The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/956415
APRIL 2018 THE WOLVERINE 45 the junior taking the first snap when the Wolverines open at Notre Dame in September … on an offense that, while still run heavy, will look much different than the one we saw under former quarterback Wilton Speight. 3. Can the Wolverines find the hidden yardage that eluded them in 2017? Everyone remembers 2015 punter Blake O'Neill for his dropped snap that cost the Wolverines the Michigan State game, forgetting that he was one of the huge reasons that team won 10 games in Jim Harbaugh's first year. O'Neill's well-placed punts of- ten flipped field position, and many of them weren't returnable. He also had a knack for dropping kicks in- side the 10. Kenny Allen was also very good in that role in 2016, with Michigan finishing 42nd na- tionally in net punting. Last year proved how important net punting can be. Rookie Brad Robbins struggled, as many true freshmen do, and the Wolverines finished only 113th (35.73 per punt). U-M also missed return man Jabrill Peppers, who took his game-breaking skills to the Cleveland Browns. U-M finished only 59th in punt returns (7.81 yards per runback), and though freshman Donovan Peoples-Jones ripped off a 79-yard touchdown (Air Force) and a 42-yarder in- side the 5-yard line against Ohio State, he was inconsis- tent. Balls that Peppers used to come up and catch would hit and roll, and Peoples- Jones averaged only eight yards per return. Kick return, too, suffered in Peppers' absence, finish- ing 109th (18.61-yard aver- age) in the country. The saving grace — the nation's No. 1 kickoff cov- erage unit (15.0 yards per return allowed), thanks to specialist James Foug's high, booming kicks — will be on someone else's shoulders this year with Foug having graduated. Yardage on special teams is often the different between win- ning and losing in close games. U-M needs to be on the positive side of these again. 4. Who replaces Mike McCray at linebacker? The fifth-year senior saved his best games in maize and blue for last — notching 11 tackles, including three for loss, in a loss to Ohio State before posting nine stops and four behind the line of scrimmage in the bowl game — and was probably under-ap- preciated by the fan base. He wasn't U-M's fastest linebacker and strug- gled at times in coverage, but he was honorable mention All-Big Ten for a reason … and a lot of guys are going to look slower playing next to junior Devin Bush Jr. This is one of the position battles defensive coordinator Don Brown said he couldn't wait to see this spring. He said during Outback Bowl practices that redshirt sopho- more Devin Gil and sophomore Josh Ross were both very capable football players, and though different — Ross is a big hitter, Gil a bit faster — both bring plenty to the position. The best news here is there are two guys who are capable, so this will be a position with solid depth, just like the other linebacker spots. 5. Is there enough depth at safety, and can they cover well enough to do what coordinator Don Brown wants? Brown was blunt in January while assessing fans' assessments of the pass defense when they said he should play more zone, re- sponding "I don't care." "What do you want from me?" he asked rhetorically, and it was a great question. The Wolverines finished first nationally in pass defense (150.1 yards allowed per game) and were outstand- ing in most other metrics, too, including third-down defense (first, 26.1 percent conversion rate allowed). Everyone remembers the bad plays, however, and many of them came when safeties were lined up on talented receivers. It of- ten took great throws and catches to beat them — Penn State's receivers over senior Tyree Kinnel and Wisconsin's over sopho- more Jaylen Kelly-Powell to name a couple — but they happened, were big plays and lasting memories. Junior Josh Metellus, too, got beat against Ohio State. But it happens. There's talent there, and sopho- more J'Marick Woods is one they're high on. Utah gradu- ate transfer Casey Hughes will be expected to help there, too, and they'll need all hands on deck. Brown isn't going to change his philosophy, and he shouldn't. No defense is perfect, and this was one of the nation's best a year ago. ❏ Sophomore J'Marick Woods tallied only nine tackles in 2017 and plays at a position where both starters return, but he will push for playing time. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN