2018 Michigan Wolverines | Team 139

[WaitTilNextYear]

Other than winning by multiple scores, what are you looking for in the Michigan vs Western game this weekend?

I'm tempted to say we can't really learn all that much against this level of competition (probably true).

At the same time I feel that Michigan looked pretty sluggish against the soft Cincy/Air Force/Purdue part of the schedule last year and that portended a down year. I want to see if this year's team can really put a cupcake out of its misery ala early 2016 or throw a string of shutouts ala 2015. Just go out there and dominate somebody, anybody. Also, how does our blocking look, does the QB generally have time, does our interior DL create any havoc and so on. If these areas look shaky against WMU, then I think more outcomes like the ND game is what we'll be seeing a lot of (hopefully not).

[WaitTilNextYear]

Some small scheduling things I noticed...

Michigan has its bye week between MSU and PSU, which seems like a useful place for it. The MSU game will probably be very hard fought and the added recovery time and prep time afterward should be useful gearing up for the subsequent home game against the Nittany Lions.

Poor damn Nebraska...both Wisconsin and OSU have their bye weeks heading into the Nebraska game.

No major rival has its bye week immediately before playing us. Not that Dantonio isn't already game planning for us right now, but still it's something. MSU's bye week comes really early, right before Indiana. Then they have to battle NW (against whom they got caught last year peeking ahead to PSU and OSU) and PSU before Michigan.

Penn State has its bye week right before playing Michigan State, so I think that could be helpful as I see MSU being the stronger team this season and some added attrition would be nice on that front in the conference record scheme of things.

[WaitTilNextYear]

WMU post mortem (49-3 win vs WMU)


Pros:

*most everything after the 1st drive...amazing what playing WMU instead of ND can do
*Patterson hitting WRs deep down the field, Patterson to Collins seems to be good for one bomb per game
*ground game, both Higdon and Evans getting off
*TRU Wilson makes up for the loss of Eddie McDOOM
*Brad Hawkins, Josh Ross, Jordan Anthony, and Brandon Watson all look like really capable players...B-Wat might've played the best game of anyone on the team other than Higdon and maybe Gary/Bush
*Ambry Thomas on offense...Ambry Thomas almost blocking a FG
*Khaleke Hudson did some things after a quiet night in South Bend
*stuffing WMU on some 4th and short tries
*the 2nd and 3rd team units in position to get a bunch of live game reps
*those new, blue endzones
*snapping that ugly 4-game losing streak


Cons:

*Patterson looks to be good for about 2 missed throws (McKeon and Perry) and one really dumb decision per game...so he's only 2000% better than O'Korn instead of 5000% better
*Josh Metellus is one thick-headed dude...my view continues to be that he shouldn't be starting...looks great out there with the 2's though
*DT is becoming almost as alarming as OT with Hurst in the NFL, Solomon having knee surgery, Marshall being held out, and Dwumfour not being any good...Mone got more snaps in this one than maybe his entire college career to this point & Carlo Kemp wasn't horrible
*Nordin missed FG...gonna need him to be competent when the offense stalls against good teams
*DPJ still makes bad decisions too often on punt returns

[l3ulvl]

Yeah Metellus is one of the dumbest players Michigan has had in a long time

Maybe dumb is harsh, but he's a bonehead

[WaitTilNextYear]

Purdue lacks discipline/plays dirty? Say it ain't so!

http://www.espn.com/college-football...ew-punishments

Not that you'd have to convince Wilton Speight any...

[WaitTilNextYear]

I think JBB is one of my new favorite players. Not only is he doing decent, but I love his answers in the player press conference:

https://mgoblog.com/content/tuesday-...-12-18-players


One thing that always strikes me about these, win or lose...starter or backup, is that almost all of the kids on this team seem like really thoughtful and good young people. Truly a Michigan Difference.

[WaitTilNextYear]

SMU post mortem (45-20 win vs SMU)


Pros:

*nice hit, Kwity Paye
*Patterson started shaky, but continues to be accurate and very solid...it's ****ing awesome to have a passing game again after last season
*DPJ's best game as a collegian
*Zach Gentry's best game of the season
*Tru Wilson looks like a legit B1G running back
*Offensive line played its best game so far, imo, liking this trajectory they're on
*Metellus back out of my dog house
*Nordin hit a pretty long FG
*punting game looks improved


Cons:

*penalties, penalties, and more penalties...some were awful calls on uncatchable balls and weak PI/roughing calls, but still too many of them...gotta quit it with the targeting crap...defense struggling with aggressive vs reckless
*Mone and Kemp were good, but still really missing that push from Mo Hurst...a completely different defense without it
*Higdon, DNP? WTF?
*WTF with all the cramping? It's getting ridiculous...I dunno but I want to blame the S&C staff/coach
*scheming/playcalling needs to be much better so a bottom feeder like SMU can't run blitz a team like Michigan into oblivion and stall the offense for long stretches
*Rashan Gary leads the conference in "plays almost made." I can understand it when he's double/triple-teamed, but when he has a free run on the QB and doesn't wrap up, that's just messed up. I'm seeing more of a mid/late 1st rounder than a top 5-10 guy
*had to use punting game against SMU at all
*felt like too competitive of a game, when it should've gone more like WMU did

[l3ulvl]

Quote: Originally Posted by WaitTilNextYear

SMU post mortem (45-20 win vs SMU) Pros: *nice hit, Kwity Paye *Patterson started shaky, but continues to be accurate and very solid...it's ****ing awesome to have a passing game again after last season *DPJ's best game as a collegian *Zach Gentry's best game of the season *Tru Wilson looks like a legit B1G running back *Offensive line played its best game so far, imo, liking this trajectory they're on *Metellus back out of my dog house *Nordin hit a pretty long FG *punting game looks improved Cons: *penalties, penalties, and more penalties...some were awful calls on uncatchable balls and weak PI/roughing calls, but still too many of them...gotta quit it with the targeting crap...defense struggling with aggressive vs reckless *Mone and Kemp were good, but still really missing that push from Mo Hurst...a completely different defense without it *Higdon, DNP? WTF? *WTF with all the cramping? It's getting ridiculous...I dunno but I want to blame the S&C staff/coach *scheming/playcalling needs to be much better so a bottom feeder like SMU can't run blitz a team like Michigan into oblivion and stall the offense for long stretches *Rashan Gary leads the conference in "plays almost made." I can understand it when he's double/triple-teamed, but when he has a free run on the QB and doesn't wrap up, that's just messed up. I'm seeing more of a mid/late 1st rounder than a top 5-10 guy *had to use punting game against SMU at all *felt like too competitive of a game, when it should've gone more like WMU did

Disagree about the offensive line and agree about the playcalling. This line is bad, and we continue to try and line up and power rush teams to death, we get zero push up front and continue to try and rely on it anyway. It's so annoying, 3rd and short is a loss for us, and I would've lost my mind too if I was the SMU coach on that lucky spot for us on 4th down. At least FB dive still works

All I can hope for is that we're going as vanilla as possible to "save the playbook" for later, because this lining up and trying to power run crap isn't even working against the SMUs of the world.

edit: and yes, Metellus is out of my doghouse too lol

bonus edit: I've been wondering about Gary for awhile, not sure what to make of him TBH, does his presence make Winovich a stud? Gary doesn't really seem to do a ton but is always assumed to be a top pick