Helpful: The UFR Glossary. Final reminder: Eyabi [was Anoma]'s name is now Eyabi Okie.

Substitution Notes: With scrub season over the depth chart compressed down to 20 guys in the rotation and 22 who played total. M also went small in this one, matching 12 personnel with a nickel and 11 personnel with Makari Paige in for a linebacker. Goode was the 4th DT to play but got bowled around and Benny came in. On the other side, UMD kept trying to get weird matchups with 2 or 3 RBs, multiple tight ends doing WR or RB things, etc.

Formation Notes: Nothing new. Reminder that a position in a parenthetical means he's covered and "Fritz" is a pistol with the QB flanked by two more RBs (or an RB and TE, whatever). L'shanah Tovah!

[After THE JUMP: Oh right, this is what it's like to play a Big Ten team.]

Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Offset Trips	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 off	RPO		IZ/Bubble	Barrett	6	0.33
Smith(-1) lets his doubler release onto Barrett(tackling-0.5), who does everything right technique-wise but is small and bounces off the guard, grabbing the back's legs as the guy falls forward for an extra 2.
O31	2nd	4	Pistol Trips	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 off	Pass	n/a	Flash Screen	Sainristil	8	0.89
Rare non-well defended screen. Sainristil(+0.5) is on the wrong side of this WR but shoves him to compress the hole. Moore(-2) came down on the same side as Sainristil so there's nobody in the gap this is going. Green(+0.5) reacts a beat late but still pops the X into the ballcarrier's path and Colson(+1) flies across the formation quickly to hold this down. RPS-1 this was open by alignment.
O39	1st	10	Pistol Wk Z-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Even	2 bdy	RPO	5	Split Flow	Green	5	0.11
M blitzed the Nk to kill this (RPS+1) but Sainristil(-2) goes for the RB when he's the QB man. Green(+2, cov+2) has two guys to cover, defends the snag and then breaks on the flat route, gets ahold of the TE's calf, and won't let go until help arrives.
O44	2nd	5	Gun Wk RB	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 bdy	Pass	4	Fly	Green	0	-1.15
Harrell(+0.5, PR+1) is coming through the RT and Smith(+0.5) put the C in the backfield but ball is out quickly. Green(+2, cov+2) blankets Rakim Jarrett all the way down the sideline, turns his head at the last and waves at it but there's nowhere for the ball to go because he's all in the way. Textbook!
O44	3rd	5	Gun Wk Tight	4-2-5	Nk Splits	2 off	Pass	4	RB Flat	Moten	Inc(+15)	2.66
Tempo(34). Eventful 3rd down that turns on bad luck. Victory by the line rescues hazardous coverage as Harrell(+2, PR+3) and McGregor(+2) shove their respective Ts into the pocket, Jaylen getting to TaTa and Braiden soaks up the LG. Smith(+1) blasts a G and C in as well. That leaves Sainristil free to sack from the backside. TaTa starts running from Sainristil as Harrell(-2)'s arm accidentally gets some facemask. He lets go but too late...just unfortunate. TaTa flings it on his way down at an RB who's completely unguarded because Moten(-2) fell down on his chip then rushed instead of getting back. Mixup behind that too as Moore(-1, cov-3) got picked by Paige so this might have been a 56-yard TD without the win up front.
M41	1st	10	Offset Wk Demi	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 off	RPO		IZ/Snag	Colson	4	-0.10
Graham(+0.5) takes on a double and leaves his MLB a lane to attack (while Hemby's bobbling the handoff). Instead Colson(-1) is hesitant. Goode(+1) fights across his single-block to hold it to just 4.
M37	2nd	6	Gun Twins 2Flex F-Orbit	4-2-5	5-2 Odd	2 off	RPO		ZR IZ/TE Bubble	Upshaw	2	-0.50
Both TEs flexed and one motions for a bubble, drawing off Moore, who was acting as a DE. That's a matchup win and then the DL slants the other way (RPS+2) to waste an OL and create a window for Barrett(-1) to get a TFL but he hesitates and misses it. Upshaw(+0.5) and Goode(+0.5) have their OL bent back and collect this but they're also still engaged with blockers and Hemby can fall forward.
M35	3rd	4	Gun Twins Flex	4-2-5	5-1 Odd	0 fld	Pass	5	Fly	Green	Inc	-1.03
Tempo(23). Amoeba has Colson outside, Moten in the box, and Paige at 9 yards, drops both edges and gets Moten in unblocked (RPS+1, PR+1) UMD has their TE out wide vs Green(+2, cov+2) who is in contact the whole way down the field. Handfighting is all of the legal variety. TE's only option is a layout 1-hander he can't bring in.
Drive Notes: FG(53). 7-3. 12 min 1st Q. But first UMD lined up to go for it, M had nobody over the slot (RPS-1) and had to burn a TO.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Pistol Twins	4-2-5	Nk Split B	1 press	Run		Midline	Colson	16	1.42
Nobody blocks Smith(-1) who forms up like he's got edge maintain on a rollout and can't get back. Colson(-2, tackling-2) is unblocked and picks his way behind the double that Jenkins took on, but that gamble only works if you make the tackle and he doesn't. Mullings(-0.5) should be able to clean up but got on the wrong side of the OL who released on him. Moten(-1, tackling-1) goes down instead of wrapping up so this gets an extra 5 on top.
O41	1st	10	Offset Ace	4-2-5	4-3 Over	2 off	Play-action	5	Scramble	Upshaw	7	0.70
Tempo(36). I've never seen the like. McGregor(+2, PR+2) gets deep against a double, so the TE grabs two shoulderpads and hauls him down (refs-4 this is INSANE). Moore's blitz is picked up by an RB who gets him by then does the same. Upshaw(-2) gives up contain, which not only gets TaTa outside of him but blocks Jenkins. Smith(+1) sprints outside, can't get TaTa but does force him outside the numbers where a very fast Colson(+0.5) can get him OOB before the sticks.
O48	2nd	3	Offset 2RB Wk	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	PRO	4	Slant/IZ	Colson	12	0.77
Green(-1, RPS+1) blitzes and gets in unblocked but bites on a pump fake (Hat+1 that's a good idea TaTa). Colson sees the RG release five yards downfield and abandons coverage (not graded) because any pass now is illegal (refs-2) but they don't flag it.
M40	1st	10	Offset 4w A-Jet	4-2-5	4-3 Over	2 fld	RPO		Counter GT	Colson	2	-0.33
Upshaw(+0.5) shoulders in the first puller and Jenkins(+1) two-gaps a guy trying to block down on him, hole constricted. Colson(+0.5) comes down and hits the T. McGregor(+1) shuffles to the RB and can jump on his back. RB (Hat+1) drags him a yard. This play set up the shovel pass later.
M38	2nd	8	Gun A-Orbit	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 press	Pass	4	Slip Screen	Mullings	7	0.33
Nobody backtracks or picks up the RB (RPS-2) and Mullings(-2, cov-2) drops 9 yards back and is still dropping. That leaves just Colson(+2) vs 20.5 blockers and the RB. He crashes the middle then fights outside to force a cut-in at the LOS, then gets off that guy to make the tackle himself when Mullings is both late and sets up to accept contact instead of hitting Hemby.
M31	3rd	1	Pistol 12 Tight	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Run		F Insert	Benny	1	0.38
Benny(+3) swims by center and grabs the RB in the backfield. ANY help from Okie(-1) on this play and it's 4th and 3 but he doesn't get off his block for many beats as the RB slowly plows through for what they need. Benny does have a chance to square and get Littleton's legs but where's the desperation from his teammate?
M30	1st	10	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 off	Pass	4	Curl	Paige	4	-0.05
Graham(+1) pushes the C to speed this up until the LG shoves him in the back, but D-Mo(-0.5) and Okie(-0.5) got nothing so TaTa can find an underneath route that Paige(+1, cov+1) was on immediately.
M26	2nd	6	Offset Trips (H) Z-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 off	Run		3O TE Shovel	Colson	12	0.32
Well played shovel pass (RPS-2). Jet motion holds Barrett(-0.5) while his guard is pulling, Colson(-0.5) isn't ready for shovel and is getting out. D needs to communicate the ineligible receiver.
M14	1st	10	Offset Wk Stack	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 press	Run		Counter Trey	Jenkins	2	-0.11
Morris(+1) crashes the kickout to trap the gap, Jenkins(+1) fights through the cheap LG, Hemby (Hat+0.5) falls forward through the pile.
M12	2nd	8	Gun Trips	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 press	Pass	4	Slot Fade	Green	Inc	-0.38
Harrell(+0.5, PR+1) around at 9 and Morris(+0.5) is coming through the LT so this goes out. Green(+2, cov+2) anticipates a fade and hops over it. Jarrett, his route thoroughly dominated, tries to run through Gemon, who wants OPI, ball is uncatchable, landing near a squatting Patrick Barron(+2), who doesn't flinch.
M12	3rd	8	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	Eagle	2 bdy	Pass	4	Scramble	Colson	9	1.57
