Here are the little things we picked up after re-watching Michigan’s 42-21 win over Maryland …
First, the offensive line ...
Better. This group played pretty well in the last three quarters against Northwestern, and it was really good against the Terps, especially in pass protection. And it should have been. We literally didn’t see a stunt or a twist from the Terrapins’ defense until the fourth quarter. They’d rush four usually, sometimes three, and U-M had five or six to block.
You’d think with that many defenders back in coverage Maryland would have had better success against the pass, but there were far too many soft spots in their zones. Redshirt junior Zach Gentry especially did a nice job finding them. He had a nice game, other than the pass that went off his hands for a pick. He made a couple of great catches with defenders draped on him, but we’re still waiting for him to win a 50-50 contested ball. That’s his next step.
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson is Jim Harbaugh reincarnate (except Jim’s still alive. You know what we mean, though). His ability to escape pressure is one of the big differences between this year’s team and the last two.
The pressure on the interception came when junior left guard Ben Bredeson got over his feet and beaten badly. Patterson may have forced that one a bit, but Gentry had two hands on the ball. Make a play (similar to his end zone play at Notre Dame in the opener. Use the size and strength to corral a ball against a smaller defender).
There weren’t many other pressures, but two of them were on the backs. As good as Ben Mason is, the junior fullback tried to “catch” a blitzer and got knocked on his butt. The result last year would have been a sack. This year? Patterson eluded the pressure, scrambled left and found junior receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who did a great job scanning the field and staying with his route (a crossing route).
The blocks to finish it were outstanding, especially tight end Nick Eubanks and running back Tru Wilson’s.
Wilson is an absolute little stud. In addition to that block, he has the series everyone’s been talking about:
Now, he did miss a block on the following play, forcing a sidearm, dangerous throw on second and two on U-M’s last offensive touchdown drive. Frosh Ronnie Bell made a great catch for a first down, but that’s a 27-14 game at that point and second and two. One more step and the defensive back cuts it to a six-point game.
We like a couple runs there with Mason in the game to keep the drive alive.
Regardless, Wilson was involved that entire drive, had a nice run and looks to punish tacklers by putting his head into them and caught a key third down pass on which he was face masked to keep the drive alive.
Other notes on offense:
• Michigan’s first play from scrimmage, a nice run from Karan Higdon, should have been blown dead before the snap. Fifth-year senior right tackle Juwann Bushell Beatty flinched … and then, at the snap, he dove forward like he saw a grasshopper and was trying to capture it with his hands, hitting nobody.
• U-M’s first punt came after a third and three play blown up when it seemed like Patterson should have kept on a read option when the defensive end crashed. It looked worse that it was because he slipped, a problem early in the game with the wet field.
• Peoples-Jones simply has to be more disciplined on the block in the back play that sprung Higdon for the last several yards of a pass play. The targeting penalty offset it, but that should have been first and goal.
• Junior right guard Mike Onwenu missed a block on Mason’s touchdown run, but it didn’t matter. You could literally hear the collision from the press box when Mason trucked a linebacker.
Not surprisingly, said linebacker (nor anyone else) wanted no part of Mason on a two-point conversion later in the game when he went untouched.
It was interesting that they went to Mason inside their own 10 on a key, 95-yard touchdown drive as the only back. They’re starting to trust him more with the ball, and the pass to him to the flat (in which he hurdled the defender) could be a sign of things to come.
Fifth-year senior Jared Wangler, too, showed great hands on his touchdown reception that put Michigan up 33-14. A great play.
Michigan moved the ball well offensively the entire game. This Maryland team had been stout against the run, but the line did a nice job.
****
On defense … not sure people realize how tricky an offense this is to defend. They’re like the Michigan 1940s Mad Magicians with all of their formations and trickery — you really need to be disciplined and good with your eyes, and they were.
Junior safety Josh Metellus played a great game and has played at a high level for a good portion of the season, minus a few of the obvious negative plays. And senior safety Tyree Kinnel played well, too, especially on a series in the second quarter on which he made two great plays in run support.
He did give up a slant pass for about eight yards that was contested. D.C. Don Brown will be okay with the occasional few of those, he said last week.
Redshirt sophomore Mike Dwumfour was disruptive on the interior. He’s using his hands to get off blocks better than he was earlier in the year … that is a staple of a Greg Mattison line. Watch junior Carlo Kemp and even frosh Aidan Hutchinson. They’re great at this.
Kemp drew a holding call when Maryland was backed up on a play on which he got great burst. He’s been one of the pleasant surprises on this defense and played a really good game. He’ll be fine for Wisconsin, which will be a bigger test. But he holds his ground and does get pushed backward.
Fifth-year senior Bryan Mone has his good moments and bad. He got pancaked on a play that might have worked for Maryland had fifth-year senior end Chase Winovich not come from the backside and made an incredible ankle tackle.
Maryland ran away from Winovich much of the game. He did get fooled on a fake jet sweep on the Terps’ first touchdown drive, but that happens.
Finally, Maryland’s first and 10 play at 10:30 of the first was a complete pick up top on a drag route, and it would have been a big play had junior linebacker Devin Bush not forced a hot early throw that went off the receiver’s hands.
