Upon Further Review 2019: Defense vs Wisconsin
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FORMATION NOTES: This game in a nutshell:
That is a seven-OL formation I called "beefcake". Michigan's short yardage package had Kemp as a head up nose and no one else inside either guard; Glasgow is called into action as a tilted three-tech in a three point stance.
Michigan tried some 3-3-5 stuff with Uche but spent most of the game in a 4-2-5, with weird stuff speckled in.
SUBSTITUTION NOTES: A significant amount of variation but Uche was mostly relegated back to about a third of the snaps as Michigan went with a four man line. This was almost without variation Paye/Kemp/Jeter/Hutchinson. Danna and Mason both got some snaps, with Mason's concentrated after the game was over.
LB level was Glasgow and Hudson basically the whole way—Gil got the last drive I charted in place of Glasgow. MLB was a rotating trio of meh: Ross got pulled early for performance reasons, and then Anthony got pulled seemingly for performance reasons, and then McGrone got some time.
Secondary the usual Hawkins/Metellus/Hill/Thomas setup with Gray rotating in for about equal snaps at CB; Woods got some time in dime packages.
[After THE JUMP: also not so great]
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
O25 | 1 | 10 | Pistol trips TE | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press one high | Run | N/A | Yakety sax | Uche | 0 | ||||||||
Taylor goes the wrong way on the mesh point. M blitzes Ross and Uche(+1), with Uche shooting past the C to tackle a confused Coan. | |||||||||||||||||||
O25 | 2 | 10 | Pistol 3-wide | 3-3-5 | 30 nickel slide | Press two high | Run | N/A | Split zone | Hutchinson | 8 | ||||||||
TE motions across and then drags back for split zone. M slants away; Hutchinson(-2) gets blasted downfield and pancaked. Ross(-1) is coming in hot as a blitzer to fill behind and gets under the TE but cannot close down all that space; probably should go even more balls out to fill that gap because he’s got Uche unblocked waiting for a spill. | |||||||||||||||||||
O33 | 3 | 2 | Pistol 3-wide | 4-2-5 | Nickel over | Press one high | Pass | 5 | Scramble | Ross | 1 | ||||||||
Max pro short rollout as Wisconsin tries to motion a guy out and get him open on America’s Rollout Out. Michigan(RPS +1) zones it and covers(+2) both field side options. Hutchinson(+0.5) does a good job to get upfield and contain. Ross(-2, pressure -2) is sent on a blitz and gets cut; he’s recklessly hammering upfield and gets cut away from the side the QB is rolling to; woof. Coan has to try to take off directly upfield and can because Ross got cut. He is just short of the first down, call probably correct on review. | |||||||||||||||||||
O34 | 4 | 1 | Beefcake | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | Dive | N/A | 3 | ||||||||
UW’s set has two TEs and two bonus OL stacked just behind the RG and RT. M responds with a goal line formation that is their normal 4-2-5 with Glasgow, of all people, a in three point stance basically head up on the guard. Dive is unstoppable. They get it. Kemp was looking like he’s come through and then got clocked by another OL. | |||||||||||||||||||
O37 | 1 | 10 | I-Form | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even SAM | Press two high | Run | N/A | Trap | Kemp | 6 + 15 pen | ||||||||
Trap; Kemp(-2) is left alone and shoots straight upfield. FB doesn’t even have to block him he’s so gone. Ross(+1) runs up to a free releasing OL and thunks him, stalling him at the LOS. He gets a horrible PF for hands to the face(refs -3) which is hands to the shoulder pads. Metellus(-0.5) is in man coverage on the FB and realizes late that this is a run; Ross bought him an opportunity to go get this for a meh gain. | |||||||||||||||||||
M42 | 1 | 10 | Offset I | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even SAM | Press two high | Run | N/A | Power GT | Glasgow | 18 | ||||||||
Wisconsin pulls a Washington Tecmo Bowl, flipping from a ace three wide to this and shifting Glasgow down into a SAM viper role while Hudson gets stuck as the WLB. Power GT to the Glasgow side. M slants away. Hudson(-1) does not scrape and gets sealed away; bad news when you slant away and your weakside backer eats a second level block. Ross(+1) almost makes it right as the runs up and hammers a UW OL who stops in the hole because he ‘s not sure who to block. Taylor disappears into a heap of bodies, and then bursts around the edge for a big gain. This was blamed on Hill on the broadcast but it’s actually Glasgow(-2) who’s clearly the force player; he actually did a great job to rip past a TE but took it too upfield and loses contain. | |||||||||||||||||||
M24 | 1 | 10 | I-Form Big | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even SAM | Press one high | Run | N/A | Counter Trey | Paye | 2 | ||||||||
M shoots Paye(+1) inside and the LBs cover over the top; Paye is able to drive an uncertain LT back into a puller and spill it. Glasgow(+0.5) and Ross(+0.5) both get to the spot, Glasgow to take on a FB and Ross for the tackle at the LOS. | |||||||||||||||||||
M22 | 2 | 8 | Shotgun 3-wide | 3-3-5 | Okie one | Press one high | Pass | 4 | Slant | Thomas | 5 | ||||||||
Uche(+2, pressure +2) has superior get off and gets past the LG to force an instant throw; that’s a slant against Thomas(-0.5, cover push), who is unable to challenge but tackles immediately. | |||||||||||||||||||
M17 | 3 | 3 | I-Form Big | 2-4-5 | 5-3 fold | Press one high | Run | N/A | Counter zone | Hawkins | 14 | ||||||||
Thomas steps right and then comes back left; FB inserts backside as UW goes IZ the other way. This is a crazy thing to run on third and three: two DL, Paye and Hutchinson, the latter as the nose. It might actually work just by sheer weirdness if Hawkins(-3), who is six yards deep and clearly intended to be a free hitter, doesn’t run himself completely out of the play. This was there for Hawkins to smack Taylor in a small hole at the LOS. | |||||||||||||||||||
M3 | 1 | G | Beefcake split | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | Power O | Paye | 1 | ||||||||
We don’t get a replay of this and it is a wad of meat that is almost impossible to decipher. Paye(+0.5) and Hutchinson(+0.5) are able to fend off blocks and converge after about a yard to stand up Taylor. | |||||||||||||||||||
M2 | 2 | G | Beefcake | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press one high | Run | N/A | Dive | Hudson | 1 | ||||||||
Dive again; M sends Woods(+0.5) off the edge and Taylor bends away from the A gap. Also Hutchinson(+0.5) gets to the backfield and stands up an OL. Hudson pops up and hits Taylor; Woods then comes in from the side and I think helps Taylor spin off and nearly score. One YAC against Taylor isn’t bad. | |||||||||||||||||||
M1 | 3 | G | Beefcake | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | Dive | Kemp | 1 | ||||||||
