Moe Wagner and a concerned onlooker. [Marc-Gregor Campredon/MGoBlog]

After a slow start against a funky matchup zone defense, Michigan found some consistency late in the first half and pulled away in the second for a comfortable 76-58 win over Howard in the season opener. This was a stilted, largely unwatchable game; the officials called 47 fouls.

The Wolverines spent much of the first half trying to shoot over Howard's zone defense, allowing an overmatched Bison squad to take a small early lead and hang around for much of the first half. Derrick Walton took control of the game, hitting threes, running the point, and knocking down four free throws on one late-half possession after drawing a foul and ensuing technical on a play that left him with a slight limp that he played through with aplomb. Walton finished with 20 points, three assists, and three steals, and did most of his damage from beyond the arc, making four of his seven three-point attempts.

DJ Wilson (right, Campredon) keyed a quick start to the second half with a massive two-handed tip slam and a block on the following possession, but a sloppy turnover and back-to-back Howard three-pointers made it a five-point game with only 12:27 to play. That was as close as the Bison could get. Zak Irvin responded with a tough layup between two defenders, Wilson converted an and-one after an offensive rebound, and Irvin capped the quick run with an open three off a Wilson kickout—the rout was on.

While Wilson didn't have a totally clean game—his two turnovers were both ugly—he loooked like he could eventually overtake Duncan Robinson at the four. His length made him a matchup problem on both ends of the floor, he was very active on the boards, and he moved the ball around well. With nine points, eight boards, two assists, and a block, he showed he's quite capable of stuffing the stat sheet, and he's already a better defender than Robinson, who had a rough night (1/6 FG). At the very least, Wilson looks like he's earned his role as the first player off the bench.

Walton and Moe Wagner turned up the pressure on defense and gave Howard's ballhandlers fits. Both came away with three steals, and the new-look defense forced 17 total turnovers. Wagner did his best work on that end of the floor; Mark Donnal was the better offensive player in this game, finishing with 12 points and four offensive rebounds.

Zak Irvin couldn't find his outside shot, needing 13 shots to get 11 points. Xavier Simpson went 2-for-2 to net his first career points, first on a corner three, then a slick runner at the end of the shot clock. Ibi Watson also got his first bucket in a real game in limited action, and fellow freshman Jon Teske burned his redshirt in garbage time.

While Michigan will have to find a way to generate more shots at the rim that don't come off rebounds, this was an encouraging performance. Billy Donlon's impact is apparent. Those 17 turnovers stood out, as did Michigan's increased willingness to foul near the rim instead of ceding easy buckets, which was a winning strategy on a night Howard shot just 14-for-29 from the charity stripe. Much like in last week's exhibition, DJ Wilson looked like he's putting it all together, and that could be a season-changing development if it continues.

1 hour 28 minutes

MGoRadio was recorded before a live retail audience at The Bo Store, 333 S. Main. If you haven’t checked out Rishi and Ryan’s latest venture, do so. Special guests: Dr. Sap, who has a Twitter finally.

Sponsors

The reason we can put out so much audio content now is it’s paid for. The show is presented by UGP & Moe's and frankly would not be happening without them; Rishi and Ryan and their people have been huge MGoBlog supporters from the start.

Our other sponsors are also key in the expanding empire: thanks to Homesure Lending, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Deo Bookkeeping, Michigan Law Grad, Defensive Drivers Group, Tailgater Concierge, and Peak Wealth Management.

1. Maryland Defenestration After Review

The Speightening: 88% is the very best of downfield success ratings. Ben Braden at left tackle is surviving. Preview of this defense versus Curtis Samuel on the edge says ask again later. McCray has to take some better angles; Stribling still has those edge tackling issues. Taco supreme, Winovich is comin’, Hurst is a Dude.

2. Gimmicky Top Five: Things We Are Excited About for This Basketball Season. Also Crootin.

starts at 25:02

Iowa is corn. BTN stream-only has the game tonight so you probably can’t watch it. Looking forward to the Donlonation of the Defense and BIG PEOPLE!

