The PFF grades for Michigan’s win over Arkansas State aren’t as bad as you’d think

The Michigan Wolverines dominated offensively on Saturday against Arkansas State, amassing 435 total yards compared to Arkansas State’s 280, with 301 of those coming from a renewed commitment to the rushing attack.

Arkansas State came into the game allowing an average of 199 rushing yards per game, so Michigan’s enhanced ground game was particularly noteworthy. The Wolverines employed the use of an extra offensive lineman on several plays, while wide receivers played crucial roles in blocking.

The second half, however, told a different story. It was a tough second half to watch if you’re a Michigan fan, and the impact that it had on this week’s advanced stats from Pro Football Focus (PFF) was evident.

Let’s rip this Band-Aid off and get to the best player grades and snap counts.

Offensive snap counts

Evan Link – 63

Giovanni El-Hadi – 63

Myles Hinton – 63

Josh Priebe – 63

Davis Warren – 47

Max Bredeson – 35

C.J. Charleston – 35

Marlin Klein – 34

Dominick Guidice – 34

Donovan Edwards – 33

Kendrick Bell – 31

Semaj Morgan – 30

Greg Crippen – 30

Peyton O’Leary – 26

Fredrick Moore – 25

Kalel Mullings – 20

Colston Loveland – 18

Alex Orji – 17

Andrew Gentry – 14

Benjamin Hall – 12

Amorion Walker – 4

Hogan Hansen – 3

Andrew Sprague – 1

Nathan Efobi – 1

Raheem Anderson – 1

Jeffrey Persi – 1

Five Best Grades (min. 20 snaps played)

Kalel Mullings – 87.3

Colston Loveland – 84.6

Hogan Hansen – 81.0

Fredrick Moore – 80.3

Max Bredeson – 78.7

Running back Kalel Mullings exceeded expectations on Saturday, powering through tackles and delivering an explosive 153 yards. After grading out to an impressive 87.3 overall, he’ll need to take on an even bigger role against tougher opponents in the future.

Surprisingly, the team’s best remaining offensive grades went to the pass catchers. True freshman tight end Hogan Hansen’s nine-yard touchdown propelled him to an 81.0 overall grade, while Fredrick Moore was also finally allowed to shine in limited action.

Five Worst Grades

Kendrick Bell – 52.2

C.J. Charleston – 57.1

Davis Warren – 60.1

Semaj Morgan – 60.8

Myles Hinton – 61.2

Davis Warren completed 11-of-14 passes in the game for a final overall grade of 60.1. His three lone incompletions were interceptions, resulting in his lowest passing grade of the season at 58.3. Warren has proven he can perform well when given a clean pocket, but the game seems to speed up for him when the pressure is on.

The workload of wideouts Kendrick Bell and C.J. Charleston also continues to be a bit of a head-scratcher. Through the first three games, neither graded above a 63 overall, while Moore, someone who was projected to see a larger workload prior to the start of the season, was able to make plays with the smaller sample size that he was given.

Defensive snap counts

Ernest Hausmann – 54

Jaishawn Barham – 53

Jyaire Hill – 47

Will Johnson – 46

Makari Paige – 46

Quinten Johnson – 37

Zeke Berry – 36

Mason Graham – 30

Josaiah Stewart – 30

Kenneth Grant – 29

Ja’Den McBurrows – 29

Aamir Hall – 29

Derrick Moore – 28

Brandyn Hillman – 27

Jimmy Rolder – 26

Ike Iwunnah – 26

TJ Guy – 25

Trey Pierce – 24

Rayshaun Benny – 22

Cameron Brandt – 21

Wesley Walker – 21

Enow Etta – 20

Kody Jones – 13

Kechaun Bennett – 13

Ricky Johnson – 13

Breeon Ishmail – 12

Jaydon Hood – 10

Tyler McLaurin – 10

Myles Pollard – 9

Dominic Nichols – 7

Cole Sullivan – 4

Chibi Anwunah – 4

Max Reyes – 4

Keshaun Harris – 4

Manuel Beigel – 3

Aymeric Koumba – 2

Best Grades (min. 20 snaps played)

Aamir Hall – 80.9

Mason Graham – 78.0

Kenneth Grant – 77.5

Kechaun Bennett – 77.4

Makari Paige – 76.3

Arkansas State’s ground game was expected to struggle, and it certainly did when tasked with going head-to-head against a Graham/Grant combo eager to redeem themselves following the Texas game. By halftime, the Red Wolves had -6 rushing yards, and after three quarters, when the outcome was still somewhat in question, they only had 12 yards. Graham’s 82.2 run defense grade also led the team this week, while Grant’s 76.1 was second.

It’s also worth noting that Aamir Hall was playing out of his mind in coverage. The transfer graded out to a team-leading 80.7 coverage grade and showed why he should still be heavily considered for the starting cornerback role opposite Will Johnson going forward.

Worst

Derrick Moore – 57.3

Quinten Johnson – 59.0

Jaishawn Barham – 61.0

Trey Pierce – 62.1

Ike Iwunnah – 64.0

I’ll have to admit, I was drinking the Jaishawn Barham Kool-Aid this offseason. Unfortunately, Wink Martindale’s defense has not allowed him to flourish through the first three games. Barham remains one of the most sure-handed tacklers on the team, though, grading above a 78.0 in the category in all three games. However, Wink’s attempts to use him exotically in coverage have fallen flat, with the Red Wolves being the latest to exploit this weakness.