Michigan Football vs Maryland: Game Balls

De’Veon Smith

Smith went for 114 yards and 3 touchdowns on a season high 19 carries while the rest of the backs only had 11 total carries. Maryland defense caveats withstanding, Smith continued to look really good.

Tyrone Wheatley seems to be doing a hell of a job with this group: as recently as earlier this year, Smith still looked like an blind, angry moose on way too many plays, running right into a pile instead of either hitting the open hole or waiting for one to open up. He didn’t resemble that at all on Saturday. He was hitting holes and waiting for lanes to open up and consistently made positive plays (he averaged six yards per carry and his long was only fourteen).

He’s not ever going to be a gamebreaker the way Evans and Higdon can be, but at this point it seems like he’ll get you six yards every time he touches the ball. He just never goes down at first contact (first contact was usually about three yards past the line of scrimmage against the Terps) and he’s finally sorted out those vision issues.

Smith’s skill set is going to be important against better defensive lines, so it was encouraging to see him get past the 100 yard mark with ease.