What's the Best Way to Defend Milroe's Running Ability?
For those of you who know more about the X's and O's of Football than I do: How should Michigan defend against Milroe's running ability? Should we devote a spy or 2 spies on pass downs? I would think that Zone defense is better for defending a mobile QB, but I could be wrong on that.
Anyway, just curious what the experts on this board think, because I feel like stopping him from running all over the field on us is the #1 key to Michigan winning. He frightens me as much as Vince Young did back in the 2005 Rose Bowl. What I'm most worried about are the 3rd/4th and longs when we do a great job of covering receivers, and then Milroe escapes the pocket and scrambles for the 1st down, similar to what Justin Fields did repeatedly against the Lions last Sunday. Those kinds of plays change games and really deflate the defense, and we need to stop that from happening in order to have a chance to win.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
I'm no expert, but I'd say don't do what Georgia did, which was devote 2 spies along with a pretty (intentionally) tepid, constricting pass rush and then get your spies burned all the time anyway, because he got to sit comfortably and pick his lane and moment to scramble. I really thought UGA needed to give it a full pass rush, with some blitzing to get his mind racing, and have the spy to clean up. Instead, they had 4 dudes pushing slowly forward like some WWI creeping barrage, with two dudes sitting back doing nothing. It seemed very predictable, and didn't seem to challenge the QB's young brain much.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Inspired by your avatar...
December 13th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
He'll never play the game again.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:33 PM ^
All of his passes will go to the right 🏈➡️
December 13th, 2023 at 1:38 PM ^
He'll never come through on anything.
December 13th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Hey, Smails, a hundred bucks says you slice it into the woods!!
December 13th, 2023 at 3:23 PM ^
Sir, I never slice!!
December 13th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
Agreed on the two spies, but devoting Michael Barrett to blitzing or as one spy up the middle might not hurt.
In other words - superman Michael Barrett on Milroe like flies on shit.
December 13th, 2023 at 4:42 PM ^
Barrett's great, but he isn't that fast. Agree with blitzing him though, he comes into the backfield under control, unlike a lot of defenders. Colson though, he's fast. He's your spy.
December 14th, 2023 at 10:00 AM ^
Respectfully disagree. I'll take sixth-year smarts and experience over speed for the spy. Love Colson but he gets burned, a lot.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
Georgia held Milroe to 29 yards (on 14 carries) and no rushing TDs.
He also was 13 for 23 for 192 yards.
...this doesn't make much sense.
(and yes, sacks take the rushing yards down, but his long was 28...that's not even close to Vince Young).
December 13th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
As a point of reference (cover your eyes).
Vince Young had 21 rushes for 192, 4 TDs and a long of 60 (!).
Yeah, these things are not the same. I'm not saying we underestimate Milroe. I'm just saying, slow the fuck down.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:05 PM ^
Your post just triggered a PTSD flashback of that second half and Young's three touchdowns on runs of 60 yards, 10 yards, and 23 yards.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:55 PM ^
Milroe does terrify me as he will be the most dangerous QB Michigan has faced by a mile, but he only has 2 games of 100+ rushing yards.
One of those was against LSU whose D is ranked in the 100s.
Also, I believe the scheme UM has had the past 3 years is better suited to face a mobile QB. No doubt Milroe will get his, but his #s suggest he isnt Denard or Lamar Jackson, etc when it comes to running the ball.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
My impression of the SECCG was that it was more about UGA's incompetence on offense with Bowers limted than it was about anything super special about Alabama's offense. Bama looked plenty beatable but UGA just couldn't capitalize on offense at all.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Strongly agreed -- Georgia lost because they only put up 23 points, not because they allowed Bama to have 26.
December 13th, 2023 at 4:44 PM ^
Call Tonya Harding.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
Have Kenneth Grant eat his legs
December 13th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
Growing boy needs protein.
December 13th, 2023 at 3:30 PM ^
Milroe is a nervous bird
December 13th, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
K G is a man!!
On defense, he is what we call around here, a DUDE!!
December 13th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
I say 11 spies. 3 or 4 double agents would be nice as well, maybe a couple O linemen who just "miss a few blocks"?
December 13th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
Only 11 spies? I thought the Vast Network was much larger than that ;)
December 13th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
By sacking him before he can take off!
December 13th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
The fact that he was able to hang onto the ball after that hit proves that the football gods hated us that day.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
He was helped by the fact he still had the ball tucked to his side. Had he been ready to throw, that ball would have come loose along with has hand and arm.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^
I dont think he hung on to it. It was just driven into his gut with nowhere to go.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
Such a great clip! Love #78 in red trying to find someone to block as #5 is getting de-cleated.
Does anyone know what game this is from?
December 13th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
Looks like the 2012 game to me
December 13th, 2023 at 1:27 PM ^
The fact that Braxton Miller somehow held onto that ball, got right back up afterwards and just kept playing as if nothing ever happened was absurd. Frank Clark was literally unblocked, was running full steam in a straight line, and that ball still couldn't be dislodged.
