Day After Snowflakes / Early Thoughts on Purdue

Submitted by Mr. Yost on

Now that you've had a night to think about it, any changes? Sky still falling? What are your thoughts on the state of the team?

Moving forward, thoughts on Purdue?

 

#7Michigan
4:00 PM FOX Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN

 

The Fugitive

September 17th, 2017 at 7:58 AM ^

Defense is going to carry us.

After all the offseason talk of being more explosive on offense, I'm wondering if we are keeping a few tricks up our sleeves or if the learning curve for the young guys is a little too steep. Maybe it's some of both but I think the unit will get better.

Not overly concerned with Purdue, I think they will score a couple times. we win 34-20.

goblue12

September 17th, 2017 at 8:24 AM ^

I dont buy that "keeping a few tricks up our sleeves" bit. I wouldn't think the coaches would say to themselves "Hey, we are winning by 3 points against Air Force lets keep our offense vanilla and ride it out." Too risky of a thing to do. I would lean more towards the "our offense is just not that good" camp. Offensive line in particular, veeeeery shaky in both run-block & pass-block against a far inferior team, at least physical-wise. 

wildbackdunesman

September 17th, 2017 at 8:37 AM ^

I kind of agree.

 

We were up only 3 points late in the 3rd against Cincinnati.  Up only 6 in the 4th against Air Force.  I highly doubt the coaches were holding back anything significant, because as you point out our offense was making mistakes with the so called vanilla stuff.  

With that said, we should have a few wrinkles for future opponents.

 

snarling wolverine

September 17th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^

In games, you run plays that you've worked on in practice that week.  So your playbook for that particular game is somewhat limited.  This is especially true earlier in the year, as the guys are getting more familiar with everything.   Even if the game turns out to be close, a coach is not  likely to call a play that the team didn't run in practice that week - that often leads to confused players screwing up.

Squash34

September 17th, 2017 at 1:23 PM ^

I think the holding back thing has a lot to do with the youth. You need everyone on same page to do all the motions and exotic plays. They seemed to be making less glaring mental mistakes but all it takes is for one guy to make the wrong decision on who to block to kill a play. Additionally, my feeling is the exotic/ more creative plays are a bit more difficult to id who you need to block. For instance, I firmly believe that McKeon needed to block the two high safety on the screen to Black in the Cinci game. However, he peeled back to pick up the lb, which against some coverage that maybe right, but against a two high team that does a lot of quarters, I don't think you can allow the safety to be a free hitter on a screen like that. I find it extremely hard to believe it would be drawn up that way verse that look.

Indiana Blue

September 17th, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^

isn't anything like playing at Northwestern.  It is not any easy place to play ... especially when they are playing well.  Their fans will be very loud and momentum could be huge for them.  We will see at least 3 trick plays designed to score TD's.  If we handle those - we'll be fine.

I don't see them scoring more than 24 points - but I really have concerns about our red-zone offense.  I'll be there - with hopefully a large contingent of fellow Wolverines!

Go Blue!

SpikeFan2016

September 17th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^

In the last couple years, that would've been true, but Purdue will have more fans than we will. They had an even crowd with Louisville in Indy in Week 1 and their fans are excited about the new coach, the team is coming off two dominating wins in a row, and it's also homecoming for them. 

 

The stadium is curently around 80% sold out and that will creep up in the next few days. Capacity is 57,000. 

 

If Michigan fans are reading this and want to go, buy from the venue. Lots of types of tickets left. From $40 end zone seats to $85 50 yard line seats. (The biggest bulk of tickets are $55 goal line seats). Link: http://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS:IBM:F17:F02:&linkID=purdue&shopperContext=&pc=&caller=&appCode=&groupCode=FB&cgc=

lhglrkwg

September 17th, 2017 at 10:06 AM ^

we are concerned because Purdue is not Darrell Hazell Purdue but is now Jeff Brohm Purdue which suddenly looks like the only team in the west that might compete with Wisconsin. Let that one sink in for a moment

dipshit moron

September 17th, 2017 at 1:23 PM ^

you never thought there might be a chance purdue could improve? they have had the nickname spoilermakers forever, and have caught michigan a couple times.  they almost beat osu , i believe the year they went undefeated. urbans first year.

