zone stretch

UFR GLOSSARY is here.

FORMATION NOTES: Minnesota was mostly an under-center or shotgun 3-wide with a WR jetting across.

Their 4th down formation was Unbalanced; the guy at the bottom of the line is a TE/eligible receiver.

And Michigan used a weird formation on 3rd & 7 with 3 DEs on the field and Harrell and a LB stacked behind the nose that I called 3-1 stack.

They also split a DE wide on their 5-2s odd formations that I called 5-2 split—the nose is still over the center.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: There were 40 snaps before Tuttle Time in this one. Graham led the DTs in snaps, playing DT or nose depending on whom he was with. Grant got 14, Jenkins 25, Goode 14, and Benny 16. The DEs were the same except Cameron Brandt got in a bunch after the four starters, signifying he's moved ahead of Kechaun Bennett, who played on the last drive. LB was Colson until Tuttle Time and a split of Hausmann and Barrett. Keon Sabb cycled in with the safeties and got a few snaps in a 3-safety look with Paige at slot. McBurrows returned as the backup nickel. Wallace came off the field for the 5-2 sets and Sainristil shifted outside. Amorion Walker and DJ Waller were the deep backup time CBs, with a few snaps from Keshaun Harris before that, but none of the other CBs played.

[After THE JUMP: Stretch practice.]

If you were around for the first Rich Rod year, when Michigan's offensive talent wasn't on the same level as most of their competition's, you may remember there would often be some cute trick in the Wolverines gameplan. This gambit would work for a quarter before the defensive coaches got a moment to explain what's happening. Their answer would stress another part of the late-aughts Michigan offense that couldn't take it, and that would be that. Still, the yards and scores all counted. Several of the results also made Paul Nelson's legendary 2009 hype video, which has since become this site's anthem.

Now that you've watched that to remember how far we've come, turn back to 2:54 for the Purdue/Penn State sequences. Michigan actually led Penn State 10-0 in the 1st quarter in 2008. They lost 17-46.

Fast forward 15 years, and Michigan's the heavy favorite adjusting to some cute gambit in the 1st quarter before shutting it down with a simple reaction. Minnesota's trick, which led to a 54-yard field goal attempt, was actually pretty similar to Rich Rod's against 2008 Penn State, another team built on the strength of its defensive tackles.

The base play Minnesota was using was zone stretch. Or outside zone. We never decided on what to call it, but it's the second time we've talked about it this year because Michigan spent the UNLV game trying to rep it. When that happened I posited that Stretch is tough to add as a second pitch to your running game because it takes a lot to get right. Minnesota uses it as its #1, and found ways to repeatedly crack Michigan's front by using backfield motion to stretch the of horizontal space Michigan's linemen had to cover on their own.

The short explanation is Minnesota attacked the way Michigan prefers to play the run without committing much material to it. Minter's defense likes to set its edge and leave their defensive tackles to keep things under control in between them until the ball is handed off. This allows the linebackers to pursue passing targets and the edges to remain in position to rush the passer, stressing the DTs to gain a measure of immunity to play-action. Minnesota was using motion from their tight ends and receivers before and after the snap to spread out those edges, which overstressed the tackles, and created wide lanes before the linebackers could get back to help. Hit the jump and I'll show you how and why, and how Michigan responded.

[After THE JUMP: Stretch in Space]

10/7/2023 – Michigan 52, Minnesota 10 – 6-0, 3-0 Big Ten

A couple years ago I watched Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time since the paleolithic era and I couldn't really commit emotionally. I fundamentally could not let myself believe they would win. This feeling extended into the distance; even after it was clear they were going to win I did not feel the same kind of thing it appeared other people were feeling all around me.

The same thing happened last year. While I've made the argument that the postgame success rate/"it was just five plays" takes were bad, it is true that the nature of the game lent itself to believing OSU was far better down-to-down, at least through 30 minutes. Michigan was bleeding OSU down the field and relying on their short-yardage deficiencies to prevent points; Ohio State was maniacally determined to not let Hassan Haskins 2.0 happen to them. So you're watching this and it feels like Michigan is hanging on by a thread. Only in the aftermath do you realize that Ohio State decided to throw it to their tight end 30 yards downfield on fourth and two and played zero coverage on which two Michigan players could have scored easy touchdowns. Meanwhile OSU has the #2 pick in the NFL draft and Marvin Harrison Jr, etc., etc.

Michigan felt like an underdog.

Michigan is not an underdog anymore, to anyone, after comprehensive dismantlings of mid-tier Big Ten teams that featured Jack Tuttle snaps in the third quarter. It is deeply unfortunate that Georgia woke up after a sleepy start to the season and hamblasted Kentucky, because otherwise it would not appear that any team in the country is anywhere near Michigan. Other teams have bits and pieces: USC has Caleb Williams, Penn State has an elite defense, Ohio State still has Marvin Harrison Jr. But USC's defense can't do anything, Drew Allar has the lowest depth of target in the Power 5, and OSU just ran for 1.9 yards per carry against Maryland.

