Several thoughts after watching film of Michigan’s 44-10 pounding of Michigan State in the Big House, notes after watching the postgame pressers and film of U-M’s win …
First off … the first quarter shouldn’t have been a surprise. The way Michigan has played after bye weeks (sluggish), MSU’s commitment to this game (off the charts — head coach Mark Dantonio admitted in the postgame press conference they do something to prepare for this game every day, all year) — it’s one of those things.
We expected this one to follow last year’s script, in fact … MSU pulls out all the stops, Michigan adjusts and responds and pulls away at the end for a hard-fought win. U-M was only going to lose this game if it went similar to the 2017 contest in which they turned it over like crazy, followed by a downpour that limited their ability to come back, or with several mistakes on both sides of the ball with a game plan that played to Michigan State’s strengths.
Fortunately, fair or not, John O’Korn wasn’t at quarterback. And starting with the obvious, the Wolverines weren’t about to run into the teeth of the MSU defense and play it close to the vest, and senior quarterback Shea Patterson was very good (and got nice protection). Those double A-gap blitzes MSU used to destroy U-M (left and right of center) with because the O-line couldn’t figure it out … long gone, and line coach Ed Warinner is responsible.
On a tangent, yes, there are four returning starters on this line, but it’s clear Warinner’s presence has fixed the fundamentals. U-M was starting a new center last year and new right tackle this year, and neither one had an issue picking up what MSU threw at them Saturday which, this year, wasn’t much. The Spartans were content to play more zone and drop the linebackers into coverage, and Patterson picked them apart.
Some of the MSU writers made a good point in postgame, wondering why Michigan State didn’t take their chances with more man-to-man, even though they were out-athleted at those positions, so to speak. Instead they were picked apart in the seams and on the edges, and it was clear U-M’s game plan was to exploit the secondary, use the bubble screens as their running game (cliché, but true).
To do that, you need outstanding blocking on the perimeter, and they got it. We asked head coach Jim Harbaugh about it yesterday after noticing just how good it was, and he couldn’t say enough good things. That’s what made it work, as well as U-M finally using the motion receiver as more than a decoy in the running game.
Junior Donovan Peoples-Jones’ touchdown, for example, was a mismatch, and Patterson did a great job selling it, keeping his eyes downfield until the last possible moment before throwing to Peoples-Jones in the right flat. The other routes were deep enough that all he had to do was beat a slow linebacker to the edge and get the sideline, get some downfield blocking … easy score.
Great play design. Clearly, MSU was missing corner Josiah Scott, injured early in this one, too … and that’s the way it goes. The Spartans don’t beat U-M in 2017 with Wilton Speight at quarterback, for example.
But back to the coverages … one of the big plays of the game, a third down completion on U-M’s 98-yard drive that gave the Wolverines the lead in the second quarter, wasn’t necessarily a great route by Peoples-Jones as much as it was a corner giving way too much room and respect. In fact, Peoples-Jones didn’t sell it very well. Patterson, though, was much more adept this game at throwing earlier to a spot than he has been this year, when he’s held too long. That was evident on that play.
That drive, meanwhile, was the game changer. MSU wanted a field position, run the clock type game — that’s the Jim Tressel in Mark Dantonio (along with the black mark on his soul) — and it worked in the first quarter in part to a poor kick return on U-M’s first drive that pinned them deep and a poor sequence of plays to start the game.
U-M answered, but it appeared we were headed to halftime with a nailbiter before the 98-yard drive took the wind out of MSU’s sails. That was the turning point in the game.
Along with the blocking on the bubble screens — and credit the entire bunch, but sophomore Ronnie Bell was by far the best, delivering some bone crushing shots (he’s like former Michigan receiver Chris Calloway, late 1980s and longtime NFL receiver, in getting into a guy’s midsection and finishing by getting him on the ground, not just getting in the way) — there were some outstanding wrinkles on the edges.
