The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 33 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Three Best Players 1. Redshirt freshman running back Hassan Haskins He led the Wolverines in rushing against both Notre Dame and Mary- land, racking up a career-high 149 yards in a 45-14 beatdown of the Irish Oct. 26 and 60 yards in U-M's 38-7 triumph over the Terrapins Nov. 2. Haskins' efficiency as a runner was also on display when he averaged 7.5 yards per carry against Notre Dame and 4.6 versus Maryland, while also reeling in the first three receptions (for nine yards) of his career against the Terrapins. 2. Senior safety Josh Metellus He led the team with nine tackles in the obliteration of Maryland, while also chipping in two stops behind the line of scrimmage and a crucial first-quarter interception at the U-M 8-yard line as the Terrapins were at- tempting to find the end zone. Me- tellus added another tackle for loss in the triumph over Notre Dame, while his four stops that game were tied for the third most on Michigan's de- fense. 3. Senior linebacker Josh Uche He registered two sacks in College Park to give him a team-best 7.5 on the year (as of Nov. 15), already surpassing the club-leading seven he accumulated all of last season. Uche also set the tone defensively on the Terrapins' first offensive series of the day, ending their drive with a sack by easily bull rushing 298-pound redshirt sophomore right tackle Marcus Minor (Uche is listed at 250 pounds) en route to bringing down redshirt junior quarter- back Josh Jackson. Key Play With Michigan leading Notre Dame 17-7 in the Oct. 26 contest at The Big House, senior quarterback Shea Patter- son took a second-and-goal shotgun snap from the Irish 8-yard line with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter, looking to expand the Wolverines' lead. He immediately turned to his right, seemingly unaware of a blitzing Notre Dame line- backer barreling down on him from his blind side. The senior released the ball just as the Irish defender attempted to sack him, which likely took some steam off the pass. The ball still managed to travel to the far right corner of the end zone, where it fell into the arms of diving junior wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Patterson's touchdown pass stretched Michigan's lead to 24-7, and signified the perfect response to the score Notre Dame had put on the board on its previous possession. It also killed the brief momentum the Irish had built, with the Maize and Blue finishing the game on a 21-7 run from that point on. Best Highlight Maryland kicked off to Michigan to start the Nov. 2 showdown between the two in College Park, with freshman wideout Giles Jackson fielding the ball at his own 3-yard line. Redshirt junior linebacker Devin Gil and junior fullback/defensive tackle Ben Mason simultaneously provided outstanding blocks at the Michigan 20-yard line, giving Jackson a gaping hole to run through. The freshman hit the gap and then turned on the jets, with Maryland sophomore kicker Joseph Petrino the only obstacle be- tween him and the end zone. Petrino swiped at Jackson with his left arm at the U-M 35-yard line, but the weak attempt was no match for the fresh- man. Jackson never broke stride as he sprinted the rest of the way toward the end zone, giving Michigan a 7-0 lead right off the bat. The kick return touchdown was U- M's first since then-sophomore cor- nerback Ambry Thomas ran one back 99 yards last season at Notre Dame, and it set the tone for what wound up being a 38-7 Wolverine victory over the Terps. Surprise Performer Freshman wideout Mike Sainristil gets the call here, thanks to his three-catch, 73-yard performance in Michigan's 45- 14 blowout of Notre Dame Oct. 26. The freshman had only caught one pass for eight yards entering the contest, but wound up leading the club in both receptions and receiving yards against the Irish. Sainristil showed off his athleticism and speed on his 26- yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter, when he easily broke out of two tackle attempts upon catching the ball over the middle of the field, before sidestepping sophomore cornerback TaRiq Bracy with an impressive juke move on his way to the end zone. Bold Prediction Michigan will beat MSU Nov. 16 by at least 20 points. This may not seem all that bold to some when considering the Spartans' struggles this season, but it's important to remem- ber they still boast a top-25 defense (24th nationally as of Nov. 10, allowing 323.0 yards per game), and that they've always played the Wolverines tough under head coach Mark Dantonio. U-M's four victories against Dantonio have come by an av- erage of just 7.2 points, with last season's 21-7 win marking the Wolverines' biggest margin of victory in the rivalry since 2006 when they took down the Spartans 31-13. Michigan has not beaten MSU by 20 or more points since a 49-3 beat- down in 2002. — Austin Fox Superlatives For The Two Games From Oct. 26-Nov. 2 Redshirt freshman Hassan Haskins led the Wolverines in rushing against both Notre Dame (149 yards) and Maryland (60). PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL