Season Review: 2019 Michigan Football
1/16/2020 5:12:00 PM | Football
• Team Captains: Ben Bredeson, Carlo Kemp, Khaleke Hudson
• Record: 9-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten Conference (3rd Place East Division)
• Final Rankings: No. 18 (Associated Press), No. 19 (Coaches Poll)
• Postseason: Vrbo Citrus Bowl vs. No. 9 Alabama (L, 35-16)
• Final Notes Packet | Season Review | Record Book | Last Time It Happened
The 2019 season featured some big wins and a few tough losses for the University of Michigan football team, but the Wolverines totaled nine wins and finished the year ranked in the top 20 of both the Associate Press and Coaches polls, the fifth time the team has ended the year with a ranking in the top 25 of both polls under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
U-M can claim one All-American in guard Ben Bredeson along with three first team All-Big Ten honorees and 37 individuals who received Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
This past year featured hard-fought wins in the early part of the schedule, some stout defensive performances and an offensive surge in the latter half of the regular season. The Wolverines won six games at home including a season-opening night game and a memorable, rainy thrashing of Notre Dame. Michigan's schedule included six teams which finished in the top-20 nationally, including six top-15 matchups at the time of kickoff.
Team Highlights
• Defense Ranks Among Nation's Best Again: For the fourth consecutive year under coordinator Don Brown, the Michigan defense finished with a top-12 listing in total defense (No. 11, 2019; No. 2 in 2018; No. 3 in 2017; No. 1, 2016). All 11 defensive starters earned All-Big Ten recognition, meaning 43 of 44 defensive starters have been named All-Big Ten in some capacity since Brown began coaching at Michigan. In 2019, Michigan's high-end pass defense continued, with the team finishing top-25 in third down conversion defense (.324, 20th) and pass defense (185.5 yards allowed per game, 10th) among eight total categories.
• Passing Game Goes Off against Spartans, Hoosiers in Late-Season Surge: Quarterback Shea Patterson finished his career as one of Michigan's most statistically accomplished quarterbacks, buoyed by an outstanding second half in 2019. Two of those performances featured outstanding wide receiver performances as well. Ronnie Bell (nine catches, 150 yards) and Nico Collins (six catches, 165 yards, three touchdowns) had career days, setting or matching career-bests across the board against MSU and Indiana, respectively. Collins hauled in a 76-yard score against the Hoosiers, Patterson's longest passing touchdown of the season, and one of a record-setting five scores thrown by Patterson on the day. Bell's 150 receiving yards helped Patterson to 384 yards passing against the Spartans, the fifth-highest single-game passing total in Michigan history. Patterson completed 44-of-65 pass attempts for 750 yards and nine touchdowns across the two games. The five touchdowns Patterson threw at Indiana are second most in a single game at U-M and the most in regulation time.
• Continued Improvement of Offensive Line Play: In his second season with U-M, offensive line coach Ed Warinner's unit continued its ascent as one of the most effective position groups on the roster. For the second year in a row, all five starters earned All-Big Ten recognition including first-team tackle Jon Runyan and guard Ben Bredeson, who also secured All-America honors from two publications. Michigan allowed 14 sacks during Big Ten play (1.6 per game), just one more than allowed by Wisconsin. U-M allowed 25 sacks overall, in line with last season's 23 sacks allowed and a continued improvement from the 36 sacks allowed in the season before Warinner arrived. Michigan also allowed opponents to record 4.85 tackles for loss per contest, a mark that tied for the 23rd-best nationally with Alabama and Florida International, and second in the Big Ten. In addition, the Michigan line blocked for a freshman rushing touchdown record-setter in Zach Charbonnet and for Patterson, who became the third quarterback at Michigan with 3,000 yards passing in a single season.
• Special Teams Shine as Hart, Hudson set Career Records: Michigan blocked or tipped eight punts in 2019, including blocks from Khaleke Hudson against Michigan State and Jordan Glasgow at Illinois. Hudson finished his career with five blocked punts, the highest individual total by any player in program history since the stat was first tracked in the late 1990's. On the other side of the coin, punter Will Hart finished the season with an average of 44.24 yards per punt, fourth-best all-time at Michigan. Hart set the single-season record last fall at 46.98 yards per punt and has a career average of 45.5 yards per punt, a Michigan record by 2.7 yards over the next-closest punter. The historic accomplishments of both Hart and Hudson point to excellent punt and punt-return units for the Wolverines in 2019.