Valiant effort but Michigan can’t quite stall out Taylor; Kemp(+1) swiped through the C and just about stood up the second OL enough to make this a stop. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-7, 8 min 1st Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O4 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Pass | 4 | Out | Hill | 10 | ||||||||
Another half roll and a two man concept; Hill(-1, cover -1) drops too far to the deeper route, which Metellus has handled, and allows a quick throw for significant YAC. | |||||||||||||||||||
O14 | 1 | 10 | I-Form Big twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press one high | Run | N/A | Power CG | Hudson | 3 | ||||||||
Yikes. FB shuffles backside and then goes and inserts like it’s an iso block. Ross(-2) goes for this and misses two giant guys pulling in front of his face. UW has this blocked to the safety if they don’t blow it. They blow it. Hudson(+2) is able to slice past one of the OL; Metellus(+1) is force and gets around the other, though that one was more of a dorf. They meet Taylor at the LOS. | |||||||||||||||||||
O17 | 2 | 7 | Shotgun 3-wide | 3-3-5 | 30 nickel slide | Press one high | Run | N/A | Slant | Hill | 10 | ||||||||
Cephus sells a fade and then breaks inside cleanly; easy pitch and catch. Hill(-1, cover -1). Uche(+1, pressure +1) just about around the guard and is a hair away from a strip sack. | |||||||||||||||||||
O27 | 1 | 10 | I-Form | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Press two high | Run | N/A | Draw | Kemp | 7 | ||||||||
Kemp(-2) and Jeter(-2) both fly upfield outside of blockers, big hole in the middle. Jeter is at least somewhere in the vicinity of the LOS, Kemp is again six yards in the backfield on a run play. Glasgow(+1), Ross(+1), and Hawkins(+0.5) all beat downfield blocks after false-step pass sets, though Hawkins’s guy kind of falls down. | |||||||||||||||||||
O34 | 2 | 3 | I-Form twins | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over SAM | Press two high | Run | N/A | Lead draw | Kemp | 10 | ||||||||
Cumong man. Kemp(-2) is slanting across here and turns his body away from the C, getting ejected. Danna(-1) coming across and gets stood up and controlled by an OL. Paye is actually in his gap and doing decently but Ross(-1) now gets a fullback in an absolute cavern. He’s not going to shut it down but you want him to hit the FB and maybe dive off the guy to get in an ankle tackle attempt. He gets on one side of the fullback and can’t touch the guy. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 1 | 10 | I-Form twins | 4-2-5 | I-Form twins | Press two high | Pass | 4 | Corner | Metellus | Inc | ||||||||
Pocket is good(pressure -2). UW going big with two switch routes downfield; Hill(+1) over the top of one. Thomas(+1) in the grill of another and Metellus(+1, cover +3) gets over the top of the attempted deep ball. Metellus has a shot at a pick and can’t make it. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 2 | 10 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-2-5 | Nickel over | Press one high | Pass | 4 | RPO slant | Thomas | Inc | ||||||||
Probably an RPO as the boundary side guys are blocking while the field guys run slants. Thomas(+1, cover +1) in tight contact with WR and has a very good shot at a PBU on a three yard pass; ball well behind. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 3 | 10 | Shotgun 3-wide | 3-3-5 | Okie two | Press two high | Run | N/A | Draw | Ross | 7 | ||||||||
Mostly a give up and punt, though the prospect of UW going on fourth and three here is nerve-wracking. M shows everyone at the LOS and sends five. Both LB drop out and only one guy releases downfield; Glasglow(+0.5) and Ross(+0.5) successfully contain it. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-7, 4 min 1st Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O28 | 1 | 10 | Pistol trips TE | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press one high | Run | N/A | Counter GT | Glasgow | 72 | ||||||||
Michigan shows press man; jet fake swaps Hawkins with Hill. Ross(-2) tips his blitz and then gets obliterated by the LT. Paye(-3) is left for the pullers and completely fails to set the edge. You’re EMLOS and the guy over you blocks down when you’re playing UW it seems like that would be automatic? Hill(-3) is now the deep safety and completely blows it, never finding the pull or the ball or anything. Uche(-2) also never found the ball, so Michigan in tough even if this goes inside the tackles. RPS -2. Why is Hill over a jet guy instead of Metellus? Jet guy isn’t even Cephus. Endzone shot. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-14, 2 min 1st Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O20 | 1 | 10 | I-Form | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Run | N/A | Down GC | Hutchinson | 2 | ||||||||
It says two high but this is flat out cover zero with both safeties running at the LOS on the snap and basically becoming LBs. Hutch(+1) gets a TE, extends him and sheds to tackle at the LOS. Hudson(+1) is the playside LB and dodges one puller and fouls the second; Metellus is able to force it back into Hutchinson. Anthony(-1) is in on this play, so Ross’s gotten pulled at half and after a quarter in the last two games. He too is unable to read two giant persons pulling in front of his face and goes to the FB backside. Zero times has the FB been where the play is going in this game. RPS +1, Metellus shooting to LOS was helpful. | |||||||||||||||||||
O22 | 2 | 8 | Shotgun 3-wide | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press one high | Pass | 4 | TE hitch | Anthony | 7 | ||||||||
Anthony(-1, cover -1) way too soft on a TE hitch. If there’s ever a team to deny this to it’s UW, in this game, with your DTs. Woof. Pocket clean(pressure -1) on relatively quick throw. | |||||||||||||||||||
O29 | 3 | 1 | I-Form Big twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-3 under | Press one high | Run | N/A | FB dive | Jeter | 2 | ||||||||
Kemp(+1) able to shed and get to the backfield and actually makes contact in the backfield but he gets no support as Jeter(-1) is handled and driven by a single block. With Kemp hitting from the side there’s no hope unless Jeter can stand this up better. | |||||||||||||||||||
O31 | 1 | 10 | Pistol 3-wide | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Run | N/A | Power GT | Paye | 0 | ||||||||
Jet fake, Metellus and Hawkins swap to take care of it. No FB inserting to inexplicably mess up the LB reads so they get over to the POA; Paye(+1) has read it and dives inside to spill, where there are a lot of guys. Glasgow(+1) takes on the other blocker and stands it up with help from the cavalry. | |||||||||||||||||||
O31 | 2 | 10 | Pistol 3-wide | 3-3-5 | 5-3 fold | Press one high | Pass | 5 | Flare screen | N/A | 20 | ||||||||
