Derek Jambor ’20 Business/ Ad Manager
The 2018 Michigan football season has been one to remember, both for the team and its fanbase. The Wolverines, led by junior quarterback Shea Patterson and senior linebacker Chase Winovich, hope to end their season with a big win in the Peach Bowl.
The Wolverines finished off their regular season with a 10-2 record with their two loses coming from Notre Dame and Ohio State, both of which were big rivalry games in which they struggled to put any offense together and could not stop the opposing team’s offense especially against Ohio State.
They gave up 62 points to the Buckeyes, which is the most points given up in the history of that matchup between the two teams. After the loss, Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said “They exploited our weaknesses, and we give credit to them for that. “He added”, They were well prepared and executed their assignments the best they have done all season.” Despite the two losses that Michigan suffered during the season, they improved drastically from the 2017 season.
The Wolverines did finish with the best defense in the country, allowing only 3150 yards total and forcing 12 turnovers. Defensive coordinator Don Brown has been one of the main reasons for Michigan’s success. Junior Grant Fish on how he feels when he watches Michigan’s defense, he said regarding Michigan’s defense, “It’s electric. They have 11 guys flying to the ball every play no matter the score.” That is one of the best traits in a defense, and not many teams in the country possess it.
The questionable part about Michigan was their offensive efficiency. The team had the talent with an excellent running back in Karan Higdon, and speed on the outside with there star receivers Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones. When they faced teams who could plunge up the middle they rarely had an answer. Michigan was ranked 46 in total offense which is not horrible, but due to the conservativeness with the offensive coordinator, Pep Hamilton did not use all the weapons he should have in order to exploit teams’ weaknesses. Hamilton’s future with Michigan is uncertain, but the fan base would still love to see him open up his offensive playbook.
Michigan will face The University of Florida on Dec. 29 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Harbaugh controls his own destiny at Michigan. He desperately needs a win, so he can continue to remain as the head coach at Michigan. The players are still heated about the blowout loss against Ohio State, so the team will have a chip on their shoulders until the bleeding has stopped.
Photo courtesy of MGoBlue.com
Lyon Life 