Michigan pulled out a 10-3 win over Iowa Saturday behind a ridiculously good defensive performance. Thoughts on this one after watching the film …
First and foremost — this defense has taken on the personality of its coordinator. The difference between this game and the loss to Wisconsin? One, there was no Jonathan Taylor lined up in the backfield, of course. That guy’s a special back. The Iowa offensive line, too, is not Wisconsin’s, though it’s good. Left tackle Alaric Jackson got abused Saturday, and while he’s probably not 100 percent, he had no chance against Kwity Paye and Co. on the defensive line.
The Michigan defenders played every down like it was their last, and the offense would be markedly better if they just played with the same intensity (opinion). Case in point — sophomore end Aidan Hutchinson gets cut on a screen pass in the third quarter. He’s back up before you could blink, running to the ball and hurdling a defender toward the action even though it seems clear his teammates are in position to make the play.
That’s winning football, and it was that way across the board Saturday.
At one point this year the prevailing thought might have been, “Carlo Kemp works hard, but it will be nice to eventually have a more talented guy there (maybe Chris Hinton or Mazi Smith)." Now it’s, “I wish this guy had another year.” He’s been rock solid. And redshirt junior Mike Dwumfour’s interior pass rush has been a difference maker. There was a point this year when we weren’t sure he was going to return, but he’s been really good and was again against Iowa. He shot gaps consistently.
Iowa tried some of the Wisconsin stuff on the first play, an almost-draw in which they tried to use the aggressive play of the Michigan line against it. But senior Khaleke Hudson shot the right A gap and the others filled theirs well … nothing there, as it was for most of the game. Hutchinson punched the ball out for a momentum changing fumble.
Cam McGrone made a few redshirt freshman mistakes, getting caught inside on a third and long screen, missing his gap once or twice and getting caught flat footed on a crossing route. His upside, though, is ridiculous. He’s Devin Bush-lite at this point in the way they’re using him, and he’s only going to get better. Brown said Monday night there was only one missed fit the entire game, when against the Badgers there were several.
On the crossing routes — these guys were put in the right positions to make plays several times. You couldn’t blame scheme (as much as some would want to). Hudson missed a tackle, McGrone allowed a receiver to run right past him — there was pressure in the quarterback’s face — and junior safety Brad Hawkins got picked by an official on another. He was also in perfect position waiting for a no-gainer on a third and four.
There will be bigger tests (Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State) in this respect, but Brown adjusted. Guys have to do a bit better job executing.
Fifth-year senior Jordan Glasgow gets a lot of grief, but he plays hard. He took a fullback head on during one play, stood his ground and made a tackle … two plays later he got home on a blitz. He’s going to have his misses, but as former Michigan offensive guard Doug Skene said, “he’s a football player.”
Senior corner Lavert Hill needs to stop clutching jersey. He was lucky he didn’t get flagged for it more than he did Saturday (at least four times, flagged once). Junior Ambry Thomas does it, too, but not to the same extent.
As for the offense …
Still too many mistakes, still not enough intensity from every guy on every play. Senior right guard Mike Onwenu had a tough start to the game, though he picked it up. He was beaten in pass pro on one play and went the wrong way on the third play of the game, a naked boot on which he ran into the center going left when everyone else was going right.
They were lucky that ball wasn’t intercepted. Senior Shea Patterson threw late and it easily could have been picked. And for all the “we won the turnover battle” talk, between that one and two fumbles recovered by the offense, it easily could have been a stalemate (and a different game).
It takes some luck to hold a team to three points, too. Again, that’s not taking anything away from the defense, which played remarkably well.
They still can’t get the screen game going (another overthrow to Christian Turner – don’t get it), and the passing game just isn’t working. It’s not all on Patterson or the line. The line was leaky early but got better — receivers weren’t open, whether it was poor routes or execution, and there was just nothing deep. Joel Klatt was right on in saying you have to challenge every now and then or the safeties will sit on the intermediate routes.
On one play, junior Nico Collins was chastised for running his route two yards short of the sticks. On another, two players stopped their routes.
And again, there’s no reason to not take deep shots with Collins at times. As Hill told us at the beginning of the season, it’s almost impossible to win a 50-50 with him.
Some positives … love the intensity freshman tight end Erick All and right tackle Jalen Mayfield play with. All is a future star. Every block has a purpose, and that’s the way all of these guys should be playing. It’s the way senior left guard Ben Bredeson has played since he got here.
Mayfield got into a defensive end’s head and played through the whistle, bullied him in the fourth quarter. That’s winning football.
Freshman Mike Sainristil’s third down completion to set up a score was a great route. They went back to him on a first down, but his head fake inside on the route … well, left a lot to be desired. He’ll get better, but a better route there is six points.
Onwenu showed some fire at the goal line with a nice combo block and a pancake of a linebacker.
Finally, redshirt sophomore Tarik Black … two more opportunities for tough catches not made. Yes, a very tough one on the first in the back of the end zone, but the great ones have a chance to bring those in. We’d love to see him make a few more of the tough plays. We’d also like to see Patterson put the ball in better position on a few, like the corner route to Ronnie Bell.