Simple flare screen against man to man gets Woods(-1), in at LB, blocked, cracked, and gone by the WR. Gray tries to replaced but he’s got two OL to deal with and no help. This is out so fast I don’t know if holding up and redirecting is even possible. RPS -2. | |||||||||||||||||||
M49 | 1 | 10 | I-Form | 4-2-5 | 4-3 under | Press two high | Run | N/A | Lead draw | Metellus | 3 | ||||||||
This is offset on purpose, going between TE and tackle. Line gets split; Glasgow is outside and force; Paye(-1) washed down the line, significant gap. Anthony(-1) comes up and hits the FB but late; Metellus(+2) comes from his safety spot and reacts more quickly than anyone; he beats an attempted crack block to the spot and makes a tackle at the LOS. Because Taylor vs safety from the side, YAC. Still a rescue. | |||||||||||||||||||
M46 | 2 | 7 | Shotgun trips TE | 3-3-5 | 30 nickel under | Press two high | Pass | 5 | Hitch | Thomas | 3 | ||||||||
Bizarre formation where M has Uche in overhang and a three man line that is shifted heavily away from the TE side, with Metellus as basically a standup DE. Dunno how this holds up against a run because pass; M sends five and does collapse the pocket some to force a throw but this is mostly clean (pressure -1). Coverage(+2) good and a checkdown required that Thomas(+1) makes a quick stick on. | |||||||||||||||||||
M43 | 3 | 4 | I-Form Big twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-4 over | Press one high | Run | N/A | Counter trey | Hawkins | 0 | ||||||||
Danna(+1) is left alone and digs under close to the G as the T releases because he knows power is coming and wants to bounce it. He forces the FB to stop to get around him and robs him of his momentum; Glasgow(+1) comes in and pops the FB and discards him with that help; Hawkins(+1) sent on a backside blitz and tackles first; RPS +2, this was going to be a stop even if the playside did nothing because of the Hawkins blitz. Anthony did get over to this despite a fullback false step. | |||||||||||||||||||
M43 | 4 | 4 | Shotgun trips TE | 4-2-5 | Nickel even | Press one high | Pass | 5 | Wheel | Thomas | 27 | ||||||||
Press man look gets got by a double rub skillfully executed; Thomas has no chance to get to this wheel route. Michigan sends guys and the PA delay just about gets this done as Danna(+1) and Glasgow(+1, pressure +2) are able to get to the QB with Danna forklifting an OL out of the way so Glasgow can hit on the throw. I’m not sure how this is on point, it looks like he gets impacted with the ball in his hand. DO for Coan. (RPS -1, cover -2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M16 | 1 | 10 | I-Form Big | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Press two high | Run | N/A | Down GC | Hudson | 3 | ||||||||
FB inserts backside, pull frontside G and C. W Kemp head up on backside G he doesn’t have the quickness to get to the backfield and is not best positioned, contrast with shaded one tech getting to this for UW. Anthony(-2) and Glasgow(-1) both rip at the FB and are gone. Hudson(+3) again has to save this. With Hutch(-1) gone and Metellus force Hudson is in against two OL. One guy leaves to go block the S, and Hudson is able to come through the other guy and solo tackle to shut down a potential TD. | |||||||||||||||||||
M13 | 2 | 7 | Ace 2TE tight | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Off two high | Run | N/A | Jet sweep | Hutchinson | 11 | ||||||||
Quick jet from a drawn in position to limit prep time. Gray(+1) takes on a block well and gets off it to get in a tackle attempt that significantly slows the WR after a couple yards; cannot complete tackle. Still should be good enough. Is not. Hutch(-1) is unblocked and doesn’t know what he’s looking at for a long time; he should be able to recover and get this once there’s a delay. Metellus(-1) and Hudson(-1) both overrun the play trying to avoid blocks. | |||||||||||||||||||
M2 | 1 | G | Beefcake split | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | Power O | Kemp | 1 | ||||||||
Kemp(+1) fires off hard and sis able to submarine an OL in the backfield, tripping up a puller. RB goes right up the gut since the play is busted and gets a yard. | |||||||||||||||||||
M1 | 2 | G | Goal line | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | QB lead boot | McGrone | 0 | ||||||||
Impressive from McGrone(+2), who has to bend around Jeter(-0.5) and Hutch(-0.5) and is still able to get to Coan at the LOS and stick him for nothing. | |||||||||||||||||||
M1 | 3 | G | Beefcake | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | Dive | Kemp | 0 | ||||||||
Kemp(+2) times up the snap and surges under the C. He eats OL #2 but it’s still enough of a pile to let the rest of the D rally. | |||||||||||||||||||
M1 | 4 | G | Beefcake | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | QB sneak | N/A | 1 | ||||||||
There is no one in the A gap. There’s been no one in the A gap, and just Glasgow over the G, so UW calls timeout and is like “uh guys” and then they run a sneak. RPS -1. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-21, 6 min 2nd Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O42 | 1 | 10 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 2 | ||||||||
Tape does not have play. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 2 | 8 | Shotgun trips TE | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press two high | Pass | N/A | RPO in | Hawkins | 8 | ||||||||
Hawkins(-1, cover -1) in man, playing soft; UW sends its WR out to fake a stalk block and then break in; Hawkins caught off guard, easy completion. RPS -1. | |||||||||||||||||||
M48 | 1 | 10 | Pistol twins twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Run | N/A | Power GT | Paye | 2 | ||||||||
Metellus shoots down from like 15 yards on jet motion to add another guy to the boundary; he appears to be force; Paye(+1) shuffles down when he was left and jams up the lane. He gets both pullers to some extent and the back doesn’t bounce ; Anthony(+0.5) and Glasgow(+0.5) help clean up. RPS +1. | |||||||||||||||||||
M46 | 2 | 8 | Pistol 4-wide | 4-2-5 | Nickel over | Press two high | Pass | 5 | Circle | Metellus | 3 | ||||||||
Metellus reads this route and drives it; he gets a swipe in at the ball that misses but he’s still able to make a 0 YAC tackle despite being in a disadvantageous position. Nice play. (+1, cover +1, pressure -1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M43 | 3 | 5 | Shotgun empty | 3-3-5 | 5-1 split | Press one high | Penalty | N/A | False start | N/A | -5 | ||||||||
oops | |||||||||||||||||||
M48 | 3 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 3-3-5 | 5-1 split | Press one high | Run | N/A | QB draw | Danna | -5 | ||||||||
Danna(+2) again forklifts an OG, driving him back into the QB’s lap as he tries to take off. Paye(+1) also drove the backfield and finishes the play. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-21, 2 min 2nd Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M43 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun trips TE | 3-2-6 | Dime even | Press two high | Pass | 4 | Dumpoff | Anthony | 18 | ||||||||
