isaiah gash

FORMATION NOTES: There will be no marveling about how passive the opponent was this week. Illinois did not have a single standard down in which they were not +1 in the box. Their three DL barely left the field, and it was cover one about 70% of the time. Against one TE Illinois responded with a pretty standard 3-4 look:

When Michigan went with two TEs in the box Illinois usually responded with a 6-2 formation with a linebacker folded inside one of their OLBs:

There is a safety off screen on both these snaps. Illinois would occasionally stem into cover two, and occasionally send that safety who's off screen down either presnap or just before it; usually his job was to clean up anything that popped outside of contain, allowing the Illinois defense to collapse on the interior run game.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: Welp. Keegan out again so El-Hadi started; Barnhart maintained the starting job at RT. Jones got in for some goal line plays. I think he's healthy and they're just rolling with Barnhart. Schoonmaker out again so Loveland was TE1 with Honigford and Bredeson mixing in as blockers, mostly. Hibner got his first non-garbage time reps in a while.

WR pretty much the usual. No Edwards at RB and Corum went out near halftime, leaving Stokes, Dunlap, and Gash. Stokes got the most run early but by the time it was crunch time they were using Gash, apparently because they think he's their best option out of the backfield.

[After THE JUMP: stiffer resistance]

11/19/2022 – Michigan 19, Illinois 17 – 11-0, 8-0 Big Ten

Blake Corum got a screen, and he got blocking. Colston Loveland wiped a guy. Olu Oluwatimi harassed the nearest safety until he could only desperately chase Corum down the sideline. He lined up for an ankle tackle that probably wasn't going to work. It didn't work. Corum… ran out of bounds.

What? How? What? In the stands I assumed that what I saw is not actually what I saw. In the press box the announcers were so baffled that they didn't even mention it. But in this Zapruder dawn a couple days later we can process the event: Blake Corum just daintily pranced out of bounds because of the vague idea that an Illinois safety might contact him, from behind, maybe.

div/0 fatal error

Correction: div/0, near fatal error.

-------------------------------------

The thing is: Corum did this on his first carry, too.

JJ McCarthy is out there getting lit up because he thinks it's the Big Ten championship game and instead of using that Corum just heads out of bounds, with no impact from a defender at all. Here's a picture of McCarthy dying inside.

"ow" –McCarthy [Barron]

I have seen Blake Corum run the ball enough to know this is not a usual event, and I have seen Michigan games under Jim Harbaugh where the opponent is not given much respect. Earlier this year McCarthy was bailing to the sideline on QB keepers even when this made little sense. I know "save hits where you can" is a philosophy this program employs, but to apply it to Corum, who's coming off a 29-carry day against Nebraska? This was the grand bull-moose of all such disrespect events.

Sorry, Sparty. You're not even the most disrespected team in the league anymore.

You just have to wonder: Schoonmaker, Morris, and Jones all warmed up but did not play. (Jones did get in on a goal-line package.) Keegan and Edwards were in street clothes but had no lower body issues, as your author observed pre-game. AJ Henning was mysteriously absent. Corum re-entered for two plays in the second half and then sat out the rest of the game. Even deep into the second half Illinois was sitting on a lead and Michigan didn't unearth any of the guys who were close enough to health to warm up. Exactly how much focus was placed on the Ohio State game over the past week, month, and year, and how much of this game was a big ol' game of chicken with the Buckeyes?

Probably a lot, and judging by results around the country Michigan was far from alone. Ohio State was in a three-point game with Maryland with six minutes left; they got outgained for the third time in four weeks. Tennessee got ambushed by South Carolina. USC's defense went from mostly notional to an astral presence trying to affect anything in the real world. Even mighty Georgia slopped their way to a 16-6 win over Kentucky. The entirety of the college football world was just trying to scrape by on the penultimate weekend of the regular season.

I kind of hate this approach because it leads to things like this game and, more egregiously, last year's Rutgers outing. It feels like the finger of the football gods passing judgment on you when Corum gets bashed in the knee during the game where it seems like he's been instructed to avoid getting bashed in the knee whenever possible. It feels bad, man.

But we've been here long enough to know that whatever Michigan looks like in the games where they're just trying to get to The Game isn't what they look like against Ohio State. This team has had the luxury of a lot of opponents they could get away with powerfully disrespecting; hopefully they have used that time to prepare a veritable smorgasbord of pain for OSU.

