The Michigan Wolverines have won four straight after a deflating opening loss to Utah, completely demoralizing opponents over the past month to reinvigorate the Maize & Blue faithful in Ann Arbor. There's plenty to glean from head coach Jim Harbaugh's first five games on the sideline. Here's five things that jump out right now.
5. Jourdan Lewis Is An All-Big Ten DB
No one is playing better on defense for Michigan than corner Jourdan Lewis. Through the team's first four game, he had one pass completed against him. It's saying something that Lewis is the standout on a Michigan defense that has shut out two straight opponents. He's going to make an NFL team VERY happy in the near future.
4. The Offensive Line Is Greatly Improved
Just wow. If you watched Michigan's loss to Utah in Week 1, you'd proably thought the offensive line was destined to flounder after an absolutely uninspiring performance. Just four weeks later, the unit has taken a near-complete 180. Michigan's running game is averaging nearly five yards per carry and his averaging around four tackles for a loss per game. And, while QB Jake Rudock has been besieged by the turnover bug, the O-line has given him plenty of time to operate the past four contests.
3. No Running Back Has Emerged As "The Star"
De'Veon Smith (69 carries, 331 yards, 4 TDs) has received the most carries out of the team's cache of backs this year, but Ty Isaac, Drake Johnson and Derrick Green have all played integral roles in fleshing out the running game. Part of the reason why the Wolverines are so dangerous altogether is the fact that they spell their defense by controlling the clock on offense. While none of the aforementioned backs have staked their claim to a "star" role, the four have done plenty of damage as the unit.
2. Brady Hoke Couldn't Coach Worth...
...(bleep). Hoke did a fine job in recruting for the Wolverines, but what exactly did he get out of his blue-chip hauls? Michigan's starting wide receivers, DL Chris Wormley, the entire secondary AND the entire offensive line did (basically) nothing under Hoke. However, with new HC Jim Harbaugh, DC, DJ Durkin and OC Tim Drevno at the controls, the Wolverines are finally translating pure talent to wins.
1. The Defense Is One Of The Best Around
Back-to-back shutouts, folks. The Wolverines gutted Maryland's offense in Saturday's 28-0 Big Ten opener, posting consecutive blankings for the first time since 2000. The Jim Harbaugh era is bringing plenty of cheer to Michigan's fan base over the past four weeks as the Wolverines have put a combined 119-14 beating on Oregon State, UNLV, BYU and Maryland. We asked ourselves early this week whether or not Michigan's defense is good enough to carry its dominance into Big Ten play. We got our answer on Saturday.
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