Iowa Snowflakes - The Defense

I’ve been thinking about this:

Objectively, this was a defensive gem. The blitzes were great, the D Line was excellent, the coverage was mostly terrific (though the repeated 3rd and long conversions were awful). McGrone and Dax were explosive and vital. 

So why, one wonders, aren’t I at least excited by the development of the defense? It’s a great sign, massive improvement. 

I know why, and so do you: we’ve read this story before. This defense has holes somewhere that a better team will expose, and then we’ll need our offense to score 40 points, and it won’t. 

We know how this ends. Very good day for the D, but it won’t matter. BPone, man. 

...won the game

Great game by the D! The most encouraging part is you saw some key adjustments by brown. Good to see. Yes...they have holes due to losing some studs last year but iowa has a solid O line  and is a very good all around team. 

Solid A

I can't wait until Dax Hill starts playing every down. He was out of position a few times and then used that speed to make up for it. You can tell he's still learning the defense but he has so much potential.

Per another poster’s insight: Meyer described the look of DB getting back to creative confusion of the QB, which is what led to his success at BC with a total lack of talent. 

Just because UM has some better talent doesn’t mean Brown should get away from his nature. He’s learned that he has to use Zone at times, but needs to continue this level of aggression and creative play calling. 

Props to the defense. They became a unit today and had fun doing it. 

Don Brown won this game for us. Harbaugh and Gattis did everything they could to give this game away. 

This defense was light out today. They won the damn game.

Blitzes were great. First time this season our D looked like they should. Iowa has a terrible game plan to attack us and didn’t adjust, but it was great to see the front 7 dominate. 

Don Brown catches a lot of fluff for being stubborn here on the board and other places but he threw some stuff at Iowa in that 4th Q that really scrambled their brains.  Kudos to Brown for pulling off another big defensive win.

Awesome game. They attacked and also protected when necessary. Brown called a great game, but the guys executed when it mattered most.

Won the game for us.  And Iowa isn't a trash team either

Defense was a revelation, like the aoili.

My new name is Daxton.

Great defensive performance, but Iowa's offensive game plan was baffling.

Defense won the game. 

I would like to complain about open crossing patterns, but giving up 3 points to a respectable team is damn good.  Defensive players and coaches did work this week.

The defense played well. I thought they may be able to hold IA below 30 points which would give Michigan a chance to win. But wow, holding them to 3 points was most excellent! May be they can build off of this performance. Where was this defense @ WI. Actually IA OL was more experienced and almost as big as the younger WI OL.

Michigan is basically LSU before they went on their offensive explosion this season.  Solid defense and shitty offense.

The D had two maddening 3rd and longs but other than that they played probably the finest defensive game a Michigan team has played in a LONG time.  The guys minded their gaps extremely well.  They were multiple with man and zone and stunting blitzes and RPS'd the shit out of Ferentz.  It really threw Iowa off.  They had 8(!!!) sacks and numerous QB pressures.  Forced fumbles, a few INT's.  Getting a healthy Dwumfour back along with Hill and McGrone speed made a huge difference.  Khaleke was all over the place.  Hutch, Danna and Paye were relentless.  Uche's stats didn't register but he was up against a likely top 10 NFL pick at tackle.  We got away with two obvious PI's but I don't think it would've mattered had they called them.

I wonder how we would've fared at Wisconsin with this defense today?

Don Brown at least should sleep soundly tonight. That defense was fucking ruthless.

It felt like Iowa was pulling plays out of nowhere just to sustain drives - at one point they'd converted 6/8 3rd downs with more than 6 to go.  I'd have to go back and count, but I remember seeing at least two tip-the-cap plays (like Stanley getting off an inch-perfect fade to a wideout who had a step on Hill juuuuusst before the pocket swallowed him).

I also noticed that McGrone is still making a few mistakes, but when he knows what he's supposed to do he gets there in a hurry.  Jordan Glasgow had a heads-up sack too with good closing speed.  Darn near everybody on the defense turned in a remembrance-worthy play.

And boy, was that ever "solving your problems with aggression"!