ECU Snowflakes: The Offense
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:10 PM ^
Run game -- Incomplete grade. OL clearly needs to figure out the best five and play more together. I doubt we'll start to know much about them until after the third game -- by then the starting five will be set? I hope. The proverbial "ask again later". Maybe Corum didn't trust the OL, maybe he doesn't trust the knee, but he didn't look all-world in this one. Also, it was clear that ECU was stacking the box and focusing on stopping the run. Hopefully that won't matter once our first-string OL gets sorted and comfortable.
That said.....if teams focus on stopping the run.....
Pass Game -- looked great in response. Opponent caveats apply, but JJ was slinging it. On first watch, it looked like most balls were on time and right where they needed to be. Excellent performance until Minter shut everything down. A nice step forward. Hopefully this "quick switch" to the passing focus continues to happen during the conference schedule -- no turtling! We have a Heisman-caliber QB. Lean on him.
No called JJ runs that I saw. I'll leave talk of RPO to someone else since I can't seem to pick up on those live.
Overall, it was a fine performance. We knew the OL would be a bit squirrely, and the pass game has apparently taken a leap forward. On to UNLV.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:02 PM ^
I don't see a scenario where Hinton starts. Looks like a kid whose parent is forcing him to play football and doesn't want to do so, so plays half assed... I hope it changes but that's what I saw.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:29 PM ^
That’s not a nice thing to say. He’s just raw. He’ll get there with more coaching and a winning attitude which he has now at UM
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:56 PM ^
I haven't seen this, despite a few people complaining about it, and I was looking. Please give specific examples.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:11 PM ^
JJ playing like he's gonna win the Heisman. Dime after dime after dime. His pocket awareness was off the charts. Maybe the best I've ever seen a Michigan quarterback play.
September 3rd, 2023 at 4:00 PM ^
Unless he throws for 450yds 4 td passes he will not be mentioned for Heisman
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:14 PM ^
Line seemed rusty and maybe has taken a step back. The run game in general was inconsistent and not very impressive.
JJ looked great, he could have a great year.
Offense in general didn't look as explosive as I thought they would just from a players making plays perspective.
WRs look very good as well. Roman might hit a 1000ish yards.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:17 PM ^
McCarthy was fantastic, obviously. Roman Wilson was excellent excepting first pass drop and could’ve made a good-to-great catch on the off pass at his knees & didn’t. Otherwise, he was fantastic also. Everything else was meh at best. ECU stuffed the box, yeah, and run D & D front was good last year and lost only one but, still, I’m not giving O line a pass. We wondered if new personnel would just pick up where back to back trophy winners left off. Nope. O line clearly still has a lot of work to do. RBs were fine but didn’t look “best in country” even if O line play was not-great. Beyond JJ taking the next step, what we were wanting to see, we did not. No emergent WR3 or beyond. No RB3. No QB2. Warren Davis looked bad, which a shame because liked what we saw in mop-up time last year from him. JJ and Roman: exceeded expectations. Most everyone else & especially O line: work to do
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:50 PM ^
Cant blame Wilson on his drop. Caught the ball with his hands and it was punched out by the defender before he could bring it to his chest.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:19 PM ^
Seemed the plan was to get JJ very comfortable in the passing game and that worked. He looked awesome
running game was vanilla, but both our guys got some runs in limited touches, not overly impressed with Donovan today, especially at the goal line, but we’ve seen him do much more against much better competition, so I’m assuming some first game jitters give him a mulligan, seemed to get going late and then he wet farted at the goal line. Should have had Corum in there, no need to sacrifice points because you are trying to get TDs for certain players.
Wilson was amazing, Loveland looks to be at least as good as Jake Butt, and Cornelius Johnson made some great grabs over the middle too.
Pass pro was great, interior run blocking looked decent, but line may have to gel a bit before I say we Joe Moore again, but should be great once they solidify the main staring 5
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:20 PM ^
OL needs work.
JJ is That Dude.
This game was boring.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
ECU stacked the box and came with TCU style blitzes to stop the run. That left play action open and JJ capitalized big time. I'm not worried given that. ECU was 8-5 last year so this wasn't the patsy UNLV will be.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:52 PM ^
ECU was 8-5 last year
They also ranked something like 131st (out of 133) in returning production from that team. So not sure how relevant their record from last season really is
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:23 PM ^
Obviously returning production is a pretty big deal, but this coach was an FCS National Championship coach a few years ago and for sure knows how to get guys in position to give them the best chance to win.
He did a great job mitigating, as much as possible, UM’s run game and pass rush. I would equate this to playing against a turned over roster, Pat Fitzgerald coached Northwestern team.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:31 PM ^
Yeah I’m not saying ECU is a bad team or poorly coached by any means, but referencing last years record for a team that returns virtually none of the contributors from that team just doesn’t seem overly relevant. Similar to referencing Colorado being 1-11 last season when they have 88 new players on their roster this year.
Last year was an all-in year for ECU and they’re looking at more of a rebuild this season where they’ll be fighting for bowl-eligibility.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:38 PM ^
I thought ECU looked competent and well-coached, for the most part. A couple of their defensive guys seemed to come unglued late, but that wasn’t a John L Smith type of trainwreck or anything. They clearly don’t have the talent to match up with M and that’s why they lost by four TDs. Buy usually for blowouts to get into the 50+ point range you need an opponent to shoot itself in the foot a few times, ECU didn’t really do so.
September 3rd, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
I agree, and if I were an ECU fan, I'd be proud that they were still salty on D in the second half---showed some team spirit. ECU has a QB problem.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
Blake had 7 yards a carry against a defense stacking the line against the run.
That nust be why a large % of comments are whazzup with Corum.
My question is what is target ypc he has to get?
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:42 PM ^
I agree with you. 10 carries for 77 yards. Meanwhile, the Don had 12 carries for 37 yards, but all the comments are questioning Blake.
The game has been shortened. There are fewer opportunities to go around. Stats are not going to be as good. (Unless you’re JJ. The training wheels are definitely off. Hoo-boy!)
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:43 PM ^
Pick your poison.
Go ahead and stack the box and prepare to get slayed.
Play calling matters.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:57 PM ^
Ypc doesn’t tell the whole story when looked at in a singlular game. Not enough data. Corum had 10 carries for 73 yards. Without his long of 37, that drops to 9 for 36 (7.3 ypc down to 4 ypc) also had a 21 yard carry so that’s 58 of his 73 coming on two carries. The rest of the game he had 15 yards on 8 carries so my guess is the “wazzup with Corum” is questioning his down to down consistency.
Personally I’d prefer a back that consistently gets 4-6 yards than one who gets 1-2 and breaks off a chunk run a couple times. That consistency is a huge asset and it’s something Corum has been known for.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:37 PM ^
That's what YPC is - combining the good and the bad. Yes, maybe he was a bit more tentative than usual, but it's the first game and he's coming off injury.
Barry Sanders had more no gain/negative rushing plays than anyone in NFL history (at least as far as I can tell from a quick internet search) - he lost more than 1,000 yards over his career! Yet he's maybe the greatest RB ever. Good with bad.
I believe Corum averaged 7.7 last year; 7.3 today is basically right there - excellent. 10 carries is a tiny sample size, but so far so good IMO.
This year it appears he's gonna carry less load then last - JJ will pass more and Edwards needs to eat too. Hopefully that keeps Blake fresh and healthy for the big games.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:26 PM ^
Barry was also getting hit four yards behind LOS immediately after handoff, more than anyone in NFL history.
September 3rd, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
Barry also would run backwards also and lose yards
September 3rd, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
It does. Which is a valuable tool when extrapolated over a large amount of data. It’s not valuable when looking at 10 carries in a game. 9 carries for no gain or a loss and the 10th going 80 yards will give you a great ypc. It doesn’t mean he’s efficient or effective. Combining the good and the bad is fine but such a small data sample leaves you open to outliers skewing your data.
Corum did not average 7.7 last year. He averaged 5.9. A good amount less than Edwards, but nobody is arguing Edwards was a better runner because Corum actually had more down to down consistency.
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:46 PM ^
Well, if you take out Donovan Edwards' 75 and 85 yard runs against tOSU last year, his ypc in that game would be significantly lower. I was happy with his performance in that game.
Corum was having to dodge defenders in the backfield today. Maybe resulting from a combination of the O-line play and ECU selling out against the run.
September 3rd, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
Donovan left much to be desired, really all season, in term of down to down success. The home runs are great, especially when they result in a TD. But down to down success is more important in the grand scheme. Extended drives, taking the life out of an opponent, controlling the clock. Going 3 and out multiple times a game because your back can’t get consistent yards can hamper your offense more than a couple chunk runs helps it. Which is, again, why Corum is considered a better running back than Edwards despite Edwards having more home run ability
September 2nd, 2023 at 10:22 PM ^
Good take….neither Blake nor Donavan really got enough carries to wear down the defense, and then they were pulled from the game when they would typically start to truly wear down the D in late 3rd, early 4th.
All that said, Donovan’s goal line running late 3rd left a lot to be desired. But he was staring to cook on that drive until the goal line after being mostly unheard from the first couple quarters.
And yes, all these opinions on Blake seems a bit ridiculous with only 10 carries against a stacked box, and he still had over 7ypc, a TD, and a one big run.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:26 PM ^
JJ looked great, really in control of the offense - excluding the botched play on 4th and goal. Really happy to see Blake running smoothly out there. Hoping Roman Wilson is going to have a big year. Was pretty vanilla on offense overall. Don't think we are going to be able to take away much from this game.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:40 PM ^
Leave it to the offense to always have the most snowflakes.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:41 PM ^
Didn’t look like the TEs had a good day blocking to me.
JJ looked phenomenal.
September 2nd, 2023 at 10:46 PM ^
Loveland is a lot more catchy than blocky - Funchessy?
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:42 PM ^
JJ is a fucking handful for any defense. Wow.
Accurate with heat and he keeps plays alive with his feat. .
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:57 PM ^
Get the starting 5 OL ready by game 3. One position group they need to be a coherent unit of 5.
The rest can be backups. The running game was trash
Donovan is not Barry Sanders or Walter Payton. Barry would have made 7-8 runs of 8 yards out of garbage blocking today.
Every team rightly should play TCU defense vs this offense. Luckily minter let JJ throw. Jim would have been stubborn and run 20x more vs a team that was told to do nothing but stop the run.
Imagine X worthy over the top vs this scheme..
He would have had 180 yds. But speed in space
Allegedly.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:05 PM ^
Corum looked very slow and rusty. 2 great runs aside, he was pretty meh.
First game back and all, but he looked like a shell of the player he was last year - and looks to have bulked up even more.
Not too worried yet, but the next 2 games will be telling - especially with more attempts coming his way.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:11 PM ^
Michigan was vanilla but secured an easy victory, which is always a nice thing. It is disappointing we couldn't pound it in at the goal line with a massive beef advantage up front. Sure, ECU sent a lot of guys to stop the run but we had all our guys pretty much up front as well. This should've been a massive Michigan advantage. Overall, the OL was unremarkable in run blocking and needs to get better, IMO. Pass pro was good to great.
JJ is going to have a nice season, putting it mildly.
Corum and Edwards will get theirs as the season rolls on.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:15 PM ^
Seem like the starters got sloppy in the 3rd QTR and mistakes may have taken away 2 TD’s. 2nd QTR looked good.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:44 PM ^
I liked that we threw the ball.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:47 PM ^
ECU stacked the box, took away big run plays. However the initial push from Michigan's OL wasn't as good as most games last year.
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:07 PM ^
JJ looks really stinking good, but the OL, or at least today’s version, needs work. Holy cow does Hinton look raw. I know he’s a massive rebuild project, but he got beat several times today.
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:53 PM ^
Did Ladarius Henderson play? If not why not?
September 2nd, 2023 at 10:47 PM ^
He’s rotating in with Trente Jones next week
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:03 PM ^
JJ is the real deal. Receivers & Loveland looked excellent. Running game was meh with ECU running everyone into the box.
This group is good enough to win it all if they stay healthy and keep building each week.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:18 PM ^
Needed to see an upgrade in passing game and JJ from last year, and it was on full display. Huge balance for Corum and Edwards.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:22 PM ^
We FINALLY had some more passing. JJ looked great and so did Roman Wilson, CJ and Loveland. Though I sort of miss having more big runs now.....
I want every game to be like 22 OSU where CJ and DE both had two giant TD plays.
Wait... Is that... Yes! I'm finally back to being an entitled Michigan fan. We just won 30-3 and I want MORE!
September 2nd, 2023 at 8:53 PM ^
- The offensive line was disappointing outside of pass protection, but I know they’re settling in
- Yay Roman Wilson
- JJ looked good (would’ve loved to see one bomb but that’s nit-picking)
- Corum didn’t do much, but he’s coming off his injury and against an overmatched opponent - not sure if that means anything
- Edwards looked a bit slower, and maybe bigger? He did well moving the pile a couple of times. Burst was an issue with both backs today I think.
September 3rd, 2023 at 9:23 AM ^
I had a similar observation regarding Edwards.
And after all the post spring game hype, anyone else surprised Benjamin Hall was behind Mullings on the RB depth chart?
September 3rd, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
Edwards did look bigger, more physical,.. did not look slower to me! Personally, would like to see him receive more touches than Corum, at this point in the season. Let Corum come back slower, at his own pace.
September 2nd, 2023 at 9:21 PM ^
Ah, the old fumble inside the opponents' 1 yard line. JJ QB sneak should work better on hurry up plays just a few feet from the goal line. Same play that possibly cost us the victory in our previous game, If I were the coach that would be job #1 to fix.
McCarthy was great.
September 2nd, 2023 at 9:50 PM ^
The supposed best O line in the country couldn't open holes to save its life against a third-rate team. That's something.