Upon Further Review 2016: Defense vs Wisconsin Comment Count

Brian

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SPONSOR NOTES: Also at the Marlin tailgate I met a guy who had refinanced with Matt and was now hanging out with him pregame, because they're buds. I didn't judge. Maybe I judged a little.

In addition to being a gentleman replete with Michigan tickets, Matt is also a good man to know if you need a mortgage. It's striking that we actually get non-astroturfed comments about positive experiences with Matt not infrequently.

If you're buying a home or refinancing, he's the right guy to call.

FORMATION NOTES: Michigan spent a lot of time in this formation:

4-3 over press two high

Line is shifted to the TE so that's an over set. Peppers is overhanging the TE. Two deep safeties, press coverage.

They'd also put Peppers inside the end. I called that "4-3 bear".

PERSONNEL NOTES: Wisconsin's manball and constant three and outs caused some shifts in the DL snap distribution. Charlton played every snap—although there were just 53. Wormley and Glasgow were close behind with around 40; Godin and Hurst just about split the other DT spot. Gary (13 snaps), Mone (7), and Winovich(2) rounded out the rotation. Mone's just getting back, obviously; the other two are either freshmen getting their first taste of manball in a game situation or much lighter than alternatives.

The back seven starters never came off the field except for a few dime packages without McCray. Watson(7 snaps) and Kinnel(3) got a little bit of PT on passing downs as extra DBs.

[After THE JUMP: this QB got shook]

Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O25 1 10 Offset I twins 4-2-5 4-3 bear Press two high Run N/A Iso Godin 1
Peppers head up on the TE; McCray and Gedeon are both creepin’ to the LOS. Not entirely sure but this might be a called stunt since Godin is off the LOS by a yard or so. Glasgow(-1) shoots upfield and gets turned in and blocked. McCray(+1) fills and hits the FB at the LOS; FB stood up and RB has to cut back, where Godin(+2) has tossed the center down and meets Clement in the hole for nothing.
O26 2 9 Offset I 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Run N/A Iso counter Godin 2
Fullback shuffles as if it’s going to be iso again and then tries to abort to the backside of the play as Wisconsin runs some misdirection. Problem: Godin(+1) has fired his guy back and closed off the lane. Gedeon(+0.5) has a free flight since the guy trying to block him is on the other side of the line; runs up and tackles but does allow a couple yards of YAC.
O28 3 7 Shotgun 3-wide 3-2-6 Okie Press one high Pass 5 Dig Stribling 24
This looks like straight up man free so Stribling(-2, cover -2) just gets beat. He’s outside of the guy; guy breaks inside and there’s obviously going to be separation. This looks like he’s playing a deep third but it's their M2M technique outside. Winovich(+2, pressure +2) got around the corner at eight yards and just about hits on the throw here. He’s a fraction too late.
M48 1 10 Offset I twins 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Run N/A Iso Glasgow 3
Glasgow(+1) stands up a double team. FB hops inside a gap as he reads what’s happening but with Glasgow not letting either OL out Gedeon can take the hit and McCray(+0.5) can scrape to the hole. Gedeon(-0.5) got banged back and that’s the little sliver of room for the back. Godin(+1) again did a good job shedding a block and getting to the tackle.
M45 2 7 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 4-3 even Press one high Pass 4 Flare Gedeon 6
Gedeon(-1, tackling -1) does have the speed to get out on this and shut it down but he slows up a step to prevent a cutback and gets beat to the edge, missing a tackle and setting up third and short.
M39 3 1 Goal line 4-2-5 4-4 over N/A Run N/A FB dive Peppers 2
Mostly a push here as the FB barely gets across the line to gain thanks to Peppers(+1) shooting the gap and getting in a tackle that starts in the backfield. Glasgow got chipped and sealed away for a second and that’s all it takes on a quick hitter like this. FB is clearly down on this and replay does correctly overturn the fumble call.
M37 1 10 I-Form twins 4-2-5 4-3 under Off two high Run N/A FB dive Gedeon 2
UW doubles both playside DL for the whole play and hooray it’s a big wad. Gedeon(+1) did a good job to redirect his blitz as he saw the play develop and hit the fullback at the LOS.
M35 2 8 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel even Press two high Penalty N/A False start N/A -5
Oops
M40 2 13 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel over Press two high Run N/A Inside zone Charlton 3
This isn’t going to fly against mobile QBs but Charlton(+2) spins inside the LT and is in the backfield in a flash, forcing the back to go straight up the gut, which he does with an awkward hop since he was trying to attack the gap Charlton’s in. Results-based here, and Lewis does fall off the WR as he reads run so maybe he’s the force guy? Anyway: cutback inside into the teeth of the DL. Hurst(-1) effectively kicked out by a chip and seal; Wormley(+1) whips up on a tight end, and Glasgow(+0.5) gives ground but then fights through the double to create a pile. RPS +1.
M37 3 10 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel over Press two high Pass 4 Fly Stribling Inc
Wormley(+1, pressure +3) and Hurst(+1) execute a stunt perfectly, with Wormley getting to shoot inside of Hurst and directly into the QB’s chest. Charlton(+2) also beat his guy with that spin again and would hit the QB if Wormley wasn’t there a hair earlier. Hornibrook throws up a prayer that Stribling(+2, cover +2) is in better position on than the WR; he drops an interception that would have been at the 11.
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 9 min 1st Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O9 1 10 I-Form Big 4-2-5 4-3 bear Press two high Run N/A Power O McCray 19
This seems like RPS. Michigan has been sending Charlton inside and hoping to clean up with a cornerback if the play spills out. UW adds a TE and blocks Lewis with him, so when Taco dives inside there’s room on the bounce… oh, because McCray got held(refs -2) without a call. NVM. If McCray doesn’t get yanked back to the center of the field by his blocker he’s likely making a tackle for a few yards. Still RPS -1 since they did attack the scheme successfully. Taco got a two for one as he dove in and Lewis got off the block to force it back inside but you’re asking McCray to redirect and make this play. Thomas(-1, tackling -1) is dodgy on the back end here, with Thomas not wrapping up at all and almost allowing the back to bounce off for a touchdown.
O28 1 10 I-Form Big twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 even Press two high Run N/A Power O Peppers 1
Excellent example of the spacebacker stuff that Peppers(+1) has to do because he’s 210 and playing Wisconsin. UW sends a fullback to whack him; Peppers does a conventionally unwise thing by ducking under him to the inside. Because he is Peppers he can then redirect back outside and force a backfield cut from the back. This allows Glasgow(+1) the time to power through the RG and jump on the RB’s back at the LOS. Wormley(+1) drove back a TE and took on a second blocker to jam stuff up.
O29 2 9 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 4-3 even Press one high Run N/A Inside zone Wormley 2
Glasgow(+1) again stands up to a double. He doesn’t give an inch and two guys are on him for the duration. Wormley(+2) once again beats up the TE and flows down the line to tackle; Godin(-1) got blown out by his double so there’s a couple of yards available.
O31 3 7 Shotgun 3-wide 3-2-6 Okie Press one high Pass 5 TE out Hill 5
This is the kind of route that invariably draws the ire of a color commentator about how you should run the route at the sticks. Problem: Hill(+2, cover +1, tackling +1) rode the tight end the whole way and by the time he should be turning around he hasn’t covered enough ground to get the first down. Plus if the TE does not bend it back, Hill threatens to PBU to intercept. Hornibrook throws, TE catches, Hill tackles, punting time. Pressure(-2) not good, with McCray sent on a blitz that’s supposed to get Gedeon free on a loop around. UW doubles him and shoves him back into Gedeon; that’s one way to handle that stunt. Not really McCray’s fault.
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 4 min 1st Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O19 1 10 Offset I tight 4-2-5 Nickel under Press two high Run N/A Power O Mone 4
This only six in the box as Peppers readjusts outside a WR who motions in; he’s blitzing from the backside and not relevant because of that shift. Mone(-2) in, and evidently rusty because the double team he gets ejects him from the hole and pancakes him; easy for the other guy to get to the LB. M still holds this down as Charlton(+1) dives inside and picks off two blockers, hoping to spill the play. Lewis comes in and it’s unclear whether that’s a blitz or just Lewis playing cover two and reading run. Still a bunch of room because of the Mone issue; Michigan contains it and tackles.
O23 2 6 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 4-3 even Press one high Pass 4 Dig Hurst Inc