Morris(+1, PR+1) beats the LT inside and dives at TaTa who escapes. Colson(-3, tackling-2) is at the two and drops(!!) further when he's the guy who has to close this down. TaTa gets to threaten pass then (Hat+2) gets Colson to stop with a shimmy with enough room to dive for the 1st. His helmet comes off so he has to leave for a play.
M3	1st	Goal	Offset Trips	5-2-4	Goal	n/a	Run		ZR IZ	Smith	1	-0.60
Team effort. Smith(+1) and Jenkins(+1) stand up singles and Graham(+0.5) regains his ground immediately, but unsung hero is Moore(+2) flying in to arrest Littleton's momentum. Play should be whistled dead after Littleton's not gone forward for 2 seconds but refs-1 watch it until it becomes a shoving contest that lands a yard closer to the endzone.
M2	2nd	Goal	Pistol Twins	5-2-4	Goal	n/a	Run		Split Zone	Colson	2	2.02
Paige(+1) forces a give and dives into Littleton's feet before the kick can arrive and just needs a little help to stuff. Colson(-2) stops and leans outside like he thinks it's an arc read, thus removing himself from the path of the RB. Barely gets a finger on him.
Drive Notes: Touchdown. 10-10. 2 min 1st Q. Line is fine, LB play is worrying, refs are infuriating.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O27	1st	10	Offset Str	4-2-5	404 Tite	1 press	Run		F Insert	Mullings	11	0.98
More frustrating LB play. Graham(+1) and Smith(+0.5) rip/swim through their doubles immediately, with Graham's OL (refs-1) toddlering on his leg. Colson(+0.5) used this to shoot his gap and is in the backfield. All they need is for Mullings(-3, tackling) to show up and it's stuff city. Instead he's hanging back behind the mess Smith made for him, then gets trucked by Littleton. I want to -4 this. EO1Q.
O38	1st	10	Pistol Str	4-2-5	404 Tite	1 press	Play-action	4	Deep Cross	Moore	26	1.94
PA is accidentally the perfect response to M's stunt (RPS-2, PR-2) as Sainristil gets stuck on a TE and the "puller" arrives just as Smith does. All day. Also Barrett(-2, cov-2) sucked up on the PA, and Moore(-1) set up inside but bit on a head fake to get crossed and end up trailing by 2 yards.
M36	1st	10	Pistol Fritz	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 press	Run		Power T	Barrett	5	0.08
True Fritz with 3 RBs attacks the LBs. Colson(+1) popped the lead blocker's outside shoulder to redirect inside but Smith(-1) got comboed through so Barrett(+1) has to shed a blocker. He puts that guy on the ground to hold it down. RPS-1 M is down a guy in the box.
M31	2nd	5	Gun Diamond	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 press	Pass	4	Fly	Green	Inc	-0.74
3RBs and the TE split out to the field, Green(+2, cov+2) all alone with Demus, only turns his head at the last second but is running in this guy's chest all the way down.
M31	3rd	5	Pistol 4w Y-In	4-2-5	5-1 Odd	1 off	RPO		Dive/Flat	Smith	-3	-1.61
TE motions in then turns around and while they option Harrell but M is playing six up (RPS+3). Two OL block Jenkins, the C takes Barrett, and there's nobody to block Smith(+1, tackling+1); he doesn't miss.
Drive Notes: FG(52). 10-13. 13 min 2nd Q. Took 41 yards in 3 plays from the LBs, then attacked Green for some reason.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O8	1st	10	Gun Str Y Flex	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 fld	Pass	4	Comeback	Green	11	0.41
All day as M has Goode(-1) and Upshaw(-1, PR-3) singled (McGregor doubled) and neither can get remotely close. Smart by Locksley to go pass when those guys are in. Routes run out (cov+1) until Green(-1)'s guy (Copeland) can shake him and come back to the sticks.
O19	1st	10	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 press	Play-action	4	Comeback	Turner	12	0.83
Tempo locks Team Can't Pass Rush on the field. PA nerfs McGregor's rush (RPS-1) and Upshaw(-1, PR-2) is stuck on the LT. Turner(-2, cov-2) misses an out cut by Copeland.
O31	1st	10	Gun 4w RB	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 fld	Pass	4	Bubble Screen	Sainristil	2	-0.44
They try to edge Mike Sainristil(+2) who blows his WR back into the ballcarrier and might TFL alone if the WR doesn't grab shoulderpad (refs-1). Colson(+1) flew out here to collect.
O33	2nd	8	Pistol Wk X Tight	4-2-5	4-3 Under	1 press	Pass	5	TE Screen	Harrell	26	2.81
RPS-3 as they catch M in an Amoeba blitz with Moten running by the TE. Harrell(-1) is late to tag. Green(-0.5) is in a mismatch with an OL who blocks him in the face. Paige(-1) is fighting through a WR and gets hurdled all fool-like.
M41	1st	10	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Nk Splits	2 press	Play-action	4	Deep In	Turner	INT	-4.90
Only three guys in routes and max pro (PR-1) with Morris's guy holding in a way you want called but B10 stripes usually let go. Turner(+3, cov+3) dominates this route by Copeland then "intercepts." On replay it's a Danny Coale Special so if you thought VT should have won the Sugar Bowl on that you get to claim this was an INT, refs+4 don't even review it.
Drive Notes: Interception. 10-13. 8 min 2nd Q. FWIW not reviewing/overturning this was a +4.02 swing in expected points.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Gun Str RB	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 press	PRO	n/a	Zag/F Insert	Turner	Inc	-0.70
Pulls because they get man coverage and Turner(+2, cov+2) isn't supposed to be able to handle both sides of this. He does, getting on the WR's hip and punching it out. C was 3 yards downfield fyi.
O25	2nd	10	Gun Y-In	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 press	RPO		F Insert/Slants	Jenkins	3	-0.15
It's clearly a real RPO read even though the C is 4 yards downfield blocking Mullings(-1) who should activate when that guy releases but..yeah. Jenkins(+2) controls grabbyboy to push this over a gap then crosses grabbyboy to initiate a tackle while Colson(+1) tracks and steps in front of the TE trying to kick him out so that guy gets only a half shove on the back. Paige was in the area as well (RPS+1).
O28	3rd	7	Gun Wk Y-Cross	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 press	Pass	4	Tunnel Screen	Sainristil	-4	-0.37
Sainristil(+3, cov+2, tackling+1) beats the TE outside and pops that guy at the hashes to prevent Jarrett from getting to his lane, then takes him down himself. Daxhillian.
Drive Notes: Punt. 10-13. 2 min 2nd Q. For some reason M lets 14 seconds tick off before calling timeout.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O24	1st	10	Offset Wk	4-1-6	Nk Wide	2 press	Run		Split Zone	Upshaw	6	0.00
0:22, 3 TOs. Upshaw(-1, RPS+1, tackling-1) aligns playside of the RG but can't get the RB down. Harrell(+1) two-gaps the LT who has to hold a bit. Moten and Turner clean up short of the sticks and UMD decides to go to the half.
Drive Notes: Time expires. 17-13. EoH.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O9	1st	10	Pistol Str	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 high	Run		F Insert	Colson	3	-0.14
M tries to bait a false start by having Harrell(-0.5) hop while the DL shifts. The TE takes the bait but he's in the backfield, and if anything this should be disconcerting signals on Harrell (refs+1). OL release on the LBs, Smith(+0.5, tackling+1) stands up the RG and helps Colson(+1) who pops the LG then comes off to get Hemby by the shoulders. Mullings(+0.5) did the same and could have helped if the other guys didn't stuff first. Lane was wider than necessary because Harrell got kicked a little and Jenkins fell down after getting in the backfield.
O12	2nd	7	Offset Wk Y Flex	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	RPO		IZ/Slant	Smith	3	-0.11
Other 4 linemen go well before the snap (refs-1) but Smith(+2, tackling) two-gaps the RG and stuffs this. Hemby (Hat+0.5) runs into both DTs and still falls forward for 2 extra. That guy's a dude.
O15	3rd	4	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Racecar Wide AA	1 press	Pass	5	Slant	Sainristil	8	0.86
4DL and 2LB at the LOS, all but Harrell come. Sainristil(+1, cov+1) defends the slant perfectly but Jarrett (Hat+2) brings it in.
O23	1st	10	Gun Wk Y-Cross	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 off	Pass	4	Bubble GT	Sainristil	15	1.26
UMD pulls both backside OL…to get an LB reaction? Sainristil(+1) pops up to force this inside. Mullings(-2, tackling-2) whiffs a tackle after beating a TE. Colson(-1) has both pullers to deal with, dodges one but the other thwacks him down from the side.
O38	1st	10	Gun Wk H-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 bdy	Pass	5	H Flare	Colson	6	0.40
