Week 12: Top Performers And Under Performers

There were plenty of great stories to be marveled on Saturday against Iowa, and here to shine the light on the top of that list. As always, a dimmer light will be put on those who didn't really live up to expectations.

Start with the positives, always.

Top Performers

1. Devin Gardner - QB

Devin Gardner has been putting together some magical shows for Wolverine fans over the past couple of weeks, and it has everyone very excited for the future. But it's not because of the potential that is there. He's displaying it already. We can see it.

Last week against Iowa, Gardner put up 314 yards through the air and only had 5 incompletions. It keeps getting more and more impressive from the relatively inexperienced Junior QB.

As he's shown the past couple of weeks, he has great football instincts, and everything is so fluent. He doesn't get rushed and has the unteachable skill of being able to extend plays. It was all on display against the Hawkeyes.

2. Jeremy Gallon - WR

As it's been all year, there really isn't one, consistent WR stepping up, but one guy is always able to put up a good performance, and that's the key. This week, it was Jeremy Gallon. We've seen it from him before this season, but he was especially electric on Saturday against Iowa.

Gallon had 133 yards on 5 catches last week, easily being the most reliable target. And we talk about that every week; how it's so important that someone steps up in that talented crew of WRs. It will be interesting to see who comes through for Gardner next week.

Under Performers

1. Thomas Rawls - RB

Thomas Rawls has been letting down lately, and it's reason to be concerned because of the season-ending injury to Fitz Toussaint. This team needs a running game that is not Denard Robinson; at least a threat. Rawls has shown that he can be that guy, but not so much lately.

22 yards on 8 carries just won't cut it against most teams. Fortunately for him, the Iowa defense couldn't figure out how to contain the arm of Gardner and legs of Robinson at the same. But what if Ohio State can crack the code. Rawls would be needed more than ever in that case.

2. Devin Funchess - TE

Let me clear this up. I'm not saying I was disappointed with the play of Devin Funchess on Saturday. But I think he is capable of being a bigger threat in the pass game, especially now that Gardner is slinging the ball around. We're just waiting to see it again.

It's no secret that Funchess makes his money in the redzone with that big body and tremendous hands, so I'll be looking for him on Saturday in that situation to be a huge factor.

Week 10: Top Performers And Underperformers

Taking a game on the road against a sneaky Minnesota team was absolutely vital for Michigan as they try to keep the dreams of a Big Ten Championship alive. Some key performances were needed in order for that happen, and we're here to recap them; good and bad.

As always, we will start with the positives.

Top Performers

1.    Devin Gardner - QB

Devin Gardner out together one of the most important performances of the year for Michigan. When Denard Robinson was scratched last minute, it wasn't a question of who would step in. Gardner had been preparing all week to see some action behind center. But nobody anticipated the break out he had against the Gophers.

Gardner looked so composed in the pressure situation and did not let the moment get the best of him. He was making good decisions, didn't force anything, and showed the ability to put the ball on the money.

He completed 12 of 18 passes for 234 yards and 2 TDs. One of those scores was a 45-yard bomb to Drew Dileo, and the other was a perfectly placed ball on a fade route to Jeremy Gallon.

Week 2: Biggest Performers and Underperformers

It seemed like Michigan was 0-1 for a couple of months, and, throughout the course of the game against Air Force, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Michigan lost back-to-back games to open the season. I'm sure it would have been ugly, but it's a reality we don't have to face thanks to some very key performances on the field.

Of course, where you find good, you also find bad. Or at least unproductive. There were some not-so-great performances from some Wolverines, too. But it is always best to start with the positives.

Top Performers

1. Devin Funchess - TE

Especially after Kevin Koger left for the NFL a year ago, who would've thought we would be mentioning a Tight End as a top performer for the Wolverines? I certainly didn't. But it turns out Devin Funchess might be a vital weapon for this offense heading forward.

Funches recorded all of his first career stats last week against Air Force, and it wasn't just getting a couple numbers next to his name. They all pop out. In fact, you would probably think you're looking at a big threat Wide Receiver's numbers.

Game Review: Air Force

Final Score - Air Force: 25 Michigan: 31

First of all, it felt very nice to pick up the first win of the season and for Brady Hoke to remain perfect at home, dating back to last season. A lot of people will say that a win against Air Force is really nothing and that this can't mean the Wolverines are back on track. But here is an interesting fact about the Falcons: they have averaged 387 rushing yards through the first two weeks. And yes, that is good for first in the nation.

The Falcons were a very legitimate team to open up the home schedule with. In fact, a lot of people were pointing at this game as the most underrated on Michigan's schedule because of the fact that they played Alabama one week earlier. It took a mighty effort and a near-record breaking performance from Denard Robinson, but the Wolverines pulled off the win and got the weight off their chest.

Michigan

The most encouraging sign I saw on Saturday was Denard looked like he found his rhythym again. As I stated in my Preview and Prediction for Air Force, it was vitally important that Michigan established some sort of a running game, either through Fitz Toussaint or Denard Robinson. Obviously, Toussaint did not have the game most were expecting after coming off of a suspension, but it was more than made up for by Robinson.

On the second play of Michigan's first drive, Denard did what Denard does: run fast. Almost 80 yards to be exact. When that happens, you can safely bet Robinson will be making noise for the rest of the game. And that he did.

On the first play of the second half, Denard ran the ball 58 yards for another touchdown. He looked comfortable and sharp in the running game all afternoon. Another encouraging sign from Robinson was that he did not look at all beaten up from the week before. That was a concern of mine heading into Week 2, but he quickly dismissed any doubt in my mind that he was 100%. At least, he played as though he was at 100%.

