Previously Michigan was tied with Alabama with 1167 passing yards allowed. Following the Minnesota game, Michigan has given up 1314 yards through the air. Alabama has given up 262 so far to LSU with 6:44 remaining in the game, bringing their total to 1429. I'm damn proud of the defense this year, and having the top overall passing defense by yards going into week 11 is an astounding feat, especially with the loss of Blake Countess in week 1. Go Blue!
I'll take it, but let's keep
And what great passing
And what great passing offense has Alabama faced?
Try not to laugh, but
Try not to laugh, but Arkansas was #17 going into today's win over Tulsa, and Tennessee was #21 before putting up 530 passing yards on Troy. None of Michigan's opponents were in the top 50 heading into today. (Rankings based on passing yards per game)
Alabama played Arkansas
Alabama played Arkansas without their starting QB (Tyler Wilson), though.
+1 Good call, totally forgot
+1 Good call, totally forgot about that. Tennessee will have a top 10 passing offense based on average yards per game if you factor in their performance today.
Tenn's passing game is legit
They're awful in every other phase of the game, but they can throw.
Still don't understand
since I think the strength of the D is the run defense. I think much of it can be attributed to none to the fact that no QB's we've faced can hit their guys on those fly routes everyone seems to try on us
NO FLY ZONE.
NO FLY ZONE.
Our passing D stats...
...could be a direct product of a staunch run D. If you're constantly putting teams in 3rd and long, they're going to struggle throwing the ball.
"[T]here were a lot of people predicting glorious heights for Rich; mostly the same people who are predicting doom and gloom [for Hoke]. Excuse me if I doubt their prognostication skills." -- M-Wolverine
Yeah, its a very misleading
Yeah, its a very misleading stat (played 1 less game than other teams too). That being said, I've been impressed with our overall defense and glad that the coaching has rubbed off so well on the young players.
Do you think we would get shredded by an air raid offense, i.e. West Virginia, Texas Tech, Okie State?
Actually greater than 75% of
Actually greater than 75% of the teams in the FBS have played 9 games through week 10, including Michigan and Alabama.
Would be interesting to see
Would be interesting to see how it would be affected if you factored in average passing yards of the competition.
Already
I believe LSU was leading in
I believe LSU was leading in Average. Significantly.
"that's why you don't go to Ohio State, Lawrence"
regardless
Regardless of the competition, this is a huge feat considering the loss of most of our pass rushers and how bad our pass defense was only two years ago. Props to Mattison. I doubt we could have had a better defensive coordinator.
I'll help you out...
there is NO doubt - we could not be in better hands than we are with Mattison.
Regardless of the lack of
Regardless of the lack of quality passing teams in the B1G, did anyone imagine this happening as of two years ago? We should all be damn proud of how far this defense has come in such a short time. Give Mattison another few years, and imagine how much better they'll still be getting.
Brady Hoke: Kicking Ass And Signing Names On The Recruiting Trail
This is great. Not because
This is great. Not because we're as good as Bama, or even particularly sound against the pass; but because we used to be totally helpless.
That said, this is very much due to poor competition. Most games have seen open wide receivers streaking down the sideline that quality QBs would hit. However, that is not who is on the field. Even today, late in the game, Nelson had open men downfield (against Floyd) and was simply not accurate enough. Good QBs will exploit this.
Still, it's a great place to be.
Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth.
I don't see where these delusional Buckeye fans are getting this
"we're gonna kill Michigan" talk from? THEY HAVEN'T BEATEN ANYBODY DECENT. Nebraska is an exception cause it looks like they might finally have their heads together but seriously Ohio St's passing game is anemic and if Miller can't do anything they won't win. Shutting him down is basically shuting down their whole offense and the fact our secondary is currently leading the nation in pass against even with the loss of Countess has to be taken into consideration on their part. Then again their beliefs are so idiotic who knows what they think. In my view I can see our defense throwing around Miller and putting a complete halt on their rush attack in 3 weeks. I'm not anywhere sold on Ohio st despite the record they have.
