Upon Further Review 2020: Offense vs Wisconsin
FORMATION NOTES: Michigan did more or less the same things they've been doing all year. This is Wisconsin's default 3-4, which shades their nose. UW was very consistent in their alignments but had a suite of blitzes that came from everywhere, very effective.
Michigan: less effective.
SUBSTITUTION NOTES: Milton was replaced by McNamara for the final three drives, which consisted of ten plays. OL still Barnhart/Filiaga/Vastardis/Zinter/Stueber. Eubanks got the large bulk of the TE work, with All chipping in a bit. Schoonmaker got a few plays, as did Mason.
WR still has Bell ahead with Johnson #2 and Sainristil/Wilson/Jackson in a tight bunch behind them. RB remains a wild rotation, which means nobody got much run with only 45 plays.
[After THE JUMP: pumpkin time]
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M20 | 1 | 10 | Gun 2TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | Waggle TE drag | Eubanks | INT | ||||||||
UW covers all of this. Milton throws it to Eubanks, who has a guy in his back pocket. Milton puts it on Eubanks’s facemask; LB punches the ball out. This is a result of throwing the ball to a covered WR but the throw is right on point and the WR has body position. If anything you could say this needs to be in the buttzone. (CA, 1, protection N/A, RPS –1, Milton +0.5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Interception, 0-0, 11 min 1st Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M47 | 1 | 10 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 3 | 1 | Base 3-4 | 6 | Penalty | False start | Schoonmaker | -5 | ||||||||
M lines up with 3 TEs and Mason then motions two of those TEs out of the box, wants to run QB power, Schoonmaker(-1) jumps. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M42 | 1 | 15 | Gun twins | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | Bash | Corum | -3 | ||||||||
UW FS is creeping up to line starting at ten yards and fires down on this hard. Corum has to bend around All(-1), who loses his edge block. If this is a read it’s a quick one. RPS -2. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M39 | 2 | 18 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7.5 | Run | QB down G | Milton | 1 | ||||||||
Stueber(-1) shot back; his guy flows down the line. Milton can only attack a gap away from him. That gap has an unblocked CB in it. M spent two guys on the nose tackle and Haskins blocked nobody. RPS -2. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M40 | 3 | 17 | Gun trips | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6 | Pass | Deep hitch | Jackson | INT | ||||||||
Zinter(-2) does not get off his guy to pick up a stunt and a guy gets into Milton’s legs. Milton throws an unfathomably bad pick directly at a linebacker on a throw that was at a WR who wasn’t anywhere near the first down anyway. (BRX | ||||||||||||||||||||
0, protection 0/2, Milton -4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Interception, 0-7, 7 min 1st Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | Inside zone | Corum | 2 | ||||||||
Vastardis(-1) cannot contain the NT shaded outside of him; he flows down the line to tackle. Eubanks(-0.5) got no push on his kickout. Barnhart(+0.5) and Filiaga(+0.5) got some depth on a scoop block of the other DTs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M27 | 2 | 8 | Gun 3-wide tight | 1 | 1 | 3 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | End around | Henning | 0 | ||||||||
Really little M can do here; Zinter(-2) does block down on a NT on an end around instead of prioritizing anything that might come through to the outside; LB blitzes through scot free. All gets submarined in the backfield by a corner; Eubanks can’t seal his guy because he’s refusing to be sealed. W LB chasing inside out Henning(+1) has to bounce around the CB/All mess; he breaks a TFL and grinds out a yard. RPS -1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M27 | 3 | 8 | Gun trips | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6 | Pass | Fade | All | Inc | ||||||||
No idea how this isn’t PI with the CB never looking for the ball and mugging All the whole way, refs -3. This throw hits All in the chest but that’s not actually good here; you want this short and/or high so he can separate and get it and not have to run through a DB. This is a TE, more or less, you expect the CB to win over the top. (MA, 0, protection 1/1, Milton -0.5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-14, 4 min 1st Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M28 | 1 | 10 | Gun 2TE tight | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | Quick out | Johnson | Inc | ||||||||
Milton misses wide on a quick out. Could have been turned up for ~8. (IN, 1, protection 1/1, Milton -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M28 | 2 | 10 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | Base 3-4 | 6.5 | Run | QB split zone? | Milton | 2 | ||||||||
This is a fake mesh point with Milton carrying basically to the point where Charbonnet would be if he had the ball. Instead Charbonnet(+1) forcefully kicks a LB; Eubanks(+0.5) escorts a DE diving inside past the play; Barnhart(-2) chases the same guy Charbonnet has so Vastardis has no angle on a LB and he nails Milton on what should otherwise be a solid gain. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M30 | 3 | 8 | Gun trips | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6 | Run | Zone stretch | Charbonnet | 2 | ||||||||
A no-read run -1 in the box on third and eight is certainly a decision. RPS -2. FWIW, Stueber(-1) can’t kick his guy out; Filiaga(-1) gets fired back and his guy flows down the line. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-21, 13 min 2nd Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 30 nickel slide | 6.5 | Pass | Bubble screen | Henning | -1 | ||||||||
