Michigan football: Wolverines still waiting to be tested

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan football hasn't been tested and has jumped to No. 4 in the rankings.

And it doesn't appear the Wolverines will face much of a test in their third game either.

Michigan (2-0) hosts Colorado this Saturday and while the Buffaloes are 2-0 and outscoring their opponents 100-14, the victories are against Colorado State and Idaho State.

Then again, the Wolverines played Hawaii and Central Florida while winning their first two games by a cumulative 114-17. And coach Jim Harbaugh agreed that his team has a lot to work on after there were some uneven moments during last Saturday's 37-point victory over Central Florida.

"I'm very excited as a coach that when you win a game 51-14, you still have things to go in and coach and you feel like you can improve your play on," Harbaugh said at Monday's press conference. "There's probably no better feeling as a coach than to start the week that way.

"It makes me very optimistic that there are ways we can improve. There's things we can fix. I'm very confident with the coaches and players we have that we'll do that. It makes you feel like you can get better. I'm always happy about that, to be in that position."

Getting outrushed 275-119 by the Golden Knights will certainly prompt some deep reflection. The Wolverines have also yet to have standout senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis on the field due to two separate mysterious injuries.

There is no longer any mystery about the quarterback position as sophomore Wilton Speight has stood out over his first two starts. His seven touchdown passes tie the school mark for most in the first two games -- John Navarre also had seven in 2000 -- and his 312-yard, four-touchdown effort against Central Florida earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.

"It's a cool honor but also a reflection of how the whole offense was clicking on Saturday," Speight said Monday. "The receivers, the tight ends, everyone was catching every pass, the offensive line was blocking well and the play-action was working. That's a cool honor, but it should pretty much go to the whole offense."

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--QB Wilton Speight has been superb in his first two starts and has completed a scintillating 70 percent of his passes. Speight's seven passing touchdowns tie John Navarre (2000) for most by a Michigan quarterback in the first two games of the season. The sophomore is impressing teammates with his poise and coolness and it will be interesting to see if this continues when the schedule eventually toughens. But thus far, it is clear why he beat out Houston transfer John O'Korn for the starting job.

--TE Jake Butt caught seven passes against Central Florida to raise his career total to 100, third-most by a Michigan tight end. He has caught at least one pass in 18 straight contests and has meshed well with quarterback Wilton Speight. Butt has eight receptions this season and three are for touchdowns. He has already matched his season best for touchdown receptions in a season.

--DE Rashan Gary made his presence known with six tackles -- including 2 1/2 for losses -- in the victory over Central Florida. The true freshman was billed as the top high school recruit in the nation and the early returns are backing up his stature. He got increased playing time due to injuries to defensive linemen Taco Charlton and Bryan Mone and he was up to the task. "Week by week, I'm getting better and better," said Gary, "and that's because of the leadership we have on our defensive line."

--OLB Jabrill Peppers leads the Wolverines with 16 tackles -- and his four tackles for losses includes one sack. His move from safety to linebacker has been seamless and he is able to roam like a safety while playing closer to the line. He is averaging 18.5 yards on punt returns and is always a threat to take one all the way. Michigan will begin working him into the offense once the schedule gets tougher.