nic scourton

Last week we covered the six old B1G East teams and their ongoing offseasons, what they gained and lost in the portal and how NFL Draft declarations are shaping their spring rosters. Now we turn to the rest of the conference, the seven old B1G West teams and the four new west coast teams. Eleven is a lot of teams to cover in one piece, so I've broken this up into two pieces. Today we'll handle five of the old B1G West squads, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa, while later this week we'll feature Nebraska/Minnesota + the four new teams. 

Wisconsin 

EXITS

The Badgers' biggest exits come on the offensive side of the ball, as they see one-year stop-gap starting QB Tanner Mordecai graduate. Moredcai wasn't an incredible B1G player, but it does create a void that Wisconsin had to dip back into the portal to plug (more on that in a moment). The most impactful loss was likely RB Braelon Allen, who is testing out his pro pursuits after multiple years of being the beating heart of the Wisconsin offense. Following these two out the door are OL starters Tanor Bortolini and MIchael Furtney, as well as starting TE Hayden Rucci, who are all onto pro pursuits, be it football or office jobs. Wisconsin didn't lose much to the portal on offense, WRs Chimere Dike (transferred to Florida) and Skyler Bell (UConn) being the biggest names, while some of their depth OL moved on in G Trey Wedig (Indiana) and OT Nolan Rucci (PSU). 

Defensively the Badgers fell victim to poachers, losing their young starting LB Jordan Turner, who is relocating to MSU and new head coach Jonathan Smith. They also lost starting DL Rodas Johnson to Texas A&M, which, when combined with the eligibility/NFL related losses of LB Maema Njongmeta, EDGE/OLB CJ Geotz, and CB Jason Maitre, leaves the Badgers in a bit of a mini-reshuffle on defense. DT Gio Paez is also graduating and moving on, while some background characters like DE Darian Varner hit the portal. I wouldn't say that the Badgers got devastated but there is some real turnover on both sides of the ball, as Luke Fickell's second team will certainly look different than his first. 

[Getty Images]

ACQUISITIONS 

Wisconsin hit the portal to replace the departed Mordecai at QB, snapping up Miami's old QB Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke was once seen as a rising star with NFL aspirations after his 2021 season, but did not perform well in 2022 under Josh Gattis. That said, he rebounded some in 2023 before hitting the portal. It will be an interesting test of Fickell's offensive staff to see what they can get out of Van Dyke this fall. To fill the Braelon Allen hole, Wisconsin is leaning on the returning Chez Mellusi as well as new RB Tawee Walker from Oklahoma, who rushed 102 times for 513 yards and seven TDs last season. Walker was second in carries at Oklahoma and should make an instant impact at Wisconsin. 

Elsewhere on the offense Wisconsin added LSU TE Jackson McGohan, a 3* in the 2023 class. At that position and at that age, we should expect McGohan to be a reserve piece this season and maybe factor in down the line. WR Tyrell Henry joins the Wisconsin receiver depth chart from MSU, having caught 24 balls for the Spartans last season. He could be in line for a starting job but if nothing else, Henry helps bolster the WR depth chart after losing a couple players at that position. 

The higher volume of adds came on the defensive side, where Fickell worked to completely build a new LB depth chart. He brought in three new ILB types, plus a couple EDGE/OLB pieces. The ILBs start with Jaheim Thomas, a player Fickell coached at Cincy who then did a year at Arkansas, posting solid grades as an SEC starter. You'd figure he'd be in line for starting snaps, while the other two are more developmental pieces. Tackett Curtis was a high 4* Michigan recruited in the 2023 class but chose USC, where he started as a true freshman and was predictably terrible because he was a Tr Fr coached by Alex freakin' Grinch. Curtis may need a year to sit and learn football but the talent is high. Seabstian Cheeks sat a couple years at UNC and is a local guy coming back to his home state. 