Individual Highlights
• Late-Season Spark Elevates Patterson in Michigan Record Books: As part of a late-season offensive leap forward, quarterback Shea Patterson threw for more yards against Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State (1,055) than any other passer in any three-game stretch in Michigan history. Patterson finished as the second-fastest quarterback to hit 5,000 yards passing (24 starts) at Michigan with top-five career rankings in efficiency rating (143.1, fifth), 200-yard passing performances (nine, tied-second), interception percentage (2.12 percent, second-lowest), passing yards per game (217.7 yards per game, second), and single-season pass yards (3,061 in 2019, second). All three of Patterson's career passing games over 300 yards came in the final month of the regular season, and U-M averaged 35.7 points per game over the last six weeks of the regular season.
• Charbonnet Breaks Freshman Records: Running back Zach Charbonnet had an exciting first season in Ann Arbor. He led the team in rushing with 726 yards and was third overall with more than 750 all-purpose yards. Charbonnet's rookie rushing total ranks third all-time at Michigan (748, Ricky Powers; 1,455, Mike Hart). He also set a Michigan freshman touchdown record (11) and had the most multi-touchdown games (four) of any freshman player. The memorable, 100-yard, 33-carry day against Army was the first of many memorable moments in his first season as a Wolverine.
• 3.5-TFL Game for Paye Among Best of Harbaugh Era: Defensive lineman Kwity Paye made a career-high 10 tackles at Penn State, but his career day came against Rutgers as part of a 52-0 shutout for the Maize and Blue. Paye totaled 4-2-6 with 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. That marked the most TFLs by any one U-M defensive lineman under Coach Harbaugh since from Maurice Hurst (Michigan State, 2017) and Chase Winovich (at Purdue, 2017) reached 3.5 in separate games two seasons ago. Paye finished the season with a team-best 12.5 tackles for loss, marking a new career high and giving him 19.5 in his career.
• Nordin Finishes 10-for-10, Ties Record: After beginning the season with an 0-for-3 start kicking field goals, senior Quinn Nordin finished the season on a tear, going 10-for-10 over the final five games of the season, including three makes of 45 yards or longer. The Rockford, Michigan, native converted a 49-yarder against Michigan State and scored a season-high 14 points. He then tied a Michigan record with a 57-yard conversion in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl against Alabama, which helped him pass Heisman Trophy Winner Desmond Howard (1989-91, 222 points) on Michigan's all-time scoring list. He is 14th with 225 points scored in his career, tied for first with four career field goals of 50 yards or longer, and is No. 5 all-time in field goals made (39).
Honors and Awards
Ben
Bredeson
Jon
Runyan
Lavert
Hill
Shea
Patterson
All-Americans
Ben Bredeson (second team, Walter Camp; third team, Associated Press)
All-Big Ten Conference (Coaches)
Offense
First Team: Ben Bredeson, Jon Runyan
Second Team: Cesar Ruiz
Third Team: Michael Onwenu, Shea Patterson
Honorable Mention: Zach Charbonnet, Nico Collins, Nick Eubanks, Hassan Haskins, Jalen Mayfield, Sean McKeon
Defense
First Team: Lavert Hill
Second Team: Khaleke Hudson, Kwity Paye, Josh Uche
Third Team: Carlo Kemp, Ambry Thomas
Honorable Mention: Aidan Hutchinson, Cameron McGrone, Josh Metellus
Special Teams
Third Team: Will Hart
Honorable Mention: Giles Jackson, Donovan Peoples-Jones
All-Big Ten Conference (Media)
Offense
First Team: Ben Bredeson, Jon Runyan
Third Team: Zach Charbonnet, Cesar Ruiz, Shea Patterson
Honorable Mention: Ronnie Bell, Nico Collins, Nick Eubanks, Hassan Haskins, Sean McKeon, Michael Onwenu, Donovan Peoples-Jones
Defense
First Team: Lavert Hill
Third Team: Aidan Hutchinson, Kwity Paye, Khaleke Hudson, Josh Uche, Josh Metellus
Honorable Mention: Jordan Glasgow, Brad Hawkins, Cameron McGrone, Ambry Thomas
