windback

FORMATION NOTES: Indiana didn't do the thing.

There was maybe one corner blitz all day. They lined up in off coverage and the only instance of a hard cover two trap was the weird play on the goal line where Johnson ran the wrong route. For much of the second half they were content to sit with six in the box against three-wide and insert safeties late.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: Wilson, Johnson, Loveland, and Barner in a dead heat around 40 snaps for the leader amongst WR/TE sorts. Morris and Bredeson got about 20 each. Moore, Morgan, and English got around 10, mostly late. For the sickos curious about the third string line: Gentry/Herring/Anderson/Guidice/Noah Stewart.

[After THE JUMP: same thing, different week]

In Week 2 against UNLV Michigan tried to run Stretch (aka Outside Zone) as their primary counter to Duo, their base running play. It didn't work. The problem with that is if your base running play is inside the tackles you still need something you can run well that goes outside of the tackles. Otherwise your Duo runs are just going to get swallowed up.

This sounds pretty basic. But what kind of outside run could look like Duo/Inside Zone? And how can you spot it? Let's look.

[After THE JUMP: Wrappers]

10/14/2023 – Michigan 52, Indiana 7 – 7-0, 4-0 Big Ten

Another week, another slight update to the bolded line you see immediately above. Increment the date, barely adjust the score,—this time I got to leave Michigan's entirely alone and subtract three points from Opponent's line—increment the wins but not the losses. I am aware that this bit of the column has been fairly boring this year, but I can't wax rhapsodic about Yet Another Game Against Opponent. It is not possible. I already used the "lol cut and paste" column conceit this year... in week two. 

The only deviation from the overall narrative of the season was the placement of Michigan's two unsuccessful drives and Opponent's two successful ones. All of those came right at the start, so there was a momentary flicker of… not exactly doubt. Something more than annoyance. Peevishness. Yes, folks, I was peeved.

Then barely more than a quarter later it was 35-7 and I was invested in two things: Michigan continuing their season-long third quarter shutout streak and being up by enough that Jack Tuttle got to play in the third quarter. Check and check. Michigan has still not been in a football game this season.

This has been a positive development for our collective blood pressure and results in a lot of fancy graphs where Michigan is at one end and Iowa is at the other:

Iowa is going to make the Big Ten championship game because of course they are. Michigan, meanwhile, has two giant hurdles to clear before they can say the same, and two more games against deeply overmatched opponents before the first of those hurdles shows up on the schedule. It's natural for a team, and a fanbase, to sleepwalk through a rainy Saturday.

At this point, though… I'd like to be a little nervous. College football is not supposed to be an exploration of the Washington Generals' alternate uniforms.

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

At least this week is Michigan State week. Even when Michigan State is abjectly horrible the history of this game brings enough intrigue to separate it from the Indianas and Rutgerseseses of the world. And MSU is abjectly horrible. They're coming off a double Sparty No loss against Rutgers that caused Graham Couch to post a video titled "Michigan State football's epic collapse at Rutgers continues the season from hell" that is, hilariously, on the Detroit Free Press channel. Former beat writer Matt Charboneau ended up in a Twitter fight with MSU fans who thought his Katin Houser take was bad…

Imagine watching your team do this today and your move is to find a post … from April … and act superior. Hilarious. Keep the faith there, big fella https://t.co/ECegJZpNkG

— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) October 14, 2023

…after Houser threw for 4.6 yards an attempt. His main asset relative to Noah Kim is that when he tried to turn the ball over, Rutgers politely declined.

It is likely that Michigan stuffs Michigan State in a trash can this weekend, but 52-7 hits different when it's Michigan State a year after eight guys got suspended for jumping Gemon Green and Ja'Den McBurrows after a noncompetitive loss. It's not going to be 52-7 because MSU will pull out all the stops as they chase the one thing that could somewhat redeem this karma-laden season, but what's MSU's best-case scenario here? It doesn't have the word "dignity" in it.