Decks are clear. Armageddon is a go. Break them.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

[Bryan Fuller]

you're the man now, dog

#1 Uh, Well, Still Blake Corum. If you are personally responsible for 150 yards of offense in a half of play and generate a lot of that yourself you still end up here. Even if you probably should have been responsible for 200.

#2 Mason Graham. Graham didn't get starters snaps but was the dude making short-yardage stops repeatedly as Jenkins and Smith had some issues. Four total tackles vastly underestimates his performance.

#3 Jake Moody. Nice having the reigning Groza winner at your service in a game you win by kicking four field goals. Winner was straight down the pipe, and he converted one into the heavy, swirling wind.

Honorable mention: Ronnie Bell battled with Witherspoon all day and came up with a key punt return. Colston Loveland had three catches and should have had at least five.

KFaTAotW Standings.

(points: #1: 8, #2: 5, #3: 3, HMs one each. Ties result in somewhat arbitrary assignments.)

51: Blake Corum (#2 CSU, #2 Hawaii, HM UConn, #1 Maryland, #2 Iowa. HM Indiana, T2 PSU, #1 MSU, T1 Rutgers, #3 Nebraska, #1 Illinois)
23: The Offensive Line (#3 Iowa, #1 PSU, HM MSU, #3 Rutgers, #1 Nebraska)
21: JJ McCarthy (#1 Hawaii, #2 UConn, HM Maryland, HM Iowa, #3 Indiana, HM PSU, HM MSU. HM Rutgers)
18: Ronnie Bell (HM CSU, HM Hawaii, #1 UConn, #2 Indiana, HM PSU, HM Nebraska, HM Illinois)
17: Mike Morris (T3 Hawaii, HM Maryland, #1 Iowa, T1 Indiana, #3 PSU, HM Rutgers),
15:  Kris Jenkins (#3 UConn, T3 Hawaii, HM Iowa, T1 Indiana, #2 MSU, HM Rutgers, HM Nebraska)
14: Mazi Smith (#1 CSU, T3 Hawaii, HM Maryland, HM Iowa, HM MSU, HM Nebraska)
13: Mason Graham (HM Hawaii, HM Iowa, HM Indiana, #2 Nebraska, #2 Illinois)
9: Donovan Edwards (HM Hawaii, T2 PSU, T1 Rutgers)
7: Gemon Green (HM UConn, T2 Maryland, HM PSU), Jake Moody (HM PSU, #3 MSU, #3 Illinois).
5: DJ Turner (T2 Maryland), Junior Colson (#3 CSU, HM UConn, HM PSU), Luke Schoonmaker (T3 Maryland, HM Iowa, HM Indiana, HM MSU), Michael Barrett (#2 Rutgers).
4: Eyabi Okie (HM CSU, HM Iowa, T1 Indiana).
3: Derrick Moore (HM CSU, T1 Indiana), Jaylen Harrell (HM CSU, T1 Indiana), Rod Moore (HM CSU, HM Indiana, HM MSU)
2: Roman Wilson (HM CSU, HM Hawaii), Max Bredeson (T3 Maryland), Joel Honigford (T3 Maryland), Mike Sainristil (HM Maryland, HM Indiana)
1: Braiden McGregor (HM CSU), Makari Paige (HM Hawaii), Rayshaun Benny (HM Hawaii), Cornelius Johnson (HM Hawaii), , AJ Henning (HM UConn), Caden Kolesar (HM UConn), RJ Moten (HM Maryland), Will Johnson (HM Rutgers), CJ Stokes (HM Nebraska), Andrel Anthony (HM Nebraska), Colston Loveland (HM Illinois)

Who's Got It Better Than Us(?) Of The Week

Moody's field goal to win is right down the middle.

Honorable mention: Corum busts out on the first play from scrimmage; TD drive ensues from there. Bell's punt return sets Michigan up for a field goal. Graham stuffs a fourth and short.

?MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

Corum takes a helmet to the knee, causing him to (maybe) fumble and more or less knocking him out for the duration. Insult to injury.

Honorable mention: Brown bursts for a 37-yard touchdown that puts Michigan in its first second-half deficit since Penn State. Inexpicable Corum exit in game column. Garbage holding call brings back a 40 yard improv play to Wilson. Andrel Anthony drops a touchdown.

