Upon Further Review: Defense vs Eastern Michigan
Personnel notes: Michigan didn't change much at all from the Notre Dame game. Leach played basically the whole game for Mouton. Kovacs again got the fourth quarter when Mike Williams tweaked his ankle. Substitution on the DL continued as before. The only difference is that JB Fitzgerald did get in some as a replacement for Leach or Ezeh.
Michigan did debut a couple of new looks in this game, as described by Steve Sharik earlier this week. One was a pure 3-3-5 look that could have come right out of the West Virginia salad days; the deathbacker played as a MLB. The other was an aggressive eight-man front run defense Sharik calls "split" that M ran against a lot of their ace sets. I noted the 3-3-5 stack somewhat but not the split, which looked like an under to me. I'll work on it for next week. If Robinson stops adding packages I'll eventually be able to ID them consistently.
BTW: This completes Michigan's collection of fronts: They've run even and under 4-3 fronts, a 3-4, and the 3-3-5. Robinson was not kidding about "multiple fronts." The under is still the base, though.
Steve also talked about the "Down G" play that EMU ran a lot. The basic principle here is much like the basic principle was against Michigan State's power ground game the past two years: you are an unblocked DE; there is a guard pulling around who wants to kick you out and open up a crease inside you. You have to get into the guard and make the tailback bounce it outside, where a linebacker will pursue and clean up.
BONUS! In my never-ending quest to make UFR more complicated every year I've added a third defensive metric: tackling. Missed tackles get minuses, as do routine tackles on which the ballcarrier picks up YAC. Open field tackles, tough tackles, and tackles where the guy goes down right where he's hit get pluses. It's very experimental.
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
O20 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips | 4-3 under | Run | Zone stretch right | Van Bergen | 9 |
Michigan in a two-deep shell and in man over the WRs so this is six blockers on six defenders even without the QB counting. RVB(-1) gets doubled momentarily and falls to the ground, opening up a lane, and Ezeh(-1) is tentative, which gives the OL sliding to the second level an angle; Ezeh attempts to go around him and takes himself out of the play. RB jets to the second level. Good open field tackle(+1) from Williams(+0.5). | ||||||||
O29 | 2 | 1 | Ace | Base 4-3 | Run | Zone stretch right | Williams | 0 |
Eight-man front from M with press man free on the outside. Williams(+1) times a blitz well and shoots into the playside OT before he can peel off Martin, knocking the OL back and erasing any potential lanes. On the bounce, Graham(+0.5) cleans up. | ||||||||
O29 | 3 | 1 | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Zone stretch left | Martin | 2 |
Martin(+0.5), slanting, slips past a momentary block from the center and avoids getting scooped, which along with a quick reaction from Ezeh forces a cutback. RVB is flowing down the line behind Martin & Co and makes a good tackle(+1), but momentum carries the back forward for the first. | ||||||||
O31 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 4-3 under | Pass | Fly | Graham | Inc |
Williams rolled up and press man on the outside again; EMU attempts to test it. M blitzes Williams, drawing the OT, and a RB has to attempt to cut Graham(+0.5, pressure +1), who dives over the cut and gets into Schmitt a bit, causing him to shorten his follow-through. Receiver has a step on Cissoko (-1, cover -1) and room to the sideline, but it's overthrown. | ||||||||
O31 | 2 | 10 | Ace Twin TE | 4-3 under | Run | Power off tackle | Martin | -3 |
Tackle blocks down on RVB(-1), blowing him out immediately, and the guard to that side pulls around as EMU tries to attack the gap between RVB and Roh. No dice though as Martin(+2) shoots into the intended hole, forcing a bounce into Roh(+1), who's held up well and drives his man back. The bounce takes a circuitous route, allowing Brown(+0.5) to read everything and come up to make a solid, no-YAC tackle(+1). | ||||||||
O28 | 3 | 13 | Shotgun 2-back | 3-3-5-ish | Pass | Screen | -- | Inc |
Graham(+1, pressure +1) comes around the corner too fast for this screen to develop properly and forces Schmitt to throw it inaccurately. Looked like Brown and Leach had this well sniffed out. (Cover +1) | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 12 min 1st Q. This drive is actually pretty solid, with one bad play followed by five good ones that saw Michigan defeat Eastern instead of Eastern defeat itself. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O25 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 4-3 under | Run | Zone stretch right | Van Bergen | -3 |
