The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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28 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2020 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Three Best Players 1. Sophomore safety Daxton Hill He was one of the few bright spots on a Michigan defense that gave up 425.8 yards per game during its four contests against Minnesota, Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin to begin the year. Hill's 28 tackles stood as the fourth most on the team (as of Nov. 16), and his play this season has re- flected the praise defensive co- ordinator Don Brown put on him prior to the campaign when he referred to him as arguably the top cover man in the conference. 2. Redshirt sophomore quar- terback Joe Milton He put on his best showing in U-M's Nov. 7 loss at Indiana, throwing for 344 yards (which were the 15th most in a game in school history) and three touch- downs. Milton also hit the 300- yard mark in Michigan's setback to Michigan State Oct. 31, while putting together a clean 225- yard, one-touchdown and no- interception performance in the season-opening win at Minne- sota. However, he was benched in game four against Wisconsin. 3. Junior wide receiver Ron- nie Bell He has compiled, by far, the best statistics of any of U-M's pass catchers, with his 18 grabs, 325 receiving yards and 18.1 yards per reception all leading the club (as of Nov. 16, no other player has more than 134 yards). Bell reeled in at least 56 yards in three of Michigan's first four games, highlighted by a six-catch, 149-yard showing in the Wolverines' 38-21 loss at Indiana Nov. 7. Key Play With Michigan and Michigan State scoreless at the 11:01 mark of the first quarter during the Oct. 31 showdown in Ann Arbor, Spartans redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi took a snap from the U-M 30-yard line and imme- diately looked for a receiver downfield. He threw a pass deep down the left sideline for freshman wideout Ricky White, who had a step on redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green. White made an impressive over- the-shoulder grab along the corner of the end zone just as Green caught up with him and brought him to the ground. The freshman held on through the contact, however, giv- ing the Spartans a 7-0 lead right off the bat. This play was the first sign Michigan's secondary was in trouble not only that day, but over the ensuing two games as well. The touchdown also ensured Michigan State would never trail that afternoon on its way to a 27-24 win, destroying the immense momentum U-M had built from its 49-24 triumph at Minnesota the previous week. Best Highlight With Michigan and Minnesota all tied up at 7-7 midway through the first quarter in the Oct. 24 season opener in Minneapolis, Golden Gophers redshirt junior quarterback Tan- ner Morgan took a shotgun snap deep in his own territory and faked a handoff to redshirt junior running back Mohamed Ibrahim. Michigan redshirt sophomore viper Michael Barrett came flying in off the edge untouched and smashed Morgan from his blind- side, causing the ball to go flying out of his hands. It conveniently landed right into the arms of redshirt junior defensive tackle Donovan Jeter, who ran it back 15 yards for an easy touchdown to put the Wolverines up 14-7. The play put Michigan on top for good, and signaled a game- changing momentum swing af- ter the two clubs had played a fairly evenly matched contest up to that point. U-M outscored the Golden Gophers 35-17 the rest of the way following the touch- down. The forced fumble and scoop and score also represented the biggest play of both Barrett's and Jeter's careers, who were making their first-ever starts in the Wolverines' 49-24 win. Bold Prediction Michigan will only win one more game the rest of the way to finish the regular season 2-6. A road trip to Rutgers against a much-improved Scarlet Knights team Nov. 21 won't be easy, while a Dec. 5 home date against Maryland will be challenging for U-M as well. The Terrapins rattled off back-to-back wins following their season-opening loss at Northwestern, including a 35-19 destruction of Penn State in Happy Valley Nov. 7. Michigan's regular-season finale at Ohio State Dec. 12 is being viewed by most as a surefire loss. Believe it or not, the Maize and Blue's easiest remaining game (as of Nov. 16) appears to be a Nov. 28 matchup with Penn State at The Big House. The Nittany Lions hold an 0-4 record for the first time since 2001, and have seemingly regressed following a one-point loss at Indiana to open the year (PSU has been defeated by an average margin of 12 points in their three games since the opener). — Austin Fox Superlatives For Michigan's Four Games From Oct. 24 Through Nov. 14 Redshirt sophomore viper Michael Barrett made the play of the season so far, when he forced a fumble by the Minnesota quarterback with a blindside hit in the season opener. The loose ball was returned for a touchdown by redshirt junior defensive tackle Donovan Jeter. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN