Andrew Vastardis had a rough night against Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan’s struggles against Georgia summed up by one play

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 12/31/21

Going up against the Georgia Bulldogs turned out to be a terrible matchup for the Michigan Wolverines. One play in particular summed up how badly the matchup was going in the College Football Playoff semifinal between the teams on Friday.

Early in the game, Michigan pulled two of its linemen on a rushing play up the middle. Center Andrew Vastardis, who already had committed a false start, had forward momentum as he came into contact with Travon Walker. Despite having this momentum, Walker sent Vastardis backward with ease as if he were pushing around a blocking sled.

omg they killed the pulling center pic.twitter.com/Q3y7vlJELC

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 1, 2022

You knew right then and there that the game wasn’t going to go well for Michigan.

The Wolverines’ game is power football. They were able to overpower 12 opponents, and arguably even Michigan State, this season. But Georgia’s vaunted defensive line was more powerful than Michigan's, and that stunted the Wolverines.

The Wolverines are the third-best team in college football. There’s no shame in that. It’s just that the gap between the top two and the rest of the country is vast, and the particular matchup between Michigan and Georgia was a terrible one for the Wolverines.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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