FORMATION NOTES: PSU was a pretty standard 4-3 over for most of the game, preferring to shade a linebacker over the slot.

They did not generally have to add extra guys to the box, except when Michigan got super-jumbo. They had their normal 4-3 out there for a couple Big Big Boy snaps but then adjusted:

I labeled this a 7-2. PSU's problem is that while the five guys on the right are DL, the two standup guys over the TE side are 220 and 230 and they're going up against Hinton, Jones, and Barner.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: Obviously the Big Big Boys package was new and fairly important. Michigan had 56 snaps; they had 7 OL on for 13 of them and 6 for four of them. Trente Jones thus got 17 snaps; Myles Hinton got 13. Skill positions:

• Barner: 44
• Wilson/Johnson: 38
• Loveland: 34
• Bredeson: 20
• Morris: 10
• Morgan: 5

Corum had 36 snaps to Edwards's 22; Mullings got 3 in two back sets with Edwards.

[After THE JUMP: holding up a sign that says RUN the entire second half]

Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M25	1	10	Pistol twins	1	2	2	4-3 under	6.5	Run	Duo	Corum	0
Keegan(+0.5) posts up the DT but Henderson(-2) might look up a linebacker first? In any case he does not hit the DT at all and ends up chasing him to the back. Nugent(+0.5) and Zinter(+0.5) had cleared out the other DT enough that if 91 gets blocked this looks like a solid gain.
M25	2	10	Gun trips	1	2	2	4-3 under	6.5	Pass	TE stick	Barner	12
Barnhart(-2) torched as DDS has the snap timed up and Barnhart barely touches him. JJ stands in and fires it out to Barner, who sat down and finds a hole in the zone; Barner(+0.5) turns it up for a nice chunk of YAC. (CA+, 3, protection 0/2, JJ +1)
M37	1	10	Ace trip TE	1	4**	0	4-3 over	7.5	Run	Duo	Corum	4
Henderson(+1) and Keegan(+1) crunch a DT to his knees, opening up a solid gap. Hinton(-2) lunges at the other DT, mostly missing, and is then off balance and unable to block a charging LB. Jones(+1) does a good job to turn out an end trying to slant inside; M a little lucky that there’s a stunt on because the guy Hinton missed is looping outside and can’t recover in time to do anything; LB who zipped by Hinton fills after two yards and Corum(+0.5) keeps his legs going for some YAC.
M41	2	6	Gun twins	1	2	2	4-3 over	6.5	Penalty	False start	Barnhart	-5
Barnhart -1.
M36	2	11	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	Nickel even	6	Run	Belly	Corum	3
Has to be a pull(-1, ZR-) as the unblocked end has changed direction before JJ has to make a decision. I especially advocate the early pull on a play like this. Play call is money a sone LB shoots himself into the line and Keegan(+1) washes a DT way down the line; Henderson gets a free climb to the other LB, who’s dropping out. If the end doesn’t close this down Corum probably gets 6-8. (RPS +1)
M39	3	8	Gun trips	1	1	3	Exotic	5	Pass	Sack	McCarthy	-10
Teleport #2; Barnhart(-2) gets out of his stance just fine but then seems to whiff on a punch when the guy gets to him and that’s all she wrote. JJ has to leave the pocket but Chop has the speed to track him down. (PR, N/A, protection 0/2, JJ push)
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 11 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M30	1	10	Pistol trip TE	1	3*	1	4-3 over	7	Run	TE power	Corum	0
Unfortunate fate for this playcall as a stunt puts a DT right in the gap as Henderson(+0.5 )washes down the slanter. Bredeson(+0.5) has to spend himself on the looper. He manages to do so at the LOS; Barner goes outside of this. Corum(-1) goes… inside of it. Have to follow your dude instead of going into two unblocked. Corum gets hammered and fumbles; I’m not going to ding this because anyone is fumbling this ball on this contact. RPS -1.
M30	2	10	Gun 3-wide	1	2	2	4-3 over	6.5	Pass	Stick	Loveland	7
Pass protection solid this time, with Barnhart mirroring Chop and cutting him off; again the quick throw underneath the zone with a bit of YAC. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, JJ +0.5)
M37	3	3	Gun TTB	1	2	2	4-3 over	7	Pass	Hitch	Loveland	Inc
Barnhart(-2) toasted for the third time; this one is the most attributable to snap timing as DE moves faster than anyone else on the field. JJ tries to move up in the pocket to and find Loveland but gets yanked by the foot as he’s trying to throw and the ball could go anywhere. It’s batted down. (PR, 0, protection 0/2, JJ push)
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 8 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M25	1	10	Gun trips TE U	1	1	3	4-3 under	6.5	Pass	Rollout hitch	Johnson	13
DE lined up inside of Barner and fires out like he’s defending a run play; Barner stalls him out, and while DE is able to disengage and run up on JJ this is a rollout with a quick throw based on expectation of a hole in the PSU zone that they get. Easy pitch and catch first down. (CA, 3, protection 1/1, JJ +0.5, RPS +1)
M38	1	10	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	4-3 over	6.5	Run	Power	Edwards	1
Inexplicable decision here by Morris(-2) to pass up a cornerback who’s clearly in zone and can't be run off; Morris even appears to be looking at a LB walk out over Wilson on motion. CB is able to fill, which is unfortunate because this busts Edwards outside. Zinter(+1) pulls around and thumps a charging LB; Barner(+0.5 )does enough on the playside end. PSU ends up not setting an edge but the CB forces Edwards back into pursuit.
M39	2	9	Pistol TTB	1	3*	1	4-3 even	8	Run	TE power	Edwards	-1
LB slides down to a SAM spot presnap and shoots into the backfield. M might be able to leave him but Bredeson alters his path to get in the away enough so that he’s irrelevant. Barner(-2) also goes for the same guy, leaving a DE who Henderson gave the post-up-and-leave treatment free to hammer Edwards. Keegan(+1) moved a DT a long way; Nugent(-0.5) kind of lost him. If DE gets blocked this is relatively productive.
M38	3	10	Gun TTB	1	2	2	Exotic	6	Run	QB crack sweep	McCarthy	13
Crack isn’t emphatic from Barner(+1) but he gets control of the block and drives as DE GGTGAs, or tries to, and at the moment of truth DE is three yards downfield and can’t cut off JJ. Barnhart(+0.5) gets out to kick the corner; CB goes down. Loveland(+2) has some advantage because CB is dropping out into coverage; he ends up 12 yards downfield. Note that Zinter(+1) gave ground to reach the "DT" lined up inside of Barner. RPS +2; pass assumption helped out, only one hard block.
O49	1	10	Pistol FB twin TE	1	4**	0	4-3 over	8	Run	Power	Edwards	22
PSU fails their All The Gaps test. Frontside is fine; PSU slips a guy outside of Jones, Jones moves on from; this is what you’d expect but that DE gets in the backfield so that when Zinter(+1) hits him he’s erased the gap. Dude starts going backwards quick so there’s still a little something here on the frontside. But there’s a truck lane on the backside because all three of the PSU defenders there are at least three yards upfield. Keegan(+1) and Nugent(+0.5) both fired their guys way upfield; Barnhart’s guy does it himself. Henderson(+0.5) is checking the last LB to see if he needs to deal with him but as Edwards(+1) presses the POA and gets him to step right, Henderson can cut off a DL. Edwards evades an ankle tackle by losing his shoe and hits the jets. RPS +1; I’m handing out RPS on run plays when PSU DL are wildly irresponsible.
O27	1	10	Pistol FB twin TE	1	4**	0	4-3 under	8	Run	Power	Corum	4
Jones(+1) engages a DE and gives a ton of ground but does turn him out; usually I’d ding this but both pullers go inside of him so this has to be the design. Bredeson(-1) gets tripped and goes down. Henderson(+0.5) gets shed but may get a hold in(refs +1) that’s subtle enough to not get called and gets Corum past. Corum has to pick through the fallen Bredeson and can’t get momentum up; Hinton(+0.5) gets a second level block, and there’s a big ol pile Corum falls on. Refs(-1) short Corum a yard.
O23	2	6	Gun trips bunch	1	1	3	Nickel under	6	Pass	Bubble screen	Morgan	-2
This gets some heat but Barner(+0.5) is able to anchor and kick his guy out; Loveland(-2) gets completely run over and Morgan is TFLed. (CA, 3, screen, JJ push) RPS -1; PSU looking for this.
O25	3	8	Gun TTB	1	1	3	Exotic	7	Pass	Tunnel screen	Morgan	19
Manny gonna Manny. Six guys rush, a seventh peels out on Edwards. M gets Barnhart(+0.5) and Keegan(-0.5) out to lead out. Loveland gets a weak block in space but it’s enough; Barner is in the way; Keegan goes for the guy who Johnson is trying to get and never checks the other side, so King is able to track Morgan down. (CA, 3, screen, RPS +3, free giant EPA+ play)
O6	1	G	Pistol FB twin TE	1	4**	0	Goal line	12!	Run	Power	Edwards	3 (Pen +3)
PSU is very confused here as not only do they run on a 12th guy but nobody covers Barner at first. A LB points this out and when nobody goes to him he belatedly gets out there. Run anyway. Bredeson(+2) hammers a LB, pancaking him. Zinter(+0.5) gets a kick. Hinton(+0.5) escorts a guy upfield; Jones(-0.5) has a tenuous block that gives ground and gets fixed when Bredeson BEEFCAKES his guy into Jones’s. M grinds out 3 yards against a literal 12 man box. Takes penalty.
O3	1	G	I-Form Big	1	4*	0	Goal line	10	Run	Power	Corum	3
Bredeson(+0.5) kickout; Loveland(+2) burrows under a guy and fires him in; he’s losing ground, and then Zinter(+0.5) obliterates him, creating a bit of space Corum(+0.5) uses to run past a LB trying to fill.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 7-3, 12 min 2nd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M22	1	10	Gun twins	1	2	2	4-3 under	7	Pass	Rollout hitch	Johnson	11
