Michigan lost to Penn State, 42-13, and looked bad at times doing it. But there were some positives.
First things first … great scheme by PSU’s offensive coordinator against U-M’s defense. It wasn’t just the obvious (matching up receiver DaeSean Hamilton on the safeties, direct snaps to Saquon Barkley, etc.) — they schemed to make their deficiency, the offensive line vs. Michigan’s defensive line, as negligible as possible.
Of PSU’s 26 pass attempts, only once was the ball not out of Trace McSorley’s hands in 2.5 seconds or (usually) less. They identified where they were going with the ball on every occasion, pre-snap, almost always went to the first read and the ball was out immediately.
Even on a first quarter, long pass play to tight end Mike Gesicki for 35 yards, sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary beats the tackle on the edge – he gets held, no call — when the Nittany Lions had six players to block five pass rushers.
Gary finished with two tackles, including a half tackle for loss, but he beat his man at the line of scrimmage a number of times. The ball was gone before he could get to McSorley.
When he did hold it longer, McSorley was sacked or made some mistakes. He was pressured and missed Barkley over the middle drag route for what would have been a nice gain in the first quarter. He threw out of bounds (five blockers in to block four, but everyone was covered) backwards and over Barkley’s head for what should have set up third and 20, but redshirt junior end Chase Winovich hit McSorley late to gift PSU a first down.
Michigan adjusted in the second quarter … that played out how many thought the entire game would, and how the rest of it needed to go if U-M was going to have a chance to win this game. Defensive coordinator Don Brown threw some wrinkles in with zone defense, which led to confusion and a pick by sophomore corner David Long that changed the game.
Freshman end Kwity Paye played well in limited action … he got good pressure and helped force a second-quarter sack by fifth-year senior end Maurice Hurst. Other than that, plays went to Hamilton over junior safety Tyree Kinnel, ball out in two seconds and placed perfectly against good coverage … tip of the cap … and ball out in two seconds to a receiver in the flat for a decent gain, and ball out in two seconds when they tried to go to Hamilton on fourth down, knocked away by sophomore corner Lavert Hill.
They ran a similar play at Kinnel in the first quarter, on which Kinnel was flagged for holding. No long developing, slow routes, just catch and release, and many of the throws were on the money, including a late second quarter, 15-yarder to Gesicki on the sideline over sophomore Khaleke Hudson.
Other observations on the defense:
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray was picked twice in coverage — not a rub route, but a pick that should have been called. The first one freed up Barkley on a wheel route that he dropped, and the other one came across the field in the second half on a play that went for a solid game and had both McCray and Harbaugh screaming for a flag they didn’t get.
On the Barkley touchdown, McCray simply got beaten off the line on the “we’ve got a matchup we like, run by him, McSorley will let it go deep immediately play.”
PSU head coach James Franklin and one of the assistants apparently talked about seeing it on film, and schemed for it. They had two weeks to prepare and came out with a great game plan.
• Kinnel struggled, taking a bad angle on a Barkley run to the sideline in the first quarter and also having a hard time in coverage … which you’d probably expect when he’s going up against receivers like Hamilton. But he and sophomore Josh Metellus also covered well at times and were still beaten by great throws. Again, an opponent making plays.
He also got beaten badly off the line inside, no contact on a slant to Hamilton that was far too easy. Hill let the receiver inside of him, as well, on a third and three play on which Hamilton picked up a first down, but he had to earn it. Both times, though, again, the ball is out immediately.
• Michigan’s linebackers got burned far too often following Barkley in his flow, and that really opened it up for McSorley in the read option. Harbaugh talked about lack of gap integrity this game … that’s what he meant.
Bottom line — great game plan, athletes making plays, not a great game for the Michigan defense (it happens) and 42 points for the PSU offense.
As for the offense …
The tone was set on the first play, a running play with junior Karan Higdon that was blocked well, with the exception of one position … senior left tackle Mason Cole, who let the end squeeze through and make a tackle from the backside.
Cole struggled this game. He also gave up a sack around the edge on fourth and 14 late in the fourth quarter, and a few more pressures. He also (again) led the offense on the sweeps, though, including a solid, third quarter gain by fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac on which he moved to right tackle on the play to lead the way.
