Western Michigan Snowflakes - The Defense
September 4th, 2021 at 3:21 PM ^
The defense looked serviceable with nice sure tackling at times and didn't just give up a bunch of throws all over the place. This is good.
On the other hand, there were too many gashes up the middle, and Western's offense was moving the ball really well up until they lost their key receiver.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:43 PM ^
If you’d told me WMU would score on its first drive of the game after a 3rd down stop was followed up by a questionable call extending the drive, then not again until their last drive of the game down 47-7 and facing UMs 3rd teamers….
Yeah, I’d have taken that.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:48 PM ^
EVERYTIME!!! The atmosphere was amazing. It felt good being back at home in the midst of 109,000+ die hard Michigan fans!!! Go Blue!
September 4th, 2021 at 3:47 PM ^
Western is going to be pretty good overall. They are going to mow down the MAC. I am not troubled by the minor test they gave the Wolverines.
(WMU Class of 1998)
September 4th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
This is the Michigan fan in you saying this. We always say this after playing a team whether it’s army or western.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:24 PM ^
Yeah the reality is they’re probably a 7-5ish team in the MAC that finishes middle of the pack. Good offense, but defensive holes cost them.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
its a good win, by more than expected.
WMU is not a good team though...4-2 last year, 7-6, 7-6, 6-6 the three years before.... and those years was with Eskridge who was picked in the 2nd round.
Washington will be interesting, but Wisconsin on the road will be the true test imo
September 4th, 2021 at 5:56 PM ^
Wisconsin will plow this defense. Have to hope the Michigan offense can go toe to toe with them and keep up.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:11 PM ^
I think we will have to hope that with several teams this year. They should beat those they are better than, hang with a few they shouldn't and the offense will have to really click on double time in order to keep them in games against better talent.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:22 PM ^
When I think historically, I think Wisconsin plows this defense, but holy god were they terrible looking today. They’ll have to prove that this week was a fluke because their offense was rotten.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:30 PM ^
Wisconsin didn’t look like they could plow anything today.
September 4th, 2021 at 7:41 PM ^
You got plowed on this post...but I agree with you M-Dog. There were a couple of bright spots ie. Hutch and Gray, but I was not overly impressed.
September 5th, 2021 at 1:13 AM ^
What a clown statement, without an educated breakdown on how Wisconsin even looks before their first game......WOW.
September 5th, 2021 at 12:05 PM ^
I was at this game. Mertz is a train wreck. 2 fumbles, 1 interception inside the 5 yard line. He never thru the ball more than 15 yards down the field never opening up the field. If you think we run up the middle too much they're beyond conservative.
September 4th, 2021 at 8:04 PM ^
Agree, WMU class of 95
September 4th, 2021 at 3:21 PM ^
Great win, shame about Ronnie! Let’s play for him now. Balanced game. Defense looked better than anticipated, not fantastic but better. Look forward to an improving team over the season. Beat Washington and Go Blue!
September 4th, 2021 at 3:53 PM ^
Ya let’s. I’ll make sure I dedicate each of my touchdowns to Mr. Bell.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:21 PM ^
Great tackling! This is the most improved aspect of the game. Also we didn’t let WMU back in the game as we would have over last years.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:22 PM ^
Hutchinson simply makes plays. Dax is explosive as well. D surprised me today.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:26 PM ^
If we can somehow get two or three more of Dax Hill - even if this has to happen through some Ed Wood-like bizarre and corny sci-fi plot - I would be pleased.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:29 PM ^
You and me both, my man
September 4th, 2021 at 5:47 PM ^
How about this-
They cut off the tip of Dax's baby finger and kidnap Grimes, forcing Elon Musk to come up with a cloning system. After several failed attempts the Tesla owner puts the digit in a small space capsule and sends it to the planet Trious, where it is devoured by a a Zolourian Slime Lizard whose digestive system clones and multiples.
Unable to wait the 3 Triousian years (17 days) it takes for the lizard to shit out the Daxes, the Maruitan aliens whom call Trious home. slice open the beast's belly removing the clones. They ship the clones back by an inter-dimensional transport system that uses comic strings, such that the copies arrive back in Ann Arbor before the finger tip was sent no longer requiring Dax's hand to be mutilated.
Grimes is reunited with Elon, the 4 Daxes join the team and lead UM to a National Championship. With one of the Hills picking off a pass in the end-zone and running it back for a pick 6 against a surprisingly good Wake Forest team sealing the victory. And everyone lives happily ever after.
Is that E. Woodian enough?
September 4th, 2021 at 3:23 PM ^
Dax is like a five yard wide wall wherever he is on the field. They have to get real wide to get around him. Really awesome to see him play like this.
WMU was running up the middle on our 2-4 front when everyone here was pissed about them getting 5 yards per carry. We were playing them like they should be in comeback mode, and they were in lets-not-get-our-qb-killed mode.
Hutchinson looks super.
