Film Analysis Ep 2.2 - Backups vs. WMU

Submitted by FanNamedOzzy on

Episode 2.2 covers the backups Michigan got to play against the Broncos of Kalamazoo. The offensive tackles have left a lot to be desired, so almost all of these 6 plays are focused on those second stringers.

While it clear that WMU at that point had kind of given up, and I'm sure a good number of the DL and LBs were backups, it's still encouraging to see your second string looking competent and confident.

From my analysis below, these are kind of my main thoughts on a few back-ups:

James Hudson - Probably the most upside of any of the OL. Looked solid 1-on-1 and didn't have too many doubles that he worked with. Think his biggest thing is technique, still, but it's clear his ceiling is very high.

Jalen Mayfield - Had the best play of any second stringer (play 6) where he drives a DE 15 yards downfield. His ability to roll his hips seems elite, and he looked pretty comfortable in the LT position. It makes sense to me that he's at LT and not Hudson because I think Mayfield is less likely to make mistakes, which translates into your QB dying less from the blindside.

Joel Honigford - Consistently tasked with double teams and releasing to the second level. He almost always excelled at this, and I was impressed with his timing and the "pop" he delivered to the LB that was moving into his gap at the time he released. This is really encouraging for the future.

None of the other OL necessarily stood out, but they were all doing well as a unit. No mental mistakes.

Let me know what you think of the analysis, what you'd like to see for SMU and if there any improvements I can make. We're close to 1,500 subscribers, so please subscribe if you haven't already!

Follow me on twitter @StephenToski to talk about any of the plays (I post them individually) and to see this content earlier in the week, before the full video is released later in the weeks.

Comments

Never

September 16th, 2018 at 8:36 PM ^

Am just seeing this for the first time. Please keep doing these; helps with individuals such as myself who have watched football for years but are just now developing an eye for the nuances on both sides of the ball.