FORMATION NOTES: ECU was extremely diverse with their fronts but if they had a base it was the "404 tite" that Seth's detailed on this here site. Like so:

The 404 is a nose tackle over the C (the zero) and two DEs shaded inside the tackles (the fours). When not doing this they cycled through various four-man fronts with a standup "DE", who was an OLB. At all times their safeties were maniacally aggressive:

At no point did any ECU safety line up more than ten yards from the LOS. There was usually one in the box; the guy on the top hash above is a safety, and then the "deep" guy would fire on about 80% of run action.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: QB was McCarthy, then Warren. RB was Corum/Edwards, then Mullings, then Hall, then Stokes. TE was Loveland, Barner, and Bredeson splitting snaps about evenly with Beetham and Klein getting late cameos. WR was a hodgepodge past Wilson and Johnson with Morgan, English, Clemons, Moore, and Morris all getting around 10-20 snaps. Moore was ahead of the chasing pack, although injury to Morris was supposed to be a factor. It is odd that Morris was healthy enough to block a dozen times but not get starters snaps.

OL went Barnhart/Keegan/Nugent/Zinter/Hinton the whole way until backup time, when it was Henderson/El-Hadi/Crippen/Gentry/Jones. Jones got a ~dozen bonus OL snaps.

CHART NOTE: If there's a star in the TE column that means one of the TEs is a bonus OL. Also "U" means unbalanced, which means an eligible receiver is covered up and cannot go downfield.

[After THE JUMP: man these guys like to fire]

Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M2	1	10	Gun twin TE	1	2*	2	4-3 over	8	Run	Duo	Corum	-1
ECU shoots the safety down late and comes off the edge; this is OSU level aggression with eight ECU players at the LOS at the mesh point. Nugent fires out left; Zinter takes on the NT but then has to peel off to take on a charging LB. There is nobody to pick that DT up. Nugent ends up cutting off a standup DE who’s stunting past Barnhart. Meanwhile Hinton chips a DE and ends up trying to block a LB. I don’t know what to do with this grading-wise. Zinter(+1) may have prevented a safety by peeling off on the charging back; Barnhart(-1) chased the stunter and didn’t try to get the DE so that Keegan can pass off. I have to assume Hinton(-1) needs to pick up the DT because Zinter is expecting a double. Nugent may have set the line the wrong way. RPS -2.
M1	2	11	Pistol 3-wide	1	2	2	4-3 over	7	Run	Split zone	Corum	0
Corner blitz. Johnson(-1) initially does a good job to cut the CB off and shoves him, but then he leaves the CB for the safety level. Barnhart(+1) gets a huge kickout and Keegan(+1) creates a crease, so there’s a big gap. DT chasing from behind as Zinter is again posting up and expecting Hinton to double with him. This looks wrong on Zinter’s part(-2) as Nugent comes over to block he LB releases to. RPS -2 again, again there are eight ECU players across the LOS at the mesh.
M1	3	11	Gun twin TE	1	2	2	Exotic	7.5	Run	Duo	Edwards	0
Hinton(-2) passes up a DE shaded outside of him, giving Loveland(-1) a very hard task. This is not someone crossing your facemask; dude is already across and slanting away from you. He gets in a diving ankle tackle, and then ECU has stunted a linebacker blitz into the gap. Keegan(+1) got a chip and then wiped a corner;
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 12 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M43	1	10	Gun trips TE U	2	1	2	4-3 even	7	Pass	Bubble screen	Edwards	3
Train into a covered slot formation which kind of tips this play; slot corner fires on the bubble action immediately because he knows Wilson is not eligible. Wilson(-0.5) gets plowed but not sure what he’s supposed to do given his size; Edwards(+1) does a good job to avoid the guy and get some yards. (CA, 3, screen, RPS -1) This is wide open otherwise but you told the slot corner what the play was.
M46	2	7	Gun trips tight bunch	1	2	2	5-1 odd	7.5	Pass	Snag	Wilson	Inc
ECU blitzes; Corum flips his guy entirely over. Johnson’s running a crossing route that a robber S comes up and hits; JJ is reading this side of the field and notices the step up, rifling in a ball to Wilson that gets punched out. (CA, 1, protection 2/2, +1)
M46	3	7	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	6	Pass	Deep out	Wilson	16
Casual fifteen yard out to the field against good coverage that could not be more on-point. CB is able to contest here but Wilson brings it in. (DO, 2, protection 2/2, +2)
O38	1	10	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	404 tite	6	Pass	Dumpoff	Corum	2
Hinton(-1) gets beat around the edge; guy is around at eight and this could be a -2. McCarthy has open guys to the field but isn’t looking there presnap so when the pressure comes he just dumps it to Corum for a minimal gain. JJ was probably expecting the slot LB to come; instead he drops out under the Moore hitch that is his first read. (MA, 3, protection ½)
O36	2	8	Ace	1	2*	2	404 tite	7	Run	Split zone	Corum	21
ECU flinging guys everywhere. Trente(+2) is the bonus OL and he gets a DE slanting inside of him; he shoots the dude across the formation and pancakes him. Nugent(+1) again gets two guy to him, leaving the NT for a linebacker; he cuts the guy with momentum off. Bredeson(+1) gets a kickout; Corum(+2) jump cuts outside of the Jones block and jets upfield. Barnhart(+0.5) got a linebacker blitzing to him and wiped him.
O15	1	10	Gun trips TE U	1	1	3	Nickel even	7	Pass	TE flat screen	Loveland	4
Same deal with a covered WR and the slot LB firing hard as soon as he sees the potential screen route. Morris(+0.5) (weird play to risk an injured guy on) and Wilson(+0.5) are able to just do enough on the slot LB to get Loveland to the edge but they’ve spent two guys on one so there’s an unblocked safety. Loveland(+0.5) is able to grind out some YAC. (CA, 3, screen, RPS push but I’m owlish about it)
O11	2	6	Pistol twins	1	2	2	3-4 odd	6.5	Run	Split duo	Corum	-3
This might be the first run snap where ECU isn’t regapping two defenders. Corum(-2) has solid blocking in front of him but stops and tries to burst outside of a charging corner blitz; Loveland(+1) blasts that guy directly into Corum for a TFL.
O14	3	9	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	7	Pass	Improv	Wilson	14
Two guys up the middle get through to some extent; one guy dipping inside Barnhart and getting picked up by Keegan is going to the ground legally; Hinton(-1) loses to the inside and stays attached well enough that I would not neg him here except for the fact that this is a really obvious holding call (refs +2) with Hinton grabbing outside both shoulder pads. McCarthy is able to break the pocket, steps up, and finds Wilson for a touchdown. He is over the line, but replay(+3) says eh, it’s fine. (CA+, 3, protection ½, +1)
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 7-0, 5 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M10	1	10	Pistol twins	1	2	2	404 tite	7.5	Pass	PA Dig	Johnson	20
PA, nine guys end up within four yards of the LOS. JJ has his pick, really, and fires a high hard one to Johnson for a chunk. This isn’t quite a circus catch but it’s pretty decent; I don’t mind the height from JJ here but it’s a little behind. (MA, 2, protection 2/2, -0.5, RPS +2)
M30	1	10	Pistol FB	2	1*	2	404 tite	7	Run	Counter G	Edwards	1
Multiple problems here. Bredeson(-2) airballs on his kickout. An ECU LB buries himself in the line and then scrapes over into the gap; I think Jones(-1) comes off the LOS like that’s his guy and then he doesn’t see anyone at the LB level over there so he awkwardly redirects to the other LB, which should be Keegan’s guy. Those guys converge. Hinton(+0.5) did a solid job to wall off a DE diving inside of him. Keegan(+1) blew up a safety that English(-1) missed. RPS -1, you again have ECU guys just firing at the LOS like maniacs.
M31	2	9	Pistol TTE	1	2	2	4-3 over	8	Run	Zone stretch	Edwards	2