All the proof I ever needed to know that the football gods just hated Michigan, and got some sick, sadistic pleasure out of watching them lose.
December 13th, 2023 at 2:13 PM ^
This is the correct answer.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
#SpeedInSpace
December 13th, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
Tripwire
December 13th, 2023 at 1:20 PM ^
Sniper
December 13th, 2023 at 2:26 PM ^
i know a guy....
December 13th, 2023 at 2:19 PM ^
Claymore.
December 14th, 2023 at 6:14 AM ^
I see the light, I see the light, I see the light....not sure how many people get this reference but I couldn't resist!
December 13th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Gap integrity...and a lot of zone, not turning your back to the QB
December 13th, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
You forgot wear tight jocks
December 13th, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
Keep sound gap integrity and dont lose your rushing lanes/break contain. Have a DL spy the QB and run somezone blitzes as well. Running zone coverage helps too.
just dont be like auburn and have only three down lineman spy the QB and not rush on the last play of the game.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
Stunts that leave open lanes up front will be a problem. Generally speaking, have to maintain pass rush lane integrity and the DEs can't start trying to get around at 7 yards which turns into 9 yards and ways to escape. Fortunately, none of the DEs are really those bendy types that try to get around at 7 anyways. Most of them are more in the Morris bull-rush mode.
Essentially, do what other teams did to JJ later in the year, compress the pocket so he can't escape out the side. Main difference being when JJ escapes he looks to throw and Milroe looks to run.
Additionally, yeah have someone spy him off and on. Don't pull a Lions from last week where Fields kept drives alive by escaping a DL.
The issue I see is Alabama has both good WRs (like OSU) and a mobile QB (unlike OSU) so they're going to have to deal with more threats than anytime before this season and probably last season as well.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
This is what Georgia did, and Georgia is no longer playing in meaningful games. I would prefer that Minter just runs his defense - stunts, blitzes, and all - as he would (did) against Maryland (who has a mobile QB). They're still going to run the 2-high shell as a base defense, with a light box, which will leave the LB's relatively free to operate. I don't think Bama's TE's are anything to write home about (need to read FFFF about this), and I trust the DL to handle the RB's like they have all year.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
This ^^^^^^
The best way for us to deal with Milroe is to use his youth to our advantage. Mix up coverages, blitz randomly, have edges drop into passing lanes, etc. He will probably get a run or three that drives us mad, but he will also throw into coverage and start pulling the ball down early if he doesn't see what he expects to see. I hope we blitz early and often so he starts "seeing ghosts." Once a young QB starts doing that then mistakes are bound to follow.
Also, I think we are the rare team that can hang with them one on one. Put Johnson on their best WR, and then bracket the other with Paige. Our linebackers can absolutely cover their TEs. If they go spread then we play zone and bring the Mikes (Barrett and Sanristil) on blitzes from random places.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
The best way for us to deal with Milroe is to use his youth to our advantage. Mix up coverages, blitz randomly, have edges drop into passing lanes, etc. He will probably get a run or three that drives us mad, but he will also throw into coverage and start pulling the ball down early if he doesn't see what he expects to see. I hope we blitz early and often so he starts "seeing ghosts." Once a young QB starts doing that then mistakes are bound to follow.
Didn't MHJ say we threw the widest array of coverages at them that he'd ever seen this year? I like the idea of using that to confuse Milroe and get him hesitating...
December 13th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
MHJ was talking about being bracketed and having safety help over the top, not that the variety of coverages were something crazy. Will Johnson maned him up and then there was a Safety hanging out to help as well. Other teams either ran zone or played 1 on 1 with him (King from PSU) and got torched.
December 13th, 2023 at 1:48 PM ^
his is what Georgia did, and Georgia is no longer playing in meaningful games.
Mostly because their offense put up 10 points in the first 3 quarters. UGA held Milroe to 29 yards on 14 carries (two 11 yard losses on different sacks so 51 yards rushing) and 192 yards passing on 23 attempts below 60% completion. He wasn't exactly awesome and had some absolutely brutal throws mixed in.
Taulia isn't on the same planet as Milroe as a runner or in how often he opts to run in scramble situations. Taulia is like JJ and looks to pass when he breaks the pocket and isn't likely to outrun a OLB or Safety in the openfield. Milroe puts his head down and takes off.
I'm not saying they need to completely drop their stunts and dedicate 2 LBs to Milroe, but you can't just continue to run your defense with no adjustment to the team and personnel you're playing. We've seen it before. You have to dedicate a guy to Milroe here and there. Not every play, but situationally if I see a Don Brown style alignment with no LBs off the LoS on 3rd and 6, I'm going to scream because a QB run/draw is coming and we all know it.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
Stadium Sniper.
Tying his shoes together.
Sneaking Kalteen bars into his diet.
Switch his workout schedule so that he has leg day on the day before the game.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
I think you meant Stadium Skyper. Because you know, Skype.
December 13th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
Carlo Kemp getting a 15 yard penalty for trying to tie JK Dobbins shoes together is one the most embarrassing penalties of all time.