Morris(+1, PR-1) is coming through the LT but that's all M gets from a 5-man rush vs a 6-man protection (Harrell-1, Sainristil(-1). What UMD gets is a checkdown in the flat that nobody's over. Blame is going on Moten(-2, cov-1) for trying to cut off Green's guy and not rolling down into the flat afterwards but Colson(-1, tackling-2) took a bad angle and then doesn't engage. Moten also set up too close to the sideline and gave up a few extra. Too conservative guys.
O44	2nd	4	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	Run		Midline Read	Graham	3	-0.46
Graham(-1) isn't used to being read and doesn't make it hard, tackling the RB as TaTa pulls. M was slanting and bringing Sainristil (RPS+2) who forms up to set an edge and force it back to Mullings(-1), who was dancing around with an OL too long in front of this instead of paying off Sainristil's edge. TaTa cuts behind that as Sainristil tackles for 3rd and 1. Missed opportunity for 3rd and long.
O47	3rd	1	Offset Heavy	5-2-4	5-3 Under	1 fld	Run		FZ Insert	Smith	1	1.00
Smith(+2) whoops his blocker and initiates the tackle. Moten is blitzing but has to redirect from an angle to the QB (RPS-0.5) else this is a monster TFL. Morris(+0.5) dives inside the LT to get some of the RB's momentum and Barrett(+0.5) hops around that to get the rest and bring up 4th and short. Or 1st and 10 because the refs-1 give him the line and don't review it.
O48	1st	10	Offset Twins F-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Over	1 off	PRO	n/a	Split Flow TE	Colson	1	-0.90
Colson(+2) steps down to force a keep read, then gets on his horse and runs down the TE with help from Moore(+1) in the backfield. Refs-1 give them a yard.
O49	2nd	9	Offset Wk Demi	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 press	Pass	4	TE Corner	Moore	Inc	-1.04
Gamesmanship here as UMD changes late then Michigan decides to swap the DE at the far side of the field while the Terps have to wait (and Tagovailoa complains because he doesn't know the rules). Fox(-2) doesn't show a playclock but it was down to 1 or 2, so UMD has to hurry. Morris(+2, PR+2) around the LT immediately and gets a blindside shot to the waist which I'm guessing did some rib damage. TaTa (Hat+2) still gets it off an accurately to a TE corner route that Moore didn't break on [EDITED] Turner(-2,cov-2) didn't get depth on in Cov2. That guy drops it.
O49	3rd	9	Gun Wk	4-2-5	3-3-5 Split	2 off	Pass	5	Throwaway	Moten	Inc	-0.65
Finally a cool blitz (RPS+3, PR+3) that starts weird and gets Harrell(+1) a free shot. Moten(+1, cov+1) broke off his blitz to tag the RB just in case this new QB found his outlet.
Drive Notes: Punt. 17-13. 7 min 3rd Q. Starting to feel like that was UMD's one chance.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O44	1st	10	Pistol 12 Tight	4-2-5	4-3 Over	2 bdy	Play-action	5	Scramble	Morris	1	-0.93
RG starts his pull before the snap but that helps signal Smith(+1, PR+1) to get started into the backfield. Can't collect the sack because Moore gets clamped on the shoulders by the TE then taken down (refs-2). TaTa Time! He pauses to look downfield but nothing's there (cov+2) and that pause is enough for Morris(+2) to catch up and just barely hack him down.
O45	2nd	9	Empty 5w	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 fld	Pass	4	Throwaway	Colson	Inc	-0.96
D-Mo drops and Colson(+2, PR+2) comes and sets up to both sides of a guard deep in the pocket. Nothing's open (cov+2), forcing TaTa to retreat. He can do so because Upshaw(-1) was stoned on his initial rush then the RT gets to wrangle him by the shoulderpad for several seconds in front of this official (refs-2). Colson feints outside, the G moves out there thinking it's TaTa Time, and Colson's like NOPE IT'S JUNIOR TIME and flies up. He's formulating a sack so TaTa chucks it away at a comeback.
O45	3rd	9	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Pass	5	500 Ball	Sainristil	Inc	-0.54
M is bringing Moten and Paige from LB and S levels, respectively but they're picked up (RPS-1). HOWEVA Okie(+2, PR+2, tackling-1) whipped the LT and gets two hands on TaTa's shoulders. It's not enough to tackle. Harrell(-1) can't really get there to collect, tries a spin, gets held (refs-1), puts his arm in the air like "Hey, gettin hugged here" like he's not watched this entire game, and finally pursues. Smith(+1) by now has snuck through his double while one of them is looking back at his QB. He's going for the sack as TaTa heaves a Tagovailoa special at Sainristil(+2, cov+2) that he just can't bring in with Jarrett on his back. Jarrett lands on his shoulder and leaves the game.
Drive Notes: Punt. 17-13. 4 min 3rd Q. Huzzah for a 3-and-out!
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Gun Twins RB	4-2-5	Nk Even	1 bdy	RPO		IZ/Slant	Barrett	6	0.33
M slants but Mullings(-2) doesn't get the message, stepping behind Smith when the playcall (RPS+1) gave him a window to attack. LG recovers and now he gets to attack Mullings. Smith(+0.5) and Jenkins(+0.5) come off their blocks to tackle while he watches.
O31	2nd	4	Offset Wk Z-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	RPO		IZ/Bubble	Jenkins	2	-0.55
Takes a village. Jenkins(+1) rips through his double and gets into Hemby's legs. Mullings(-1) can clean up but stepped the wrong way is now stuck on the guy who was doubling Mazi. McGregor(+2) sees this and brings his TE with him to fill behind and soak up momentum. Smith(+0.5) gets loose joins McGregor, finds Hemby's leg, and holds on as the dude trust falls (Hat+1) for 2 yards. Dude.
O33	3rd	2	Offset Twins	4-2-5	4-3 Over	1 press	Run		Tight Zone	Barrett	4	1.25
Smith(+0.5) takes on a double, giving up half a yard but opening a window for Barrett(+1) to slalom into while Morris(+0.5) two-gaps the edge and Jenkins(+1) two-gaps a double to force Hemby into it. LT gets a subtle grab on Morris's pad to prevent him from TFLing from the side (no way a ref sees that) and Colson(-1) is hanging back to take on the guy Smith came through instead of getting outside. Also Sainristil(-0.5) was late to his spot so he's not facing the play and can't get down to help. Hemby (Hat+1) wiggles into the crack and falls through it for an extra 2 yards. Dude.
O37	1st	10	Offset Wk Z-Orbit	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 bdy	Run		ZR Belly	Colson	5	0.11
Ungh, Colson(-2) does it again, wasting a momentary double by Jenkins(+1) and then passively accepting a block as the guy releases. Jenkins comes off to tackle Hemby himself. ATTACK! Attack attack attack attack attack!
O42	2nd	5	Gun Wk Tight	4-2-5	Nk Over	1 off	Pass	4	Mesh	McGregor	4	-0.17
Smith(+1, PR-1) gets some pass rush vs his double, Harrell(-2) gets none vs the RT alone while Barrett contains which means there's lots of time to look. McGregor(+1, cov+1) dropped out, covered the flat, and banjoed back to the last crosser who sat down in zone. Immediately tackled=push.
O46	3rd	1	Pistol Ace	5-2-4	5-2 Odd	0 press	Run		Dive	Graham	0	-1.07
Tempo out of the change and M is ready. Graham(+2) blasts his OL into the backfield, Jenkins(+0.5) and Smith(+0.5) have theirs stonewalled, and Barrett(+1, tackling+1) flies in from the edge to stop this a yard in the backfield, though refs-1 give them back a free yard.
O46	4th	1	Ace Offset Trips	5-2-4	5-2 Over	1 off	Pass	5	Flash Screen	Sainristil	4	2.34
M isn't ready and has two DBs well off the LOS to the playside. Sainristil(-1, cov-1) comes down for a perfect tackle that is way too late. RPS-3 use a timeout!
50	1st	10	Pistol Fritz	4-2-5	4-3 Over	1 press	PRO	n/a	TE Wheel	Sainristil	44	1.79
Very frustrating for multiple reasons as the run action gets everyone to bite on the dive. Smith(-1) gives up contain, Johnson(-1) wastes a perfectly called frontside sack opportunity, and worst of all Sainristil(-3, cov-3) lets a TE behind him and compounds by stopping to hop, which is a risk that he loses. Why NOW when we've been playing careful with TaTa all day? Also Hat+4 to TaTa because holy hell dude you've got a rib injury and it's a DO cross-body throw on the run. (If you want to go there Copeland put Turner into the turtle well out of bounds and #50 was 3.5 yards downfield when the throw was made, but cool blocks and violations that don't affect the play aren't penalties in my book).
M6	1st	Goal	Pistol Ace Twins	5-2-4	5-3 Under	1 press	Run		Arc Read Give	Colson	2	-0.28
RPS+1 as M slants away to force a give read and swing Colson(+1) inside the TE. He and Moten stick.
M4	2nd	Goal	Gun 2RB Tight	4-2-5	Nk Even	2 press	Pass	4	Mesh	Green	4	2.28
Would be a nice time for a rush but McGregor(-1) and Harrell(-1) are stonewalled (PR-2). TaTa gets to wait comfortably for Green(-2, cov-2) to get rubbed off by his teammates and leave his guy wide open. They can call a switch or Colson could stay in front of this guy and leave him stuck in traffic but they're in m2m and don't have pass rush ohnooooo.