Bredeson(+2) gets it back by hamblasting an OLB who Barner(+1) chipped; Barner then decides the CB is by him and doesn’t turn upfield, instead taking on a LB who scraped over heavy. Line is slanting away so blocks there are relatively easy. Keegan(+0.5) and Nugent(+0.5) turn in their guys as Zinter(+1) and Barnhart(+0.5) find second level blocks. Edwards finds and hits the hole but the backside end did not get cut by Hinton(-2) and that guy is able to flow down the line and prevent a big play.
M33	3	7	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	3-3 stack	6	Pass	Hitch	Wilson	11
ECU rushes four but one’s off the corner and a LB is one and they drop out a DE after a sim; M picks it up. JJ is facing down a zone that looks like it’s covering all of Michigan’s routes except a corner; JJ stares down Loveland until the flat CB takes a couple steps to him, then fires in a dart conversion. Throw is not a DO but making a guy open with the power of your mind is. (DO, 3, protection 3/3, +2)
M44	1	10	Ace	1	2*	2	5-1 tite	7.5	Pass	PA Y cross	Wilson	Inc (Pen +15)
Max pro PA again sees two ECU defenders trying to check Wilson and Johnson. Nugent on the verge of a pass pro minus but anchors just enough that JJ can step into the throw unimpeded. The throw is a dead on thirty-yard rope that Wilson can only stab at with one hand because the safety grabs him before the ball arrives. That’s probably a good penalty there. (DO, 1, protection 2/2, +2, RPS +2.)
O41	1	10	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	404 tite	6.5	Run	Split zone	Edwards	2
Orbit motion from English causes an ECU safety to spin down to about five yards. ECU line fires directly upfield and gets walled off (Hinton +0.5 as the relevant block) but the backside LB dives inside Loveland(+0.5); Loveland is able to read this and adjust but Edwards is now forced to awkwardly regap as he expected ECU to set an edge. This gives time for the safety who spun down to rally and get in a tackle attempt that robs Edwards of his momentum. RPS –1.
O39	2	8	I-Form Big	1	3*	1	404 tite	8	Run	Power	Corum	37
Here the move away from heavy IZ pays off because ECU is again burying guys in the LOS. Backside LB fires and is gone. Jones(+1), Barnhart(+1), and Keegan(+0.5) control the playside end and DT; playside LB dives inside of Zinter, causing an airball and also giving Corum the corner since there’s no way in hell he’s touching Corum, push for Zinter. Bredeson(+1) gets another driving kick and Corum(+0.5) really just has to run fast. Clemons(+0.5) had a nice block coming in from his WR spot. RPS +2 for basic power? I guess.
O2	1	G	Gun 3TE	1	3*	1	404 tite	10	Run	Dive	Corum	2
Zinter, Nugent, Keegan, and Jones (+0.5 each) get the mashing blocks that send this into the endzone.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 14-0, 14 min 2nd Q
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M24	1	10	Gun 3-wide	2	1	2	404 tite	7	Run	Jet lead stretch	Edwards	12
Mullings in as the RB and Edwards in the slot; Mullings fires out as a lead blocker. Keegan(+2) reaches the playside DE and turns him in; Barnhart(+1) checks that DE and then moves on to a LB, sealing him entirely. Mullings(+1) crashes into a safety and fires him back a couple yards; Edwards(+0.5) maximizes this by attempting to shoot between two DBs. RPS +1.
M36	1	10	Gun trips TE	2	1	2	4-3 over	7	Run	Duo	Mullings	0
Barner(-1) has to reach block an end shooting straight upfield of him and does a good job of getting around him, but DE is able to drive him across the formation and this is not a stretch so this jams up all the gaps. Mullings has to cut back behind, where the slot LB is charging because Michigan has no force controls in this game. If McCarthy’s legs are established or Michigan has some RPO this is a very bad idea, but they don’t so it’s fine. RPS -1.
M36	2	10	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	Edwards	-1
Peacock decides replays of Mullings throwing the ball last year are more important than showing this play. Broadcast -3.
M35	3	11	Gun trips TE	1	1	3	4-3 even	7.5	Pass	Dig	Johnson	16
ECU sends the house. (JJ fixes the protection.) Michigan has left in seven guys to block and everyone gets a hat on a hat to give JJ time; JJ also feels where the pressure is going to come from and slides to the left in the pocket; he’s able to set and fire because of this mature ability to work in the pocket. He fires a bullet to convert the first down. Throw takes Johnson off his feet but on replay this is Johnson taking himself to the ground. (DO+, 3, protection 4/4, +2)
O49	1	10	Ace 3TE	1	3*	1	4-3 even	8	Pass	PA Dig	Loveland	24
This is very technically PA as Edwards goes to the wrong side. Looks like some kind of ECU bust here as nobody is taken in by the PA, but there are two looping LBs who aren’t effective rushers or doing anything in coverage. I’m going to assert that the PA did affect a LB who converted his error into a green dog. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, +1, RPS +1)
O25	1	10	Gun 2-back	2	1	2	4-3 over	7.5	Pass	Deep out	Loveland	15
Barnhart(-1) beat around the edge by a blitzing LB so this has to come out; Hinton(-1) also with some dubious pass pro, getting stuck inside and falling. JJ is able to get the ball out, putting a ball in the #buttzone to Loveland. I feel like I’m being too generous here but this is a pinpoint 15 yard out between three guys under a little duress. I mean. (DO, 3, protection 0/2, +2)
O10	1	G	Gun trips TE	1	2	2	404 tite	7.5	Pass	Improv	Wilson	10
Wonders never cease: this is a straight up four man rush with no funny stuff. Line handles it, but after a while Nugent gets bowled over and JJ has to vacate. Wilson runs the scramble drill and JJ finds him again. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, +1)
Drive Notes: Touchdown (missed XP), 20-0, 5 min 2nd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M34	1	10	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	6	Pass	Out	Johnson	4
48 seconds. Quick out to Johnson takes him off his feet, costing M some yards and time. (MA, 2, protection 1/1, -0.5)
M38	2	6	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	6	Pass	Out	Moore	9
30 seconds. Another out, this one deeper and to the field; Fred Moore digs it out; this again takes the WR off his feet. Clock stops for chains so not as bad but costs M a few seconds. (MA, 2, protection 1/1, -0.5)
M47	1	10	Gun trips	1	1	3	3-3 stack	6	Pass	Dig	Wilson	12
22 seconds. Excellent anticipation from McCarthy to get this out just as Wilson is about to clear a zone defender; ball is halfway there by the time Wilson sits down. Immediate tackle, TO. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, +1)