One came on a third quarter drive on which senior tight end Sean McKeon, who’d been used as a tap blocker running across the formation to pick out an opposing end, bluffed on the block and took a pass in the flat several yards thanks to one of Bell’s best blocks and junior Nico Collins’ “good enough” block. There was another block on the perimeter by frosh Mike Sainristil that got flagged during a Bell flat pass (was it low? We’re not sure).
And, of course, the third down touchdown to frosh Cornelius Johnson that looked like a play out of the old Rich Rod playbook with Denard Robinson and Roy Roundtree … sell it like a QB run, the receiver acts as though he’s going to stalk block and then leaves the corner in the dust when said corner comes up to make a play.
Would have loved to see that one brought out against the Buckeyes, but you have to imagine there will be more wrinkles for OSU. It was nice, too, to see some well-designed reverses with frosh Giles Jackson — not so nice to see another goofy trick play near midfield just when the offense was starting to march. Just keep doing what works.
Defensively, sophomore Aidan Hutchinson was a man possessed, though the secondary play and MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke’s inaccuracy was MSU’s biggest issue. The Spartans don’t have much of a choice but to get the ball out quickly with their offensive line issues, and while they hit a couple plays, there’s a reason U-M’s corners were the defensive players of the game. They concentrated more on Cody White, MSU’s only threat in the receiving corps … the rest was easy.
The Spartans helped, too. White’s drop in the first half (second quarter) was huge. Lewerke’s horrible throw, picked off by Lavert Hill in the fourth quarter, should have been a short gain. Instead it turned into Michigan points.
Finally, special teams — sure looked like the line judge on Harbaugh’s side was looking for reasons to flag Michigan’s coach. Harbaugh wasn’t that close to the sideline when the official ran into him and flagged him on Peoples-Jones’ punt return, one that ended in a fumble (he still carries the ball like a loaf of bread). This is also the guy that ridiculously flagged redshirt sophomore Tarik Black for his flex that about 10 others had done at some point during the game.
And again, redshirt junior Quinn Nordin’s 49-yard kick was clutch. Michigan wasn’t going to lose the game at that point, but going up 27-10 opened the door for the ass-kicking that game became.
Onward.
First off … the first quarter shouldn’t have been a surprise. The way Michigan has played after bye weeks (sluggish), MSU’s commitment to this game (off the charts — head coach Mark Dantonio admitted in the postgame press conference they do something to prepare for this game every day, all year) — it’s one of those things.
We expected this one to follow last year’s script, in fact … MSU pulls out all the stops, Michigan adjusts and responds and pulls away at the end for a hard-fought win. U-M was only going to lose this game if it went similar to the 2017 contest in which they turned it over like crazy, followed by a downpour that limited their ability to come back, or with several mistakes on both sides of the ball with a game plan that played to Michigan State’s strengths.
Fortunately, fair or not, John O’Korn wasn’t at quarterback. And starting with the obvious, the Wolverines weren’t about to run into the teeth of the MSU defense and play it close to the vest, and senior quarterback Shea Patterson was very good (and got nice protection). Those double A-gap blitzes MSU used to destroy U-M (left and right of center) with because the O-line couldn’t figure it out … long gone, and line coach Ed Warinner is responsible.
On a tangent, yes, there are four returning starters on this line, but it’s clear Warinner’s presence has fixed the fundamentals. U-M was starting a new center last year and new right tackle this year, and neither one had an issue picking up what MSU threw at them Saturday which, this year, wasn’t much. The Spartans were content to play more zone and drop the linebackers into coverage, and Patterson picked them apart.
Some of the MSU writers made a good point in postgame, wondering why Michigan State didn’t take their chances with more man-to-man, even though they were out-athleted at those positions, so to speak. Instead they were picked apart in the seams and on the edges, and it was clear U-M’s game plan was to exploit the secondary, use the bubble screens as their running game (cliché, but true).
To do that, you need outstanding blocking on the perimeter, and they got it. We asked head coach Jim Harbaugh about it yesterday after noticing just how good it was, and he couldn’t say enough good things. That’s what made it work, as well as U-M finally using the motion receiver as more than a decoy in the running game.