M3	2PC	Goal	Empty Twins	4-2-5	Goal	n/a	Pass	5	TE Angle	Barrett	INT	-1.05
Finally some natural pass rush from Jenkins(+2, PR+2), who beats the LG clean and moves TaTa off his spot. He chucks it high off his back foot and Barrett(+1, cov+2) leaves only a few inches to get this in. It tips to Sainristil(+1) for the INT, which would only matter if the refs-2 call a PF on the guy who suplexes him in the endzone like Peppers did that one time.
Drive Notes: Touchdown (2PT Failed). 24-19. 9 min 4th Q.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Gun Trips	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 off	Run		Draw	Barrett	6	0.33
Clever girl (RPS-1) as both DEs are erased. Colson(+0.5) thwacks the RB leading and Graham(+0.5) two-gapped a G to give M a chance but Barrett(-1) didn't see it fast enough or isn't big enough to get across the releasing C and spill to Green. Benny(+1) fought across his block and got his hand on the ball as Hemby goes by, which makes him slow and allows M to hold this down.
O31	2nd	4	Gun Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Pass	4	Circle	Moten	INT	-3.01
Hey there! Harrell(+1, PR+1) gets a pure, natural, 100% Ojabo up-shed-in pass rush. TaTa was watching a deep crosser about to spring open behind Colson(-1) but ball has to be out so he flings it at a well-covered circle (Hat-3). It's short, and Moten(+4, cov+2) tips it to himself. Some incidental contact from Green that doesn't affect the WR's shot at the ball; any Maryland fan wanting a flag there deserves a minimum 30 seconds of laughter-in-face. Might have to follow them around the office some. Laughter to back of head doesn't count, all 30 seconds have to be in face.
Drive Notes: Interception. 27-19. 6 min 4th Q. Next drive is Billy Edwards.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Front	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Gun Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 off	Pass	4	Mesh Scramble	McGregor	9	1.25
Okie(+1, PR+1) around and just barely misses a strip. Upshaw and Smith are stunting. It's picked up by Upshaw's guy goes down and he can put a hand up. Edwards pulls it down and sees there's no edge as McGregor(-2) hopped into his double to try to deter the pass as well, then turns around, finds he had an OL hugging him from behind, and holds up to wave at the ref and see if he'll call it; he won't (refs-2) but also go play football man.
O34	2nd	1	Offset Wk	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 off	Run		Split Zone	Colson	2	-0.32
3:11, 2 TO. McGregor(+0.5) pops the TE and stays inside him, and Smith(+1) fits on the LOS to force it toward that. Colson(+0.5) shoots past an OL who released the other side of Smith and gets help from Moore(+1) who picked through traffic to help stuff this after a short gain not worth the clock it took.
O36	1st	10	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 off	Pass	4	TE Out	Moore	4	-0.16
2:58. This is a Cov3 beater that catches a disguised Cov3 (RPS-1) which forces Moore(+1, cov-1), the C/F defender to pick his way high of Green or run into him. He does the best you can and keeps it to 5 yards and OOB.
O40	2nd	6	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Exotic	2 off	Pass	4	Sack	Sainristil	-7	-1.74
2:40. Morris touches the C then drops out with Colson and takes away the quick out and cross behind it. Backside Turner(+1, cov+3) anticipated the in and stepped in front of it. Meanwhile up front D-Mo(+2, PR+2) forced his way into a double and a hold that would be called if the rule existed (refs-2). Sainristil(+2) came late and with everyone else occupied he can pick his way into the hole and sack.
O33	3rd	13	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Exotic	2 off	Pass	6	Throwaway	Sainristil	Inc	-0.20
2:30, 1 TO. M brings the house with straight-up wins from Morris(+1) and Okie(+1, PR+3, RPS+2) to force Edwards to throw this away as he's going down. Guy he's throwing it at was open because he blatantly shoved Sainristil over. Absurd: refs-2.
O33	4th	13	Gun Str	4-2-5	5-1 Odd	2 off	Pass	5	Deep Out	Johnson	17	3.41
2:25. First missed opportunity to end the game as M brings two safeties from far away and drops 2 from the LOS (Morris and Mullings). RPS-2, PR-2 not only do they catch 'em all they have blockers ready to pick up the edges. They also have Johnson(-3, cov-3) playing WAY off Copeland and so surprised that his WR sat down 5 yards past the 1st down marker that WJ falls down. Wide open Copeland digs out a low throw and no it's not like Turner's INT because ball doesn't move here.
50	1st	10	Gun Wk	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 off	Pass	4	Fly	Turner	Inc	-1.11
2:18. Smith(+0.5) and Okie(+0.5) get the latter in on a stunt while the LT is looking for a late-coming blitzer (RPS+1) and the ball has to be off. Turner(+1, cov+1) is in position but overruns a bit or the WR two-handed shoves him a bit, or the attempt puts the WR out of position to catch it, anyway Turner affected it, and results-based charting.
50	2nd	10	Gun Wk X Tight	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 off	Penalty		False Start	n/a	(-5)	-1.07
2:10. WELL CALL ME A BROKE BLOKE IN POCOMOKE BECAUSE HOLY BOILED CLAMS IN A CHESAPEAKE SEA SHANTY THEY CALL ONE! Fox actually has to dull the crowd's Bronx cheer.
O45	2nd	15	Gun Wk X Tight	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 off	Pass	4	Sack	Morris	-6	-1.12
2:10. It takes a village. Morris(+2, PR+3) puts the LT on skates. Wild holding, refs-1, fights through it. Okie(+1) put the RT up high and is coming inside. Smith(+1) pushed the C's butt into Edwards so he can't run away from Morris and the T he's wearing on his back and Mo collects. UMD expends final TO.
O39	3rd	21	Gun Wk Flex	4-2-5	Nk Split B	2 off	Pass	4	Scramble	Moten	23	4.05
2:00, 0 TO. Smith(+1, PR+2) and Colson(+1) create instant pressure up the gut. Mazi is going in for the sack and Edwards magically ducks past him (Hat+2) without running into Colson, though that's because he's being hugged so tightly he's unable to put a hand on the QB next to him, turn around until he's off screen 5 seconds later, refs-2. Harrell(-2) is in coverage and steps up, getting edged. Moten(-3) goes INSIDE the RB who barely has to get in his way to get Edwards around him. Everyone else was deep so he can walk to the 1st down marker.
M38	1st	10	Gun Trips Tight Z-Cross	4-2-5	Nk Splits	2 off	Pass	4	Deep Cross	Colson	22	0.53
1:51. Morris(+0.5) gets push and Harrell(+1, PR+2) set up the LT so long he nearly sacks or strips before that guy grabs shoulderpad and yanks him away (refs-2). Thus cleaned Edwards rips one past Colson(-2, cov-2) who didn't get depth after a crosser went under him, unless Paige was supposed to hammer down on this and is 10 yards and a hash away.
M16	1st	10	Gun Trips Tight	4-2-5	4-3 Over	2 off	Pass	4	Deep Out	Paige	Inc	-0.33
1:40. Snapped before line is set. Also Harrell is in the neutral zone so it's a wash. Smith(+1, PR+1) puts a G in the backfield to force the issue, Paige(+2, cov+2) is ahead of this and breaks it up violently.
M16	2nd	10	Gun Trips Tight Y-Cross	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	Pass	4	RB Flare	Sainristil	1	-0.29
1:32. Stunts get Benny(+0.5) and Okie(+0.5, PR+1) into the pocket so this is dumped off and Sainristil(+2, cov+1, tackling+1) runs it down inbounds to keep the clock rolling.
M15	3rd	9	Gun Str	4-2-5	Nk Even	2 off	Pass	4	Sack	D.Moore	-3	-1.05
1:14. D-Mo(+2) is lined up in the neutral zone (refs+1) and gets away with it. Jenkins(+1, PR+2) flies through the line and is about to thundersack but trips over the LT's foot and just grazes that of Edwards. Okie disengages then sees QB and reengages, Edwards takes off for his edge and D-Mo runs him down (+3/-1 for being offsides).
M18	4th	12	Gun Sr	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	Pass	4	TE Seam	Mullings	18	4.18
0:53. Okie(+0.5) times the snap and Smith(+1, PR+1) wrecked the pocket so if the ball's not out now it can't be. Mullings(-3, cov-3) stepped down on the RB like it's run action and let the TE get behind him. Moore(-2) is also mesmerized by the mess in the pocket and doesn't get over to help on the TE coming down his seam. ... It's okay my keyboard survived.
M3	2PC	Goal	Empty 4w	4-2-5	5-1 Under	n/a	Pass	6	Pick	Johnson	3	1.05
Turner(+1) blitzes and affects the throw but the WR is able to corral it. UMD is running a pick screen (legal: ball thrown behind the LOS) and Johnson(-2, cov-2) has to come off this WR shouldering him. Sainristil takes over but can't stop this from getting into the endzone.
Drive Notes: Touchdown (2PT). 34-27. 45 seconds. M recovers the onside kick and kneels it out.

