Impressive Defensive Stats
Michigan's defense is putting up some very impressive stats this season. Here are a few of the more recent stats to come out: (keeping fingers crossed that the formatting works!)
- Michigan has rushed for more yards (662) in the last 3 games than the defense has allowed in total yards (563).
- In the last 10 years, only the 2011 Alabama team has allowed fewer yards per play and per game than the 2018 Michigan team
- Number of college games with more than one sack:
Uche 3
Bosa 2
Number of college games played:
Uche 12
Bosa 29
- Michigan's passing completion percentage allowed in the last 3 games = 33.8%.
- Michigan's cornerbacks are more likely to score a pick-six TD than to give up a TD
Davis Long - TDs allowed = 0; pick sixes = 0
Levert Hill - TDs allowed = 2; pick sixes = 1
Brandon Watson - TDs allowed = 0; pick sixes = 2
Total TDs allowed = 2; total pick sixes = 3
- Not a Michigan stat but thought it was interesting: Franklin's record at PSU before Joe Moorehead arrived was 14-12, with Joe Moorehead as OC his record was 22-5; his record after Joe Moorehead left is 6-3. Total record without Moorehead is 20-15.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
So my #1 takeaway from all of this data is coach Franklin seems to perform better when he has Moorehead.
Well in fairness don't we all?
November 6th, 2018 at 10:24 AM ^
Truthfully, my driving becomes questionable.
November 6th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
That's a sneaky one...
Had to log in just to tap that up-thumb.
November 6th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
Long-running debate in the sports world; I don't think too many coaches counsel abstention before big games anymore.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
Defense. On fire.
However, the most improved unit and pleasant surprise is the O-line.
Question for the board (don't wanna create a new thread - sorry for the hijak): How do we ensure Warinner stays with M for many years? Start a gofundme?
November 6th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
Pick the bank. I'll rob it.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
He will likely want a coordinator title in the future and we might have to give it to him. OSU promoted him to OC and promptly fired him for his playcalling, which is how we were eventually able to land him. Maybe the co-OC title along with the pay increase will be enough. He's old enough that he can't realistically be looking to climb the ladder much more.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
Would love it if that is the case. Pay that man his money. If we can keep this core group of coaches just 2 more years, man. Just gaining momentum, lets add stability and watch out!
November 6th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
OC is just a title and does not confer real power in the Harbaughffense. As he is likely calling all running plays now, he is fully integrated into JMFH's way of doing offensive business. And thriving at it, if the running stats say anything. If he wants a title, give it to him - nothing will change within the play calling power structure. Nor should it.
Pay the man his money! Seriously - if Mattison gets $1M, then Warinner deserves it, as well. I don't think anyone would argue that those two aren't equal peers...
November 6th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Mattison is one heckuva recruiter, Warinner, by most accounts, is not. While they may in fact be peers when it comes to coaching their respective position groups, they are not peers as it relates to the entire program.
November 6th, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
Sorry, I cannot agree with that one. Mattison not only has been a long-term part of the staff and has shown to be an excellent recruiter, he also was a very good DC for Michigan. As good as Warinner has been, he has not done all that for Michigan. Besides, making huge decisions based on a bit over half a season is not always smart. No doubt he has done a great job and may be due a raise, but let's not go crazy.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:24 AM ^
I was completely confident that Penn State would crater without Moorehead. I had to snicker at the fact that seemingly NOBODY in the media was concerned about that at all.
I'm sure some will poo-poo our last three games and question the quality of the opponents. It's fair to suggest that none of the three are as good as predicted when the season started, but all three are at least solid-to-good and will all have 8+ wins when the season ends; they might all end up ranked, too.
Also, I haven't gone back to confirm, but I'm sure if you look back at the preseason all-conference teams, you would have found all three of those QBs on some lists. What we did to them was not only brutal, it was unimaginable!
November 6th, 2018 at 10:36 AM ^
Heard some of this argument re: schedule as well - don't buy it though. Good or not, healthy or not, the last three games have been absolute dominations, which has to say something. None of Wisconsin, MSU, or PSU was remotely a threat to win those games. We've ground them up on the run, the D is relentless. We beat all of those teams worse than we beat SMU. Even if the B1G is down and none of these teams are that healthy or that good this year, then we should not just win but win easily. We have. The rest of the B1G is rock fighting one another and we're coasting to big victories.
November 6th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
Coaches develop cult followings, not always based on real achievement. I never saw evidence that Franklin was a great coach. In addition there was some ugly at Vanderbilt that boded poorly for somebody moving to PSU; not sure even now why we give Franklin a pass while refusing to forget some of Kelly and Meyer's history (for example); the older I get the less inclined I feel to forgive OR forget these things. And it still rankles me that PSU has suffered so little for their sins on the playing field.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
Would love to see them vs Clemson or Bama in the playoff. Really see what they've got and how high is that ceiling, or were they fortunate to play 2 QBs who were a little banged up, plus some poor coaching decisions by Janklin and Turtle.
November 6th, 2018 at 11:16 AM ^
I think we will see this matchup, and both teams present the same challenge - a peer defense coupled to a more explosive offense. I think both Bama and Clemson have offenses that flow more seamlessly than Michigan's has so far this season. That may be misleading, though - I don't think they've slowly expanded their offering each week, as Michigan has. Instead, I think they've been fully operational and wide open all year. They've been at this level for a few years now, so they didn't have to bring up new OL and playmakers gently, like M has had to do this year.
If Michigan can get its offense flowing as smoothly as theirs seems to, its game on. Holding the ball for ~40 minutes won't happen against those two teams, ToP will be more balanced. The ability to match their scoring in the ~30 minutes we have the ball will be paramount.
November 6th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
Bama doesn't have a peer defense - they have a defense like M has an offense - good, but not yet great.
Clemson looks like the real deal on both sides of the ball. Their O isn't Bama's (nobody seems really close) but their D is elite.
I think Michigan matches up better with Bama than Clemson.
November 6th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
No. No. No.
Michigan definitely matches up better with Clemson. I love our chances against their QB. ACC sucks, Clemson has had it fairly easy.
November 6th, 2018 at 11:54 AM ^
The ACC sucks, and Clemson has had it fairly easy. These things are true. But they've also been in the playoffs in 2 of the last 3 years, including a win. They're real...
November 6th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
Re: The Pick 6 stat:
We have 6 passing TDs allowed this season.
- Bomb against Brad Hawkins in the ND game
- Coverage bust between Hawkins and Long in SMU game (Hawkins credited with coverage)
- Rub route against Glasgow in SMU game
- Rub route against Hill in SMU game
- Garbage time TD against Hill in Wisconsin game
- MSU trick play
Pick sixes:
- Metellus against SMU
- Watson against Maryland
- Hill against Wisconsin
- Watson against PSU
So, not only is the starting secondary more likely to score a TD than allow one, but they also haven't had a game where they've allowed more passing TDs than pick sixes.
November 6th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^
The second part of that last sentence is the insane part to me. Also, you kind of have to squint pretty hard to use this to bolster your point, but we have one more CB with a touchdown: Ambry Thomas.
November 6th, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
regarding the comparison between uche and bosa, is the defensive schemes and or DC difference the major factor for that statistics?
to my untrained opinion, it can't be all on the individual right?