Those ILBs have transformed the depth chart at that position and Fickell also worked hard to reshape the EDGE/OLB room. John Pius arrives from William & Mary having been an elite, All-American caliber FCS player. I'm not sure he'll start, but you'd expect him to play a role. Leon Lowery transfers in from Syracuse after starting for the Orange last season to underwhelming PFF grades. To help the DT position, Elijah Hills comes in from Albany after being a multi-year starter for the Great Danes, and Fickell also added rotational corner RJ Delaney from Toledo. It's not clear how many of these transfers beyond Thomas will be defensive starters, but after seeing some talent drained from the roster via the portal/NFL, Fickell used the portal well to pick up intriguing names who can bolster the depth. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: the other four teams]

After a bye week filled with turmoil and nonstop scandal discourse in the national media, Michigan Football finally let their players do the talking on the first Saturday night in November. Without the clairvoyance of the omnipotent Connor Stalions, Michigan had no trouble beating down a vastly inferior Purdue team, using a dominant opening quarter and second half to overcome some sleepy offense in the middle section of the contest. It wasn't JJ McCarthy or the receivers' sharpest games; it also didn't matter whatsoever. Michigan won 41-13 and are 9-0 for the second straight season. 

Purdue took the football first, with Michigan winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half. Purdue picked up a quick first down but then punted, Michigan getting off the field on 3rd & 7 the way they would all night long, getting pressure against a depleted Purdue OL and forcing Hudson Card off his spot and into an incompletion. Michigan got the ball and it didn't take them long to find the end zone. JJ McCarthy converted an early 3rd down with a 20 yard strike to Roman Wilson and then a deep shot to Donovan Edwards matched up in man coverage down the sideline with a linebacker got Michigan to the two. Blake Corum punched it in, 7-0 Michigan. 

Purdue's second drive appeared to see RB Devin Mockobee fumble on the first play but upon further review, he was down. It didn't make much difference ultimately, as Card's third down throw for Jayden Dixon-Veal fell incomplete and the Boilers punted. Michigan's second drive went just as well as the first, a 20 yard gain on play-action to Roman Wilson, a nifty reverse to Cornelius Johnson gaining 14, and again Blake Corum finished it off from a few yards out. 14-0 Michigan. 

[Patrick Barron]

The first play from scrimmage on the ensuing Purdue drive was a Will Johnson interception after a stunt by Kris Jenkins and Jaylen Harrell got pressure on Card and forced the errant throw. At this moment it seemed that Michigan was on pace for a 78-0 redux, but that's when the Wolverine offense started to slow down and Purdue's defense finally came on-line. Backed up deep in their own end, the Boilermakers got off the field, stuffing Donovan Edwards once on a rush and once after a reception before a nice PBU by Sanoussi Kane on Colston Loveland forced a field goal attempt. James Turner drilled a 30 yarder and Michigan was up 17-0. 

The Wolverine defense remained dominant, even as the offense was beginning to slow down. They forced another three-and-out after Braiden McGregor blew up a 3rd & 1 run with a thunder-TFL. Michigan took the ball and drove into Purdue territory but a pair of passing events went awry and were forced to punt. First Donovan Edwards dropped a pass from McCarthy (may have been broken up by the defender, was tough to tell) and then on third down McCarthy put a throw to AJ Barner on the wrong shoulder, but Barner also had an opportunity to catch it and did not do so. For the first time all game, Purdue's defense was off the field without points allowed. 

Pinned deep in their own territory, it seemed as if it was going to be another routine failure for the Purdue offense. In fact, it seemed that way all the way until halfway through the 3rd & 6 play. Card released the football on a fade looking for Mershawn Rice. As the camera panned, Michigan freshman CB DJ Waller was in perfect position to break it up.... and then he stopped running. Seemingly losing sight of the ball, Waller froze and allowed his perfect coverage to unravel into a 43 yard completion, Purdue's biggest play of the game. The first big play of the night didn't end up meaning anything, though, as Michigan promptly slammed the door and forced a punt with a blitz against a slant attempt. 

[Bryan Fuller]

Michigan drove into Purdue territory rather methodically and then got hit with one of the strangest penalties of the season, a "holding" on Blake Corum for being leaped on and dragged down by the blitzing linebacker. The terrible penalty didn't sink the drive, as Michigan's passing attack did get the yardage back, but ran into a wall thereafter. McCarthy's suddenly wavering accuracy led him to possibly overthrow an open Cornelius Johnson in the end zone (though Johnson may have jumped too early) and then McCarthy missed an open Colston Loveland on third down. James Turner booted a 31 yard FG to make it 20-0. 