We hate Michigan State. We don't like Penn State too. We don't care for Minnesota, Wisconsin or Notre Dame but we all hate O-S-U.
Michigan Blue 2008 block M hockey jersey still for sale for 50.00. FREE S/H
Moreover
they've done it without arguably the most talented player in their secondary. So, although the stats are decieving, they could be even better with Countess in the line-up.
That said, I too have been disturbed by the opposing recievers finding themselves WIDE OPEN as of late. It reminds me of the Ohio game last year, and I hope they get it fixed... SOON
meh
Its better, its improved but they really haven't been challenged much this year.
But considering this program was stareing at national defensive rankings in the triple digits just 2 years ago I think we can all be pleased at the turnaround in the overall D.
Michigan is now more than competent on defense and it just feels like its going to continue to get better over the next couple years.
I agree-- they are decent,
I agree-- they are decent, but not great. SO much beter than recent memory... But they haven't been challenged by an above average QB. I have a feeling those QB's woud shred the Db's. But given our curent opponents, we've done okay.
Go Blue. That it all.
My MGoYard
Well congrats on that. Job
Well congrats on that. Job well done.
Nice Stat
But doesn't erase the 3 loses. And rushing D needs a lot of help at 50th in the nation.
Let's all hope Devin remains healthy and can improve at QB for the remaining games. AFter shaking off the dust, he looked quite good out there today. Made good decisions for the most part and showed some vision that I haven't seen with Denard this season.
"The street legend is back, bitches!"
Our rush defense numbers are
Our rush defense numbers are inflated from playing Alabama and Air Force in weeks one and two. Since then it's been fine.
Overall, we are seventh in the country in total defense (288.7 ypg) and 13th in scoring defense (16.8 ppg). That's pretty impressive. Does it erase the losses? No, but the D was hardly at fault in two of the three.
The numbers themselves are impressive
I applaud the defense for their effort and success thus far.
That being said, we are playing in the big 10 where offenses in general are fairly bad and the QBs can barely hit water falling out of a boat. Today alone Minnesota had at least three long balls where the all the QB had to do was get the ball close and it was a catch.
I think the numbers are misleading, but they are still there. Either way, Bama would still beat us by three touchdowns.
I was rooting for LSU because I really want to see Oregon DESTROY ND in the title game. The score would be so embarrasing, Brian Kelly's head would assplode.
What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve and...Those Who Stay WILL Be Champions.
Both
Bama and Oregon will probably destroy ND.
no
"I really want to see Alabama DESTROY ND in the title game."
FTFY
Think about this carefully. What is ND's relative strength? Defense, right? What is Oregon's strength? Offense.
Much better match-up for ND, one they can at least *hope* to win. (I'd still expect Oregon to win easily.)
Alabama, though? ND would be lucky to get a field goal against them on offense, and the Tide's line would be able to punch at least a few holes in ND's front seven.
"..."
so beautiful, that would
so beautiful, that would be...
Go Blue. That it all.
My MGoYard
National Championship
I was rooting for Alabama because I knew if LSU won then the football gods would arrange it so that Notre Dame, Oregon, and KSU all lost so that we'd have another rematch otherwise.
I want no part of ND in the
I want no part of ND in the title game and receiving a month of media hosannas. Even if you get killed in that game, you reap a ton of goodwill for being there. I want USC to destroy them and then their Sugar/Orange/Fiesta bowl opponent do the same.
Yes...
But we don't really and we surely don't deserve to be ranked so high in basketball. I hate the mediocrity that we've adopted through the last five years yet any time that I can go against what I truly want and enjoy I will. Go blue. I am post rich rod wolverine.-
All in for some manball.
I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say
George Walden, is that you?
"The straightest line from A to B is straight: From A to B"
"When you have Denard Robinson, you can have everything"
~George Walden
AllinTime
I think what he was trying to say was that if we really don't want to be ranked high in basketball defense, then we should always go against a post-Rich Rod unless it's mediocre at passing.