This is wide open(cover -3) for reasons that are obscure to but I feel are probably Gedeon’s fault. There are two guys in press. They are man to man all the way against mesh routes. The other two LBs pick up the two guys out of the backfield. Gedeon(-2) chases one of the mesh routes as Stribling sets up outside, again as if he’s running cover three. He's so far off this in-breaking route that I'm assuming this was by design. If Gedeon had just dropped back he’s directly in this throwing lane, and given what Stribling does I have to assume this is some sort of weird hybrid D. All for naught since Hurst(+3, pressure +3) got past a guard in a flash and hits on this throw, forcing it low and incomplete.
O23 3 6 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel even Press two high Pass 4 Fly Stribling Inc
Another emergency fly as Gary(+1, pressure +1) comes around the corner and threatens very quickly. Stribling(+1, cover +1) in excellent position on an overthrown ball.
Drive Notes: Punt, 7-0, 13 min 2nd Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O20 1 10 I-Form twins 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Pass 4 PA fly Lewis Inc
Pocket is good as M is focused on the run(pressure -2) and QB can let fly unpressured. WR has a step but Lewis appears to be making up the ground as both guys head downfield; ball is a bit to the inside, which is actually to Lewis’s detriment; Peavy cuts inside; Lewis grabs his arm enough to cause Peavy to try to field this like it’s a punt. This is dodgy but Lewis did contribute to an incompletion. (+0.5, cover +1)
O20 2 10 I-Form twins 4-2-5 4-3 under Press two high Run N/A Power O Glasgow -1
Glasgow(+2) rams one of the guys doubling him back. Second guy falls off. Glasgow then burrows into the backfield and tackles for loss, but for some reason they don’t give him the stat. Wormley(+1) took on the pulling G and stood him up to constrict space.
O19 3 11 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel over Press two high Pass 4 Sack Glasgow -7
QB immediately under threat as Glasgow(+3, pressure +3) jukes a guard and gets pressure directly up the gut. Wormley stunting around helped a bit as well, mostly because it drew the attention of the C. Charlton(+1) around the corner at eight yards and will also threaten if Glasgow doesn’t get there first; he drew the back’s attention.
Drive Notes: Punt, 7-0, 8 min 2nd Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O25 1 10 Offset I twins 4-2-5 Nickel even Off two high Pass 5 Post Gedeon Inc
Gedeon(+0.5, pressure +1) is sent on a blitz and gets in; RB does pick him off but QB has to reset his feet; he then launches a ball deep that is well overthrown. Hill in the area but he’s off the WR a bit and there is a window for a completion here. Cover -1; I don’t know if this is Hill or Lewis erring. Could be Peppers, I guess? Lewis and Peppers end up running right next to each other.
O25 2 10 Shotgun 3-wide 3-2-6 3-3-5 Press one high Pass 5 Rollout out Stribling 7
Standard dink route is open and easy as M’s blitz stunted away the playside DE. RPS -1.
O32 3 3 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel over Press one high Pass 5 Drag N/A 20
This probably converts if accurate as Michigan runs man against mesh and there’s some confusion that ends up with Mone and Gedeon right next to each other, but Stribling is in the pocket of the WR and can probably get a play on a ball that’s behind the WR. He cannot because the tight end went out of his way to block him off his route, which is obvious OPI. Refs -3.
M48 1 10 I-Form Big 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Run N/A Lead zone Mone 0
Run blitz works as Mone(+1) steps around the C and gets to the backfield, where he absorbs the FB. RB tries to bounce out but McCray(+1) was sent out there on the snap and contains; Charlton(+1) shot in his blocker and these guys make a pile at the LOS. RPS +1.
M48 2 10 I-Form twins 3-2-6 3-3-5 stack Off one high Pass 5 Flare Charlton Inc
This is supposed to be a screen to the fullback. Charlton(+1) is probably just lucky that his pass rush takes him directly to that guy and delays his route such that UW can’t throw it, but results based charting. Delay means everyone’s getting in on QB, who flips the ball out to the back in space; a bit too far in front and dropped. Peppers(+0.5) was coming up hard and likely to shut this down for little.
M48 3 10 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel under Press two high Pass 5 Yakety snap N/A -13
Lookit that thing go!
Drive Notes: Punt, 7-0, 3 min 2nd Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O19 1 10 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 over Press one high Run N/A Jet sweep Hill 17
M uncertain of what to do when WR goes in motion; Lewis(-1) ends up following him but he’s a good five yards behind the WR. Peppers(-1) doesn’t read the jet and gets clobbered by a TE. He never gets anywhere close. Ditto Hill(-2), who gets equally clobbered and looks inside for some reason. Peavy has an uncontested chunk, with Lewis getting his angle right to hold the damage down. RPS –1.
O36 1 10 I-Form 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Run N/A Power O Thomas 1
Two high look with Thomas coming down on the snap and this inserts a free hitter directly into the gap. Thomas(+1, tackling +1) doesn’t overcook it, coming down under control and getting in an ankle tackle at the LOS. Charlton(-1) got beat up a bit by the FB; McCray(+0.5) hit an OL back and got to the hole. RPS +2.
O37 2 9 Shotgun 3-wide 4-1-6 Nickel even Press one high Pass 5 In Glasgow Inc
Glasgow(+1, pressure +1) bats the pass down. Probably a completion and immediate tackle from Stribling otherwise.
O37 3 9 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel even Press two high Pass 4 Deep out Stribling INT
Good pocket(pressure -2); QB just makes a very bad decision on a throw from the opposite hash that Stribling(+4, cover +4) reads, undercuts, and intercepts.
Drive Notes: Interception, 7-0, 1 min 2nd Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
M31 1 10 Ace diamond TE 4-2-5 4-3 even Press two high Run N/A Power O Charlton 2
M slanting away; Charlton(+1) slants under his guy and picks off a pulling G. He ends up blown out of the hole but he’s done his job; OL falls; Gedeon(+0.5) there to clean up. Wormley(+0.5) also worked his way down the line to secure a tackle.
M29 2 8 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 over Press one high Run N/A Jet sweep Hill 5
M plays this better but still not great. Peppers(-1) again blocked out of the play; Hill(+1) does well to fight off his block a few yards downfield and get a tackle in. Lewis still slightly late as he pursues from the other side of the field. RPS -1. Aligning Peppers right over a TE is not going well.
M24 3 3 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Okie Press zero Pass 6 TE out Thomas 5
Thomas is lined up inside of this guy slightly and has to run around a WR running a slant so he can’t get to it. Pure man rub concept, typical third and three stuff that was tipped by Michigan’s super aggressive formation. RPS -1. FWIW, Peppers got a free run that didn’t matter.
M19 1 10 I-Form Big 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Run N/A FB dive Mone 2
Mone(+1) and Hurst(+1) stand up their blockers and there’s nowhere to go. FB runs into his own people at the LOS and is able to spin for a yard or two.
M17 2 8 Shotgun 3-wide 3-2-6 3-3 stack Press one high Pass 5 Wheel Gedeon 17
M creeps down Thomas and sends him while trying to have Gedeon(cover -2) get the back out of the backfield; that is not going to happen. Perfect play on, Gedeon beat to the sticks, excellent throw, RPS -3.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 7-7, 8 min 3rd Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O23 1 10 I-Form 4-2-5 4-3 even Press two high Pass 4 Corner Stribling Inc
