Wolverines Look for Fixes to Win, Becoming Bowl Eligible
10/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan football team has little room for error in regard to qualifying for its fifth consecutive bowl game appearance.
The Wolverines (3-5, 1-3 Big Ten) can afford only one loss over the remaining four games on the schedule if they are to win six and go bowling. They host Indiana this Saturday and Maryland on Nov. 22 while traveling to Northwestern on Nov. 8 and Ohio State on Nov. 29.
"We've just got to go in the lab and figure out what's wrong," said Michigan defensive end Frank Clark, after the 35-11 loss on Saturday at Michigan State. "We really haven't played excellent second-half defense this year. That's something we have to improve upon, and that's something we have to work on in practice to get better at. Whatever it is, we have to figure it out. That's why we have this time tomorrow and the rest of the week (to practice)."
The Wolverines allowed 14 points on defense in both halves against the Spartans and actually held MSU to fewer yards in the second half. However, Michigan's inability to mount much of a running attack allowed the Spartans a 7:32 advantage in time of possession, and that was central to the outcome.
Starting tailback Derrick Green is out for the season with a broken collarbone, and nobody's been able to take charge out of the backfield. Sometimes, the holes aren't there. And sometimes, the best running route isn't taken.
"For me," said starting tailback De'Veon Smith, "I just wasn't reading the holes really well. That's just really it. I wasn't reading the holes well."
Smith had 11 carries for 39 yards and a one-yard touchdown. Justice Hayes had nine carries for 27 yards, mostly on delays, and Drake Johnson had two carries for 13 yards. But the Wolverines only mustered 65 yards on 28 carries.
Mounting a rushing attack has been a problem in Big Ten games. The Wolverines rushed for 83 yards (Minnesota), 158 yards (Rutgers) and 64 yards (Penn State) in previous conference games and beat only the Nittany Lions.
Head coach Brady Hoke was asked about what required repair on his offense, which has exceeded 18 points only once in Big Ten games.
"I think we've got some fixing to do," Hoke said. "There's no doubt that (offensive coordinator) Doug (Nussmeier) and the offensive staff and the players as much as anything, will go back to work and work hard to make it better."
Devin Gardner was 13-of-28 for 121 yards passing with two interceptions and one lost fumble against the Spartans. One of those pick-offs was returned for a touchdown. Gardner led the Wolverines to a late fourth-quarter touchdown, but it was too little too late.
Reaching the Big Ten championship game remains only a mathematical possibility but getting the six wins required to play in a bowl is a carrot still dangling in front of Michigan.
"We still have our goals in front of us with winning," said Smith. "We just have to come back tomorrow and look at our film and see what we did wrong and see what we can learn from it."
Hoke has been pleased with the attitude and practice results his Wolverines have given him, but he was asked why those positives don't always translate into the desired game results.
"I think sometimes the execution at the end maybe isn't there as much," Hoke said. "I wish I had a better answer, but I do know that we've had really good preparation and very good weeks. Once in a while, things have gone right, (but) there's been too many of them that it hasn't, though."