Just seeing a Michigan team playing a coherent game on both sides of the ball was awesome to see. Hope they can keep it up.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^
WMU had 3.9 yds per carry when UM was giving them the middle runs. Elegy was 10X bigger risk than those inside runs, so Macdonald played it correctly with the lead. Looked like a lot of guys rotated through DT, including a youngster in Jenkins and newcomer Whittley.
DEs, LBs, and safeties looked very solid. Tackling was significantly improved over last year.
We will know a lot more after Washington.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:23 PM ^
The players were pretty consistently in position, which is surprising for the first game in a new scheme. The tackling was also much improved.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:58 PM ^
You beat me to it. My favorite thing on D today was what I didn't see: the constant jumping around, shuffling, and confusion in the front seven as the opponent is about to snap the ball. They looked well prepared. Sad that it should jump out at me like that.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:23 PM ^
Wondering what the UFR will show about the DTs. Certainly didn’t get much mention, and there were a lot of significant runs up the gut. Hutchinson and Ojabo seem to have the OLB spots in good hands.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:31 PM ^
Oddly enough, there would be a random DT pressure and I’m like “who was that?” And it was Mike Morris or Kris Jenkins, not the starters. Talking DT’s only not DE’s.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:03 PM ^
Yeah, there wasn't much on first viewing, but also bear in mind the role of the DTs in this scheme: soak up blockers and hold ground to keep the ILBs clean. Any kind of push on pass plays is a bonus but Eleby gets the ball out so quickly most of the time they were never really going to get home. They weren't getting great penetration but also don't remember anyone getting blown 5 yards downfield.
September 4th, 2021 at 5:04 PM ^
Saw one play where Ross ended up buried beneath an OL block. Not sure if that was an anomaly, but it wasn't good.
September 5th, 2021 at 12:05 AM ^
This is a great observation and it matches what I saw on numerous occasions. The DTs would simply hold their ground (most of the time) and force the play to the edges where Hutch and Ojabo would seal off and either make the tackle or hold the runner up enough for the LB or CB to take him down.
I really like this style of defense. There were timely pass breakups in the secondary. Nobody got horrifically beat deep that I can recall.
To counter your last sentence, there was one play where the interior DL was pushed back about 5 yards on a first down run. I remember saying out loud "we can't allow that shit to happen". But that's the only time I remember it happening in this game.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:25 PM ^
It’s early and it’s not a great opponent (tho Eleby is good), but uh… what a difference coaching makes? Scheme built around the personnel they actually have. Individual players playing up to their talent. Impact plays at every level. Very encouraging start
September 4th, 2021 at 3:26 PM ^
Whoa baby, will there be growing pains. Very little pressure. Invisible linebackers. Secondary seemed to know their assignments though. Gray was good. Hill was spectacular.
Next week won't be pretty, but they should make big strides by November.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:28 PM ^
I’m not trying to be combative but they were murdering poor Eleby. There was a LOT of pressure
September 4th, 2021 at 7:23 PM ^
Pressure only came with blitzes which is concerning. Pass rush prognosis not good. Here’s hoping for continuous improvement.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:58 PM ^
I beg to differ. Next week UM will have a pretty win. A west coast team playing two time zones away for it’s first game will be ugly.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:59 PM ^
So three time zones away should be even uglier, amirite? Like straight up fugly?
September 4th, 2021 at 4:05 PM ^
Don't think the time zone matters as it is a night game. Ie kickoff is 5 PM Washington time.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:38 PM ^
This is where you need an AD to insist on a noon kickoff.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
Fyi - UW plays Montana today for their 1st game
September 4th, 2021 at 11:10 PM ^
As I said UW’s loss is going to be ugly. Losing at home to Montana!
September 4th, 2021 at 11:44 PM ^
I'm willing to bet FCS Montana can handle Washington.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:26 PM ^
I hate to be negative, but I saw cracks that will become canyons against Washington.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:29 PM ^
This. A better team would have put up a lot of points on this D today.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:30 PM ^
The problem is if you beat WMU by too little, it means you’re not that good.
If you beat the pants off them, it doesn’t matter because it was WMU and not Washington.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:31 PM ^
You may be right, but it’s worth nothing that nobody holds even weak teams to [LOL] yards anymore the way 2016 Don Brown did. I liked what I saw today
September 4th, 2021 at 3:35 PM ^
You’re assuming the coaches won’t see and address those cracks this week?
September 4th, 2021 at 3:44 PM ^
The coaches can make our DL all gain 25+lbs in a week?
September 4th, 2021 at 3:53 PM ^
We’re still doing this? Smith at 326 is too small? Hinton at 310 is too small? Jeter at 325 is too small?
Good news is that if the coaching staff thinks this same way, we’ll see 348 pound Jordan Whittley out there earlier on in the game.
September 4th, 2021 at 9:12 PM ^
There are some terrible posts on here but your ignorance is spectacular. Well done.