Biggest surprises for Michigan football in 2023
Biggest surprises for Michigan football in 2023
Four storylines that came out of the blue and caught our attention this year.
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The Michigan Wolverines’ 2023 season went approximately as planned, for the most part. They were comfortably within the range of possibilities for an unbeaten season and a trip to the College Football Playoffs. They will now play Alabama in the Rose Bowl in an attempt to win the National Championship.
But every season has some unexpected twists that both the club and the supporters fail to anticipate. This season, Illinois encountered both positive advancements and unexpected obstacles that exacerbated the path ahead.
We examine some of the biggest surprises that the Wolverines could face in 2023 today.
Jim Harbaugh’s Suspensions
What if I told you in June that Jim Harbaugh would only be Michigan’s coach for six games during the regular season? Although it was difficult to accept at the moment, it is exactly what transpired.
It was revealed weeks before the regular season began that Harbaugh would miss four games due to recruiting infractions related to the “burger-gate” controversy. The school ultimately modified this suspension to a three-game suspension. Luckily, Bowling Green, UNLV, and East Carolina were the opponents in those games. The Wolverines, without their head coach, had a comparatively easy start, winning three games to none.
However, Harbaugh’s three-game ban for the remainder of the regular season certainly came out of nowhere. These were directed at Ohio State, Penn State, and Maryland following the scandalous sign-stealing probe.
Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore led Michigan to a 3-0 finish and a significant victory over rival Ohio State in the final three regular season games, despite a legal battle for an injunction on the day of the team’s game against Penn State.
Underclassman Breakouts
We were curious about which young guys could step up to the plate and have a significant effect going into the season. This season, wide receiver Semaj Morgan and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant in particular stood out—one on each side of the ball.
Morgan, a West Bloomfield freshman, had just 17 receptions for 183 yards, so he wasn’t exactly Michigan’s top receiver. Morgan, though, was mostly employed as a gadget player on sweeps and screens and only managed four end zone touchdowns. He also demonstrated his skills on special teams during the Big Ten Championship, returning a punt 84 yards.
In Grant’s case, he came out of nowhere to become a force along Michigan’s defensive line. Coming into the year, Mason Graham and Kris Jenkins were the defensive tackles who got most of the attention, but it was Grant who shined the brightest. He compiled 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception en route to All-Big Ten Honors (second-team coaches, third-team media). Next year, him and Graham should form the best defensive tackle tandem in the conference.
Run Game Struggles
Michigan’s comeback in 2021 and 2022 was mostly fueled by its offensive identity as a smash-mouth squad that could run the ball anywhere. This year, however, that hasn’t been the case as Michigan’s rushing offense has dropped significantly from last year’s average of 238.9 yards per game to rank No. 59 nationally with 161.8 yards per game.
There might be several causes for this. Early on, it seemed as though Michigan’s revamped offensive line was having trouble settling in and creating space for the backs to run. Blake Corum appeared to lack the same burst to break off those 60-yard rushes that seemed to happen in every game in 2022 for the whole season.
However, Corum still proved reliable for picking up chunks of yards and was nearly automatic at the goal line, as evidenced by his 24 rushing touchdowns.
Additionally, Donovan Edwards was expected to take another step forward this season after his 991-yard year in 2022. He struggled to find run space on the ground this year and has only mustered 382 yards, but he did make a decent impact through the air with 249 yards on 30 receptions.
Pass Defense
With D.J. Turner, Gemon Green, and R.J. Moten gone from the team after the previous season, the secondary was perceived as a possible vulnerability. While the return of Mike Sainristil and Will Johnson, who both had strong 2022 seasons, gave some hope, Michigan would still require more.
Michigan, however, received more. As anticipated, Johnson and Sainristil had strong seasons. Particularly noteworthy were Sainristil’s five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two sacks. That enabled him to be selected as a first-team member of the Sporting News All-American Team.
To form the second-best pass defense in the country, the remainder of the secondary played admirably as well. The unit picked interception 16 passes, which tied for seventh nationally, and allowed only 152.6 yards per game. The team also boasted the sixth-best defensive passing efficiency in the country.
Josh Wallace, a transfer from UMass who was recognized by coaches and media as an All-Big Ten honorable mention cornerback, made significant contributions to the secondary. Additionally impressive was a revolving cast of characters at safety, which included Quinten Johnson, Rod Moore, Makari Paige, and Keon Sabb.
Michigan’s victory over Ohio State was also largely due to the secondary, as interceptions by Rod Moore and Will Johnson changed the course of the game.
Rod Moore picks it to seal No. 3 @UMichFootball’s third straight win over No. 2 Ohio State.