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

Michigan went into Kinnick Stadium and walked away with a very solid, conference win.

Over the weekend, Michigan was on the road for the first time in 2022 inside the unfriendly confines of Kinnick Stadium, a place where the Wolverines hadn't won since 2005. Jim Harbaugh and Co. rolled into Iowa City with confidence and blasted back to Ann Arbor still unblemished at 5-0. Even though Iowa boasted the No. 1 defense in the country ahead of Saturday's matchup, Michigan was very well prepared and beat the Hawkeyes 27-14. Here are the things worth looking at when dissecting the game snap by snap.

PFF Top Performers (15 Snap Minimum)

Offense

1. Blake Corum (82.3)

Corum was fantastic again carrying the ball 29 times for 133 yards and a score. He also caught two balls for nine yards and more than held his own as a pass blocker. Corum played a whopping 50-of-67 snaps, which is a lot for a running back, and did just about everything right while on the field.

2. Trente Jones (76.3)

Jones played all 67 offensive snaps and was solid across the board. He was in the right spot at the right time and didn't make many mistakes at all whether he was pass blocking or getting a push in the run game.

3. Olu Oluwatimi (72.8)

I could pretty much write the exact same thing for Olu as I did for Jones. The veteran transfer center was good across the board and did a good job as a pass blocker and in the run game. He also played every single offensive snap.

Defense

1. Mike Morris (80.4)

Money Mike was fantastic against the Hawkeyes. He finished the day with four total quarterback pressures and two sacks. He also did a really nice job in terms of being in position on running plays per PFF.

2. Jaylen Harrell (75.2)

Harrell was also solid against Iowa with three tackles of his own and plenty of activity around the quarterback. He was really good in the "traditional" roles as an edge rusher but also graded out well as a cover man, which is something he's doing more and more of.

3. Eyabi Okie (73.1)

Okie finished the day with three tackles and half a sack, including the one that essentially ended the game for the Hawkeyes. He graded out well, flashed on the field and also, and perhaps most notably, played 27 snaps, which is pretty much on par with Harrell's 39, Morris' 32 and is more than Taylor Upshaw's 18.

PFF Bottom Dwellers (15 Snap Minimum)

Offense

1. Joel Honigford (43.8)

The offensive lineman-turned-tight end struggled a bit against Iowa as a run blocker. He was much better on passing plays, but when you're the weak link as a run blocker on a given day, it tends to stand out a bit.

2. Cornelius Johnson (52.2)

Johnson played 55 snaps, more than any other wide receiver, but was not targeted. That could speak to him not getting open or it could be that the quarterback is simply not looking his way. However it happened, that's a lot of playing time without a chance to catch a ball.  

3. Trevor Keegan (59.1)

Keegan was back from injury and may have been feeling the effects from his injury a bit? He was extremely solid in pass pro but struggled some as a run blocker, which isn't normal for him. On a good note, he did play all 67 snaps after missing time due to injury.

Defense

1. Mike Sainristil (39.0)

For the first time this season, Sainristil did not grade out well. Per PFF, Sainristil was fine in terms of positioning against the run and as a pass rusher, but really struggled as a tackler and in coverage. If the numbers are correct, Sainristil missed at least one tackle and gave up three receptions on five targets.

2. Junior Colson (46.1)

Colson has also been pretty solid all year, but not necessarily against Iowa, per PFF. As I pointed out in my Three Up/Three Down article, Colson was out of position several times in coverage and that's reflected in his 39.9 coverage grade. The sophomore backer was targeted six times and all six were caught for 84 yards.

3. DJ Turner (56.3)

Yet another player we're used to seeing at the top of the grading scale, Turner finds himself near the bottom after giving up a 19-yard catch. PFF graded Turner harshly as a cover man and as a defender in general. 

Freshmen Contributors (Snap Count)

1. Mason Graham (30)

2. Will Johnson (15)

3. Colston Loveland (7)

4. Jimmy Rolder (7)

5. Darrius Clemons (6)

6. Derrick Moore (6)

7. Kenneth Grant (1)

Total Snap Counts

Notes

• Andrel Anthony was actually the second-highest graded player on offense (82.2), but he played just 11 snaps on the day. He finished the day with just one catch for 29 yards.

• Obviously the rotation is getting tighter and tighter as Big Ten play continues. Only 40 players played in the game and of that 40, only seven were true freshmen. At this point in the season, the freshmen who aren't going to redshirt are likely the ones listed above and still playing.

• It feels like Blake Corum is getting stronger and stronger. He has carried the ball 59 times over the past two games and is grading out well week in and week out. As Jim Harbaugh said earlier in the week, Corum is a five-tool back. He's doing it all and doing it well.

• Donovan Edwards obviously looked healthy as he played and scored a touchdown, but he played only 18 snaps in the game. It's not an issue if Corum is eating like he has been, but Edwards is definitely a weapon that could be utilized more often. 

• Mazi Smith paced the defense with 57 snaps played. That is incredibly impressive for a 340-pound nose tackle especially considering what he does on a snap-by-snap basis. Smith is routinely eating up double teams, filling gaps and battling with other 300 pounders. For him to play more snaps than anyone else on the defense is extremely noteworthy.