The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133554
His outstanding play was a huge reason opponents only connected on 49.5 percent of their passes against Michigan (second nationally to Cincinnati's 48.6), and earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches. 3. DE Chase Winovich — After putting together a 2017 campaign that saw him register 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks, Winovich did not disappoint as a fifth-year senior. His 17 stops behind the line of scrimmage were eight more than any other Wolverine and the third most in the Big Ten, while his five quarterback takedowns tied for the second most on the club. Winovich earned unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors and third-team AP All-America accolades, and was a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award (given to the nation's best defensive player). The Pennsylvania native's old-school mentality, vocal love for Michigan and grit on the field made him one of the most memorable U-M defensive linemen in recent memory. The latter quality was best displayed when he suffered a thumb injury against Ohio State that required surgery, but chose to delay the procedure in order to play in the Peach Bowl against Florida Dec. 29. 4. QB Shea Patterson — The Ole Miss transfer was a godsend for Michigan in 2018, essentially bringing every quality to the position that had been missing the previous year. He started all 13 games and finished with 2,600 passing yards, a 64.6 completion percentage and a 22-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio on his way to third-team All-Big Ten recognition from the coaches. The junior's best stretch of play came from Sept. 8 through Nov. 10, a nine- game span in which he tossed 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions, while leading the club to a 9-0 record. Patterson also provided a mobility element to the quarterback spot that hadn't yet been seen during the Jim Harbaugh era, rushing for 273 yards and two scores on 76 carries. His leadership qualities and ability to rally his teammates was best on display in the victory at Northwestern Sept. 29, when Patterson led the Wolverines on an 11-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off with the game-winning score to put U-M up 20-17 with only 4:06 remaining. 5. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones — He exploded as a sophomore last season, leading the squad in both receptions (47) and touchdown grabs (eight), while checking in second in yards (612). Peoples-Jones also doubled as an effective punt returner, taking one 60 yards to the house in a 56-10 win over Nebraska, while leading the Big Ten in both total punt return yards (250) and average yards per return (10.0). His offensive efforts earned him third-team All-Big Ten status from the coaches, and third-team all-league accolades from both the coaches and media as a punt returner. The sophomore also proved to be Patterson's favorite target in the early go- ing, hauling in 14 receptions and four touchdowns through the club's first three games. 1. Karan Higdon vs. Michigan State — Higdon av- eraged a modest 4.4 yards per carry against the Spartans, but the senior was an absolute workhorse in the Oct. 20 victory, rushing a career-high 33 times for 144 yards. MSU ended the season with the nation's No. 1 rush defense, allowing only 77.9 yards per game — and the senior nearly doubled that total on his own. In a game that featured torrential downpours, hail and even snow at times, Higdon proved vital in the Wolverines' 21-7 win in East Lansing. 2. Karan Higdon vs. Penn State — Though his per- formance against the Spartans grabbed the top spot on this list, his efforts against the Nittany Lions in the win Nov. 3 weren't far behind. The Sarasota, Fla., native compiled 132 yards and a touchdown on 20 totes, averaging 6.6 yards per touch. Higdon actually set the tone on the Wolverines' first drive of the game, ripping off a 50-yard run down to the PSU 15-yard line that set up Michigan's first touchdown five plays later. The senior's lone touchdown of the day came on a four-yard run early in the contest's final frame to make the score 35-0 (U-M won 42-7). 3. Karan Higdon vs. Nebraska — The veteran's third appearance on this list exemplifies how much Michigan relied on him in 2018. Higdon rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown in the 56-10 beatdown of Nebraska Sept. 22. On U-M's first possession of the game, he ripped off a 46-yard scamper that took the Wolverines down to the Cornhuskers 11-yard line, leading to a score four plays later. Higdon's 11.3 yards per touch were his second highest total on the year, and his 136 yards were his third best output, despite the fact he didn't receive a single carry in the second half. 4. Shea Patterson vs. Maryland —The 282 yards he threw for in the 42-21 win over the Terrapins Oct. 6 were the most he compiled all year. The junior was also efficient (19 of 27, 70.4 percent) while tying his season high with three touchdown passes. Patterson's first scoring toss came with just 16 seconds remaining before halftime, giving the Wol- verines a 17-7 edge heading into the break. The junior's second TD came on a 34-yard strike to sophomore wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones late in the third quarter, in which he had to execute a 360-degree spin move to avoid a tackler just before releasing the ball. Patterson's final scoring pass occurred with 6:37 to go in the fourth, making the score 35-14 at the time. 5. Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. SMU — The 45-20 triumph over the Mustangs Sept. 15 was statistically Peoples-Jones' best game of the year, with his 90 yards and three touchdowns both marking season highs. All but one of the Detroit native's receptions that day went for scores, and he averaged 22.5 yards per catch. Peoples-Jones had totaled just 69 receiving yards and a lone touchdown in U-M's first two contests against Notre Dame and Western Michigan. His three scoring grabs against SMU marked the most by a Wolverine player since wideout Jehu Ches- son hauled in four in a 48-41 double-overtime victory at Indiana on Nov. 14, 2015. TOP FIVE INDIVIDUAL GAME PERFORMANCES Senior running back Karan Higdon was at his best in Big Ten vic- tories versus Michigan State, Penn State and Nebraska, av- eraging 137.3 rushing yards per game. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 145