The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 31 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL 39th nationally in run plays of 20 or more yards (9), tied at No. 8 in 30-plus yarders (7) and tied for 17th in 40-plus (3). U-M's backfield had 3 runs of 40-plus yards (including 2 for touchdowns) in the win over USC, but went three-and-out five times, due in large part to the passing woes. Offensive coordinator Kirk Camp- bell understands relying solely on the run game won't get it done. "Getting the first, first down is the most important thing on a drive, right? You don't want to go three-and-out," Campbell said. "When you do, it's det- rimental to the defense, it's detrimental to the punt team, and you're not playing complementary football. So, we need to continue to be aggressive on first down — P-and-10 [the first play of a posses- sion], especially — and then continue to get them to move the chains and go. "… Against USC, we had a couple short drives where we had explosive runs. It's hard to drive the field in college football 14, 15 plays. When you do, that's great; that's outstanding. But … that's hard. The defense is going to make a call, make a play, make an adjustment." The explosiveness in the pass game needs to show up, Campbell added, so Michigan can get faster drives. "Now, do we need to score in one minute, two minutes, like these air-raid teams? No — that's not what we're ask- ing for," he said. "But it's easier in seven-, eight-play drives when you get explosive plays in the throw game. You can't just rely on the backbone of the run game to create those explosives. Five Best Players 1. Graduate student running back Kalel Mull- ings Where would Michigan be without the 6-foot- 2, 233-pounder? Maybe 2-4? That's a scary thought, but luckily for the Wolverines, he's been scary good. Mullings put up 159 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 27-24 win over USC Sept. 21, including a 63-yard run to set up his 1-yard touchdown plunge to take the lead with just un- der a minute to go. He put the team on his back again in a 27-24 victory over Minnesota Sept. 28, going for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns, marking his third consecutive contest with 100-plus yards and a pair of scores on the ground. 2. Junior defensive tackle Mason Graham The 6-foot-3, 320-pound former wrestler makes jaws drop with his dominant play and ability to take over games. He did so with 6 tackles and a sack in the win over USC, before posting 4 stops and a pair of sacks versus Min- nesota. He had 2 tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, in a 27-17 setback at Washington Oct. 5, too. His 17 pressures as a pass rusher and 90.6 run-defense rating each rank fourth nationally among defensive tackles this season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). 3. Senior edge Josaiah Stewart The FBS active career leader with 26.5 sacks has added to his total in recent weeks, with 2 against USC and 1 at Washington. He had 5 tackles for loss in that two-game stretch, missing the Minnesota game in between due to an injury. Stewart leads the Big Ten with 8.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks on the season, despite playing in only five tilts. Among edge rush- ers with 50-plus pass-rushing snaps, Stewart leads the country with a 31.3 percent pass-rush win rate according to PFF. 4. Junior linebacker Ernest Hausmann Hausmann had a rocky start to the season with 4 missed tackles in the first two outings, but he has only 2 since and has registered a whopping 26 stops over the last three games — 5 against USC, 9 versus Minnesota and a U-M career-high 12 at Washington. Hausmann also made an incredible leaping interception in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Huskies, flipping mo- mentum that the Wolverines' offense couldn't take advantage of. That was the first of his career. He's playing at a level he's never performed at before, helping lead the Michigan defense in his first year as a starter in Ann Arbor. 5. Junior tight end Colston Loveland Loveland missed the matchup against USC with an injury and was limited the following week while taking on Minnesota, but he has still made a major impact. He's recorded 10 catches for 74 yards in the most recent two contests, against Minnesota and Washington. He scored an 8-yard touchdown reception on a pass from graduate student quarterback Jack Tuttle to take a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter in Seattle, after Michigan fell behind 14-0. In fact, Loveland was a big part of the offense all night, targeted on 11 of the team's 20 passes that were in- tended for a specific receiver, per PFF. Key Moment Junior linebacker Ernest Hausmann jumped up to intercept a pass from Huskies quarterback Will Rogers in the fourth quarter of a 27-17 setback at Washington Oct. 5, but the offense gave it right back with a lost fumble by graduate student quarterback Jack Tuttle. Washington scored a touchdown off of that and cashed in with a field goal after Tuttle threw an intercep- tion, capitalizing on short-field opportunities. Best Highlight Michigan didn't have a second-half first down in a 27-24 win over USC Sept. 21, until graduate student running back Kalel Mullings spun off a tackle and broke others at the beginning of his 63-yard run down to the USC 17-yard line. With U-M down four points, that long run set up a 1-yard touchdown blast on fourth-and-goal a few plays later. Bold Prediction Michigan's defense ranks 133rd nationally with 71 passing plays of 10-plus yards allowed, and we'd bet limiting those going forward was a big focal point during the bye week. We predict the Wolverines will start cutting those down, especially the next two weeks. Illinois (9.2) and Michigan State (9.8) each average more than 9 such plays per game, but we'll say the Wolverines' work will pay off and each squad will be held under those figures. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For Michigan's Three Games From Sept. 21 To Oct. 12 Junior linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15), led the Michigan defense with 40 tackles, including 28 solo stops, through the first six games. He had a U-M career-high 12 stops and added an interception at Washington. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL