Michigan Wolverines Week 4 Recap and Review

In Week 4, the Michigan Wolverines pulled out a big road victory against Nebraska to kick off their Big 10 schedule. It wasn't perfect, but the Wolverines got the job done. Last week's dominant win against Central Michigan had many wondering how much of that performance could indicate the quality of this team. The offensive line had its best outing, allowing the running game to carry the team. The pass rush also had its strongest outing. The team still has plenty to work on, particularly with discipline, but this win turns the season in a positive direction.

Dylan Raiola threw for over 300 yards, passed for three touchdowns, on 30/41 completions, but he was frequently under pressure, with the Michigan defense accumulating seven sacks. Bryce Underwood had a big rushing touchdown. He completed only 12/22 passes, but some of those incompletions can be attributed to the wide receiver drops. A taunting penalty on Brandyn Hillman, who otherwise had a great game, cost the Wolverines a third-down stop. Nebraska got to extend the drive and kicked a field goal to cut the Michigan lead to a touchdown (27-20). Michigan extended their lead, kicking a field goal after a clock-draining drive. Nebraska scored a touchdown and failed to recover the onside kick.

"Memorial Stadium, Home of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, Lincoln, Nebraska" by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Rushing Game

Justice Haynes has been excellent this season, surpassing 100 yards for the fourth straight game (the first to do so in his first four games as a Wolverine in school history). Alabama should have had him slotted as their top running back, but Michigan is happy to have him. He had another 75-yard rushing touchdown (149 total rush yards). Underwood had a 37-yard rushing touchdown (61 total rush yards). Jordan Marshall broke out this week, with a 56-yard rushing touchdown (80 total rushing yards). The offensive line played its most cohesive game, helping the Wolverines rush for 286 yards. That is Michigan football. Their domination in the trenches helped them overcome some mistakes.

The Pass Rush

The Wolverines made Raiola work for everything. They put constant pressure on him. Jaishawn Barham led the charge. His switch to edge rusher has shifted the Wolverine defense. His absence in the first half of the Oklahoma game likely had an even greater impact than the media gave it credit for. Rashaun Benny, Derrick Moore, and Ernest Hausmann also contributed sacks. Hearing Benny and Moore's names called is a relief for the fan base and should be a momentum-building moment for the team. The unit underperformed in Oklahoma, and the strong play against CMU was downplayed. This game proved that they could be an elite defensive front.

The Discipline and Game Management Remain Issues

Michigan still had a few bad penalties, miscues, and missed opportunities. In Oklahoma, it cost them. This week, they found a way to overcome it. Hillman's penalty helped Nebraska stay in the game. The first half also included multiple missed tackles. Underwood also had a costly fumble.

The game management before the end of the first half should also raise eyebrows. Why didn't they call timeouts to make Nebraska punt instead of allowing them to take a risk-free shot at the endzone? Jim Harbaugh always demanded excellence. Take away these mistakes, and this would have been a dominant victory.

Michigan Wolverines Week 4

The good news is that many of the issues from the first two games have been cleaned up. Dominic Zvada returned to form, making all three field goal attempts. As mentioned above, the offensive and defensive lines look much better.

This team's identity is taking shape. Underwood hasn't been perfect, but his ability to throw downfield and make plays with his legs forces defenses to take the possibility of the pass seriously. This team, led by Sherrone Moore, will win with a smothering defense and a punishing run game. The Wolverines have Wisconsin in two weeks. No game is an automatic win, but Michigan should use that game to continue to clean things up for a showdown in California against USC in two weeks.

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