Wilson(-1) airballs on a block but UW is all over this; a soon as the ball is even threatened to be out the CB is jumping it. (CA, 3, screen, RPS -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M24 | 2 | 11 | Gun 3-wide tight | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6.5 | Pass | Waggle TE flat | Eubanks | Inc | ||||||||
Basic TE flat route; Milton has Eubanks in the flat for a solid gain but doesn’t throw it, almost gets sacked, and then tries to get it to Eubanks as a sack avoidance scheme. (BR, 0, protection N/A, Milton -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M24 | 3 | 11 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6 | Pass | Slot fade | Jackson | 36 | ||||||||
And this just pops up out of nowhere. Milton nails Jackson on an arcing slot fade after Jackson(route+) gets a yard or two of separation. Milton puts it on him in stride. (DO, 3, protection 1/1, Milton +2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O40 | 1 | 10 | Gun 2RB TE | 2 | 1 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | Lead down G | Haskins | 6 | ||||||||
Orbit motion from Bell, handoff to Haskins. Zinter(+0.5) pulls and kicks the OLB. Stueber(+1) ends up putting the DE five yards downfield, gradually. Mason(-1) mis-IDs, failing to pick up the CB; Haskins(+1) jumps around his tackle attempt and runs up the back of various OL pushing guys. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O34 | 2 | 4 | Pistol offset twins | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3-4 over | 7 | Run | QB down G | Milton | -1 | ||||||||
Are there reads in this offense? Not really. M sends Corum on a flare motion presnap. UW ignores this. They blitz off the corner, no one replaces, throwing to the flat is massive win, nope. Instead they run into what’s now an 8.5 man front. DL already slanted to play and slant further. Stueber(+1) and Schoonmaker(+1) actually give a DE the business with Schoonmaker moving to the LB level. Vastardis has zero chance to do anything with a DT shaded playside of him who slants playside. He forces it back to the blitzers, doom. RPS -2. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O35 | 3 | 5 | Gun trips tight bunch | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6.5 | Pass | TE Hitch | Eubanks | 13 | ||||||||
Rhythm throw from Milton as this is coming out just as Eubanks turns around. Eubanks is not very far from a UW LB but the timing here means he can catch uncontested. LB sent, gets around Stueber(-2) clean, sack if not on point. (CA, 3, protection 0/2, Milton +1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O22 | 1 | 10 | Gun trips tight bunch | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | PA wheel | Corum | Inc | ||||||||
M busts Corum open for an easy TD as a UW guy runs in the flat and a post takes away the other defender; Milton misses when many many throws set M up with first and goal. (INX, 0, protection 2/2, Milton -2) RPS +2. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O22 | 2 | 10 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel under | 6.5 | Run | Split zone | Corum | 4 | ||||||||
Jet fake, handoff underneath it. Mesh seems ceremonial, mostly, and UW MLB is able to fire decisively because he trusts his DL and shows up in the hole unblocked. Stueber(+0.5) moved a blitzer far enough to give Corum a gap and he does run through and break that tackle but his momentum stops. You could argue for a keep here if this is really a read with the DE slanted heavily towards the back. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O18 | 3 | 6 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | Power O | Milton | 9 | ||||||||
Normally I would designate this QB power but this seems very unintentional. Milton pulls, and Corum turns around for a second. Milton moves, and then cuts back into the same lane Corum was headed to. Doesn’t look planned. Works out. Filiaga(+0.5) gets a kick; Stueber(+1) controls and fires a DL inside. Eubanks kind of wastes himself firing inside on the same guy but also might move him enough to provide a better attack angle. LBs get confused by backfield action and can’t rally to POA immediately. If intentional, RPS+, but not. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O9 | 1 | G | Gun 2RB TE | 2 | 1 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | Lead down G | Corum | 1 | ||||||||
Mesh does hold backside LB, which affects rest of defense a bit. Schoonmaker(-1) gets shot back as he tries to get of a chip and get to a linebacker. Mason(+0.5) able to get to that guy and stall him but spends himself doing so. Barnhart(+0.5) gets enough of a DL; Filiaga gets an okay kick. Corum(-1) is able to pop through a gap but takes it wide instead of slamming up, which costs him a couple yards. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O8 | 2 | G | Pistol 2TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 over | 7 | Pass | PA TE flat | All | 2 | ||||||||
Milton gets quick pressure here so he’s got to dump it; he dumps it. Eubanks(route-) is looking back immediately and doesn't chip a safety at all; safety tackles. (CA, 3, protection N/A, dot) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O6 | 3 | G | Gun 3TE | 1 | 3 | 1 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | RB flat | Evans | 5 | ||||||||
Evans(+2) is able to turn a bad doomed play into a near TD. (CA, 3, protection 1/1, RPS –1, dot) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O1 | 4 | G | Gun 2TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | Goal line | 9 | Run | QB down G | Milton | 0 | ||||||||
Nobody knows what they’re doing. DE hops outside, Schoonmaker(-2) follows him out. LB shoots the gap. Zinter(-2) stops and tries to get him;he misses. Mason plows the guy but Schoonmaker let his guy come all the way around and he submarines Milton in the backfield. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Turnover on downs, 0-28, 4 min 2nd Q. Next drive is a one-minute drill. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M17 | 1 | 10 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6.5 | Pass | RB flat | Evans | 11 | ||||||||