Woof, Anthony(-2, cover -1, tackling -2) gets a simple one yard RB out. He breaks stride for no apparent reason before the RB break and then whiffs the tackle. | |||||||||||||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun trips | 3-2-6 | Dime even | Press one high | Pass | 4 | Scramble | Paye | 25 | ||||||||
This is a two-high man free, which means that if the QB breaks the pocket the only guys with eyes on him are two super deep safeties. Paye(-3, pressure -3) tries to split a couple of OL and gets shoved over. When Hutch(+1) gets around on his loop quickly QB just runs up the pocket. Nobody in front of him, keeps going. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-28, EOH | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O16 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Off two high | Run | N/A | Split zone | Kemp | 10 | ||||||||
Kemp(+2) times the snap again and blasts into the backfield. RB has to cut awy from the play design into unblocked guys. Hudson is there to contain. He gets beat to the outside which is fine except Gray(-3) comes way way too far inside as he comes off zone coverage and loses the edge. I guess you could get on Hudson a little here but he’s got support outside this should be fine. | |||||||||||||||||||
O26 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Off two high | Run | N/A | Draw | Kemp | 9 | ||||||||
Kemp(-2) again just gone upfield. Jeter(-2) fired way outside, another giant gap. McGrone(+0.5) actually does a decent job to come up and plug the FB but just too much space to shut down. | |||||||||||||||||||
O35 | 2 | 1 | Ace 2TE tight | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Off two high | Pass | 4 | Waggle RB flat | Metellus | 4 | ||||||||
Could get on Metellus for not getting up on the flat route; he does make contact at about a yard. Because Jonathan Taylor he misses the tackle(-0.5, tackling -1) a bit but it still able to run it out with help from Hudson. | |||||||||||||||||||
O39 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Half press two high | Run | N/A | Draw | McGrone | 4 | ||||||||
This time it’s Mason(-1) shooting upfield and gone; Kemp does at least recognize it and try to get back to the gap. Hole is thus smaller; McGrone(+1) is able to hit the FB and make a diving ankle tackle. | |||||||||||||||||||
O43 | 2 | 6 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-2-5 | Nickel over | Press one high | Run | N/A | Split zone | Danna | 7 | ||||||||
Danna(-2) gets caved. He’s slow off the ball and gives a bunch of ground; Glasgow(+0.5) runs up and whacks the free releasing G but can’t extend to the sideline because Danna is in the way; no edge, first down. McGrone(+0.5) does a good job to get around a blocker and tackle. | |||||||||||||||||||
50 | 1 | 10 | ? | ? | ? | ? | Run | N/A | ? | ? | 4 | ||||||||
Tape just has the tail end. | |||||||||||||||||||
M46 | 2 | 6 | Shotgun 3-wide | 2-3-6 | 5-1 split | Press one high | Run | N/A | Split zone | N/A | 9 | ||||||||
This is a run down? And Michigan has two DEs and no other DL on the field? Hutch(-1) and Uche(-1) both lose single blocks and go for rides, gap up the middle McGrone cannot fill since he gets a downfield blocker quick.RPS -2. | |||||||||||||||||||
M37 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Run | N/A | Power O | Paye | 9 (Pen -10) | ||||||||
Wisconsin adapts to the Paye dive and outside spill by motioning a fullback and having that guy plunk Paye(-1); Paye gives ground and the pullers clear him. Maybe McGrone is going too far outside but he might be the designed go-git-em for the spill M is trying to get. Glasgow(-0.5) can’t get inside and misses an arm tackle; Metellus(-1, tackling -1) comes up with a weak cut attempt and gets spun through. It comes back on an immaterial and pretty iffy holding call(refs +2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M47 | 1 | 20 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-2-5 | Okie one | Press one high | Run | N/A | Power GT | Paye | 23 | ||||||||
Michigan has a passing exotic on with their standard personnel so it’s Jeter as a DE and Paye in the Uche role. They’re running some crazy stunt whatever and someone busts a gap. I’m guessing it’s Paye(-2); McGrone(-1) backs off and then doesn’t read two giant guys pulling in front of his face and stops dead. He is able to get over but gets a blocker and is only ever going to be inside of him. Once through line, first down, RPS -2. | |||||||||||||||||||
M24 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Pass | 4 | Waggle TE out | Hudson | 11 | ||||||||
Hudson(-1, cover -1) sucks up on the playfake and this is open on the corner but it’s not like I blame him. | |||||||||||||||||||
M13 | 1 | 10 | I-Form Big twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press one high | Run | N/A | Iso | Mason | 5 | ||||||||
Kemp(-1) fires off early again but loses; he does take a long double. Mason(-1) gives ground and is sealed. McGrone runs up to take on the FB block, does okay. | |||||||||||||||||||
M8 | 2 | 5 | I-Form Big Twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-3 over | Press two high | Run | N/A | FB dive | Kemp | 3 | ||||||||
Kemp(-1) shoved back yards; ditto Mason(-1); Paye(+0.5) gets to the back and helps stop things. | |||||||||||||||||||
M5 | 3 | 2 | I-Form Big | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | Speed option | McGrone | 3 | ||||||||
McGrone(+1) finds a gap and shoots it lightning quick to force a pitch. Hudson(-1) still caught flat footed by the edge run, again understandably, but first down. | |||||||||||||||||||
M2 | 1 | G | Goal line | 4-2-5 | Goal line fold | Press zero | Run | N/A | FB dive | Glasgow | 2 | ||||||||
Glasgow gets clocked but I’m not minusing him since he’s 225. RPS -1. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-35, 5 min 3rd Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M14 | 1 | 10 | Offset I | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press two high | Run | N/A | Split zone | Hudson | 4 | ||||||||
M puts Hudson and Glasgow at the LOS between NT and DE; both come. Hudson(+1) knifes through the line and disrupts the RB in the backfield; he should let M rally here. Glasgow(-1) is actually in good position, having driven his guy for a second but then he spins back, vacating his gap and making McGrone wrong. Kemp(+0.5) is able to come back and tackle. | |||||||||||||||||||
M18 | 2 | 6 | Ace 2TE tight | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Press two high | Run | N/A | Power O | McGrone | 4 | ||||||||
M is playing to get McGrone over the top for scrape; Paye(-0.5) and Glasgow(-0.5) both lose blocks and no delay and then McGrone doesn’t quite hold the edge. He does whack the FB well but bounce happens. He also gets a tackle attempt end that bends the back a little. Thomas(+0.5) out there as a cover two corner and helps hold it down. | |||||||||||||||||||
