jaden mcburrows

Offense was yesterday, but after I was finished I realized I forgot to give a depth chart status. Then I thought we could use the Don Brown Dude Code for depth charting. Then I repurposed the icons that Brian got from some internet Flash game during the blog's distant past.

Icon	Name	Meaning
	Rock Star	Player is an All-American/1st rounder/bends the game around him.
	Dude	Trusted good starter. Probably All-B10 or in the running.
	Guy	Playable B10-caliber guy, very fine in a rotation.
	Iffy	Probably don't want him playing extended snaps at this point.

Defense in General

The question we're asking is: Is Wink gonna blitz too much?

But they're acting like it's: What does "blitz too much" mean?

What are we hearing? First off I need to be going on about something again, because I was out of town last week and thus missed my chance to remark on Michigan's hiring of former WMU and Memphis line coach Lou Esposito. If the name sounds familiar to you (you're misremembering famous Canadian hockey players and) you remember this author's longstanding appreciation of Bronco linemen like Ali Fayad (DE on the top).

Fayad was the first but they kept coming. Ralph Holley. Braden Fiske. Andre Carter. Marshawn Kneeland. At one point while UFR'ing the offense versus WMU I decided to look up who was responsible for these guys, and have been hoping Michigan would have an opportunity to pluck Esposito ever since. Can he recruit? I dunno. But he can coach.

Michigan also made the addition of defensive analyst Lionel Stokes official, while Alejandro found Pernell McPhee enrolled as a grad student in the School of Social Work. Stokes was LaMar Morgan's guy at Louisiana and before that an FCS coordinator. McPhee is expected to be an analyst as well, but NCAA rules allow grad assistants to be on-field coaches for a couple of years so maybe he's gonna do that.

Staff set, let's turn back to a bullet defined the offense bits this week, which was the front seven is being rather harsh on the passing game. Henschke:($):

Wink’s pressures and blitzes “handled” the offense thoroughly. … The defense is always ahead of the offense early but the offense needs time to get rhythm and gel, a lot of early pressure by Wink doesn’t necessarily allow that but it’s good practice.

There's also this from Ernest Hausmann:

Jean-Mary is imploring the group to be more disruptive in the pass game.

Wink, while calling himself the system's OG, did little to suppress the talk that he represents a more basal, aggressive antecessor of the Mac-Minter defenses.

I am more aggressive than Jesse and the proof is in the pudding. So we’ll see how it works and if we can get to the quarterback rushing three, we will rush three. That’s the way football is. You just got to see how it changes because people are adjusted to us, too.

What it means? Dear only fanbase in football that wants to hear their DC talk about blitzing *less*: Jesse Minter was able to use a lot of sim pressures without committing that many rushers, but Wink's correct that opponents have this on tape and will adjust. If you want feints to keep working you have to punch too. The pressures will go up, but it'll be in the context of all the sim pressures that Minter was using, not the blitz-to-play-man that he ran in Baltimore with the league's most expensive secondary, or in New York with the league's worst starting field position. Chill. Not you Wink.

[After THE JUMP: Dudes, potential rock stars, and a big bummer.]

Michigan agreed to meet Iowa on their proverbial turf and play a nasty game with little offense, where field position has precedence and turnovers/special teams are crucial. Michigan played this Iowa game and in turn, out Iowa'd Iowa. The Wolverines came up with all three takeaways, netting 10 points off of them, and broke off the most consequential special teams play of the game, leading to another touchdown. Michigan beat Iowa at their own game in Indianapolis and thus claimed their third consecutive Big Ten Football Championship, the 45th in school history. 

Sing it again, Freddie. 

-----

The game itself was rather boring, a vintage Iowa slog. Michigan won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving Iowa possession, who promptly went three-and-out. Deacon Hill delivered a decent throw on 3rd down under pressure, but Junior Colson broke it up. Michigan them embarked on a plodding 13 play, 52 yard drive that saw them convert one 4th down (a JJ McCarthy strike to Cornelius Johnson) but opt to kick a field goal on the second 4th down situation. An injury to center Drake Nugent the play before was likely a key reason for kicking on 4th & short, as Michigan decided to let James Turner bang through a 35 yard field goal to open the scoring. 3-0 Michigan. 