Give the kid a chance to make a play.
Onward.
First and foremost — this defense has taken on the personality of its coordinator. The difference between this game and the loss to Wisconsin? One, there was no Jonathan Taylor lined up in the backfield, of course. That guy’s a special back. The Iowa offensive line, too, is not Wisconsin’s, though it’s good. Left tackle Alaric Jackson got abused Saturday, and while he’s probably not 100 percent, he had no chance against Kwity Paye and Co. on the defensive line.
The Michigan defenders played every down like it was their last, and the offense would be markedly better if they just played with the same intensity (opinion). Case in point — sophomore end Aidan Hutchinson gets cut on a screen pass in the third quarter. He’s back up before you could blink, running to the ball and hurdling a defender toward the action even though it seems clear his teammates are in position to make the play.
That’s winning football, and it was that way across the board Saturday.
At one point this year the prevailing thought might have been, “Carlo Kemp works hard, but it will be nice to eventually have a more talented guy there (maybe Chris Hinton or Mazi Smith)." Now it’s, “I wish this guy had another year.” He’s been rock solid. And redshirt junior Mike Dwumfour’s interior pass rush has been a difference maker. There was a point this year when we weren’t sure he was going to return, but he’s been really good and was again against Iowa. He shot gaps consistently.
Iowa tried some of the Wisconsin stuff on the first play, an almost-draw in which they tried to use the aggressive play of the Michigan line against it. But senior Khaleke Hudson shot the right A gap and the others filled theirs well … nothing there, as it was for most of the game. Hutchinson punched the ball out for a momentum changing fumble.
Cam McGrone made a few redshirt freshman mistakes, getting caught inside on a third and long screen, missing his gap once or twice and getting caught flat footed on a crossing route. His upside, though, is ridiculous. He’s Devin Bush-lite at this point in the way they’re using him, and he’s only going to get better. Brown said Monday night there was only one missed fit the entire game, when against the Badgers there were several.
On the crossing routes — these guys were put in the right positions to make plays several times. You couldn’t blame scheme (as much as some would want to). Hudson missed a tackle, McGrone allowed a receiver to run right past him — there was pressure in the quarterback’s face — and junior safety Brad Hawkins got picked by an official on another. He was also in perfect position waiting for a no-gainer on a third and four.
There will be bigger tests (Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State) in this respect, but Brown adjusted. Guys have to do a bit better job executing.
Fifth-year senior Jordan Glasgow gets a lot of grief, but he plays hard. He took a fullback head on during one play, stood his ground and made a tackle … two plays later he got home on a blitz. He’s going to have his misses, but as former Michigan offensive guard Doug Skene said, “he’s a football player.”
Senior corner Lavert Hill needs to stop clutching jersey. He was lucky he didn’t get flagged for it more than he did Saturday (at least four times, flagged once). Junior Ambry Thomas does it, too, but not to the same extent.
As for the offense …
Still too many mistakes, still not enough intensity from every guy on every play. Senior right guard Mike Onwenu had a tough start to the game, though he picked it up. He was beaten in pass pro on one play and went the wrong way on the third play of the game, a naked boot on which he ran into the center going left when everyone else was going right.
They were lucky that ball wasn’t intercepted. Senior Shea Patterson threw late and it easily could have been picked. And for all the “we won the turnover battle” talk, between that one and two fumbles recovered by the offense, it easily could have been a stalemate (and a different game).
It takes some luck to hold a team to three points, too. Again, that’s not taking anything away from the defense, which played remarkably well.
They still can’t get the screen game going (another overthrow to Christian Turner – don’t get it), and the passing game just isn’t working. It’s not all on Patterson or the line. The line was leaky early but got better — receivers weren’t open, whether it was poor routes or execution, and there was just nothing deep. Joel Klatt was right on in saying you have to challenge every now and then or the safeties will sit on the intermediate routes.
On one play, junior Nico Collins was chastised for running his route two yards short of the sticks. On another, two players stopped their routes.
And again, there’s no reason to not take deep shots with Collins at times. As Hill told us at the beginning of the season, it’s almost impossible to win a 50-50 with him.
Some positives … love the intensity freshman tight end Erick All and right tackle Jalen Mayfield play with. All is a future star. Every block has a purpose, and that’s the way all of these guys should be playing. It’s the way senior left guard Ben Bredeson has played since he got here.
Mayfield got into a defensive end’s head and played through the whistle, bullied him in the fourth quarter. That’s winning football.
Freshman Mike Sainristil’s third down completion to set up a score was a great route. They went back to him on a first down, but his head fake inside on the route … well, left a lot to be desired. He’ll get better, but a better route there is six points.
Onwenu showed some fire at the goal line with a nice combo block and a pancake of a linebacker.
Finally, redshirt sophomore Tarik Black … two more opportunities for tough catches not made. Yes, a very tough one on the first in the back of the end zone, but the great ones have a chance to bring those in. We’d love to see him make a few more of the tough plays. We’d also like to see Patterson put the ball in better position on a few, like the corner route to Ronnie Bell.
Give the kid a chance to make a play.
Onward.