The long run, though, was only 11 yards.
Observations:
• Solid play by the offensive guards this game, it appeared. Sophomores Mike Onwenu and Ben Bredeson seemed to play okay, though Onwenu (and just about everyone else) got beat badly on the first passing play.
Fifth-year senior center Pat Kugler got trucked a few times in pass pro. We mentioned Cole, and redshirt junior Juwann Bushell-Beatty was beaten a number of times on the edge.
• Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn wasn’t perfect, but he delivered nice balls the times he was able to sit in the pocket and had receivers get open. That wasn’t often. He had four passes dropped, including another by redshirt sophomore tight end Zach Gentry.
Junior receiver Grant Perry had chances to make two big catches and got two hands on the ball twice, but couldn’t reel them in. Not perfect throws, but catchable balls.
• As mentioned a number of times, the long routes on third and medium gave O’Korn no shot to find anyone before pressure was in his face. He left the pocket too soon a few times, but not too often, and he usually picked up yardage when he did.
He held the ball too long on one sack, but was often hit after release on a number of passes, including the beautiful over the shoulder grab by sophomore Kekoa Crawford. He was okay to solid, which was an upgrade. Two of his scrambles for solid gains early in the second half were the result of pressure over right tackle.
• Pass pro by the backs was bad. Higdon and sophomore Chris Evans twice dove at rushers’ feet and missed, and Higdon allowed his man back into the play on the O’Korn sack and fumble that ended any chance U-M had to score.
Too many plays like that when Michigan got near midfield sabotaged drives. A Bushell-Beatty hold negated a pass to midfield just before the half, or U-M could have gotten into field goal range. Still 30 seconds remaining. A dropped ball by freshman receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones with U-M down 21-13 was critical.
Too many shortened drives that could have kept this game closer.
Fifth-year senior fullback Khalid Hill whiffed on a block on a pitch that could have been a nice gainer, too.
• Finally, nice job by the kick coverage team again and also frosh Ambry Thomas on returns. He’s going to be a weapon back there going forward.
Onward.
First things first … great scheme by PSU’s offensive coordinator against U-M’s defense. It wasn’t just the obvious (matching up receiver DaeSean Hamilton on the safeties, direct snaps to Saquon Barkley, etc.) — they schemed to make their deficiency, the offensive line vs. Michigan’s defensive line, as negligible as possible.
Of PSU’s 26 pass attempts, only once was the ball not out of Trace McSorley’s hands in 2.5 seconds or (usually) less. They identified where they were going with the ball on every occasion, pre-snap, almost always went to the first read and the ball was out immediately.
Even on a first quarter, long pass play to tight end Mike Gesicki for 35 yards, sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary beats the tackle on the edge – he gets held, no call — when the Nittany Lions had six players to block five pass rushers.
Gary finished with two tackles, including a half tackle for loss, but he beat his man at the line of scrimmage a number of times. The ball was gone before he could get to McSorley.
When he did hold it longer, McSorley was sacked or made some mistakes. He was pressured and missed Barkley over the middle drag route for what would have been a nice gain in the first quarter. He threw out of bounds (five blockers in to block four, but everyone was covered) backwards and over Barkley’s head for what should have set up third and 20, but redshirt junior end Chase Winovich hit McSorley late to gift PSU a first down.
Michigan adjusted in the second quarter … that played out how many thought the entire game would, and how the rest of it needed to go if U-M was going to have a chance to win this game. Defensive coordinator Don Brown threw some wrinkles in with zone defense, which led to confusion and a pick by sophomore corner David Long that changed the game.
Freshman end Kwity Paye played well in limited action … he got good pressure and helped force a second-quarter sack by fifth-year senior end Maurice Hurst. Other than that, plays went to Hamilton over junior safety Tyree Kinnel, ball out in two seconds and placed perfectly against good coverage … tip of the cap … and ball out in two seconds to a receiver in the flat for a decent gain, and ball out in two seconds when they tried to go to Hamilton on fourth down, knocked away by sophomore corner Lavert Hill.