Same play as the start of the previous drive except PSU has slid their line to the field and has a guy well outside of Loveland; dude gets off scot free but angles towards Corum enough for JJ to pop outside and hit the same easy hitch for an easy conversion. (CA, 3, protection N/A, JJ +0.5, RPS +1). Note that they do NOT come back to this again, figuring they’ve gotten as much as they can from it.
M33	1	10	Gun trips TE	1	1	3	Nickel over	6.5	Run	Duo	Corum	2
MLB blitzes; Zinter(+1) picks him up after starting a block with Barnhart(+1) that blows a DT down the line. Loveland(+0.5) is in tough against a DE trying to squeeze the gap closed but he’s done enough; Corum hits the gap… and the DE sticks out his leg to trip him. That should be 15, refs -3.
M35	2	8	Ace trip TE	1	4**	0	7-2 over	9	Run	Duo	Corum	42
PSU brings in an extra lineman and sticks two LB types over the TE side. Problem: these guys are 230 and 220 and now that they’re on the LOS they will lose the momentum battle sooner or later. In an effort to make that later both guys FLING themselves at the LOS. Barner(+1) successfully gets inside of the EMLOS, and moves him back a step; EMLOS uses all his strength to hurl Barner to the ground, and Corum(+2) sees the edge unset and WOOP time for Dread Duo Bounce. With Trente(+1) washing down the other guy significantly if the edge is held Corum has a lane up the gut for a decent run. RPS +1.
O21	1	10	Gun 3-wide	2	1	2	4-3 over SAM	7	Run	Bash QB counter give	Edwards	-1
Another missed read (-1, ZR-) as the playside end is let loose and goes straight for Edwards. Keep is a first down. Edwards is able to run past the DE’s tackle but has to bend and gets slowed down. Still a chance but Wilson(-2) gets discarded easily and Edwards gets eaten. Mullings(+1) got a punishing lead block; Loveland gets cut and isn’t that illegal now? Possible refs -3.
O22	2	11	Pistol 3-wide	1	2	2	4-3 under	7	Pass	PA TE flat	Loveland	0
Yo-yo motion gets the safeties to flop their Loveland responsibility, and I guess Michigan is hoping that the yo-yo will fool the original safety into not covering Loveland? I does suck S #2 up into the front. But JJ gets instant pressure as the play doesn’t block an OLB who’s coming and JJ has to drift back and hit Loveland on the flat, whereupon he’s immediately tackled. IF Michigan blocks this like it can go deep it makes sense; IF they use Wilson to crack the S it makes sense. As run this makes no sense. IMO line set wrong way and Zinter should block out on the DT and Barner gets the free guy. Therefore. (PR, 3, protection 0/2, TEAM -2, JJ push)
O22	3	11	Gun trips TE	1	2	2	Exotic	6.5	Run	Belly	Edwards	22
Nobody really expects the snap including JJ but he gets it and is able to get the handoff in. Barnhart(+1) gets a guy slanting inside of him and fires him down the line; Barner(+1) brushes the DE and then moves on to wipe out a LB; Edwards(+1) presses and then cuts, running past a DE who’s thinking pass rush; CB is even outside of this DE; TD. RPS +2. Manny gonna Manny.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 14-3, 6 min 2nd Q. Final play of half not charted.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
O49	1	10	Pistol FB twins TO	1	2	2	4-3 over	6.5	Run	Power	Corum	2
M shifts into a tackle over look; Barner(-1) ends up getting bulled back and shed, so for the second straight week the backside hinge block on power is relevant. Chop slides down presnap and attacks Barnhart(-1) who goes backwards; Keegan(+1) helps salvage by hitting Chop to widen him out and then going to the second level. Henderson(+1) sealed in a guy trying to shoot by him and carved out a lane so if Barner gets his block Corum might be able to cut back.
O47	2	8	Gun 3-wide	2	1	2	4-3 under	7	Run	Bash QB counter	McCarthy	6
DE upfield, keep(+1, ZR+). PSU blitzes a linebacker and drops Chop into a flat zone. Barnhart(-1) posts and leaves and I’m just like dude you are staring at a linebacker chasing Edwards with his back turned to you, go find work, but he never looks up the LB looking at JJ. Keegan(+1) gets a moving kickout; Henderson gets hung up as Zinter(+0.5) takes the LB, nothing really you can do there, and JJ reaches him at the LOS. He runs away from the backer but gets tripped up. RPS +1.
O41	3	2	Pistol FB 3TE	1	4**	0	7-2 under	10	Run	Power	Corum	3
KILL OR BE KILLED MYLES HINTON. Hinton(+0.5) is blocking down on a guy slanting away from the POA; Zinter sees the flash of blue and decides to hit this guy to give Corum a gap, but then Hinton’s pressure makes him lurch and Zinter blasts Hinton over. This is suddenly six hundred pounds of flying meat and Corum(+0.5) pretends he’s a car following an ambulance. Trente(+0.5) had a good block that got helped out by a PSU guy banging into the LB, knocking him over.
O38	1	10	Pistol 3-wide TE	1	2	2	4-3 over	7.5	Run	Counter	Corum	2
Bredeson motions in from the slot and is one of the pullers along with Keegan. Zinter(+1) and Barnhart(+1) blow out a DT with Barnhart climbing. Barner(+0.5) fights Chop to a standstill; Keegan(+0.5) comes through and hits chop; he’s going to extend to a LB after doing this but the LB hops outside because… Corum hopped outside. He did this because Nugent(-1) let a DT come around but also Corum(-0.5) needs to get around this and hit the play design, which is open for a chunk. Frustrating.
