Michigan faces off against Washington this week in a rematch of the National Championship Game this January. Now both in the Big Ten conference, this rematch could spark a new conference rivalry between these two teams.
Washington holds a small edge as the betting favorite by just one or two points, but Michigan has at least one sneaky advantage that might be enough to give them the victory.
Michigan Edge Rushers vs. Washington Offensive Line
Many who follow college football are already familiar with the talents of Michigan cornerback Will Johnson and the Wolverines' star defensive tackle tandem Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant . But what most fans might not know is that the real stars of the Michigan pass rush attack this year have been a dynamic duo off the edge in Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart.
Both Moore and Stewart have 15+ pass rush pressures through just five games and have tallied five sacks between them already. They both posted solid numbers a year ago as well, but not like this season.
Stewart has been the most impressive of the two, averaging a pressure rate over 16%. Just a few plays watching him rush the passer will tell you why he's so special. His fast first step, quick hands, and ability to finish that he displayed against USC were all a huge part of why they won that game (as you can see in Christian Williams' post below).
Moore and Stewart are getting after the passer in a variety of ways and setting the edge in the run game every single week, but they're not really getting their due credit just yet. That might change after this week.
Why?
Washington's offensive line has struggled to replace all their starters from last year's stacked squad. That problem hasn't impacted the Huskies in a hugely negative way just yet because quarterback Will Rogers is typically so good about getting the ball out quickly, but they haven't played a defense like Michigan's yet.
Despite Washington's QB Will Rogers throwing the ball on average less than 2.5 second after the snap he's still faced pass rush pressure more than 25% of the time (FBS average is around 30%). If Rogers is forced to hold onto the ball for even a fraction of a second more against a secondary led by future first round cornerback Will Johnson then Washington might be in trouble.
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Both offensive tackle positions have been problematic for the Huskies this season. Drew Azzopardi at right tackle has already allowed double-digit pressures, consistently being the biggest liability up front for Washington. And at left tackle, Washington head coach Jedd Fisch has already replaced his starter there. Maximus McCree has performed a little bit better, but is still around Big Ten conference replacement level by most pass blocking metrics available.
Derrick Moore, Josaiah Stewart, and Michigan's third key edge rusher TJ Guy who has already brought double-digit pass rush pressures of his own this year should make quick work of Washington's offensive tackles all game long. If that's the case, Sherrone Moore might have Michigan on a path back towards potentially making the College Football Playoff.
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