The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/629217
and concerns, and he did nothing but go rattle off 10 wins and get better ev- ery week, and became one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Van Bergen: It depends when you look at the season. Jake Rudock devel- oped into an elite-level quarterback. I think there are also things to be excited about with [junior tailback] De'Veon Smith. I think he could be the top run- ning back in the Big Ten next year if he stays healthy. I think later in the year you saw [red- shirt junior wideout] Jehu Chesson emerge as an elite wide receiver. Offensively, we had big question marks at quarterback and receiver, and a little bit at running back. At all three positions, someone emerged as the guy that could get it done. Ray: I don't think Michigan's offense would have been as efficient without Rudock. In the preseason, I predicted a 7-5 record for Michigan primarily be- cause of the questions at quarterback, the tough road schedule and the lack of pass protection from 2013 and 2014. The offensive line gave Rudock an opportunity to showcase his skill set and connect with [junior tight end] Jake Butt, [and redshirt junior wide receivers] Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson. Also, the addition of [redshirt fresh- man defensive back] Jabrill Peppers on offense added a different dynamic and explosive element that struck fear into opposing defenses. The Wolverine: What was the biggest offensive disappointment? Simpkins: The overall running game. We were effective at points, but the games we lost, if we could have run the ball better, we would have had a better chance to win. Or games like Minnesota, Indiana … if we could have run the ball, we could have put those teams away by wearing them down and breaking their will, but instead we had to get into passing shootouts with them. Copenhaver: We didn't have a run- ning back emerge as a game-changer. De'Veon Smith is a good back. I think he's a workhorse and seems like a great kid with a lot of positives, but that was a big disappointment to not have a real difference-making running back. Because if you look at the top five to 10 teams in the country, they generally have a running back that can take off for 60-70 yards and we didn't have that. Some of the younger guys that had a lot of hype like [junior] Derrick Green and [redshirt sophomore] Ty Isaac were a disappointment because they were non-existent for 90 percent of the season. Van Bergen: Not being able to con- sistently run the ball. When we lost De'Veon Smith, we lost our ability to run and that made us one-dimensional later in the season. When you play Harbaugh ball and you're at Michigan, the expectation is that, 'If we want to line up and run the ball, you can't stop us because we're more physical up front.' There were times where we were, but there were a lot of times where we were overmatched in the box. I think we'll see that improve, though, as they get more of their recruits in and continue to develop