The Aubrey’s Mom situation went as well as it can possibly go. Cramming 32 guys in this class will see some attrition from current commits. Not laughing at Willie Gay possibility anymore. Laughing at how good this class is likely to be though.

3. Dr. Sap and Hayden Fry’s Psychological Degree

starts at 51:53

Michigan historian Steve Sapardanis joins us for the story of the pink locker room and the 1985 team that had way more to be mad about than that. How to do the decals on the helmet correctly. Attention to details: snapping correctly, and the right blockiness of the Bo ‘M’.

4. Iowa is Everything That Was Offensive About the Carr Years

starts at 1:04:16

this is why that song, Brian.

Iowa fans trolled Bill Connelly for returning their 12-2 team, and they’re right back where they were last year except less lucky. Their offense is so so badly orchestrated that Ace was offended watching it. Challenging DeBord for how many drives can you start with a zone stretch? They run a lot of Akrum Wadley slip screens and high-lows.

They’ve got some really good defensive players—WDEs are going all out for pass rush and getting gashed for it. Their WLB is a big hole. Probably should have labeled both safeties as sore spots.

Also a reader’s question finally outs Brian’s bolded alter ego.

Bullshit.

Whatever dude.

MUSIC:

• “Interstate 80 Iowa”—Sean and Jake
• “The Fool”—Ramesh
• “Ten Years”—Rev Theory
• “Across 110th Street”

THE USUAL LINKS

• Helpful iTunes subscribe link
• General podcast feed link
• Direct download link
• What's with the theme music?

We are back at 333 S. Main Street, the Bo Store, because it worked so well last time. Come down, bring beer if you like, and pull up chair. We have a light schedule so we should be able to get to some reader questions if you put them in the coments. Special guest today: Dr. Sap.

---------------------------------

The Sponsors The Sponsors The Sponsors

The reason we can put out so much audio content now is it’s paid for. The show is presented by UGP & Moe's and frankly would not be happening without them; Rishi and Ryan and their people have been huge MGoBlog supporters from the start.

Our other sponsors are also key in the expanding empire: thanks to Homesure Lending, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Deo Bookkeeping, Michigan Law Grad, Defensive Drivers Group, Tailgater Concierge, and Peak Wealth Management.

Essentials

Overview

This year's Iowa team is not like last year's Iowa 12-2 team... or is it? Last year the Hawkeyes scraped by a wide variety of iffy opponents en route to a blowout loss to Stanford in the Rose Bowl that was over halfway through the first quarter. They finished 47th in S&P+.

This year's outfit is 5-4 with a loss to an FCS team; they are coming off a Stanford-style blowout against Penn State. S&P+ ranks them... 49th. Last year's record looks like the outlier placed against the last decade of Kirk Ferentz teams. At least his contract runs out soon.

This isn't a 12-0 team that's run into really bad luck. But neither is this MSU or Illinois. Iowa's not good, but they're not bad. Michigan's last four opponents range from 74th to 110th in S&P+; this will be Michigan's stiffest test since they ran the 9-10-11 gauntlet against Colorado, Wisconsin, and Penn State.

Run Offense vs Iowa

the outlaw Josey Jewell

There's been little consistency in Iowa's week to week performances on the ground. Minnesota and Wisconsin scuffled to around 3.5 YPC; Penn State gashed Iowa for almost 7; Northwestern and North Dakota State were slightly under 5. (Like everyone, they killed Purdue.)

This has not added up to pleasant fancystats; Iowa's 87th on the ground in S&P+, and it starts up front. Iowa's 118th in line yards and 126th in stuff rate. Iowa opponents rarely get TFLed; they rarely get stuffed. The Hawkeyes are better at preventing long runs but only around average in those stats. It's a very conservative run defense that ends up bleeding you down the field.

Iowa has six DL in heavy rotation; PFF thinks all of them are B- players against the run except Nathan Bazata, who gets a B+, and Faith Ekakitie, who gets a C-. MLB Josey Jewell is one of three star players on the defense and grades out as well as his reputation would suggest; he's one of the best linebackers Michigan will face this year. Nominal spacebacker Ben Niemann is another B- guy; Bo Bower is... not.

