PFF Performance Analysis, Snap Counts, Trends: Michigan vs. Indiana

Michigan really turned it up in the second half and ended up beating Indiana pretty easily.

Michigan was on the road once again this past Saturday as Indiana hosted the maize and blue. After heading into the locker room at halftime tied 10-10 with the Hoosiers, Jim Harbaugh and his team found another gear and ended up winning 31-10. Here are the things worth looking at when dissecting the game snap by snap.

PFF Top Performers (15-Snap Minimum)

Offense

1. Ryan Hayes (81.3)

Hayes was near perfect as a pass blocker and also showed well in the run game. As far as experienced left tackles go, you can't get much better than Hayes as an all around player.

2. Blake Corum (74.0)

Surprise, surprise...Blake Corum is near the top of the list again. All he did was carry it 25 times for 124 yards and a score on the day. He didn't look as sharp while out in routes as he did carrying the ball, but he was very good in every area.

3. JJ McCarthy (73.1)

McCarthy was also very solid against Indiana. He finished 28-of-36 for 304 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The pick was on him, as he tried to force it a bit in the end zone, but he completed 78% of his passes and showed off his playmaking skills on more than one occasion.

Defense

1. Mike Sainristil (76.2)

At this point, nothing surprises me with Sainristil. He looks so at home on defense it's wild to me that he wasn't there for his entire career. Against Indiana, he was great as a tackler and in coverage. Per their grading scale, he struggled a bit as a pass rusher, but everywhere else he was solid.

2. Rayshaun Benny (73.5)

It's good to see Benny here as he starts to play a bit more. He was on the field for 18 snaps against the Hoosiers and really held his own as a tackler and as a pass rusher.

3. Mike Morris (72.4)

It's not a surprise to see Morris in this top group consistently either. He's a physical presence out there and has shown that he can get to the quarterback, set the edge and pursue very well for someone his size. Against the Hoosiers, he was outstanding as a pass rusher and recorded a sack.

PFF Bottom Dwellers (15-Snap Minimum)

Offense

1. AJ Henning (54.6)

Per PFF, Henning just wasn't particularly sharp in any area. He played 21 snaps and was below average on passing plays while running routes and as a run blocker. He finished the day with just one catch for 16 yards.

2. Trevor Keegan (56.9)

Surprisingly, Keegan struggled against Indiana as a pass blocker. He played all 76 offensive snaps, which is great to see since he's been battling some injuries, but on Saturday he left a little bit out there ass PFF credited him with giving up two pressures and two hurries.

3. Joel Honigford (60.3)

Per PFF, Honigford was just a little subpar across the board. He's obviously a former offensive lineman, so it's not surprising to read that he struggled while running routes, but he also could've been better as a run blocker.

Defense

1. Jaylen Harrell (53.4)

I actually thought Harrell played well as he recorded two tackles and a sack, but PFF had him down for a missed tackle and also had him struggling in coverage a bit as he gave up a reception during one of his pass coverage snaps.

2. Jimmy Rolder (54.5)

Rolder is a young freshman filling in as Nikhai Hill-Green still hasn't seen action this fall. Against Indiana, he struggled a bit as a pass rusher and in coverage during his 16 snaps of action.

3. Kalel Mullings (57.7)

Mullings is another backer getting some extra run in Hill-Green's absence and he also struggled at times against the Hoosiers on Saturday. He tackled well, finishing with three stops, but he wasn't as comfortable in coverage.

Freshmen Contributors (Snap Count)

1. Derrick Moore (27)

2. Will Johnson (22)

3. Mason Graham (21)

4. Jimmy Rolder (16)

5. Colston Loveland (12)

6. Kenneth Grant (8)

7. Alex Orji (1)

Total Snap Counts

Notes

• I find it interesting that RJ Moten played just 14 snaps. Last year he was one of the leaders in playing time each week, while Makari Paige struggled to find the field. On Saturday, Paige was in for 59 of 78 defensive snaps. Obviously there's a new safeties coach, but that discrepancy is pretty surprising.

• It's not surprising that a couple of linebackers were at the bottom of the grading chart. Indiana used tempo and a lot of four and five-wide sets and also split running backs out with regularity. Asking guys like freshman Jimmy Rolder and the inexperienced Kalel Mullings to chase those guys around in space all day is a tough assignment for them.

• Jim Harbaugh said that we are going to see more of freshman Derrick Moore and newcomer Eyabi Okie as they get more comfortable with calls and that played out in Bloomington. Okie played 32 snaps while Moore played 27, the most of all freshmen.