Eight man front. Michigan slanting into the play here, which gets Van Bergen(+1) and Martin(+1) deep into the backfield directly in the RB's intended path. Surrounded, he's got no choice but to end up in RVB's arms. (Tackling +1) Martin twists an ankle and is replaced by Sagesse. | ||||||||
O22 | 2 | 13 | Ace 3-wide | 3-3-5-ish | Pass | Hitch | Ezeh | 10 |
Six yard hitch Ezeh(-1) is about four yards off of when it's thrown, allowing the TE to turn it upfield and pick up four more. (Cover -1) | ||||||||
O32 | 3 | 3 | Shotgun 2-back | 4-3 under | Pass | Slant | Ezeh | 2 |
Ezeh(+1) reads Schmitt's eyes and immediately takes off for the slant, arriving in time to tackle(+1) short of the sticks. (Cover +1) Very decisive here. | ||||||||
O34 | 4 | 1 | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Dive | Sagesse | 22 |
Michigan still getting into alignment as the ball is snapped, which seems like poor planning since the snap comes with two seconds on the clock. Eight man front with press man and big spreads between the DL; Michigan is coming after it. Sagesse(-1) steps inside and gets sealed. This cedes a big crease with help from similarly creased Brown(-1). No linebacker help since everyone's selling out on fourth and one, and the RB is into the secondary immediately. Woolfolk takes a good angle and comes up to tackle after about ten, but misses it (-1, tackling -1), giving up another ten before Warren can haul him down. | ||||||||
M44 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 4-3 under | Pass | Fly | Cissoko | Inc (Pen +15) |
Eight man front. Can't say M's not being aggressive here, though on this play the corners have backed off. You've seen this before. Cissoko(+1, cover +1) is running this guy's route and gets called for the world's worst PI. Roh was working his way to the QB, FWIW. Not plus-warranting but pressure was coming. | ||||||||
M29 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 3-3-5-ish | Run | Zone stretch right | Sagesse | -1 |
Sagesse(+2) shoots past the center's block and slants past the attempted scoop from the backside guard, jetting into the backfield and forcing the RB outside. With help from Roh(+1, tackling +1), Michigan picks up a TFL. | ||||||||
M30 | 2 | 11 | Ace 3-wide | 3-3-5-ish | Pass | Hitch | Cissoko | 9 |
Michigan sends three rushers against max protect so there are eight zone defenders and only three guys in patterns and there's still a wide open hitch five yards downfield that Cissoko is five yards away from at the catch. I usually don't give out personal negatives on zone coverage I can't see but here's a stern look (cover -1). | ||||||||
M21 | 3 | 2 | Ace Big | 3-3-5-ish | Run | Zone stretch right | Sagesse | -4 |
Slightly less impressive on replay than it was live because it's revealed that Sagesse was basically let into the backfield unmolested, as he's lined up in a zero tech (directly over the center) and slants right into the play. It's a good angle and he makes an excellent tackle(+1) so here's a +1. Graham(+1) also burst through so this was truly going nowhere. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: FG(42), 3-3, 5 min 1st Q. Not bothered by this drive, which was basically a couple of sloppy zone coverages, a gamble EMU won and M lost, and the world's worst PI call. Note that Michigan's running a lot of their 30 front and slanting directly into the stretch plays. This is progress from last week, when M had to discard the stretches because the angles were poor, and I'm betting is an adjustment EMU will make after this drive to open up their run game. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O21 | 1 | 10 | Ace | Base 4-3 | Run | Down G | Banks | 2 |
Pulling guards and whatnot, a very Dantonio/Carr play. Michigan stunts, shooting Banks(+1) into the backfield and forcing the back away from the hole. Herron(+1 tackling) cleans up on the cutback. | ||||||||
O23 | 2 | 8 | Ace | 3-3-5-ish | Pass | PA TE flat | Warren | 2 |
Graham is unblocked and flies upfield at Schmitt after he diagnoses the play action, hypothetically opening up the TE flat sort of play that got Koger a big gainer last week but M is in cover two and Warren(+1, cover +1, tackle +1) reads it well and pops the guy as he makes the catch. | ||||||||
O25 | 3 | 6 | Shotgun 2-back | Base 3-4 | Run | Zone read keeper | Brown | 13 |
