Michigan vs. Utah: First-half Blog | Michigan Musings

The Wolverines came out strong with a great first series culminating in a 8 yard TD pass from 1st-year QB Nick Sheridan to Michael Shaw. The defense got a off to a slow start as Utah drove 78 yards in a dominating series that ended with an 8 yard TD rush by Corbin Louks. The PAT was blocked! K.C. Lopata salvages a mistake-laiden 2nd series with a lame duck 50-yard field goal to but UM up 10-6 with 5:18 left to go in the 1st quarter. Among the NCAA rules changes this year is a 40 second play clock. The 1st quarter ends with the Utes knocking on the door with 2nd and goal on the 2. The Wolverines defensive line is doing a good job pressuring the Utah QB. The LB's are making good tackles, but the secondary is having a hard time with the Utah receivers. When QB Bryan Johnson isn't sacked or hurried he's getting of some nice passes, including a 55 yarder that set up their first TD. UM only had 35 total yards this quarter. Utah starts the 2nd quarter off with a 28-yard field goal by Louie Sakoda. Michigan leads 10-9. Michigan got lucky in Utah's 2nd series of the 2nd quarter and ended up holding them to a mere 43-yard field goal. Utes up 12-10. Nick Sheridan was taken out for a play, but returns looking unharmed. So far the Wolverines are looking like the novices they are at running the spread, but still not too bad for their first showing. Nick Sheridan is not quite the "playmaker" a good spread needs, but at the very least he's more agile than Chad Henne. The defense on the other hand seems to actually be over-matched with Utah's quickness. A 41-yard field goal puts the Utes up 15-10 with 3:15 to go in the half. A quick-kick by Sheridan to the Utah 11! Don't see that much anymore. The UM defense is making Bryan Johnson look "All-World" as he picks them apart and connects with another TD pass with 13 seconds to go. PAT good. End of the 1st half with Utah ahead 22-10. Nick Sheridan not looking too bad for a rookie. He's pretty mobile, but the whole offense is just not clicking, with only 102 yards of total offense. The defense is slowly being destroyed. As well as they started off, they are now missing tackles all over the field. Brian Johnson has dissected them with 15-23 passing for 253 yards and a TD.