Michigan football: Grading the Wolverines victory against Iowa
The offense
Shea Patterson’s 93.6 passer rating is the third-lowest in his career. That includes his time playing as a true freshman at Ole Miss.
Quarterback
Grade: C
Patterson was the only quarterback to enter the game even though so many were calling for backup Joe Milton – the third-string ball slinger who was moved up following the injury to Dylan McCaffrey.
The calls are understandable, Shea hasn’t completed 20 passes in a game this season and his no touchdown/one interception performance against the Hawkeyes isn’t exactly great for his professional resume.
Running backs
Grade: C+
Jim Harbaugh told the media 33 carries is too many for the star true freshman Zach Charbonnet. Before Jim uttered his comments, Josh Gattis said he ran the ball so many times to even out the time of possession against Army. While the statements are not directly contradictory, there is a perceived palpable rift between the two coaches. Yelling at each other on the sideline during the Rutgers contest didn’t help public perception either.
Coaching disputes aside, Charbonnet experienced success on the ground as the lone bright spot for this offense in the first half. While Zach played well, Tru Wilson surprised with his seven yards-per-carry on four runs.
Wide receivers
Grade: B-
How do you grade a group that didn’t have the opportunity to shine? Week after week, we see Shea missing an open target, and week after week, the talents of this receiving corps are wasted.
Nico Collins held the starring role in limited action with a 51-yard reception.
Tight ends
Grade: C+
With Sean McKeon out, Nick Eubanks and true freshman Erick All stepped up. Again, it’s tough to grade a group of underutilized big men.
Nick caught two passes for 17 yards, which are numbers that are right around his average for the season.
Offensive line
Grade: C
Shea wasn’t hit too many times, not like he was in other games. The line surrendered two sacks, and three QB hurries, relatively low numbers compared to other games. It’s the inability to get the running game going that lowered the grade.