mike locksley

Michigan heads out on the road for the final time in the 2023 season on Saturday, heading to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins. The crowd will presumably be filled with Michigan fans as the Terps haven't given their side a ton to cheer about this season. The team is 6-4 and bowl eligible, which is nice, but hopes for a 9 or even 10 win season (with an upset or bowl win) have crumbled to pieces due to disappointing losses against Illinois and Northwestern. Does Maryland's offense have much left in the tank to threaten the Wolverines this weekend? Let us find out: 

The Film: The two best defenses Maryland has played this season are Penn State and Ohio State. While the PSU game was more recent, I opted for OSU because 1) The Game is next week and we need to continue to compile advance scouting and 2) Maryland's showing was much better against the Buckeyes than the Nittany Lions and I am a firm believer in scouting teams at their best, not their worst.  

Personnel: Click for big.

Michigan will face Taulia Tagovailoa for the third straight season, the only opposing QB this season to accomplish that feat. Taulia is back and is more or less the same for the Terps, still capable of excellent, NFL-level throws and also terrible decisions. He's still scrambly and mobile, though he has seemed to regress back to his 2021 form somewhat, running backwards into more egregious sacks than he did last season. He is far from a perfect QB, but he's the best Michigan has seen this season by a country mile (not a high bar), which earns him the star. Last year we saw Tagovailoa come out of the game due to injury and that backup, Billy Edwards Jr., is still around. He has been used on wildcat short yardage packages this year, as an FYI. 

The running back position features the same characters as last year, with Roman Hemby still around as the starter and joined in the backfield by Antwain Littleton II and Colby McDonald in the rotation. I was a fan of Hemby's last year but I didn't see too much from him in this game to earn that status. He's not bad, just fine in my viewings this season. Blitz pickups have been an issue for him this season but he's still a speedy straight-line runner who also catches a fair number of balls out of the backfield. McDonald's 6.7 YPC clip is best on the team, though Littleton leads him in carries with 61. At 232, Littleton is the heavy back, while Hemby and McDonald are slimmer and quicker. 

After a few years of incredibly deep wide receiver rooms, this year's Maryland team is a bit thinner on the outside. They did return their statistical best receiver from last year, Jeshaun Jones, and have two other 500+ receiving yard receivers in Tai Felton and Kaiden Prather. The raw talent isn't as dynamic as years past when you had the likes of Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus, but these are three of the most prolific receivers in the conference, largely because Maryland is one of the only teams that attempts to throw the ball with regularity. I think Jones is the best of this group, not really a true star but pretty close to it. All three WRs are 6'1" or taller, so this week will give Michigan's pass defense some solid reps. Those three players get most of the snaps at wideout, but slot Octavian Smith and outside WR Tyrese Chambers mix in occasionally too. 

Maryland mostly plays with one TE, Corey Dyches. He has 42 catches, second on the team and only a nose behind Jones, acting as Tagovailoa's security blanket. Dyches is not a dynamic threat nor a leaper with size to be confused with Colston Loveland (Dyches is only 6'2), but he's rock solid at running a 5-10 yard route and sitting down in the zone for a quick completion. The other TE of note is Preston Howard, only 10 catches on the season as more of a blocking option. Most of his snaps come in Maryland's occasional 12 personnel sets. Neither Howard nor Dyches are particularly great blockers. 

My biggest concern with the Terrapin offense coming into the season was the offensive line after losing four starters off last year's squad and planning to fill them with low-level up transfers. Surprisingly, my fears have not quite come to pass. Let's be clear, the resulting OL has not been good, but it also hasn't been terrible, which was my baseline expectation. Delmar Glaze, last year's RT, is the lone returning starter and has shifted over to left. He's been alright, pretty good in the game I charted against OSU but very poor against the elite rush threats of PSU. 

The story of the Maryland OL has been rotation, as eight different linemen have played at least 290 snaps and started at least three games. Glaze at LT is the only player to start every game at the same spot, while the rest has been moving around. At C it's either Aric Harris or Teddy Purcell, but Harris is definitely the better of the two (Purcell started against OSU and was very poor). The RT is normally Gottleib Ayedze, a transfer from D2 Frostburg State who I had grave concerns about in the preseason. He's been better than I expected but is a long way from being good. Sometimes Ayedze slides to G when Andre Roye Jr. or Connor Fagan come in at tackle, both of whom are not ready for primetime.