O36	2	8	Pistol FB trips U	1	1	3	4-3 over	7	Run	Counter CT	Corum	7
M pulls the C and the T while shooting Bredeson(+0.5) backside to cut off Mr Get Off DE. Nugent(+1) blasts the other DE who is also way upfield. Henderson(+0.5) and Keegan(+1) put a DT on the ground, but Henderson can’t climb. Bredeson action confuses one LB so ok. Barnhart(+0.5) finds the other and Corum(+0.5) arcs around that block to the outside; Morris(+1) and Wilson(+1) both get good blocks in the secondary. RPS +1.
O29	3	1	Pistol 3TE	1	4**	0	Goal line	10	Run	Belly	Corum	0
Another Beaver Stadium casualty as Bredeson is actually looking at the snap and only moves when he sees it. I am not sure he sees the PSU safety move over him; on the snap Bredeson(-1) is focused on firing in a DE and only gives a weak shoulder to the S; S knocks him back into the gap. If he’s focused on blocking the S he makes this easily and there is a real shot that he takes this to the safety.
O29	4	1	Ace big trip TE	1	4**	0	Goal line	10	Pass	Waggle scramble	McCarthy	9
PSU has this dead to rights but Kalen King doesn’t know he’s got two guys covering Corum behind him so he also goes to cover Corum. JJ gets to roll out, and then JJ(+1) puts his foot in the ground and cuts past King. RPS -1, still had the backup plan. But RPS -1. (SCR, N/A, protection 1/1, JJ +1 run)
O20	1	10	Pistol FB twin TE	1	4**	0	6-2 under	9	Run	Power	Edwards	2
Trente(+1) fires in a LB trying to play DE; Bredeson(+0.5) kicks a S. PSU stunts a guy right into the lane; Zinter(-1) doesn’t see him and passes him up. Guy does a flyby on Edwards but that’s enough to get him spinning and moving away from the POA. Not sure M can do much about this because Hinton’s got to wash his guy down in case it’s just a slant; RPS -1.
O18	2	8	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	Nickel under	6	Run	Zone read keeper	McCarthy	9
DE clearly moving down the line, pull (+1, ZR+). Man coverage so Wilson’s guy just gets run off. Johnson(+1) engages his CB and keeps him engaged the whole play; Klatt wants a hold and probably gets one if he goes outside the guy but he doesn’t; refs +1. RPS +1.
O9	1	G	Pistol twins	1	2	2	4-3 even	8	Run	Duo	Edwards	-3
Stunt gets M here; Henderson(-2) has to be aware that the DE is basically head up on him and something’s up. He tries to block down on a DT who’s looping, Barner has no shot at the slanter. TFL. RPS -1.
O12	2	G	Ace trip TE	1	4**	0	6-2 under	9	Run	Inside zone	Corum	2
Half the line doesn’t have the snap count. Henderson(+2) pancakes a DT but Nugent(-1) loses his block pretty decisively and gets bulled back into the lane. Corum has to go to the side of the line that didn’t have the count. Hinton(+1) takes initial contact and then drives a DE a yard downfield. Jones get help from Barner but I want Barner to go after the S, who is not on the LOS this time; he doesn’t so S is free on the edge and Corum just has to fire it up into all the bodies. RPS -1.
O10	3	G	Gun trips bunch	1	1	3	Nickel even	6	Run	Inside zone	Edwards	7
Man. Johnson(-2) runs a route here. I initially thought this was an RPO but JJ isn’t reading anything here except maybe the backside end. So he runs by a safety. His defender is able to crack replace. Edwards(+1) can only go outside because he’s got the S chasing him; he beats the CB, he’s at the four when the S forces him out. Next guy was at the two, maybe Edwards gets in? Rest of the play was just RPS with DE way upfield creating the gap. RPS +1.
Drive Notes: FG(21), 17-9, 3 min 3rd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M3	1	10	I-Form Big	1	3*	1	4-3 over	9	Run	QB sneak	McCarthy	2
Eh.
M5	2	8	Pistol FB	1	2	2	4-3 over	8	Run	Belly	Corum	2
Well, Belly is a constraint and here the playside LB reads it all the way and shows up in the hole unblocked. DE ole’d Bredeson but looks like by doing so he gave up a shot at a tackle. Bredeson(-0.5) still. Henderson(+1) blew a LB down the line. RPS -1.
M7	3	6	Gun trips bunch TE	1	1	3	Nickel over	6	Run	Split zone	Edwards	5
Edwards(+1) makes a good read here to bail on the playside since DE is way upfield for the Nth time. Everyone’s angles are shot now; A PSU LB takes an assist from Nugent, who shoves him towards Edwards because he doesn’t expect Edwards to be there, and that guy can just barely shut this down before the sticks. Johnson(+1) did get good relevant kickout. No one else had a block I can evaluate.
Drive Notes: Punt, 17-9, 14 min 4th Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M31	1	10	Gun trips TE U	1	1	3	4-3 even SAM	7	Run	Duo	Corum	2