M identifies suspicious density of UW players to boundary on clap and checks; UW blitzes, M responds with dump to flat for easy first down. (CA, 3, protection 0/1, TEAM -1, Milton dot). RPS +2. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M28 | 1 | 10 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6 | Pass | Sack | N/A | -5 | ||||||||
Protection here is mostly fine. Stueber’s(-1) guy gets around but at enough depth that he opens up a lane to escape if Milton can’t find someone immediately. He can’t and scrambles out, and then takes a terrible sack instead of throwing the ball away. (TAX, N/A, protection ½, Milton -2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M23 | 2 | 15 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6 | Pass | Scramble | Milton | 6 | ||||||||
M has a TO but doesn’t use it. Pocket good; Milton can’t find anyone and scrambles for a few. Given the situation I’m not charting this one. (Protection 2/2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: EOH, 0-28. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Gun twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | Out | Bell | 21 | ||||||||
UW blitzes off the corner; Charbonnet finds it and picks it up while Milton throws in the vacated area. M successfully high/lows the corner left. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, RPS +1, Milton +1) Bell(+2) then breaks a tackle to get a chunk. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M46 | 1 | 10 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 7 | Pass | Out | Bell | 12 | ||||||||
Another blitz off the edge with UW corner playing super soft; M sets right away from the strength of UW, and Charbonnet(-1) misses on a LB since he’s concentrating on another blitzer. Milton stands in and fires a strike to Bell. (CA+, 3, protection 0/2, Milton +1.5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O42 | 1 | 10 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6 | Run | Power O | Charbonnet | 14 | ||||||||
2-4-5 for UW so Stueber(+1) gets a DE and turns him in. Eubanks(+0.5) gets a kick on an OLB; Filiaga(+1) pulls, finds an ILB, and escorts him out of the gap. Vastardis(-2) found a blitzing linebacker late and should really be called for holding (refs +2) as he grabs the LB around the neck and causes him to fall instead of blow Charbonnet up. Charbonnet(+0.5) is able to keep his feet after taking a hit at seven yards and then Zinter(+1) picks him up and starts a rugby scrum that adds a healthy chunk. | ||||||||||||||||||||
O28 | 1 | 10 | Gun TTE tight | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | Post | Johnson | Inc | ||||||||
PA, max pro. Pocket clean as UW drops one LB and sends a second only very late once it’s clear Charbonnet is staying in. Milton fires at a well-covered post and misses high. (IN, 0, protection 2/2, Milton -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O28 | 2 | 10 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6 | Pass | Deep out | All | Inc | ||||||||
Milton drifts up in the pocket a bit and ends up getting Filiaga in his lap, more his fault than Filiaga’s. He’s able to get an almost-accurate out to All, but it’s well outside his frame and he can only stab at it with one hand. (IN, 1, protection 2/2, Milton -0.5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O28 | 3 | 10 | Gun trips | 1 | 1 | 3 | 30 nickel slide | 6 | Pass | Fade | Sainristil | Inc | ||||||||
Blitz, good pickup by the OL. Milton throws an extremely well covered fade route to Sainristil; he has Jackson popping open across the field. I get throwing this to Nico Collins, RIP, but Sainristil is a half foot shorter and needs about a half-foot to go get this ball. As it is he can only try another one-handed catch that doesn’t come off. (BR, 1, protection 3/3, Milton -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: FG(45), 3-28, 13 min 3rd Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M4 | 1 | 10 | Pistol offset | 2 | 1 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Run | Split zone | Charbonnet | 4 | ||||||||
LB shoots a gap; Barnhart(-1) doesn’t have much time and is late getting there but does manage to shove the guy to the ground as he tries to tackle. Zinter(+1) gets motion on a DE; Stueber(+0.5) has a long kickout; Charbonnet(+1) able to run through a tackle and grind for an okay gain. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M8 | 2 | 6 | Gun TTE | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 6.5 | Pass | Waggle TE Flat | All | -1 | ||||||||
UW DE in Milton’s face immediately. He bats the ball in the air; this is a doomed flat route in any case but really doomed now. All brings the deflection in while being hammered. Of course he catches this one, it’s -1 yard. (BA, 1, protection N/A, RPS -1, Milton push) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M8 | 3 | 6 | Gun trips tight bunch | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6 | Pass | Fade | Johnson | Inc | ||||||||
Good pocket; Milton throws a fade way late and way inside that should be picked off but is dropped. (INX, 0, protection 2/2, Milton -3). The best thing you can say about this is it would have been an okay punt. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 3-28, 7 min 3rd Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Gun TTE | 1 | 2 | 2 | Base 3-4 | 6.5 | Pass | Dig | Bell | 23 | ||||||||
McNamara in. He immediately slings a dart between three guys in a zone. (DO, 3, protection 2/2, McNamara +2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M48 | 1 | 10 | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6.5 | Run | Power O | Corum | 1 | ||||||||
