The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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1. LB KHALEKE HUDSON vs. Minnesota in 2017: He put together a stat line that had never been seen before from a Wolverine in U-M's 33-10 blowout of the Gophers Nov. 4, racking up 15 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble for good measure. Hudson's eight stops behind the line of scrimmage were not only the most any U-M player had ever compiled in a game, but also tied the all-time NCAA record for a single contest. Linebacker Larry Foote is the only other player at Michigan ever to log more than five tack- les for loss in a tilt, accumulating seven in a 2001 win at Iowa. Hudson finished the 2017 campaign with a team-high 18.5 tackles for loss, meaning 43.2 percent of them came against the Gophers. His three sacks were also tied for the third most in a game in school history. 2. LB Devin Bush Jr. vs. Florida in 2017: Michigan's defense finished the 2016 campaign tied with Alabama as the best unit in the nation (allowed 261.8 yards per game), but was expected to take a step back the following year after having eight defenders taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. U-M's revamped defense in '17 was just as good as its predecessor, however (allowing just 271 yards per contest, which ranked third nationally), and then-sophomore Bush was a big reason why. He introduced himself to the nation during a dynamite season-opening matchup between No. 11 Michigan and No. 17 Florida in Dallas. In his first ca- reer start, Bush racked up seven tackles, 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 1.5 sacks against a Gator squad that was tabbed beforehand as having a significant speed advantage against the Maize and Blue. Bush was the star of the Wolverine defense that afternoon, finishing as the leading tackler on a unit that held Florida to just 11 rushing yards in U-M's 33-17 win. 3. RB Chris Evans vs. Minnesota in 2017: Like Hudson, the Indianapolis product had the best statistical game of his career in the 33-10 triumph over the Gophers, rushing for 191 yards and two scores during Michigan's 371-yard performance on the ground. What was most impressive about Evans' showing, though, was the fact that he posted the aforementioned stats on just 13 carries. He finished with a 14.7 yards- per-carry clip, a total that ranks eighth in the Michigan record books (which date back to 1949) amongst rushers who received at least six carries in a single outing. Evans ripped off touchdown runs from 60 and 67 yards out. 4. DE Rashan Gary vs. Ohio State in 2017: His stat line of 11 tackles, 2.5 stops for loss and two sacks against the Buckeyes Nov. 25 wasn't necessarily elite, but it's important to provide some context on the impact it had. All three statistical categories either led or were tied for the team lead on an afternoon when Michigan's defense held the Buckeyes 156 yards below their season average (they finished seventh nationally with 506 yards per game; U-M limited them to 350). Additionally, the effort Gary and Michigan's defense turned in kept the Wolverines in the game until the final min- utes in a matchup where U-M's offense struggled to get anything going (just 295 yards on the day). The contest ended in a 31-20 Ohio State win, but Gary and the Maize and Blue defense did their part, holding OSU to what was tied for its second-lowest yardage output of the year. 5. RB Chris Evans at Purdue in 2017: He posted a modest stat line of 97 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 23 in West Lafayette, but the Wolverines needed ev- ery ounce of production in a 28-10 win that was closer than the score indicated. U-M's offense struggled immensely for much of the afternoon following an injury that knocked then-redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight out of the game (and season), with Evans providing the spark the team required. His first touchdown came with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter and U-M trailing 10-7. The score put the Wolverines on top for good. His second TD sealed the triumph, when he scampered 49 yards with 6:46 to go in the game to make it 28-10. It's also worth noting Evans did all of his work against an excellent Purdue front seven that ended the year ranked 29th nationally against the run and al- lowed just 10 rushing scores in 13 games, two of which were by Evans. Top Five Individual Performances Of The 2016 Class NFL DRAFT PICKS LB Devin Bush Jr. — Pittsburgh Steelers; first round, No. 10 overall in 2019 DE Rashan Gary — Green Bay Packers; first round, No. 12 overall in 2019 LB Josh Uche — New England Patriots; second round, No. 60 overall in 2020 CB David Long — Los Angeles Rams; third round, No. 79 overall in 2019 TE Devin Asiasi — New England Patriots; third round, No. 91 overall in 2020 (out of UCLA) OG Ben Bredeson — Baltimore Ravens; fourth round, No. 143 overall in 2020 LB Khaleke Hudson — Washington Football Team; fifth round, No. 162 overall in 2020 OG Mike Onwenu — New England Patriots; sixth round, No. 182 overall in 2020 RB Chris Evans — Cincinnati Bengals; sixth round, No. 202 overall in 2021 S Josh Metellus — Minnesota Vikings; sixth round, No. 205 overall in 2020 152 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Rashan Gary departed Michigan following his junior campaign and became the No. 12 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers, marking the highest a Wolverine defensive end had gone since Curtis Greer went No. 6 overall to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN