tipping plays

FORMATION NOTES: Indiana frequently looks like Iowa, and then they pounce.

Eight man front with a soft shell behind it, ok whatever, and then the deep S and the cornerback activate and fling themselves at Corum. Indiana was very multiple in this game, moving between even, under, over, and odd fronts with an emphasis on even. They threw a lot of stuff at the OL.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: With Wilson out, Andrel Anthony and AJ Henning got more run; Anthony got 28 snaps to Henning's 21. Colston Loveland got ~15 snaps. Barnhart replaced Jones at TE. Otherwise standard.

[After THE JUMP: It's true. It's not fatal, but it's true.]

10/8/2022 – Michigan 31, Indiana 10 – 6-0, 3-0 Big Ten

It was 10-10 and it was stupid. Like half the games against Indiana, it was stupid and dumb. At some point I saw a highlight from that Denard game against Indiana where IU would score on a 15-play march and then Denard would immediately run for a 70 yard touchdown. "God, that game was stupid," I thought. Flinging the ball in the general direction of Junior Hemingway and hoping something good would happen, sort of thing. Charting 120 defensive plays, sort of thing. Craig Roh playing linebacker, sort of thing.

Don't get me started about #chaosteam, or overtimes, or anything else. My IQ is already dropping precipitously. Any more exposure to Michigan-Indiana may render me unable to finish this column. (I would still be able to claim that MSU was defeated with dignity, if that was my purpose in life.)

I had hoped that a little JJ McCarthy-led mediation in the locker room would straighten things out. Michigan did suffer through a scary event when Mike Hart collapsed on the sideline. This is a completely valid reason you may not be executing football with military precision, even setting aside whatever dorfy bioweapon the Hoosiers perfected about ten years ago.

Those hopes seemed dashed when Michigan was inexplicably offsides on a short-yardage punt on which they didn't even bother to rush. A touchback turned into a punt downed at the two, and then Blake Corum committed a false start and Cornelius Johnson dropped something that was either a chunk play or a 96-yard touchdown. Johnson started hopping up and down near the sideline, veritably slobbering with self-rage. The slope downwards to black pits became very slippery.

JJ McCarthy said "namaste."

[Barron]

That is immediately after the Johnson drop. He's signaling to his receiver: it's fine, it's fine, we'll get them on the next snap. And then they did. Conversion to Ronnie Bell, drive on. McCarthy took off for a first down on third and seven and hit Andrel Anthony and when he got some pressure he rolled away from it and dropped the ball back to Johnson on a drag route that had picked off the Indiana defender. Twenty nine yards later, Michigan led 17-10 and the stupidity started receding.

It was like being alone in a room, certain that the shadows were growing suckers and winding themselves into tentacles, when someone flicked the light on.

------------------------------------------

It is of course one thing to do this against Tom Allen's band of overmatched maniacs who pour forward at the snap when there's any indication of a run, and another to do it against top-end defenses, particularly top-end defenses that are not paired with the most disastrous act of nepotism in recorded history.

Michigan gets one this week in Penn State, which now stands out as the last hurdle before… uh… Illinois and Ohio State at the end of the season. It will probably be fine. You can say "just Indiana," but the tail end of this piece blockquotes this week's Best and Worst, which contains a comprehensive overview of just how maddening this series has been. McCarthy more or less turned that off—yes, interception—halfway through a game that was threatening to spiral out of control further, into something competitive.

In these moments breath gets short and vision restricts into a tunnel. In the game threads reason is overthrown and madness prevails. It takes something to grab those others back from the abyss. Maybe you look at the smiley face you've drawn on your hand, and think about eating one raisin with every ounce of your attention. And then you can see again and you hear something other than a single ominous tone.

JJ McCarthy seems like the guy who does that.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

"I should have transferred to Stanford" [Barron]

you're the man now, dog

#1(T) Mike Morris, Eyabi Okie, Derrick Moore, Jaylen Harrell and Kris Jenkins. The story of the defense was Conor Bazelak getting crushed every time he tried to throw downfield. Seven sacks in this one; this spot was almost everyone who racked one up but the linebackers had some issues and McGregor only got ten snaps so some cuts were made and Kris Jenkins was added because he registered a couple QB hurries.