M22 | 3 | 2 | Offset I Big | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Press one high | Run | N/A | Iso | Jeter | 9 | ||||||||
Big gap between DTs and UW goes right at it. Jeter(-2) ejected by double. McGrone runs up and gets cut at the LOS, which would seal the gap if Jeter hadn’t gotten blown up. | |||||||||||||||||||
M31 | 1 | 10 | Offset I | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press two high | Run | N/A | Power GT | Uche | 5 | ||||||||
Uche(+1) runs up to playside and hits the playside DT trying to block down on him; he then sheds that guy. He’s now in the midst of the two pullers. He occupies both. McGrone(-1) is hesitant and doesn’t go after it, which he should since he’s got help; Glasgow heads for FB as is probably appropriate; Metellus is there to help clean up. | |||||||||||||||||||
M36 | 2 | 5 | Shotgun 3-wide | 3-3-5 | 3-3 stack | Press one high | Run | N/A | Power GT | Paye | 3 | ||||||||
Paye slides in, takes on puller; McGrone same. Both do okay. Gray(+0.5) falls off his WR to go get this. | |||||||||||||||||||
M39 | 3 | 2 | Offset I twin TE | 4-2-5 | 4-4 even | Press one high | Run | N/A | Iso | Kemp | 1 | ||||||||
Kemp(+1) able to take on a single block and shed it; he got some depth so RB starts going over. McGrone(+1) takes the FB on and sheds and helps stop momentum; cavalry arrives. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 8-35, 13 min 4th Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Pack | Front | Cover look | Type | Rush | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O26 | 1 | 10 | Ace 2TE tight | 4-2-5 | 4-3 under | Press one highR | Run | N/A | Iso | Gil | 42 | ||||||||
Kemp(-2) single blocked and turned out. Shoved a long way. Jeter does better but just a push; he might be held(refs -1). Gap up the middle. Gil(-1) shoots up to the line and fails to keep contain or funnel to help, McGrone(-2) fails to get the playcall, which swaps the safeties just before the snap and should see him flying away from the swap; he doesn’t know what he’s looking at and stalls. | |||||||||||||||||||
M32 | 1 | 10 | Ace 2TE tight | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Off two high | Run | N/A | Iso | Kemp | 7 | ||||||||
Kemp(-1) takes a double and gives a lot of ground; Gil(-2) runs up at this double and hits one OL, which removes him from the play entirely. McGrone(-1) could do better and hit the fullback at the LOS instead of two yards deep, again through the line. This time Hill(+1, tackling +1) pops up from a safety spot to make a nice tackle to hold it down. | |||||||||||||||||||
M25 | 2 | 3 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even | Half press two high | Run | N/A | Iso | Kemp | 4 | ||||||||
Kemp(-1) blown out and pancaked. McGrone(-1) fires hard, dodges FB, falls, not useful | |||||||||||||||||||
M21 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips tight bunch | 4-2-5 | 4-3 even SAM | Half press two high | Penalty | N/A | False start | N/A | -5 | ||||||||
oops | |||||||||||||||||||
M26 | 1 | 15 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-2-5 | Nickel even | Press one high | Run | N/A | Split zone | Paye | 6 | ||||||||
Paye(-0.5) gives a lot of ground as the force guy and does get to the ball eventually; Gil(-1) sent on a blitz, attempts to doge OL, gets hit, off balance, diving tackle attempt from side. Guy nominally blocking Gil goes and hits Anthony. | |||||||||||||||||||
M20 | 2 | 9 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-2-5 | Nickel even | Press one high | Pass | 5 | Flare screen | Hutchinson | Inc | ||||||||
Hutchisnon(+2, cover +1) reads the flare screen and almost intercepts. | |||||||||||||||||||
M20 | 3 | 9 | Shotgun 3-wide | 3-3-5 | 5-1 fold | Press one high | Pass | 6 | Sack | Hudson | -11 | ||||||||
Max pro; Hudson(+2, pressure +2) is very deep and reads this, it appears, and converts to a late blitzer who UW doesn’t pick up. Coverage(+2) good to get him to the sack. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Missed FG(48), 8-35, 8 min 4th Q. UW gets the ball back with 3 minutes left up 21, charting over. |
I'd kind of forgotten but this was also bad.
Yep. We're having a lot of consternation about the offense, and justifiably. The defensive performance was on the same level. I'm leaving out the last Wisconsin drive-type substance that started with 2:28 on the clock and their kneels to end the game:
- two first-down-and-outs
- two drives of 47 and 43 yards, one ending in a punt and the other a missed 48-yard FG
- five TD drives of 75, 72, 80, 43, and 84 yards
Five of Wisconsin's first seven drives were touchdowns and a sixth would have been a scoring drive if it had started from the UW 25 instead of the four.
Guh.
Indeed.
Do you have any regrets?
Like… generally?
About this game in specific.
I wish I hadn't called Paul Chryst "Turtle" after last year's inexplicable coaching brainfart. Probably didn't matter but Chryst came into this game, immediately faced a fourth and short on his 34, and instead of punting he did this:
One dollar says Chryst has now activated his inner Kirk Ferentz and will be appropriately aggressive against Michigan going forward. I mean:
On replay you see how close that is to a turnover on downs as Glasgow is able to hit Coan on the throw; I'm not sure how that ball is as accurate as it is. Hopefully Chryst had a change of heart after a long heart-to-heart with his coaching mentors and immediate family, and not because he saw someone be mean to him on the internet.
I also regret the fact that Michigan doesn't do the beef short yardage. They certainly could have some version of this short yardage package with Mason and Spanellis as the beef, but instead we have an offense whose only role for Mason is as a straight-up running back.
Is that… DT Jordan Glasgow?
Yes? I have no idea what Michigan was thinking there. Michigan actually launched a stirring goal line stand, but when faced with fourth and one Wisconsin called timeout, huddled up, and someone said "so the only guy to the left of center is a 225 pound converted safety" and this happened:
He would also get clocked on the fifth Wisconsin TD, which I put on RPS. Poor Damn DT Jordan Glasgow.
That seems desperate.
It is. I can't imagine how this worked out any better in practice and how Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith are not even in the conversation for snaps. Freshman DTs suck, but when you already suck might as well try it.
But that wouldn't have helped enough, or possibly at all. It's one thing to say that Michigan's personnel is way short of where they should be in year five of Harbaugh, especially at DT, and it's another to watch a defense that seemingly has not prepared for the opponent after a bye week.
