Michigan Football: Grading the Wolverines against Colorado State

Special teams: A

Just as we have come to expect under Jay Harbaugh, the special teams were flawless. Not only did Jake Moody make all of his field goals and extra points, but he also didn’t allow any kickoffs to be returned. Brad Robbins also had two punts for 94 yards.

The coverage, which is aided greatly by the kicking of Robbins/Moody, was spectacular and didn’t allow a single return yard. There weren’t any big returns but there also weren’t any turnovers, which is a win in my book.

Coaching: A

I love what I saw from Jesse Minter. That was one of the biggest questions heading into the season. Mike Macdonald did such a great job, you wondered if there was going to be a dropoff but not at all. Minter was aggressive and put guys in a position to make plays.

Yes, it was just Colorado State, but the defense looks to be just as good as last season and I’m excited to see what we get from Minter, who seems better suited for college than Macdonald in part due to the recruiting aspect of things.

As I said, I would like to see more shot plays on offense but sometimes, you have to take what the defense gives you. I don’t know the play calls but I’m sure more explosive plays will be a goal this week against Hawaii.

All in all, Sherrone Moore leaned on his running game when needed, and hopefully, he and co-OC Matt Weiss open it up for McCarthy, who could win the job for good Saturday night.