Michigan beat Rutgers, 35-14, Saturday … here’s what we picked up after watching the film.
First things first — Rutgers is bad. No news flash there. One playmaker, Janarion Grant, and he’s really good, accelerates a bit like Denard Robinson. His one touchdown run accounted for about a third of the total yardage against the Wolverines.
Heard a lot of “this defense is good, not great” after it gave up 190 and two touchdowns, including yet another pair of TDs after Michigan scores, but I don’t think that’s true. Teams are going to hit on some plays, even Rutgers.
The first one, Grant’s read option keeper, it appeared U-M lost contain (sophomore end Rashan Gary, probably), but even then Grant took it inside and accelerated just quickly enough to escape fifth-year senior nose tackle Maurice Hurst, who was incredible once again Saturday.
It took everything to go right for them on their second scoring drive. Their two nice passing plays, to the tight end over the middle and to a receiver over junior safety Tyree Kinnel, had to be perfectly executed. Gary was on the quarterback immediately on the first, and redshirt junior linebacker Noah Furbush didn’t find the ball (still a dangerous throw in traffic, looked like he just threw to a spot in the middle of the field and got lucky).
The other, Kinnel, who’s been beaten in coverage a few times even when he’s been tight on a receiver, didn’t get his head completely around, but he was right there — and it still took a one-handed grab to beat him.
Gary lost contain once more on a read option for a third down conversion … other than that, he was outstanding. He’s a first round pick after next year, and he was quicker off the ball than we’ve seen him this year.
Other thoughts:
• A game of inches. Two plays that could have made this one a lot closer than it should have been … junior Karan Higdon getting a first down by an inch on a fourth down carry in the first quarter, and what could have, probably should have been a pick-six late in the second quarter.
The first would have given Rutgers the ball near the U-M 40, and at the very least would have flipped the field and shortened the game for them (one that was already flying by). The second, just before redshirt frosh Brandon Peters’ second touchdown drive, would have made it a 14-14 game, with Rutgers receiving the second half kick.
Either way, it’s probably a tight game late in the third quarter.
• Fifth-year senior John O’Korn … can’t drop two snaps and throw a pick and expect to play (though, as head coach Jim Harbaugh said, Peters was likely to play, regardless).
Too many O’Korn drives in the last several weeks were derailed by negative plays, not all his fault — but you can’t win by playing that far behind the chains. Only twice can we remember U-M digging out of the big holes, once on a second and long pass to junior Grant Perry at Penn State on a nice throw from O’Korn, Saturday on a 16-yard Ty Isaac run that set up the Higdon one-yarder on fourth down.
Otherwise, you’re punting.
Dropping the ball on the snap and losing 12 yards … just can’t happen.
As for the interception … terrible throw, yeah, but don’t agree that it’s a terrible play call. Michigan was running the ball like crazy to that point, and they were going to have to throw the ball some to win. That was a great chance for O’Korn to get a good look, but it didn’t work out.
He also threw behind sophomore Eddie McDoom on a screen, which threw off the play’s timing (though tight ends Zach Gentry and Sean McKeon miscommunicated and left a free blocker to make the play). Gentry and McKeon were otherwise solid blocking, both providing springing blocks on touchdown runs.
Peters had a series on which he missed redshirt sophomore Tyrone Wheatley Jr. high and went the wrong way with a handoff on a broken play, but that’s going to happen with a first-time starter.
• U-M max protected on a number of Peters’ throws, once with seven against four blockers. When he finally had to leak out, fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac did a better job than any receiver has this year of finding an open spot to break off his route and give him someone to throw to on the right sideline.
Peters’ throw on the run to sophomore tight end Sean McKeon was one of the best QB plays of the year. And yeah, the wheel route to Chris Evans was a bit behind him, but it was catchable and put where he could make a play. Too often this year, we haven’t been able to say that (fades out of bounds, etc.).
• As for that wheel route, you thought trying to cover Saquon Barkley with Mike McCray was bad. That was a standup defensive end trying to stay with Evans. Evans, of course, blew by him.
The Rutgers d-line was supposed to be the strength of the defense. They were slow, unable to get off blocks and didn’t do anything up front (maybe one twist) to try to confuse the line. Honestly, though, they were so slow when they tried, who knows if they’d have gotten home anyway.
U-M did a nice job up front. Right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty has made a lot of progress run blocking. Sophomore right guard Mike Onwenu has been good, and left tackle Mason Cole was good. They pulled like crazy Saturday, and all probably slept well Saturday night.
Fifth-year senior center Pat Kugler probably graded out lowest, but he wasn’t bad. Still, you hope Cesar Ruiz can be an upgrade there, eventually. You’d like that to be a position of strength.
At least 200 of Michigan’s 340 rushing yards came before contact. The holes were huge. The backs ran well, and Higdon, especially, ran with great patience.
That said … even with the improvement, a lot of those plays need to be blocked better against the big boys.
• Go back and watch freshman Ambry Thomas’ kick return and tell me you don’t see Steve Breaston (in running style, long legs, etc.). And finally, it was only a matter of time before Donovan Peoples-Jones put the ball on the turf the way he carries it. We’ve been saying it … they got it back, but he still needs to put that thing away.