What?
I mean… the boggling thing was watching Michigan key on the Wisconsin fullback. Things could have been a lot worse—er, check that. Things could have been bad more quickly if a couple of guys facing down two OL pulling to them hadn't managed some heroic rearguard actions.
Sometimes this was a linebacker failing to understand the implications of a slant, as Hudson does here. M's line slants to the field, which means that the WLB needs to get over quickly to replace that since there's going to be a big gap. Ross comes up and hammers UW's lead puller—who doesn't play this all that well—and jams it up. Glasgow losing contain is just a thing that gets a minus, it's not a systematic thing. Hudson getting wiped out of the play is:
LB #7 to top
Things were significantly worse later, when Ross started going after the fullback side. Hudson and Metellus were able to contain this by making two excellent plays; if Wisconsin can get a hat on a couple of safeties this is blocked all the way to Hill because Ross isn't keying on the 300-pound guys pulling:
MLB #12, also LB #7 to bottom
So last week Seth asked me for nomenclature on this style of power where the fullback replaces on the backside and both the backside tackle and G pull… because it is the base of the Wisconsin offense. In fact the fullback's initial step did not take you to the play once on any play with a pull until Wisconsin was in the midst of their fifth TD drive. (IE: he led out some draw plays and there were a couple counters on which he did pull through the hole after taking a counter step, but everything else he was away from the point of attack.)
And yet!
LB #34, LB #7
The sheer number of situations that looked awful and got rescued by +2 and +3 plays from Hudson, mostly, was uncanny. If Wisconsin had just said "screw it, the pullers are doubling #7" things would have been bad more quickly.
And yet, also:
S #20 to left
I don't get it man.
For reference, this is what it's supposed to look like. Anthony is able to get over an attempted second-level block on this counter and get to the point of attack. Michigan's already got this play dealt with because of a Hawkins blitz and a nice Glasgow play but the MLB is ready for duty if necessary.
Michigan's linebackers in this game were equivalent to Nebraska's linebackers in last year's Michigan-Nebraska game.
If they kept doing this maybe that was the plan? A lot of those plays don't actually go very far.
If the plan was have one guy beat two blockers and make a miraculous play, they executed that plan. Some.
The long touchdown?
It was in a similar vein. There are about four things wrong on it. One: Ross tips his blitz before the jet motion and gets obliterated because now he's a standup, motionless 230 pound DT. Two: nobody sets the edge. This is probably Paye even though Paye was playing to spill these power plays the whole day; those were usually in a context where a LB was able to get over the top. Three: Josh Uche doesn't read half of the UW OL running to the field. And four: Michigan put Lavert Hill, not Josh Metellus, in the jet sweep slot so it's a CB rotating back.
Put it all together:
Endzone shot demonstrates that if Michigan does hold the edge this is a chunk run anyway but maybe one where someone's able to tackle at some point:
I really don't know how Michigan's LB level was unable to read two OL pullers for virtually the whole competitive section of the game. Where does Uche think the big guys are going? This isn't even a good jet fake.
This contributes to the overall sense of malaise. Michigan failed to do a lot of basic football things in this game, and the rot spread to the defense in a major way. Fit your gaps!
DE #19 to right
When someone's running outside of a force block it's a bad scene.
That late 42-yard fricking iso play—an iso!—is a fine summary of Michigan's run D in this game. Kemp, locked out, definitively to one side of an OL. Jeter can't plug the gap. Meanwhile Michigan's running a weird thing where they flip the safeties presnap and McGrone doesn't have the playcall so he spends the play standing next to Metellus instead of ripping to the front where he's needed.
Michigan's DTs are very bad and the attempts to compensate are leaving gaps unfilled on the regular.
Don Brown didn't just forget how to coach?
No, he didn't. Michigan's ineptness is comprehensive and probably not a Don Brown thing. Anyway, here's a chart.
Defensive Line |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Player | + | - | T | Notes |
Paye | 5 | 11 | -6 | Major hand in the long TD. |
Dwumfour | DNP | |||
Kemp | 8.5 | 14 | -6.5 | Fired off hard, got burned on draws. |
Hutchinson | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0 | Retained his dignity. |
Danna | 4 | 3 | 1 | One real nice forklift. |
Uche | 5 | 3 | 2 | Back to a third of M snaps. |
Jeter | 7.5 | -7.5 | Tough debut. | |
Mason | 2 | -2 | ||
Hinton | DNP | |||
Vilain | DNP | |||
TOTAL | 28 | 46 | -18 | Ye gods |
Linebacker | ||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes |
Hudson | 9 | 4 | 5 | Miraculously held some plays down. |
Ross | 4 | 8 | -4 | Pulled before half. |
Glasgow | 6 | 5 | 1 | Did not grade DT snaps. |
Gil | 4 | -4 | Glasgow not under threat I don't think. | |
Anthony | 0.5 | 7 | -6.5 | Also pulled. |
McGrone | 6 | 6 | 0 | Hooray? |
Barrett | DNP | |||
TOTAL | 25.5 | 34 | -8.5 | Go the correct way. |
Secondary | ||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes |
Metellus | 5 | 3 | 2 | Unflappable. |
Hawkins | 1.5 | 4 | -2.5 | Almost had the fourth down. |
Hill | 2 | 7 | -5 | Not a deep S. |
Thomas | 3.5 | 0.5 | 3 | /waves tiny flag |
Gray | 1.5 | 3 | -1.5 | Lost a bounce. |
Woods | 0.5 | 1 | -0.5 | |
Kelly-Powell | DNP | |||
TOTAL | 14 | 18.5 | -4.5 | the sweep |
Metrics | ||||
Pressure | 7 | 9 | -2 | No Uche hurt here. |
Coverage | 12 | 8 | +4 | Decent! |
Tackling | 1 | 4 | -3 | Hurt on the jet sweep. |
RPS | 5 | 11 | -6 | DT Glasgow. |
I honestly don't remember a game where the chart looked this bad. Probably RichRod? I know I haven't had a DL negative in a million years. It is a struggle to believe Michigan is this universally disappointing and bad. Pretty much everyone got blasted at some point. Hutchinson gets pancaked here:
DE #97 to bottom
And he has a case as Michigan's best player in this game outside of Hudson.
So… the linebacker level.
This is specifically about MLB, I think. Glasgow maintained his playing time until very late. As noted above, Hudson spent a lot of this game turning two guys pulling to just him into three yards.
MLB was a rotation between Ross, who got pulled after a number of above incidents, Anthony, who got pulled after this:
And McGrone, who was all right but also dorfed some things.