Purdue's 6th drive of the first half was a 5th punt, another three-and-out. The Boilers got unexpected life immediately after when the punt by Jack Ansell bonked off the back of Michigan's Quinten Johnson (who was blocking), and Purdue recovered at the Michigan 34. Putting the offense right back out there, they got their second-best play of the day on a 21 yard QB draw by Card, down to the Michigan 13. That was the only first down they'd gain on this drive, however, and Card nearly threw a second INT to Will Johnson in the end zone. Head coach Ryan Walters took the points and Purdue got on the board thanks to the advantageous field position. 20-3. 

Michigan's next drive was a fiasco, this being the period of the game where things got firmly out of whack for the offense. The team continued to have no running room on the ground as they were facing a Cover 1 defense with no QB run threat (JJ run reads appeared to be turned off) and McCarthy missed an open Cornelius Johnson, plus an iffy throw to an open Tyler Morris. Michigan was then faced with a 4th & 1 from their own 34 and Jim Harbaugh opted to go for it, but Kalel Mullings' rush out of the shotgun was stuffed. Purdue's two star EDGE defenders Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins were slanting inside their blockers (Karsen Barnhart and (weirdly) Darrius Clemons) and penetrated into the backfield for the stop. 

[Bryan Fuller]

Purdue's offense was handed excellent field position for the second consecutive drive and yet again they gained one first down before eventually kicking a field goal. This kick was from 31 yards out and Purdue's previously abominable kicking game was 2/2 on the day. 20-6. Michigan got the ball with under 30 seconds to go in the half and did drive into Purdue territory but were unable to attempt a field goal, instead trying a Hail Mary that was never attempted. JJ McCarthy could never get the pass off and ran backwards 18 yards before being sacked by Nic Scourton to end the half. Michigan was clearly the better team, but there was a bit of rust. 

The sleepiness on offense continued in the second half. Michigan got the ball to open the back-half of the game and ended up punting. By this point, a key to success on defense for Purdue was apparent. The usually all-Cover 1 defense was dropping into a zone (often eight man) far more than seen previously this season and in the process, they were throwing McCarthy off his game. His decisions were being made slower than expected and the rush in the process was perhaps contributing to his wavering accuracy. 

The Purdue defense forced a punt on the first and second drive of the second half for the Wolverines but in between, their offense still couldn't get anything going. They went three-and-out on their opening series but thought they had a couple of first downs on their second drive, but one was called back on a chop block. On the ensuing 3rd & 14, Michigan was able to stop Purdue short of the line to gain, forcing a punt.

[Patrick Barron]

Michigan's third drive saw them finally break out of the offensive funk and it came on a brilliant playcall, a jet sweep for Semaj Morgan who used the great blocking and his own speed to gallop down the sideline and into the end zone. 44 yards and it was 27-6. Purdue went three-and-out yet again and Michigan's offense took the field again and kept on cooking. McCarthy was finding his mojo again with his best throw of the game, a beautiful tear-drop throw to Colston Loveland on a wheel route that got Michigan to the six. A pair of runs for Blake Corum and Michigan led 34-6. 

Jim Harbaugh would end up leaving his starters in the game deep into the fourth quarter for one of the only times all season, especially on offense. Reps were apparently needed and they made good use of those. Michigan ended up scoring on three of their final four full offensive possessions to close the game, with McCarthy's last drive seeing JJ rekindle his connection with Roman Wilson. They hooked up for 35 yards early and then picked up a red zone 3rd down with another 11 yards. Donovan Edwards got the opportunity to pay this one off and plunged in from one yard away to make it 41-6. 

Purdue did put one last drive together in the dying minutes against a Michigan defense increasingly composed of reserves. They dinked and dunked their way down the field and got set up with a 4th & 3 from the Michigan 24 with 26 seconds left. Deion Burks beat Mike Sainristil and Hudson Card made a pretty throw to find the end zone. In the process, Purdue became the first team all season to surpass 10 points on the Michigan defense. However, they were the 9th opponent who failed to run a play from inside Michigan's 10 yard line this season. Michigan's Jack Tuttle knelt the ball down as time expired and Michigan had a 41-13 victory. 

[Bryan Fuller]

This game was not competitive in any way. Michigan got out to a 17-0 lead before you could blink and the margin was never again within two touchdowns. Even when the two teams sat only 14 points apart, Purdue's offense was completely incapable of doing anything. Purdue's drive chart was the following: punt, punt, INT, punt, punt, punt, FG, FG, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, TD. When you remember that both FGs were drives starting in plus territory, that drive chart looks even more pathetic. If Michigan's special teams and offense don't turn it over twice in their own half of the field, a shutout would have been very realistic. Purdue's offense in total gained 269 yards, 43 of them on the one pass against DJ Waller (who is roughly Michigan's #6 corner). 75 of those yards came on the garbage time drive against the reserves. Yeah, Michigan's first team defense was dominant tonight. 