Stribling(-4, cover -4) is playing outside of Peavy and bites on what looks like an attempted post move. He looks to the QB a step before Peavy cuts back out and he's shocked by the redirect, falling. Thomas busy in the center of the field and Stribling out of action this is a touchdown if accurate. It’s not. Pressure(-2) had nothing to do with. Michigan just got lucky here.
O23 2 10 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 over Off one high Run N/A Pin and pull Peppers 7
Peppers to the boundary and the run strength and this doesn’t go so hot. Wormley(-1) stymied by a tight end—call the newspapers—and the pullers have an easy time getting around him. Hill(+0.5) does a pretty good job of tightening space by attacking and submarining an OL. Peppers(-2) tries to go upfield of a block and loses this time. That not only erases him but knocks Gedeon(+1) off balance; Gedeon does well to recover and help Lewis(+0.5) tackle.
O30 3 3 Offset I Big 4-2-5 4-3 over Press zero Pass 5 PA TE corner Thomas Inc
M not buying the PA and gets out on the short routes, with McCray(+1) and Stribling(+1) blanketing the usual dumps. QB pauses and then Charlton(+1) discards a block and comes to pressure him; QB throws a prayer in the direction of Thomas(+1, cover +3), who is in the TE’s chest and does get his head around to help forestall a PI.
Drive Notes: Punt, 7-7, 1 min 3rd Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O49 1 10 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 bear Press one high Run N/A Inside zone McCray 14
Jet action and a hole up the gut. I think McCray(-2) busts as the M line slants left and he’s still checking the gap outside of Glasgow as he shoots outside the double team. Ideally M cuts off this gap anyway and spends two guys on Glasgow. Once he’s out of position there’s a lot of yards up the gut. Gedeon(-1) also sealed out as he pays attention to the jet action.
O35 1 10 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 even Press one high Run N/A Yakety snap N/A -3
Technically not a yakety snap but pretty much. OL steps on QBs foot, falls down, free TFL.
O38 2 13 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-4 even Off one high Run N/A Inside zone Godin 3
Godin(+2) does a terrific job against a double, first holding up to it and then getting to the gap when one of the OL releases. Gary(-1) falls over and can’t help tackle, which allows Clement to grind out a few.
O35 3 10 Shotgun 3-wide 3-2-6 Okie Press one high Pass 5 Dig Hurst Inc
Yips for the QB here as he turfs a ball in front of his WR. Hurst(+1) was blowing the center back and Charlton(+2, pressure +2) beat the RT clean so if this isn’t a throw it’s a sack; hard to tell about the coverage but Kinnel is right there.
Drive Notes: Punt, 7-7, 12 min 4th Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O25 1 10 I-Form 4-2-5 4-3 even Press one high Run N/A Pin and pull Gedeon 2
Team effort here. Peppers(+0.5) flies up and takes two guys with him. He gets blown up but does his job. Gedeon(+0.5) gets outside as well; RB must cut up and does, where he’s met by Wormley(+1) and McCray(+1), who both beat blocks and flowed; McCray gets the thump in.
O27 2 8 Ace twins 4-2-5 4-4 over Press one high Pass 4 Fly Stribling Inc
Glasgow(+3, pressure +3) swims through a guy and hits almost immediately on what should be a sack. Irritatingly, QB chucks it downfield. Stribling(+2, cover +2) dominates the route and gets a PBU. Hill(+1, cover +1) come over to thwack the WR for emphasis.
O27 3 8 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel over Press two high Pass 4 Sack Wormley -5
Pocket collapses utterly on a four man rush. QB hesitates instead of bombing it and is lost. Wormley(+1) and Charlton(+1, pressure +2) are the main contributors; cover +1 as well.
Drive Notes: Punt, 7-7, 9 min 4th Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O25 1 10 I-Form twins 4-2-5 4-3 under Press two high Run N/A Edge pitch Lewis 0
Fake FB dive to the edge pitch that UW has set up a couple times. This mostly works but Lewis(+2, tackling +1) reads his WR’s intention to block him as he finds nothing to block on the interior and gets out on the edge. WR probably should have kept running to the inside, because once that guy turns to Lewis he knows the jig is up. Lewis contains and then tackles for zilch. RPS +1.
O25 2 10 Ace twins twin TE 4-2-5 4-3 over Press one high Run N/A Pin and pull McCray 5
M slants the DL away from this so it’s all on the LBs getting to the hole. Peppers and Hill shoot up to the outside to draw the pullers. Gedeon(+0.5) gets to a TE and forces it back for McCray(+0.5) who flowed and tackled. Wormley(-1) is slanting away here but once he gets blocked down on you want to see him fight back to the play; he does not and gets blown out so the back has a ton of room.
O30 3 5 Shotgun 3-wide 3-2-6 Nickel over Off two high Pass 4 Drag Lewis 2
McCray a nominal DE. He backs out and Peppers blitzes. Hurst(+1, pressure +1) gets through, sort of, as he presses inside. Peppers(+0.5) also dives at the QB’s feet; resulting throw on an easy drag requires a one-handed stab and re-catch. This is fortunate for M since Gedeon(-1, cover -1) was not run off and did not read this mesh (always mesh) and is way out position. WR bobble allows Lewis(+1, tackling +1) to come up and slash the guy down short of the sticks.
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-7, 6 min 4th Q.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O27 1 10 I-Form twins 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Run N/A Pin and pull Gedeon 3
Wormley(+1) blasts his guy back and picks off the second puller. M is slanting away and this ends up sending an OL direct to McCray(-1), who gets cut off. On a slant like this you have to be running playside like a demon and cant get cut off. Gedeon(+2) does get there; he takes on a block and sheds it to tackle at the LOS.
O30 2 7 I-Form twins 4-2-5 4-3 over Press two high Pass 4 Dig Stribling INT
Actually good time here(pressure -2) but coverage is good on the first read or two, with Lewis(+1) jamming Peavy’s route such that he’s not at all an option. Hornibrook hesitates; Glasgow(+1) eventually comes through on effort alone and hits him as he throws. Ball sails to Stribling(+1), who makes no mistake. I feel like some underneath guy is missing from this since Stribling is clearly outside in zone coverage(-2); no idea who.
Drive Notes: Interception, 14-7, 3 min 4th Q. Next drive is all or nothing for UW.
Ln Dn Ds O Form D Pack Front Cover look Type Rush Play Player Yards
O8 1 10 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel over Press two high Pass 4 Flare Peppers 0
Presnap Peppers heads out to the field, as is per usual, but McCray sends him back as M has a hunch. That hunch is flare; Peppers(+1, tackling +1) is on it; he deftly back-jukes an attempted pick on him and bursts upfield to push the RB out for no gain. RPS +1.
O8 2 10 Shotgun 3-wide 4-2-5 Nickel even Press two high Pass 4 Dig Thomas Inc
Solely UW failing to execute here as M gets beat in the secondary; Thomas(-1, cover -2) probably has to shoot up on this since Stribling is outside tech all the way. He’s late; pressure(-2) not on the way and only a bad throw keeps Michigan from giving up a first down.
O8 3 10 Shotgun trips 4-2-5 Nickel even Press two high Pass 4 TE out Gedeon Inc
Glasgow(+2, pressure +2) takes a beat before discarding his guy and running up the gut; Hornibrook does get it out to an open TE for about nine. Gedeon(-1, cover -1) is the coverage guy in question and lets him pop open. TE appears to drop it without intervention.
O8 4 10 Shotgun 3-wide tight 4-2-5 Nickel over Press two high Pass 4 Fly Lewis INT
Good pocket(pressure -2) and QB just hurls it at Lewis in man coverage on a fly route. Lewis is on the back hip and makes a spectacular interception(+4, cover +3) despite being in trail position.)
Drive Notes: Interception, 14-7, EOG.