First things first — Rutgers is bad. No news flash there. One playmaker, Janarion Grant, and he’s really good, accelerates a bit like Denard Robinson. His one touchdown run accounted for about a third of the total yardage against the Wolverines.
Heard a lot of “this defense is good, not great” after it gave up 190 and two touchdowns, including yet another pair of TDs after Michigan scores, but I don’t think that’s true. Teams are going to hit on some plays, even Rutgers.
The first one, Grant’s read option keeper, it appeared U-M lost contain (sophomore end Rashan Gary, probably), but even then Grant took it inside and accelerated just quickly enough to escape fifth-year senior nose tackle Maurice Hurst, who was incredible once again Saturday.
It took everything to go right for them on their second scoring drive. Their two nice passing plays, to the tight end over the middle and to a receiver over junior safety Tyree Kinnel, had to be perfectly executed. Gary was on the quarterback immediately on the first, and redshirt junior linebacker Noah Furbush didn’t find the ball (still a dangerous throw in traffic, looked like he just threw to a spot in the middle of the field and got lucky).
The other, Kinnel, who’s been beaten in coverage a few times even when he’s been tight on a receiver, didn’t get his head completely around, but he was right there — and it still took a one-handed grab to beat him.
Gary lost contain once more on a read option for a third down conversion … other than that, he was outstanding. He’s a first round pick after next year, and he was quicker off the ball than we’ve seen him this year.
Other thoughts:
• A game of inches. Two plays that could have made this one a lot closer than it should have been … junior Karan Higdon getting a first down by an inch on a fourth down carry in the first quarter, and what could have, probably should have been a pick-six late in the second quarter.
The first would have given Rutgers the ball near the U-M 40, and at the very least would have flipped the field and shortened the game for them (one that was already flying by). The second, just before redshirt frosh Brandon Peters’ second touchdown drive, would have made it a 14-14 game, with Rutgers receiving the second half kick.
Either way, it’s probably a tight game late in the third quarter.
• Fifth-year senior John O’Korn … can’t drop two snaps and throw a pick and expect to play (though, as head coach Jim Harbaugh said, Peters was likely to play, regardless).
Too many O’Korn drives in the last several weeks were derailed by negative plays, not all his fault — but you can’t win by playing that far behind the chains. Only twice can we remember U-M digging out of the big holes, once on a second and long pass to junior Grant Perry at Penn State on a nice throw from O’Korn, Saturday on a 16-yard Ty Isaac run that set up the Higdon one-yarder on fourth down.
Otherwise, you’re punting.
Dropping the ball on the snap and losing 12 yards … just can’t happen.
As for the interception … terrible throw, yeah, but don’t agree that it’s a terrible play call. Michigan was running the ball like crazy to that point, and they were going to have to throw the ball some to win. That was a great chance for O’Korn to get a good look, but it didn’t work out.
He also threw behind sophomore Eddie McDoom on a screen, which threw off the play’s timing (though tight ends Zach Gentry and Sean McKeon miscommunicated and left a free blocker to make the play). Gentry and McKeon were otherwise solid blocking, both providing springing blocks on touchdown runs.
Peters had a series on which he missed redshirt sophomore Tyrone Wheatley Jr. high and went the wrong way with a handoff on a broken play, but that’s going to happen with a first-time starter.
• U-M max protected on a number of Peters’ throws, once with seven against four blockers. When he finally had to leak out, fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac did a better job than any receiver has this year of finding an open spot to break off his route and give him someone to throw to on the right sideline.
Peters’ throw on the run to sophomore tight end Sean McKeon was one of the best QB plays of the year. And yeah, the wheel route to Chris Evans was a bit behind him, but it was catchable and put where he could make a play. Too often this year, we haven’t been able to say that (fades out of bounds, etc.).
• As for that wheel route, you thought trying to cover Saquon Barkley with Mike McCray was bad. That was a standup defensive end trying to stay with Evans. Evans, of course, blew by him.
The Rutgers d-line was supposed to be the strength of the defense. They were slow, unable to get off blocks and didn’t do anything up front (maybe one twist) to try to confuse the line. Honestly, though, they were so slow when they tried, who knows if they’d have gotten home anyway.
U-M did a nice job up front. Right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty has made a lot of progress run blocking. Sophomore right guard Mike Onwenu has been good, and left tackle Mason Cole was good. They pulled like crazy Saturday, and all probably slept well Saturday night.
Fifth-year senior center Pat Kugler probably graded out lowest, but he wasn’t bad. Still, you hope Cesar Ruiz can be an upgrade there, eventually. You’d like that to be a position of strength.
At least 200 of Michigan’s 340 rushing yards came before contact. The holes were huge. The backs ran well, and Higdon, especially, ran with great patience.
That said … even with the improvement, a lot of those plays need to be blocked better against the big boys.
• Go back and watch freshman Ambry Thomas’ kick return and tell me you don’t see Steve Breaston (in running style, long legs, etc.). And finally, it was only a matter of time before Donovan Peoples-Jones put the ball on the turf the way he carries it. We’ve been saying it … they got it back, but he still needs to put that thing away.
