Maryland Snowflakes: The Defense
September 24th, 2022 at 3:29 PM ^
I have concerns. No pass rush and soft linebacker play.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:31 PM ^
That pass rush rocked once the Maryland backup OL came in.
September 25th, 2022 at 11:17 AM ^
I'm not sure who was playing OL for Maryland at the time, but I noticed the edge rush changed significantly when Moore and Okie were rushing. I'm hoping they come along this year to be legit passing down options against Ohio State.
And we really need NHG back. Mullings will probably be really good in 2024, but it's too early for him right now.
Also, I don't see it mentioned much here but Mazi took the game over in the 3rd quarter. He was a monster at a good time to be one, and was essential in M building to that 24-13 lead.
September 24th, 2022 at 6:47 PM ^
Please google “how to contain a running QB”
September 24th, 2022 at 7:17 PM ^
Tagovailoa has 126 attempts for 173 yards for his entire career, 19 for 54 this year…He’s not a statue back there, but he’s also not a “running qb”, at least not a major threat…
I’d say the lack of pass rush most of the game wasn’t the defense trying to contain a running qb…it was the most experienced and best OL we’ve seen all year, our DL is solid but not the pass rushing threat it was last year.
September 24th, 2022 at 7:44 PM ^
Tua, 20 yds rushing, sacked 3 times. How did a running QB kill us? I thought the D did a great job staying in their lanes.
September 25th, 2022 at 1:56 AM ^
People are misremembering this game because the announcers spent the whole game shitting on the M defense. MD had 13 points in the 4th quarter an TT had been sacked, had to escape several tackles, and many of his passes were quick throws to a few guys that made some good catches and the announcers were still talking like M's D "had to find some answers". It was fucking bizarre.
September 24th, 2022 at 9:16 PM ^
Depth be damned, Mullings needs to be move to RB immediately. Forcing him to play LB is bad for him and bad for the team. Just say a prayer then throw Rolder and Hood into the fire.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:31 PM ^
The middle two quarters inspire some optimism, and the end of the game with the pass rush finally being extant was positive. Pass rush will still clearly be an issue moving forward, alongside tackling apparently. But 19 competitive points to the 2nd best offense we'll play all year is a win IMO.
September 24th, 2022 at 4:19 PM ^
I don’t think we should ignore the TD given up to their backup. The game was still competitive and they let some guys get open downfield. Can’t let Maryland convert a 4th and 13 like that, or let their backup QB convert a 3rd and 21 on the ground (!!!). Then they failed to stop the 2 point conversion.
September 24th, 2022 at 4:29 PM ^
Can’t have guys celebrating a sack with a running clock causing the defense to scramble to line up for the 4th down play, resulting in an ILB trying to reposition guys to the point he pulled himself out of position.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:31 PM ^
Not bad, not great. Linebackers and safeties took some terrible angles on the scrambles by Maryland QB’s. I thought the secondary did a bang up job overall against a good passing attack.
September 25th, 2022 at 8:22 AM ^
This is the key. Secondary was really good and we are going to need that against OSU. LB play has to Excel and needs more improvement for underneath stuff, which OSU will do a lot. Hope NHG comes back soon.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:31 PM ^
We took the ability to tackle last year for granted, little to no pass rush from our front line, and we gave up a long drive touchdown and 2pt conversion against the Maryland backups.
We won the score, but that’s about it.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:37 PM ^
We won the score, but that’s about it.
And thankfully, that’s all that matters
September 24th, 2022 at 3:44 PM ^
Only if you’re short-sighted
September 24th, 2022 at 4:15 PM ^
Just out of curiosity, what matters more than the score?
Are you Scott Frost’s mom?
September 24th, 2022 at 6:52 PM ^
His point is, quite obviously, that this defense can't compete against OSU or be competitive in the playoff. We're #4 in the country, that's why this was the big noon Saturday game-- to try to figure out how good Michigan is, and the answer is "not as good as the top 3"
Maybe that changes, maybe this was a deceptive performance, but struggling mightily against the first team with a pulse does not inspire confidence.
September 25th, 2022 at 12:21 AM ^
It might not "inspire confidence" but bama nearly lost to texas, OSU didn't look great against a ND team that lost to marshall,
TODAY:Georgia gave up 22 to a previously 1-2 Kent State. #5 Clemson gave up 45 to Wake Forest (WF highest score of the season), #6 Oklahoma Lost, #7 USC was down 3-7 to unranked Oregon State and only now leads 10-7, #8 KY didnt look impressive at all against a bottom barrel northern illinois team. You can literally go down the list for today and nobody beyond that looked imperessive except the #12 team that didn't do as well against uconn as we did. Penn state didnt look overly impressive against CMU (who is NOT good).
Literally nobody has looked perfect this year.
This game seems like exactly what happens when a good team gets cocky, they get lazy, and then they get punched in the mouth. Michigan won today, they held MD to their fewest yards of the season. They also learned a lot about a high profile passing attack early in the season which is a lot better than learning about it a week before OSU.
Relax.
September 24th, 2022 at 5:38 PM ^
Uhhh yeah i don’t think winning games being the most important thing is short sighted at all… they don’t ask how, they ask how many. 15-0 wins a national title, no matter how ugly those wins are.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:32 PM ^
Definitely need to get better at getting off the field on 3rd and 4th down. That last Maryland drive pissed me off more than anything.
September 24th, 2022 at 4:01 PM ^
Yes, I absolutely hate those last minute scores when you're up a couple. They seem to just let then take thier time and score knowing they can't beat the clock. Maddening!