But, yeah, Georgia. And maybe Oklahoma. Michigan is a complete team but seems to lack a game-wrecker on def—

Let’s see how Mason Graham’s doing with that cumbersome club on his hand after missing the last 2 games.

Dear God. pic.twitter.com/kjU7fe4kz8

— Due# (@JDue51) October 8, 2023

Oh. Mason Graham is the #2 DT in the country to PFF, and he's a true sophomore, and he's wearing a club, and he's getting better every time we see him. You could say similar things about Derrick Moore, and maybe Josiah Stewart. On offense Michigan is settling into what looks like the long term answer on the OL. Hiccups in the secondary have another month to get smoothed over.

Michigan is this good, and it still feels like they've got another gear. If Corum gets back to where he was, if the arc read game comes back in important spots, if Derrick Moore continues to Ojabo, if Rod Moore gets all the way back, etc. These are usually the ifs you have when you're scuffling a bit. The ifs you have when you're undefeated but haven't played anyone and escaped a close one against a Nebraska or a Minnesota. It is almost literally impossible for a college football team to play better than Michigan… but Michigan can play better.

I have unlatched all the gates and pressed the button that says DO NOT PRESS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. I glance over to Ohio State getting outplayed badly by Maryland until Maryland Marylands itself, and look at the teams across the nation and I think "Michigan can take these guys." It is possible that by the end of the season that everyone proclaims is wide open, it turns out it wasn't that wide open after all.

Just four more weeks of waiting before we start finding out for real.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

[Barron]

you're the man now, dog

#1 Mason Graham. Led the team in tackles as a DT. Had a thunderous, drive-stalling TFL and two sacks, one of which he was robbed of by a horrendous spot. Seems like breaking his hand has only made him more powerful. Ol' Murderglasgow is ascending to Mo Hurst tier.

#2 JJ McCarthy. A casual 10 YPA despite three drops, plus two rushing touchdowns where he juked tacklers, stiffarming one to the turf. Apparently did not get a sideline kiss, though, so there are areas for improvement.

#3 Will Johnson. Only did two things but the first thing was a tone-setting pick-six.

Honorable mention: Probably should throw in Kalel Mullings here for cumulative short-yardage success and a mansome blitz pickup. Keon Sabb also had a pick six. The Offensive Line kept McCarthy clean and led Michigan to 5.8 YPA. AJ Barner continues to mash face. Cornelius Johnson had a drop but also a circus catch on a deep ball, plus his blocking was improved. Josiah Stewart is getting after it.

KFaTAotW Standings.

(points: #1: 8, #2: 5, #3: 3, HMs one each. Ties result in somewhat arbitrary assignments.)

27: JJ McCarthy (#1 ECU, #1 UNLV, #2 Rutgers, HM Nebraska, #2 Minnesota)
22: Kris Jenkins (HM ECU, T2 UNLV, #1 BGSU, HM Rutgers, #1 Nebraska)
13: Mason Graham (HM ECU, T2 UNLV, #1 Minn)
11: Mike Sainristil (T3 ECU, HM BGSU, #1 Rutgers)
9: Roman Wilson (T2 ECU, HM UNLV, HM BGSU, #3 Nebraska), Blake Corum (HM ECU, HM UNLV, #2 BGSU, HM Rutgers, HM Neb)
7: Braiden McGregor(T3 UNLV, #2 Nebraska), Cornelius Johnson (T2 ECU, HM UNLV, HM BGSU, HM Minn)
6: Kenneth Grant (T3 ECU, T2 UNLV),
5: Junior Colson (#3 BGSU, T3 Rutgers)
4: Ernest Hausmann (T3 ECU, T3 Rutgers)
3: Mike Barrett (HM UNLV, T3 Rutgers), Will Johnson(#3 Minn), AJ Barner (HM BGSU, HM Neb, HM Minn)
2:  Josh Wallace (T3 ECU), Derrick Moore (T3 UNLV), Jaylen Harrell (HM UNLV, HM BGSU), Max Bredeson (HM Rutgers, HM Neb)
1: Tommy Doman (HM ECU), Donovan Edwards (HM ECU), Tyler Morris (HM UNLV), Semaj Morgan (HM Rutgers), Colston Loveland (HM Rutgers), Quinten Johnson (HM Rutgers), Derrick Moore (HM Neb), Kalel Mullings (HM Minn), The Offensive Line (HM Minn), Keon Sabb (HM Minn), Josiah Stewart (HM Minn)

Who's Got It Better Than Us(?) Of The Week

Will Johnson picks off the second snap from scrimmage, more or less ending the game 12 seconds in.

Honorable mention: Pin and pull goes for 40, hooray explosives; Johnson hauls in a deep ball, hooray explosives. Sabb pick six. Mason Graham death squirrel sack. Leon Franklin gets his touchdown.

MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

PJ Fleck's insane clock management at the end of the first half is rewarded with a longshot touchdown.

Honorable mention: Johnson drops a third down conversion so Michigan has to settle for a field goal. Minnesota outside zone does some work on the first two drives.