This is a day to rejoice. Obviously michigan isn't the 4th best defense in the country, but when I see that stat, it makes my nether regions tingle.
http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2011&rpt=IA_teamscordef&site=org&div=IA&dest=O
Go Blue!!
Uh, we're #4. MSU is tied for
Eh, had we been able to count
Eh, had we been able to count the WMU game, our stats would be slightly better, probably propelling us to 2.
Hail.
MSU has given up 51 points
MSU has given up 51 points thru 5 games. Michigan has given up 51 points through 5 games. You do the math.
Michigan
has giving up 51 points through 4.73 games.
If an OSU fan divorces his wife are they still brother and sister?
True, but Sparty also has a
True, but Sparty also has a game against FCS competition in there (which some stats databases don't count), while we've only played FBS competition. In four games against FBS opponents, MSU has given up 45 points (11.25 ppg). In 4.7 games against FBS teams, we've given up 51 points - 10.85 ppg. QED!
Sparty has played one
offense with a pulse, ND, and they got thumped pretty good.
Michigan will be the best offense they've faced this year next to ND.
This is a thread about
This is a thread about Michigan's defense.
"There was a time I could have been mistaken for Burt Reynolds. I had a moustache and so did he. But he was the number one star in the world, so there wasn't really much confusion."
I'm not gonna lie. The
I'm not gonna lie. The future is looking bright. If the staff can take essentially the same D that got carved up by crappy indiana, BG (at least at first), and UMass last year and turn them into a top 10 in the nation in scoring D five weeks into the season...geez. I would not have predicted this at all coming into the year. I don't expect this to last the whole season, but it's a damn fantastic start. Anybody got the yardage stats?
http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/natl
Part of it is experience. No
Part of it is experience. No defense would be goood with an all freshman secondary.
True, but it's a small part
True, but it's a small part when compared to all the other changes with this defense thanks to Mattison and the position group coaches. Also, Countess is a true freshman and he looks pretty good.
Blake Countess ..
seems very comfortable in the secondary as a true freshman. The reason the secondary is so much better is that they are actually learning how to be aggressive in coverage. That is plain and simple the result of good coaching ... something our defensive players did not have previously.
The credit for this success is our coaches, not age.
Go Blue!
No place on earth I'd rather be on a football Saturday than Michigan Stadium !
The thing about the secondary
The thing about the secondary is that the coaches had a plan about technique and taught it. There has not been unanimity over that strategy here. But they are consistently doing something. Obviously the same crew was open to receiving coaching last year but I don't think we saw anything comparable.
I'd also add that through five games we have yet see a bust in the secondary go for a long touchdown
Um, ND's last TD? I would call that a busted coverage.
But you are largely correct. The secondary has been solid thus far. I
, however, do expect an ugly game or two simply because of growing pains.
"The Ruhr will not be subjected to a single bomb. If an enemy bomber reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Hermann Göring: you can call me Urban Meyer!"
We didn't have an
We didn't have an all-freshman secondary last year. Rogers was a senior, and Floyd and Kovacs were both redshirt sophomores. I would say a greater problem was that several players were playing out of position. Putting Cam Gordon at free safety, while Thomas Gordon and Carvin Johnson played at the LB/S hybrid spot, was crazy. To say nothing of Roh playing as a LB in the 3-3-5 scheme for long stretches, or a thoroughly ineffective Ezeh manning the most important playmaking spot in the D. (And then there was the whole idea of running a 3-3-5 that no one on the staff seemed to fully understand.)
Great so far.
The upside of having to start too many young players one year is that by the next year, they are older, stronger, and have a year of experience they normally wouldn't have had. The turnovers are the big difference so far. Whether they translate to real B1G teams will be determined shortly.
After seeing continued improvement on defense and the amount of misdirection in the offense starting to look more like Borges' work at SDSU, I have a feeling we are going to see a close road trip against NW and a little "special sauce" on both sides of the ball for Sparty.
Blake Countess and Big Will
Blake Countess and Big Will disagree that the improvement is solely based on previous playing experience.
The swag is back.
be like dang
When I see them play, I be like daaang!
Stay Fit, Be Sharp, Make Good Decisions.
Floyd and Woolfolk question
Floyd and Woolfolk question why you are using a true freshman to compare last year's defense to this year's.
It's time to let go of the
It's time to let go of the notion that Woolfolk is a stud corner. If anything, he's been our least effective corner so far this season. SDSU went after him every passing down until he left.
As for Floyd, he played in eight games last year. He was there when UMass dropped 37 on us, IU scored 35 and PSU scored 41. It's not like our secondary was competent until his injury.
I was more pointing to those
I was more pointing to those two being better than 2 true freshmen (or sophomores for that matter). They help our secondary depth, which was why I mentioned them. They are the reason we aren't forced to start Countess and Avery.
I agree that, that number
I agree that, that number will change and we will not finish the season at #4 just like we will not be #2 for points against. But Mattison has definitely shown the ability to adapt and adjust. I would call that progress.
Oh how I hate Ohio State
I'm more intersted in total
I'm more intersted in total D. #32? I'll take that.
Of course, MSU is #1 in total D. Which is a bit humbling.
Woo! #1 Red Zone Defense in the land!
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The will hold that title for
They will hold that title for another 12 days.
Hail.
MSU clearly has a good D, but
MSU clearly has a good D, but they are definitely not number 1 in the nation. They've faced an FCS school, and the 84, 98, and 120(!) ranked offenses in the nation, and ND. They played fairly well against ND, but not spectacularly. Let's just see how the rest of the season plays out, I'm guessing they'll move down to 30 or so.
That's last week's I think.
That's last week's I think. I looked up the latest at that link. ND was the highest ranked O at 30 (also our highest), and the next highest was CMU at 96, OSU at 108, and FAU at 119 (! still). UM at Western at 50, SDSU at 51, EMU at 97, and Minn at 104.
Remember
However, just realize that those other teams may have such terrible offenses statistically BECAUSE they were basically shut down for one game against MSU.
Not saying that MSU is indeed #1 worthy in defense but just something to consider when looking at the numbers for argumentative purposes.
True, but we have a sample
True, but we have a sample size of 5 games now. So MSU should comprise only 20% of their stats. You don't get ranked 119 in the country because one team held you to like 50 total yards. You do that because you absolutely suck.
You're right
You're right and I'm not saying that those offenses are not bad. I am just saying that those numbers are not as telling as they seem, especially only 5 games in. In this case, 20 percent is actually quite significant.
Total Defense is yards
Scoring defense is points
I know, that's obvious
Yards didn't count last year for the offense. I'd rather have a good scoring D.
ND scored at will against MSU. The only reason they didn't score more is that they didn't need to. The rest of the teams they have played are horrible at offense. OH* has looked like total crap offensively against both Miami, Fla and Toledo, as well as, MSU. The offensive statistics of their opponents are NOT just a result of them playing MSU. Western shut down Central. I could go on, but there isn't really a point. We'll find out first hand how MSU's d is in 2 weeks.
.
I'd be worried
If they had Denard or an offensive line to speak of.
Why are you more concerned
Why are you more concerned with total defense? Football games are won based on scoring more points than the other team, not based on outgaining them as we learned all too well under the previous staff.
We ARE Michigan....COME GET SOME!!!
4 Games
I especially like we have played 4games and have 5 wins!
The elusive 120% winning
The elusive 120% winning rate. Tough to pull off!
http://youtu.be/NwrL9MV6jSk
not just "douchey" MGoBlog user, but now TRUSTED MGoBlog user
Not nearly as elusive as the
Not nearly as elusive as the 125% winning rate.
5/12s of the way
:(
In comparison
Last year through five games, we gave up 127 points for a 25.4 ppg average.
This year through five games, we've given up 51 points for a 10.25 average.
Statistically, there's no meaningful difference in PPG between us and MSU.
That's actually 10.2 PPG,
That's actually 10.2 PPG, which is identical to MSU's average.
Next week will be a huge, huge test if Persa plays. He just carved Illinois up yesterday and won't turn it over like Notre Dame/Tommy Rees did. Fortunately, Northwestern won't play defense as well as Notre Dame either. I'm bracing for a shootout.
Don't think I would say
Don't think I would say carved up for a game of 10-14 for 123 yards. The 4 TDs are a little weird given the rest of the line. He was also -3 on 9 "carries". Fwiw Colter went 2-2 for 40 yards. The bigger story is the offensive efficiency, 5 TDs on 32 yards.
My worries for next week are in order:
1. Road game
2. Spread passing team
3. Persa (3rd, not 1st)
Fred Jackson said...
Fred Jackson said the "11" Defense is just like the "10" Defense except the exact opposite...
Reporter: “Did you visit the Parthenon while in Greece?”
Shaquille O’Neill: “I can’t really remember the names of all the clubs we went to.”
Lets be honest...
He said the 2011 defense is just like the '97 defense only stronger and with more speed.
Don't forget bigger and with
Don't forget bigger and with better leadership and more NFL prospects.
Go Blue!
Execution!
The game in two weeks is a toss-up...if we come out and execute, we should win, based on talent (and MSU's porous O-line). If not, we could have a lot of turnovers and be in for a long day.
First, let's get through NW. You know they are coached well, and we haven't seen a road game yet. Luckily, the Big Ten schedule sets up so well for us, with the last three games of the year seemingly the hardest, after we've had almost a whole season to get into Hoke/Borges/Mattison efficiency.
Scoring Defense
Five games into a new scheme is not a lot of data, of course, but it shows that we are certainly on the right track to having a consistently serviceable defense in years to come, that the adjustments that Mattison so deftly makes work more often than not, and we can play in such a way that we mitigate known weakness. I'll take that. For how long the new staff has been here, that's fantastic progress.
"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."
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We are...
We are improving. That is good enough for me. We look like a REAL defense. Are we elite? No, I think not. Are we competent? Hell yes. More than we could say the past few years.
neoavatara.com/blog
And from what I've seen so
And from what I've seen so far, competence might take us a very long way in the Big Ten this year. Wisconsin seems to be the only elite offense, and they're not on the schedule, unless...
Nice work.
Upvoting because you thought it but didn't say it.
"You know, for a bartender/bookie, you're pretty judgmental."
The D is clearly playing
The D is clearly playing much better than last year, and all you can ask at this point is that the defense be an average B10 defense, considering how awful they were last year (108th of 120 in scoring D).
2 of the last 3 opponents were turrible. EMU and Minnesota are probably the two worst teams on our schedule. I don't think the previous staff would have shut them down like the current one has, however.
With the exceptions of Purdue and possibly Northwestern, there's no guaranteed wins over the remaining schedule, IMO. We're getting into the meat of the B10 conference and it's going to be tough going from now on.
too early - who cares alternative
http://web1.ncaa.org/football/exec/rankingSummary?org=518&year=2011&week=5
tsio is 108th in total offense :)
Uh, we're #4. MSU is tied for #2.
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