DTs do a good job to fire into OL and stick. Keegan(-0.5) and Nugent(-0.5) get stuck at the LOS and when Keegan leaves for a LB the DT is able to shed and tackle. Corum had no other options as LB blitz and unblocked DE erase backside gaps. Nugent(+0.5) did peel off to pick off the LB. RPS -1.
M33	2	8	Gun 3-wide	1	2	2	4-3 under	8	Run	Split zone	Corum	7
Split zone screws up PSU plans here as it looks like they’re blitzing off the sot where Loveland is and when he motions there’s confusion; Loveland(+0.5) kicks out Mr Nosy End. Barner(+0.5) and Barnhart(+1) fire the DE off the ball and give Corum a big gap; Zinter(+1) also blasts a guy off of the line. Corum(+0.5) cuts back and gets what he can get. RPS +1.
M40	3	1	Gun 3TE	1	3	1	4-3 over	10	Run	Dive	Corum	2
Only four guys on the LOS and they’re not super pinched so a safe time to dive. Very tight so push all around.
M42	1	10	Ace trip TE also TE	1	4**	0	6-2 over	9	Pass	PA TE post	Barner	Inc (Pen +15)
A throw! Two TEs in the pattern and nobody else. JJ makes a bad decision to throw at Barner, who is covered, when Loveland is open. Gets bailed out by King playing this badly and getting a deserved PI. (BR, 0, protection 1/1, JJ -1)
O43	1	10	Pistol twins U	1	3*	1	4-3 under	7	Penalty	False start	N/A	-5
Five M players move; six don’t. Woo!
O48	1	15	Gun 3-wide	2	1	2	4-3 over	7.5	Run	Bash QB counter	McCarthy	-2
This isn’t a read, mesh is token. Blitz from the slot; Keegan(+0.5 )and Nugent(+1) deal with the implications on the backside, with Keegan losing his block late. Barner(+0.5) digs in on a DT, who pops outside. Zinter goes out there; Barnhart ducks inside that block. There are yards inside that block, 6-10. JJ(-2 run) bounces outside and gets killed.
50	2	17	Gun 4-wide	1	1	3	4-3 under	7	Run	Inside zone keeper	McCarthy	7
PSU goes to a pure cover zero here on second and seventeen. LB on the edge charges; JJ(+1, ZR+) pulls. He gets on the edge. LB barely able to get out there and tackle just as he passes. RPS +1.
O43	3	10	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	4-3 even	6.5	Run	Inside zone	Edwards	-1
Hey they figured it out woo. Keegan(-1) driven into the backfield; Henderson(-1) can’t seal a LB; Edwards has to cut back, punt.
Drive Notes: 17-9, 9 min 4th Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
M31	1	10	Pistol FB twins TO	1	2*	2	4-3 over	7.5	Run	Power	Corum	0
Only vaguely tackle over because the TE is Trente. DE dives inside; Bredeson(+1) hits and moves him to clear the edge. Zinter(+0.5) pulls around and gets a kickout. Barnhart(-2) releases free and runs to nobody. The MLB is free as a result and sticks Corum in the hole.
M31	2	10	Gun 3-wide	1	1	3	4-3 even	7.5	Run	Power	Corum	8
Keegan(-0.5) shot back by DT penetration; Zinter gets bumped off his pull a bit. Barner(+0.5) stands up his guy and gets shed eventually but stays attached ; Zinter(+2) gets to a LB and hammers him. DE Barner is blocking goes down over legs and such. Corum(+1) presses outside and then cuts back in behind two WRs blocking the same CB.
M39	3	2	Gun trips TE	1	2	2	Exotic	8	Run	Split zone	Corum	0
I mean… I get there are five minutes left and PSU’s offense ain’t driving the field but this formation from PSU is begging for a WR screen and M runs into it. Even so this play can work; Loveland(-2) is the split puller and goes for the outside guy, who’s checking JJ, and when Corum cuts back behind a Barner(+1) washdown of a DE there’s a free LB who sticks him.
Drive Notes: Punt, 17-9, 5 min 4th Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
O30	1	10	Gun trips TE	1	1	3	4-3 over	7	Run	Duo	Corum	30
LB blitzes up the gut; Keegan(+1) peels off and hits him; Henderson(+1) finishes the block by firing the guy in a step. Barner(+1) is surprised when Chop hops outside of him but is able to redirect and keep him from coming around. CB is sitting outside and other LB has to hop left at the snap as the Nugent(+0.5) and Zinter(+0.5) double fires a guy downfield and LB has to be able to attack both sides of this. Bad S angle, Corum(+1) fast, ballgame.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 24-9, 4 min 4th Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	RB	TE	WR	D Form	Box	Type	Play	Player	Yards
O44	1	10	Gun quad TE	1	4**	0	7-2 over	10	Run	Duo	Corum	1
Nugent(-1) gives up penetration to a DL as he slants past him; Corum has to cut back away from all the gaps and gets popped by a LB at the LOS.
O43	2	9	Gun 2TE	1	2	2	4-3 even	8	Run	Split duo	Corum	4
Zinter(+1) and Barnhart(+0.5) move a DT; Zinter clobbers a blitzing LB. Barner(push) can’t really control his guy and he is able to fight to the gap and tackle from the side; Corum(+0.5) grinds out some yards.
O39	3	5	Gun quad TE	1	4**	0	7-2 over	10	Run	Duo	Corum	9
Barnhart(+0.5) washes down a guy slanting away and a DE swims through the line but completely irresponsibly; he’s off balance and Corum just runs right by him. Big gap. Barner(+1) got across the face of a safety and Hinton(+0.5) got second level block after a free release. First down, ballgame.
Drive Notes: EOG, 24-15.