That will provide some grim satisfaction, and then one more tune up before Armageddon November.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

[Fuller]

you're the man now, dog

#1 JJ McCarthy. Sometimes the sheer lack of attempts for McCarthy keeps him out of this slot, and you could argue that a guy throwing the ball 17 times probably shouldn't be up here. But when you complete 14 of them for 222 yards, okay. McCarthy also had 50 yards rushing. He did take a sack or two that was on him, but offset that with multiple escapes that set Michigan up for big plays.

#2 Michael Barrett. A blitzing tour de force from Barrett, who had a sack, strip, and fumble recovery on one thunderous blitz; on a second he forced the QB into the waiting arms of Jaylen Harrell; a third forced a rollout and throwaway even though he drew a blocker. Barrett was able to attack half a man and push through anyway. Michigan has been holding their water with Barrett all year—just 18 pass rush snaps per PFF. Might be time for him to get nosier.

#3(T) AJ Barner, Max Bredeson, and Colston Loveland. Barner and Bredeson continue to plow opponents; Barner also turned in a nice back-shoulder catch. Loveland isn't as forceful of a blocker but led Michigan with 80 receiving yards, including an important conversion on Michigan's third drive and a long improv touchdown. Two points each.

Honorable mention: Blake Corum continues to do Blake Corum things in relatively slim at-bats. Ben Hall led Michigan in rushing and set expectations for next year real high. Jaylen Harrell had a clean-up sack and a strip sack that set up a Mason Graham recovery and club-forward turnover buffs photo. Mike Sainristil deflected a pass that ended up being an interception and had great coverage on a couple other incidents.

KFaTAotW Standings.

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

35: JJ McCarthy (#1 ECU, #1 UNLV, #2 Rutgers, HM Nebraska, #2 Minn, #1 IU)
22: Kris Jenkins (HM ECU, T2 UNLV, #1 BGSU, HM Rutgers, #1 Neb)
14: Mason Graham (HM ECU, T2 UNLV, #1 Minn, HM IU)
12: Mike Sainristil (T3 ECU, HM BGSU, #1 Rutgers, HM IU)
10: Blake Corum (HM ECU, HM UNLV, #2 BGSU, HM Rutgers, HM Neb, HM IU)
9: Roman Wilson (T2 ECU, HM UNLV, HM BGSU, #3 Nebraska)
8: Mike Barrett (HM UNLV, T3 Rutgers, #2 IU)
7: Braiden McGregor(T3 UNLV, #2 Nebraska), Cornelius Johnson (T2 ECU, HM UNLV, HM BGSU, HM Minn)
6: Kenneth Grant (T3 ECU, T2 UNLV),
5: Junior Colson (#3 BGSU, T3 Rutgers), AJ Barner (HM BGSU, HM Neb, HM Minn, T3 IU)
4: Ernest Hausmann (T3 ECU, T3 Rutgers), Max Bredeson (HM Rutgers, HM Neb, T3 IU)
3: Will Johnson(#3 Minn), Colston Loveland (HM Rutgers, T3 IU), Derrick Moore (T3 UNLV, HM Neb), Jaylen Harrell (HM UNLV, HM BGSU, HM IU)
2:  Josh Wallace (T3 ECU)
1: Tommy Doman (HM ECU), Donovan Edwards (HM ECU), Tyler Morris (HM UNLV), Semaj Morgan (HM Rutgers),Quinten Johnson (HM Rutgers), Kalel Mullings (HM Minn), The Offensive Line (HM Minn), Keon Sabb (HM Minn), Josiah Stewart (HM Minn), Ben Hall (HM IU)

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

Tyler Morris fields a punt over his shoulder after a weird bounce, dodges the two gunners, and rips off 30 yards to set Michigan up for a late first-half TD that allows Michigan to dominate the "middle eight."

Honorable mention: JJ-Edwards flip, Barrett sack-strip-recover, JJ-Loveland improv TD, Graham one-hand fumble recovery.

MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

Keon Sabb bites on a trick play, allowing Indiana to go up 7-0 near the end of the first quarter and asking momentary Questions.

Honorable mention: Colston Loveland drops a ball on Michigan's first play from scrimmage, which helps create a three-and-out.