Iowa's second drive saw them pick up their first first down of the game, a run by Leshon Williams on a 3rd & short, but they punted four plays later. A false start had backed them up and calling a reverse on 3rd & 12 amounted to waving the white flag. Iowa put star punter Tory Taylor on the field and he launched a booming punt, backing Michigan returner Semaj Morgan back inside his own 10. Morgan caught it, sidestepped two quick tackle attempts, made one cut back, and then found an open seam. Morgan put on the jets and was gone, dusting every Hawkeye until he began to run out of gas some 70 yards later. An Iowa player pushed him out inside the Hawkeye 10, but the 87 yard(!) punt return was the longest in B1G Championship Game history. Set up at the Iowa five, Michigan ran Corum twice and punched it in. 10-0 Wolverines. 

The putrid Iowa offense was now in a seemingly insurmountable hole and nearly gave Michigan the ball right back, as Mike Sainristil read Deacon Hill's third down pass intended for Kaleb Brown perfectly. Sainristil dove for the ball, but was unable to come up with it. Alas, Iowa punted and Michigan got the ball back. This drive was a solid one, several productive passes by JJ McCarthy got Michigan marching down the field, but a completion to AJ Barner on the run was called back due to a rather borderline holding penalty on Trente Jones. Set behind the sticks, Michigan's offensive line began to struggle against the ferocity of Iowa's pass rush. Deontae Craig sacked McCarthy and Michigan punted. 

[Patrick Barron]

Iowa continued to be completely incompetent on offense. They went three-and-out again, a PBU by Ja'Den McBurrows ending the next drive, and punted it back to Michigan. The Wolverines' offense was equally stuck in the mud during this period, the Iowa front seven imposing itself and another sack forced a quick Michigan punt (this sack by Max Llewellyn). Tommy Doman's ensuing punt was a poor one, taking a bad hop around midfield and setting the Hawkeyes up with excellent field position, starting at the Wolverine 38. 

This seemed to be the moment for Iowa to get back in the game, being given the plus field position their offense desperately needed to get on the board. After an eight yard gain on first down, a throwaway brought up 3rd & 2 from the Michigan 30. Deacon Hill completed a play-action dump-off to Jaziun Patterson behind the sticks. Patterson turned his body up the field, took a step and made a football move, when Mike Sainristil punched the ball free, recovered by Michigan's Kris Jenkins. The game's first takeaway ended a key opportunity for Iowa and as it turned out, they'd never get deeper into Michigan territory again. 

At this point the game reached Peak Iowa status, quick stops and punting wars. Michigan went three-and-out again, a tough ball for Colston Loveland incomplete on 3rd & short, and Tommy Doman drilled a punt that pinned Iowa at their own 9. Predictably, Iowa responded with a three-and-out of their own, Tory Taylor uncorking his own masterful punt enabled by Morgan not catching it in the air. The ball bounced closer to midfield and then rolled some 30 yards before being downed at the Michigan 19, a 67 yard bomb(!). The next Michigan drive went alright, moving out past the Michigan 35 when JJ McCarthy found Colston Loveland running wide open over the middle of the field. JJ delivered a perfect ball, hitting Loveland in the hands in stride. If Loveland catches the ball, it is a huge gain deep into Iowa territory... unfortunately, Loveland did not catch it and Michigan punted. 

[Patrick Barron]

Time was now ticking down in the half, under a minute to go. Iowa couldn't muster a two-minute drill, a prompt defensive stop from the Wolverines slamming the door, but Taylor's strong punt flipped the field again. Set back on their own 26 with only 16 seconds left, Michigan was in an uphill climb to get points before halftime. Donovan Edwards broke a long run to get them out to the 43, but McCarthy was sacked again and the Wolverines headed into halftime up 10-0. Not great, but a seemingly insurmountable (indeed it was) lead having been built up. 

