Barwis effect?
In each of our 3 close games this season, Michigan's defense has completely outplayed its opponent down the stretch. Our defense, which hadn't looked good in the first 3.5 quarters of each of these games, came up with huge stops in the last 5 minutes of the ND, IU, and MSU games. These teams moved the ball on us at will all game long (ND, IU, & MSU had 490, 467, 417 total yards against us respectively), but they weren't able to convert key first downs at the end of these games to put these games out of reach. The only big plays our defense has given up at the end of these games were the IU 85-yard run (result of a bad pre-snap check by RVB), and the TD at the end of the MSU game which was just awful all around.
It's tough to argue that these stops were a result of conservative play calling because ND and IU were still trying to throw the ball to convert at the end. MSU had 2nd & 3 at the end, and they also weren't able to convert.
Do you guys think the improved defense at the end of these games has been a result of the Barwis effect, or has it been something else (conservative play calling, luck, etc.)?
October 4th, 2009 at 1:37 AM ^
I think it's mostly a combination of conservative play calling and more aggressive defensive tactics to try to get the ball back, while counting on conservative play calling from the O.
I see the Barwis effect in terms of Graham, Martin and others being able to play with intensity on nearly every down for 40 minutes, often getting doubled.
October 4th, 2009 at 1:39 AM ^
agressive on D, they have success. They seem to play very vanilla in the first half of games. By design? don't know.
Hard to argue against conditioning playing some part.
October 4th, 2009 at 1:44 AM ^
I'd like to think our 4th Q surges have to do with our conditioning, but it sure as heck didn't look like we were better conditioned than MSU in overtime.
October 4th, 2009 at 2:21 AM ^
I think its overrated...Dont get me wrong Barwis is GREAT at what he does...but to think that he has a significant advantage over other S&C guys at other big time programs.... well, I just dont see it like that... he is great and is doing a great job...but it just keeps Michigan players up there to be able to compete.,..
Barwis is not out there making bad reads and missing tackles... football skills are well out of his jurisdiction.
October 4th, 2009 at 4:58 AM ^
Michigan's S&C program had gotten stale and was not at the same level as the top programs in the country the last 5-10 years. Barwis & Co. is a step up and is a critical part of Michigan getting back to the elite level.
October 4th, 2009 at 2:34 AM ^
I do have to admit, Woolfolk missed that tackle in OT with blazing speed, especially at such a late stage in the game.
October 4th, 2009 at 7:04 AM ^
"The only big plays our defense has given up at the end of these games were the IU 85-yard run (result of a bad pre-snap check by RVB)"
If he didn't admit to this you would have never known. Just give him props for being big enough to admit a fault and you will never see that mistake again.
October 4th, 2009 at 9:40 AM ^
I'm pretty sure that the OP was just making sure that the big run shouldn't count as an exception to the trend if S&C is the cause of solid late D, not dissing RVB in any way.
October 4th, 2009 at 8:20 AM ^
The Barwis effect is noticable in that our D is not dying out there late in games. Now if we only had some talent to stop third and longs early in a game or perhaps not let a qb run for so many first downs... that might be helpful
October 4th, 2009 at 9:04 AM ^
You rang?
October 4th, 2009 at 10:29 AM ^
I was a little surprised/disappointed/confused by the fact that Forcier was so gassed in the fourth quarter and overtime. Not sure what was going on there...