3 key stats from the 2016 Football season

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Michigan Team Rushing, last 3 seasons-

Year Att. Yards TDs YPG Record
2014 425 1,954 17 162.8 5-7
2015 491 2,057 27 158.2 10-3
2016 574 2,768 41 212.9 10-3

Michigan Team Turnover Margin, last 3 seasons

Season Margin
2014 -16
2015 -4
2016 +7

 

7 interceptions as a team this year was the fewest Michigan has thrown since 2002.

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Squash34

January 5th, 2017 at 2:28 AM ^

People keep saying this. However, I think the talent was there across the board... Accept for the gaurd spots. The tackles did very good in pass pro and OK in run blocking. Cole was good save when he was up against a big NT that will be playing in the NFL next year. The gaurd play was the one spot that was very dicey at the end of the year. I think this will improve. Kalis started out as a please the surprise but fell back into bad habits. He did OK in the bowl after half, but he should not have needed to be coached up on the basic stunt pick ups he was missing. Bredeson played like you would expect a freshman to play. I think next year the line will start to really start to look like a harbaugh line. Afterall, most of the line will be made up of guys that have only had drevno coaching them in college. Outside of the line though, I think the team had a bunch of talent. They may not have a bunch of first round type guys, but they have NFL caliber players at most positions. However, I think the young guys will for sure be an athletic upgrade at some of the position.

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Stringer Bell

January 4th, 2017 at 7:55 PM ^

Eh, he was good against bad teams and not so good against our tougher opponents.  I realize he had a mediocre OL and running game supporting him, but his accuracy and decision making really declined in our big games.

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ArmenHammer

January 4th, 2017 at 8:11 PM ^

Idk man, I saw Speight man up against the OSU defense and makes some great throws, the best of course being the 4th down dime to Darboh in the back of the endzone during overtime while getting bum rushed by 8 players. He took shots all year, yet remained poised and confident in the pocket. Not to mention, he had an uncanny ability to escape the pocket. Those two interceptions in Colombus were due to a tip from a blitzer that De'Veon never blocked for and the other was a bad reed due to the ref blocking out the coverage downfield. Aside from those two, you can forget about the first and last interceptions of the year since they weren't really a testmanent to his overall performance, and Speight proved efficient and careful for his first year starting. The only 'bad' games Wilton had, I think, were against Wisconsin and Iowa, where he made poor decisions in both games. When he needed to make a comeback or bounce-back, he was simply clutch: 2nd drive against Hawaii, 1st half against Colorado, against OSU numerous times, and the 4th quarter in the Orange Bowl. Factor in the inconsistency of the run game and the abysmal o-line down the stretch of games, and I have absolutely no problem with him continuing to start next year.

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Stringer Bell

January 4th, 2017 at 8:27 PM ^

I think Wisconsin was one of his better games considering how good their defense was, and Colorado was easily one of his worst along with Iowa.  He wasn't great in the OB either, missing quite a few throws that were there to be made.  Against OSU, while he did give a gutsy performance, he wasn't all that good.  We only had 1 long TD drive, he didn't really take many shots downfield, and provided OSU with the only scoring they were able to get in regulation.  The first interception wasn't squarely on him, but he still decided to throw the ball up for grabs against a ball hawking secondary while in his own endzone.  That had the potential to go very poorly and it did.  The second interception was 100% on him, and gave OSU the momentum they needed to ultimately win the game.  Like I said, his accuracy and decision making declined steeply against the better teams.  We didn't see the exponential improvement we got with Rudock and if anything Speight got worse as the year went on.  If Peters is able to grab the job next year I think we could have a really good year and set ourselves up for a playoff run in 2018.  If not, I think our ceiling isn't that high.

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1VaBlue1

January 4th, 2017 at 10:38 PM ^

You should step back and realize that OSU performance in the correct context - that he was still injured.  He didn't throw the ball anymore than 15-20 yards in the air the entire game.  I thought that was a fantastic game plan for an injured QB, and it was painfully obvious that OSU picked up on it, too.  I also have no doubt that he was getting more sore as the game went on.

But hey, you keep thinking he should have been tossing 50 yarders...

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Squash34

January 5th, 2017 at 2:45 AM ^

The first pick verse osu was a good decision and not just him throwing it up. He just could not get enough on it because the interior of the line let a guy in right away. If he had another second, and was not getting hit on the throw/follow through, that is a big play. The second int he miss read the coverage and did not see the safety. Additionally, he missed but breaking open on a deep flag route. But he played very good besides that.

Joined: 09/13/2016

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jmblue

January 5th, 2017 at 12:04 AM ^

The pick-six was more on the protection (and/or playcalling) than anything.  That was a risky playcall that absolutely required a clean pocket and he didn't get one.  Smith whiffed on the blitzer.

 

 

 

 

 

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Squash34

January 5th, 2017 at 2:50 AM ^

I don't mind the play all. Hell, it was actually very open. Can't fault them for trusting Smith to make a block he almost always makes. But you are right on the protection causing that. I hate when people act like every int is on the qb. Some are because the wr run the wrong patter, other is because of protects, some are deflections that get perfect bounces, and some are on the qb.

Joined: 09/13/2016

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Mongo

January 5th, 2017 at 8:20 AM ^

3 QB turnovers in one game is a bad day at the office. But gutsy to play the game given he was still recovering from a separated left shoulder. He won't be 100% good until spring ball. Peters may get his shot to pass him, especially if a new QB coach is hired.

Joined: 06/25/2016

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Squash34

January 5th, 2017 at 2:38 AM ^

He was pretty clutch with that game winner. The int was a bit fluky/ lucky... Speaking of which, when is Michigan going to get these kinds of good tips, or a good bounce on a fumble? Seems like the muffed punt in the bowl was the only good bounce all year... Anyways, back to the Wisc int, he was a little off trying to tread the needle, and the Wisc backer made an amazing play. I just wrote that off as a good enough throw verse good backers but not against very good to great ones. Iowa was the only game that was bad for him in my eyes. And it was not just him. The whole offense played very bad. He took a while to get in rythem in games but he usually did. I think consistency is why people are down on him. I hope year two will help with that.

Joined: 09/13/2016

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ArmenHammer

January 5th, 2017 at 5:30 PM ^

Yea, when I said "Wilton's 'bad' games" I really should have said something more to the effect of "where Wilton wasn't himself" or where he played worse than he usually does. He finished with 219 yards off completing 62.5% of his passes. So, with only 1 interception, it really wasn't a 'bad' performance for a quarter back, especially since he was responsible for the game winner to Darboh against a top 10 defense. But, accounting for the interception, Wilton was trying too many times to thread the needle and got lucky, one instance I remember was in a completion to Chesson for a first down and a lob inside the 5 to Chesson the play before in which both cases he was lucky weren't intercepted. But, yea, nobody was themselves against Iowa. And, to the people saying a quarterback couldn't have played well if they committed 3 turnovers in one game, then lmkif you think that, later that same day of the Wisconsin game, DeShaun Watson threw had 4 turnovers against Louisville, who doesn't have a top 10 defense, yet had 397 total yards and won the game for Clemson in a primetime matchup. He was a Heisman candidate two years in a row...

Joined: 12/07/2016

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BassDude138

January 4th, 2017 at 10:55 PM ^

Can't disagree, but he did have some good moments against the good teams too. I think it is to be expected that a first year starter is going to be inconsistent. With the lack of weapons at his disposal, and the rocky O-line play at times, I think he still grades out as positive for the season, not negative.

Joined: 03/01/2016

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Larry Appleton

January 4th, 2017 at 9:02 PM ^

Not really. We were up 3 at that point. During OSU's possession after the recovery, they had that botched fake punt, and Michigan punched it in with the short field to go up 10.

Had Speight not fumbled and Michigan scored instead, would OSU have ever done the fake punt? Who's to say?



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1VaBlue1

January 4th, 2017 at 10:46 PM ^

The fake punt was based on a specific coverage formation they saw.  It wasn't a game situation that triggered it, it was set up during practice and the kicker had the okay from the opening kick to run it if he saw that particular formation.  Meyer explained that during his post-game presser.

It was a great find and only a spectacular, individual play from Jordan Glasgow stopped it.  Very similar to the formation based extra point fake that Garrett Moores ran in against Rutgers.

Joined: 01/31/2016

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Squash34

January 5th, 2017 at 2:58 AM ^

I am not sure how great of a find it was being that it was ran right where Glasgow lined up. The Rutgers fake was because they shifted the whole line except 1 or 2 guys and overloaded the one side. Idk, I could be remembering it wrong but it I think Meyers saw fouls gold there.

Joined: 09/13/2016

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westwardwolverine

January 4th, 2017 at 8:04 PM ^

The second pick was crippling. Worst case scenario with no pick (or fumble I suppose) is Michigan going into the 4th quarter up 10 and Kenny Allen booming a punt deep into OSU territory keeping the field flipped against a team that hadn't moved the ball since their first possession. Still disgusting to think about how much better Michigan had been up to that point. 

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mgoDAB

January 4th, 2017 at 8:14 PM ^

Hoke recruited very well on the defensive side of the ball, especially along the defensive line.

On offense... We got Butt, Funchess, and Darboh to mention a few. But there were a lot of swings and misses like Morris, Csonte York, Jaron Dukes, Canteen, Green, etc. Not to mention all of the trouble we've had on the OL. Quality and depth on the offensive side of the ball have been severely lacking, but with the way Harbaugh is recruiting, that should change pretty fast.

Joined: 01/04/2015

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evenyoubrutus

January 4th, 2017 at 8:38 PM ^

Hoke certainly had some decent receivers he brought in but it feels like the ones Harbaugh is getting are on a totally different level than the Hoke guys. In fact, the skill positions he's recruiting in general just seem to have so much more athleticism than what Hoke brought in, even though they aren't necessarily rated as well. Look at McDoom and Evans, guys who were fringe 4 star guys. I'm really excited to see what all these guys can do in a year or two. And, let's face it. Funchess was purely a stroke of luck on Hoke's part.

Joined: 11/04/2008

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AASTEAK

January 5th, 2017 at 6:15 AM ^

Hoke's kids were talented but undevelopped in their freshman and sophomore seasons which stunted what Harbaugh could work with. Think about Urban and Saban having recruited their whole roster and developped it throughout its college career. No comparison with Harbaugh.

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