Junior Donovan Peoples-Jones’ touchdown, for example, was a mismatch, and Patterson did a great job selling it, keeping his eyes downfield until the last possible moment before throwing to Peoples-Jones in the right flat. The other routes were deep enough that all he had to do was beat a slow linebacker to the edge and get the sideline, get some downfield blocking … easy score.
Great play design. Clearly, MSU was missing corner Josiah Scott, injured early in this one, too … and that’s the way it goes. The Spartans don’t beat U-M in 2017 with Wilton Speight at quarterback, for example.
But back to the coverages … one of the big plays of the game, a third down completion on U-M’s 98-yard drive that gave the Wolverines the lead in the second quarter, wasn’t necessarily a great route by Peoples-Jones as much as it was a corner giving way too much room and respect. In fact, Peoples-Jones didn’t sell it very well. Patterson, though, was much more adept this game at throwing earlier to a spot than he has been this year, when he’s held too long. That was evident on that play.
That drive, meanwhile, was the game changer. MSU wanted a field position, run the clock type game — that’s the Jim Tressel in Mark Dantonio (along with the black mark on his soul) — and it worked in the first quarter in part to a poor kick return on U-M’s first drive that pinned them deep and a poor sequence of plays to start the game.
U-M answered, but it appeared we were headed to halftime with a nailbiter before the 98-yard drive took the wind out of MSU’s sails. That was the turning point in the game.
Along with the blocking on the bubble screens — and credit the entire bunch, but sophomore Ronnie Bell was by far the best, delivering some bone crushing shots (he’s like former Michigan receiver Chris Calloway, late 1980s and longtime NFL receiver, in getting into a guy’s midsection and finishing by getting him on the ground, not just getting in the way) — there were some outstanding wrinkles on the edges.
One came on a third quarter drive on which senior tight end Sean McKeon, who’d been used as a tap blocker running across the formation to pick out an opposing end, bluffed on the block and took a pass in the flat several yards thanks to one of Bell’s best blocks and junior Nico Collins’ “good enough” block. There was another block on the perimeter by frosh Mike Sainristil that got flagged during a Bell flat pass (was it low? We’re not sure).
And, of course, the third down touchdown to frosh Cornelius Johnson that looked like a play out of the old Rich Rod playbook with Denard Robinson and Roy Roundtree … sell it like a QB run, the receiver acts as though he’s going to stalk block and then leaves the corner in the dust when said corner comes up to make a play.
Would have loved to see that one brought out against the Buckeyes, but you have to imagine there will be more wrinkles for OSU. It was nice, too, to see some well-designed reverses with frosh Giles Jackson — not so nice to see another goofy trick play near midfield just when the offense was starting to march. Just keep doing what works.
Defensively, sophomore Aidan Hutchinson was a man possessed, though the secondary play and MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke’s inaccuracy was MSU’s biggest issue. The Spartans don’t have much of a choice but to get the ball out quickly with their offensive line issues, and while they hit a couple plays, there’s a reason U-M’s corners were the defensive players of the game. They concentrated more on Cody White, MSU’s only threat in the receiving corps … the rest was easy.
The Spartans helped, too. White’s drop in the first half (second quarter) was huge. Lewerke’s horrible throw, picked off by Lavert Hill in the fourth quarter, should have been a short gain. Instead it turned into Michigan points.
Finally, special teams — sure looked like the line judge on Harbaugh’s side was looking for reasons to flag Michigan’s coach. Harbaugh wasn’t that close to the sideline when the official ran into him and flagged him on Peoples-Jones’ punt return, one that ended in a fumble (he still carries the ball like a loaf of bread). This is also the guy that ridiculously flagged redshirt sophomore Tarik Black for his flex that about 10 others had done at some point during the game.
And again, redshirt junior Quinn Nordin’s 49-yard kick was clutch. Michigan wasn’t going to lose the game at that point, but going up 27-10 opened the door for the ass-kicking that game became.
Onward.
