Halfway through the season: Some Michigan stats
We're halfway through the season and I wanted to list off some stats that I've found interesting to this point when compared to last year:
- Shea Patterson has thrown for 10 TDs so far and the team 12. Last year as team, the entire year long, we through for 9.
- Patterson has 3 INTs on 138 pass attempts. Last year we had 10 as a team on 346 attempts.
- Last year we threw for 6.43 Y/A as a team, which was held up by Speight's 7.17 Y/A (O'Korn and Peters at 6.2). This year as a team we're at 8.55 Y/A and Patterson is at 8.6.
- Last year our WRs caught 97 passes for 1142 yards, or 11.77 yards per catch. This year our WRs have caught 57 passes for 761 yards, or 13.35 Y/C. Last years numbers include the scattered catches from Ways, Harris, McDoom, and Crawford (all gone) and the numbers from Black (hasn't played yet this year).
- Our leading receiver last year was Grant Perry with 307 yards. Gentry is leading the team this year with 306, followed by Nico with 265.
- Our WRs last year caught 3 TDs (1 by Black, Crawford and Perry), and none after Cinci in the 2nd game. This year we have 9 TD catches by WRs. 2 of our 3 WRs who caught TDs last year haven't played for Michigan this year.
- We have allowed 8 sacks so far this year in 6 games (3 against ND). Last year we gave up 36 throughout the year (7 against PSU alone). If we went through the year allowing 16 sacks (our current pace), that would have been tied for 16th fewest in the country last year.
- Michigan's defense has not recovered a fumble so far this year (the only "fumble recovered" was the muffed punt by Nebraska). Michigan's defense recovered 6 last year, with 3 being in the opener against Florida and one being on the last play by Purdue.
- Michigan has 5 interceptions so far this year. Last year Michigan intercepted 10 passes.
- Will Hart is averaging 52 yards per punt so far this year. Last year Michigan averaged 40.
October 7th, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
It’s astounding how few turnovers we force. I know it’s random, but it seems like we’re due a 4-5 TO game soon.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Hoping the team is saving up for osu!
October 7th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
We are charging up our super weapon for a +6 TO day in Columbus. Nobody will see it coming, then boom: Haskins throws 4 INTs and Weber fumbles twice.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
This would be the best early Christmas present ever. Only the Browns could mess up that turnover margin.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
I think it moved.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:14 AM ^
Interceptions I think we're fairly normal/average at. We were at 4 picks going into yesterday which was tied for for like 43rd or something. 5 would be close to top 30.
Fumbles is where we're lacking. Maybe it's a form thing, but according to most advanced stats people the only correlation with turnovers is a marginal one with sack rate/havoc rate. It seems like we've probably mostly gotten unlucky on that end, like how we got insanely lucky Hoke's first year.
October 7th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
It's just odd to me that we don't force more fumbles with all the sacks we get. It seems like in every other football game I watched yesterday, there was at least one sack/fumble.
October 7th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
Form may be it; I don't really see them playing to strip the ball much. Guess what they're doing seems to be working just fine, so I'm not going to worry about it.
October 7th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
When the opposing offenses don’t possess the ball for very long it’s hard to force TOs. Our defense doesn’t stay on the field for a very long time
October 7th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
The passing game is obviously better. What about the run game?
October 7th, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^
We’re over 1,000 yards at 5.2ypc. The offense is objectively {{{gooooood}}}.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:35 AM ^
What's awesome is that we got just about everyone of significance back from the run portion of the offense, and they don't have to improve one bit to be a very good running team.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
"Yeah but it's so boring i.e. not a spread offense"
- half of this moronic fanbase
October 8th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
Brian, you going to let this guy talk about you like that?
October 7th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
Higdon, Wilson and Evans are all averaging 5.7+ YPC. The only other RBs with 10 plus carries are Turner and Samuels, averaging 5.5 and 5.3 YPC.