Vastardis(-2) immediately loses a downblock, rough. That guy pushes Corum wide and away from what may be a nice hole; Stueber(+1) got depth on his guy and Filiaga(+0.5) found a LB on his pull, though the efficacy of that block is unknown because Corum is running away from it because of the DT. Wisconsin put two guys in the same gap and if Vastardis gets a block here this could be a chunk. | ||||||||||||||||||||
M49 | 2 | 9 | Gun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel under | 6 | Pass | Corner | Eubanks | 28 | ||||||||
McNamara unnecessarily exits a clean pocket and uncorks a deep corner route to Eubanks which is on the money. (DO, 2, protection 2/2, McNamara +1.5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O23 | 1 | 10 | Gun 4-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6 | Pass | Fade | Sainristil | 23 | ||||||||
Pocket good again; another fade mostly questionable because the target is a slot WR but Sainristil gets maximum extension and makes a pretty catch on a ball that gives the DB no chance. (DO, 2, protection 2/2, McNamara +3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
O3 | 2PT | 2PT | Gun 3-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Base 3-4 | 7 | Pass | Corner | Jackson | 3 | ||||||||
Jackson(route+) in man; he sells inside and then breaks to the wide corner of the endzone with a bunch of separation. McNamara floats it to him. (CA, 3, protection 1/1, McNamara +1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown (2PT good), 11-35, 3 min 3rd Q. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Box | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Gun 4-wide | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6 | Pass | Dig | Bell | Inc | ||||||||
McNamara turfs it. Zinter(-1) is late picking up a DT twist and there’s a bit of pressure but McNamara has room to step up and throw this normally, instead he shortens up his step and doesn’t get enough on the ball. (IN, 0, protection ½, McNamara -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M25 | 2 | 10 | Gun trips | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | 6.5 | Pass | Hitch | Sainristil | Inc | ||||||||
Hitch downfield of Sainristil and dangerous if the CB is in slightly better position; he gets a PBU. (IN, 1, protection 1/1, McNamara -1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
M25 | 3 | 10 | Gun trips | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | 6 | Pass | Hitch | Sainristil | Inc | ||||||||
LB blitz gets through free as line gets busy with 3 down linemen; McNamara breaks the pocket and avoids this guy but then throws a two yard pass low; Sainristil can’t get to it but he’s going to his knees to try to catch this anyway. (IN, 1, protection 0/2, TEAM –2, McNamara –0.5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 11-42, 9 min 4th Q. Final three plays are a couple runs and one flushed zero yard completion, we’re done here. |
Hello, I see you're back from walking into the sea.
more like a SEA OF GOALS buddy
Stop being chipper. Concentrate on this funeral dirge.
fine
Ahem. FIRE EVERYONE
okay
That's it?
I am not going to provide pushback on the general fan opinion that everyone should be fired, especially since the far-and-away leader at quarterback turned into a pumpkin in this game and now there's a good chance Cade McNamara starts. Add it to the pile of unforced errors that find Michigan in this spot.
I can't help but remember watching the McCaffrey every-snap video and noting that he made a lot of correct post-snap reads every time Michigan gets nuked on a play with no read at all. I continue to wonder about the circumstances of that transfer.
Boo bad Milton!
I mean, yeah, he was very bad. After hitting the upper end of reasonable expectations over the course of the first three games Milton hit a wall at a thousand miles an hour.
JOE MILTON
Good | Neutral | Bad | Ovr | Reads | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Game | DO | CA | SCR | PR | MA | BA | TA | IN | BR | DSR | GRADE! | RPOs | ZRs | ||||
Minnesota | 17(6) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 75% | +4 | 2/2 | 2/2 | |||||||
MSU (Pending) | |||||||||||||||||
Indiana | 7 | 19(2)++++ | 3 | 4 | 6** | 4 | 71% | +10.7 | |||||||||
Wisconsin | 1 | 8(1)+ | 1 | 1 | 1* | 4* | 3* | 47% | -7.2 | ||||||||
Rutgers | |||||||||||||||||
Penn State | |||||||||||||||||
Maryland | |||||||||||||||||
OSU | |||||||||||||||||
Bonus |
The first INT was on Eubanks's face mask and was a reasonable decision. The second was the thing everyone was fearing.
Welp. You can live with that if it's a one-off. It was not. Milton airmailed it when Corum broke open for an easy wheel touchdown…
…he took a horrible sack in the one minute drill, he failed to read the flat guy popping open on a waggle…
…(I mean cumong he's the flat guy), and capped it off with a punt that should have been intercepted:
I don't know what to say. He had relatively open guys, and the pass protection wasn't any rougher than it was against Indiana. He just had a meltdown.
What about McNamara?
He came out hot and then missed three consecutive throws on his second drive.
CADE MCNAMARA
Good | Neutral | Bad | Ovr | Reads | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Game | DO | CA | SCR | PR | MA | BA | TA | IN | BR | DSR | GRADE! | RPOs | ZRs | ||||
Wisconsin | 3 | 1 | 3 | 57% | +2 | ||||||||||||
Rutgers | |||||||||||||||||
Penn State | |||||||||||||||||
Maryland | |||||||||||||||||
OSU | |||||||||||||||||
Bonus |
McNamara popped on his first drive, which featured three on-point throws. The first was a dart in between levels in a zone:
The second was a corner route to Eubanks, with one ding for leaving a pocket unnecessarily:
And the third was an inch-perfect fade TD to Sainristil:
McNamara naturally regressed after this. His next throw saw him get a little pressure and fail to step into a throw. Result: turf.
