Rashan Gary vs Purdue
I'm impatient and don't want to wait for the UFR, so here we are. Was it just me or did Rashan Gary have a very quiet game against Purdue? It didn't seem to my fairly untrained eyes that he had much of an impact during the game. Was I just not paying attention?
September 25th, 2017 at 12:53 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 12:53 AM ^
Others are picking up his would-be stats. He's getting doubled and STILL disrupting like crazy.
September 25th, 2017 at 12:57 AM ^
I don't think he had a Jadeveon Clowney type impact on the game we were all hoping he'd be having before the season started, but he still collapsed the pocket really quickly.
Hard to get the counting stats when Winnovich and Bush are getting to the QB almost immediately on a lot of snaps... Good problem to have :)
September 25th, 2017 at 2:03 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 1:02 AM ^
Maybe that guy that charted some plays last week will do it for you.
But from my also untrainted eye, it seemed a lot like the first three games, and it feels like the UFR will read similar to last weeks. It was crazy that Brian was debating whether Hurst or Winovich is our best DL, and it does seem like Gary is 3rd right now, making his season thus far a slight disappointment, just based on outlandish expectations.
He has eaten a lot of double teams, which is really helpful for the team overall. He is absolutely having a big impact on this being once again a dominant defense.
September 25th, 2017 at 1:07 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 1:07 AM ^
What happened to the every snap offense and every snap defense videos that were posted last year?
September 25th, 2017 at 8:55 AM ^
What happened to those videos that were posted last year? They are still on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7AO-_bNRYc
/s
September 25th, 2017 at 1:23 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 1:45 AM ^
This is the kind of information I was looking for, and I appreciate the insight. I've been watching football since I was a kid and I still feel like I'm learning how best to value players' contributions. Thanks.
September 25th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
Absolutely what DCGrad said... 3-man lines are (usually) built to allow the LB's to make plays, like Devin Bush. Then add in Gary and Hurst commanding doubles a lot of the time and Winovich is free to make plays too. DL is a position where you can have limited stats and still be making a monster impact, that is what Gary is doing this year.
Winovich and Bush don't do what they're doing this year (at least not on this level) without Gary doing what he's doing.
September 25th, 2017 at 6:53 AM ^
One thing I noticed a lot in the Purdue game is that he was aligned well outside on the line and it looked like on a lot of plays he had edge responsibility as well. Winovich generally would be on or shaded on the LT while Gary would be aligned outside the TE. So Gary also always had farther to go than Winovich.
September 25th, 2017 at 1:26 AM ^
I'm going to assume he grades out quite well by the coaches as he has a hand in many sacks but does not show up on the stats. May need to monitor his helmet stickers.
September 25th, 2017 at 1:43 AM ^
I don't think he is a 1st round level talent at the position right now. On the other hand, I don't think he's bad. He gets a hell of a lot of pressure and is part of the reason our defense is so good.
September 25th, 2017 at 9:22 AM ^
I think he's definitely a 1st round talent without question.
It just looks like he is only about the 3rd best D lineman in his class nationally - with the other two looking like not only 1st rounders, but potential #1 picks.
September 25th, 2017 at 10:04 AM ^
DL recruiting class nationally of all time.
September 25th, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^
NFL GMs have no interest in DL that can eat double and triple teams on each play and still shut down half the field. The fact that guys like that allow teammates run free and destroy QBs means nothing to them.
/s
September 25th, 2017 at 3:05 AM ^
The dude is getting double teamed every down by TEs and LT or RT and they are also throwing FBs/RBs at him, so triple-teamed. And he is still making tackles, half-sacks and sacks.
September 25th, 2017 at 3:12 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 3:25 AM ^
in th country.
Not only is he getting doubled teamed plus the RBs are choosing to block him over Bush / Winovich; teams are also making a concerted effort to run plays away from him 80% of the time. It is like the opposing strategy each week is do not let Gary beat us even if it means our QB is eating free rushes from Bush / Winovich.
That strategy may have made sense the first two weeks but you would think teams have to be rethinking that. Bush and Winovich have been sensational and destroying opposing QBs so at some point you would think they change schemes and Gary blows up in terms of numbers.
September 25th, 2017 at 3:31 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 4:35 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 5:03 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 6:48 AM ^
I wasa thinking the same thing. Not hearing his or Mo Hursts # being called but I know they are both having quite an impact on the game. No player can choose if he wants to be double-teamed and finally, Gary came to Michigan because he and his mom trusted his H.S. coach who made him the #1 player in H.S.
