Michigan dominated Florida in the second half of Saturday’s 33-17 win, outscoring the Gators 20-0. Here’s what we picked up from the last 30 minutes …
• The first drive of the second half was a heavy dose of play action, including a few to sophomore tight end Sean McKeon (again, a future star). McKeon blocked well, which head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed in the postgame.
It also featured one of redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight’s three best passes, down the seam to junior receiver Grant Perry. For any shortcomings Perry might have, hands aren’t one of them. That was a nice grab.
The drive also featured some pulling from right guard Mike Onwenu, who is surprisingly adept at getting there and putting his big body on someone.
• Redshirt junior defensive tackle Lawrence Marshall played very well when he got in, more than held his own at the line of scrimmage. His hustle play allowed him to recover a third quarter fumble … “always run to the ball.”
This was one of the few times sophomore end Rashan Gary didn’t (they’ll get on him for a loaf), or he might have been in position to jump on the ball, too.
• Gary won’t make this week’s Elite Eight, but he could have. He finished with two tackles, but was all over the field, had a half sack on a third and six (though Harbaugh lamented in the Monday presser it was only credited to sophomore linebacker Devin Bush). Gary was there and half responsible. He also chased Florida quarterback Malik Zaire from the pocket three times, two on the same fourth quarter drive in which he stumbled a bit or would have had a sack … he also nearly got home on the next play despite being double teamed.
Not sure why Florida stuck with Zaire as long as they did, other than maybe he was a bit more escapable than Felipe Franks. Between the two, only 25 of the team’s 53 offensive plays went for positive yardage.
Gary’s pursuit in the third quarter ended with a roll left, a great fingertip grab and one of Florida’s few good plays of the game, but the defensive discipline was on display even then. Seeing Gary chasing Zaire toward the sideline, redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich cut behind Gary to get the angle in case Zaire turned the corner. He didn’t, but if he had, Winovich would have been there to clock him.
Little things that show how well coached these kids are.
• Another … Winovich putting his helmet in Zaire’s chest on the textbook tackle in the end zone (like Jordan Kovacs against the WMU QB in 2011), and then raking the ball out. He’d have had the recovery, too, if redshirt junior linebacker Noah Furbush didn’t get there first … Winovich jokingly gave Furbush some ribbing about stealing his TD.
That play was beautifully designed. Both linebackers faked blitz, took three steps toward the line of scrimmage before dropping back. Florida had six linemen in max protect, and they didn’t have a clue who to block. Winovich split the left side of the line, and the left guard hears it from tackle Martez Ivey when Winovich blows through for the sack.
Gary was double teamed, but still pushed two defenders back into the end zone to suffocate the pocket.
• The safety play was fantastic. Junior Tyree Kinnel and sophomore Josh Metellus were in sync, fast and relentless. Kinnel notched a nice series with U-M up 26-17 with a big stick, then a breakup on the sideline.
This duo for two years … wow.
• Redshirt sophomore right tackle Nolan Ulizio was much better in pass protection in the second half. They still chipped an end with fullback Henry Poggi or a back every now and then, but didn’t need to.
• Fifth-year senior Ty Isaac got it done on a third and 10 draw once again for 11 yards. No idea how the Gators weren’t prepared for that one at that point. Most of Michigan’s rushing yardage, again, came on “odd schedule” long yardage second and third down plays.
• Senior left tackle Mason Cole didn’t have his best game. He was bull rushed once and gave up a sack on third and 10. He’s very good, but right now reminiscent of a poor man’s Jeff Backus. Center is his better position, but fifth-year senior Pat Kugler … wow. Exceeded all expectations on his way to lineman of the game.
• Tight ends had their ups and downs blocking, but redshirt junior Tyrone Wheatley sealed the edge as well as you can on a 23-yard Isaac run in the fourth quarter.
Isaac, meanwhile, was great in pass protection on the 48-yard pass to sophomore tight end Nick Eubanks, a beautifully thrown ball by Speight. Eubanks got behind a safety and a linebacker on the play and looked like a receiver. SEC speed, baby.
• The little things make a difference … a false start penalty on a 47-yard field goal attempt by redshirt freshman Quinn Nordin turned it into a 52-yarder that barely missed, and would have been good from 47.
• The play clock started early on the play on which Michigan was flagged for delay of game. Can’t believe the officials didn’t catch it.
• A great sell on a hitch by frosh Donovan Peoples-Jones led to a pick on Speight’s overthrow to sophomore receiver Dylan Crawford. Still not sure how Speight missed that one. That can’t happen against elite teams.
Speight also missed fifth-year senior Khalid Hill in the middle of the field while scrambling and running out of bounds on a third down play, just before Nordin’s missed 32-yard field goal. He needs to keep his eyes downfield.
• It’s almost not fair when sophomores Devin Bush and Khaleke Hudson blitz at the same time … so much speed. Hudson would have had a pick downfield had sophomore Lavert Hill not knocked the ball away, too, on a long fourth quarter pass down the left sideline.
Hudson was a bullet to the ball on another insane blitz just before the fumble for touchdown. The Wolverines bring seven to the line, four come, and this is our first Aubrey Solomon sighting. The frosh tackle is powerful, huge rear end … pushes an offensive lineman back into the play so Zaire has nowhere to go, forcing a fumble against said lineman’s ass.
The backups and third stringers on this defense look like they could start for many Big Ten teams. On the last play of the game, Solomon gets push and linebackers Elysee Mbem-Bosse and Josh Uche dart through with great speed to end the game with a sack.
