The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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ficiency rating, completing a meager 48.3 percent of their 180 attempts for 202.0 yards per game. The Wolverines did mostly keep them out of the end zone through the air, allowing just five touchdown passes, but they failed to generate turnovers, recording a single inter- ception in those six contests. One could easily conclude that with the exception of two, maybe three, games, the secondary was the defense's most consistent position group. However, the group also played its part in the poor rushing defense. The defensive backs finished with eight missed tackles against IU and had more struggles against the Buckeyes. In the season's second half, the secondary became about individual parts — junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis, Peppers and junior safety Dymonte Thomas — that played at a high level (though with a few bad plays) and less about a cohesive sec- ondary that remained a successful deterrent to quarterbacks, wide re- ceivers and offensive coordinators. Best Player: DB Jabrill Peppers M o s t I m p r o v e d : S D y m o n t e Thomas Who To Watch In 2016: CB Keith Washington Offensive Line: C Midterm Grade: B Reason For The Grade: There are two parts to an offensive line's per- formance: run blocking and pass protection. With the latter, Michigan remained consistent for most of the season, allowing 1.3 sacks per game