This is a difference between Milton and McNamara that's probably going to be constant. Milton is able to sling deep outs without stepping into it much, if at all:
McNamara then threw a hitch two yards too far upfield and suffered a PBU:
It's likely he was behind Milton for a reason and there's no dawn. I mean, take a shot I guess but it is deeply unlikely that McNamara turns around the season.
Also in meltdowns?
Yes, the OL:
Offensive Line |
|||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | + | - | Total | Notes | |||||||||||||||
Barnhart | 1 | 3 | -2 | One bad mis-ID | |||||||||||||||
Filiaga | 2.5 | 1 | 1.5 | Did okay work pulling. | |||||||||||||||
Vastardis | 5 | -5 | yikes | ||||||||||||||||
Zinter | 2.5 | 4 | -1.5 | Enjoyed rugby scrum at least. | |||||||||||||||
Stueber | 6 | 2 | 4 | Moved some guys. | |||||||||||||||
All | 1 | -1 | |||||||||||||||||
Eubanks | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | ||||||||||||||||
Schoonmaker | 1 | 4 | -3 | Major culprit on goal line stand | |||||||||||||||
Mason | 0.5 | 1 | -0.5 | In about 8 snaps. | |||||||||||||||
Honigford | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||
TOTAL | 14.5 | 20.5 | 41% | Oof | |||||||||||||||
Backs | |||||||||||||||||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes | |||||||||||||||
Milton | Runs were so badly blocked he didn't have much opportunity. | ||||||||||||||||||
McNamara | DNC | ||||||||||||||||||
Charbonnet | 2.5 | 2.5 | |||||||||||||||||
Haskins | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Corum | 1 | -1 | |||||||||||||||||
Evans | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Turner | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||
TOTAL | 5.5 | 1 | 4.5 | Not enough snaps on which they could do anything. | |||||||||||||||
Receivers | |||||||||||||||||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes | |||||||||||||||
Bell | 2 | 2 | Couple bad moments early. | ||||||||||||||||
Sainristil | |||||||||||||||||||
Wilson | |||||||||||||||||||
Johnson | |||||||||||||||||||
Jackson | |||||||||||||||||||
Henning | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
McCurry | |||||||||||||||||||
TOTAL | 3 | 3 | Not much here per usual. | ||||||||||||||||
Metrics | |||||||||||||||||||
Player | + | - | T | Notes | |||||||||||||||
Protection | 23 | 11 | 68% | TEAM –4, Stueber –3, Zinter –3, Charbonnet -1 | |||||||||||||||
RPS | 5 | 13 | -8 | No reads. |
A miserable day on limited opportunities, partially limited by the fact that Michigan had a very hard time blocking anything up. Vastardis has had a major comedown after his initial success against Minnesota. Michigan is setting the line away from blitzes a lot, and Vastardis's individual blocking isn't going that well. This power should be successful but Vastardis basically whiffs on a downblock of a guy shaded outside.
C #68
I normally do not grade those blocks because they are so routine.
Man, that is an ugly RPS number that comes on the heels of another ugly RPS number that comes on the heels of you saying you like Michigan's offensive coordinator. Could you please never say anything positive about Michigan football again?
I think I can work with you there.
Wisconsin was extremely disciplined and had a spooky ability to anticipate what Michigan was going to run. This was most apparent on yet another doomed run when Wisconsin blitzed off the edge, ignoring flare motion from the running back. Milton got nothing:
Meanwhile:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh
Seems like that would have been a good moment to have a read in the offense.
Other incidents were common. Here a Wisconsin free safety activates on bash, which Michigan has not run this year:
UW FS to bottom creeping to LOS
The decisiveness with which Wisconsin's back seven played really jumped off the screen. Linebackers would read a double on a DL and shoot a gap. Safeties would confidently rip up into plays. This Henning end around gets nerfed in large part because the corner to that side of the field meets All three yards in the backfield and cuts out his legs:
UW CB to top
Henning can't cut up because a LB blitzed past a true freshman OG, which was extremely common.
Meanwhile this waggle sees Milton draw immediate pressure and he's got no option other than dumping it to a very covered All:
Michigan did get a couple things that were easy—a flat route to Evans, a wide open wheel to Corum that Milton missed—but this was another RPS blowout for the opposition. It was built on a lot of blitzing Michigan struggled to pick up and a (near?) total lack of any reads.
Why?
Don't know. Beside the point now, really.
I thought quarterback runs would be our salvation, smart guy?
Well, they did even up numbers in the box. Then Michigan's blockers didn't actually put a hat on everyone. This QB power has seven guys in the box and seven Michigan blockers, but Haskins wanders to the back side of the play without touching anyone and Michigan doubles a nose tackle so the overhang corner never gets touched:
UW CB to bottom
Also Stueber loses against his guy so Milton has to run into the corner.