On offense, Michigan gained 445 yards, 335 of which were through the air. McCarthy's line, 24/37 for 335 yards, looks excellent but amazingly, it was probably his second-worst performance of the season. If nothing else, that speaks to the exceptional level of play he maintained this season. McCarthy wasn't bad by any stretch, but just a little bit looser than normal, accuracy and decision-making not quite as precise. Credit Ryan Walters for a good defensive game plan and the great EDGE rushers for Purdue created some havoc up front. The Boilers bottled up the Michigan rushing game pretty well, but they did not have the horses in the secondary to stop the Michigan aerial attack. 

Michigan is now 9-0 for the second consecutive season and for the third time in Jim Harbaugh's tenure (joining 2022 and 2016). They were ranked 3rd by the College Football Playoff Committee last week and now will have the chance to finally back that rating up with a signature win next weekend if they can knock off the Penn State Nittany Lions in State College. 

[Click the JUMP for the box score]

Previously: Purdue Offense, Seth's video breakdown of the No-Name.

Yesterday we looked at the Purdue offense. Today we pivot to the side of the ball that head coach Ryan Walters specializes in. He doesn't have his guys yet, but this is still the principles of a Ryan Walters defense: 

The Film: Still rolling with Ohio State because they are the best offense that Purdue has faced this season and the game was relatively recent. 

Personnel: Click for big. 

Purdue is playing with a consistent five-man defensive front, three defensive tackles and then two EDGE-shaped players in their base defense. The three starting defensive tackles are Isaiah Nichols, Cole Brevard, and Malik Langham. Of these three players, the one I liked the most was the nose Brevard, but none reached star status. They were also just okay against an Ohio State offensive line that is not the world's most imposing on the ground. All three rotate out a decent amount, as you'd expect with DTs. The second group of tackles are Jeffrey M'Ba, Mo Omonode, and Joe Anderson, plus Sulaiman Kpaka. I thought the second-string DTs were noticeably worse than the starters, with M'Ba being one who was taken advantage of in particular. 

Their two EDGE guys are a pair of Dudes, Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins. Scourton, who you may remember as the humorously named Nic Caraway in last year's FFFF (he changed his last name this offseason), has taken a sizable step forward and is a legit disrupter with three sacks and 16 hurries. Jenkins, who is twenty pounds lighter at 260, is a dangerous passrusher in his own right and has thrived having Scourton opposite him on a blitzy defense, racking up seven sacks and 21 pressures of his own. Both players can drop into coverage but they don't do it very often, 23% of Jenkins' snaps and 18% of Scourton's snaps, per PFF's charting. They also don't leave the field much but if they do, Will Heidt and Khordae Sydnor are two players who can come on in relief. 

Purdue's five man front leaves them with either one or two ILBs depending on package. Against heavy, they have two and against a more spread offense, they leave just one out there. We're making the diagram heavy because, you know, they're playing Michigan. The two starters are Yanni Karlaftis (brother of George) and Clyde Washington, who is replacing injured starter OC Brothers. I do not think highly of either of these players and I am a longtime hater of Brothers. Brothers would've gotten the cyan if healthy, Washington does. Karlaftis narrowly avoids it. 

In the secondary, we're listing four men with the nickel on the bench in starter's font. The starting outside corners are Markevious Brown and Derrick Rogers Jr., both of whom get to play with quite a bit of cushion in this man-heavy system. Brown gets the larger cushion and was exploited often by OSU in the game I charted, getting the cyan. Rogers definitely showed me much more in the way of strong coverage. Nickel Cam Allen is a bit of a problem as well, as Purdue's coverage is definitely not the same caliber of the last defense Walters fielded, when he had Devon Witherspoon at his disposal. The two safeties are the spectacularly named Sanoussi Kane at SS and Dillon Thieneman at FS, who plays in the parking lot, as is customary for a Walters defense. There's not much rotation in the secondary, but Botros Alisandro is the one corner who rotated in worth mentioning. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: man coverage with iffy corners]