Catches are down for Michigan receivers, but their 'knockdowns' number is up

As No. 11 Michigan (6-0, 2-0) prepares to face rival Michigan State on Saturday (noon, ESPN), players and coaches have talked about how ferocious this game is each year. Former Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr used to call it his team's most physical game of the year, a notion no one has refuted this week.

But while the focus has been on the running game — and rightly so, considering 38 of the past 41 winners of the game also won the rushing battle — the Michigan receivers intend to leave their mark as well.

"It's a fight," Roundtree said. "MSU always been physical ... one of the most physical in the Big Ten, and their defense is ranked (No.) 1 in the nation, so our offense really gotta match them."

Part of that will be the receivers' blocking, which helps to spring the offense for big plays. Not just regular blocking, either. They're gunning for takedowns.

Roundtree said the wideouts set a goal for the number of defenders they can knock off their feet each week. In Michigan's 42-24 win against Northwestern last week, that number was 20. That was their body count against Minnesota.

The junior said the wideouts feed off each other when it comes to blocking.

"It's all a group thing," he said. "It's me and you, out there together. So I'm trying to go out there and make sure I get a pancake block, and you have to catch me. If I get a pancake, then you have to get one, too. It's something to be competitive with."

Who is Michigan's best blocking wide receiver? Senior Junior Hemingway, who stands a stout 6-foot-1 and weighs 222 pounds, would be the logical choice, and he is solid blocker.

But Roundtree said Jeremy Gallon, who is a slight 5-8, 185 pounds, has the most knockdowns per game. Against Northwestern, he had one of the biggest blocks of the game to spring senior tailback Michael Shaw for a touchdown run that gave Michigan a 35-24 fourth-quarter lead.

"Hemingway has a lot, too, but Gallon, he gets a lot of pancakes," Roundtree said.

The receivers struggled to remain active in the passing game during the non-conference season, when the position group as a whole failed to catch more than seven passes in a game. No individual caught more than three passes in a game.

It has been better the past two weeks, when Hemingway caught five passes each week for a combined 180 yards and Gallon added five catches for 73 against Northwestern.

Yet, no player has caught six passes in a game this year.

Roundtree has embodied those struggles. He led Michigan last year with 72 catches for 935 yards and seven touchdowns, but has just eight catches through six games this year. He hadn't caught more than 16 yards in a game this year until catching three passes for 83 yards against Northwestern.

His diminished production isn't bothering him, though — not as long as he's pancaking the man in front of him.

"If the ball doesn't come my way, it doesn't come my way," he said. "I'm going to get the job done, give it my best, whether I have to block all day or not. I'm playing for the team.

"After watching film, I see I'm doing good in my blocking and running good routes. If you read it and throw me the ball, then it's my job to catch the ball. I'm not getting frustrated, because we're winning.

"If I don't catch any balls, it's fine as long as we're winning."

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.