 

 

 

THROW THE BALL

I mean?

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER IF PENN STATE DID AN OFFENSE

Ah, but they didn't.

BUT STILL

I mean after the first few snaps it felt like Michigan decided that the way they lose the game is the way OSU almost lost to Penn State: getting strip-sacked for a touchdown. They chose a conservative, safe approach, and they were right.

BUT STILL!

You can play a 1950s game when you're in a 1950s game. And I get why Michigan played it close to the vest.

As I've mentioned on the podcast and the game column, Michigan had a lot of issues in their first—and only—road game of the season where the crowd was a problem. The most obvious issue was in Barnhart's pass protection. Two out of his three –2s featured DEs getting out of their stance before he was able to, and that's not something we've seen in other games when it's pretty easy to go on the correct clap. The most egregiously Beaver Stadium moment was Barnhart's third whiff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9SIYqXPT50

Meanwhile whiff #2 did see Barnhart get out of his stance and attempt a block, at least, but here there's another giveaway about the snap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyi-jfQsRpU

The DE doesn't have to guess the snap count because the clock is going to zero. This was Michigan's worst game of the year as far as getting plays in and checking once at the line. Part of that is probably not having Harbaugh; part of it is that when Michigan checked McCarthy frequently had to get to the line of scrimmage and individually tell every OL what was going on.

Dropback passing went away after the Barnhart misses but Michigan's silent count didn't just affect pass protection, or even just shotgun snaps. Plays like this, where the left half of the line appears to have the wrong snap count (or just can't hear the cadence?)…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38m3Itxgeo

…were fairly common.

Michigan's failed third and one conversion on their Epic Field Goal Drive seems to have been another victim of the stadium. Max Bredeson gets set, and then ends up staring at Nugent so he knows when the ball is snapped. PSU flips a safety to his side of the field after he looks away, so when he gets his head up after the snap I think he's surprised to see a safety there and doesn't exactly know what to do:

TE #44 to top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPDYPGnuSnc

If that's a home game and Bredeson is looking at the defense I have to assume he gives DeLuca the business.

Well… they still could have gone play action a couple more times in the second half.

I mean, I guess they could have, but their extremely effective RPS changeup was to do the opposite of that. So I can't really be mad? I have an insane RPS score for a game where Michigan was holding up a board that said RUN for the entire second half. Because Manny Gonna Manny.

Manny gonna Manny?

Some time ago I played NFL Blitz against my cousin. There is a certain age where you pick the most aggresssive blitz in the playbook every down, and he was that age. This is also Manny Diaz's age. Diaz cannot dial it back, constitutionally.

The game turned on JJ McCarthy's third and ten conversion on Michigan's third drive. PSU gets in their rush package and Michigan puts this on their face:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Lj0Y2_k8U

This has ~three important blocks. One is Barner cutting off a DE; this is the only hard one. Loveland has a corner in man coverage who is dropping out on the snap and he plows him 12 yards downfield; Barnhart then gets out on a CB and watches him more or less self-pancake.

Okay but that's third and ten, many defenses would be assuming pass on third and ten.

Can I interest you in the next play? First and ten, Michigan has its jumbo package on the field, and the entire back half of the Penn State defense ends up three yards upfield:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lKeN30bM7g

What on God's green earth are these guys doing?

I mentioned in our preview podcast that Manny Diaz defenses have not historically been gap sound but good lord that is a truck lane, on first and ten, on a play with seven OL and two TEs on the field. Part of this is definitely Manny Gonna Manny. His DEs shoot upfield, the end.

Part of it, though, is Penn State going through the Ben Mason, Defensive Tackle experience. For those who don't remember the period of time when Michigan was scrapping for somebody, anybody, at DT, Michigan converted fullback Ben Mason one offseason. Mason was big for a running back but tiny for a defensive tackle, and his approach was to scream Viking curses at the opposition and run headlong into the backfield no matter what. If he did not do this he was going to get put on his ass five yards downfield. But doing this meant he'd get the sort of useless penetration where the running back just goes right by you and now there's a big hole in your front.