Pretty fitting.
• The first drive of the second half was a heavy dose of play action, including a few to sophomore tight end Sean McKeon (again, a future star). McKeon blocked well, which head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed in the postgame.
It also featured one of redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight’s three best passes, down the seam to junior receiver Grant Perry. For any shortcomings Perry might have, hands aren’t one of them. That was a nice grab.
The drive also featured some pulling from right guard Mike Onwenu, who is surprisingly adept at getting there and putting his big body on someone.
• Redshirt junior defensive tackle Lawrence Marshall played very well when he got in, more than held his own at the line of scrimmage. His hustle play allowed him to recover a third quarter fumble … “always run to the ball.”
This was one of the few times sophomore end Rashan Gary didn’t (they’ll get on him for a loaf), or he might have been in position to jump on the ball, too.
• Gary won’t make this week’s Elite Eight, but he could have. He finished with two tackles, but was all over the field, had a half sack on a third and six (though Harbaugh lamented in the Monday presser it was only credited to sophomore linebacker Devin Bush). Gary was there and half responsible. He also chased Florida quarterback Malik Zaire from the pocket three times, two on the same fourth quarter drive in which he stumbled a bit or would have had a sack … he also nearly got home on the next play despite being double teamed.
Not sure why Florida stuck with Zaire as long as they did, other than maybe he was a bit more escapable than Felipe Franks. Between the two, only 25 of the team’s 53 offensive plays went for positive yardage.
Gary’s pursuit in the third quarter ended with a roll left, a great fingertip grab and one of Florida’s few good plays of the game, but the defensive discipline was on display even then. Seeing Gary chasing Zaire toward the sideline, redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich cut behind Gary to get the angle in case Zaire turned the corner. He didn’t, but if he had, Winovich would have been there to clock him.
Little things that show how well coached these kids are.
• Another … Winovich putting his helmet in Zaire’s chest on the textbook tackle in the end zone (like Jordan Kovacs against the WMU QB in 2011), and then raking the ball out. He’d have had the recovery, too, if redshirt junior linebacker Noah Furbush didn’t get there first … Winovich jokingly gave Furbush some ribbing about stealing his TD.
That play was beautifully designed. Both linebackers faked blitz, took three steps toward the line of scrimmage before dropping back. Florida had six linemen in max protect, and they didn’t have a clue who to block. Winovich split the left side of the line, and the left guard hears it from tackle Martez Ivey when Winovich blows through for the sack.
Gary was double teamed, but still pushed two defenders back into the end zone to suffocate the pocket.
• The safety play was fantastic. Junior Tyree Kinnel and sophomore Josh Metellus were in sync, fast and relentless. Kinnel notched a nice series with U-M up 26-17 with a big stick, then a breakup on the sideline.
This duo for two years … wow.
• Redshirt sophomore right tackle Nolan Ulizio was much better in pass protection in the second half. They still chipped an end with fullback Henry Poggi or a back every now and then, but didn’t need to.
• Fifth-year senior Ty Isaac got it done on a third and 10 draw once again for 11 yards. No idea how the Gators weren’t prepared for that one at that point. Most of Michigan’s rushing yardage, again, came on “odd schedule” long yardage second and third down plays.
• Senior left tackle Mason Cole didn’t have his best game. He was bull rushed once and gave up a sack on third and 10. He’s very good, but right now reminiscent of a poor man’s Jeff Backus. Center is his better position, but fifth-year senior Pat Kugler … wow. Exceeded all expectations on his way to lineman of the game.
• Tight ends had their ups and downs blocking, but redshirt junior Tyrone Wheatley sealed the edge as well as you can on a 23-yard Isaac run in the fourth quarter.
Isaac, meanwhile, was great in pass protection on the 48-yard pass to sophomore tight end Nick Eubanks, a beautifully thrown ball by Speight. Eubanks got behind a safety and a linebacker on the play and looked like a receiver. SEC speed, baby.
• The little things make a difference … a false start penalty on a 47-yard field goal attempt by redshirt freshman Quinn Nordin turned it into a 52-yarder that barely missed, and would have been good from 47.
• The play clock started early on the play on which Michigan was flagged for delay of game. Can’t believe the officials didn’t catch it.
• A great sell on a hitch by frosh Donovan Peoples-Jones led to a pick on Speight’s overthrow to sophomore receiver Dylan Crawford. Still not sure how Speight missed that one. That can’t happen against elite teams.
Speight also missed fifth-year senior Khalid Hill in the middle of the field while scrambling and running out of bounds on a third down play, just before Nordin’s missed 32-yard field goal. He needs to keep his eyes downfield.
• It’s almost not fair when sophomores Devin Bush and Khaleke Hudson blitz at the same time … so much speed. Hudson would have had a pick downfield had sophomore Lavert Hill not knocked the ball away, too, on a long fourth quarter pass down the left sideline.
Hudson was a bullet to the ball on another insane blitz just before the fumble for touchdown. The Wolverines bring seven to the line, four come, and this is our first Aubrey Solomon sighting. The frosh tackle is powerful, huge rear end … pushes an offensive lineman back into the play so Zaire has nowhere to go, forcing a fumble against said lineman’s ass.
The backups and third stringers on this defense look like they could start for many Big Ten teams. On the last play of the game, Solomon gets push and linebackers Elysee Mbem-Bosse and Josh Uche dart through with great speed to end the game with a sack.
Pretty fitting.
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