Brown(-2) overplays the zone fake badly and loses contain, opening up huge space for a first down. Worse: this is the backup FR QB, so obviously the run is a preferred option. Very poor. | ||||||||
O38 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 3-3-5-ish | Run | Inside Zone | Martin | 2 |
EMU finally tries to run right at this three-man line. Leach(+0.5) kind of sort of cuts off an outside hole, which causes a cutback into a doubled Martin(+2), except Martin's shucked his blockers and tackles(+1) at the LOS. | ||||||||
O40 | 2 | 8 | Ace 3-wide | 4-3 under | Pass | PA Cross | Leach | 7 |
Play action with a rollout and this is on Leach(-1, cover -1) for vacating his zone and aimlessly running forward to contain a rollout Banks(+0.5) has covered. | ||||||||
O47 | 3 | 1 | Ace tight | 4-3 under | Run | Dive | -- | 4 |
Fully ten guys in the box as EMU lines up in a tight set with both wideouts acting as quasi-TEs. They run right at a sizeable gap between Martin and Graham that Leach(-0.5) doesn't attack fast enough. Looks misaligned or mis-called or something because this didn't seem like a defense likely to prevent a quick burst up the middle. | ||||||||
M49 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 3-3-5-ish | Pass | PA rollout scramble | Ezeh | 24 |
Man, I don't know what the hell Ezeh(-2) is doing on this. Okay, I do: he's way over-reacting to where Schmitt's looking downfield. He takes himself so far out of his zone that he can reach out and touch Herron, opening up acres of space for Schmitt to either dump off to the running back or take off; he chooses to take off, getting huge yardage. (Cover -2, pressure -1) | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Counter pitch | Heininger | 0 |
Yeah, this is a counter, with an H-back pulling backside to block the defensive end as you've seen in Picture Pages frequently. Heininger(+1) reads it, gets into his blocker, and pushes him upfield, necessitating a cutback. Martin(+1) gets blown back by a double team before shucking his guy, reading, hopping to the LOS, and tackling. | ||||||||
M25 | 2 | 10 | Ace | Base 4-3 | Run | Off tackle | Martin | 10 |
Eight man front. Can't blame Ezeh on this one, as he reads and fills and probably had this snuffed out for little or no gain except for a cutback from the tailback that's open because Martin(-1) got chopped. Leach(-1) failed to read the play and got hooked by a downfield OL, leaving him out of position to deal with this slow-developing play and getting EMU's tailback into the secondary. | ||||||||
M15 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Down G | Graham | 4 |
Trap blocking on this; Graham(-1) comes in unblocked but fails to read the pulling guard and doesn't get under him to spill the play outside. RB shoots untouched through the line where Leach(+0.5) makes a solid tackle(+1). This could be on Ezeh, actually... depends on what was called. He was heading outside, though, so I think Graham has to spill the play. | ||||||||
M11 | 2 | 6 | Ace tight | 4-3 under | Run | Zone read keeper | Graham | 11 |
Well, one: Graham(-2) irresponsibly charges after the tailback, opening up the QB keeper. Weird how this basic zone read defense step is one we can't get right. And two: JB Fitzgerald(-2) makes just an epically bad read, fighting to the inside of his blocker two seconds after everyone else on the defense is chasing the QB. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 10-10, 11 min 2nd Q. I'm actually way less bothered by this drive than I thought I'd be. It's basically four dumb plays, two on QB contain, two on boneheaded zone drops, and not any sort of EMU-blowing-M-off-ball sort of thing. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O27 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips bunch | 4-3 under | Run | Down G X 2 | Roh | 2 |
EMU pulls two linemen around to the outside but the tailback just shoots straight upfield. Miscommunication? Roh(+0.5) charges from the backside to tackle; Graham(+0.5) had read the play and helped out, too. (Tackling +1) | ||||||||
O29 | 2 | 8 | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Dive | RVB | 4 |
Running right at the gap between Martin and RVB; RVB (-0.5) gets trapped and creased; can't spill the play outside. Ezeh(+0.5) reacted swiftly, though he wasn't blocked, to tackle in the hole. | ||||||||
O33 | 3 | 4 | Shotgun 2-back | 3-3-5-ish | Run | Triple option dive | Ezeh | 1 |