McGrone introduced himself by shutting down a QB boot that looked like a sure touchdown until he came hurtling into the frame:
This was also promising; he's able to find a gap and shoot it to force a quick pitch. For naught, of course, but hey! Quick pitch!
He also got lost on a couple plays, as one does. The ability to go very fast is enticing.
Carlo Kemp is our up and down guy of the week, it appears?
There isn't a Jonas Mouton award for the guy who has the biggest mark in his second-highest column, but maybe now there is and that's Kemp this week. He had a strange game seemingly based on the idea that he couldn't win a fair fight against the Wisconsin OL. He spent his day firing absurdly hard off the LOS, attempting to time up the snap and succeeding sometimes. This should have been a zero-yard gain if the edge guys actually contain it after Kemp blows up the play design:
Kemp was also the major source of resistance on that almost-goal-line stand, again by being shovy and reckless—although you can only be so reckless at the one.
The flip side of this was Kemp's tendency to run eight yards deep whenever Wisconsin ran a draw or trap. Here the FB can't even block him because he's so far upfield:
DT #2 to top
Seven yards upfield on a draw:
DT #2 to bottom
And this was literally the next play:
DT #2 to left, moving right
Cumong man.
Jeter, meanwhile?
I had nothing positive for him and several –2 events, many of them on the draws where he'd put himself to one side of the OL and then get moved out, contributing to the giant gaps in the middle. Late he got wiped by a double:
Meanwhile he did not pick up a plus. Getting your first extended playing time against Wisconsin is rough, of course. This was not an encouraging debut.
Is there anyone who is still good at football?
Josh Metellus. He gets a swipe in at this, misses, and still gets a zero YAC tackle.
He's been really good and I despair for him that this what his last year looks like.
Is anything useful coming out of this?
Danna was up and down in his playing time but this is a good opportunity to give a visual indicator of what I mean by "forklift" when applied to a DL:
DT-type substance #4
Hands under OL arms, gripping basically the armpits, and now let's go for a drive. This was his CMU specialty and translated against a UW OL here.
That's the useful thing? Terminology?
Yes?
Are we still doing Mr. Worldwide?
Uh, yes, sorry. I forgot last week. Last week's winners:
- Mike Onwenu: awesome in general, blocked two guys at once.
- Carlo Kemp: did many dirty works for his teammates, suffered slings and arrows in the knee.
- Josh Metellus: the fixer on D.
This week's winners:
- Khaleke Hudson: cleaned up for other's messes with great frequency.
- Jordan Glasgow: played DT! Which is versatile and is kind of living under a giant bridge made of Wisconsin meat!
- Nico Collins: made his teammates better by catching some punts.
Standings:
5: Khaleke Hudson
3: Zach Charbonnet, Mike Onwenu
2: Carlo Kemp, Jordan Glasgow
1: Ryan Hayes, Josh Metellus, Nico Collins.
I feel like we're missing one last thing.
Here's Wisconsin with a tweak in the RPO field. Watch their slot receiver set up like he's going to block and then break in.
That's smart since the thing looks like a run anyway, and it works to get Hawkins off of him, unlike the DBs we're seeing stuck to Michigan's RPO slant guys.
So in this game Wisconsin had a small, successful RPO innovation while also intercepting one of Michigan's when a DL got his hands up on a nominal run play?
Yeah, is that what you were looking for?
Yes, the knife twist [dies]
[dies]
Heroes?
Hudson. Metellus. Ambry Thomas?
Maybe not so heroic?
Every DL except Hutchinson. Ross and Anthony.
What does it mean for, you know, the rest of it?
Michigan has zero quality DTs, has seen its MLB regress dramatically, and can't fit the run.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:31 PM ^
Play. the. damn. freshmen.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:06 PM ^
Seriously! How bad can they possibly be?
September 27th, 2019 at 1:27 PM ^
I'm all for giving the freshmen a shot, too. But it's important to keep in mind that the answer to your question is often "Oh, much worse actually." See, e.g., Hoke-era offensive lines, Borges quarterbacks, etc.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:48 PM ^
I mean, they already gave up 359 rushing yards so it's not like we'd be taking a giant risk by playing the freshman.
September 27th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
Right, and by all means, see how Hinton and Smith hold up. But it's one thing to try some guys out and get them game experience. It's another to assume that the level of play will go up -- more often than not, that's not how these things play out.
September 27th, 2019 at 3:37 PM ^
Wisconsin played a true freshman NT. No reason our guys who are already sized to play can't get a few series.
September 27th, 2019 at 4:58 PM ^
Immediate improvement isn’t the goal now. They need to get experience for next year.
September 27th, 2019 at 8:08 PM ^
They have more experience playing DT than Ben Mason for crying out loud. They are also much bigger. If your going to tell me Mason is a better option at DT than either our development sucks or our talent evaluation sucks.
September 27th, 2019 at 3:25 PM ^
For the 2019 season, playing the freshmen DTs makes the most sense. But what about for long-term program health? Given what happened to the 2017 class (Hudson, Solomon, Paea) and 2018 class (none), I am wondering the extent to which the program's next 5 years *need* these DTs to get a redshirt year right now. With the exception of Willie Henry, we've had a good run of getting this position to finish out its eligibility. And right now it's looking like we're going to be relying on Hinton and Mazi for approximately ... forever.
If this were true and the coaches agreed, I guess I'd expect them to wait to play Hinton and Smith until they can finish out the season at precisely the 4-game limit.
September 27th, 2019 at 4:17 PM ^
We are talking about a 5-star and high 4-star. If they play the way they should their JR/SR seasons, there is no way they stay five years anyway. They should most definitely not be "saved" for future seasons.
September 27th, 2019 at 4:04 PM ^
Move Onwenu to NT. Fr DTs aren't good
September 27th, 2019 at 4:28 PM ^
Do you really think substituting freshman in when they are getting the same quality(/s) coaching as the starters is going to make one damn bit of difference?
September 27th, 2019 at 4:33 PM ^
I mean it might if part of the problem is a lack of size and you are playing two guys 300+ lbs instead of a 270 lb converted FB.
September 27th, 2019 at 8:12 PM ^
Experienced players are going backwards, so yes.
September 27th, 2019 at 9:53 PM ^
Honestly, why can't we have nice things? Why are things always this way. I'm just so tired of it.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:32 PM ^
this didn't help my mood
September 27th, 2019 at 3:10 PM ^
Well it helped my mood! During the game I just kept watching the D do one basic mistake after another- terrible fundamentals. Then all the post game posters came on saying that the problem was all Gattis and the O. So I started to doubt myself.