Raise your hand if you had November 26 on your mind as you turned on the TV today to watch Michigan vs. Illinois. Raise your hand if your thoughts have mostly been concentrated on The Game, on Ohio State's defense and their great receivers, on the stakes of a vaunted 11-0 vs. 11-0 clash. Raise your hand if you have booked hotel rooms in Indianapolis just in case and have been scheming up CFP scenarios. If your hand is raised, you are in the same boat as Michigan Football, who rested key starters on injury precaution, rolled out a vanilla game plan, and were late to adjust when things got tight. Michigan seemingly did not respect the hungry, desperate, violent, and well-coached Illinois Fighting Illini across from them until it was nearly too late, taking shots to the mouth and staring down the specter of an undefeated season slipping away before a clutch fourth quarter- boosted by three massive FGs from Jake Moody- turned the tide and got them a victory. It was ugly, but a win is a win. 

The funny thing is that the game did not seem like it would be a nail-biter early... or really for the entirety of the first half. The first drive of the game for Michigan was exactly how they drew it up, with a Blake Corum 37 yard run getting things going. JJ McCarthy got in rhythm, three passes to get Michigan inside the ten and then the Wolverines bully-balled their way into the end zone for Corum's 18th TD of the season. Just like that it was 7-0. After Michigan forced a three-and-out on Illinois' opening possession of the game, this game seemed to be on track for another comfortable win. 

Wind played a factor in this game and with the wind at their backs, Illinois was able to pin Michigan inside the five for the second series. That didn't matter much at first, a brilliant RB screen to Corum on 3rd down picked up 41, and could have gone for more if Corum had not gone out of bounds. Michigan drove into Illini territory but then ran out of gas after two Corum runs were stuffed. Rather than lining Jake Moody up for a long FG into the wind, they punted. Brad Robbins delivered a dismal punt (the wind played a role) for just 19 yards. 

[Patrick Barron]

Still, Michigan was in command. Their defense muzzled Illinois quickly for another three-and-out and their third drive got out to midfield before stalling. Roman Wilson couldn't come down with a catchable ball, a pass was too high for Max Bredeson and pressure forced McCarthy out of bounds. Michigan punted again but were only able to get Illinois down to the 20 yard line. The Fighting Illini started to get going on this drive, Chase Brown finding more running room on the ground and Tommy DeVito finding his groove drove Illinois into Michigan territory but it was their turn to see a drive unravel. Isaiah Williams caught a pass just short of the sticks and Illinois decided to go for it on 4th & 1. Michigan trotted out a pair of true freshman DTs in Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham and the duo stuffed Brown on the attempt, forcing a huge turnover on downs. 

Michigan was unable to capitalize on the solid field position due to an extremely questionable holding call on a great passing play from McCarthy to Roman Wilson and the ball was quickly back in the hands of Illinois, where the offense picked up where it left off. Illinois began to use tempo more heavily and the higher pace allowed them to land a few body blows on the Michigan defense. Chase Brown was running hard, Isaiah Williams flashed as an end-around specialist, and DeVito continued his strong day. Those three powered Illinois into the red zone and the team lined up to go for it on 4th & 1 from the 6. Unfortunately a false start negated the opportunity and they settled for a FG to cut the deficit to 7-3. 

The home team got the ball back with 4:03 remaining in the first half and had their best drive since the opener. Corum was churning out yards on the ground and McCarthy threw a strike to Ronnie Bell into a hole in Illinois' zone defense (one of their few zone snaps all day). It was 2nd & 10 on the Illinois 17 when Michigan gave the ball to Corum, who cut outside, around the corner, and then took a direct helmet shot to his left knee. Corum visibly reacted instantly, causing him to drop the ball just before hitting the ground. Replay officials determined that it was a fumble and Illinois had recovered, in part due to the Michigan players stopping to look after their teammate in screaming pain. Not just had Michigan lost its superstar RB for (essentially) the rest of the game, but they had turned it over inside the 15. 

Illinois got the ball back with 1:38 remaining but a holding penalty prevented any chance of a two minute drill. Set to get the ball out of halftime, Bret Bielema was content to run the clock down and head to the locker room trailing 7-3. Though the game was competitive at halftime, most Michigan fans were more concerned about the health of Corum than about losing the game. As it would turn out, their fear on the former turned out to be somewhat unfounded, while their lack of fear about the latter was glaringly absent. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: More recap]