PFF Performance Analysis, Snap Counts, Trends: Michigan vs. Hawaii
Michigan hosted Hawaii in week two on Saturday and cruised to a 56-10 victory after leading 42-0 at halftime. The Wolverines got it done through the air and on the ground as JJ McCarthy made his first start. With the game now in the rearview mirror, here are a few things worth looking at when dissecting the game snap by snap.
PFF Top Performers (15 Snap Minimum)
Offense
1. JJ McCarthy (93.7)
It's not a shocker that McCarthy tops the list — the kid was virtually flawless against Hawaii. He finished the night 11-for-12 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He only carried the ball once but it went for a 16-yard gain and a first down. Jim Harbaugh used the word "flawless" during his post game press conference for a reason.
2. Cornelius Johnson (85.6)
Johnson only had two catches in the game but one was a 54-yard bomb and the other was a 17-yard touchdown grab. According to PFF, he was really good on pretty much every passing play and also held his own as a run blocker.
3. Blake Corum (76.0)
Corum only carried the ball nine times but he piled up 88 yards and scored a touchdown. He wasn't called upon much but he churned out almost 10 yards per carry and was also serviceable as a pass blocker.
Defense
1. Mike Morris (88.4)
It was a pretty standard game for Michigan on defense all things considered. The Wolverines didn't force a turnover and Morris was the only player to record a sack. That was his only tackle in the game, but it was impressive and noteworthy since quarterback Joey Yellen got rid of the ball so quickly all night.
2. Mason Graham (81.8)
Per the official box score, Graham didn't record a tackle but he did deflect a pass and was involved in several key stops that were considered "failed" offensive plays per PFF.
3. Gemon Green (80.1)
Green has been solid through two games and was really impressive agains Hawaii. He logged 27 snaps and recorded two tackles. He was also targeted four times and gave up zero receptions.
PFF Bottom Dwellers (15 Snap Minimum)
Offense
1. Jeffrey Persi (54.4)
At this stage of his career, Persi is much better as a pass blocker given his long, lean frame and that played out on Saturday. His run blocking grade (50.2) wasn't great, but his pass blocking grade (80.6) was actually second best on the team behind only Trevor Keegan (82.2).
2. Zak Zinter (55.2)
Zinter didn't have his best performance on Saturday as he was directly responsible for at least one sack. His pass blocking grade was just 32.4, which is very uncharacteristic for him.
3. Andrel Anthony (55.3)
Anthony was only targeted once in the game and it was on the interception thrown by Cade McNamara. That obviously means that Anthony didn't have a catch in the game.
*Cade McNamara was actually the lowest-graded player (37.4) in the game but he played just 13 snaps.
Defense
1. Micah Pollard (54.0)
Pollard is just a freshman and needs to develop both mentally and physically. He struggled the most in coverage but definitely has the length and athleticism to be really good there in the future.
2. George Rooks (54.2)
Rooks had a chance at two tackles and missed them both, which means he had a 100% missed tackle rate; obviously not a good look for the young defensive lineman.
3. Jimmy Rolder (54.3)
Rolder, another freshman, was also credited with a missed tackle, but did hold his own in coverage.
Freshmen Contributors (Snap Count)
Will Johnson - 34
Mason Graham - 34
Kenneth Grant - 28
Derrick Moore - 28
Micah Pollard - 23
Jimmy Rolder - 22
Kody Jones - 21
Darrius Clemons - 18
CJ Stokes - 14
Colston Loveland - 14
Amorion Walker - 13 (8 on offense, 5 on defense)
Deuce Spurlock - 9
Tyler Morris - 7
Keon Sabb - 7
Connor Jones - 6
Tyler McLaurin - 3
Marlin Klein - 2
Snap Counts
Notes
• It's surprising, since he scored twice in pretty amazing fashion, but Roman Wilson only played 10 snaps against his home-state school. Both he and AJ Henning have gamebreaking speed and should be on the field more, in my opinion.
• It's also pretty incredible that JJ McCarthy made such an impact on the game in just 27 snaps. Through two weeks, the sophomore now-starter has only played 38 snaps. Even though he impressed, and is now the guy, fans should still be excited about how good he could be in a full game.
• For the second week in a row, Trente Jones played more snaps than anyone else on offense. With Ryan Hayes out during week one, and Karsen Barnhart out in week two, Jones was a starter and a backup at the same time, hence the high snap count.
• With Michigan up 42-0 at halftime, Jim Harbaugh went to his bench early, which led to backup, walk-on defensive back Joshua Nichols playing more snaps than anyone else on the roster with 40.
• For the second week in a row, cornerback Will Johnson played the most snaps out of the true freshmen. The starting cornerbacks have all been really good through two weeks, but Johnson is obviously pushing.
• Kris Jenkins got the start against Hawaii, but only played 11 of 71 snaps — the least of any starter. That seems quite low for a versatile, athletic starter along the defensive line.