The G spots have most frequently been NC Central transfer Corey Bullock (has played both LG/RG) and Amelio Moran, the latter of whom has been a weak spot for the "starting line". Another G in the mix is Kyle Long, who got extensive work against OSU and was bad. In other words, this line is a hodgepodge, rotating quite a bit but the best five linemen can generally hang in there. The more the dig into the depth, the worse it gets. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: the clips]

Last season, the Maryland Terrapins represented the second-to-last game of Michigan's regular season B1G slate. They were the final tuneup before Ohio State in late November and Michigan skunked the Terps 59-18. This year it's the reverse, as Maryland opens up Michigan's B1G schedule. The little chronological time between these most recent two meetings is reflected in this offensive piece, as little has changed with the Maryland offense. Though they lost their RB and TE from last season, Maryland returns their QB, every WR of note, and all five offensive linemen. Therefore, this FFFF will look quite a bit like last season, but there will be some new wrinkles along the way. 

The Film: Maryland has played Buffalo, Charlotte, and SMU so far in the non-conference. Though I am not completely convinced SMU is going to be good this year without Sonny Dykes, they are still a clear step up in terms of quality from those other two opponents. They also gave Maryland an extremely competitive game, as opposed to the comfortable blowouts that the Terps got against the other two. SMU made the most sense as the opponent to use for this situation. 

Personnel: The chart. Click for big or here for PDF. 

Maryland returns QB Taulia Tagovailoa, the central cog to the offense and someone who will be discussed often in this piece. He loses his leading runner from last season in Tayon Fleet-Davis but did return Colby McDonald, one of last season's foremost reserves at the position. McDonald has been supplanted as the nominal starter by Roman Hemby, a RS Fr who leads the team in carries by a significant margin. The second back in terms of carries is the bigger Antwain Littleton II, a classmate of Hemby's who leads the team in rushing TDs. All three of McDonald, Hemby, and Littleton can run routes as receivers, since that is a staple of the Locksley Spread n' Shred system. 

At receiver, Maryland returns its vaunted trio of Dontay Demus, Rakim Jarrett, and Jeshaun Jones, and adds Jacob Copeland to the picture. Demus got off to a torrid pace last season before injuries ended in his season in early October. He is a good player, but is presently not playing at the same caliber he was a year ago and has fallen down the receiver hierarchy. Jarrett is the superstar, a former 5* recruit who is poised to be picked by the NFL in the early rounds next spring. Jones is tied with Jarrett for the team lead in receptions with 11, while Copeland, a Florida transfer, has the highest YPC average at 21.5. All three of Jarrett, Copeland, and Jones have a catch of 35+ yards this season, and all three have a receiving TD. Tai Felton and Octavion Smith Jr. are farther down the depth chart but occasionally see the field, each with 3 catches on the year so far. 

The TE position was hurt by the lost of last year's star Chigoziem Okonkwo. In his place there is a rotation between Corey Dyches and CJ Dippre, with Dippre getting a bit more of the total snaps because of his superior abilities as a blocker, while Dyches is more of the receiving option. I will also note that while these two are the only TEs in the main rotation, edge defender Austin Fontaine was used as a tight end as well in the game I saw. 

Maryland's offensive line returns all five pieces from last season. Jaelyn Duncan, whose raw tools and athleticism are garnering him NFL buzz (something I'm not sold on at all), reprises his role at LT, as does Delmar Glaze at RT and Mason Lunsford at LG. Both Lunsford and Glaze had cyans on last year's diagram, but neither have done anything to earn it so far. We shall see if that holds up against Michigan and the rest of the B1G slate. The only change at OL was shifting Johari Branch to C and Spencer Anderson to RG (they were reversed last season), a move that has not paid off in your author's view. Branch was my highest rated Maryland OL last season and came in the lowest in my charting this season, largely because of poor pass protection related to stunts and line call responsibilities assigned to a center. Amelio Moran has played the most of any non-starter OL, but there are no spots currently seeing rotation. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: A new dual-threat RB]

11/20/2021 – Michigan 59, Maryland 18 – 10-1, 7-1 Big Ten

There's something about playing Maryland that causes the details to evaporate immediately after the game. Things I remember from previous Maryland games: they played a tiny quarterback once, there were some annoying screens, the end. Rutgers has at least had the decency to be memorably bad (and yes occasionally feisty); Maryland is forgettably bad unless you are Texas.