Anyway, here's Penn State LB Dominic DeLuca, who's listed at 218 pounds, trying so badly to not get his ass kicked by AJ Barner that he puts his head down and completely fails to set an edge:

PSU #0 to far left

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdFU2evQxkg

Yeah, wow, great, you threw a 270-pound guy to the ground. Just one problem. This is how you get the RPS while never throwing the ball.

Also!

Also what?

To go back to the third and long thing: that was not the only third and long where Michigan used Diaz's aggression against him. There is this free 19 yards for Semaj Morgan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCcpk0beCU0

And here's a nearly free 22 for Donovan Edwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW5yHLL8JjY

Michigan nearly scored on another Edwards third and ten run that we'll get to in a second. The first time—THE FIRST TIME—Diaz ran something approximating a run defense on third and long in this game was with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Manny. Gonna. Manny.

Let me see that big beautiful RPS score.

Okay:

Offensive Line
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Henderson	8	5	+3	Two minus twos, one for not seeing a stunt about to happen. Otherwise nice.
Keegan	9.5	2.5	+7	Excellent day.
Nugent	4.5	3.5	+1	Fine.
Zinter	12	1	+11	Crushing it.
Barnhart	6.5	5	+1.5	Had some targeting issues.
Jones	4.5	0.5	+4	I mean dude can play.
Hinton	3	2	+1	One stumble whiff, otherwise good.
El-Hadi				DNP
Crippen				DNP
Bredeson	5	2.5	+2.5	Some issues caused by crowd noise.
Barner	9	3	+6	Key on duo bounce.
Loveland	5	3.5	+1.5	Crushing +2 on goal line.
Beetham				DNP
Marshall				DNP
TOTAL	67	28.5	70%	Physically excellent, mentally rattled.
Backs
Player	+	-	T	Notes
McCarthy	1	2	-1	Left some yards on the field on a counter.
Orji				DNP
Tuttle				DNP
Corum	7	2	+5	No one caught up to him on the bounce.
Edwards	4		+4	THERE YOU ARE PETER
Mullings	1		+1	Decleater of a block.
Hall				DNP
TOTAL	13	4	+9	Plays made.
Receivers
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Johnson	2	2	0	Maybe he was supposed to run that route, YMMV.
Wilson	1	2	-1
Morris	1	2	-1
Clemons				DNP
Morgan
Moore				DNP
TOTAL	4	6	-2	It's been a problem.
Metrics
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Protection	5	8	38%	-6 Barnhart, –2 TEAM
RPS	18	8	+10	Manny gonna Manny.

+10! With no official passes in the second half! The mind reels! (Also: going to be that's the worst ever protection metric.)

There are many minuses in that chart. I don't remember what that's like. I am frightened. What is going on?

Well… it is possible that Michigan was a bit rattled. Road game, loud atmosphere, playing a much better defense than any you've played to date, head coach suspended for garbage, finding out on social media after getting off the flight, etc. For whatever reason Michigan made a lot more mistakes than they usually do. I have a bunch of missed assignment –2s in this game, far more than usual. Michigan repeatedly got little or nothing on One Guy plays. Here they successfully get Donovan Edwards on the edge but Tyler Morris passes up a zone cornerback for the far less threatening safety:

WR #8 to bottom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS_r3ypQyr4

Morris should know that it's zone given PSU's alignment, and you can't force a zone corner to crack replace; he just does, you know, that.

The very next play sees both Barner and Bredeson go for the same DE I'm not sure Michigan even has to block:

TEs pulling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWZHahYE9RY

These are both productive runs but for the –2s, and even some of Michigan's decent gains should have been bigger. When JJ kept on the bash counter, Barnhart released and saw this:

That LB has his back to you and is chasing Edwards, you have to go look for work on a more threatening guy. He doesn't and Henderson gets hung up due to some penetration, so the LB/S actually looking at Corum is able to go make a tackle short of the sticks.

Klatt called this one out live: Michigan converts easily here if Loveland doesn't chase the QB guy:

TE #18 pulling across formation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYEXski1URo

Finally, Cornelius Johnson runs a route on Michigan's second attempt to get Edwards a hilarious third and long touchdown.

WR #6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeDWHhHQVzw

I initially thought this might be an RPO but McCarthy is just handing off with no discernible read on the mesh point. If Johnson cracks the safety Edwards is here…

…except #1 doesn't exist, and there's a pretty decent chance he scores. 11 is on the two yard line.

These plays do not feature anyone losing a block they're trying to make. There were scattered instances of that but a solid majority of the minuses in the above chart are for block ID issues, or not anticipating a stunt, or the like.

The guys with the ball also had some issues. Here Corum does not follow Barner outside and eats an unblocked linebacker, who forces a fumble:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnTx4Wa7Cn4

I also felt that Corum could have gotten back to the play design here after Nugent's guy pushes him a little wide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOhw1mRl8D0

At this point Corum has cleared the danger from the DT and there's a big beautiful lane just inside of Barner:

He gets to it but too slow and folks converge. These were my only minuses for him versus +7 so maybe that's harsh. You're going to miss a couple things when you get 20+ carries.

McCarthy had some issues that were clearer detriments. This is a clear pull from JJ that does not get pulled:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-hT9CbHgC4

This defensive end is heading straight for Edwards all day. I also gave McCarthy a zone read minus on an early belly play where the end was able to crash down and keep it down to two yards.