September 24th, 2022 at 7:40 PM ^
I’ve been very disappointed in Minter. Nothing creative at all. No second half adjustment. No creative pass rush. Stale line up and out athlete. This team is in trouble if that’s his strategy.
September 24th, 2022 at 7:43 PM ^
No second half adjustment? Did you watch the game? We started erasing screens that plagued us first half and played much better.
September 24th, 2022 at 9:20 PM ^
The Minter slander is startling. A lot of people need to come to terms with the reality that our defensive depth chart is badly lacking in the front seven.
September 25th, 2022 at 12:33 PM ^
A lot of people don't really understand much of what they're watching.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:32 PM ^
We could really use NHG back in the lineup
September 24th, 2022 at 3:32 PM ^
Happy for Mike Sainristil.
He is a legit defender and I think he'll be able to play at the next level
September 25th, 2022 at 12:13 AM ^
I think he's as good as Dax Hill.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:33 PM ^
Celebrate some more and then watch a backup QB run for 23 yds and a first on 3rd & 21
September 24th, 2022 at 4:19 PM ^
Wow. You must be the most negative poster ever. Did anything go sort of OK?
September 24th, 2022 at 3:33 PM ^
The talent gets better and better but to really compete on the big stage we will need to get stronger and faster on the DL. Season is young. Team will get better.
Go Blue!!!!
September 24th, 2022 at 3:33 PM ^
The drop in defensive end Talent is bigger than I think anybody thought it was going to be. It is amazing that those guys get zero pressure one-on-one
September 25th, 2022 at 8:05 AM ^
<raises hand>
I've been talking all offseason about how our pass rush was going to fall off a cliff. I had zero confidence in Harrell, Morris, and McGregor to be average pass rushers. The best chance was going to be McGregor blowing up and he probably would have done that already if he was going to, injury or not
Moore is going to be a stud but freshmen DL need time to grow up
I'm still less concerned about edge rush than I am LB play. We can survive making pressure schematically, but if we have LBs that don't know what they're doing then we're screwed
September 25th, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
True.
The Achilles heel is LB weakness.
Solve that and it allows everything else on defense to get drastically better.
But I am not certain LBs fixable this season. Which means we have to ask the DL and secondary to compensate, making their play look worse than it actually is.
But that's football
September 24th, 2022 at 3:34 PM ^
Hard to get home when you're held all day by a disciplined team. With that said the run defense looked terrible and there was zero containment. Secondary played well though (especially the Moten pick).
September 24th, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
Maryland rushed for 3.8 yards per attempt (not sack-adjusted, but neither did I take out the QB scrambles).
September 24th, 2022 at 3:47 PM ^
It didn't feel that way. The first half they couldn't stop anything. Just surprised by that number.
September 25th, 2022 at 8:32 AM ^
It felt that way because they converted on a few 3rd downs. But limiting them to 13 points in the half with all they were doing and no penalty, is a win for this defense. Of course, they adjusted well in the 2nd half.
That OL returning all five showed in this game what experience means.
September 25th, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
Defense came up huge when Maryland had a couple possessions in dangerous territory in the 3rd quarter. Meant UM was able to stretch it out to 11 and be in a 1-2 score game rather than a back and forth game in the 4th.
September 24th, 2022 at 6:36 PM ^
I think early on Michigan was bringing UConn level intensity. They could go 70% against those guys and make stops. Maryland played with their hair on fire early on and Michigan didn’t match it. Once Michigan stepped up the intensity, they stopped bleeding those RB yards as much. Then on the last drive they did it again. Punt counter punt nailed that issue. Human psychology is hard to overcome. Look at all the NFL teams that get a lead early and choke a game away or lose because they let up emotionally. Short of that issue, I thought they did fine.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:35 PM ^
D did enough to slow a good offense. I'm happy with the performance.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:35 PM ^
That Maryland offense is very good. A solid defensive effort, and plenty to learn from/improve upon.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:36 PM ^
Prevent defense is playing to give up your lead. Happens way more often than DCs want to admit. That last drive should’ve ended when Maryland went for it on 4th and 11 at midfield. Michigan just conceded the first down with that gross cushion. Plenty of concerning aspects defensively, but the secondary is massive. Sainristil fits like a glove on that side of the ball and most of the other DBs made excellent plays throughout. Plenty to improve on and hopefully they find some pass rush because the concerns are absolutely justified.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:36 PM ^
Defense is solid but getting a pass rush is going to be a problem all season. Scheme seems sound, and kids look organized but we need a pass rusher.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:37 PM ^
Thought they were doing fine the 2nd half until they gave up a 4th and 13, 3rd and 21, then 4th and 12.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
I thought the Browns DC took over
September 24th, 2022 at 4:03 PM ^
The contain on the scramble was bad, but otherwise those three plays were of the 'one guy busted' variety.
September 25th, 2022 at 8:37 AM ^
We had this go against last year too. MSU and OSU made big time conversions on 4th down. It is difficult to match when offense is in desperation mode. 50/50 ball or scramble are on the table. Sometimes it ends in a sack or an INT, sometimes the offense makes plays. Not sure if we can read a lot into that.
September 24th, 2022 at 3:37 PM ^
The lack of organic pass rush pressure from our DEs is going to be the main thing preventing an undefeated regular season barring someone like Okie having a midseason breakthrough. Secondary looks really good. DEs are at or below average in pass rush.