I don't know if this is good play or bad from Ezeh since there's a triple option going on outside and the only contain is Brown; this is probably not assignment football. But he's right, and results based charting and all that. Here he attacks the dive aggressively(+1), getting into the RB's feet and helping Graham(+0.5) pursue to the ball and stop EMU short of the first down. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 17-10, 7 min 2nd Q. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O25 | 1 | 10 | Ace tight | 4-3 under | Pass | PA Sack | Roh | -5 |
Roh(+1) is unblocked on the backside, reads the play, and tackles(+1) as soon as the QB turns around to survey downfield. Excellent read and good job to keep under control to make the sack. (Pressure +2) | ||||||||
O20 | 2 | 15 | Shotgun empty 2TE | 30 front | Pass | Hitch | Warren | 13 |
This is a whatever hitch for five yards if Warren(-1) makes a tackle(-1); he does not. Receiver spins around and picks up eight more because of the error. | ||||||||
O33 | 3 | 2 | Ace | 4-3 under | Pass | Hitch | Warren | Inc |
Warren(-0.5) one on one with the WR; turns his hips and gets beaten by a little hitch route just past the sticks (cover -1). Ball is dropped. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 24-10, 5 min 2nd Q. Rough couple plays from Warren there. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
M36 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 4-3 under | Run | Down G | Fitzgerald | 11 |
Well... dammit. They've stuck JB Fitzgerald in the game and it's clear why he doesn't get more playing time. Herron(+0.5) gets into a pulling guard early enough to close off any potential off tackle crease, spilling the play outside where Fitzgerald(-2) should be there to clean up. He's come down inside and run himself out of position so he can't make what should be a TFL. The play springs outside for first down yardage. | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Ace Big | 3-3-5 stack | Run | Counter off tackle | Leach | 9 |
They run a counter, pulling a guard across; Banks(+0.5) again gets into him and spills the play but Leach(-2) has gone into a pass drop already and is eight yards downfield before he realizes this was a bad idea. He runs around some blocks; Ezeh(+0.5) is the WLB here and runs from the backside to tackle. Good athleticism there from Ezeh. | ||||||||
M16 | 2 | 1 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Run | Zone stretch right | 4 | |
Pretty good job by Sagesse(+0.5) and Banks(+0.5) to hold up against blockers and force a cutback, but there's no one on the backside to clean up because Williams(-1) got clocked. Cissoko cleans up. | ||||||||
M12 | 1 | 10 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Run | Counter off tackle | Williams | 6 |
Michigan cramming the box now; Banks(-0.5) blown off the ball by a double team and Herron(-0.5) sets up too far outside to squeeze the hole and spill the play. Still, Williams(-1) is sitting unblocked in the hole and fails to tackle(-1) at the LOS, turning this from like two into five. Michigan TO. | ||||||||
M6 | 2 | 4 | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Down G | Leach | 2 |
Slight variant here with EMU blocking down on the DE and bringing one guard around into two linebackers. Leach(+1) reads the play and attacks it, closing in at the LOS and tackling(+1) with help from Ezeh. Michigan TO. | ||||||||
M4 | 3 | 2 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Run | Off tackle | Williams | 4 |
This is just tough when they line up two TEs to one side of the line and the three guys you've got over there are Roh, Williams, and Cissoko. Roh(-1) gets doubled and blown back; Williams(-1) gets crushed into the endzone, which prevents any chance of LBs flowing over. M should have been in a goal line set here. Error by Robinson. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 24-17, 2 min 2nd Q. Note the timeouts! Rodriguez has played enough XBox 360 to understand when he can get an extra possession out of the first half. Can you imagine Carr taking these? There is one run play before halftime but it's academic and not charted. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O12 | 1 | 10 | Ace trips | 30 front | Run | Dive | Williams | 6 |
Williams(-1) is half-rolled up and fills on this simple dive play; a solid tackle means this is like three yards (Leach(-0.5) crushed out of the hole by a G), but Williams lets the guy spin through (tackling -1) and pick up extra. | ||||||||
O18 | 2 | 4 | Ace Twin TE | 4-3 under | Run | Inside Zone | Graham | -1 |
Graham(+2) blows through his guy and crushes the play in the backfield with help from unblocked Roh(+0.5) on the backside. (Tackling +1) | ||||||||
O17 | 3 | 5 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-3 under | Pass | Hitch | Warren | Inc |