/tents fingers

Indeed. Here is an emblematic clip:

Taco Charlton smokes his guy with a spin move and runs up the gut only to find that Chris Wormley has beat him to the quarterback. Quarterback hurls up a downfield punt that's surprisingly accurate given the situation, only to find that Channing Stribling is now playing WR and the WR is just trying to make sure it's incomplete.

Wisconsin's drives were Rutgers-esque in their monotony:

  • Six three-and-outs.
  • Three four-and-outs.
  • Three interceptions, one of which came after UW got a first down.
  • One nine-play, 37-yard drive ending in a punt.
  • One five-play, 31 yard TD drive after the Speight interception.

That's as dominant as it gets against an opponent with a pulse.

Wisconsin did miss a few opportunities. Peavy could have caught a deep shot against Lewis; Hornibrook missed a wide open receiver when Stribling fell down; their last-ditch drive featured two unforced drops. On the other hand, 39 of Wisconsin's 159 yards came on two plays that featured must-call penalties go uncalled. (One was a hold on McCray just before he attempted to get to the back, the second the flagrant OPI on Stribling.)

As you might imagine, then, the

Chart-nan the Barbarian

is impressive:

[NOTE: PFF grading works out differently than mine. In UFR zero is bad for DL; it's average in PFF. Their scale seems to be about a third or a half of mine. PFF has a "penalty" section that I've elected to omit for space's sake, which is why the individual components might not add up to the "overall." number. I'll note when it's a big discrepancy.]

DL UFR grade PFF grade  
Player Snaps + - T Run Rush Cvr Over Notes
Wormley 40 9.5 2 7.5 2.6 -0.1   2.7 Lot of splattered TE in this one. 
Glasgow 39 15.5 1 14.5 3.5 4.1   7.6 Bonkers, bonkers, bonkers.
Hurst 24 7 1 6 0 0.7   0.7  
Charlton 53 13 1 12  1.1 0.9   2.2   
Gary 13 1 1 0 -0.1 -0.5   -0.5  
Mone 7 2 2 0  1 -0.2   0.8  
Godin 27 6 1 5 1 -0.6   0.4
Marshall              
Winovich 2 2 2 0 0.9   0.9
TOTAL   56 11 45         Another absurd blowout, this against a much better blocking team.
LB UFR grade PFF grade  
Player Snaps + - TOT Run Rush Cvr Ovr Notes
Peppers 53 4.5 4 0.5 0.4 -0.1 0.4 0.8 Manball outing was middling.
McCray 50 5.5 3 2.5 0.5 -0.5 0.3 0.3
Gedeon 53 6.5 6.5 0 2.2 -0.5 -1.1 0.6 Seems to be vacating middle of the field in zones.
Bush 0                
Furbush 0                
TOTAL   16.5 13.5 3         Passable all around.
DB UFR grade PFF grade  
Player Snaps + - T Run Rush Cvr Ovr Notes
Lewis 53 9 1 8 0.8 0.5 3.1 4.4 Yeehaw.
Stribling 53 11 6 5 0.1 2.1 2.3 Was totally great except for falling over.
D. Hill 53 4.5 2 2.5 -0.6 -0.1 0.9 0.2  
Thomas 53 2 2 0 0.5 -0.1 -0.2 0.3  
Watson 7  
Kinnel 3    
Long    
L. Hill                  
TOTAL   26.5 11 15.5          
Metrics
Pressure   21 14 +7 This was less rampant. Blitzes almost all got picked up.
Coverage   19 13 +6 Most issues in center of field.
Tackling   5 2 +3 Eh.
RPS   6 7 -1 Run run pass punt was low-incident in RPS.

Another all-out whooping by the defensive line, though we should note that Wisconsin was occasionally able to protect their quarterback. Last week the pressure metric was an absurd +32. This week it's back to very good, as Wisconsin has some blockers and left guys in to help out, insofar as that was possible.

Why couldn't we get any TFLs? I like TFLs. I like to look at them stacked up like cordwood, or like frozen humans on a trip to a far-away

please say star please say star

Culver's.

