Michigan Football: Everything you need to know about Iowa

Special teams

Michigan will need to contain star wideout Smith-Marsette with kick coverage. Smith-Marsette, a New Jersey native, has returned four kicks for 74 yards, averaging 18.5 yards per. Fellow receiver Nico Ragaini is the punt return man and has five returns for 42 yards.

Keith Duncan, the extra point and field goal kicker, missed one field goal this season from 39 yards out against MTSU. He later redeemed himself that game with a 42 yarder to bump the score up 27-0. Keith is perfect with extra points.

Finally, Punter Michael Sleep-Dalton averages 45.5 yards per boot, which is currently fourth in the Big Ten.

Matt’s Musings

Supposedly, Zach Charbonnet is healthy but his time on the field has been cut since the 33 rushes against Army, a clear point of contention between head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Following the Army win, Gattis explained he ran the ball excessively to control the play clock, an explanation that still baffles many.

On the other hand, Harbaugh has spoken out, saying the 33 carriers were far too many and the load must be split between three of four running backs, much like we saw against Rutgers.

With all things considered, Zach definitely needs to be in the game more if for nothing else than his pass protection skills. If pass protection is called for the other smaller runners, there may be some hiccups, especially considering Tru Wilson is playing with a broken hand.

Outside of the run game, the Wolverines must control the line of scrimmage against a team that has a very similar philosophy to Wisconsin. And they must learn how to defend the crossing routes that have plagued this team for far too long.

This is the actual test for Michigan to see if they have genuinely rebounded, or if last week’s win was as some have said, ‘it’s just Rutgers.’