Warren(+1) reacts considerably more rapidly to this hitch than the last one and appears to get a hand on a poorly thrown ball breaking it up (cover +1). Effective blitz got a couple edge guys in (pressure +1) and may have contributed to a hurried throw. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 24-17, 11 min 3rd Q. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O9 | 1 | 10 | Ace Twins | 4-3 under | Run | Off tackle | Ezeh | 3 |
Michigan slanting away from this so a little fortunate to hold this down. Only one player to the second level, who takes out Leach; Ezeh(+1, tackling +1) has a free flow to the POA which, to his credit, he attacks swiftly and makes a solid tackle at. | ||||||||
O12 | 2 | 7 | Ace 3-wide | 4-3 under | Pass | TE cross | Herron | 5 |
I'm not sure what they're running here as it looks like man with Ezeh dropping into some sort of zone and Leach freaking out and attacking the LOS once the RB sets up to block a blitzing Williams. Fire blitz? Herron's in man on the TE, close enough to force a tough throw and no YAC, which is a win, I think. +1 for him, but not on the cover. | ||||||||
O17 | 3 | 2 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Run | Dive | Williams | -2 |
Williams(+1) times a blitz well and shoots into the backfield, keeping under control and snuffing this out in the backfield with help from Martin(+1), who just crushed his guy, and Ezeh(+1) who aggressively sought the play out and cut through trash to make this a party in the backfield. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 24-17, 7 min 3rd Q. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O20 | 1 | 10 | Ace Twins | 30 front | Pass | PA TE cross | -- | Inc |
EMU finally goes to a bootleg and gets Schmitt on the edge. Ezeh comes up to contain but not quickly so Schmitt has time to find the TE running open for a decent gain. Poor throw and an incompletion. (Cover -1) | ||||||||
O20 | 2 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 4-3 under | Pass | PA Hitch | Warren | 4 |
Martin(+0.5) and Roh(+0.5) are busting through the line to force a quick throw (pressure +1) on a hitch; Warren(+0.5) tackles(+1) immediately. | ||||||||
O24 | 3 | 6 | Shotgun 3-wide 2TE | 4-3 under | Pass | Deflection | Ezeh | Int |
Michigan sends a zone blitz, getting Ezeh(+1) in unblocked. He leaps in the throwing lane and bats the ball skyward, directly to Roh(+1), who brings it in for an INT. (Pressure +1) | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Interception, 31-17, 3 min 3rd Q. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
O40 | 1 | 10 | ??? | ??? | Pass | ??? | ??? | 9 |
We totally miss this play. Arbitrary cover -1. | ||||||||
O49 | 2 | 1 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Pass | PA Fly | Warren | Inc |
Going for the home run with an almost-free play. Warren(+2) runs the guy's route for him(cover +2) and this has no chance of success. FLAG? Lol jk no. | ||||||||
O49 | 3 | 1 | Ace Twins | 4-3 under | Run | Down G | Roh | 3 |
Kovacs is in the game for Williams, BTW, and will play the rest of the game. EMU goes back to their down G play, running right at Roh. Roh(-1) is in good position to squeeze the gap and force a bounce but basically gets run over by the G, which provides enough crease for the first. Should go low here, I think. | ||||||||
M48 | 1 | 10 | Ace Twins | 4-3 under | Pass | PA Fly | Banks | Inc |
Banks(+1) blows through the line on a slant, getting hooked and drawing a holding flag. Schmitt flushes from the pocket and chucks it deep to a double-covered WR, who falls. Woolfolk almost intercepts. (Cover +1, pressure +1) | ||||||||
O42 | 1 | 20 | Shotgun 2-back | 30 front | Pass | Screen | Ezeh | 9 |
Only rush four but playing man behind it so Ezeh is the only one looking at the tailback here and he's got a tough job against two OL. I guess you can ding him for reacting slowly(-0.5). He does force the play inside, where it dies after a good gain. | ||||||||
O49 | 2 | 11 | Shotgun 2-back | 4-3 under | Pass | Hitch | Graham | 6 |
Graham(+1) bursts around the corner (pressure +1), forcing a quick throw. It's open in zone; Brown and Warren tackle(+1) immediately. | ||||||||
M45 | 3 | 6 | Shotgun empty 2TE | 4-3 under | Pass | Hitch | Woolfolk | 13 |
Brown gets a free release on a blitz as Michigan goes man with no safeties; Woolfolk is playing off (cover -1) a bit and Schmitt makes a good throw for the first. Woolfolk(-0.5) then struggles to tackle(-1), providing another three or four. | ||||||||
M32 | 1 | 10 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Pass | Flare | Lynch | 9 |
