Report Card: Grading Michigan in a 51-45 loss to TCU
Grading Michigan in all areas of a disappointing 51-45 loss to TCU. The Wolverines finish 13-1 after playing one of their worst games of the year.
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Michigan rushing offense: C
The numbers were okay on the surface — 186 yards total, 4.6 per carry — but against a team like this and with the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, they should have been much better. And 54 of the Wolverines’ 186 yards came on the first play of the game when sophomore Donovan Edwards broke through a hole untouched.
They had to rely too much on the passing game with the offensive line struggling to get push, and this seemed like a game in which sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy could have been used more, too. He did some nice things with his feet in amassing 52 yards, but 39 came on a scramble and there seemed to be more available outside the tackles. We’d love to see an occasional quarterback draw with him, as well.
Michigan Passing offense: C
McCarthy was on the mark on some of his throws, and he showed moxie in completing 20 of 34 passes for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns. His touch on the deep ball has gotten much better the last few games, and it was on display again Saturday — 5 completions of 30-plus yards, several more of 20-plus. The passing game suffered, too, when grad student tight end Luke Schoonmaker went out in the first half with an injury.
At the same time, there’s a stat that winning with two pick-sixes in a game is about as likely as winning the lottery (OK, that’s an embellishment — but you get the point). Those mistakes in a game like this are the difference between winning and losing, and McCarthy’s two were huge.
Michigan rushing defense: F
This was the game’s biggest disappointment. TCU back Kendre Miller went out early after rushing 8 times for 57 yards … and his backup, Emari Demercado, proved to be even better. The run fits were off and tackling wasn’t good — perhaps the worst it’s been all year, inexplicably.
Nine of DeMercado’s 17 carries went for 4 yards or more, including 1 for 69 yards. Max Duggan added 57 yards rushing, part of a 263-yard onslaught most wouldn’t have seen coming. The Horned Frogs averaged 6.4 yards per carry.
Michigan passing defense: B-
One play was the difference between a really good effort and above average — a 76-yard touchdown to Quentin Johnson with the Horned Frogs clinging to a 41-38 lead. The third-down play should have been a stop, but DJ Turner missed a tackle and with the safety blitzing, it was over.
That was the play that pretty much won TCU the game. Duggan completed only 14 of 29 passes for 225 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, one by Rod Moore and the other by Mike Sainristil … and that came without much help from a pass rush. That’s an area that needs to be addressed next year.
Michigan special teams: B
Grad kicker Jake Moody was the guy who brings this grade up. His 59-yard kick before the half gave the Wolverines a lift in a terrible first half, and he added two other field goals. Junior A.J. Henning had a nice 16-yard punt return, and a 31-yard kick return, as well.
Grad senior punter Brad Robbins wasn’t himself much of the year, and he was just OK on Saturday. He got a nice bounce on a 64-yarder to boost his average. And the punt coverage unit gave up a 31-yard return that set up a field goal and TCU’s final points in the fourth quarter.
