. There are still concerns, and most of them start up front. Here are the three biggest questions on that side of the ball entering the Big Ten season and the tougher portion of the schedule in October: 1. Can the offensive line hold up against the better teams on the schedule, and will it look the same a month from now? Michigan's offense line struggled mightily at Notre Dame, especially the tackles, and that might have been expected. Redshirt junior Jon Runyan Jr. was starting at left tackle for the first time, and he had to do it in a hostile environment against a stout front seven. U-M's young backups played very well in the fourth quar- ter against WMU, and freshman left tackle Jalen Mayfield and redshirt frosh right tackle James Hudson appear to be on the brink of breaking through for significant playing time. Some experts who have played the position before believe their emergence could be the key to a title run. 2. Can the Wolverines run the ball against the big boys? Along the same lines, are they deep enough at running back? Michigan cleaned up against Western Michigan, but there will be much bigger tests, especially in October against Wisconsin and Michigan State. SMU allowed the Wolverines 4.8 yards per carry, but many came in the fourth quarter when the game was no longer in doubt. On film, U-M's pass blockers have been at their best when Patterson is running play-action. It's a hard sell, however, if they're not able to run the ball well on early downs. Neither senior Karan Higdon nor junior Chris Evans was 100 percent healthy after the win over SMU, and it appeared Evans' ailment was a hamstring injury. Former walk-on Tru Wilson and unprovens like sophomore O'maury Samuels and freshman Christian Turner could be called on. 3. Will Ambry Thomas get more touches? Michigan's cornerback depth has been a pleasant surprise, with fifth-year senior Brandon Watson having emerged as one of the most dependable covermen. Sophomore Ambry Thomas hasn't see as much playing time on defense as a result, and he's become the 'jet sweep guy' since Eddie Mc- Doom announced his transfer to South Florida. Thomas is explosive, as displayed on his 99-yard kick return for a touchdown at Notre Dame, and can be a game-breaker with his speed. It makes sense to get as many playmakers on the field as possible, and he'd certainly be one. — Chris Balas Biggest Question Marks For The Offense Sophomore Nico Collins averaged a team-best 22.6 yards per reception on his five catches through the first three games. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN