Published Sep 19, 2019
Previewing Michigan with Rivals.com's The Wolverine
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Jake Kocorowski  •  BadgerBlitz
Senior Writer
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@JakeKoco

The No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers now turn their attention to the start of the Big Ten season with the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines making their way to Madison for a Saturday morning showdown.

Michigan (2-0) comes off a bye week of its own after taking two overtimes to defeat the visiting Army a couple of weeks ago.

Check out some key stats and our Q&A team preview with Chris Balas from Rivals.com's The Wolverine.

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KEY 2019 TEAM STATS

*Record: 2-0

*Points per game: 32.0

*Opponents points per game: 21.0

*Rushing yards per game: 170.5

*Opponents rushing yards per game: 133.5

*Passing yards per game: 226.0

*Opponents' passing yards per game: 138.5

*Third-down conversions: 48%

*Opponents' third-down conversions: 29%

*Total turnovers created: 5

*Total turnovers given up: 5 (zero interceptions, five fumbles)

NAMES TO KNOW: OFFENSE

*Quarterback Shea Patterson: 62.1 completion percentage, 410 yards, three touchdown passes, zero interceptions

*Running back Zach Charbonnet: 41 rushes, 190 yards (4.6 yards per carry), three touchdowns

*Wide receiver Ronnie Bell: Nine receptions, 99 yards

*Wide receiver Tarik Black: Seven receptions, 104 yards, one touchdown

*Wide receiver Nico Collins: Five receptions, 81 yards, one touchdown

*Tight end Sean McKeon: Four receptions, 72 yards, one touchdown

*Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson: Former four-star recruit from Hartland (WI) Arrowhead

NAMES TO KNOW: DEFENSE

*Linebacker Khaleke Hudson: 20 total tackles, one quarterback hurry

*Linebacker Jordan Glasgow: 17 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss

*Defensive back Brad Hawkins: 17 tackles, one pass breakup

*Linebacker Josh Ross: 15 tackles

*Defensive back Lavert Hill: three tackless, one interception, one pass breakup

*Defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson: 14 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble

*Linebacker Josh Uche: 10 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble

1. What have been the general feelings about Michigan's 2-0 start after the double-overtime win and the bye week? 

Balas: That we don’t know a whole lot about the defense (other than it’s still fast and plays hard, and the "other corner" position is pretty solid) after two weeks and the offense is a mistake-prone, work in progress.

The first two opponents were quirky — a run-and-shoot Middle Tennessee State team that got the ball out very quickly in the opener and an Army team with a triple option that’s tough to prepare for. They’d been working on it since spring, in fact, and Army ended up putting up its worst offense numbers in a few years (though it did score 21 points). This Wisconsin game will be the one in which we find out a lot about the interior of U-M’s defense.

The offense can’t get out of its own way. U-M was last in fumbles lost after two weeks and was among the worst in total turnovers (no picks, though). Michigan went into an offensive shell in the win over Army, but the receiving corps has had some really good moments in the first two weeks. If Patterson is healthier — and he seems to be — we expect him to throw more this week.

2. We always ask about injuries. Who could be out, who could return, and what could the impact be for Saturday's contest? 

Balas: There have been bogus reports about a surgery to freshman running back Zach Charbonnet, who has been U-M’s leading rusher. He’s also the best pass blocker (by far), and they’ll need him. It sounds like he won’t be 100 percent, but we’d call him “probable” to play. Michigan’s second-best pass blocker at running back, Tru Wilson, is also questionable.

Junior wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones remains highly questionable with a high ankle sprain. Left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. is expected to play his first game of the year, and interior lineman Mike Dwumfour is questionable with an arm injury he aggravated against Middle Tennessee State. They need all the linemen they can get in this game, and his absence would hurt. Patterson is banged up with an oblique but got much better during the bye week.

3. What changes have you seen out of Michigan's offense with new coordinator Josh Gattis? Where has it clicked, and where hasn't it? 

Balas: Turnovers have skewed the numbers, as have injuries. They had to start redshirt freshman tackle Ryan Hayes in the opener, and though he was player of the game in the opener, he came back down to earth against Army. The Black Knights’ blitzes got the better of him a few times, and that put the offense in a shell in the second half. The passing game hasn’t been as good as hoped in part because of sketchy (at times) protections, a few missed throws to wide open receivers and a handful of drops.

Charbonnet has been better than advertised, and backup Christian Turner (who’s had his difficulties in pass pro) has shown some explosiveness. But we haven’t seen a lot of the promised “explosive” plays through two games, other than the first half against Middle Tennessee State. It’s been a missed block here, a drop there that has really slowed them down, and the tempo hasn’t been as high as expected. We’d expect to see an uptick in that area Saturday.

4. Through two games, how has Don Brown replaced Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary and Devin Bush? Which defensive players could shine against Wisconsin inside Camp Randall Stadium this weekend? 

Balas: The defensive ends are outstanding pass rushers. If they get Wisconsin into third and long situations, guys like Kwity Paye and Josh Uche could be a handful. The key, obviously, is not letting Wisconsin get to third and short with Jonathan Taylor, a tough task. It seemed like the Badgers went away from him too early last year and panicked a bit when they got down … we don’t expect that to happen this year.

Josh Ross and Jordan Glasgow have been very good in replacing Bush. They aren’t as fast, obviously, but Ross has been rock solid and is strong, while Glasgow has been one of the defense’s pleasant surprises this year.

As for Winovich and Gary … we could find out Saturday how much their losses mean in a game like this. Gary wasn’t a great pass rusher, but he could certainly hold the edge against the run. Winovich was good both against run and pass, and Paye will be tested in the run game.

Where do you feel Michigan could give Wisconsin trouble, and vice versa, how could the Badgers give the Wolverines fits? 

Balas: Michigan’s got a lot of playmakers at the receiver positions and Patterson can do more with his feet when he’s healthy (read option stuff). We’ve seen some of the new RPO stuff, but not all of it, and we’d expect them to open up the offense this game. Wisconsin has been outstanding defensively in its first two games, but this is a much bigger challenge, obviously. The offensive line returns intact a year after winning up front against the Badgers last year.

For U-M, it’s simple — can the interior line hold up against Taylor and the Badgers’ o-line? If not, the Wolverines will bleed to death slowly and fade in the fourth quarter.

What's your game prediction, and why? 

Balas: Wisconsin, 23-20. This Michigan defense is solid, but it’s potential weakness — interior line — plays directly to the Badgers’ strength. I expect a big day for Taylor and for Wisconsin to control the tempo with its running game.