What?

What what. TFLs. STAY FOCUSED.

Wisconsin's plan was to double Michigan and double them some more. You can't get much on plays where you dedicate two players to one interior OL and he doesn't really go anywhere. Glasgow did not.

Some teams are going to hop off those blocks anyway because you might find a way through the line despite not really dealing with the DL. Wisconsin stuck with them and the end result was a lot of free guys at the linebacker level. Wisconsin was willing to get 1 or 2 yards on a ton of plays in order to avoid Glasgow, Wormley, and friends lancing through the LOS and setting them up in long yardage.

This turned out to be a bad bet.

Do I recall last year that Glasgow wasn't great against straight-up doubles like this?

He wasn't awesome, but he was usually able to hold the guys up and get a push in my grading. In this game he was just killing it. I had to look at this one a few times before I figured out that the guy who seems to spring out of a trapdoor in the grass and tackle was Glasgow going into ultimate burrow mode:

Meanwhile when not doubled, Glasgow was doing that thing where he gets the OL leaning the wrong way with a bait step and the bats the dude away:

Come for the sack, stay to watch the OL Glasgow dismissed reprise this famous gif in the aftermath:

texas-fan-f-bomb[1]_thumb

[ed note: be verrrry careful how you search for this gif.]

This was not an isolated incident. Ryan Glasgow is out here taking names.

And how about the surrounding pieces? Anyone coming through?

Along with the linebackers, Godin has been the surprise of the season so far. He's keeping his nose just in front of a rampant Maurice Hurst. To do that you've got to be turning in plays, and Godin certainly has. We talked in the pregame about Wisconsin's problem at center, so slight degree of difficulty disclaimers apply, but I had to squint a few times to make sure that the dude laying waste to Wisconsin's ground game was in fact Godin and not Glasgow. (They are both white guys and their numbers are 96 and 99. All players of similar race and stature should have vastly different numbers.) This rip down looks pretty familiar:

On the next play UW tries to get a counter iso going and again Godin puts his guy in the backfield to pick off the fullback and force the RB into an unblocked Gedeon:

These were the first two plays of the game.

Godin didn't have a ton of opportunity to follow up since Hurst got half of the scanty snaps the D had to deal with but he's gone from a guy you can live with to yet another interior playmaker. If you'll recall, the season preview wondered how Godin was going to get any snaps. By turning into Glasgow's Mini-Me, it turns out. He had more trouble with doubles in this game than Glasgow but was otherwise reasonably close to his performance, and he even burst through one for a tackle at the line of scrimmage:

Last year's Godin is very unlikely to do that.

As a reminder, this is the dude that Godin is (kind of) keeping out of the starting lineup:

Hurst had a couple of those, because he is an elite interior pass rusher. I still think Hurst is going to be relied on more heavily when the heavy(ish) hitters roll onto the field because Godin can't match that. Still, for Michigan to pick up a ninth DL who can play is a thing.

We haven't talked about Wormley much this year but here he had an opportunity to go up against a decent to good tight end. Result: same as it ever was.

FWIW, Winovich got around the corner and just about hit the QB on a throw on one of his two snaps.

While they didn't convert much it did seem like Wisconsin had a number of open guys over the middle. Am I crazy?

I did think the linebackers had some coverage issues. Since Michigan is playing a lot of outside leverage with their cornerbacks, in-breaking routes tend to give them trouble. I assume that the idea is that linebackers will patrol this space, and they did not. (You may recall similar issues versus Colorado.) Sucking up on play action is one thing, but this from Gedeon was a bit odd:

Man to man look but he's a free player; he chases after a drag route underneath and the throw goes directly into the area of the field he vacated. With Stribling playing outside technique and a ways off, I'm guessing that he's more concerned with the area outside the hashes because he expects someone to be in the area if the WR runs this route.

We got a better look at what's probably the same coverage on the second Stribling interception:

Stribling is absolutely in a deep third and just following because he's got nobody else in his zone; it again looks like Gedeon is supposed to be back here, dissuading a throw. Again he's focused on a short dumpoff.

Some of those hits over the middle defy easy explanation, though. Wisconsin got a big gain over the middle on their first third down of the game. McCray clearly has man coverage on the running back and Michigan is in man free. Stribling plays this outside technique that they do a ton of and just gets run away from on the in-breaking route. This looks very difficult for the CB, and the throw is easy since it's right in the middle of the field:

Usually teams play inside leverage in these situations to encourage fly routes down the sideline, which are much tougher to complete. Michigan's clearly running this outside leverage stuff as man coverage, not the three deep it resembles; it's possible they're just willing to make that tradeoff. The outside leverage lets you look back at the QB, and Michigan has dominated all the deep routes they've faced this year. Also not happening: back shoulder throws. Michigan hasn't seen one attempted, I don't think, because in this technique that's asking to be intercepted.

That technique also lets your guys fall off their receivers if they read run. Lewis did so on his late, fractional TFL:

Early on it seemed like Taco Charlton was abandoning his force responsibility by spinning inside a befuddled OT, but Lewis reads the crackback block of the WR, falls off of him, and is set to clean up on the edge should the need arise:

This pass technique is also run defense. This will be very helpful against Ohio State as long as Barrett's not finding guys wide open in the middle of the field.

So: yes, coverage issues from the linebackers do cause me some consternation. They were otherwise good at getting to their spots and had an okay day.

How did Peppers do in his first outing as a linebacker against a manball team?

