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College Football

Michigan football: Grading the Wolverines after loss to Florida in Peach Bowl

Tom Brew

By Tom Brew

Published:

What had started out as a special, memorable season has ended in a thud for the Michigan football team. At one point, the Wolverines were sitting at 10-1, ranked No. 4 in the nation and on the verge of winning the Big Ten and making the College Football Playoff for the first time.

But things have changed, and changed for the worst. The Ohio State 62-39 debacle was one thing, but fuel was added to the fire Saturday when No. 7 Michigan was completely outplayed by No. 10 Florida in the Peach Bowl. It was an ugly way to end the season. Michigan is now 1-9 under Jim Harbaugh in games against top-10 teams.

Here’s what I liked — but mostly what I didn’t like — about the Wolverines’ loss to Florida:

What I liked

Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones are special

When you’re searching for positives after a game like that, it isn’t always easy. But what did stand out is that Michigan has legitimate threats on the outside, and that’s something to look forward to going forward. Wide receivers Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones both had big days. Peoples-Jones had 8 catches for 71 yards and a score and Collins had 5 catches for 80 yards. Throw in Tarik Black, if he can start a season healthy, and the Michigan wide receiver corp can be dangerous next year.

Fond farewell for defensive end Chase Winovich

It’s no surprise that senior defensive end Chase Winovich left us with a smile on our collective faces, even after a tough loss. He played great, as always, with 7 tackles and a sack. More importantly, though, he played in a bowl game when he didn’t have to, and he even played hurt, with surgery necessary very soon before he heads off to the NFL. Considering that his teammates Rashan Gary, Devin Bush and Karan Higdon opted not to play, Winovich deserves credit for giving his all right to the very end. He’s going to be missed, big time.

What I didn’t like

Running game is non-existent

Karan Higdon has been Michigan’s running game all season, so when he decided to skip Saturday’s game to prepare for the NFL Draft, there were concerns about whether the Wolverines could run the ball effectively against a stout Florida defense. It turned out they couldn’t, rushing for only 77 yards on 30 carries, a measly 2.6 yards per carry. Starter Chris Evans could never get anything going, gaining just 20 yards on 7 carries. Let’s put a bit of the blame on the offensive line as well, which struggled to create open running lanes. This was a big, big disappointment.

Shea Patterson’s 2 interceptions

The offensive line also faltered against Florida’s vaunted pass rush, and quarterback Shea Patterson was running for his life most of the game. He did complete 22 of 36 passes for 236 yards and that touchdown pass to Peoples-Jones, but he also had 2 interceptions that were crushing. The first one was his fault, and it came late in the second quarter when it was a still a game, just 13-10 Florida. He left a deep ball hanging, and Florida safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson baited him into a bad throw. His second one wasn’t really his fault. A pass was tipped late in the fourth, and Gardner-Johnson returned it 30 yards for a score. Patterson is an above average quarterback, and it’s great that he’s coming back for 2019, but there are plenty of things that need to get better with everyone on this offense.

General lack of intensity

Jim Harbaugh said in his brief postgame remarks that he thought his team was ready to play, but it sure didn’t look like it. Sure, they missed Gary, Bush and Higdon, and it didn’t help that Kwity Paye and Devin Gil left the game early with hamstring injuries, but what we saw again for the umpteenth time was the the Wolverines folded like a cheap suit and soon as things got difficult. This 1-9 record against top-10 teams is embarrassing and this was no way to end what was a very fun season.

Tom Brew

Tom Brew has been a recognized reporter in Big Ten sports for decades. Among other projects, he writes about Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.