O41	1	10	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	6	Pass	Hitch	Moore	9
14 seconds. Quick hitch with the CB bailing so he doesn’t get beat deep; Moore grabs it and doesn’t quite get OOB before his progress is stopped; ref stops the clock anyway(+1) but shorts him a yard(-1). (CA, 3, protection 1/1, +0.5)
O32	2	1	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	6	Pass	Out	Johnson	Inc
Ball well behind Johnson, costing Michigan 6-7 yards on the FG attempt( IN, 0, protection 1/1, -1)
Drive Notes: FG(50), 23-0, EOH
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M25	1	10	Ace Big	1	3*	1	4-3 even	8	Run	Power	Corum	2
This is blocked fine for the most part but both safeties are at seven yards and moving up. Jones(+1) blows in and pancakes a DE shooting inside of him. Bredeson(+1) gets a moving kickout of an OLB. Keegan(+1) has a tricky job to get around the falling DE but does and seals in a linebacker. Johnson(-2) is cracking on a safety and airballs; that guy tackles at the LOS.
M27	2	8	Pistol FB	1	2	2	4-3 even SAM	8	Pass	Waggle FB flat	Bredeson	14
Split zone PA, Bredeson just runs past OLB in flat, nobody to check him, easy conversion. (CA, 3, protection N/A, McCarthy push, RPS +2)
M41	1	10	Ace	1	2	2	4-3 under	7	Run	Zone stretch	Corum	8
Barnhart(+1) able to step around the playside end and seal him; Keegan(+1) doubles this guy since he doesn’t have anything else to do with a lineman until a LB shoots up and gets picked off. Zinter(-1) misses on his backside LB block and that guy flows; Corum thinks about hitting it up but seems to see the LB out of the corner of his and and extends to outside of the Barnhart block. Loveland(+0.5) does enough on an OLB; Corum(+1) dusts a safety who started at ten and charged at the run action. RPS -1.
M49	2	2	Ace	1	2*	2	404 tite	8	Pass	Deep slant	Johnson	16
PA, eight guys at LOS, Johnson wide open for easy pitch and catch. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, +0.5, RPS +2)
O35	1	10	Gun TTE	1	2	2	4-3 over	7.5	Run	Edge counter pitch	Corum	3
Michigan pulls the frontside G and T as a decoy and has a quick pitch to Corum the other way. ECU DE nearest this redirects really well here and chases Corum to the edge. Morris(-2) has an MA here as he goes to block the slot LB that Loveland is flaring out on. Corum cuts back behind the DE but a safety is able to come down unfettered because of the Morris issue and chops him down after a modest gain.
O32	2	7	Gun TTE	1	2	2	Exotic	7	Pass	Hitch	Clemons	4
Your basic field hitch. (CA, 3, protection 1/1, JJ push)
O28	3	3	Gun 3TE	1	3	1	???	7	Run	Dive	Corum	3
Michigan goes tempo here and catches ECU looking at the sideline on the snap. Conversion academic from there. RPS +1.
O25	1	10	Gun TTE	1	2	2	Exotic	6	Pass	TE corner	Barner	Inc
Straight dropback and this looks like ECU knows this is a pass, possibly due to TE alignment not tight to the RT? In any case, Barnhart(-1) is beat around the edge at nine yards or so and the DE is very close to hitting JJ on the throw; I don’t think this affects his decision, which is to fire at Barner running open in the endzone. This looks like it’s headed right for Barner’s numbers when a CB is able to leap up and get his fingers on it, batting it away. Feels like any token run action makes this a TD. I’m not sure how to grade this throw, which is accurate but PBUed because a guy made a leaping stab at it. (MA, 0, protection ½, JJ push.)
O25	2	10	Gun 3-wide	2	1	2	???	7	Run	Jet sweep	Edwards	11
Barnhart(-1) not able to get around the playside DE due to a false step to start, so that guy hops outside and jams up the intended hole. Mullings(+2) LEVELS him, putting him on the ground and preventing any fight back when Edwards shoots up behind this. Zinter(+0.5) cut off a backside DE on a reach that's basically free; Nugent whiffs on a LB who goes upfield of him but then productively cuts off another player while the LB can’t catch Edwards. Barner(+0.5) had a nice, if irrelevant, kickout. RPS +1, free DT reach.
O14	1	10	Pistol TTE	1	2	2	4-3 even	8	Run	Iso	Edwards	-1
Barnhart(-2) mis-IDs his guy, initially heading for an overhang CB before adjusting and trying to get a linebacker; linebacker jets past and tackles. Keegan(+1) and Nugent(+0.5) had dealt with their guys; Barner(+0.5) got a good kick; Bredeson(+1) hammered the CB. A One Guy play.
O15	2	11	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	9	Pass	Improv	Wilson	Inc
House sent again and with Loveland entering the pattern M is one blocker short. Corum(-1) mostly whiffs his pickup and JJ has two guys in his face; he has to bail. He’s able to break the pocket and is able to get off an accurate enough ball to Wilson. This is low, but it’s catchable, and given the circumstances it’s a good outcome. The throw, anyway. (CA+, 1, protection 0/1, +1)
O15	3	11	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	4-3 even	7	Pass	Corner	Wilson	15
The eyes, man. ECU drops seven and wants M to throw under their soft zone; JJ stares down Johnson’s five-yard out long enough to suck up a safety and then lays in the mother of all dimes to a pretty well-covered Wilson. Turning third and eleven from the 15 into a slick TD is next level stuff. (DO, 2, protection 2/2, +3)
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 30-0, 9 min 3rd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M18	1	10	I-Form	1	2	2	404 tite	7	Run	Power	Corum	4
This goes off the edge of tite and should be a bigger gain; Hinton(+1) blows over a DE shooting upfield of him; Barner releases and goes for the backside LB, which is kind of wasting himself since LB flung himself into the line but we’ve seen a retrace from that guy in this game already so ok. Bredeson(+1) thumps an OLB inside and another LB shoots inside this so Keegan has no one on the edge and Corum bounces. Wilson(-2) shot downfield and just runs between the safeties, blocking neither. This means there are guys to either side of Keegan. Corum(-1) has a moment of hesitation and probably should try the cutback but gives up his momentum and the safety tackles. RPS +1.
M22	2	6	Gun 4-wide	2	1	2	404 tite	6.5	Pass	Hitch	Edwards	7
Quick hitch against off coverage converts. (CA, 3, protection 1/1, +0.5)
M29	1	10	Ace	1	2	2	404 tite	7	Run	Zone stretch	Edwards	5