They ran a similar play at Kinnel in the first quarter, on which Kinnel was flagged for holding. No long developing, slow routes, just catch and release, and many of the throws were on the money, including a late second quarter, 15-yarder to Gesicki on the sideline over sophomore Khaleke Hudson.
Other observations on the defense:
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray was picked twice in coverage — not a rub route, but a pick that should have been called. The first one freed up Barkley on a wheel route that he dropped, and the other one came across the field in the second half on a play that went for a solid game and had both McCray and Harbaugh screaming for a flag they didn’t get.
On the Barkley touchdown, McCray simply got beaten off the line on the “we’ve got a matchup we like, run by him, McSorley will let it go deep immediately play.”
PSU head coach James Franklin and one of the assistants apparently talked about seeing it on film, and schemed for it. They had two weeks to prepare and came out with a great game plan.
• Kinnel struggled, taking a bad angle on a Barkley run to the sideline in the first quarter and also having a hard time in coverage … which you’d probably expect when he’s going up against receivers like Hamilton. But he and sophomore Josh Metellus also covered well at times and were still beaten by great throws. Again, an opponent making plays.
He also got beaten badly off the line inside, no contact on a slant to Hamilton that was far too easy. Hill let the receiver inside of him, as well, on a third and three play on which Hamilton picked up a first down, but he had to earn it. Both times, though, again, the ball is out immediately.
• Michigan’s linebackers got burned far too often following Barkley in his flow, and that really opened it up for McSorley in the read option. Harbaugh talked about lack of gap integrity this game … that’s what he meant.
Bottom line — great game plan, athletes making plays, not a great game for the Michigan defense (it happens) and 42 points for the PSU offense.
As for the offense …
The tone was set on the first play, a running play with junior Karan Higdon that was blocked well, with the exception of one position … senior left tackle Mason Cole, who let the end squeeze through and make a tackle from the backside.
Cole struggled this game. He also gave up a sack around the edge on fourth and 14 late in the fourth quarter, and a few more pressures. He also (again) led the offense on the sweeps, though, including a solid, third quarter gain by fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac on which he moved to right tackle on the play to lead the way.
The long run, though, was only 11 yards.
Observations:
• Solid play by the offensive guards this game, it appeared. Sophomores Mike Onwenu and Ben Bredeson seemed to play okay, though Onwenu (and just about everyone else) got beat badly on the first passing play.
Fifth-year senior center Pat Kugler got trucked a few times in pass pro. We mentioned Cole, and redshirt junior Juwann Bushell-Beatty was beaten a number of times on the edge.
• Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn wasn’t perfect, but he delivered nice balls the times he was able to sit in the pocket and had receivers get open. That wasn’t often. He had four passes dropped, including another by redshirt sophomore tight end Zach Gentry.
Junior receiver Grant Perry had chances to make two big catches and got two hands on the ball twice, but couldn’t reel them in. Not perfect throws, but catchable balls.
• As mentioned a number of times, the long routes on third and medium gave O’Korn no shot to find anyone before pressure was in his face. He left the pocket too soon a few times, but not too often, and he usually picked up yardage when he did.
He held the ball too long on one sack, but was often hit after release on a number of passes, including the beautiful over the shoulder grab by sophomore Kekoa Crawford. He was okay to solid, which was an upgrade. Two of his scrambles for solid gains early in the second half were the result of pressure over right tackle.
• Pass pro by the backs was bad. Higdon and sophomore Chris Evans twice dove at rushers’ feet and missed, and Higdon allowed his man back into the play on the O’Korn sack and fumble that ended any chance U-M had to score.
Too many plays like that when Michigan got near midfield sabotaged drives. A Bushell-Beatty hold negated a pass to midfield just before the half, or U-M could have gotten into field goal range. Still 30 seconds remaining. A dropped ball by freshman receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones with U-M down 21-13 was critical.
Too many shortened drives that could have kept this game closer.
Fifth-year senior fullback Khalid Hill whiffed on a block on a pitch that could have been a nice gainer, too.
• Finally, nice job by the kick coverage team again and also frosh Ambry Thomas on returns. He’s going to be a weapon back there going forward.
Onward.