I will make an effort to remember the throwback kick return touchdown, but it will be an effort. Mentioning the kick return has caused me to remember that Michigan returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in this game a few years ago, so there's a third thing. Fourth thing. Whatever. Those screens were really annoying, though.

This game in particular evaporated like the haze after a dream. Michigan was up some points, and then they were up a lot of points, and then slightly fewer, and then Alan Bowman was chucking passes to a guy named "Will Rolapp," who is from Connecticut and seems very nice. If you concentrated you could remember various sequences that led to the absurdly lopsided score, but only one at a time. The others shimmered out of focus as soon as attention wavered.

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The thing that is likely to stick longest is Mike Locksley looking on at his charges with a series of facial expressions that started out at exasperated and quickly elevated to day three of potty training. On day three of potty training you have been in the bathroom for three days and the child is still wandering around like a ticking time bomb, oblivious to any of the rules laid out over the previous, grueling 48 hours. There is a high probability the child will stand there with a stupid grin on his or her face while evacuating a bladder as you moan something along the lines of "in the potty! IN THE POTTY! WE HAVE BEEN OVER THIS A THOUSAND TIMES THE PEE GOES IN THE someone get me a drink right now GOT DARNED POTTY!"

This is when you give up and try again later, in my experience, but Mike Locksley can't just put some sort of cat-themed cartoon on for his players and then go stare at a wall with a glass in both hands. I mean, not in the third quarter. He obviously did that after the game. The only entertainment option on the flight home was a tween in cat ears turning into a cartoon version of herself so she can go play in her cat doll house. The team was fine with this—enraptured, even. Mike Locksley sat in the first row with a bottle of whiskey strapped into the seat next to him. Locksley said nothing for the whole flight, and his only motion was occasionally bringing the glass to his mouth. The lone exception is 45 minutes into the flight, when something between a shudder and a sigh trembled out of his lips. Then back to stone silence.

I guarantee you this is exactly what occurred on Saturday night. There are no other options.

But in the third quarter Mike Locksley is contractually obligated to continue day three of potty training into the undiscovered country of day four. Then cameras will cut to him after his quarterback scrambles wildly, then hurls a ball directly to the chest of a Michigan defensive back, then inexplicably stops instead of pushing said defensive back out of bounds. The defensive back will subsequently score a touchdown.

Next Maryland drive and Tagovailoa throws a terrible pass.

DJ Turner steps in front of it and takes it 50 yards to the house for a Pick 6 and a 52-18 lead. pic.twitter.com/NCfyJJL8Hc

— Due# (@JDue51) November 21, 2021

It is at this point that Mike Locksley will invent entirely new levels of disappointed dad face. Muscles will contort into heretofore unknown arrangements in order to communicate pure agony. You can see the man calculating what boarding school will cost, and whether he can afford both it and the country club. A thought flickers but no, it is too late to put them up for adoption, that is probably not legal.

There's nothing for it: one can only endure, and contort. Endurance is all. Contortion is required. Stoicism is impossible but given everything that's going on any reaction short of Falling Down is a noble endeavor. Mike Locksley got home late Saturday night, and sat down, and had not committed any crimes. Well done, sir.

