Michigan was staring .500 right in the face on Saturday as the Wolverines trailed Penn State at halftime. But Kyle Whittingham made the move to bench quarterback Bryce Underwood for Tommy Carr to begin the second half, and it was the spark Michigan needed.
The Wolverines would score 21 points in the final 30 minutes of play to win 21-18, and move to 4-2 on the season. Michigan's next task will be hosting an angry Indiana team that suffered its first loss in two seasons.
Here is how Pro Football Focus graded Michigan's players against Penn State and what the snap counts say.
Top 10 offensive players
- Rhino Manuel Beigel - 82.2 grade
- TE Hogan Hansen - 79.7
- QB Tommy Carr - 72.0
- RT Blake Frazier - 71.3
- RB Savion Hiter - 71.0
- C Jake Guarnera - 70.9
- RG Avery Gach - 69.5
- RB Jordan Marshall - 69.2
- LG Nathan Efobi - 65.5
- TE Jalen Hoffman - 62.5
What did snap counts say about Michigan's offense?
The first eye-popping thing was the snap count for freshman Travis Johnson. The four-star true freshman played in 12 snaps against Penn State, which was the most playing time he's seen since the UTEP blowout. The Wolverines continued to use the Rhino, but Michigan had have a few more empty formations and some pistol looks.
Michigan clammed up some when Carr came into the game, which made sense. The Wolverines are going to protect Carr, being a true freshman and slender in size. But maybe Michigan will get its other playmakers more involved going forward.
Speaking of the Rhino, Beigel returned after a two-game absence and he saw 26 snaps, grading out as the most productive player behind Bryson Kuzdzal, who saw just four snaps. The Wolverines ran for their season-high against the Nittany Lions, and running more downhill should only help Michigan.
Top 10 defensive players
- S Rod Moore - 88.4 grade
- Edge Benny Patterson - 76.7
- S Chris Bracy - 74.9
- Edge John Henry Daley - 70.3
- DT Jonah Lea'ea - 68.6
- Edge Tariq Boney - 68.0
- LB Troy Bowles - 67.6
- LB Chase Taylor - 66.5
- LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng - 64.2
- DT Trey Pierce - 62.3
What did snap counts say about the Wolverines' defense?
Let's start with the obvious: Michigan played both Jordan Young (38 snaps) and Mason Curtis (36) the most it has all season. Both players saw a season-high in snaps and it's likely because Penn State had heavier formations. Cornerback Shamari Earls saw seven snaps, along with Rod Moore, who suffered an injury after intercepting Rocco Becht.
Both Young and Curtis provided more run support, along with playing some Nickel when needed. Jay Hill has shown he will adjust his personnel based on how the opposition lines up on the field.
The other thing that stood out was freshman Tariq Boney seeing the second-most snaps of any edge rusher in the game. John Henry Daley led the team with 65 snaps, and Boney was second with 34. Dom Nichols, who has seen less and less playing time due to an injury, played in 24 snaps. Benny Patterson, Carter Meadows, and Cam Brandt all saw snaps as well.
It's becoming clearer that Boney will be a mainstay on the Wolverines' defense.
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