PANIC!

Here we go.

They got yards! And scores! Scores of yards!!!

Where did you even find that emoji?

We made Billy Edwards Jr. look Dan Marino. I'm melting down!!!!!

This wasn't a Colorado State, Hawai'i or UConn, no.

Maryland must have discovered some secret power that turns our linebackers into wet pudding.

Yes, it is called a "good offense."

Are you denying this was bad?

I think the issue was it was sustained. A list of drives:

• Three 75-yard touchdown drives, of 13, 10, and 14 plays.
• Two drives of 40 (8 plays) and 39 yards (6 plays) that ended with 50+ FGAs.
• A 10-play, 40-yard drive all in Michigan territory.
• Two 3-and-outs.
• Two interceptions, one after driving 51 yards.

It was a short game, and Maryland had a lot of plays, but only on their first two drives did that seem sustainable. There was also a lot of fist-shakin' at woulda-been sacks. Remember that Wisconsin game last year when I said it came out better than it might have because Michigan got good results in high-leverage situations? This, like MSU last year, was the corollary: Michigan kept getting chances to get off the field, and the Terps would convert. A short list of swing plays by expected points added:

1. Billy Edwards throws a 4th & 12 TD pass over Kalel Mullings. (+4.18)
2. Edwards converts a 3rd & 21 when everyone's holding. (+4.05)
3. Edwards converts a 4th & 13 when Will Johnson bailed deep for some reason. (+3.41)
4. They catch M blitzing on 2nd & 8 with a TE screen, Paige is hurdled. (+2.81)
5. Defense induces a throwaway by Harrell accidentally got Tagovailoa's facemask. (+2.66)
6. UMD goes tempo on 4th & 1, catches M in off coverage (take a timeout!) (+2.34)
7. Sainristil lets a TE behind him for 44/50 yards and set up a TD three plays later. (+1.79)

This one didn't even make the list but it was emblematic of the day. Michigan's got Maryland in a 3rd and long after a great play by Gemon Green. They've got everyone covered. They've got pressure on the quarterback. It's all the ingredients you need to hold the Terps to a field goal or a shot at a 4th down stop. All you've got to do is get Taulia Tagovailoa down. But Tagovailoa wiggles out of the sack, Colson is way back like he's the deep man in Cover 3, and Tagovailoa makes a play on him.

Events of +2 or more are rare; the two INTs were the only game-changers on M's side of the ledger. Maryland got three of them on the last drive. When you look at the whole game like this, it's encouraging with a few strings of oy.

This is why Bill Connelly says Michigan was >90% to win this game. Ignore the fluky end and you can spin a tale of a team that wasn't used to playing real college competition, and needed 20 minutes to adjust to the new difficulty setting.

Was there an adjustment?

The obvious one was Michigan went to a lot more Cover 1, bringing the cornerbacks down in press and adding a safety around the box. I think they (and I) went into this with too much respect for Maryland's receivers and not enough for their running game and Tagovailoa's escapism. Fortunately Maryland made the same mistake, burning downs testing those corners when their run game was humming.

The other adjustment was to let blockers release into the linebackers and bet on the DTs to win one-on-one battles instead of trying to keep the LBs clean to make plays. One of the metagames in this battle was Michigan stuffing the A gaps with DTs before the snap then letting the center go downfield.

Rather than hitting the center, Mazi Smith lets the guy release on Barrett (LB on top) and Kris Jenkins steps up to fill the space while still controlling his blocker. The TE who was motioning in then arrives for the same gap, and he too is allowed access to the second level. As long as Jenkins and Smith can control their single blockers those dudes can go hunting linebackers as much as they like.

Here's another one where the DTs are going into full two-gapping mode. Smith and Jenkins once again let the center release onto Kalel Mullings, who's not going to win that battle. All Maryland has to do to cash in that win is keep Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins in the B gaps they're defending. Simple!

Sorry: hard. As with the receivers, the scouting report on Maryland's OL—that they're old, big, and too strong to single up—predicated the kind of game where the DTs are battling doubles to keep their athletic linebackers clean and able to fly to the ball. Both teams realized over the course of the 1st quarter that those athletic linebackers lacked the awareness and confidence to engage to make plays, while the DTs were much better than Maryland's star-studded linemen.