Other Milton runs failed due to the usual sack of cats stuff. Here Barnhart turns upfield—never turn upfield—for a kickout block that is Charbonnet's:
LT #52
That's failing if it's an RB run as well. Giving Milton the ball provided more margin for error, and Michigan proceeded to blow right through that margin. The failed fourth and goal is a similar situation, with Mason and Zinter hitting the same linebacker:
pulling G #65, FB #42
Also Schoonmaker let his guy come all the way around and get into Milton's legs.
In fact the only QB run to have much success seemed unintentional. Corum briefly turns around after Milton takes this out, and then Milton has no better plan than following Corum.
RB #2
Wisconsin doesn't know what's going on because Michigan doesn't, and Michigan gets a first down. Hooray?
Wide receivers?
[0 = uncatchable, 1 = circus catch, 2 = moderate difficulty, 3 = routine]
THIS WEEK | SEASON | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Bell | 1 | 3/3 | 3 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 13/13 | |||
Johnson | 1 | 0/1 | 3 | 0/1 | 2/3 | 2/2 | |||
Sainristil | 0/3 | 1/1 | 1 | 0/3 | 1/1 | ||||
Jackson | 1 | 2/2 | 2 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 4/4 | |||
Wilson | 2 | 0/1 | 1/3 | 2/2 | |||||
Henning | 1/1 | 1 | 0/1 | 2/2 | |||||
McCurry | |||||||||
Eubanks | 0/1 | 1/1 | 2/2 | 0/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 | |||
All | 1 | 1/1 | 1 | 1/1 | 0/1 | 2/4 | |||
Schoonmaker | |||||||||
Charbonnet | 3/3 | ||||||||
Haskins | |||||||||
Corum | 3/3 | ||||||||
Evans | 2/2 | 3/3 | |||||||
Mason | 2/2 |
Routes: Jackson ++, Eubanks –.
Jackson remains a bright spot. He was the target on Milton's best throw of the day, gaining a yard or two of separation and then dodging three guys after the catch:
WR #0 in slot
He also got a lot of separation on the two point conversion and brought in a lofted over-the-shoulder catch.
Also I want to point out that after a ton of drops, Erick All speared a difficult pass with a guy draped all over him… on a –1 yard catch. 2020!
Surely you must have some official crabbing left in the withered husk that used to be your body?
I can muster some. I mean
This is about as egregious as all the stuff we've seen from Michigan. On the other hand, Michigan got away with one on Take A Picture It's A Successful Run
C #68
Yoinks.
Heroes?
If we expand our definition here, Bell and Jackson and maybe Charbonnet?
Maybe not so heroic.
Milton, coaches, OL.
What does it mean for Rutgers and beyond?
Milton optimism significantly dented. Brutal.
Offense still has no reads.
Also they can't block.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the playcalling?
November 18th, 2020 at 3:37 PM ^
Not only are we hiring bad coaches, but the good ones we get (Warinner, Frey) seem to have their careers ruined by being here.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:54 PM ^
Warinner's career hasn't been ruined. He's done a good job here and has the best rookie lineman of the year playing in the NFL right now.
Michigan is playing with arguably its 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th best offensive linemen right now (with Mayfield and Hayes out), and they're all brand new starters.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:05 PM ^
That's fair. I'm just amazed to think about what he did in year 3 at OSU, producing a line that plowed Alabama after losing 4 starters to the NFL, and then looking at this year's line. Yeesh.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
In regard to Warriner, I’d say that Harbaugh’s (/Gattis’...?) unwillingness to settle on an actual scheme is a huge part of the OL confusion. SUCH a grab bag. BS.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:41 PM ^
They did plow Alabama, but it was 13 games in, not just 4 in COVID Football.
November 18th, 2020 at 10:29 PM ^
Also I'm not sure but I'm guessing they weren't down 4 starters from the year before and then lost 2 tackles. It's dumb to compare this line to his best. Especially when he had a great line just last year.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:49 PM ^
I'd still argue that Warriner is probably the first coach I would keep of the whole bunch. We just put 4 guys into the NFL and have another that will be there next year. It is really hard to judge this OL without the two tackles (our best two guys this year) and with the chaos in play-calling. I'm concerned about the running game for sure, but I think the overall recruiting and depth compared to where we were at any point in the previous 10+ years has been solved. I like Frey as a recruiter...not sure he ever put it together on the field.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:23 PM ^
why does this never happen to osu?
November 18th, 2020 at 8:30 PM ^
a) They have higher rated recruits up and down the roster.
b) After they lose a bunch of linemen to the NFL, do they also lose their two best remaining linemen to injury? Chances are slim.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
Certainly not a career ruined but given the number of OL brought in recently, isn't it a bit of a failure that a true freshman, a former walk-on, and a clearly mediocre LG are amongst their top 7?
What happened to Rumler, Keegan, Jones, et al?
Good teams reload their OLs all the time (Wisconsin does it annually). Michigan should be there as well, shouldn't they?
November 18th, 2020 at 5:32 PM ^
It seems like the O-line is hardest to project coming out of high school. Still we are in year six under Harbaugh and shouldn’t be in a position to have a walk-on starting. I’m not saying V isn’t good enough, I’m saying it shouldn’t be this way.