Little flare screen on the edge sees Kovacs(-1) and Leach(-1) both get engaged by blockers who drive them off the screen and entirely out of the play. Cissoko has no help and all he can do is delay the RB and wait for help to arrive downfield. (Cover -1) | ||||||||
M23 | 2 | 1 | Ace Twins | 4-3 under | Run | Down G | Kovacs | 0 |
Kovacs rolled up. He attacks the pulling guard, standing him up and delaying the back. He tries to bounce outside, where Lynch is, and eventually just runs up into Kovacs(+1) for a loss. | ||||||||
M23 | 3 | 1 | Ace Big | 4-3 under | Run | Inside Zone | Martin | 3 |
Martin(-0.5) gives a yard or two, as does Ezeh, but that's not really his fault, and there's enough of a push up front to get the first. | ||||||||
M20 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 3-3-5 stack | Run | End around | Brown | 5 |
Not sure who's got the contain here but it's either Brown(-0.5) or Graham, and I think it's probably Brown's late reaction that barely opens the corner here for an okay gain. | ||||||||
M15 | 2 | 5 | Ace Twins | 4-3 under | Penalty | False Start | -- | Pen -5 |
Oops. | ||||||||
M20 | 2 | 10 | Ace Twins | 4-3 under | Run | Down G X 2 | Brown | 11 |
Variant of the down G here that's supposed to get outside the tackle. TE downblocks on Roh and the T and G both pull around into Brown(-1) who gets planted as you might imagine a safety playing LB would, and the play heads outside with ease. Ezeh(-1) also misreads the play and runs himself into a block. | ||||||||
M9 | 1 | G | Ace Twin TE | 4-3 under | Pass | PA rollout | -- | 5 |
Zone stretch fake into a rollout that finds no one despite(cover +2) no pressure(-1) for a long time. Schmitt is able to cut it up for a few yards. | ||||||||
M5 | 2 | G | Ace | 4-3 under | Run | Off tackle 2 | Warren | 2 |
Same play that just got 11 yards with a bonus blocker as one of the WRs motions in. So close to the goal line the secondary is active, though. One of the pulling blockers is picked off by Graham(+0.5) getting some penetration. Woolfolk pops up under the last guy, forcing a bounce into Warren(+0.5) who tackles well but does allow the guy to fall forward. | ||||||||
M3 | 3 | G | Goal line | Goal line | Run | Down G | Brown | -2 |
Wing blitzes from Kovacs(+1) and Brown(+1) jet past blockers and the two meet the RB in the backfield for a TFL. | ||||||||
M5 | 4 | G | Ace | 4-3 under | Pass | Fade stop | Cissoko | Inc |
Receiver does get Cissoko to bite on a fade by turning his head inside, then whipping around to get open at the start of the endzone but can't keep his feet and the throw isn't perfect so it's incomplete. (Cover -1) | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Turnover on downs, 38-17, 9 min 4th Q. Jeez that was a long, uncomfortable drive. More on it later. | ||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards |
M47 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun 2-back | 3-3-5 stack | Pass | Sack | -- | -- |
The ugly play where Schmitt tears his ACL for no reason. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Fumble, 38-17, 7 min 4th Q. | ||||||||
O14 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun 2-back | 4-3 under | Run | Triple option keeper | Roh | 3 |
Roh(+1) is unblocked, reads the dive fake, and comes out to tackle the QB by himself. Athletic move there; this is not a guy you want to read, I don't think. | ||||||||
O17 | 2 | 7 | Shotgun 3-wide | 4-3 under | Pass | Hitch | Graham | Inc |
Graham(+1) is in the passing lane and bats it down. (Pressure +1) | ||||||||
O17 | 3 | 7 | Shotgun 2-back | 4-3 under | Pass | Screen | Leach | 7 |
Leach(-1) drops in his zone, reads it slowly, and can't recover to tackle. (Cover -1) | ||||||||
O24 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun 2-back | 4-3 under | Pass | Scramble | -- | 5 |
No one open (cover +1); decent pressure flushes the QB and he scrambles for a few. | ||||||||
O29 | 2 | 5 | Shotgun 2-back | 30 front | Run | Zone read keeper | Fitzgerald | 14 |
Fitzgerald's(-1) the guy with the QB, but reacts slowly, takes a block, and gets cut behind as the QB cuts it up. | ||||||||
O43 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun 2-back | 30 front | Pass | Hitch | -- | Inc |
Wildly inaccurate for no particular reason. | ||||||||
O43 | 2 | 10 | Shotgun 2-back | 4-3 under | Pass | Scramble | -- | 5 |
Replay of the scramble earlier in the drive (Cover +1) | ||||||||
O48 | 3 | 5 | Shotgun 2-back | 3-4 Base | Run | Triple option dive | Banks | 1 |
Banks(+1) shucks a blocker and delivers a thumping tackle. | ||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 45-17, 4 min 4th Q. Charting ceases as the second team is put in for the rest of the game. |
So that was concerning, wasn't it?
