zach smith is mad online

Feed Nico. A sea change from 2017, when Michigan's downfield targets were often Kekoa Crawford and Eddie McDoom, to 2018 in this department:

Nico Collins had an absurd 81.3 percent contested catch rate last season, easily leading returning B1G wide receivers. pic.twitter.com/tJ9Jznjnvg

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 8, 2019

Getting the guy with a 71% catch rate and 12 yards per target just 52 targets was a tell about last year's failings on offense. ND had four WRs with more targets than Collins. OSU's #2 WR got 92 targets. A chunk of this is tempo and another chunk is Michigan's aversion to dropping back because of pass protection issues.

Also. Those pass protection issues weren't on the interior OL:

Here are the highest-graded returning pass blockers along B1G interior offensive lineman. pic.twitter.com/zKK66BFfsU

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 9, 2019

That is also an incredible turnaround from the prior year, during which Michigan seemed to let every stunt up the gut through. Ruiz and Warinner also deserve some of that credit; Michigan was vastly more organized, and interior protection is often about finding guys to block.

Also also. Patterson may not have lit it up enough to be a one and done but he's got a platform to build on this year:

Here are the Top-3 highest-graded returning QBs you will see in the B1G this season. pic.twitter.com/u2fEtRhnkz

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 6, 2019

With a starting running back who's an elite pass protector and also a former walk-on, Michigan should be a pass-first team in 2019. Just need one of Mayfield or Stueber to hit.

[After THE JUMP: Zach Smith does not surprise you]

The Mark Dantonio background check. Michigan State "vetted" Auston Robertson after this incident:

Michigan State officials have said the university was aware of two criminal charges in Robertson's past. One was sexual in nature, and the other was not. He was charged in January 2016 with misdemeanor battery related to an incident during school in which he "rubbed and grabbed" a female classmate's groin area against her will in the fall of his senior year.

Robertson had "several other police reports documenting alleged sexual violence and misconduct" just waiting to be asked after. Two were for attempted rape. The victim in the misdemeanor described above told police of two earlier incidents. There were no fewer than five incidents of sexual assault during Robertson's high school career, described in police reports. MSU didn't bother looking for them.

No one from Michigan State requested information about Robertson's criminal history in Fort Wayne through formal records requests during the school's vetting process, according to the city's records department. …

Allen County (Indiana) Prosecutor Karen Richards said no one from Michigan State contacted her or her office for records or discussion about Robertson during the time that Michigan State was vetting him

What is the first thing you'd do if you were serious about vetting someone? That. Instead, Michigan State went through a sham process that put Robertson on campus. Predictably, he sexually assaulted someone within the first year. He's now facing three years in prison.

Mark Dantonio put the MSU student body at risk because he didn't care one iota whether or not Robertson was a threat. If you don't think the Larry Nassar attitude extends to football and basketball, you are wrong.

In related news, Curtis Blackwell is suing various MSU people after being made the fall guy for the three guys who got expelled for a sexual assault that got pled down to "seduction" and a former employee is suing after MSU was unresponsive to harassment allegations against a union head.

This seems good. The Solid Verbal compiles points per drive stats in conference play:

B1G Points/Drive Improvement
(2017 -> 2018, vs conf opp) pic.twitter.com/zzV2R3OOb1

— The Solid Verbal (@SolidVerbal) November 12, 2018

Michigan near the top of both lists; OSU near the bottom. Maryland vastly improved! Every other weekend.

Press conferences have gotten weird. Mostly talkin' snakes these days:

Junior running back Tru Wilson, who finished with eight carries for a career-high 58 yards on Saturday, faced the media. Wilson didn’t receive any questions about his previous game.

But he got plenty about his pet snake, Mako.

“He’s just getting done shedding, so I haven’t been able to play with him for the last week or so,” Wilson said. “I guess he’s blind when he sheds, so I guess it’s kinda dangerous — not dangerous, he’s not gonna kill me. The ball pythons are a very defensive creature.”

Doesn't Higdon have a snake, too? How many Michigan running backs have snakes?

[After THE JUMP: PFF stats, maybe they make waffles, sketchy Zach Smith stuff]

I have more jokes! Jared Wangler grew a mustache and it is glorious.

did Jared Wangler grow a mustache or did Dave Wannstedt finally download his soul into a 20-year-old's body pic.twitter.com/DNswLmB4Cn

— mgoblog (@mgoblog) August 3, 2018

Wangler is now

• Don Brown's greenhorn partner who gets killed in the cold open, leading Brown into a maelstrom of revenge
• a "vaudville barenuckle boxer"
• Ben Mason's accomplice in a series of crimes that shock the sensibilities of Victorian London
• a fullback

Thank you to the many Michigan football players who provide us #content with their bold sartorial choices. Henry Poggi will always be your king.

Khaleke Hudson's very productive day. Match Quarters has an extensive breakdown of Michigan's approach in last year's Minnesota game, which you may remember featured a vast number of Khaleke Hudson TFLs:

hen looking at the scheme Brown chose to defend the Gophers 11/20 pers. formations, one will notice the ultra aggressiveness towards the run and the lack of “coverage” for the H-back. Brown also had several change-ups and automatics to motion and the different formations the Gophers threw at the Wolverines. Below is a diagram of how Brown blitzed the Viper anytime the H-back motioned away.

Coach Brown during his clinic talk at the 2018 Lone Star Clinic noted the absence of the TE in the passing game during the Big 10 season. Outside of Troy Fumagalli at Wisconsin and Mike Gesiki at Penn State, one will be hard-pressed to find a TE that merits an extra man in the passing game. This allowed the Wolverines to add an extra defender in the box against most Big 10 opponents without worrying about an “H-Pop” or a TE streaking down the middle of the field.

Much more at the link.

[After THE JUMP: more Zach Smith stuff, Quinn Hughes doing Quinn Hughes things.]