November 18th, 2020 at 8:33 PM ^
Wisconsin has a continuing tradition of good linemen. This year I think all five starters are redshirt juniors or redshirt seniors. That's just how they do it there, and they recruit guys who understand that they might spend four or five years...but after four or five years, they'll probably be drafted pretty highly. There was a stat on Saturday night's game that (IIRC) Wisconsin is tied with Alabama as having the most linemen drafted.
November 18th, 2020 at 10:31 PM ^
Not only that but tied for 1st round draftees. You can say "It's just Wisconsin" about some positions but they recruit and develop the OL literally better than anyone in the country (given Bama's inherent advantages).
November 19th, 2020 at 8:00 AM ^
It's almost as though patience, development and stability breed... success?
What madness is this?
November 19th, 2020 at 9:05 AM ^
A thing I have noticed over the years, that in a blowout or when we are up by say 4 tds early in third, that our coaches would keep the starters in until the last drive of game or so... I never understood this...
Why not mix in backups with starters and get them experience vs the other first team, maybe taking out our starting QB to avoid injury, and ending with all backups playing by the end of game?...
I think Dantonio used to do this...plug and play and over time it seemed sparty was two deep everywhere... maybe it was because he typically had 4th and 5th year guys and our backups are much younger.. nonetheless I hope someone chimes in here, because it was baffling to see, especially on the defensive side.
November 19th, 2020 at 10:29 AM ^
Harbaugh actually explained his philosophy on this early on in his time at Michigan. He thinks game reps are the BEST practice reps. Once the ones are good enough, then the twos get reps. Our ones have never been good enough for him to feel like it was a good idea to take them out, they always needed more practice. And yeah, our offense has failed at least one "later" game every season, so I could see where he would think they need more practice.
Whether or not this is the best way to go about things is a different story, but I know it's why he claimed to keep the starters in so long.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:38 PM ^
What a pleasant (relative) surprise. I did not expect any UFR after the continuing debacle that is Michigan football. Thanks for doing this. I can't imagine how painful it must be.
Trying to find any nuggets of optimism right now. This may not help, but searching for anything.
Sincere thanks for taking the time.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:42 PM ^
The RB situation, platooning four guys, is perhaps the most ridiculously absurd positional coaching strategy I have ever witnessed. This is something that is done with first and second graders-and some parent coach who saw the game played one time before.
This staff goes from one extreme to another. We have Charbonnet carrying the ball 35 times as a freshman and now he gets three carries. Fine, rotate your top two backs but don't make this into a pee-wee football team.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
Now rumors of charbonnet leaving, no surprise there
November 18th, 2020 at 4:59 PM ^
Where? Hopefully not some random comment on a sports blog from an unverified source.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:08 AM ^
California player not getting the ball, on a losing team... yes, I'd say the rumor has teeth. We had several west coast kids go back west...
Fact is, Haskins is the best RB, and Corum is a fine player... Evans I thought would star this year... Charbonnet has alot of competition.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:30 PM ^
Well, they did rotate their top two backs. Corum got 7 carries, Charbonnet 3. No other RB got more than 1. The problem was the volume here. They just didn't run the ball!
Besides, this isn't pee-wee stuff. This is NFL stuff. The Pats have been doing this for years. It's rare now to have a regular every down guy at any level.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:51 PM ^
Can you name another team that has successfully rotated backs besides the Patriots?? I can't. Even Alabama, who churns out a new NFL running back every year typically only plays two guys most of the snaps.
I don't fault the coaches for trying to take advantage of their deepest position group, but after MN when things have gone sideways I think you need to tighten up. I like Corum and he's fast as hell....but Haskins has been our best back dating back to the middle of last year and barely sees the field.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:38 PM ^
Yes, 100%. Lump this into the overflowing bin of head scratchers. The staff has no talent evaluation ability - and their rotations are just mind numbingly bad!
The running back situation is evidence of this on a micro scale,but on a macro scale...my god! We're about to bench Milton after hearing all summer how great he was that DMac transferred - and we all know Mcnamara won't be up for the task. The one silver lining we could take from this debacle of a season was getting reps for our hoped-for savior in Milton - now, who knows, he may not even be here next year!
November 19th, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
this also falls into the category of Confirmation Bias. when a team is losing, and badly, then literally everything they do seems to be an example of why they are losing.
if we were winning and splitting the carries (which is absolutely possible, and has been the case on any number of michigan teams, even pre-harbaugh), people would be saying it was because the backs have fresh legs.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:42 PM ^
"I continue to wonder about the circumstances of that transfer."
Me too. McCaffrey looked at the OL?
November 18th, 2020 at 3:51 PM ^
Go read the message board rumor from a day or two ago on him. If true it makes a lot of sense.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^
I've spent way too much time on the blog lately. And I am not even remotely clear which one of said rumors out there on this blog to even begin to think you might be referencing.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:38 PM ^
Ghostofjermainegonzales is regarded as a reputable poster with some insider connections.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:18 PM ^
McCaffery and his family took a long hard look at the head coach and thought "Naw, you're going to learn more not playing than playing for this dude."