September 25th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^
Fantastic first line typo. Did your keyboard just channel Jar-Jar?
I heard this theory that he's the Sith lord who's holding down Gary's stats. It's all over the internet, actually.
September 25th, 2017 at 6:11 AM ^
Hurst doesn't have many counting stats either. But he and Gary are removing 4 blockers almost every play.
September 25th, 2017 at 6:35 AM ^
It's just that you don't know football very well. He's getting doubled on most plays (Hurst is too, maybe a little less frequent) and the other players in our front 7 are so fast that they get to the play before Gary beats his double. Gary is the reason Chase and Devin have a combined 10 sacks in 4 games.
September 25th, 2017 at 6:44 AM ^
In addition, you can see that on 50% of Winovich and Bush sacks, Gary is one step away from getting that stat. Considering he is the one eating doubles, that's impressive.
September 25th, 2017 at 7:00 AM ^
Yeah, from watching a replay of Purdue game, it seems that they had him doing a lot of edge contain duty. Lots of plays where he's beat his blocks, pulls up, and sets the edge for a second or two before continuing.
And yeah, lots of plays where Hurst and Gary are on one side with 4 blockers and Winovich is one on one for any easy sack.
So it really seems they weren't turning Gary completely loose in the Purdue game and that combined with doubles will prevent the stat collection which on the other hand means that the other side of the line pretty much has free reign to get the QB.
September 25th, 2017 at 6:45 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 6:50 AM ^
But you're right, he's still been a little more quiet on the stat sheet that I would've thought.
September 25th, 2017 at 8:52 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 25th, 2017 at 10:13 AM ^
The 95% of the Michigan fan base that have a clue about football understand what your son is doing for our defense.
The other 5% love nothing more than to moan and whine about the team.
September 25th, 2017 at 7:14 AM ^
Now on a completely unrelated topic that has nothing to do with this whatsoever, anyone think opposing coaches read MGoBlog for intel?
September 25th, 2017 at 7:29 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 7:53 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 9:00 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 8:26 AM ^
This morning Sam Webb said Gary and Hurst were eating double teams all day and that's why Bush and Winovich were racking up the numbers.
September 25th, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
This post is total garbage.
#modsdelete
September 25th, 2017 at 8:58 AM ^
I think we'll see more stats and flashy plays from Gary when they play 4 man lines against teams like MSU and Wisc.
September 25th, 2017 at 8:58 AM ^
says it all.
You just were not paying attention. Gary is the most talented guy on Michigan's D (which has a lot of very talented dudes).
Gary is forcing opposing d-coordinators to scheme around him. And his performance so far has been excellent and, therefore, continues to force opponents to scheme around him.
This opens up one-on-one for Winivich and free bliutz lanes for Bush.
So many great players on the Michigan D right now that double teaming Gary means opponents have just chosen an different way to get sacked, hurried, stopped with no gain, etc.
September 25th, 2017 at 8:59 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 9:00 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 9:16 AM ^
I have no data but I have a hunch that Gary's presence on the field is giving the other guys more opportunities to get to the QB. We're leading the country in sacks so something is going on in addition to "Bush and Winovich are fast and strong".
September 25th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 9:24 AM ^
I think one of the answers to that is that because Gary is consistently getting double and triple-teamed, he's not getting the amount of sacks or TFLs you'd expect. But that's also opening the lane for guys like Devin Bush and Chase Winovich to have free shots at the QB. Winovich has 5.5 sacks through 4 games. Bush is right behind him I believe 5 of his own. And there's still 8 games left.
I'm a little surprised too that he's been more quiet on the stat sheet than I thought he'd be, but this defense is currently #1 in the country and is sacking the QB left and right, and I believe it has well over 30 TFL through only 4 games. Where the production comes from is almost irrelevant as long as the production is happening.
September 25th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 9:43 AM ^
Sorry that you've not been blown away by the #1 defense in the country through four games. I don't know why you thought the D line would have depth, as the word since before the season started was "Starts as or more talented than last year, but less depth". Obviously hasn't been a problem so far though, as our defense has gotten better as the game has gone on every time so far, including two days ago in the sweltering heat.
September 25th, 2017 at 10:14 AM ^
Did you watch the fourth quarter on Saturday?