Observations on the first half with Minnesota, 24-10

Michigan converted 3 red zone opportunities for 17 points; Minnesota had no red zones. The Wolverines also converted a Gopher miscue for an interception TD, and didn't turn the ball over.

Offense gained 213 ned yards with 89 on the ground, but only 8 first downs; they were 2 of 5 in 3rd and 4th down conversions. J.J. McCarthy hit 8 of 10 passes for 124 yards, and ran 3 times for 10 yards and a TD. Blake Corum ran 7 time for 60 yards and a TD. Donovan Edwards ran twice for 11 yards and caught 2 passes for 13 yards. Cornelius Johnson caught 3 passes for 86 yards including a 49 yarder. Minnesota dominated time of possession by 4 minutes, and gained 7 more offensive plays as a result. Darius Green led Minnesota with 5 tackles.

Defense played good at times, but couldn't contain the Gopher running game. Minnesota gained 122 yards with 70 on the ground, and 7 first downs; they were 3 on 9 in 3rd and 4th down conversions. Athan Kaliakmanis hit 5 of 11 for 52 yards and a TD, but was also picked off for a TD by Will Johnson. Bryce Williams has 9 rushes for 37 yards; Zac Evans has 8 runs for 35 yards. Ernest Hausmann didn't play all that well, but led the Wolverines with 5 tackles; neither Hausmann nor Colson were filling gaps, and that allowed Minnesota to run the ball effectively.

Special Teams were not much of a factor. Minnesota hit a 54 yard field goal, and we also hit our only attempt by Turner. Doman kicked off well except one that went out of bounds, and he punted only once; it was downed inside the 20.

Second Half needs to start strong on offense with a score, and the defense needs to shut down the Gopher running game. Go Blue!