The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1169070
OCTOBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 39 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Three Best Players 1. Freshman running back Zach Charbonnet — He has led Michigan in rushing in each of the first two contests, carrying for 90 yards in the season opener against Middle Tennessee State, and then following it up with 100 yards and three touchdowns against Army. Head coach Jim Harbaugh praised the California native's efforts in the pass-blocking de- partment following the win over the Blue Raiders, with tight ends coach Sherrone Moore even adding that his college teammate at Oklahoma, future All-Pro Adrian Peterson, was the only other freshman running back he has seen pass block as well as Charbonnet. 2. Sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson — His 2.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage through the first two weeks led the team, with none bigger than the three-yard loss he recorded against Army on the second-to-last play of the Sept. 7 contest (the Black Knights' lost fumble on the next snap ended the game). Hutchinson's half sack is also tied for the third most on the club, while his 14 total tackles rank fifth. 3. Junior cornerback Ambry Thomas — He was hospital- ized for a month with colitis over the summer, but that hasn't stopped the veteran corner from making a massive impact through the first two victories. Thomas' best game came in the opener against Middle Tennessee State, when he first showed off his impressive athleticism by making a leaping interception along the sideline in the second quarter. He then followed it up by recovering a fumble on the Blue Raiders' ensuing offensive possession, marking the first fumble recovery of his career. Key Play Army lined up for a third-and-11 play from U-M's 26-yard line in the second overtime session of the Sept. 7 contest at The Big House, trailing 24-21 and needing points to keep the game alive. Black Knight senior quarterback Kelvin Hopkins immediately dropped back to throw, while junior defensive end Kwity Paye came storming into the backfield from Hopkins' left side. Paye grabbed the senior from behind just as sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp came barreling down on his front. The football flung out of Hopkins' hands and bounced five yards backward as senior linebacker Josh Uche attempted to land on it. It squirted between his legs, however, just as Paye and four Army offensive linemen also tried to recover it. The U-M junior then emerged from the bottom of the pile with the ball as a referee attempted to sort matters out, sealing the 24- 21 victory and igniting an eruption of pure jubilation from the entire Wolverine team. Best Highlight With Michigan trailing Middle Tennessee State 7-3 and 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter of the Aug. 31 contest, senior quarterback Shea Patterson took a shotgun snap from MTSU's 36-yard line. He faked a handoff to senior running back Tru Wilson, just as the veteran rusher perfectly picked up a blitzing Blue Raider linebacker by knocking him (and himself ) to the ground. Wilson's outstanding pass protection gave Patterson enough time to find redshirt sophomore wideout Tarik Black 36 yards downfield and all alone in the end zone. With no other MTSU defenders within five yards of him, Black hauled in the pass as he fell to the ground, giving U-M a 10-7 lead and the edge for good. The touchdown was one of three first-half scores Patterson threw that night, and marked Black's first touchdown since his first collegiate game against Florida on Sept. 2, 2017. Surprise Performer Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow easily gets the nod here, especially when considering he wasn't even ex- pected to start heading into the season. Glasgow has not only started the first two contests but has seldom come off the field, playing 50 snaps in the opener and leading the defense with 69 against Army. The veteran's two sacks lead the team and his two tackles for loss are the second most. The former walk-on also made one of the club's most crucial plays of the year in the third quarter of the Sept. 7 triumph over Army, when he literally stood up Hopkins with a violent collision inches in front of the goal line, preventing Army from taking a 21-7 lead (it would later throw an interception to senior cornerback Lavert Hill on the possession). Bold Prediction Harbaugh will continue starting Patterson (at least) through the month of September and into October, despite the senior's oblique injury. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis admitted following the Army win that the oblique had been bothering Patterson since the MTSU contest, and most believe it was the reason for several of the senior's missed throws and his limited rushing productivity against the Black Knights. Despite Patterson's inconsistency that game, redshirt sopho- more quarterback Dylan McCaffrey only saw 11 snaps, further adding to the notion that Patterson will continue to be 'the guy' moving forward if he's healthy enough to take the field. — Austin Fox Superlatives Through Two Games (Aug. 31-Sept. 7) Running back Zach Charbonnet became the first U-M freshman to start a season opener at running back since Sam McGuffie against Utah in 2008 and is just the fourth since 1944. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN