What is the defensive scheme without Floyd?

Submitted by UMQuadz05 on

Since JT is a confirmed AMSHG victim, I ask:  what is the plan of the defense now?  I'm going to assume Avery gets the start.  Does this mean we will have to play man-to-man coverage with deep safety help?  It seems possible we may start Talbott and Vinopal too.  I never played football; what's the simplest scheme possible?  With the super-young corners, does it make the most sense to say "just stay as close to that guy as possible"?

Hypothetical:  What if M plays a super-vanilla base D, but we actually look better than the last few weeks?  That would be the final nail in the GERG coffin, wouldn't it?

Captain Obvious

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:44 PM ^

From the comments I see most of the fanbase has actually lost their minds. 

Man press coverage with help over the top?  You realize the "help over the top" is more than likely not going to come in time because it's either slow, a true freshman or both, right?  Oh, and the corners are all true freshman or effectively true freshmen.  Oh, and none have any experience playing bump and run.

Blitz every down?  Let's face it, we probably aren't going to get to the QB before there's a few people wide open.  Making them wider openerer doesn't help much.  Also, leaving the middle of the field open for some open field tackles from our band of true freshman should be fun.

Reduce the cushion?  Doesn't really matter or help.  All that does is make them score sooner rather than later.

Sorry guys - nothing can be done to help.  Either the other team screws up, or it scores.  Our defense is just there to distract the other team.  Purdue and maybe Illinois will manage to screw up; Wisconsin and OSU will not.

Ziff72

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^

I know it's more fun to just make jokes, but if you want a serious answer to your question.

Illinois runs a lot of option football so we need to be assignment sound.   You just can't go of blitzing every down or you'll be toast.  Also, it is hard to run a lot of man to man against an option ground team because of the lanes it opens up if the guys break contain.

The plan should/will be to stack the box on 1st down and try to win 1st down and get them off script and "gulp" force them to pass.   If we can force them into passing situations I would then bring a lot of zone pressure.  A lot of zone pressure(cb blitz off the edge) could work good since they are not good at tackling or covering and in theory would keep Steelchase inthe pocket, they could cause some quick throws and leave the tackling to Mouton, Kovacs, Demens and Gordon.

GBOD79

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:00 PM ^

I agree. Also, Illinois is a comparable offense to our offense with Tate at the helm. They are not identical obviously but the concept is similar. Scheelhasse is a slightly more mobile version of Tate with about the same passing skills.

I think if Tate were to be running the scout that would be ideal. It would give them a realistic look at what Saturday will be like. But I know the backup QB will not be running scout team.

As many other posters have mentioned, we are already the worst passing defense in the country but that does not mean we can not get worse. That just means our ranking will not fall when we get worse.

If we play assignment football, do not over run plays, and stick to our gaps we have a chance. If we do not expect a long day. Either way the score will be over 30 for both teams most likely.

GBOD79

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:23 PM ^

Well no sense in arguing about the comparison. Either way Scheelhasse is a good QB. A competent passer and above average runner, which is a dangerous threat for our D.

North Star

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^

not all out blitz, but given that our LB zone drops are consistently bad, just send 1 of them routinely in passing situations - still leaves 6 in coverage, allowing 2- or 3-deep will reasonable underneath coverage.  I'd rather have Roh, Demens or Mouton blitizing than the extra guy in coverage

Greg McMurtry

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^

The extra work in practice will really help Avery in the game. As a non-starter, I'm sure Avery was only getting nickel package reps prior to this injury. For positive thinking, that's all I've got.

kingrichardx

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:53 PM ^

Does anyone else think this might not make much difference? What's the worst that could happen, that our pass defense falls out of last place?

At least the young guys are getting real experience. It's going to be bloody, but it's always been bloody. C'est la vie.

Greg McMurtry

November 3rd, 2010 at 1:57 PM ^

Honestly the simplest D is man or cover 3. These are the basic coverages that my crappy high school team used. Cover 3 was basically 2 CBs and the deep safety split deep thirds of the field and the box safety plays short yardage to the strong or twins side.

preed1

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:04 PM ^

Our new scheme, 4-4 (ala roh de) with the safety up. 

 

        x     x      x       x                  x

           x        x     x      x        x        x

             O O O O O O          O     O

                     0

                0          0

dollarbill

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:25 PM ^

I do not think Floyd's injury changes strategy.  Illinois' offensive plan will be ball control football, largely through running the ball.  They do  not want a shootout.  M should commit to stopping the run.  Make the young QB's arm beat your defense, not his ability to run or Leshoure's running.  M must accept the risk of big plays in order to get some stops.  With M's O, and its ineffective D, this is a worthy tradeoff. 

swdude12

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:48 PM ^

Doesnt matter who plays CB...Robinsons scheme is to line the corners up 10-11 yards off the WR...for whatever reason...I think its shit...You cant play cover 2 because that will leave Vinopal and Kovacs with the deep half. I would like to see a little more man from the CBs and LBs in a zone and a tighter cover 3 more like 6-8 yards off the ball.  I want the CBs to jam the WR's...you cant have the WR running all these underneath routes and flat routes or we are gonna get killed. Oh and Please someone cover the damn RB on those stupid flare routs or flat routes...COME ON MAN!

neoavatara

November 3rd, 2010 at 2:49 PM ^

We were doomed before, we are doomed now.  The only thing that we may be slightly more exposed on is deep bombs.  

That said...anyone think that, if RRod survives this year, that this would be a good thing, by getting the Freshman in?

Skur54

November 3rd, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^

Not that it'll happen and i'm sure we'll still get burnt now and again, why don't the coaches just line up in a 4-3 look. Nothing else is working so why not go back to the basics. These kids are athletes and have enough raw speed and talent that there is a chance they will be in the right spot at least a few times in the game to make a play. Two over the top, your corners playing man, and then you drop Roh to DE and play Demens, Mouton and either give Ezeh another shot or put Cam at WLB because at least he wants to hit people (even though he hardly wraps up). We have the size on the line to at least be formidable and that will let Roh play how he wants and I think free up Martin to cause havoc in the backfield even on two bad ankles now. We can still mix things up in this formation and blitz and swap people in and out, but when all else fails shouldn't you go back to the "basics"? Even if this scheme isn't taught, what football player, coach, fan, mind, etc doesn't understand the basic 4-3?  Just a thought ... take it for what it is.

JayZ1817

November 3rd, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^

But all the talk is about Scheelhaase when he has one of the better receivers in the Big 10 to throw to in A.J. Jenkins. Sure they will establish the run with LeShoure, Ford, and Pollard but Jenkins is the big play receiver that kills Michigan defenses and Michigan fans like us.

markusr2007

November 3rd, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^

Scheelhaase is a decent QB, but he throws a good number of picks. If only MIchigan had a rushing defense of any description, they might win this game. They don't, so they won't.

Sean Robinson of Purdue is a horrible QB and will be dee-stroyed by Wisconsin this weekend in all likelihood.

Mark it down. Loss to Illinois. Win at Purdue. Close loss at home to Wiscy. Close loss to OSU in Columbus. 6-6 bowl eligible plus bowl win and a better-than-believed recruiting finish.

NRK

November 3rd, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^

In terms of easiest for a freshman to run, man coverage is probably the universal answer.

 

Problem is, as others have mentioned that is not a particularly effective defense against Illinois' offeensive scheme.

 

I'd suspect they don't change anything. Why would they now....?