Gah, occasionally stretch is really hard to grade. So here Keegan steps left, then sees a LB charging inside of him. He stops, tries to get over, mostly misses, But he gets a shove, I think, and the LB has no real shot at a tackle. +0.5, I guess. Edwards(+0.5) cuts up, sees the safety charging, and regaps inside, good instinct. Doesn’t quite work out as Hinton(-1) gave a big shove to the backside DE and tried to pass him off to Beetham; Hinton releases to nobody. When he sees the nobody he needs to stop and finish of the DE; never does, DE flows down line and closes the gap down. Zinter(+1) got a reach with Nugent(+0.5) assisting; Nugent is then getting out on a LB when the Edwards cut kills his angle.
M34	2	5	Ace	1	2*	2	404 tite	7	Pass	Out	Loveland	14
JJ gets an unblocked DE right at him as Hinton(-2) is focused on a LB who is not coming; the LB who does is to the interior and Zinter picks him up. JJ has to vacate the pocket; he does and fires a ball to Loveland that is a little low but solid in the circumstances. (CA+, 2, protection 0/2, +1)
M48	1	10	Ace	1	2	2	404 tite	7	Run	Dive windback	Edwards	14
If you’ve got lingo for this let me know. This is blocked as an outright dive play with both tackles diving inside of the guards to give push but Edwards takes this to the right of JJ and is bouncing outside as soon as he gets the ball. Front seven is gone; Morris(+0.5) gets enough of a CB, and Edwards(+1) threatens vertical for two steps before hitting the edge and torches the filling safety. RPS +2.
O38	1	10	Pistol TTB	1	2*	2	404 tite	7	Pass	Dumpoff	Corum	0
PA, no bites at this point. Only rushing four, JJ has a nice pocket except for Hinton(-2) letting a guy around at 8-9 yards. JJ steps up and flicks a Mahomes pass to Corum but the D rallies to prevent a gain. (CA+, 3, protection 0/2, JJ push)
O38	2	10	Pistol 3-wide	1	1	3	404 tite weak	7	Run	Zone stretch	Corum	5 (Pen -10)
Line shifted away from the run strength, stretch to said strength. Keegan(+1) gets an easy reach; Barnhart(+1) gets an easy seal on the DB. Nugent reaches the nose and is fine but he trips on the legs of Keegan’s guy, falling over and bringing the DL down with him. This draws a holding call. I’m not going to ding this because it’s just bad luck; he’s won this block. Corum jets into a nice hole that is emphatically filled by a S starting at eight and charging. Corum dodges the guy to gain five but can’t entirely dust him. I wish that M was cracking these safeties.
O48	2	20	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	Exotic	6	Pass	Improv	Moore	Inc (Pen +15)
ECU late line shift appears to get Nugent(-2), who blocks the nose initially and then leaves him, looking left when there are two OL out there and one defender; DT then splits Nugent and Zinter. JJ escapes again and hurls it in the general direction of Moore. I guess this would be OOB if it wasn’t an attempt to complete the pass. (IN, 0, protection 0/2, JJ push). JJ is then leveled by an ECU defender who is booted for mega-targeting. Fuck that guy. Peacock should do the same to their rules expert who watched a launch result in a crown of the helmet directly in to JJ’s earhole and said it wasn’t targeting.
O33	1	10	Gun TTE	1	2	2	Nickel over	6	Pass	Hitch	Johnson	15
Just a quick hitch to the field where the CB jets to Mongolia on the snap. (CA, 3, protection 1/1, JJ push, RPS +1)
O18	1	10	Gun TTE	1	2	2	4-3 over	7	Penalty	False start	Barner	-5
Barner -1
O23	1	15	Gun 2TE	1	2	2	4-3 over	7	Run	Counter GT	Edwards	11 + 6 pen
S blitz off the edge. Line slanting away; Barnhart(+0.5) eliminates a guy slanting the other way. Barner(+1) is able to redirect and stand up a linebacker; Zinter(+1) has a tough kick out on the charging safety and puts him on the ground; Hinton(+1) has a long pull from tackle and is able to find the last LB. Last man is the S and he’s able to escort Edwards OOB. S dumps Edwards to the ground long after they’re OOB so a flag comes out.
O6	1	G	Gun TTB	1	2	2	???	9	Run	Duo?	Edwards	4
We come to this a bit after the snap so hard to decipher. Duo vs ECU stunt; Keegan(+0.5) ejects the guy otuside of him and the looper around Barnhart has to take a few steps to get around it. Nugent(+0.5) and Zinter(+0.5) batter the MLB; blitzer around the side isn’t fast enough; Hinton shoulders a guy but I guess that’s ok given how quick this hits? Edwards(+0.5) pauses and then jets.
O2	2	G	Gun 3TE	1	3*	1	4–3 over	10	Run	Dive	Edwards	1
LB is able to slant under Jones(-0.5) but this is ECU knowing exactly what is coming and forcing a bounce, Edwards(+0.5) does well to grind out a yard against two tacklers. RPS -1.
O1	3	G	Gun goalline	1	3*	1	Goalline	11	Run	Dive	Edwards	0 (Pen +0)
M carves out a gap here on the backside between Jones(+0.5) and Bredeson(+0.5); Corum probably scores this but Edwards(-0.5) loses his feet just before the line. Offsides gives M another down.
O1	3	G	Gun 3TE	1	3*	1	Goalline	10	Run	Dive	Edwards	0
No. RPS -1.
O1	4	G	Gun goalline	1	3*	1	Goalline	11	Run	Dive	N/A	-3
JJ(-3) fumbles the snap. This didn’t look any better than the other bits, FWIW.
Drive Notes: Turnover on downs, 30-0, EO3Q. Backups now.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
O38	1	10	Pistol twin TE	1	2	2	404 tite	7	Run	Counter GT	Mullings	3
LB blitzes perfectly at the snap and runs into his DE as Jones is blocking him to the interior. LB is able to shoot the gap and knock El-Hadi off his pull. Henderson(+0.5) picks him off. Beetham(+1) seals in the other LB. El-Hadi is able to get out enough that a charging S engages him; this gives Mullings(+1) a window to hop past him and grind out a few.
O35	2	7	Gun TTB	1	2	2	4-3 even SAM	7	Penalty	Encroachment	Morgan	-5
Morgan(-1) lines up way offsides. Never seen that before.
O40	2	12	Gun 4-wide	1	2	2	Exotic	6	Pass	Hitch	Bredeson	Inc
M motions Bredeson from a wing spot to a flanker spot and a linebacker goes with him. If this was Loveland, ok. Bredeson… eh. ECU sends the house on a straight dropback and Warren tries to hit Bredeson. LB breaks it up. (MA, 0, protection 2/2, Warren push)
O40	3	12	Pistol 3-wide	1	1	3	NIckel even	6	Run	Split zone	Mullings	11
Jones(-2) expects his guy to be force and when that guy dives inside he’s helpless. Rest of the blocking is weird because everyone’s peeling back and stunting. Mullings(+2) is able to hop past the DE’s tackle and keep his feet; Henderson(+1) does a good job of neutralizing a DE trying to dive inside of him and Crippen(+0.5) eventually finds a block. Then Mullings drives the pile.
O29	4	1	Gun 3TE	1	3	1	Goalline	10	Penalty	False start	El-Hadi	-5
El-Hadi -1.
Drive Notes: Missed FG(52), 30-0, 12 min 4th Q. Nothing worth noting on last drive.