He was mostly not relevant to the manballing. They did not have much opportunity to block him because they couldn't get off doubles; Peppers didn't have much opportunity to strike because the DL was hacking guys down at the LOS. He did get the dickens blocked out of him on the two jet sweeps UW ran:

Putting him head up on a tight end/fullback is asking for that. It's not really his fault, and when he's that close to the guy he can't execute his trademark wrong-side burst. Then he is on skates because he's 50-60 pounds lighter than the opposition.

I was a bit less sanguine about this one:

He dives under those blocks all the time and they work out. Not so much on that one. It's a bit different when you're attacking 100% horizontally and need to funnel to help. Peppers can't take that block on but he can hop around the other side of that relatively effectively, and then Gedeon—who he almost knocks over—gets cut off.

He did have one nice play where he sliced through space he's not supposed to and cut off the back:

 

I don't think it's disputable that a game like this is not currently part of Peppers's wheelhouse. He'll have to get better at it for upcoming games against... uh... nevermind.

Seriously, though, Peppers was bleah and this is a cost of having him be a linebacker. It's one Michigan is happy to make.

Is Stribling going to have a decade-long NFL career like Harbaugh suggests?

Injuries permitting, maybe? He's been tested a lot this year and has been very difficult to escape from. He had two interceptions in this game, narrowly missed a third, and has generally been in the business of everyone he's faced. Remember worrying that Stribling was going to phase out of our reality at the critical moment? I was struck this weekend by the fact that Wisconsin was bombing it deep at him and when the ball went up I was blithely unconcerned. Here he gets his head around, tracks the ball, and extends for a PBU:

That's just what happens most of the time he's targeted now. He was super-productive in this game with the one undercut INT, one freebie on a throw that sailed, and an near INT on a fly route in addition to the PBU above. The first INT was in fact a route almost identical to the terror moment:

Stribling plays inside technique here and ends up breaking under a ball that should never have been thrown.

But yes the terror moment:

He reacts to the feint inside and then turns his head to the quarterback, at which point Peavy redirects and Michigan's in big trouble. That is a lack of eye discipline; Stribling needs to take another step or two with his eyes on the WR before deciding the move is actually the move. That's real bad. These things happen to cornerbacks and it's more about error rate than being perfect; Stribling was not perfect but he was extremely difficult to deal with.

Stribling has always had the physical ability to stick with guys. He's tall. If he's getting his hands on all the balls he should, yes, he is a highly enticing NFL prospect. NFL.com has noticed. They actually name Jourdan Lewis a draft riser but in the blurb they mention his running mate:

I could have easily written Lewis' teammate, fifth-year senior CB Channing Stribling, as a riser as well. But Lewis had more to gain with his outstanding performance against Wisconsin on Saturday, as he had missed three weeks due to injury to start his senior year.

He'll certainly get drafted.

Should Lewis have dropped that interception?

Aaaaargh.

Too pretty. Also Lewis is a smart guy and no doubt knew that with 2:15 on the clock Michigan would not have to punt and he could turn on the style points.

How are we doing with the bust rate?

Still comfortably low. I've mentioned a couple of issues above. One was the Peavy jet sweep on which Hill was lost and Lewis late getting over after having a hurried chat with Stribling about who's responsibility it was to go with him. The other was Gedeon rushing up on a drag route. I also think the 14-yarder up the gut was McCray ending up in the wrong gap as M slants the line:

When the line slants and a linebacker goes the same way you're about to get a cutback on your face; McCray goes the same way as Glasgow and Hurst and indeed there is a massive lane.

Other than that, though, Michigan played a very clean game. They've done a much better job of keeping to their rush lanes since UCF and I think the Gedeon play was the only actual coverage bust. Our weekly disclaimer about busts being hard to detect when the quarterback is snowed under by multiple guys repeatedly does apply, but the opposition has not hit a long play in two weeks. That is progress from UCF/Colorado.

So can we call the safeties boring again? Please?

Er. Probably not yet. But they were good here.

The safeties weren't involved a ton but Hill did have one very nice third down stop. You know how announcers always cluck about routes short of the sticks? Sometimes that's not a mental error. Sometimes you are literally not able to get there before the timing of the play demands you turn around. That was the case on this TE out:

Hill delays him for a yard or three and that's the difference between a conversion and a punt. He's done this to a couple other TE routes this year. Hill also got over on one of the fly routes Hornibrook was throwing just before he got blown up.

Meanwhile, Thomas was mostly quiet. Michigan did see that thing where they show a two high look and then fire one S down on the snap pay off when Thomas found himself unblocked in the gap:

This disguise is something Michigan hasn't needed to pay off much, but I like this setup much better: Michigan can go middle of the field open or closed from a two high look without disclosing that presnap. Last year they told everyone what they were doing on every snap.

Is there anything to learn from the plays that didn't get immediately crushed?

Michigan should try to avoid having its ILBs cover speed backs out of the backfield. The touchdown was of course a wheel route on which Gedeon got a tough assignment. I kind of question his flight path here but there's a slant in the way so I'm not sure he can do much better. With Michigan tipping the safety blitz and then running this, this was a pretty obvious read:

Ogunbowale also had an early flare that got the corner against McCray in another mismatch. Michigan had a reaction to that, though. On UW's last drive Peppers initially went out to the field, where he should usually go. McCray pointed him back to the boundary. Odd, until they run that flare again and Peppers gets to be an edge demon once again:

Michigan's inside linebackers are still going to lose these battles when Michigan gets caught in the wrong play. I think that's just something we'll have to live with.

Heroes?