That would be good enough to be average or good-ish if the secondary didn't have to get involved. It does. It has not gone well. Ace:

With an iffy front seven against the run, safety play becomes paramount, and that's a problem for Iowa. Starters Brandon Snyder and Miles Taylor have combined for 25(!) missed tackles so far this season, per PFF. Neither was in a great situation here with Saquon Barkley hitting the edge at full speed, but Snyder (#37) takes a bad angle and Taylor (#19) does the same farther downfield and wipes out.

Iowa has stats characteristic of terrible safety play: they're fifth in the Big Ten in 10+ yard plays allowed, 8th in 20+ yard plays, and tied with Purdue at 12th in 30+ yard plays. This is a defense that won't get blown to Kingdom come like Maryland did; they'll bleed four or five yards at a time until a safety blows it.

Michigan's rush offense is somewhat hampered by youth and a lineup shuffle but the running backs have been on point much of the year and there are a blizzard of them. This won't be the PSU game because Michigan doesn't have a guy who will punish you as ruthlessly as a Saquon Barkley; it should be another game where Iowa gives up around 5 YPC.

KEY MATCHUP: CHRIS EVANS versus A SAFETY IN SPACE. Evans is Michigan's most explosive runner and the one most likely to leave an Iowa safety grasping air and thinking "oh no, not again."

[Hit THE JUMP for OH MAN THIS LINE against MICHIGAN'S DL is a THING I SAY EVERY WEEK NOW]

Previously: John Beilein media day transcript, Billy Donlon media day quotes, MGoPodcast 8.7, Point Guards, Wings (Part I), Wings (Part II), Bigs

Alex's team previews: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue (last couple still to come)

New uniforms, new defense, same Beilein. [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

You're forgiven for not feeling basketball fever this year. The football team is in the midst of a magical season. The hoops squad has followed an outstanding three-year run with KenPom finishes of 74th and 50th the last two years. Tonight's season-opener is against the #275 team in the country, isn't on television, prefaces a huge road game for the football team, and falls during a week in which basketball hasn't been at the forefront of many people's minds.

Yet there is reason to be very excited about this season. Michigan brings back the core of last year's tournament team, one which overcame the loss of their best player to come within a half (and, yes, a subsequent game against a 14-seed) of making the Sweet Sixteen. While the Big Ten has a number of decent teams, it's unclear if any are capable of dominance.

And, of course, the program has undergone its biggest offseason of change since 2010. That summer, John Beilein overhauled his coaching staff after a 15-17 season. In came Lavall Jordan, the point guard whisperer, and Bacari Alexander, who molded Jordan Morgan into an impact big man. This summer, both Jordan and Alexander moved up to head coaching jobs, and Beilein had an opportunity to mold the staff as he saw fit again.

[Hit THE JUMP for the Billy Donlon overhaul, info on tonight's opener, and Alex Cook's projected Big Ten standings and all-conference teams.]

Whatever you do, #44, it is wrong.

Iowa runs a base Cover 2 defense, and Michigan has been adding lots of Cover 2 to their Cover 1/Cover 3 base. Meanwhile Iowa’s offensive coordinator, Greg Davis, is well known for favoring a simple, West Coast-style passing offense that creates easy reads and, at the very least, open receivers underneath to dump it to.

All of that means it’s a good week to discuss a defensive concept we haven’t gone over in so long that the quarterback’s targets last time were Roy Roundtree and Martavious Odoms: a High-Low read.

If you’re a football guy already you can almost certainly tune this one out. If you’re not, this is a really easy thing to see on the field that can make you sound knowledgeable when you point it out to your friends.

High-Low Defined

This is an offensive passing concept that gives the quarterback two routes that cross above and below a defender’s zone, close enough to stay in view but vertically spaced enough (12-15 yards) that the flat defender can’t cover either by splitting the difference. The quarterback then throws whichever route the high-low’d defender covered.

I say “flat defender” instead of “cornerback” because it’s not always a CB who has that zone.

[After THE JUMP: lots of ways to stretch a man’s zone.]