I want it. Give it to me.

Well, here's your chart:

JJ MCCARTHY

	Good				Neutral			Bad					Ovr			Reads
Game	DO	CA	SCR		PR	MA		BA	TA	IN	BR		DSR	GRADE!		RPOs	ZRs
East Carolina	6+	14(2)++++				5				2			91%	+20		0/0	0/0

(Run +/- is in the other chart; the above is solely a passing/decisions grade.)

Good gravy. Six DOs! Five plus events, which turn a pressure into something good! Michigan had twelve pass pro minuses in this game and I did not file a single pass as a PR! A 91% downfield success rate! A +20!

McCarthy started last year out with a couple of 100% DSRs but this is the proverbial Next Level. He wasted no time announcing that he was a different dude this year, finding an NFL fifteen yard out to convert Michigan's first third down away from the goal line:

That's good coverage and it doesn't matter. By the third quarter I was openly questioning whether I was allowed to give out this many DOs. I mean, pinpoint between three guys in coverage while getting some pressure counts, right?

I got clips I'm embedding for questionable pass pro that also feature rollout darts that I'm not even bothering to embed here. Dude was on fire.

Okay, but how was this "next level"?

Well, the sheer accuracy for one. When ECU was not flinging guys willy-nilly across the line of scrimmage they covered surprisingly well, so McCarthy was asked questions he was not against Hawaii or UConn last year. See above. Those are events that could happen against a good Big Ten team.

Secondly, McCarthy now seems like he's all the way there, mentally. My favorite two McCarthy things were the plays where he made guys open with the power of his mind. "Third and seven hitch to convert a third down" doesn't sound like much, but when you look at the coverage it's clear that McCarthy made the play with some advanced lookin' at people:

He's got a shot at a corner route on this play—it's the only thing that ECU doesn't have covered—but instead of taking a low percentage downfield shot he has the maturity to draw coverage to Loveland and then find the easy thing. And then the final TD:

If you've got third and long and it's basically goal to go you've got to do something advanced to get a guy open; McCarthy appears to have total command of what the coverage is and how to manipulate it. I noticed him doing this kind of stuff early last year as well; that dropped off as Michigan got into Big Ten play and McCarthy was more Blake Corum's sidekick than a firebreather. Hopefully it continues.

My second favorite McCarthy thing in this game was the third down conversion where ECU sent seven and McCarthy repositioned to give himself enough time:

That's 85-year-old Tom Brady stuff. As Devin Gardner pointed out on WTKA, he saw the zero blitz coming and brought in Loveland as a blocker to give himself the time to give himself the time. It's quarterback Inception out here.

Hooray.

Nothing to do but see if it keeps up the next couple weeks. I have my money on "yes."

Now, in time-honored tradition.

Commence the bitching!

3.9 yards per attempt against ECU?!

Well, I mean, it's fine. For one,the YPC is deceptive since it doesn't include two Edwards touch pass "catches" that went for 11 and 12 yards but does include some goal line goofery that likely won't recur in a game that Michigan is not up 30-0 in and seven runs for a total of 14 yards with the backups in. There was also a McCarthy fumble on fourth and goal. The starters put up 150 yards on 25 carries, six per attempt, once you move things into their proper places.

And then there's the opposition defense to consider:

That is the mesh point on Michigan's first snap. You have eight ECU players committed to the line of scrimmage and a ninth, the safety, at nine yards and moving in. Michigan got the Full Knowles for most of this game.

But shouldn't the most rough and tumble line east of the Pecos river be able to deal with this?

Uh, no?

BLASPHEMY

I don't care who you are, when the opposition is flinging themselves across the line like this creating consistent yards is going to be tough. The decisions you have to make are sped up, the opposition is bringing the momentum instead of you, and they've always got an extra hat when you're not using your QB or running RPOs.

When they jet like this across the line of scrimmage they change the decision point. Here Michigan gets the front blocked and ECU does not set an edge, with the ILB to the top of the screen diving inside of Loveland. Edwards pops outside…

…and gets two yards. Why? Because he had to decide first. Duo is a scary thing for defenses when run well because it puts a DT two yards downfield and you, the linebacker, have to decide which side of him you want to be on before the running back does. Here ECU gets blocked but because the LBs are screaming across the LOS there's no opportunity for Michigan to move the decision point. ECU knows where Edwards is going before he crosses the LOS and can effectively rally.

Also… this might be a good defense at the G5 level. Michigan gives orbit motion here, safety spins down, seems to know exactly what is going to happen—ECU will spill it—and gets in a tackle attempt at the LOS. To do this stuff and not die, you have to be well coached.

How did that get in there? That's the wrong game!

Anyway: ECU brought a ton of different fronts, stunts, and blitzes at Michigan in week one of a new season. They were also absurdly aggressive, leading to the panoply of wide open play action passes I didn't bother to embed when talking about McCarthy. The numbers, they are all right.

And now you will complain about not using JJ's legs.

Not complain, exactly, and the tweet I sent out was a little aggressive, but there were costs to having McCarthy's legs completely out of the equation. This play features Barner trying to reach a DE lined up inside of him; that guy does get reached but just blows Barner back across the formation. Mullings cuts behind this and gets got by a guy who has to check JJ if it's the second half of the Penn State game:

ECU LB dead center

I'd like to see JJ become an option as a runner in two weeks.

Hmm. Seems like it could use a thingy. Boxes and stuff. Informational.

Chart. Yes. Chart.

Offensive Line
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Barnhart	6.5	4	+2.5	Decent job but door is ajar.
Keegan	11.5		+11.5	Got a 52 from PFF. FFS.
Nugent	3.5		+3.5	Quiet as M had to go to perimeter for much of day.
Zinter	5.5	3	+2.5	Some hiccups, had a slightly slow start last year too.
Hinton	3	6	-3	Lots of releasing to no one.
Jones	5	1.5	+3.5	Mashing day as bonus OL.
Henderson	1.5		+1.5	Just five snaps charted.
El-Hadi		1	-1	False start.
Crippen	0.5		+0.5	Eh.
Bredeson	7.5	2	+5.5	Made a leap.
Barner	3	2	+1	A penalty in there for –1.
Loveland	2.5	1	+1.5	Peripheral.
Mullings	3	0	+3	Two snaps as a lead blocker, two obliterations.
TOTAL	53	20.5	72%	Easily cleared the Mendoza.
Backs
Player	+	-	T	Notes
McCarthy		3	-3	Fumbled snap on fourth and goal.
Warren				DNC
Orji				DNP
Corum	3.5	3	+0.5	Had the one biffed cut.
Edwards	3	0.5	+2.5	Looks like he'll pick up from where he left off.
Mullings	3		+3	I'm in.
Stokes				DNC
TOTAL	9.5	6.5	+3	Not up to last year's standard.
Receivers
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Johnson		3	-3	Safety airball deleted potential chunk.
Wilson	0.5	2.5	-2	Also got a chunk play deleted by running by S
Morris	1	2	-1	MA on Corum pitch nerfed it.
Clemons	0.5		+0.5
English		1	-1
Moore
TOTAL	2	8.5	-5.5	Morgan –1 for penalty. This was a problem.
Metrics
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Protection	33	12	73%	-7 Hinton, –2 Barnhart, –2 Nugent, –1 Corum
RPS	18	11	+7	Early frustrations into wide open PA.

