The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 29 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Three Best Players 1. Junior defensive end Kwity Paye — The veteran lineman missed the 42-25 win at Illinois Oct. 12 due to an injury, but still grabs the top spot on this list due to his out- standing performances in Michigan's four other games from Sept. 21 through Oct. 19. Paye's best outing came in the 10-3 vic- tory over Iowa Oct. 5, when he posted 2.5 sacks among four total stops in what was an eight-sack, 13-tackle-for-loss day for the U-M defense. He also registered 1.5 quarter- back takedowns and a career-best 3.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in the 52-0 triumph over Rutgers Sept. 28, while leading U-M's defense with 10 tackles in the 28-21 loss at Penn State Oct. 19. As of Oct. 21, Paye's eight tackles for loss led the team, while his 4.5 sacks checked in second. 2. Sophomore wide receiver Ronnie Bell — Though he received plenty of criticism for his fourth-quarter drop in the end zone that could have potentially sent the Penn State game into overtime, it's important to remem- ber how consistently Bell has shined for the Maize and Blue. He racked up at least 81 receiving yards in four of the five contests (he was held without a catch in the Iowa matchup), including a personal-best 98 yards in the victory at Illinois. The sophomore's big-play abilities were also on display, with a 68-yard reception in the Sept. 21 setback at Wisconsin and a 71-yarder in Champaign. As of Oct. 21, Bell led U-M in catches (24), receiving yards (432), yards after the catch (292) and chain-moving grabs (19). 3. Redshirt freshman linebacker Cameron McGrone — An injury to junior linebacker Josh Ross in the Wisconsin game opened the door for McGrone to see the field, with the redshirt freshman playing 28 snaps in relief that day. The Indiana native has started every outing and played at least 46 snaps each time since, and has provided a jolt of en- ergy and athleticism to the defense since his insertion into the lineup (U-M has allowed an average of just 56 rushing yards per game in his four starts). McGrone has logged at least one sack and at least 1.5 tackles for loss in three of his four starts, while also forcing a crucial fourth-quarter fumble to help secure the win at Illinois. Key Play With U-M trailing 28-21 in the Oct. 19 showdown at Penn State, senior quarterback Shea Patterson took a shotgun snap from the Nittany Lion 4-yard line, looking to convert on fourth- and-goal with only 2:06 remaining in the game. When Penn State junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos beat fifth-year senior left tackle Jon Runyan off the edge, Patterson stepped up in the pocket beautifully to avoid Gross-Matos' diving at- tempt at a sack. The senior then fired a pass to sophomore wideout Ronnie Bell in the front of the end zone, and watched the ball hit the Missouri native right in the chest. Bell dropped the pass, however, just as junior safety Lamont Wade hit him from behind, forcing the Wol- verines to turn the ball over on downs. The Maize and Blue never got the football back, with Penn State's offense picking up the lone first down it needed to run out the clock on its ensuing possession. Best Highlight Michigan faced a third-and-one play at the Illinois 29-yard line on its opening drive of the Oct. 12 affair in Champaign, having already grinded out 36 yards on the ground that series. Patterson took the snap and handed the ball off to redshirt freshman running back Hassan Haskins, who darted to his right and easily picked up the first down. The first contact he faced came from red- shirt junior linebacker Jake Hansen just past the 28-yard line. The Illini defender's attempt at a tackle only resulted in Haskins literally being twisted around for a 360-degree spin move. Hansen then fell to the turf and watched the running back take off for the end zone. Sophomore safety Sidney Brown made a diving attempt at a tackle and tripped him up at the 2-yard line, but Haskins' momentum easily took him into the end zone. The 29-yard touchdown run was the first in his career, and was an early sign of what turned out to be a 295-yard rushing performance for the Wolverines. Surprise Performer Haskins gets the nod here. The redshirt freshman was ex- pected to be fourth (at best) on the running back depth chart coming into the year, but has turned into a key contributor on Michigan's offense. He led the team in rushing in the Oct. 12 win at Illinois, com- piling a career-best 125 yards on 12 carries and averaging 10.4 yards per touch to go along with his touchdown. His next-best rushing output through seven games was just 45 yards in the win over Rutgers. As of Oct. 21, he was the clear No. 2 behind freshman Zach Charbonnet on the depth chart. Bold Prediction Michigan will only drop one more game the rest of the regu- lar season to finish 9-3. Many deemed the Wolverines a 7-5 club after their blowout loss at Wisconsin, but the 10-3 victory over No. 14 Iowa and the resilience they showed in the 28-21 loss at No. 7 Penn State proved the team had been making significant progress. Yes, remaining home showdowns with Notre Dame, Michi- gan State and Ohio State will be challenging, while road con- tests at Maryland and Indiana may be trickier than expected as well. Michigan has proven to be incredibly stout in Ann Arbor under head coach Jim Harbaugh, winning 11 in a row at The Big House dating back to 2017. The Wolverines will find a way to win at least four of its remaining five regular-season games. — Austin Fox Superlatives For The Five Games From Sept. 21-Oct. 19 Junior defensive end Kwity Paye's eight tackles for loss paced the team and his 4.5 sacks ranked second during Michigan's 5-2 start. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL