The Michigan Wolverines took care of business this afternoon, dominating Maryland on the road on their way to an impressive 28-0 victory. Here are three things we learned from their victory:
Michigan's defensive dominance can not be overstated
I've raved about Michigan's defense each of the past few weeks, and rightfully so, but they continue to amaze me. The Wolverines put up their best performance to date, limiting Maryland to just six first downs, one third-down conversion, and 105 total yards of offense. Michigan was ranked No. 2 in the country in total defense coming into this game, but make no mistake about it - the Wolverines have the best defense in the country.
The passing game will continue to be unreliable
All thoughts of quarterback Jake Rudock being a smart decision-maker are out the window as he threw his sixth interception of the season while completing just 50 percent of his passes. The passing game continues to be very limited, and it this point in the year, it appears they won't develop one. This could hurt the Wolverines down the road if they can't keep opposing defenses from loading the box to stop the run.
Jake Butt is Michigan's go-to receiver
Butt has emerged as one of the best tight ends in the country, and with a lack of a true presence on the outside (along with Rudock's limited throwing ability), Butt is the main man in this offense. He caught four more passes for 61 yards against Maryland, patroling the middle of the field like Rob Gronkowski. Expect more big things out of Jake Butt this year.