special teams

[Bryan Fuller]

Previously: Podcast 14.0A14.0B14.0CThe StoryQuarterbackRunning BackWide ReceiverTight EndOffensive TackleInterior OLDefensive InteriorEdgeLinebackerCornerback. Safety.

Kicker Yr Punter Yr Kickoffs Yr Punt Return Yr Kick Return Yr
Jake Moody Sr.* Brad Robbins Sr.* Jake Moody Sr.* AJ Henning Jr. Roman Wilson Jr.
Tommy Doman Fr.* Tommy Doman Fr.* Tommy Doman Fr.* Ronnie Bell Sr.* AJ Henning Jr. 

Michigan gets back the Groza winner, a Ray Guy finalist, the Big Ten's best punt returner by YPA, a wide receiver who blocked two punts a year ago, and is about to deploy Roman Wilson as the kickoff returner. The question foremost in this preview's mind is whether Michigan will repeat as the best special teams unit in America, as measured by FEI.

Is there a German word for "we thought this guy was a nepotism hire but he's secretly the best special teams coach in America"?

KICKING: IT GOES IN

RATING: 5

51681247734_ee49e73676_c

something about golf clubs [Patrick Barron]

I'm not sure what else to say?

Moody was 23/25 last year and had that draw you see on the two Nebraska field goals all year. The draw is comforting like a 30-year-old recliner. Moody puts the ball up, it drifts a little to the left, every time. No funny stuff is going on with these field goals. You could rub warm butter over Rob Thomas and it would not be as smooth as a Jake Moody field goal.

[After THE JUMP: quien es mas punto, Iowa?]
Never down. [Patrick Barron]

Previously: Last year. The Story. Podcast 12.4A, 12.4B, 12.4C. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End. Interior OL. Offensive Tackle. Defensive End. Defensive Tackle. Linebacker. Cornerback. Safety.

Depth Chart

Kicker Yr Punter Yr Kickoffs Yr Punt return Yr Kick return Yr
Quinn Nordin Sr.* Will Hart Sr.* Jake Moody Jr. Ronnie Bell Jr. Giles Jackson So.
Jake Moody Jr. Brad Robbins Jr.* Quinn Nordin Sr.*  Giles Jackson So. AJ Henning Fr. 

When Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2015 he hired three new assistants who raised some eyebrows. One was his son Jay, whose non-genetic credentials were three years as an Oregon State GA, and three as an offensive quality coach for his Uncle John's Baltimore Ravens. The second was Chris Partridge, the high school coach who was expected to go back in a year to collect #1 national recruit Rashan Gary. Not waiting to see if Partridge had any coaching value beyond his connection to 5-stars, the NCAA passed a "Partridge" rule to ban programs from hiring high school coaches whose players they recruit.

The third was John Baxter, a special teams savant responsible for USC's consistently excellent third phase. Michigan special teams shot up in Baxter's first season in Ann Arbor, from 74th the year prior to 11th in Fremeau's special teams efficiency index (FEI). Baxter didn't stick around for another, but left the cheat codes behind for understudy Partridge. FEI rankings since: 3rd, 28th, 12th, 2nd*. Along the way Partridge's special teams forced a kickoffs rule change by moonballing it to the 1 yard line, broke spread punting, broke Alabama's will to cover kickoffs, and broke the FG TARGET LINE stripe for half of a broadcast:

image

Just gotta get over the 40 guys.

Partridge, it turned out, was indeed more valuable than his connection to immediate blue chips, and took an SEC defensive coordinator job this offseason. The briefcase with the codes now passes to his assistant these last four years, Jay Harbaugh, who's also spent the intervening years proving himself more than worthy of his nepotistic opportunity.

With it comes the leg responsible for the ridiculous line above, the reason Alabama was pooching it up to the 30, a pair of senior specialists and their experienced backups, and the first wave of Josh Gattis's toys to play with. It'll probably be fine, plus or minus the vagaries of the most variable acts in football.

* [Those numbers are a little goofy because they include opponent field goal efficiency, which isn't really something you control. In 2018 they were 127th (second to last) in opponent field goal efficiency and last year they were 6th. #CollegeKickers happens]

[After the JUMP: Giles Jackson is not down]

Yes sir I will subscribe to this newsletter. This Week In Schadenfreude spends all its time with Ohio State:

not gonna watch till mich

I need a break from this noncents. Gonna hang with my 2 boys or take the broad out for mini golf. I need to repriotoeoeize my life.

… I…

Okay. Thank you.

Gary details. Rashan Gary's mom decided to put all the cards on the table in re: Gary's injury. Executive summary: he got hurt before Notre Dame, aggravated it by falling on the shoulder in the Northwestern game, and was told that he needed 4-6 weeks for the injury to heal. Penn State is 5 weeks, Rutgers 6. He is not pulling a Bosa. The end.

A terrifying glimpse inside the program. Stephen Spanellis reveals Ben Herbert's mantra:

They seem to like the guy, at least? Enough to photoshop him into things?

No lies detected. Sterile giant fields surrounded by empty buildings and Buffalo Wild Wings, is what Jordan Poole just saw:

“I had never been to Michigan State before, and their campus was awful – it’s trash,” Poole said. “It was just dry.

There's actually a giant, interesting thread on the RCMB about this very thing dating back a couple years. Folks are openly envious of Ann Arbor's ability to put up new buildings, which… hoo boy, that says something about East Lansing NIMBYs.

Okay, here's a hype video. Needs more Metellus skipping but otherwise I will allow it.

Metellus grade. Michigan's safeties are one of only two spots on the defense that seem even a little permeable—DT is the other—but even there Michigan has a guy grading out very well per PFF:

S Josh Metellus, 76.7 Overall Grade

While coverage metrics aren’t typically the best to look at when discussing safety play, Metellus’ play in coverage is certainly deserving of highlighting here. He holds an absurd 5.7 passer rating allowed to opposing receivers, which leads all defensive backs with at least 135 snaps in coverage. He has not allowed a single touchdown this season to go with three interceptions and is allowing just 31.6% of passes thrown his way to be hauled in. In coverage from the slot, he’s allowed just a 13.8 passer rating and has two of his three picks.

That rating has to be giving Metellus credit for all his INTs like he was in coverage on those throws. He was not on two, which were deflected by David Long and Lawrence Marshall. So don't focus on the passer rating, focus on the grade, which is All Big Ten-level.

In other PFF stuff, Gary has dropped out of their first round and Devin Bush has slid to #32 on their draft board. The first is pretty obvious. The second… uh?

[After the JUMP: glacing owlishly]