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Think he’s blitzing like 75+% of the time? And they’re not just, like, fire zones where we’re plugging the open B gap to kill early down runs. There’s always a line game or two guys coming from depth or it’s 4-deep 2-under or 2 Steal etc. etc. DK how many day 1-3 install calls he ran but not many.
Literally opened the game with a 0 blitz. Safety is response for the TE so he’s following the split block.
The reasons for this double peak after a multi decade trend downward are really worth understanding.
Early impression of the D is NMU did a nice job going to big and bigger personnel to get Michigan's 3-4 on the field and then went quick game, screens, and other misdirection and took advantage of Wink's inclination to blitz and preference to put the 3-4 out vs. 12 against bad teams.
*the play that starts this thread should not have been a pull
Here’s a pull where we’re not going as fast. Bryce prob just reading numbers here since it’s a pretty cloudy read. And in retrospect I think that prob should not have been a pull. You’re going fast tempo, you can’t count numbers. Anything other than a true crash is a give.
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The pull is to get to a boot throw that we ran plenty of
The vertical release from the WRs + OZ + tempo makes this a really obvious Lindsey influence play. Not reinventing anything here but obvious why this plays to our strengths. And also shows why OZ can be so challenging for the D. Horizontal stretch is tough.
And then the same play going the other way. UNM busts in part bc once again they’re getting the ball off real quick. Two 3Ts means there’s some kind of game on. Both backers follow the arrow. Nice reach from Sprague.
Sideline view makes the whole concept clear. Also prob a TD if Bryce pulls.
OZ + Post/Wheel/Arrow RPO. Track blocking OZ. This snaps at like 35 seconds so this is a 1 word call that they always have in the back pocket. Look really comfortable blocking this. They get off and get physical. Link does a real nice job. Bryce should pull here.
The Ni retreating early there is a Tampa tip and in general any time you see an uncovered slot it’s a good bet you’re getting Tampa.
Dagger vs Tampa. Dig from 1 always a good look vs Tampa, see it more and more (Day ran lots of backside Dig vs Minter in 2023). Pole runner should cheat to 2 since 3 eliminates himself immediately. But Bryce throws a laser beam that no defender was touching anyway.
you better not get what you want here
UNM was tiny and not esp. athletic, so just not much reason to lose control of your guy.
IMO guys ending up on their asses or off their feet is telling. Bad technique a cause but strength, balance, and athleticism can keep you upright and useful after you whiff on your first strike. Not exactly news I suppose, but aside from Sprague we just don’t have the big uglies right now.
Thoughts on Michigan: Overall, very happy with the O scheme. Would like a little more heavy formations, a little less 4-wide, but overall I think it’s close to what I was looking for. Run game diversity from Moore, PAP, roll outs, take advantage of some free yards and get easy looks for QB
was a great catch bc he almost blew the first catch
it’s a ridiculous trend. looks horrible in person and on TV
McIlhenny Muntz plz and thank you
that 6 pack has my name on it! @rossrfulton.bsky.social
Casual rocket right on time and perfectly placed
think El Hadi should’ve done better than that and you know they’re going to be cancelling gaps w something bc the numbers they’re showing. he’s having a rough go of it so far from what I’ve seen.
think our prior should be full time starter JJ and that was 4-5 rushes per game sacks and scrambles included. maybe bump it up somewhat bc you know Bryce is going to play in a lot more close games than JJ.
they were never going to
Not an amazing sign for the line
I think they ran a ton of stuff for Bryce. That wasn’t just the first couple days of installs.
Yeah that’s true too. Maybe there’s more there than I’m crediting.
I think if we’re just looking at the O EPA, NMU is probably not good enough for us to think this was the performance of a top 15 Michigan team.
Higher than that by a bit maybe but top 4 is prob asking way too much.
Plenty of mistakes was last year.
why Sherrone?
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Refs killed a drive for us and gifted them 40 yards and a 1st at the 2 which min 5 points of expectation and prob more like 8? Think this is a team we want to beat by 40 to be a top 4 team? Playing more like the 15th even adjusted for fuckery?
Hmm is wedge a good play
well coached and the QB is prob decent? the D sucks huge ass tho
think I mostly agree
Wink is increasingly bringing pressure, especially from the edge. Been some HOT but prob largely FZ. Lots of Penny and Odd depending on personnel. Only criticism so far the struggles vs screens. Have caught them with good calls and still not made plays so not a pressure prob don’t think.
Think UNM is more like 110th in the country than 130th but we still want to win by 40
Every single play until the TD was horseshit but that was a fuck up by Jyaire. It’s man, he has to go through you.
This entire drive is a fucking joke
Anybody else think Ryan Williams might be available next offseason
Somebody mentioned to me very important point: they felt like they didn’t need to just run a draw if whatever and go into the locker room. Showed trust and trust was rewarded.
need a LEAK UNDEFEATED too
first of the season
WHEEL ROUTE
Dagger is Seam from 2 and Dig from 1
That was Dagger on the very long 3rd down completion. An early 2023 staple for JJ. Lindsey’s preference for vertical releases probably showing thru as well.
no idea. but tend to think that matters a lot less in NIL Era. or it matters differently, in any case. think it’s as simple as people don’t like firing their guys.