Not sure how that’s a legal play.
Onward.
First, the offensive line ...
Better. This group played pretty well in the last three quarters against Northwestern, and it was really good against the Terps, especially in pass protection. And it should have been. We literally didn’t see a stunt or a twist from the Terrapins’ defense until the fourth quarter. They’d rush four usually, sometimes three, and U-M had five or six to block.
You’d think with that many defenders back in coverage Maryland would have had better success against the pass, but there were far too many soft spots in their zones. Redshirt junior Zach Gentry especially did a nice job finding them. He had a nice game, other than the pass that went off his hands for a pick. He made a couple of great catches with defenders draped on him, but we’re still waiting for him to win a 50-50 contested ball. That’s his next step.
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson is Jim Harbaugh reincarnate (except Jim’s still alive. You know what we mean, though). His ability to escape pressure is one of the big differences between this year’s team and the last two.
The pressure on the interception came when junior left guard Ben Bredeson got over his feet and beaten badly. Patterson may have forced that one a bit, but Gentry had two hands on the ball. Make a play (similar to his end zone play at Notre Dame in the opener. Use the size and strength to corral a ball against a smaller defender).
There weren’t many other pressures, but two of them were on the backs. As good as Ben Mason is, the junior fullback tried to “catch” a blitzer and got knocked on his butt. The result last year would have been a sack. This year? Patterson eluded the pressure, scrambled left and found junior receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who did a great job scanning the field and staying with his route (a crossing route).
The blocks to finish it were outstanding, especially tight end Nick Eubanks and running back Tru Wilson’s.
Wilson is an absolute little stud. In addition to that block, he has the series everyone’s been talking about:
Now, he did miss a block on the following play, forcing a sidearm, dangerous throw on second and two on U-M’s last offensive touchdown drive. Frosh Ronnie Bell made a great catch for a first down, but that’s a 27-14 game at that point and second and two. One more step and the defensive back cuts it to a six-point game.
We like a couple runs there with Mason in the game to keep the drive alive.
Regardless, Wilson was involved that entire drive, had a nice run and looks to punish tacklers by putting his head into them and caught a key third down pass on which he was face masked to keep the drive alive.
Other notes on offense:
• Michigan’s first play from scrimmage, a nice run from Karan Higdon, should have been blown dead before the snap. Fifth-year senior right tackle Juwann Bushell Beatty flinched … and then, at the snap, he dove forward like he saw a grasshopper and was trying to capture it with his hands, hitting nobody.
• U-M’s first punt came after a third and three play blown up when it seemed like Patterson should have kept on a read option when the defensive end crashed. It looked worse that it was because he slipped, a problem early in the game with the wet field.
• Peoples-Jones simply has to be more disciplined on the block in the back play that sprung Higdon for the last several yards of a pass play. The targeting penalty offset it, but that should have been first and goal.
• Junior right guard Mike Onwenu missed a block on Mason’s touchdown run, but it didn’t matter. You could literally hear the collision from the press box when Mason trucked a linebacker.
Not surprisingly, said linebacker (nor anyone else) wanted no part of Mason on a two-point conversion later in the game when he went untouched.
It was interesting that they went to Mason inside their own 10 on a key, 95-yard touchdown drive as the only back. They’re starting to trust him more with the ball, and the pass to him to the flat (in which he hurdled the defender) could be a sign of things to come.
Fifth-year senior Jared Wangler, too, showed great hands on his touchdown reception that put Michigan up 33-14. A great play.
Michigan moved the ball well offensively the entire game. This Maryland team had been stout against the run, but the line did a nice job.
****
On defense … not sure people realize how tricky an offense this is to defend. They’re like the Michigan 1940s Mad Magicians with all of their formations and trickery — you really need to be disciplined and good with your eyes, and they were.
Junior safety Josh Metellus played a great game and has played at a high level for a good portion of the season, minus a few of the obvious negative plays. And senior safety Tyree Kinnel played well, too, especially on a series in the second quarter on which he made two great plays in run support.
He did give up a slant pass for about eight yards that was contested. D.C. Don Brown will be okay with the occasional few of those, he said last week.
Redshirt sophomore Mike Dwumfour was disruptive on the interior. He’s using his hands to get off blocks better than he was earlier in the year … that is a staple of a Greg Mattison line. Watch junior Carlo Kemp and even frosh Aidan Hutchinson. They’re great at this.
Kemp drew a holding call when Maryland was backed up on a play on which he got great burst. He’s been one of the pleasant surprises on this defense and played a really good game. He’ll be fine for Wisconsin, which will be a bigger test. But he holds his ground and does get pushed backward.
Fifth-year senior Bryan Mone has his good moments and bad. He got pancaked on a play that might have worked for Maryland had fifth-year senior end Chase Winovich not come from the backside and made an incredible ankle tackle.
Maryland ran away from Winovich much of the game. He did get fooled on a fake jet sweep on the Terps’ first touchdown drive, but that happens.
Finally, Maryland’s first and 10 play at 10:30 of the first was a complete pick up top on a drag route, and it would have been a big play had junior linebacker Devin Bush not forced a hot early throw that went off the receiver’s hands.
Not sure how that’s a legal play.
Onward.