So. Michigan easily hit our 2:1 ratio desire but things were a bit of a slog. That's because of the defensive approach, which traded RPS +2 events on the ground for RPS +2 events in the air (and occasionally on the ground), a meh day from the running backs, and a very bad day from the receivers.

The receivers? Seriously?

We rarely talk about the wideouts as blockers. I'll occasionally highlight a Martavious Odoms memorial mountain goat event, but most of the time they're just fending off defensive backs in a fashion similar to kickout blocks where the outcome is mutually agreed upon. Not so in this game, where ECU safeties were beyond aggressive.

I feel like this is blogger karma for asserting that Michigan wouldn't miss Ronnie Bell much; this was true in the passing game but not so much on the ground. It's important for your wide receivers to deliver blows against opposition safeties when they're this aggressive, and both Wilson and Johnson came in for –2s on plays that were well blocked otherwise and could have broken big but for a safety not getting the business. Johnson's:

WR #6 to bottom

That's somewhere between a solid chunk and six if Johnson neutralizes the S. Wilson ran between the two safeties on another potential chunk, and Tyler Morris got a –2 for doubling up a guy on the LOS on a nifty counter pitch we'll deal with in a minute. Those three events are the difference between the day Michigan had and something that's more like 220 yards on the same number of carries and nobody is panic-spinny-guy this week.

Michigan's going to have to work on this, because nosy safeties paid off here and the safeties will continue to sniff the LOS until Michigan receivers are able to crack their asses back to the Stone Age. WRs don't come in for a whole lot of grading in the chart but when they do it's important; in terms of impact I would triple those numbers. A WR –2 is a brutal loss of 10-30 yards.

Meh day from the running backs? What happened to Corum uber alles?

Corum is still fast but he looked a little rusty; after the game he said he hadn't been hit since the OSU game so that's understandable. The constant guys jetting up the middle may have gotten to his head a bit. Later in the drive after a chunk run that burst outside the tackle Corum got an opportunity on duo that looked like this:

No  penetration, guys are moving the wrong way, time to slalom through the gates… or make an uncharacteristic bad decision to bounce.

He just needs to get in a rhythm and he'll be fine; we've seen enough Corum to know he's elite. This was a recovery bump. It was a bump nonetheless.

Edwards?

For once I don't have a lot to say about him. He continued the threaten-and-cut style he'd developed last year; he hit the edges efficiently. He was good without laying down a highlight reel run. Encouraging.

I see Mullings in two places.

I'm back, baby! I strayed in the offseason, convinced by all the Ben Hall chatter, but I have returned to stan my one true running back love: Kalel Mullings. He didn't get a lot of run until the second team came in but his cameo as a Donovan Edwards sidekick was intriguing. Michigan used him as a lead blocker on two Edwards plays that look like jet sweeps superficially but were really just lead stretch plays with some frippery, and on both he got crunching hits. Numero uno:

RB #20

That's nice. How about crumpling a dude to the ground, though?

RB #20

That is emphatically our block of the week.

They gave Mullings a duo opportunity after the first stretch; that went nowhere but he'd cut to the backside of the play correctly. He got a couple carries late and flashed. The long one is the flashy one, as he hops through a diving tackle and then forms a scrum to almost pick up a third and long:

I enjoyed his three yard run a couple of plays previous almost as much. Every time he gets in the game he seems to do something; that's as good a sign as you can have with the limited reps he's gotten.

Yikes on that Hinton number.

At least it's not controversial, as both PFF and Myles Hinton were also pretty down on Hinton's play. A lot of this was apparent communication issues as ECU's slants and stunts tested a guy who hasn't been in Michigan's system very long. I'm going to give Zak Zinter the benefit of the doubt on all these plays, which may not be correct… but is probably correct given what we've seen from Zinter. On Michigan's first snap Zinter leaves a DT because there's a linebacker shooting through the gap and clearly seems to expect that Hinton will be picking that guy up:

RT #78, RG #65

Instead he chips and doubles with Jones; Michigan ends up with three guys blocking two to the right of the formation and a completely free guy up the gut.

On third down on the same series he leaves without chipping anyone, leaving Loveland trying to block a guy Lined Up Inside and Slanting Away (LUISA) with no help. This rarely goes well and does not go well here; Hinton ends up touching nobody on the play:

RT #78

A similar event happened on an Edwards stretch in the second half. Here he does hit a DE and attempts to pass him off to Beetham, but when he releases there is no one to block. I've seen guys say "oh well" and stop to make sure the delayed DE is finished; Hinton just keeps moving and again doesn't do anything once he releases:

RT #78

On the next play he lets a DE through scot-free because he's focused on a linebacker who's not coming:

RT #78

I'm not sure his instincts are very good right now, which makes a ton of sense since he just transferred in. Not everyone is Oluwatimi. If all goes to plan next week we'll get Henderson and Jones starting at tackle, and we can make some more definitive statements then. This points towards "redshirt Hinton and get him right." Michigan did pull this mountain-man from tackle, so there's upside to explore.

The rest of the blocking, though?