November 18th, 2020 at 4:32 PM ^
They wouldn't have sent him to Michigan if that was the case. They saw what happened last year with Gattis and said, naw, not another year of that.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
Harbaugh wasn't fully exposed as the fraud he is when McCaffery committed.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:56 PM ^
I also find it totally strange. I manage a pretty large team of people in my job and I know which ones are the rock stars and which ones are the crank-turners. But when I need to get the most out of those secondary people I treat them in such a way that I know they're valued and that I have a plan to use them.
While I have no doubt that Milton pulled ahead in the off-season to the #1 spot - and I do believe that to be true - as a coaching staff you have to understand what you're dealing with. Milton is in shorts and a tee-shirt - not playing against a B10 foe. He's a raw prospect new to the position. He'll be playing behind a new OL. We haven't gotten a QB through a season healthy much in the last 15 years. This isn't a Fields/Lawrence situation where you have your star and everyone else is a bench warmer.
That adds up to a situation where you need to prop Dylan up as a critical piece of the team and keep him as your 1B starter as long as possible. Make sure he knows you need him and that no matter who starts game #1 that they're both going to play. You can't black-ball him because he felt sick and banish him to a distant 2nd or 3rd string when you know Milton is high risk.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:21 AM ^
Yet, McCaffrey waited three years to start here... so he wasn't taking back seat, when, he could opt out of this shortened season and retain another two years. Lets hope Harbaugh repairs the fracture here and he plays next year...if not, this is absolutely terrible... I have high hope for McNamara, but still... McCaffrey has that program drawing charisma and notoriety with his brother in NFL.
Harbaugh blew it here. Think about this.. with the Covid scare, and McCaffreys kid is across country, and he is feeling sick, and they cannot do a thing...and hear Harbaugh is pushing him to play... terrible optics Jimmy... should have backed off on this one.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:43 PM ^
Concise, accurate ... and depressing as hell.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:45 PM ^
Gonna run the table. Raback it.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:51 PM ^
At least it was only 44 plays of ugly.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:55 PM ^
"Wisconsin was extremely disciplined and had a spooky ability to anticipate what Michigan was going to run."
I feel like I have been hearing this drum beat a lot over that past few years...Even the other teams players tell us they knew what the plays were going to be. What the hell is going on out there?
November 18th, 2020 at 4:33 PM ^
Well, in the case of the 4th and goal, Michigan literally showed them what they were going to do, let them go back and talk about it and then proceeded to do exactly as expected. What's going on is clearly an OC without a clue.
November 18th, 2020 at 4:39 PM ^
Very similar to the end of the 2013 OSU game where OSU called a timeout on the 2pt conversion and Borges ran the same damn play
November 18th, 2020 at 4:57 PM ^
I'm convinced that the Frankenstein nature of our offense means that we are only running 1-3 plays out of each formation. The opponent scouts are seeing this and knowing what we are running and coaching that. We have not yet shown the ability to run constraints off the same formation tree.
Like the Milton QB Power run. We've run that a few times and always it was a keeper. No W defender went with the flare screen bc we've never utilized it.
Big proponent of the reads in the offense being essential. We thought the issue was Shea. Now we are finding out that our OC (or more likely) our HC does NOT trust a QB to make those decisions.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:43 PM ^
The coaches are not on the same page with an offensive scheme and what the heck does McDaniels know about read-option football ? I think Harbaugh picked McDaniels out of a desire for a better pipeline into Ohio where is Dad is a legend high school coach, but that has not been effective at all. Time to move on to a Gattis selected QB coach.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:29 PM ^
It's clear there's Team Manball and Team Speed in Space. Manball in Space does not work.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
Chris Brown aka Smart Football (not the singer) did a podcast with The Athletic that dove into the Ravens offensive struggles this year. One of the key points he made was that those types of motions were drawing defenders away from the action last year. However the tendency was to not actually use them (either by throwing or handing it off on jets). Now teams aren't reacting as strongly to the motion and are able to contain Lamar and the running game much more effectively.
When Urban Meyer broke down the QB pin and pull from Minnesota, he described it as "the perfect play." The motion and read involved stress the width of the field and put defenders in conflict. That play becomes a lot less perfect when you don't use half of it.
As I've mentioned before, I do suspect this is intentional by Michigan in an effort to make things easier for their offense and avoid turnovers. However, it is neutering the offense instead.
November 18th, 2020 at 9:43 PM ^
Whatever the reason, I can't count the number of plays, since State, where we have multiple motions and not one defender even looks at the feint. The only thing the fake pulls and counters accomplish is to let unblocked defenders into the backfield.
November 18th, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^
Is there any chance this team is a disaster because #2020 or was this team destined to be one of the worst Michigan teams of the last half century no matter what? Because it is truly impressive to be this bad. Like... this is worse than 2008 Richrod. Richrod was dealt a depleted roster with no real QBs for a spread offense and was trying to overhaul the whole team philosophy. This is year 6 of Harbaugh. How are you this bad?
November 18th, 2020 at 4:00 PM ^
What the hell was the 2019 spring game and why are we not running that offense!? Every offensive play had a read on it. Its like we practiced and practiced something but we refuse to run it in an actual game.
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