3 PFF grades that stood out from Michigan’s win vs. Northern Illinois

Michigan defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) tries to get by Northern Illinois defensive lineman Cade Haberman (59) in the second quarter of their college football game game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, on Saturday, September 18, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
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Michigan’s statistics through the first three games are eye-popping, and its play on the field backs it up, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading scale.

The Wolverines’ overall grade of 94.3 out of 100 ranks third nationally behind Baylor and Boston College, and the team bolstered its grade with a strong showing Saturday in a 63-10 win over Northern Illinois.

PFF grades every player on every play in multiple facets of the game, such as passing, rushing, receiving, pass blocking, run defense, etc. It is important to note that PFF doesn’t base its grade on the outcome of the play, but rather what a player attempts to do on a given play.

For instance, if a quarterback delivers an on-target throw but the receiver drops it, the quarterback would still receive a positive rating for the pass.

With that in mind, here are three things that stood out from PFF’s grades after Michigan’s victory over NIU.

Offensive line continues to maul

The line hasn’t faced an elite front yet this season, but it continues to dominate the line of scrimmage, especially in the run game. The team received an overall grade of 70.4 in run blocking, which is above average, but it was Michigan’s starting offensive linemen leading the way. Left guard Trevor Keegan had a team-best grade of 76 in that category, while the other starters – center Andrew Vastardis, right tackle Andrew Stueber, right guard Zak Zinter and left tackle Ryan Hayes each were above 69.

With every starting lineman grading out well, it isn’t surprising the team rushed for over 300 yards for a third straight game. There were several times Saturday when Michigan’s running backs didn’t get touched until they reached the second level, even when the backup linemen were in the game for most of the second half.

“That’s not historically known as a fun position to play, but they look like they’re having a lot of fun,” Jim Harbaugh said Monday of the offensive line. “I go by their meetings and it’s engaged, it’s energetic, it’s loud. Guys are laughing. They’re enjoying it. Same on the practice field, day after day, it’s a real cohesive unit there that’s developed, and they enjoy each other’s company. They built a lot of confidence in themselves and each other.”

Breakout game for Cornelius Johnson

The junior receiver had been pretty quiet in the first two games with Michigan predominantly keeping the ball on the ground, but he received the second-highest offensive grade (87.7) on the team for his performance Saturday. He executed a superb double move in the second quarter to get the NIU corner to bite, and Cade McNamara hit him in stride along the home sideline for an 87-yard touchdown. On the previous drive, Johnson got behind the Huskies’ secondary and was wide open on a post route, although McNamara overthrew him by a hair.

He also showed solid burst after the catch on his other two receptions. The former four-star prospect’s other receptions totaled 30 yards, with 20 of those yards coming after the catch.

In the first two games, Johnson had a combined three catches for 48 yards.

Michigan’s pass-rush grade lowest of the season

After sacking Washington quarterback Dylan Morris four times on Sept. 11, the Wolverines didn’t have any Saturday and recorded just one pressure. Their overall pass-rushing grade of 63.7 is average, but it was clear NIU wanted quarterback Rocky Lombardi to get the ball out of his hand quickly. The Huskies didn’t take many shots down field, instead trying to get the ball to their receivers on quick slant and dig routes or receiver screens. While the pass-rush wasn’t as effective as in the first two games, coverage was stout as Lombardi completed just 9 of 17 passes for 47 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Among the starters, preseason All-American defensive end Aidan Hutchinson received the highest pass-rushing grade of 67.1.

“That’s been the formula so far --quick passing game,” Harbaugh said Monday on how NIU attacked Michigan’s defense. “Get the ball out quick. Also, max protect, particularly they have been finding Aidan and blocking him with a tight end and a running back or a tight end and a tackle or guard and a running back. They’ve been trying all sorts of ways to slow him down.”

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