Michigan got the ball out of halftime and started to get a bit of offensive rhythm before a holding call on Roman Wilson set them back. The senior receiver made up for it, however, when McCarthy delivered him a fine ball on 3rd & 10 to get into Iowa territory. For the first time all game, Michigan decided to spruce it up on offense and dialed up a reverse to Cornelius Johnson, which was perfectly called, two blockers for two defenders with Johnson running behind. Loveland and Drake Nugent were the two blockers, but neither blocked anyone and the play was stuffed. On the next play, McCarthy nearly threw an interception, dropped by Iowa LB Nick Jackson, and the third down play was merely a meek swing pass to Donovan Edwards. Michigan punted and Doman pinned Iowa at their own 6. 

That field position ended up being hugely consequential when a blitzing Mike Sainristil hit Deacon Hill as he was getting ready to throw and the bar was jarred free. At the time, it was thought to be a pass attempt (nearly intercepted by Michigan's Kenneth Grant), dropping onto the ground incomplete. However, upon further review, it was determined to be a fumble, with a clear recovery by Michigan's Josh Wallace, who wisely scooped up the ball while all other players thought the play was over. Iowa offensive coordinator and college football court jester Brian Ferentz erupted in fury at the replay decision, being given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The takeaway + penalty set Michigan up at the Iowa six yard line and on their first opportunity, Blake Corum carried it into the end zone for a touchdown. 17-0 Wolverines. 

[Patrick Barron]

With a three score lead in hand and the depravity of the Iowa offense opposing them, Michigan had the game won by this point. The Hawkeyes would put together their first drive that notched two first downs on the next possession, getting into Michigan territory, but Deacon Hill's 4th & 1 sneak was stuffed at the Michigan 44. The Wolverines took the ball and drove into Iowa territory, JJ McCarthy's legs featuring for the first time, but the drive stalled inside the Iowa 30. They sent James Turner back out there and he converted on a 46 yard field goal attempt. 20-0 Michigan. 

The rest of the game was just the same as what had happened beforehand. Iowa continued to be inept on offense, Michigan continued to be vanilla and moderately disappointing on offense. Michigan's defense forced another turnover when Braiden McGregor strip-sacked Deacon Hill, recovered by Kenneth Grant. The Wolverine offense didn't make much of that opportunity due to another brutal drop by a TE, this time AJ Barner at the Iowa five yard line, and James Turner made his third field goal. 

Iowa drove into Michigan territory for their second time all game, but again failed on 4th down (this time on another PBU by McBurrows). Michigan began to insert backups on the offensive line as Blake Corum rushed them into Iowa territory, setting up a forth and final Turner field goal. This was his most impressive, a 50 yarder that split the uprights and made the final score 26-0. A 4th down sack by Derrick Moore finished off the final Hawkeye drive and Michigan then did the kneel downs. For as iffy as the offense looked, the Wolverines had won by 26, covered the spread, and won a Big Ten Championship. Not too bad. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: takes and rankings debate]

UFR GLOSSARY is here.

FORMATION NOTES: Maryland mostly stayed in 11 personnel even when they went to twins formations like the below. I called this defensive front from Michigan "Nk Over!" with the exclamation mark denoting extra wide splits between the DL.

Also for those of you who weren't around when I was doing the FFFFs, "TaTa Time" is a Maryland-specific play where Taulia Tagovailoa abandons the pocket and runs around 15 to 40 yards behind the line of scrimmage with various slow linemen in pursuit. Results of TaTa Time vary.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: The big thing was Sainristil playing cornerback—I had him for 14 snaps at CB and PFF had him for 10, which I take for a difference of assignment (corner/nickel) vs. alignment (outside/slot), and Ja'den McBurrows coming in for a dozen snaps at nickel. Mike Barrett went out for a quarter and Hausmann got in as much as he did, with Rolder getting half a dozen snaps near the goal line. Jenkins/Graham/Grant and the four DEs got about equal snaps, with Harrell and Graham leading the way. Benny and Goode were out there about a third of the time. Paige got some time in the nickel as well, with Quinten Johnson or Keon Sabb added. They each got about a third of the snaps in rotation as well. Will Johnson went the whole way; Wallace got pulled for McBurrows when Sainristil went outside.

[After THE JUMP: Vanilla bean.]