I came out with a 72% grade, which is very good around these parts. That's in part to a +11.5 for Keegan that didn't warrant any clips and saw Keegan get a 52 at PFF, which… I mean… what? I have a feeling a Keegan deep dive is in the offing for next week. Meanwhile at the other tackle Barnhart was steadier than Hinton but left the door open, IMO. He had an id issue in the redzone that caused a TFL…

LT #52

…and picked up a couple pass pro minuses. It'll be interesting to see what Henderson does.

TrenteJones came in for a dozen snaps as a bonus OL and looked good on them. Here he takes a guy slanting under him and deposits him in Bolivia:

"TE" #53 to bottom of line

He was also the key block on the long Corum power play; in much the same fashion he just dumptrucked a guy over a couple gaps. He picked up three pancakes in the game, by my estimation, and while these were usually dudes shooting up inside of him with a big "PLEASE PANCAKE ME" sign on their heads he duly executed. I expect him to play well against UNLV.

That's a fullback number for a guy doing fullback stuff.

Yessir. One guy who popped up as a different dude this year was Max Bredeson. He had one –2 biff but he made that back on the next play with a crunching linebacker disposal:

move TE #44

His kickouts were moving kickouts. A lot of kickouts are mutually agreed upon by offense and defense. Defense says "I will set the edge here" and offense says "okay now we are the edge." This is fine, but if you can say "actually the edge is going to be a couple yards thataway" you buy the rest of your blockers some margin for error. This was not exactly relevant on the long Corum power run but the field-level replay is the best shot of Bredeson moving a guy on a kickout:

FB #44

It was more relevant here as you can see how Bredeson widening out the force player provides Corum room to operate:

FB #44

I think he's going to get a lot of run because neither Loveland or Barner looks like a replacement for Schoonmaker as a blocker.

That RPS score is large given the number of plays here.

These games are always big RPS scores and I found myself doing some weird stuff in this game, like offering up a +2 for a basic power play because ECU's linebackers were just gone up the gut. There were various other positives for play action, and the like. When most of your runs have safeties at the LOS and all of your play action passes look like this…

…it's going to be a heavy RPS day.

It took a long time for Michigan to get the message that duo wasn't happening, and McCarthy wasn't going to run it. I did get a little frustrated with the goal line failures on the turnover on downs, but it's 30-0 against ECU. If you want that to be message time whatever. I think the message should be "if they know dive is coming they can stop it."

I would think about putting duo and dive on the shelf for a bit.

There were a couple other things I didn't think were great. ECU appears to have the covered slot thing down, as both times in this game when Michigan ran a screen from an unbalanced formation the slot LB was all over it:

The other version of this saw the TE run in the flat; the play got past the slot that time because Michigan doubled him and Loveland was able to eke out five yards. I'm just not a fan of telling someone a wideout isn't going downfield.

Also I thought items like this should have been more frequent:

Michigan's DE controls were limited in this game. There was this and then this Edwards burst outside the tackle on a designed cutback:

This is all about the RB's initial point of attack. He's headed at the tackle as he takes the handoff to the right of JJ; the line is blocking duo and the DE hammering in has no chance of redirecting outside. Michigan ran a spiritually similar concept last year when they ran what was basically arc without a read.

Anything to keep an eye on?

Michigan didn't do a whole lot that was "ooh lookit" but there was this counter pitch to Corum:

That was set to be a good gain if Morris doesn't double up on the force guy with Loveland at the line of scrimmage.

Receivers?

Hey, look at some help:

	THIS WEEK					THIS YEAR
Player	Uncb	Circus	Tough	Routine		Uncb	Circus	Tough	Routine
Johnson	1		2/2	3/3		1		2/2	3/3
Wilson		0/3	2/2	4/4			0/3	2/2	4/4
Morris
Moore	1		1/1	1/1		1		1/1	1/1
Clemons				1/1					1/1
Morgan
O'Leary
Loveland				3/3					3/3
Barner	1					1
Bredeson				1/1					1/1
Hibner
Beetham
Corum				2/2					2/2
Edwards				2/2					2/2
Mullings
Hall
Stokes

I did not file a route positive because guys were generally open by play action or fairly well covered.

The WRs did help out more than they did last year. Michigan's first PA was a high heater that Johnson was able to snag despite it going slightly behind him:

Michigan receivers went 5/5 on tough catches with no drops; PFF had them going 4/6 on contested opportunities, and one of the incompletions there was at Bredeson on a ball I charted as a zero because the LB got a PBU before Bredeson had an opportunity to catch it.

Wilson's early "drop" was nothing of the sort. He caught the ball, and then at the moment where he was spinning it into a secure location the DB punched the ball out:

That's a PBU all the way. I debated whether the other Wilson incompletion was a circus catch or just tough and eventually went with circus since it's low and he's drifting away from it…

...but it's borderline.

Block of the week?

See Mullings giving the wobblies to a DL above.

Heroes?

JJ McCarthy and then some. Trevor Keegan, fie on you PFF. Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson brought in everything reasonable to bring in. Max Bredeson looks like a real fullback.

Maybe not so heroic?

Myles Hinton had a rough outing, and Blake Corum had some rust. The wide receiver blocking was an issue?

What does it mean for UNLV and beyond?

Giggity. JJ McCarthy looks like he had one of those offseason transformation things. +20 in 30 throws is wild.

Legs off. Michigan isn't going to run McCarthy until the Big Ten season and I would not expect him to get more than a couple carries a game until crunch time.

Advantage chasers at tackle? If Hinton doesn't take a major step forward from his performance here he will get redshirted, and I'd be happy with a +2.5 put up by Barnhart if I was Henderson.

Corum needs to knock some rust off. It'll be fine.

The wide receiver corps is going to be an upgrade over last year if they start blocking. Wilson and Johnson have more upside deep and Johnson has a much bigger catching radius than Bell. But man you gotta get on those safeties.

We got ourselves a fullback. Hooray fullback.

I repeat: giggity. McCarthy's performance is takeaway 1, 2, and 3.