As per usual, the entire DL. Ryan Glasgow gets the gold star this week. Stribling and Lewis were also terrific, except for that one thing Stribling did.

Maybe not so heroic?

Nobody really. 

What does it mean for Rutgers and the future?

Godin can play. This was a good test against some good OL and he performed well. Time to stop thinking about him as a break-in-case-of-emergency guy. He will continue to rotate a lot even as Mone approaches full health.

Peppers is in tough against manballers. He had a muted day since this was not a good fit for his skillset. Distantly possible that we see some Furbush down the road in certain situations.

Channing Stribling is almost entirely legit. Five games in he's still grading out very well both here and PFF. The one big mistake was very big indeed but that will happen to everyone eventually. He consistently shows up in the right place and is almost impossible to shake. He'll get drafted, possibly high.

Michigan's less comfortable with Winovich and Gary against manball teams. Makes sense but I'm a little surprised Charlton didn't get one snap off.

Opponents will continue doing all they can to get the ILBs isolated on slot receivers and speed backs. That is the one thing that has seemed to work consistently for opponents. There's only so many times you can run those plays; I would expect Michigan sees close to the maximum of said plays.

Charlton and Lewis are all the way back. Both played every snap and kicked ass. Lingering injury concerns can be put aside.

Comments

MGlobules

October 6th, 2016 at 4:25 PM ^

than OSU, who faced Bowling Green, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rutgers. With our remaining schedule it is possible that we end up closing on those OSU defense numbers. We will have to play their offense too, but there's a real possibility, in my view, that the game is more even than many, including me, have bee assuming.

Brhino

October 6th, 2016 at 4:25 PM ^

it's kind of crazy that we stole Boston College's coordinator and they still have the top defense in terms of yards per game allowed.

 

Georgia Tech only had 238 yards against them, but won.  

UMass is god awful and only put up 122 yards.

Wagner (FCS) only put up 107 yards.

Buffalo, also terrible, only gained 67 yards!

 

Oh and also Virginia Tech put up 476 points and 49 points.  Oops.

 

Who've they got this weekend?  Clemson... yeah.  BC's not going to be up there for very much longer, I don't think.

micheal honcho

October 6th, 2016 at 3:52 PM ^

Which one would you take?? Its a pretty tough choice IMO, Renes maybe better at penetration but Glasgow gets the nod for taking on double teams. Very similar players IMO and both very effective.

malisi

October 6th, 2016 at 3:57 PM ^

When thinking about the should-he-have/shouldn't-he-have on the Lewis INT, I keep thinking back to one of the quotes from the Annonymous B1G Players Say Things preseason article. There was one where somebody said that their team didn't see any problem throwing at Lewis becasue he doesn't get picks. Obviously, we all knew that was a totally insane thing to think, but I wonder if a play like this wasn't somewhat in response to those sentiments. Not that I think Lewis processed all of that as he somehow levitated for several seconds and then caught the ball with one hand, but I think it's reasonable to expect that having a play like that on film will affect how future opponents treat his presence as they build their gameplan.

sports fan

October 6th, 2016 at 4:32 PM ^

I'm glad he caught it.  Apparently the Wisconsin coach responded to his receiver's complaint about the coverage with "He caught it."  As in, you have no complaint, he caught it.  If Lewis had not caught it, it could have looked a lot more like pass interference.  They both have a right to the ball. Catching it looks much more like he was trying to catch it, as opposed to trying to prevent the receiver from catching it.

TrueBlue2003

October 7th, 2016 at 1:15 AM ^

the hand wrapped around the waist was 1) well-hidden and 2) didn't change the pace of either player.  The offensive player wasn't held up or slowed at all. He was still directly in the path of the ball, it's just that Lewis caught it before it could get to him.

petered0518

October 6th, 2016 at 4:07 PM ^

I'm very surprised Peppers played all 53 snaps on defense. Seems like the perfect game to limit his snaps on defense and give him some more time on offense given the struggle to score points and Wisconsin's offensive style.

I think it gives some insight into the Don Brown philosophy. His approach to small quick linebackers is not just a spread counter thing but truly his preferred defense against all types of offense.

Everyone Murders

October 6th, 2016 at 4:58 PM ^

My first impulse would be to search for "Texas Fuck Girl" which I reckon would not turn out well. 

Fortunately, I learned that GIS lesson years ago when I wanted to find a cartoon to underscore that an internal meeting was going to be a circle jerk.  Turns out it's a mistake to GIS "circle jerk"!  Especially at work.

Indonacious

October 6th, 2016 at 4:22 PM ^

Can someone explain to me why both Glasgow brothers drastically out-performed their expectations? Was there something unique about their recruiting process where they wanted to come here no matter what? Walk-on to NFL does happen, but for it to happen twice within the same family is just incredible.

Needs

October 6th, 2016 at 5:08 PM ^

I don't think they started playing football until late in their high school careers, like their junior year. I know Graham was all-state in Illinois his senior year but had few scholarship offers because he was completely off the recruiting radar.

IIRC, Graham primarily played basketball, which, wow, think of the picks he set.

reshp1

October 6th, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^

Seriously. Heininger Certainty Principle FTW.

I can't really think of anyone that hasn't done at least as well as their profile, barring injury or other stuff.

Tom Stobel, maybe? Meanwhile, unheralded guys have blown up into NFL caliber guys left and right.

Monocle Smile

October 6th, 2016 at 4:42 PM ^

On the snap where the OL steps on Hornibrook's foot, is that because Hurst blew into the backfield so quickly, or was that unrelated? Either way, I was looking for a few Hurst points there.