I gave a lot of credit to the Maryland RBs for being tough cookies. Both Hemby and Littleton were loads to bring down, and consistently found ways to fall forward for 2 yards after they were stopped. After the adjustment that meant getting two yards with a DT around his knees instead of 5 or 6 with a linebacker on his back and the Terps had to change strategies.

Qtr	Passes	PA/RPO	Runs	Dropback%
1st	8	7	7	36%
2nd	5	6	2	38%
3rd	7	3	3	54%
4th	19	3	6	68%

That 4th quarter is largely made up of the 3-minute drill when Maryland was down two scores but I felt the shift before they were on the clock. It's early in the season, both teams were feeling out what they could and could not do, and Maryland used up their cool scripted stuff—like the shovel pass—on their first two drives.

As we settled in, what became clear was Michigan can cover up their linebackers with their defensive linemen, some of those DL are not good pass-rushers, Tagovailoa is still amazing at getting out of pressure, and the officials literally weren't going to call a penalty on Maryland until a lineman called it on himself.

So this would have been a blowout but for refs. Typical Michigan fan.

We'll discuss the officiating further down; short version is it evened out, but was so bad at times it was hard to grade how Michigan's guys did, IE the point of this exercise.

Okay then how did Michigan guys do?

Like all of them?

You can leave out the 3rd and 4th stringers this time.

Chart.

Defensive Line
Player	+	-	T	Snaps	Notes
Mazi Smith	20.5	4	+16.5	59	Consistently getting into the backfield, lots of late pressure.
Kris Jenkins	13	0	+13	51	Effective rusher, often got the job of hanging back.
Mason Graham	5.5	1	+4.5	17	High impact, probably ready for bigger role.
Rayshaun Benny	4.5	0	+4.5	9	High impact, might be ready for bigger role too.
Cam Goode	0	1	-1	5	Some snaps for the fans at home is all.
Michael Morris	12	0	+12	45	He's not the pass-rushing issue.
Jaylen Harrell	7	9.5	-2.5	50	He's part of the pass-rushing issue.
Taylor Upshaw	1	6	-5	28	Past DT depth charts would have claimed him.
Braiden McGregor	8.5	3	+5.5	24	Finishing still a thing, still probably ready for bigger role.
Eyabi Okie	6.5	1.5	+5	11	Used late in rushing scenarios. Was getting there.
Derrick Moore	4	0.5	+3.5	11	Ditto. Sack was impressive after other guys got run away.
TOTAL	82.5	26.5	+56	310	Winning. Had about 30 points wiped out by holding.
Linebacker
Player	+	-	T	Snaps	Notes
Junior Colson	15.5	16.5	-1	70	Mouton-esque.
Nikhai Hill-Green	0	0	-	0	DNP :(
Michael Barrett	4.5	4.5	-	40	Stopped the 2PA, should have been in for the last drive.
Kalel Mullings	0.5	15.5	-15	27	Ezeh-esque.
TOTAL	20.5	36.5	-16	137	Dearly missed Nikhai's aggressiveness.
Secondary
Player	+	-	T	Snaps	Notes
DJ Turner	8	4	+4	76	It didn't work out for them. It never does.
Mike Sainristil	14.5	7.5	+7	64	Daxhillian edge work, Nondaxhillian blitz work.
Gemon Green	10.5	4.5	+6	51	UMD should hire him as a WRs coach when NFL is over.
Will Johnson	0	6	-6	21	We probably should have covered switching and 4th & long.
Rod Moore	5	6	-1	65	Soph Gm 4 is a weird time to have your first freshman game.
RJ Moten	5	8	-3	53	Responsible for both teams' plays of the game.
Makari Paige	4	1	+3	55	Responsible with a side of violence.
TOTAL	47	37	+10	391	Safeties far too exciting. Might not see the CBs again.
Metrics
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Pressure	40	14	+26	It was +22/-12 before the last drive so not just the refs.
Coverage	39	29	+10	Corners held up, LBs/Sainristil did not.
Tackling	5	11.5	-6.5	Hemby is a dude.
RPS	20	20.5	-0.5	Locksley had two drives scripted. Evened out in the 2nd half.
Hat Tip	11	3	+8	TaTa balled out until the Moten INT. Then he was benched.

So you're taking back everything you took back about Junior Colson.

I broke this section out for a Neck Sharpies later this week but the short version is Colson and Barrett lost a lot of the aggression that had me excited about them during parts of the tomato can season. Here's Colson given a lane by Mason Graham taking on a double, and waiting for it to close:

#25 the top LB

And here's Michael Barrett doing the same thing on the very next play:

#23 the bottom LB

And lest you wonder if there are other options, Kalel Mullings was the only other LB they could trust and he did the same thing.

#20 the top LB

Oof.

Michigan's run defense looks a whole lot different if the original plan of keeping the linebackers clean to make plays was viable. But those windows don't stay open long. When you get one, you've got to go hit somebody.

The worst of these was the touchdown for which Colson got reamed out by Joel Klatt, though on replay you can see the hesitancy might have been Tagovailoa-related. It's slightly encouraging that Colson wasn't attacking his lane here because he shifted his weight to go deal with an Arc Keeper outside, versus what it looked like originally.

What it looked like originally was he froze like a deer in headlights. Don't get me wrong, this is putrid linebacker play. It's worse than anything Colson did last year, when he was actually pretty bad, because running really fast in any direction is preferable to standing still.

Colson at least made up for his harshly graded hesitancies with feats of athleticism, getting all of his points back by just being fast. This play is supposed to option him, he gives the QB a clear pull read by stepping down, then runs down the tight end that was supposed to free.

#25 the LB who sets up on the 'M'

And on a day when most of the guys who got near Tagovailoa in the backfield fell down, Colson was his only athletic equal:

Colson's speed was also part of the story in the difficultly Maryland had getting yards on screens, which is usually a major part of their offensive mix. This is not a knock. Fast is harder to develop than "go get that guy when you have a lane and oh yeah don't fall for this or that or this and that combined which means this other thing." Linebacking is hard, and this year sustaining drives when Junior Colson is on the field is just as hard. Conservatism is a manifestation of fear from not knowing what to do, and linebackerly speaking, education and experience are the way to fix that. The more he plays, the more intuitive this should all become, and the more decisive he'll seem. Tagovailoa is enough to make anyone curl into a ball and wish for simpler instructions.

Kalel Mullings has a lot further to go. He actually dealt with this tight end ISO well, but whenever it comes time to fling his body at a dude he seems to shy away from contact. Maryland's backs are hard enough to bring down if you don't commit to the bit.

Mullings has more than enough athleticism to be there on screen cleanup, but here too when it comes time to jump forward into contact he waits for it to come to him. Yeah, he's not expecting Colson to get earholed by a hypothetical Terp blog's block of the year candidate, but we've seen Colson end plenty of screens this year once Sainristil's given them an edge. Mulling is forming up when you want him laying out.

#20 the LB in the middle

In coverage he was the man responsible for giving Edwards a touchdown on 4th and 12 when any kind of coverage ends the drive.

This was after Michigan got a late playcall in from the sideline and Mullings went over to Barrett to say we need to switch spots or something, and Moore needs to react to that seam faster, but Klatt's right that Barrett's first mission is carry the tight end. A dump-down to the RB should be encouraged.

It wouldn't matter so much if our edges could pass rush.

I know you're not talking about Mike Morris.

I'm not talking about Mike Morris. But still: How are your Pressure grades so high? I remember Tagovailoa sipping piña coladas all day.

This, like our game calibrations, got thrown off by the final drive, which scored a +18/-2 in pressure events. That's over half of the total positives for the day. It was also, not coincidentally, the one drive when Michigan played its new rushers, and the only drive when they weren't all freaking out about Taulia Tagovailoa breaking contain.

Eyabi Okie got the majority of that drive and immediately started picking up dubyas against the UMD tackles, using his long arms to stay disengaged from this RT looking to latch on to the first shoulderpads he could get his hands outside of.

