Wisconsin Snowflakes: The Defense

All year this defense is burnt by players being badly out of position.  I don't know if it is youth or Brown's system but it looks to me like players not maintaining discipline and getting caught far from where they should be.  PSU exploited it all night and Wisconsin took advantage of it a few times today.

I don't see it as a talent deficiency when the player responsible gets caught on the wrong side of the play because of overpursuit.

Our defense looked better last year because of playing backup QBs, often because we knocked them out early in games. Like 9, wasn't it? We lost the 3 at the end and their #1 QBs were the only ones still upright. This year, not happening. Is it karma this year? Reversion to the mean?

Absolutely no reason whatsoever to bring pressure on 3rd and 16 against a Wisconsin type of offense. We seem incapable of being "bend, don't break", even if just for a play or two. Infuriating that we so often do unnecessary pressure that doesn't work and then half the players are out of the field of play, too far up field. 

 

Still, the defense played well enough to have Michigan win, they just did not play well enough to bail the offense (and today, special teams) out. Which, sadly, seems like they need to do to allow Michigan to win big games this year.