Anyway, it's Ohio State week. We're all Mike Locksley now. Stay safe out there.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

[Sherman]

you're the man now, dog

#1 Donovan Edwards. Donovan Edwards caught ten passes for 170 yards, surpassing any single season of Chris Evans's career in a single game as a true freshman. This is simultaneously wonderful and encouraging since Edwards is clearly a Weapon that must be accounted for by trying to Cover Him With Linebackers and that is Never Going To Work, and also WHAT WERE WE DOING WITH CHRIS EVANS FOR FOUR YEARS HE'S IN THE NFL NOW JESUS CHRIST

/breathes into paper bag

#2 Aidan Hutchinson. Breaking the duo up this week since Hutchinson had a TFL and a PBU, the TFL on fourth and two, while Ojabo was fairly muted except for a hold he drew. Hutchinson again made the PFF team of the week, and had five solo tackles as a DE.

#3 Cade McNamara. 9.3 YPA, 2 TD, 0 INT. Yes, disproportionate chunk came on the long TD but McNamara feathered that in there so Edwards didn't have to break stride. That YAC is partially his. Did get bailed out a wee bit by his receivers and alarmingly thunked two passes into OL helmets, but 21/28 for 259 yards in three quarters… eh, I'll take it.

Honorable mention: Mike Sainristil and Andrel Anthony only caught one pass each but both were 1s on the UFR charting so here you go, it's a point. Michael Barrett's throw across the field was perfect. Matt Torey blocked a punt.

KFaTAotW Standings.

(points: #1: 8, #2: 5, #3: 3, HMs one each. Ties result in somewhat arbitrary assignments.)

47: Aidan Hutchinson (HM WMU, #2 Wash, #1 Rutgers, #1 Wisc, HM Neb, #2 NW, T3 MSU, T2 IU, T1 PSU, #2 Maryland)
30: Hassan Haskins (HM WMU, T3 Wash, T2 NIU, #2 Neb, T1 NW, #1 IU, #2 PSU)
21: David Ojabo (#2 Wisc, T3 MSU, T2 IU, T1 PSU)
18: The OL (#1 Wash, #1 NIU, HM Neb, HM NW)
17: Blake Corum (#2 WMU, T3 Wash, T2 NIU, HM Neb, T1 NW)
13: Cade McNamara (#1 MSU, HM IU, HM PSU, #3 Maryland)
11: Donovan Edwards(T2 NIU, #1 Maryland)
8: Ronnie Bell (#1 WMU), Brad Hawkins (#1 Neb), Dax Hill (#3 WMU, HM NIU, HM Rutgers, HM Wisc, HM Neb, HM MSU)
7: Brad Robbins (HM Wash, #3 Rutgers, HM Wisc, HM PSU), Josh Ross (HM Wash, HM NIU, HM Rutgers, HM Neb, HM NW, HM PSU)
6: Nikhai Hill-Green(HM NIU, #2 Rutgers), Jake Moody (HM Wash, HM Wisc, #3 Neb, HM MSU), DJ Turner (#3 NW, #3 PSU), Andrel Anthony (#2 MSU, HM Maryland)
5: Cornelius Johnson(HM NIU, HM Wisc, #3 IU)
4: AJ Henning (HM WMU, #3 NIU), Roman Wilson (#3 Wisc, HM PSU)
2: Erick All (HM NW, HM MSU), Junior Colson (HM IU, HM PSU), Mike Sainristil (HM WMU, HM Maryland)
1: Andrew Vastardis (HM WMU), Mazi Smith (HM Wash), Gemon Green(HM NIU), Chris Hinton (HM Rutgers),  Taylor Upshaw (HM IU), Michael Barrett (HM Maryland), Matt Torey(HM Maryland)

Who's Got It Better Than Us(?) Of The Week

Edwards gets a linebacker in man coverage on a wheel route and lol nope.

7️⃣7️⃣ yards for No. 7️⃣

Donovan Edwards (@DEdwards__) blows this one open for No. 6 @UMichFootball. pic.twitter.com/MutNBq9m11

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 20, 2021

Honorable mention: Kick return trick play TD; punt block; INT return TD; various absurd catches; Michigan draws a hold!

​MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

The first half of OSU-MSU.

Honorable mention: Maryland scores a touchdown and a two point conversion to make us all remember the MSU game; McNamara throws two different balls into OL helmets.

[After THE JUMP: Jay Harbaugh for Broyles Award]