PFF Grades UM-MN Game
This is sort of like a Cliff Notes UFR. PFF remains in love with the DL. Wormley had 5 hurries in their system. Taco graded really high - I didn't really notice him in real time so we'll be curious what UFR says with him.
Also threw in the pertinent MN comments - I thought their OL created some nice lanes for the rush game and gave Leidner time. PFF was much less positive apparently!
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/11/01/grades-for-michigan-mi…
Michigan Wolverines
— Once again the Michigan defensive line was utterly dominant, both as pass rushers against the run. Chris Wormley (+6.0) had five quarterback hurries, while defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow (+4.2) was fantastic against the run. The strength of the line, coupled with how much the Minnesota offensive line had struggled, makes the decision to try to win the game with a quarterback sneak much more questionable. They may have only needed half a yard, but that was half a yard against the best defensive line in all of college football.
— Safety Jabrill Peppers (+2.4) had a big game on defense, on offense and on special teams, making plays in all three facets of the game. He had two big returns on special teams and ran the ball in for a score on offense. Yet, as impressive as the big plays were, it was his work on defense where he really stood out. Targeted five times in coverage, he surrendered just one reception while finishing the game with two pass breakups.
— De’Veon Smith (+1.3) has been the Wolverines star runner this year, but it was Drake Johnson who stood out last night. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry, forced a missed tackle, and had runs of 13, 14 and 13 yards between the tackles. Smith on the other hand was held to 1.7 yards per carry.
Top performers
Chris Wormley (+6.0)
Maurice Hurst (+4.7)
Ryan Glasgow (+4.2)
Taco Charlton (+4.0)
Willie Henry (+3.2)
Minnesota Golden Gophers
— They faced their toughest challenge of the season so far, but there wasn’t a single player on the Minnesota offensive line who finished the game with a positive grade. Left tackle Ben Lauer (-6.2) struggled the most, with the lowest run blocking grade on the line and allowing a hit and three hurries in pass protection.
— One of the most interesting matchups of the game was the battle between Minnesota’s top receiver KJ Maye (+1.0) and Michigan’s star cornerback Jourdan Lewis (-0.9). A total of seven passes where thrown to Maye when Lewis was covering him, with Maye just about coming out on top with four receptions for 40 yards, including two receptions on the final drive of the game.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:28 PM ^
LB Play was atrocious. Quite possibly the worst game of the year for Ross and Morgan. Bolden wasn't much better. Dymonte Thomas had a poor game as well. Felt very much like last year, where 1-2 guys biff a play and it blows up for the whole team.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:55 PM ^
He's taken Marshall's spot on the depth chart.
November 2nd, 2015 at 6:39 PM ^
I know Marshall is still young, but that's gotta be troubling, no?
November 2nd, 2015 at 7:06 PM ^
Imo, Ross is a very good player who's been underutilized. Finding a way to get him on the field more makes sense. The fact that RJS played nearly every snap the first game after Mario went down probably says more about Marshall's progress. He has been competing entirely with seniors. I guess we'll get to see next year when the competition should be wide open.
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^
Ross saved the game by preenting the tight end from getting out towards the corner on that throwback, Minnesota attemped in the penultimate play of the game.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
I'm hoping Smith get more rest until PSU. I don't think we need him for the other games and he does not look 100% at all.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^
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November 2nd, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^
I also didn't think Smith looked 100%, in fact, he looked worse than he did against MSU. That said, a major reason for Johnson's success was Minnesota's scheme. They keep wide DEs (as noted in the Fee Fi Foe article) and then just insert defenders - 3 LBs and at times a safety - into the interior gaps. If you can't threaten the edge, it's very tough sledding between the tackles.
Michigan tried to counter this with some quick hitting plays, trying to beat the LBs to gaps, but without much success up front. The answer was all the Johnson runs on the edge, along with the Peppers runs and Chesson runs. Probably 75% of the 2nd half runs were a direct reaction to what Minnesota's defense was doing in the first half, and the reason Johnson had much more success: he can threaten the edge.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:25 PM ^
Taco had a big QB hurry in the latter stages of the game. Was it the final drive? Maybe the play before the 4th & 5 conversion for Minny? A roll-out that he charged and forced a quick throw by Leidner.
Would have like to see their take on the LB's.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:26 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:58 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:35 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:29 PM ^
from their phrasing, that suggested to me that's his cumulative score for the season
so he's been a hair above average, basically
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:09 PM ^
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November 2nd, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^
Hmmm seems oddly positive for a defense that got torched by a crappy offense.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^
Well they are only showing the top 5 grades
Even Lewis got a negative so you can imagine most of the secondary and linebackers.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^
I feel like the defense played well and then on 3rd or 4th down some flukely shit happened and they got a first down. That 4th completion on Lewis was utterly ridiculous.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:57 PM ^
Even more interesting to me, when I go back and peruse the numbers, is that we were still 5/14 (35% or so) on third down conversions allowed, which I believe is technically the worst performance this year but still not terrible in the grand scheme by any means. It is what was allowed to happen on a few of those that stands out, hence the discussion (rightly so) of LB play in particular in this game.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^
On the 4th down play, I'm not sure it's possible to cover Maye any better than Lewis did. The throw was inch-perfect and Maye made a phenomenal catch (if he, in fact, caught it). The previous reception on Lewis was also covered well, with another NFL-throw and Lewis getting a rake on the ball, but the receiver held on.
If that's the kind of stuff our D is going to give up, then so be it. We need to start hanging onto the INTs though.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:44 PM ^
for Spiderland.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
Is this Jourdan Lewis' first negative grade of the year?
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:49 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:35 PM ^
I hope they use "I statements" to promote an emotionally healthy dialogue when they critique the plays. For example, I hope Coach Harbaugh says, "I feel bad about that blown coverage" instead of "blowing that coverage was bad." It's what Stuart Smalley would do.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 5:26 PM ^
I didn't make that very clear. But I didn't really think Harbaugh and Co. might say things like "It made me sad when you missed that block."
November 3rd, 2015 at 8:14 AM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:23 PM ^
Yes, we have pros on that D-line, and it's great.