Concern about Juwann Bushell-Beatty health and OL without him
Injury focus the last few days has largely been on Chase Winovich and Berkley Edwards. That makes sense, given how potentially seriously they were injured, x-rays, and precautions taken.
However, another injury is potentially more concerning. If I remember correctly Juwann Bushell-Beatty was injured against Rutgers. He tried to come back against Indiana, but was pulled for Andrew Stueber. I'm waiting for the UFR to see Brian's analysis. However, at first glance, it appears that the run game wasn't as solid as it could have been. I wonder if this is because of the difference between JBB and Stueber, and also wonder if this is why they started running Patterson again in the Indiana game.
Obviously, you hold nothing back against OSU. This is for all the marbles. Still, I'm worried that there is a significant downgrade from JBB to Stueber. If so, it badly affects at least the run game, if not the passing game. It also underscores how critical the OL is to the success of the team, and how big of a difference Warinner has made this season.
Can anyone corroborate the difference made with Stueber instead of Bushell-Beatty?
November 19th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
Ba-boom chishh!
November 19th, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^
i was under the impression JBB was a game time decision? He tried to give it a go and didn't feel quite right.
if that's true, then i'd suspect he'll be ready for Saturday, if he was close to a go last game
November 19th, 2018 at 9:44 AM ^
I share your concern and also worried re Aubrey Solomon
Roger K
November 19th, 2018 at 9:50 AM ^
Yeah Solomon has had bad luck this year re: injuries. Hope he is okay.
Dwumfour and Kemp have really stepped it up at DT filling in. Mone and Lawrence also getting valuable snaps.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:49 AM ^
True, but d-line rotation will be important. OSU could easily get 75+ snaps. Need to keep the d-line fresh for the last 10 minutes.
November 19th, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^
FWIW, Pro Football Focus actually gave Stueber the highest grade of all of our offensive linemen against Indiana.
As for the people who say "we were only running to the left"...ummm...yeah. We've been a left-handed team all season.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^
Yeah, Michigan has generally run behind the left side of the line this season. I sit on the east side of the stadium and I'm constantly seeing the nameplates of Ruiz and Onwenu as they pull to the left.
EDIT: As pointed out below, this is only when the offense is moving toward the north end zone.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:51 AM ^
Oh dear!!! It is clearly dependent upon which way they are going for this "constantly seeing" to happen.
November 19th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
Oh wow, yeah, only when they are moving south to north. Good catch.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
Bodes extremely well for next season!
November 19th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
Stueber had the highest PFF grade? Wow. Glad to hear that. Not just because of this year, but because if that's the case, it bodes well for the OL next year. JBB is the only starter leaving. Every year, we have more of an opportunity to solidify the OL. I'm actually hoping we can add Trevor Keegan to the incoming class. Having another solid OT is important. It looks like 4 of the 5 incoming guys are really OG and not OT. Having one more bullet at OT is important.
Regarding this week, I hope that the OL performs well, both in creating running lanes, giving Shea time, and keeping him safe.
November 19th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
Interesting thought that maybe multiple guys got a sick bug and so who knows if JBB had to battle it as well. Really hoping at the least that the sickness shit going around gets nipped in the ass.
November 19th, 2018 at 9:58 AM ^
He could have played the whole game against Indiana but was pulled because he wasn't 100%. The coaches did the right thing. He is probably in a similar situation with Solomon, who was also pulled.
Doing this gives their backups valuable game experience.
both Solomon and JBB, as far as I have read, are available for OSU.
November 19th, 2018 at 9:58 AM ^
It doesn’t matter who plays if you run straight power into a ten man front once you get to the red zone.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:51 AM ^
Yes, we were vanilla in the red zone against Indiana.
No, we will not be vs OSU unless we are already throttling them.
November 19th, 2018 at 9:58 AM ^
Hey Stephen, why do you worry so much? Have Faith brother! This is our year my friend.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
It is that doggone BPONE. I have been living there for a while. (Edit: do I know you?)
November 19th, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
Yogi Berra said
Half the game is 90% mental.
November 19th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
You've got the gist of it but I'm 100% sure that this is not the "quote".
November 19th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
I actually first noticed Stueber was in on the clock drive to end the first half. I didn't realize JBB was hurt at the time, and was wondering if M might have though Stueber was the better pass protector and been trying a thing where they put in the superior pass-blocking line in obvious passing situations. I don't know if any team has ever done that before, but defenses put pass rush specialists and extra DBs on the field in those situations so I don't know why it wouldn't make sense for the offense to do so as well.
Of course, then Michigan ran the ball a bunch on that drive anyway and it turned out JBB was out due to injury or illness, so my observation was worthless other than as food for thought.
November 19th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
At the beginning of this season, who in their wildest dreams could ever have predicted that a thread with this title would ever have been created the week of The Game?
The Warinner Effect is real, and it is powerful.
November 19th, 2018 at 12:52 PM ^
Big boy football. Next man up. Pretty sure Bosa will be an * asterics this year for them so no excuses.
Jim Harbaugh will have his best game plan. Hope we can put the wood to them and have a little fun bit I think it’s goimg to be a dog fight.
Hope the refs aren’t buckeye homers as usual.