As a whole those 5 have 1,054 yards on 182 carries, or 5.8 YPC. Take away the last two and we have 5.85 YPC.
Last year our top 3 backs had 387 carries for 2227 yards, or 5.75 YPC. If you start to add in Walker/Samuels (4th and 5th back) those numbers drop more.
So on the whole pretty stagnant/slightly better (although last year we were better later in the season obviously). This is without factoring in Shea vs QBs last year.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
One very big difference: This year, the RBs don't have the dropsies. Knock on wood.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
This year so far we’re at 5.1 yards per carry as a team, last year we finished 4.4 yards per carry.
Overall last year we finished 99th nationally at 5.2 yards per play, so far this season we are 26th nationally at 6.5 yards per play.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
Amazing what an additional 4 feet per play will do for you.
October 7th, 2018 at 6:35 PM ^
You figure we run 65 plays per game on average. 4 feet per play is 260 feet. That’s a little over 86 yards, you’re talking an extra scoring drive and a half per game. That’s incredibly significant. Not to mention what it does as far as field position and keeping our defense rested.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Shea Patterson is also top 20 nationally in passer rating, 11th among P5 QBs, and 2nd in the B1G
October 7th, 2018 at 11:06 AM ^
I thought Shea would be really good, but he’s surpassed my expectations. Passer rating over 160 (think my guess was mid to upper 150s), 8.6 ypa, 3:1 TD-INT ratio, and 69% completion (niiiiiice). He’s been super efficient.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
The passing game is night and day compared to last year. Yesterday's game gives me a lot of hope for this gauntlet coming up, especially on the offensive side. Seems that the line, receivers, tight ends, etc. may have gelled at the perfect time.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:09 AM ^
Appreciate the data. Helps put the season in perspective. Definitely appears the program is heading in the right direction
October 7th, 2018 at 11:10 AM ^
Patterson >> QBs last year
2nd year WRs >> true freshman WRs
Also it is not completely fair to compare stats between first half of this season with an entire season because we play better teams down the stretch. Let’s pound some of those ranked teams defenses coming up on our schedule and keep this trend alive. I know we can win every game if we play our best and don’t end up with crap luck.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:13 AM ^
I mean in theory you’re correct, but if you look at the early season stretch last season and compare it to this year, we certainly can see the trend is still accurate. Last year we struggled with Air Force and Cincy for crying out loud.
The simple fact that Michigan is now ABLE to put away inferior competition is in and of itself a significant improvement over last season.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
Last year our season high in scoring was 36. This year we've topped that in four of our six games.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
By "don't end up with crap luck", I am assuming you mean that Michigan doesn't get screwed by terrible officiating. The good news is, we haven't seen anything since 2016 that indicates that the officials will screw it up.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:10 AM ^
That's all great, but I will tell you one stat that Harbaugh is erring in...getting the ball to Grant Perry... the dude never drops a ball, and is as clutch as it gets... we are gonna miss this guy, believe it. He is VERY underutilized.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:16 AM ^
Perry dropped a pass in one of the last couple of weeks.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:30 AM ^
What a difference a week makes, last week I posted a thread on this and everyone was like “yeah!”, now you get negged.
Honestly though the short passing game was far better this week, including a great slant by Perry to get a conversion on third and ten.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
I know I would rather have Perry catch a six yard Crossing route instead of gentry catching a 20-yard post.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^
How about both?
Make opponents defend/worry about both things.
October 7th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
i know why i posted it twice. I think i tried to edit it to say that there may well have been some 6 yard crossing routes going on and Patterson decided to throw it to Gentry instead because he was open. The short routes may be there, but it looks like Shea isn't getting a quick enough read on a lot of the short routes to get it to the receiver on time. As a guess. He's holding onto the ball an awful long time a lot.
