Game Balls: Not a lot of positives from Saturday’s loss

It is never fun to see a loss, but this Saturday was extra disappointing as the Michigan Wolverines looked completely flat against the Spartans. Both sides of the ball had plenty of issues, and it is now clear that last week’s win over Minnesota had more to do with taking advantage of a bad team than starting the season off hot.

This type of post is always difficult when the team puts forth a poor effort, as there are not many candidates for any sort of accolade. Nevertheless, we will try to take some positives away from an all-around rough outing.

Blake Corum, RB

The running backs struggled for most of Saturday, but there were still some positives from freshman Blake Corum. The speedy rusher impressed on his first quarter touchdown around the edge, and his second score of the game evened the contest at the time. The Michigan State defensive line severely limited the run game, but Corum opened up a few possibilities when his number was called.

Roman Wilson, WR

There was not a lot of speed in space to go around, but Roman Wilson was able to make the most of his five receptions. Like Corum, the usage of Wilson shows that this coaching staff is willing to lean on its talented freshmen where possible. Ultimately, the offense was vastly disappointing today, but there could be some bright spots ahead if Michigan can learn to unleash its weapons.

Daxton Hill, FS

The Wolverines were able to avoid any real damage despite losing Daxton Hill last week, as Minnesota strangely chose to not attack the Michigan secondary as much as expected. Obviously the Spartans were a bit wiser, but the returning Hill was able to stand out amongst the rest of the defensive backs as competent defender. While everyone around him struggled all afternoon, the sophomore was able to hold his own, which unfortunately might be a common theme this season.

Quinn Nordin, K

Shrug. Not really sure who else is worth mentioning. Quinn Nordin was out last week with some sort of injury, so it was good to see him back after Jake Moody went 0-for-3 in his absence. Nordin knocked in all three extra points and added a field goal, which ultimately did not make a difference, but it is better than having two kickers that both cannot make field goals.