This post by Brian made me feel vindicated- this D sucks.
But why on God's green earth do people keep saying Don Brown hasn't forgot how to coach? How can he not be responsible for such crappy fundamentals? So the kids aren't NFL material- but they aren't one star walk on's either. I have seen defenses with much lower recruitment rankings play much more solid than this.
Can somebody pleeeease explain to me how this isn't Brown's fault? Is he contractually forbidden to teach fundamentals? I thought changing bad player habits was a skill coaches are supposed to have? Is that no longer the case? Are we paying coaches millions who have no clue how to modify behavior in 19 and 20 year old men? If so, can I get this job (provide application link)? When did we stop asking filthy rich coaches to know their trade? Is there a date?
September 27th, 2019 at 12:36 PM ^
My theory about our defense is that it's great week-to-week, against lesser competition, but ultimately the pressure tactics are a bit of a gimmick, and when teams, especially with a lot of offensive talent, have extra time to game plan against them, they can figure out how to counter the pressure, and even use it against them. This is why they struggle when the other team has a bye week (like Bucky did), or it's the first game of the season, or a bowl game, or Ohio, who spends the whole season preparing for Michigan.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:46 PM ^
OSU is wasting time this year if they prepare for us at all before our game week. There's nothing to prepare for.
September 27th, 2019 at 3:53 PM ^
The problem with the defense is that they lost a bunch of NFL players and haven't recruited well enough to replace them.
September 27th, 2019 at 4:40 PM ^
I've got a counter to that "crootin is everything" outlook:
Don Brown's BC success... he had FAR lower rated players than M does now, but finished with top 5 Ds year after year.
So there's something else besides crootin to this game. And these failures!
September 27th, 2019 at 8:41 PM ^
Ben Mason would be a 0 star DT recruit
September 27th, 2019 at 11:23 PM ^
Yeah I don't know his D lines were at BC, but I'm thinking they actually probably weren't worse than what we have now, at least at DT. If you don't have good DTs and even your DEs play like crap besides Hutchinson, even Brent Venables isn't gonna save your defense against Wisconsin.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:37 PM ^
Terrific
September 27th, 2019 at 12:37 PM ^
nice!
September 27th, 2019 at 12:44 PM ^
Ah jeez, Brian.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
Fixable?
September 27th, 2019 at 12:56 PM ^
I honestly don't remember a game where the chart looked this bad. Probably RichRod?
Does that sound fixable?
Fuck.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:54 PM ^
Feels like Michigan had trouble fitting the run on several occasions. To wit:
September 27th, 2019 at 1:33 PM ^
this is the worst picture I've ever seen
September 27th, 2019 at 1:55 PM ^
I think if ~ Herm were still with us, he might have housed that one too.
September 27th, 2019 at 2:42 PM ^
Herm should have never been banned.
September 27th, 2019 at 5:08 PM ^
I agree. But hey....only one side of the isle can have a voice.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:55 PM ^
I'm not saying the defense is good and will be fine, but I do think the Army game ruined this one for them. They spent so much time preparing for such a specific, idiosyncratic defense, then had to turn on a dime and prepare for something completely different. Even with the bye week, that's gotta be really hard.
That doesn't explain the profound physical deficiencies but might explain some of the mental ones, especially with the linebackers.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:12 PM ^
Like you said, they didn't turn on a dime. They had a bye week. Two weeks to practice this. There are some good offensive wrinkles, but Wisconsin's offense is not complicated. This was incompetence. Three, four weeks wouldn't have helped.
Not that it was great to prep for Army, but that had nothing to do with this.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:22 PM ^
It's like the entire team & coaches took two weeks off then leisurely showed up to the stadium to play...unfathomable.
September 27th, 2019 at 10:51 PM ^
Not only is a not a complicated offense, it’s nearly the exact same offense we ran in 2016 and 2017, which Hill, Thomas, Metellus, Hudson, Ross, Gil, Glasgow, Paye and Kemp should know very well,
September 27th, 2019 at 11:26 PM ^
So tired of people, including mgoblog writers, frankly, blaming everything on playing Army. Somehow Oklahoma didn't go 3 - 9 after playing Army last year. What a miracle.
September 27th, 2019 at 12:56 PM ^
Hudson is pretty good against the run but is going to get slaughtered in the passing game.
I thought Dana would’ve seen more PT bringing his All-MAC to the Big Ten.
Decent in coverage? Wisconsin is a run team that completed 13-16 passes - that’s an 88% completion rate. We’ll see later in the season how this goes against better passing teams.
September 27th, 2019 at 11:28 PM ^
Well things will be easier in the passing game when the defense is playing to stop your run and still getting destroyed by it.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^
Well that is grim, only thing I will say is I don't think this year's defense is equipped to stop a true power attack like Wisky's so on paper this seemed like a bad matchup from the jump. This defense is more suited to playing against spread teams, so the silver lining is they won't see anyone who can run power like Wisky the rest of the year. But good god does the DT play have to get drastically better somehow whether that is from giving the young guys a shot or Jeter improving to go along with Dwumfour getting healthy and being productive. Not ready to write off Jeter completely yet, because as noted this a brutal debut team for someone to have to go up against.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:28 PM ^
Iowa, MSU run power. ND probably will after looking at this, so problem
September 27th, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
They do not run it with the size and effectiveness of Wisky, not even close. MSU's offensive line is tiny compared to Wisky. Wisky also has a far more diversified power running scheme than any of those teams. What we saw in this game was a team trying to unsound things to make up for a size disadvantage and for the most part it blew up in their face. Also Jonathan Taylor is in a different stratosphere then any RB those teams have. So yes I will absolutely stand by the statement that they won't see the same size and RB talent in a traditional power offense the rest of the year.
September 27th, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
Michigan's offensive line is pretty big too. How's that working out?
September 27th, 2019 at 1:47 PM ^
What does that have to do with anything I said? Wisky has the best power running game in the country this year blocking for the best RB in the country as well this year. That has been true most years due to their combination of execution and size. Anybody claiming that the rest of teams this defense will face can run power as well as them is incorrect, that is a fact.
September 27th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
Comparing this year's Wisc running game to MSU's running game is like comparing Alabama to Rutgers. Jonathan Taylor is the best RB in the country and currently better than 2/3 of the NFL RB's. This year's version of Michigan was a really bad matchup against that Wisc team.
September 27th, 2019 at 4:24 PM ^
Exactly, just cause an opponent can try and take cues from Wisky for their gameplan against UM does not mean they can do those things as effectively.
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