Slightly, yes, but after looking at the tape I'm more encouraged than I was immediately after the game.
How can that be?
To explain that I think I need a—
Chart?
Defensive Line | ||||
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Player | + | - | T | Notes |
Graham | 10.5 | 3 | 7.5 | Very little opportunity to get after the quarterback. Was good against the run, though he was one of the people responsible for Schmitt's touchdown run. |
Heininger | 1 | - | 1 | Made one nice play. |
Patterson | - | - | - | Scrub time only I think. |
Roh | 6.5 | 3 | 3.5 | A couple of nice plays when EMU put him on the edge and tried to fool or read him. Athleticism should be an asset against zone read teams. |
Herron | 1.5 | .5 | 1 | Eh, ok. |
Martin | 7 | 1.5 | 5.5 | Much better job getting off blocks this week and more active; this is probably because of the competition. Still, he's promising. Probably needs another year before he's truly an anchor. |
Van Bergen | 1 | 2.5 | -1.5 | Not holding up very well against doubles. |
Banks | 4.5 | .5 | 4 | Rodriguez mentioned he'd been playing well last week and he did make some plays here. |
Sagesse | 3.5 | 1 | 2.5 | Big fourth down stop was a gift but made some other plays. Needs more PT. |
TOTAL | 31 | 11.5 | 19.5 | Nice number, so the rushing yards were on… |
Linebacker | ||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes |
Ezeh | 6 | 5.5 | 0.5 | Well, at least it's positive. |
Mouton | - | - | - | DNP. |
Brown | 1.5 | 4.5 | -3 | Blew a zone read contain for some of his minus points, and got blasted back by guys 60 pounds heavier than he is on some others. Didn't think he played that bad. |
Fitzgerald | - | 5 | -5 | Yipes. Huge missed reads for all five negative points. Looked lost. Athletic, but lost. |
Leach | 2 | 7 | -5 | Didn't make any of his tackles near the LOS, did the Mouton thing where you go into a pass drop on a run play. |
TOTAL | 9.5 | 22 | -12.5 | Could have gone better. |
Secondary | ||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes |
Warren | 5 | 1.5 | 3.5 | Mostly run support and a couple open hitches/blanketed deep routes. |
Cissoko | 1 | 1 | 0 | "Hey, that guy isn't Michael Floyd." |
Floyd | - | - | - | Scrub time only. |
Turner | - | - | - | DNP |
Woolfolk | - | 1.5 | -1.5 | Almost zero to in coverage. Missed a couple tackles but nothing serious. |
Williams | 2.5 | 4 | -1.5 | Like Brown, got a share of minuses just for being 100 pounds smaller than the guy blocking him. |
Emilien | - | - | - | DNP |
Kovacs | 2 | 1 | 1 | Hasn't cost Michigan anything yet.. |
TOTAL | 10.5 | 9 | 1.5 | Almost had the day off. |
Metrics | ||||
Pressure | 10 | 2 | 8 | Probably why they hardly passed. |
Coverage | 12 | 13 | -1 | Also a reason. |
Tackling | 18 | 5 | 13 | No idea if this is generous or what to compare it to or what. I'm just building data here. |
So… there you go. I'm still working on the tackling bits, obviously. I wouldn't take the minuses on the safeties too seriously.