Uh, two points each.

#2 Ronnie Bell. 11 catches, a couple of them spectacular. He stabbed a toe down on Michigan's first drive; he wrestled away an interception on a badly thrown ball; he was the target on the key third down conversion that led to the 98-yard touchdown drive. Also blocked like a mountain goat for much of the game, paving the way for the Schoonmaker touchdown.

#3 JJ McCarthy. Narrowly pips Corum because Michigan needed him to drive the field in the second half and he did, with only the occasional mistake. 8.4 YPA, 28/36. Got some help from his receivers but also saw Cornelius Johnson drop what could have been a very, very long play. Ran fairly effectively.

Honorable mention: Well, yeah, Blake Corum. Luke Schoonmaker is heavily utilized in the passing game. Rod Moore came up with an important interception that he kept off the ground. Mike Sainristil had two PBUs and one solo tackle, which is good cornerbackin'. Mason Graham obliterated an OL for a stuff and snuffed out a screen.

KFaTAotW Standings.

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

24: Blake Corum (#2 CSU, #2 Hawaii, HM UConn, #1 Maryland, #2 Iowa. HM Indiana)
18: JJ McCarthy (#1 Hawaii, #2 UConn, HM Maryland, HM Iowa, #3 Indiana)
15: Ronnie Bell (HM CSU, HM Hawaii, #1 UConn, #2 Indiana)
13: Mike Morris (T3 Hawaii, HM Maryland, #1 Iowa, T1 Indiana)
12: Mazi Smith (#1 CSU, T3 Hawaii, HM Maryland, HM Iowa)
8: Kris Jenkins (#3 UConn, T3 Hawaii, HM Iowa, T1 Indiana)
6: Gemon Green (HM UConn, T2 Maryland),
5: DJ Turner (T2 Maryland)
4: Junior Colson (#3 CSU, HM UConn), Eyabi Okie (HM CSU, HM Iowa, T1 Indiana), Luke Schoonmaker (T3 Maryland, HM Iowa, HM Indiana)
3: The Offensive Line (#3 Iowa), Derrick Moore (HM CSU, T1 Indiana), Jaylen Harrell (HM CSU, T1 Indiana), Mason Graham (HM Hawaii, HM Iowa, HM Indiana)
2: Roman Wilson (HM CSU, HM Hawaii), Max Bredeson (T3 Maryland), Joel Honigford (T3 Maryland), Mike Sainristil (HM Maryland, HM Indiana), Rod Moore (HM CSU, HM Indiana)
1: Braiden McGregor (HM CSU), Makari Paige (HM Hawaii), Rayshaun Benny (HM Hawaii), Cornelius Johnson (HM Hawaii), Donovan Edwards (HM Hawaii), AJ Henning (HM UConn),  Caden Kolesar (HM UConn), RJ Moten (HM Maryland).

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

Blake Corum is briefly inhabited by the spirit of Barry Sanders.

Michigan took the opening kickoff & moved the ball to midfield after 3 straight JJ completions.

On the first rush attempt, IU showed that they were gonna sell out on the rush with slants, scrapes, and aggressive safeties.

But Blake Corum is a sourcerer. pic.twitter.com/yQZgHzXuDP

— Due# (@JDue51) October 9, 2022

Honorable mention: Gus Johnson invokes Bill Raftery after another ankle-killer from Corum. Any of seven different sacks. Rod Moore pulls an INT off the carpet. Cornelius Johnson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Ronnie Bell turn in circus catches.

MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

Connor Bazelak throws a back-foot artillery round that parabolas its way into his receivers hands to set up the only Indiana touchdown. I will never not be mad that was a completion.

Honorable mention: Dubious PF on Harrell for celebrating a sack, dubious PI on Turner to continue the Indiana TD drive, Michigan gets a field goal blocked, back-to-back false starts. McCarthy throws a pick after a great play from the Indiana LB. Many tipped run plays.