Special Teams
Second Team: Will Hart
Third Team: Donovan Peoples-Jones
Honorable Mention: Giles Jackson
Other Big Ten Conference Awards
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award: Shea Patterson
Other Big Ten Conference Awards
 Shea Patterson -- Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
Michigan Team Awards
Original Awards Presented by the M-Club of Greater Detroit
Bo Schembechler MVP: Shea Patterson
Dr. Arthur D. Robinson Scholarship Award: Louis Grodman
Robert P. Ufer Bequest: Joe Files
Roger Zatkoff Award: Jordan Glasgow
Richard Katcher Award: Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson (co-recipients)
Hugh H. Rader Memorial Award: Ben Bredeson, Jon Runyan (co-recipients)
President Gerald R. Ford Lifetime Impact Award: Tom Maentz
Toughest Player Award: Ben Mason
Blue Collar Award: Jordan Glasgow
Rookie of the Year (Offense): Zach Charbonnet
Rookie of the Year (Defense): Daxton Hill
Rookie of the Year (Special Teams): Giles Jackson
Offensive Player of the Year: Nico Collins
Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Uche
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jared Davis
Offensive Skill Player of the Year: Ronnie Bell
Defensive Skill Player of the Year: Ambry Thomas
Most Improved Player (Offense): Hassan Haskins
Most Improved Player (Defense): Brad Hawkins
Most Improved Player (Special Teams): Peter Bush
Scout Team Player of the Year (Offense): Zach Carpenter
Scout Team Player of the Year (Defense): David Ojabo
Scout Team Player of the Year (Special Teams): Jared Davis
Academic All-Big Ten (37)
Matt Brown, Jr., Economics
Jared Char, Sr., Business Administration
Camaron Cheeseman, Sr., Biology, Health and Society
Tyler Cochran, Sr., Business Administration
Jared Davis, Jr., Economics
Dane Drobocky, Sr., American Culture
Adam Fakih, Jr., Business Administration
Joseph Files, Sr., Biology
Joey George, So., Business Administration
Jordan Glasgow, Gr., Real Estate Development
Louis Grodman, Sr., Movement Science
Tyler Grosz, Sr., Economics, Sport Management
Will Hart, Sr., Political Science
Ryan Hayes, So., Undeclared
Aidan Hutchinson, So., Movement Science, Political Science
Carlo Kemp, Sr., American Culture
Jonathan Lampani, Sr., Business Administration
Jake Martin, Sr., Industrial and Operational Engineering
Ben Mason, Jr., Business Administration
Dylan McCaffrey, Jr., Psychology
Jake McCurry, Jr., Business Administration
Jake Moody, So., LSA Undeclared
Carl Myers, Sr., Sport Management
Phillip Paea, Jr., General Studies
Kwity Paye, Jr., African American Studies
Geoffrey Reeves, Jr., Neuroscience
Lawrence Reeves, So., Business Administration
Nate Schoenle, Sr., Business Administration
Alan Selzer, Sr., Business Administration
Carter Selzer, Jr., Movement Science
Adam Shibley, Jr., Communication and Media
Stephen Spanellis, Sr., Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Matt Torey, So., Business Administration
Andrew Vastardis, Sr., Movement Science
Brendan White, Sr., Mechanical Engineering
Jacob West, Gr., Real Estate Development
CoSIDA Academic All-District
Jordan Glasgow, Gr., Real Estate Development
Big Ten Player of the Week
Shea Patterson -- Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 18), (Nov. 25)
Giles Jackson -- Co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 4)
Aidan Hutchinson -- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 7)
Zach Charbonnet -- Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 9)
Other National Awards
Don Brown -- Broyles Award Semifinalist
Khaleke Hudson -- Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award (Nov. 13)
Shea Patterson -- CFPA National Performer of the Year Midseason Watch List (Nov. 6)
Shea Patterson -- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist (Oct. 8)
Will Hart -- Ray Guy Punter of the Week (Nov. 4)
Jordan Glasgow -- Butkus Award Semifinalist, Burlsworth Trophy Candidate (Nov. 4)
Jordan Glasgow -- William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist (Sept. 25)