Think that was just C1? Think that’s a good choice for that distance + opponent. And obvi it worked.
his safeties also looked very poor and he had very little to do to get them ready to play
Good test of Wink 3rd down calls here. A ton of bailing into Tampa last year w some pressure sprinkled in.
was super obvious that Brown should’ve not been asked back, at least
Michigan had problems all year against screens. Eck seems to know it.
Honestly you have to give it up for that shit
Spider 2 Y Banana
he’s had 2 and looked OK. not better than that. but we don’t care about that yet. 18 yr olds have different standards.
yeah that’s just high high level athleticism
Yep this too. The velo is HIGH, folks.
Bryce’s 3 incompletions are two drops and a bad idea that was right on his target’s facemask. The placement so far is phenomenal.
Hillman ejections O/U: 3.5
The difference between this kind of comfortable athletic throw and some of the awkward throws from the same angle we saw earlier today is stark.
he’s out
Both Wink and Patricia ran a lot of Penny (5-1 Nickel) looks today. Read up!
Michigan running a lot of Wrap or long Trap type looks in the run game. Block down and let the wrapper take the 8th in the box or the trapper take the EMLOS.
@matchquarters.bsky.social do you have a Penny front explainer?
Top 3 3rd down call from Wink there going Penny front and bringing Barham and playing C1 behind it. Will see Tampa from the same look as well.
Penny and then Odd fronts for Wink on first and 2nd. FZ and then FZ.
Alan, he was that bad. He was worse than Davis Warren. That bears on your priors about his draft stock.
TL; DR Offense: get to league average and you feel great about where things are going Defense: get Wink to figure out what “FIB” means and you feel great about where things are going
Hi Michigan football interested friends, I did a giant post summarizing my thoughts on the program and what to expect this year substack.com/@manuelexcel...
yeah I haven’t watched a ton of games but I think he’s the best QB I’ve seen today?
I’m pretty into Simpson tbh. Not sure who is giving him help.
two in a row right? and under the same circumstances. looks like he’s rattled
Hiring is such a big deal. Malzahn + Tony White is a killer coordinator combo. Wommack is a miss.
I do not understand what Wommack is doing with that D
Wommack is gonna get fired on the tarmac
Have been an advocate for this since I was 8. Classic blacktop 3 second hold losers walk maneuver.
Somebody explain that mugged A gap front on normal downs from Wommack to me. As far as I know nobody else in football runs anything like it in those situations.
The breakup he had on Smith after stumbling sold me instantly. The speed and size is ridiculous.
Nothing complicated from Texas D last 2 downs. Lined up in 1-high and played C3, C1, and C1. Don't think Sayin went to the right side of the concept on 2nd down. Found the crosser on 3rd but Littleton is a sick athlete. Jeez.
Shocked Sark threw there. It's 2 Q runs to get the first. What are we doing here buddy.
Will be stronger tests than this but simply going from one playbook to another without transition costs is a very good sign.
Has been said but worth repeating that OSU changed up their whole D playbook and looks very comfortable with their calls. Arch obviously puts a cap on what Sark can do but he's a formationing guy deep in his bones and breaking a D that's not coached up to adjust is worth free pts no matter the QB.
There's that fin route again, another first.
Klatt really isn't on this one, I'm sure they thought they would see a lot more Cone or Vice on Smith but I think every single clip there was just Cover 3
Davis still has a worse pick
That's not even close to on time but why is there no juice on the ball either? Swear he's got an arm injury or something.
Yeah the game is running Arch enough to put OSU into 1-high. Can hopefully just tell Arch he's getting C3 in dropback and go PAP to get explosives. But there's nothing Texas is doing to scare the OSU D otherwise. Patricia has his guys coached up so far with an all new playbook.
QB Sneak hasn't been a cheat code in a minute. Have to have an under center run that plays off it.
Arm strength and placement are surprisingly poor. Sayin hardly setting a very high bar but Arch nowhere near Sayin rn.
Can see the training wheels on Sayin right there. 3rd and long, Day dials up all hitches. Not getting the first without a missed tackle.
🚨COFFE HOUSE STUNT🚨
More C3 from OSU on the deep shot. Patricia doing more with his fronts tho. Penny on 2nd down gets a run stop.
Think Day likes that Slide RPO in this And Goal like we saw from Sark. He used to absolutely love that fade to pylon route but haven’t seen that in a minute.
Just a ton of cheetah motion from Day on these dropbacks. Would guess it’s a big pass tell. Think Texas has mostly just been playing 3 Strong and squeezing space. Sayin hasn’t been able to rip in there.
Interesting run scheme from OSU there. Looked like a little fold from the BSG to the front side A.
IMO Saying just looks very comfortable even if it’s not perfect. The placement is good, the process seems OK. Think OSU is going to start getting in 11 and letting him rip it a bit.