#18 at the bottom of the DL

The Sainristil almost-pick began with an Okie almost-sack:

#18 at the bottom of the DL

Derrick Moore's sack was eye-opening after watching everybody else on Michigan's front failing to chase down Maryland QBs all afternoon:

#8 bottom of the DL

The opponent is also a weird one to be our one-game sample against live competition. Tagovailoa isn't your normal quarterback. Escaping impossible situations is kind of his super power. When they did manage to really affect him with pressure it took everybody winning their battles. And Michigan had to be reactive to that. I know Colson's aggressiveness is under question this week, but do you really think he's going to do this dance against Spencer Petras?

Getting Tagovailoa down was such a challenge the whole stadium went nuts when [the coverage was good enough to slow up Tagovailoa enough that] Mike Morris managed to hew him down a yard past the line of scrimmage.

Speaking of Mimi's little brother, until Edwards became an unstoppable throw god it also looked like Morris delivered the knockout blow.

Yay! Now let's never face a quarterback who can scare us like that again.

What about Braiden McGregor? Is he the Hutch prince that was promised?

I was looking forward to his final score and +8.5/-3 on 24 snaps seems about right. At the very least he shouldn't be getting equal time with Taylor Upshaw anymore. Even when it comes to simple power rushes McGregor is able to cause havoc versus a guy getting draft talk:

#17 the DL on the top of this

The same play features Jaylen Harrell putting the RT on his ass, but that's not happening much. Harrell's best move is a speed rush that plants the tackle high whence Harrell can use his small guy agility to hop back inside.

#32 DL on the bottom

But Harrell is 240 pounds and playing true defensive end. He's making it work in the run game, mostly, but as a pass-rusher sometimes you need to be able to oomph. Harrell's spin move is completely useless (see the Okie almost sack again) because linemen are expecting it. His stunts and dives inside are ineffective because you can pick him up with one guy and let your buddy go get the other threat:

#32 the DE on the bottom

Harrell's size is also a problem when they're trying to do the ticking time bomb style of pocket compression pressure:

#32 on the bottom

He's flashing enough to even out in the scoring when you account for his responsible run work, but what you really need from Harrell to justify using him as a quasi-linebacker is to play some real linebacker. Thing is, he's no more a linebacker than Craig Roh was. Like Upshaw, Harrell is on the field because he does his job, but I'm losing hope that the ceiling's any higher than this.

After facing a live opponent, the takes on the non-Morris edges from the early season seem about right. Harrell gives you a floor. McGregor is the positive development and should start the back half. Okie seems a viable pass rushing specialist. Moore is the X-factor. Upshaw can stop a run but he's so unviable as a pass-rusher that you worry about putting him in there. Maybe goal line DE? Michigan threw him out on the field when they had Maryland backed up under their goal post early in the 2nd half, but the Terps converted a 1st down and went tempo to lock him out there.

What about the Amoeba? Can that save us?

Oh it did.

Some of the positive pass rush events above were also Amoeba looks.

However this game brought home a couple of hard realities about the positionless approach that I keep bringing up: You can't do it always. Even the Ravens, who get to plan this with professionals all year, only break out the weird blitzes ten or fifteen times a game. There's a reason nobody makes this their full-time thing. It's not just about it getting stale—you're necessarily putting guys out of their ability zones and hoping to win back that value in surprise.

Maryland returned all four starters and they were well-organized. When the Amoeba did pay off it was because Michigan actually brought more guys than they were expecting, then either someone won a block or the coverage lasted long enough for a late-come safety to pick his way through.

Even in that example, Sainristil can sneak around to the quarterback because a good pass rush from Derrick Moore ate up two blockers. On the bottom of this formation, Moten got stopped initially by an RB, picked up by a center looking for work after Morris dropped out. What the C isn't doing is helping the guys next to him deal with Harrell and Jenkins.

Harrell in particular was ejected from his rush. Having a guy trying to do this at 240 pounds is rough. The Okie almost-sack above was an Amoeba blitz too, but again, it took a guy winning his 1-on-1 to generate pressure. I like that this is in the toolbox, but it's not a hammer.

How much can we make out of the DTs?

I kept saying in preseason that they were saving Mazi Smith. This week they spent the Mazi Smith.

You'll see.

You can find him here too.

Defensive line is a MAKE PLAYS position but given a full game Smith is grading in Mike Martin territory. That's something that was predicted but not seen until now. It's also quite a weapon since DT is the least avoidable position on the field, and can be used to cover up problems. We got into the bad day for the linebackers. It's nice to be able to get around that by giving your DT another gap.

Smith barely came off the field, including all those late pass snaps. Remember when Michigan suddenly decided they didn't have to approach the backfield like the quarterback was wearing a nest of angry hornets around his waist? That was Mazi time.

I worried that making Smith my preseason bust out prediction would bias my charting of him. But when you're making a play while Joel Klatt is already in the midst of making you today's cause, you've made it. First shield-worthy performance is in the books. LFG

Speaking of LFG: MG!

Huh? MG didn't shoot this game.

Mason Graham!

Man, he needs a nickname. Graham's playing time was curtailed in this one as Michigan shifted the onus of the defense onto their two star tackles and understandably didn't want that extra responsibility put on a true freshman. But barring certain Sugar Bowls you can't leave your starters out there all game, and when Graham got his turn he proved again that he's no mere true freshman.

Top DT, IE second guy down from the top of the DL

The more interesting young DT was Rayshaun Benny. Live I wanted to be Old Man Football and chirp about getting your feet under you and on the podcast Brian said the guy just whooped an OL and needs help. Both are correct; Benny whooped a dude so hard that he actually had time to set his feet instead of jumping on the back's back, and he needed SOME help from his edge, which is Eyabi Okie.

Benny is #26, the DT on the right. Okie is the Edge on the right side.

Brian said in the game column that Okie needs to get off that block, fight, do ANYTHING to get the back down in the backfield. Co-sign. But let's not let the result distract us too much from Rayshaun Benny whooping that dude.

I thought I saw another DT.

Michigan put Cam Goode third on the depth chart and I noticed live because there was suddenly a DT getting moved and I worried it was Jenkins or something and then I realized it was #99. He's from Maryland so he got to go out there first, but Benny played more than Goode.

No I mean THE OTHER DT.

Oh geez we're not even clipping another great week from Kris Jenkins. That's not fair either because he was right in the middle of things, and the #1 reason the issues with the linebackers weren't fatal early on. We watched this while talking about them but let's watch it for #94, the bottom DT:

Too often a hesitant linebacker watched his RB falling forward in his gap with Jenkins wrapped around the guy's knees.

Where Jenkins differed from Smith—and the reason he wasn't getting a lot of appreciation after—was Michigan tabbed Kris to be the guy hanging back on the pass-rushes. That was unfortunate because Jenkins was able to create havoc when unleashed because of his burst. Here he's upfield before this guard is in his pass rush set and an unfortunate trip over the LT's back foot away from a game-ending sack-strip. The mess it caused still led to a sack and 4th & long.

Now they just have to learn to convert 4th & long to an end of possession.

Right, well, the safeties were…exciting.

Sigh. In fairness this was the first time this year we've seen mistakes by Rod Moore, which is worrisome because it's the first game since Georgia that Rod Moore's really had anyone testing him. Originally I thought this corner route was on him but now I'm convinced it was Turner sitting on the RB when he's getting smashed in Cover 2--Moore has to worry about the TE turning inside.

But later on Moore was entranced by the same running back as Mullings when a tight end came up the seam for the last touchdown.

#19 the safety by the top hash

And Moore didn't reroute his path to the ball on this screen when Sainristil got trapped on the other side of his blocker.

We got a few of his patented assists in the run game where Moore was weaving through traffic to add himself, but this wasn't a game for a safety to make his mark in the run game. We still have 42-27 and a lot of other good days from Moore to let this one fly as a readjustment to a real passing game with lots of extra stuff to be aware of.