FauxMo

September 17th, 2017 at 8:02 AM ^

The defense will beat up Purdue pretty good, but they'll still score some points. On the other side, I think the offensive playbook gets opened up a bit more. If Wilton can get past his skittishness and start taking some more (reasonable) chances and trust his receivers a bit, we sould move the ball on Purdue easily. I am thinking the spread will be UM -17 or so, and we will cover that... 

UM 35

Purdue 17

WorldwideTJRob

September 17th, 2017 at 9:39 AM ^

Where have they been the past few weeks then? It was disappointing how many times we got the ball in great field position yesterday, and still couldn't punch it in the endzone. If we can get 27 next week then we may be ok, but anything short of that we are looking at a nail biter in W. Lafayette!

Steeveebr

September 17th, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^

When the scores come is irrelevant.  I didn't realize we were playing a 30 min game against Purdue and bringing a different defense / special teams unit.  My bad.  I'll look for the roster changes this week.

Or maybe Faux Mo was predicting just the offensive scores of the game.  I missed that too.

Toby Flenderson

September 17th, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^

It is not irrelevant. Michigan does not get "garbage time" touchdowns against OSU, PSU or wisky. Instead, Michigan is going to need to finish some drives into touchdowns in order to have a shot of winning. Purdue is not Purdue of the old, this is a team that can make explosive plays and score points. Quinn Nordin cannot be Michigan's leading scorer, and we cannot hope that Tyree Kinnel or Lavert Hill get a pick 6 in a game. In addition, after watching DPJ, don't you think Purude is going to advise their punter not to punt to DPJ? There is room for concern on this team in respect to the offense. We played Air Force and Cincinnati, and have scored 3 offensive touchdowns...that is pause for concern.

Steeveebr

September 17th, 2017 at 9:00 AM ^

You called me disingenuous for posting our previous final scores in a discussion about FauxMo's final score prediction against Purdue.  You are using OSU/PSU and Wisky as your argument.  I don't think I'm the one with the contextual problem here.

I don't think any of my comments state that I don't share concerns on the offense.  My comment is calling FauxMo's score prediction ridiculous because we don't have an offense that can score 35 points is stupidity based on the way our entire team has played so far.B

Toby Flenderson

September 17th, 2017 at 9:00 AM ^

I said that Purdue can score points and make explosive plays, therefore we need to finish drives. I also brought out the fact that Purdue is likely going to take DPJ out of the same, because that is generally what teams do when they face a top punt returner.I don't think Michigan will get the same breaks on special teams and defense as they did against the previous 3 teams (two of which have anemic offenses in Florida and Cincinnati), therefore the score will not be that.

Steeveebr

September 17th, 2017 at 9:11 AM ^

You think Michigan scored what they did because they got "breaks."  I think it's fair for FauxMo to predict it because of good play and it's fair to predict the good play on defense and special teams will continue.  

BTW DPJ only scored in one of those 3 games and it was our lowest score.  I think it's fair to believe that we haven't been relying on "breaks" to win our games.

Hail Harbo

September 17th, 2017 at 9:27 AM ^

Higdon's TD yesterday could fairly be called garbage time.  Just over a minute to go with Michigan up by two scores, Harbaugh was content to keep the ball on the ground and let time expire.  Suddenly Higdon broke free and scored the only offensive points of the game to keep Michigan ahead by two scores.

EGD

September 17th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^

That is a very debatable position. I realize Air Force isn't exactly built for two-minute drills and so the game kind of felt overwith by then, but typically I wouldn't call a nine point lead with over a minute garbage time. Besides, it's not as though AFA gas given up and pulled their starters.