A QB counter on which he did pull gets TFLed because McCarthy does not follow Barnhart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JICPImRkTkI

You have to read the block there and cut it up.

And sometimes the One Guy was an official. I was confused about this Corum run live because Corum just kind of goes over; on review the DE who Barner has locked up kicks out his feet to trip him:

PSU DE #33

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjtnSP0wcwM

That should have been 15.

Wow. That's a lot.

Yes, and despite all of that above, Michigan averaged 6.1 YPC once you take out the sack and the kneel-downs. I wonder what this game looks like on a neutral field with Harbaugh on the sideline. It may have been a hilarious paving like last year.

This is another reason that in retrospect I was fine with the approach. Michigan was leaving a ton of yards on the field with mistakes. It is reasonable to hope that you quit making the mistakes, and reasonable to think that if you're making a lot of mistakes it's better to rush for two yards instead of getting your quarterback killed.

But still… we could have passed a little more?

I mean… ok. Like everyone else, I was a little peeved that Michigan didn't take at least a couple more shots in the second half. In the cold light of day several days on, it makes perfect sense since PSU's offense wasn't doing anything, or going to do anything. But it did seem like Michigan could have set themselves up for better success by throwing on some non-obvious downs. The Barnhart mishaps were on second and ten, third and eight, and third and three. Their brief forays into throwing on first down went okay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hDgpCd-snE

Michigan ran this again to open their next drive, got the same look from the secondary, and got another first down; they then shelved it, because the second time PSU shifted their line to the rollout and the only thing that got McCarthy out of the pocket was the DE's initial angle towards Corum. This does suggest that the PSU defense had something other than "GET QB NOW" in their heads.

Oh, I guess here's a 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
UNLV	2	15++	1		1	1				1			95%	+12.5		0/0	1/3
Bowling Green	1	6+	1		1	1				3**	2**		61%	-3		0/0	2/2
Rutgers	3	13++(1)	3		1				1	3	1		79%	+12		0/0	3/4
Nebraska	3+	10+	1		1	1				1			94%	+13		0/1	3/3
Minnesota	1	11+(2)			1	1				3			80%	+8.5		2/2	3/3
Indiana	2	11+++(1)	2		2	3			1				94%	+15		0/0	3/4
MSU	5+	15(1)	1			2			1*	3			87%	+13		0/1	1/1
Purdue	6	18++(2)			2	8				4			86%	+21		0/0	0/0
Penn State		4+(2)	1		3						1		83%	+2.5		0/0	3/5

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

I have nothing to say about this.

How did you like the Big Big Boys who are probably next year's starting tackles?

It won't be a surprise to anyone who reads this regularly that I liked Trente Jones more than Hinton. Hinton still has these snaps on which he leans over on someone and then if he doesn't get resistance he loses his balance.

"TE" #78 third from bottom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38m3Itxgeo

On the same snap Jones is able to get a guy slanting across his face and kick him out. My grading loves Trente Jones.

 

Block of the week?

Zak Zinter on… Myles Hinton?

Pulling G #65

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_aDT5F6cx0

Hey man, sometimes the bear eats you.

Okay, no, I can't give block of the week to friendly fire. How about Colston Loveland?Loveland had an up and down game. Klatt called him out live on one of our –2 MAs but he had his moments. I'd say the primary reason Michigan's first touchdown was a ~5 yard run from the three was Loveland:

TE #18 to the left

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrA8LHcRe1E

That's the flex tight end!

Receivers?

No.

 

	THIS WEEK					THIS YEAR
Player	Uncb	Circus	Tough	Routine		Uncb	Circus	Tough	Routine
Johnson				2/2		5	2/5	3/4	20/21
Wilson						1	1/5	3/4	29/29
Morris						1	0/3	1/1	5/6
Moore						3		1/1	2/2
Clemons						1			3/3
Morgan				2/2			1/1	0/1	11/13
O'Leary									1/1
Loveland				2/2		4	0/1	3/3	22/24
Barner	1			1/1		3	0/1	2/2	15/16
Bredeson									2/2
English									1/1
Klein									1/1
Corum						1	0/1		8/8
Edwards								2/4	15/16
Mullings									1/1
Hall
Stokes

Routes: No.

I also have nothing to say about this.

Heroes?

Both guards. Both running backs. Manny Diaz.

Maybe not so heroic?

Well, yeah, Barnhart.

What does it mean for Maryland and beyond?

Slow your Barnhart-related panic. Guy has been around forever and this has not happened to him; he played OSU's DEs last year. I don't think he's great but he'll be serviceable. This game was the outlier.

Oh, yeah, Michigan can grind it. The heavy package was a tactical win submarined by some mental errors. I expect to see it the next couple weeks.

Trente Jones can play. He's got a COVID year. I hope he uses it.

Michigan's guards took on high-echelon defenders and crushed them. This is not really news at this point but these are good offensive linemen.

Playing on the road is tough and I'm glad Michigan doesn't have to do it anymore. Maryland is going to be 30% Michigan fans.