Why does this make you less concerned than you were before?
We already knew that Ezeh is the kind of guy to get dragged out of position and open up a 24 yard scramble, and we had a strong suspicion that even though the starting linebackers were poor their backups were worse, and all this bore out. Most of the defensive line played up to expectations except Van Bergen, and Banks may add some additional interior depth going forward. The secondary was par for the course, too, and the tackling was pretty good.
Come on, look at that 36-yard all-run touchdown drive. This is Eastern Michigan!
Is that a question?
This is Eastern Michigan?
Fine, fine, okay, yes. It's not like I expect the defense to be good or anything. It's just that the EMU game didn't reveal anything particularly surprising or new. And ten of their points were on the world's worst pass interference call and a thirty-six yard drive. They gained under 300 yards and Michigan outgained them by 180-some. I'm fine with what happened, mostly.
The most disturbing bits were the zone read breakdowns. How does that happen when you practice against it all day every day? I don't know, but when any EMU QB pulled the ball out he had plenty of space.
Any hope for defensive depth in the future?
In the secondary and at linebacker, no. Leach slotting in ahead of Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald proving that wasn't a crazy decision with some really bad play indicates that there's no cavalry coming in the backups. Michigan is riding with Mouton and Ezeh, like it or not. Pray they improve. (To his credit, Ezeh was better at hitting the hole in this game. Baby steps.)
Meanwhile in the secondary, Michigan went the whole game with the starters until Williams got tweaked and Kovacs returned; no corner other than the starting pair saw a snap until uncharted garbage time, and that didn't even include uber-frosh Justin Turner. I did include converted WR/RB Teric Jones, whose redshirt is burned. Burning that redshirt is a whopping statement about where the secondary depth stands: next to Charlie Weis on a precipice, looking down at disaster.
The line, though, looks like it might pick up another contributor in Greg Banks and at some point you figure they will unleash Will Campbell on short yardage. He was part of the goal line set that saw a few snaps and probably should have been in on a few more. He's a tough guy to move.
So… no on Fitzgerald?
Not yet, at least. Watch the linebacker to the top of the screen (not the guy on the line, the guy lined up on the 32, which is Fitzgerald) here:
Michigan was playing that play to spill all day, spilled it, and Fitzgerald was nowhere to be found. He is not mentally ready to play.
The safeties look halfway competent, don't they?
Um… well… mentioning this will probably doom them forever, but maybe? None of ND's long plays can be blamed on the safeties, though part of that was the defensive scheme and part of that was the ability of Notre Dame to exploit an injured, short Cissoko in his first start against a good offense. And Eastern didn't find anything long. The only play on which a safety got a big negative was the long Western touchdown. Just MAC teams, sure, but by this point in any other season there would have been two or more plays from the safeties that make you groan and clutch your rosary. Obi Ezeh's "so we got that going for us" quote about Woolfolk may be accurate.
Heroes?
The starting defensive line outside of Van Bergen, who didn't do much.
Goats?
All linebackers not named Ezeh, who was decent.
What does it mean for Indiana and the future?
I'll keep it brief since this was a game against Eastern Michgian and you overrate it at your peril: the team is basically what we thought it was. If you want to load up against it and grind down the field you'll have success doing it, though I wonder if teams will manage to score a lot of touchdowns with that sort of approach. Michigan's going to bend a lot; hopefully they won't break.
Greg Robinson is busy installing all sorts of different stuff and slants and various games to cover up for the fact that he's got no depth, two seniors, and three walk-ons contributing. I think we're going to see a lot of instances where the games work and Michigan swarms something and a lot of instances where Michigan gets caught and gashed. There are places to attack this defense, and the safeties are going to have to do a lot of cleanup in Big Ten play.
Is there any upside for these guys? Maybe. It is a new system so Michigan is behind mentally and should improve more than veteran units whose failings are more likely to be physical shortcomings than mental errors. Look at Eastern's long touchdown drive: mental error after mental error. If Michigan can fix those things—or, more conservatively, mitigate them—they appear to have the horsepower to be completely mediocre. Again: getting Ezeh and Mouton up to a level where they are decent is the key to the defense's season.
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