2021 penn state

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. UGP makes custom apparel such as t-shirts and sweatshirts and was founded by 2 Michigan alums over 20 years ago. They have 3 retail locations in Ann Arbor and offer thousands of University of Michigan athletic products for sale, ranging from clothing to accessories and memorabilia. Check them out at ugpmichiganapparel.com.

And let’s not forget our associate sponsors: Peak Wealth Management, HomeSure Lending, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, The Phil Klein Insurance Group, Prentice4M, and Team Fan Club. We are of course made possible by SignalWire.

THE VIDEO

[After THE JUMP: the player and what we said]

Things discussed:

• Two RPS plays to beat Penn State: Mesh and Mesh beater.
• Clifford got Devin Gardner’d. Mike Morris blew a guy up.
• PSU had two dudes at DE too: Ryan Hayes *struggled*—have to give him help. Why are you running empty on 3rd and 11?
• 4th and 2: Michigan can’t play down 3 guys on a side, no matter what they think. Should have audibled to the left because PSU was misaligned.
• Running game: PSU brought down a safety so Michigan went even heavier, 10 guys in the box, and turned those safeties into linebackers.
• Schoonmaker vs Honigford? I don’t think it makes enough of a difference.
• Haskins: He is who we are. Draft prospects? Come back?
• Best DE combo in Michigan history? Seth mentions Maentz and Kramer.
• Ohio State Lucy talk from Craig and Sam. Ohio State fans are going to be there because Michigan sold them tickets last summer.
• Seth on fandom: It’s rewarding to believe in something.
• Basketball talk: Houstan couldn’t shoot and couldn’t stay in front of his guy, and played 39 minutes!? We think he should go in the 4 rotation, put Williamson and Bufkin at the three.

[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]

Letters: I’ve taken to adding them (p=pass pro, y=YAC, c=catch, b=block for RBs) to pass event +/- since it’s included in the charting now. So Hayes(-1p) means he got a pass pro minus versus a run blocking minus.

Formation Notes: Penn State often swaps their SAM, #23 6’1”/230 Curtis Jacobs, for their nickel, #25 5’9/180 Daequan Hardy, but a) uses them exactly the same and b) is lying their asses off about Jacobs’s size since he’s looks 6’0”/205 at most. Since their numbers look alike on digital film, I think I labeled them incorrectly a few times before it hit me that the HSP looks like he’s shrunk. PFF says Jacobs got 43 snaps to Hardy’s 24, for what it’s worth.

They also use a lot of different formations with their base personnel I called this one “4-3 Over 4i” to denote the SDE is lined up inside the T’s shoulder (that’s Jacobs on the top).

And this is Nickel Odd Split:

Michigan added a pure tackle over formation (“T-Over”) that preserves that TE as an eligible receiver (their MSU version did not).

Substitution Notes: Cade the whole way, Haskins almost always with Edwards in for a few, another big chunk of Trente Jones, WRs went Johnson-Sainristil-Wilson most of the way, with Anthony, Baldwin, and Henning rotating in. Erick All was limited but in on crucial downs.  Snap counts are here.

Weather note: Heavy winds, sleet at times, and the ground got soaked and remained one big splooshy puddle of ploopiness, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

[After THE JUMP: I deserve that, Michigan deserved to win.]