RJ Moten is usually the boring guy but this game he emphatically wasn't. He follows the two Corum runs on top of the highlight reel for tipping an interception to himself.

Moten also leads the blooper reel for angling inside his blocker on the 3rd and 31 when playing it safe is still 4th and 9.

I know this is hypocritical coming from the guy trying to groom the linebacker corps today, but if ever there's a time to bring out your inner von Metternich, it's when this marquee is on the screen.

If you want a to get radical, the time for that is a two-point conversion. Makari Paige played as much as the other two safeties in this one, did a better job of staying out of the negative column, and showed up when your brain was begging for somebody to:

Paige got hurdled though, so we're obligated to call him fool for a week.

Speaking of fools, did they try to edge Dax Hill?

They tried to edge Mike Sainristil.

Same thing.

Pretty much.

#0 nickel on the top hash

Maryland runs the same #SpeedinSpace offense that Gattis installed at Michigan and part of making life hell on linebackers is to make them responsible for a ton of horizontal space. Colson did a nice job on this one but it's nice to have a Sainristil who can induce a quick WR screen then take away everything from the top of the numbers.

Even if he had to fall down and get ridden like a horsey, the buck screen stopped here. Sainristil did get caught inside one time but he handled it how you're supposed to, constricting the space to give your safety a chance to make you right:

As for his coverage, Rakim Jarrett did get his longest completion of the day against Sainristil but…

The "Hat" metric started out as a way to credit Stroud and Ohio State's wide receivers for making some ludicrous plays in tight coverage to get them to 27 points, even if that was still 15 shy of the 42 that Michigan scored that day Michigan beat Ohio State 42-27. Anyway this is a Hat catch.

This was another Hat play, but for the quarterback. It doesn't excuse Sainristil for letting a tight end slip behind him and making this a game just when the offense finally made it not a game.

I don't think I need to belabor this because Sainristil seemed to realize his mistake and start chastising himself for it mid-leap.

Sainristil got to blitz a lot in this game—he's all over the Amoeba clips above—but he's not in Dax Hill's ballpark Big House in that aspect. Picking his way through messes he can do, but Sainristil is slighter and doesn't have Dax's Ludicrous Speed button. This means that so long as the protection is wise they can stop our nickel's pass rush. That's relevant given how much Amoeba Michigan runs, but only a small item. One time the LT didn't see him and UMD had to throw it away. The next time the LT picked him up. A few plays later the LT was looking for Sainristil instead of helping out his guard. That'll do.

Even if this game wasn't perfect, it was unperfect in ways that you would expect from a longtime starter, not a guy you just flipped from offense. It turns out Michigan had an x-team All-B10-caliber defender hanging out on its receiver depth chart. I'm sorry I ever doubted.

You should also get down on your knees and apologize to Gemon Green for suggesting a true freshman would pass him.

You are absolutely correct.

No half-assed apologies either. I want you to say it like you are Gemon Green and Gemon Green is the gypsy he clearly made good with.

I AM SO SORRY.

I AM SORRY GEMON GREEN THAT I SAID THAT.

GEMON GREEN I APOLOGIZE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART I WILL NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN AND I FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT IT.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME GEMON GREEN I MEANT IT AT THE TIME BUT I WAS WRONG AND I SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED THE FACT THAT YOU WERE IN POSITION TO THE WEIRDNESS OF PHYSICS AND THE MOMENT.

PLEASE, PLEASE, OH MERCIFUL GEMON GREEN, DO NO RUN MY ROUTE FOR ME.

Gemon Green, the tall and magnificent, forgives. As penance, you must now sacrifice two drives to the cornerback of your choosing.

No question who that is right now. Will Johnson's going to be good one day but this was a bad day that I mostly didn't capture because it's easy freshman stuff that will get cleaned up. He got a -3 for falling down on a 4th & 13 he was defending like it was 3rd & 21, a -2 for the final two-point conversion when Sainristil got picked and Johnson need to call a switch, and a -1 for going after the RB dive when his coach gave him an opportunity to be the man who finally ran down Talia Tagovailoa.

#2 the CB blitzing from the bottom

Switching to Turner, he had one incident in zone coverage that was trying to make a play. The TE dropped it so it didn't result in yards, but as soon as the receiver turns inside Turner should be getting depth and have ten more yards of it. He's trying to sit on the RB dumpoff and get a TFL on 2nd and 9.

It was weird when Locksley had Michigan's defense on its heels that his people thought they could throw at The Shield who's now 9 to 11 football games away from wearing one.

Well did it work for those people?

No, it never does. I mean these people somehow delude themselves into thinkin it might but…

…but it might work for us.

Um, yeah, that worked out for us. Is that really an interception?

Lol no, but if you want to argue that trapping the ball with your wrists means it's caught even if it moves when you hit the ground you won't have any shortage of Virginia Tech fans on your side.

I did not credit Danny Coale with a catch, therefore I must report they should have reviewed that interception and handed it back to Maryland on 2nd & 10. Of course I also have to tell you that wasn't the biggest play this game affected by the worst case of referee indifference I've ever witnessed. Maryland's offense came in the most notorious penalty-committers in the nation. We didn't get halfway through the first quarter without Jaelyn Duncan trying to get away with a laugher.

LT vs Braiden McGregor

And Rod Moore gets hauled down on the same play. I threw out my scores for 2021 Michigan State because it was just going to distract from what we do here, but I kept them in this one and the final result was "WHAT DO YOU DO HERE?" Maryland got one (ONE) penalty, and only after an entire side of the OL jumped and the RT tapped his chest with an "on me." You want to argue with my podcast hot take that the Big Ten could do away with officials altogether and get the same result, but Maryland literally called a penalty on themselves before this crew did.

I'm trying to figure out how Michigan played and extrapolate that to the future, but turning off penalties on America's most penalty-committing team changed the rules of grading. What do I do with Colson when he sees an offensive lineman five yards downfield and shoots up into that guy?

The line of scrimmage is the BLUE line.

Because in football when an OL steps 3 yards past the line of scrimmage that means a pass is now illegal. Is he supposed to account for the ref who's staring at this to not flag the illegal pass he didn't defend?

For the record, the choice not to review the Turner interception was an expected points swing of +4.02 points. I poked around the UFR database and that is almost double the next biggest swing from a refs+ play that we've ever charted on this side of the ball (also a diving INT, by Brandin Hawthorne against Northwestern in 2012, that they chose not to review). If the umpire here wondered why Junior Colson didn't turn around for 5 seconds after the ball goes by him, it would have been a –4.26 EP difference from the result.

We are as likely to get an explanation from the Big Ten as we are to get a fair whistle in Columbus this year, but if you run into a Terp talking about the no-review on Turner, just tell them you really hope they call all the penalties this week.

Heroes?

Mazi Smith! GEMON GREEN I'M SORRY AGAIN! Mike Morris! Kris Jenkins! Also many good things from McGregor, Graham, Benny, Okie, Turner, and Sainristil.

Maybe not so heroic?

Kalel Mullings especially but also Junior Colson and Michael Barrett were the opposite of aggressive. Will Johnson had a bad total in a few events. Taylor Upshaw struggled. Jaylen Harrell's pass rushing and general linebackerness.

What does it mean for Iowa and beyond?

Trust the defensive tackles. It's a weird feeling but I believe it's real. They took on more than most could handle and it fixed the leaks.

Give Upshaw's snaps to Braiden McGregor. He's not getting blown out by doubles and you can't live without pass rush.

Amoeba is a tool, not a way of life. Earn the right to rush four. That also is important for the Amoeba.

Come back Nikhai Hill-Green. What I liked about #41 was the way he didn't mind throwing around his body like…well like #41. Michigan needed a shot of that, especially since seeing the other guy do it tends to make you feel like you've got to do it.

Maryland might be good. Here's hoping nobody else has a Tagovailoa and a Jarrett and a Hemby and a line that's played together for years.

Not that mad at Colson. We're still tracking well above last year with enough je ne sais quoi to make up for quite a lot of qu'est-ce que c'était que ça?!?

APOLOGIES TO GEMON GREEN. Star watch time.

Do I get a moment of zen?