"You will suffer humiliation when the team from my area defeats the team from your area." -- The Onion
What could you possibly mean
What could you possibly mean by that statement
There is god, there is family, and then there is MICHIGAN FOOTBALL
Yes we do.
Yes we do.
not just "douchey" MGoBlog user, but now TRUSTED MGoBlog user
Like i said before, im never
Like i said before, im never doubting the defense again!!!
Are you kidding me? I'm still
Are you kidding me? I'm still getting used to the idea that our secondary isn't a harikiri-inducing tire fire.
*MIND BLOWN*
We still have a long way to go
Our defense has played great this year, especially considering the talent we have to work with. That said the criticisms about our competition are too true. Thank you BIG TEHNNN
If anyone truly thinks that we could have done anything against either of the offense lines we saw in the Bama-LSU game today, they're joking themselves. There is no way that we could stop the best offenses in the country, a team like Oregon would shred us.
Give it 2-3 years. When we have the best passing defense then, you'll truly feel we deserve it...
The stat i'd like to know,
is the average starting field position. It seems like its never in michigans favor anymore. Not that it matters to me because the defence is playing lights out, but maybe the numbers are skewed because of it.
Mattison is not happy
He always prides himself on stopping the run first.
If pass interference
If pass interference penalties were averaged into passing yards allowed, we might not be #1. How many times was Michigan called for PI yesterday? It was at least four times, I believe (JT Floyd twice, Raymon Taylor once, Jake Ryan once).
Legit PI calls, or all PI
Legit PI calls, or all PI calls including a couple terrible ones from yesterday? To be fair the Gophers had at least one that I remember that shouldn't have been called too.
The only PI call yesterday
The only PI call yesterday that was questionable was the second Floyd PI call, when he had his hand on the shoulder of the receiver. He was definitely touching the receiver with the ball in the air, although it probably didn't impede the WR from catching the ball.
Significant Improvement
As far as passing defense goes, the improvement in average yards given up in the air from last year to this year is worth noting. Last year, we gave up an average of 190 yards per game passing, good for 16th in the nation. To date this year, it is 145 yards per game, which is a 23.7% improvement.
We are third in the conference for pass efficiency defense, behind only Nebraska and Michigan State with an average of 5.72 yards per attempt. Overall, the entire defense is giving up about 10.5% less yards overall than last year. which is significant improvement (averaging 288 yards per game total this year, down from 322 yards last year average).
"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."
Follow the random tweets of a Michigan alum - http://twitter.com/#!/LorneEC3
All the issues about
All the issues about competition are valid, but to even be among the best, statistically, when only a few short years ago the defense was among the worst is quite an accomplishment. Brady Hoke hit a home run when he convinced Mattison to come back to Michigan, and it might turn into a grand slam if, as he's intimated, Mattison will retire from Michigan.
Defense wins championships, and Michigan's defense has just begun its development under Mattison. I cannot wait to see the squad in action in a few years! It's hard to beat a team if you cannot score on them.
Keep up the hard work boys!
Go Blue!
Sing to the colors that float in the light;
Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue!
Suck it bama
Go blue!
Hail! to the Victors Valiant Hail!
Although I love our defense
Although I love our defense this year and couldn't be happier, I think it says more about the caliber of Big Ten QBs.
Imagine what Mattison will do
Imagine what Mattison will do with the recruiting level Michigan is at
I'm going to treat you all the same. Like dogs. - Bo
Regardless of who we've played, just consider the fact
that another team playing in Tucson has a defense that's ranked 110th in the country and just gave up 66 pts and 611 yards to their opponent.
I'll take it, but let's keep in mind the quarterbacks/offenses we've played against this year. Proud of the guys not giving up many big plays, but lots of wide open guys have been missed.
@pnbloem | Ultra-MGoBoard