Michigan beat Indiana Sunday, 31-20. Here’s what we picked up after re-watching the game …
First off, pretty chippy game, as expected. It was beyond just the obvious (the targeting against Berkley Edwards, a cheap shot to Chase Winovich (and then Kwity Paye)).
There was a play early in the game in which an Indiana defensive end got his hand under Jon Runyan Jr.’s facemask. All it did was piss Runyan off, however, and he played well --- he was noticeably frustrated when it happened, though.
“That used to piss us off,” former Michigan offensive lineman Doug Skene told us today. “It happened all the time, too. Now they call it, but still maybe only 10 percent of the time, possibly 20.”
Winovich, too, stepped on a lineman’s calf while getting out of the pile at one point. That drew their attention, and they got the better of him on the (legal) play on which he got hurt. It was the jumping on him after the play that should have been flagged.
Winovich was not 100 percent going into this game. Those close to it are hopeful he’ll be much closer come Saturday (again, we strongly believe he’ll play). As those close to it posted, he does not have a shoulder injury.
The defensive line struggled to stop the run on the interior, and it was just hat on hat blocking up front, nothing exotic. IU moved the ball well on the ground in the first half, especially. To its credit, the defense gave up only three points in the second half.
Indiana did a very nice job in pass pro, too. The ball was usually out quickly, though, and a couple of the deep fades (which our ch13ba noted are throws you want them making, high degree of difficulty) that were dropped will be catches Saturday. The coverage wasn’t bad, but Peyton Ramsey was on the mark many times. Give him credit.
Do yourself a favor and read ch13ba’s stuff here:
https://michigan.forums.rivals.com/threads/a-couple-thoughts-on-indiana-and-osu-long.266041/
Sophomore end Kwity Paye’s near sack should have been blown dead in the first quarter. They’re trying to protect quarterbacks, Ramsey is in the grasp and falling backward, but no whistle? Paye was cognizant of not twisting the legs and let Ramsey go. Hard to blame him in this climate.
Michigan was not good at staying in its rush lanes Saturday. Junior end Rashan Gary had a great game in many ways but was guilty of taking himself out of the play a few times and leaving room in the middle for Ramsey. That needs to be shored up. Dwayne Haskins isn’t a runner, but he can run … and he’ll be looking for that.
And it goes without saying that they need to have a plan for the crossing routes and drag routes that killed them last year (and hurt them against IU. Great game plan by Mike DeBord). They tightened that up in the second half.
The Wolverines moved the ball extremely well between the 20s. They were dominant at times up front — for much of the game, actually — plays that didn’t work in the red zone were often the result of one guy missing an assignment. Tight end Zach Gentry (once) was the culprit … otherwise the tight ends blocked well again, led by sophomore Sean McKeon.
Read option was there more often if U-M wanted to go with it. They’ll turn Shea Patterson loose in that role Saturday. It was clear they probably didn’t want to run him as much as they did against the Hoosiers, but it was there.
Right guard Mike Onwenu was really solid up front and got great push. Right tackle Andrew Stueber is going to be a fine replacement for Juwann Bushell-Beatty. As Harbaugh said, he was good. His pass protection is already solid, and he’s only a second year guy. He moves his feet well.
Pass pro (again) easily picked up the twists and stunts Indiana threw at it. This line is really peaking at the right time.
Loving the comeback routes on the triple read option with Patterson rolling out. Bet we see a lot more stuff like that Saturday. OSU’s defense doesn’t have a lot of thinkers … Maryland chewed it up with its misdirection, and the Bucks were clearly frustrated.
Still like Tru Wilson better as the second back at this point. He hits the hole better than Chris Evans, who still does too much dancing. I don’t think either Wilson or Evans is a No. 1, so Zach Charbonnet ... here’s hoping (or Christian Turner).
Onward.
First off, pretty chippy game, as expected. It was beyond just the obvious (the targeting against Berkley Edwards, a cheap shot to Chase Winovich (and then Kwity Paye)).
There was a play early in the game in which an Indiana defensive end got his hand under Jon Runyan Jr.’s facemask. All it did was piss Runyan off, however, and he played well --- he was noticeably frustrated when it happened, though.
“That used to piss us off,” former Michigan offensive lineman Doug Skene told us today. “It happened all the time, too. Now they call it, but still maybe only 10 percent of the time, possibly 20.”
Winovich, too, stepped on a lineman’s calf while getting out of the pile at one point. That drew their attention, and they got the better of him on the (legal) play on which he got hurt. It was the jumping on him after the play that should have been flagged.
Winovich was not 100 percent going into this game. Those close to it are hopeful he’ll be much closer come Saturday (again, we strongly believe he’ll play). As those close to it posted, he does not have a shoulder injury.
The defensive line struggled to stop the run on the interior, and it was just hat on hat blocking up front, nothing exotic. IU moved the ball well on the ground in the first half, especially. To its credit, the defense gave up only three points in the second half.
Indiana did a very nice job in pass pro, too. The ball was usually out quickly, though, and a couple of the deep fades (which our ch13ba noted are throws you want them making, high degree of difficulty) that were dropped will be catches Saturday. The coverage wasn’t bad, but Peyton Ramsey was on the mark many times. Give him credit.
Do yourself a favor and read ch13ba’s stuff here:
https://michigan.forums.rivals.com/threads/a-couple-thoughts-on-indiana-and-osu-long.266041/
Sophomore end Kwity Paye’s near sack should have been blown dead in the first quarter. They’re trying to protect quarterbacks, Ramsey is in the grasp and falling backward, but no whistle? Paye was cognizant of not twisting the legs and let Ramsey go. Hard to blame him in this climate.
Michigan was not good at staying in its rush lanes Saturday. Junior end Rashan Gary had a great game in many ways but was guilty of taking himself out of the play a few times and leaving room in the middle for Ramsey. That needs to be shored up. Dwayne Haskins isn’t a runner, but he can run … and he’ll be looking for that.
And it goes without saying that they need to have a plan for the crossing routes and drag routes that killed them last year (and hurt them against IU. Great game plan by Mike DeBord). They tightened that up in the second half.
The Wolverines moved the ball extremely well between the 20s. They were dominant at times up front — for much of the game, actually — plays that didn’t work in the red zone were often the result of one guy missing an assignment. Tight end Zach Gentry (once) was the culprit … otherwise the tight ends blocked well again, led by sophomore Sean McKeon.
Read option was there more often if U-M wanted to go with it. They’ll turn Shea Patterson loose in that role Saturday. It was clear they probably didn’t want to run him as much as they did against the Hoosiers, but it was there.
Right guard Mike Onwenu was really solid up front and got great push. Right tackle Andrew Stueber is going to be a fine replacement for Juwann Bushell-Beatty. As Harbaugh said, he was good. His pass protection is already solid, and he’s only a second year guy. He moves his feet well.
Pass pro (again) easily picked up the twists and stunts Indiana threw at it. This line is really peaking at the right time.
Loving the comeback routes on the triple read option with Patterson rolling out. Bet we see a lot more stuff like that Saturday. OSU’s defense doesn’t have a lot of thinkers … Maryland chewed it up with its misdirection, and the Bucks were clearly frustrated.
Still like Tru Wilson better as the second back at this point. He hits the hole better than Chris Evans, who still does too much dancing. I don’t think either Wilson or Evans is a No. 1, so Zach Charbonnet ... here’s hoping (or Christian Turner).
Onward.