Something that maybe deserves a little bit more attention than we initially thought in the off season is the defensive line. They are very undersized and have simply been run all over through the first two weeks. Now, they were going up against two of the best running teams in the nation, but it was pure domination up front. That could prove costly when it comes time to play teams like Ohio State and Wisconsin, who make their money on the ground.

Another concern I'm starting to take notice of is that, in general, the defense is not tackling the way they were a year ago. It is very sloppy. I see a lot of players trying to arm tackle and not wrap up the ball-carrier. Although the team pursuit on the ball has been okay, being able to tackle in the open field is very important to the success of the Michigan defense.

Air Force
The number one objective for Air Force against Michigan was to make Denard pass the ball because of the lack of success he against Alabama through the air. If you take away Robinson's two, long touchdown runs, he remained a key part of the running game, but there wasn't anything else very explosive. For the most part, Air Force kept the damage to a minimum.

However, Denard proved that he could in fact drop back and pass. The Falcons secondary did not look all that sharp against the talented Michigan receivers. In fact, it was a Tight End who led the Wolverines in receiving yards this week -- Devin Funchess. Funchess had 104 yards and got his first career touchdown reception.

At first, I was really considering making the Falcon's number one priority to be running the ball. But I decided, either way, that would happen. Air Force has a triple option attack that gives coaches nightmares. Statistically, they are the best in the nation at putting the ball on the ground. Not much changed against the Wolverines. The difference was the Michigan defense was able to come up with some timely stops throughout the game.

Lesson Of The Game

Michigan is undersized up front, especially on defense, and they need to find a way to make up for the lack of size before Big Ten teams start exploiting the weakness.

There really isn't a true way to make up for size up front other than making the opposing offense not feel completely comfortable running the ball. And the only way to do that is to send in extra pressure throughout the game and keep the offense guessing.

Obviously, that would mean sacrificing coverage at certain times, but it's the run defense that needs the most help right now.

Tyler's Prediction Record: 2-0

Notes: Fitzgerald Toussaint only had 7 yards on 6 carries in his first game of the season. Devin Funchess led the Wolverines in receiving yards and recorded his first career TD reception.

2012 Positional Breakdown: Tight End

The Wolverines didn't need a fall injury or suspension to thin the line at Tight End. As soon as Kevin Koger departed for the NFL, it became one of the biggest question marks for the Michigan offense. Head coach Brady Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges made it a point in 2011 to put the tight end back into action as it was under the wing of coaches like Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr, and that they did.

There is no definite starter for September 1st against Alabama, and incoming 2012 recruits are holding their own in fall practices as they battle for playing time. However, the vibe surrounding the program right now is that RS Senior Brandon Moore will be the starter to open up this season. Backing him up as a returner will probably be Mike Kwiatkowski.

Recapping 2012 Commit Devin Funchess

The second of the 2012 tight end commits is Devin Funchess from Farmington Hills, Michigan.  Devin is a great tight end and has good size at around 6'4", but not as big as his counterpart, A.J. Williams, weighing only around 200 lbs.  He comes from a great high school here in Michigan, Farmington Hills Harrison, which is often in the state championship conversation.  Important for Michigan because it shows they are competing for the top in-state talent once again under coach Brady Hoke.

When I was looking at Devin, it was pretty interesting.  He is basically the polar opposite of A.J. Williams.  Devin is definitely more of your pass catching tight end.  He definitely has great ball skills and ability to catch the football, while A.J. is more of your blocking Tight End.  One of the reasons I like the pick up of Devin is because you need that pass catching Tight End.  These guys are nightmares for defenders to cover.  In watching his film, he lines up at both Tight End and Wide Receiver so that shows his versatility. He has great quickness and football and is also a solid route runner and is able to go across the middle.  When I say the opposite of Williams, I meant it.  His area of improvement is definitely in his blocking.  I could see him putting on a bit of weight to fit the more true Tight End role.  An impressive thing about Devin is he played Linebacker in high school also.  He was a pretty good one as well and you don't find many two way players that are that good at both positions.  Michigan is definitely set at the Linebacker position and he won't play there, but it is something that should be noted.  It's impressive and says a lot about his talent and should help him at the Tight End position because of his understanding of the defensive side of the ball.  Look for 15-20 pounds to get put on so he's able to do a bit more blocking as well to match his great catching ability.

Recapping 2012 Commit A.J. Williams

Moving on to the tight end position for the 2012 class.  First on the list of the two commits is tight end A.J. Williams out of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Brady Hoke snatches another good prospect out of the state below.  Everybody knows that Ohio is a serious talent pool of high school players and Brady Hoke continues to snag some good ones.  A.J. is a monster kid especially for a tight end at around 6'6" and 275 pounds.  That gives him more an offensive lineman size, which should be well suited for the physical Big Ten play.

My breakdown of A.J. is really quite simple.  He is huge.  When I was watching tape, I literally thought there was a 6th offensive lineman on the field.  You've heard of the term blocking tight end.  Well, if you looked it up in the dictionary, you would probably see a picture of A.J.  The kid is quite the load to handle and can definitely do his share of blocking in run and pass protection.  As a Senior, A.J. did happen to play Offensive Tackle and he was purely dominant.  Given the solid depth on the offensive line for at least the 2012 season, he probably won't be playing there.  I don't see A.J. switching positions anytime soon, but he will be doing a lot of blocking without a doubt.  He's a big bodied kid, so when he does go out for a pass he's an absolute nightmare to cover.  He's got decent quickness, having clocked a 4.9 40 Time, but is still big and is way big for a Safety to try and cover.  Look for him to be used in a variety of ways in Ann Arbor.