I think those routes are probably there, but Shea's still getting comfortable with the offense and not ready for some of them... and he likes throwing it to Gentry downfield.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
I know I would rather have Perry catch a six yard Crossing route instead of gentry catching a 20-yard post.
Apparently I felt so strongly I needed to say it twice
October 7th, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
Maybe it's a function of what defenses are doing.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:29 AM ^
I like the first response to the tweet about defense: "Need more sacks and tfl that’s not good enough."
You tell 'em, John Clark III. Being #1 in the country in total D isn't good enough. We need to be #0.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
He definitely posts here.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
Probably lead the country in "phantom" holding calls on RB's that negate big gains.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Still screwed by the refs. Maryland gets a targeting call that IMPROVES their field position.
This week's phantom hold costs a long TD pass.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
That’s a loophole in the logic of the rules. Michigan would have had better field position if they declined the penalty.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^
The team is definitely trending in the right direction - the true test is over the next 4 games but I have faith
GO BLUE
October 7th, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^
According to college football reference, Shea Patterson is at 9.1 adjusted Y/A. That is the best number in Michigan history by nearly a full yard (among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts). Jim Harbaugh is 2nd with 8.2.
October 7th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Competition gets better in the back half of the schedule but I don't expect a big dropoff in stats because the team is improving. I think our passing game will torch Wisconsin and MSU which have weak secondaries and we will trash Indiana and Rutgers. Even OSU's defense is not that great.
I expect the defense to hold up well also despite dline injuries. The back 7 is very strong and will give all of our opponents fits.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
I would expect the stats to come back down a bit as we go through the far more difficult portion of the schedule. On the other hand, it may be offset by further development, particularly the OL and Shea getting more comfortable. In any case, the improvement on Offense is clear based on just the eye test and the stats validate that. It's encouraging and I hope that it holds up through the rest of the season.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
The pass protection has been surprisingly good. Even when Shea leaves the pocket it seems like he's doing so to pick up yardage or get a better throwing angle, rather than being hurried by pressure.
I have a hunch our turnover luck will improve the second half of the season. Or at least I hope it will.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:35 PM ^
At 52 yards per punt, Will Hart is a bad man.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:51 PM ^
Since Harbaugh has been here we have not forced many fumbles.
October 7th, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
So glad Greg Frey is gone.
October 7th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Wonderful improvement by the team!
I know that the whole "saving play for …" meme gets everyone riled up in here, and I am not going to fuel that debate. But, I've always thought that Harbaugh's biggest strength in game planning is that he's got an amazing blend of stubbornness AND creativity. Meaning, he's shown opposing DC's that he -- with a game like the NW game -- is perfectly willing to play smash-mouth football, rely upon his amazing defense and good/great kicking game, even when he's coming from behind. But, in reality -- like we saw yesterday against a very fast, aggressive Maryland defense -- it's all really a rouse to get you sucked into the box and exploited. For a rouse to work it MUST be sold with the utmost sincerity and conviction.
It's been there all along, but it just needed 1) a QB that could hit the passes when the opposing defense was sucked exploitable -- think JOK vs. OSU '17; and 2) an OL/RB/FB combination that can keep the offense on schedule -- so much fewer TFL's in the running game and sacks in the passing game.
The Big Tests are coming, but I think that Harbaugh has put a lot on film for the opposing DC's to have to wrangle with, but most importantly, the team is executing both the base run sets and the "gotcha" plays at a high level -- it could be slightly higher at times, IMO, and the refs have really hurt those numbers, but it's WAY better than last year. With regards to the defense forcing turnovers it's odd that we don't force more fumbles. I think the emphasis is on sure tackling rather than stripping the ball. That's fine with me, to be honest. Similarly, I think with the INT's -- not that I have any stats to back it up -- but I think that playing tight man coverage limits them a bit as the defense often has it's back to the QB. When we do get INT's the are either amazing individual coverage plays, or in those rare zone instances -- at least in my mind.
Go Blue, Beat Wisconsin!