Maize n Brew - Michigan Football 2016: Week Two vs. UCFA Michigan Wolverine communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49241/mb-fv.png2016-09-13T08:00:03-05:00http://www.maizenbrew.com/rss/stream/126064872016-09-13T08:00:03-05:002016-09-13T08:00:03-05:00Inside the Numbers: Michigan 51, UCF 14
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<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Wilton Speight shined on Saturday, and Michigan’s running totals — on offense and defense — are not nearly as bad as they suggest.</p> <p id="ODHiqo">We break down the numbers — and maybe a little bit of film! — that are encouraging, concerning, and fascinating from <a href="http://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/10/12872814/no-5-michigan-takes-down-ucf-wilton-speight-rashan-gary-jake-butt-jabrill-peppers-amara-darboh">Michigan’s 51-14 victory over UCF</a> this past weekend.</p>
<h3 id="gO4tyg">1992</h3>
<p id="vUFjMI">Before Saturday, this was the year when Michigan last scored 50-plus points in back-to-back games. The Wolverines posted 61 points against Houston on September 26, 1992, and 52 points against Iowa the following Saturday. In 23.5 seasons thereafter, they scored at least 50 points 17 times but never did it in consecutive games. And not once in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach in Ann Arbor did Michigan crack 50 points.</p>
<p id="iSPBpo">However, that is no longer the case because Michigan surpassed 50 points in each of its first two games in 2016, totaling 63 against Hawaii and 51 against UCF. As a result, Michigan is averaging 57 points per game, which is fifth in the nation. Unlike last season, there has been no adjustment period for this offense. Of their 21 drives that did not end with the Wolverines purposely running out the clock, they have scored on 15, with 12 resulting in touchdowns. That is quite the scoring rate, and it’s because they know Harbaugh’s offense, they understand their roles, and Wilton Speight looks very comfortable as Jake Rudock’s successor. The caveat is that neither Hawaii nor UCF presents a defensive challenge. But Michigan did what great offenses do and hung 50+.</p>
<p id="Xa18mS">Two times in a row.</p>
<h3 id="e29sTd">37</h3>
<p id="4PG0t4">This was the number of pass attempts by Wilton Speight against UCF -- a number that no one would have predicted prior to kickoff. In the opener, Speight tossed only 13 passes as Michigan kept the ball on the ground and ran through Hawaii. It was believed that Jim Harbaugh wanted to replicate this formula against UCF and continue to keep the pressure off of his new quarterback, if it wasn’t necessary. However, it became necessary because, for reasons that will be discussed in detail later, Michigan could not jump-start its rushing attack. So, in response, Michigan decided to air the ball out, and:</p>
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<p id="CyiHyp">Speight shined.</p>
<p id="Q1cxeu">In his second career start, Speight completed 25-of-37 passes (67.6%) for 312 yards (8.4 YPA), four touchdowns, and no interceptions, and <a href="http://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/12/12888714/michigan-wolverines-wilton-speight-named-week-2-big-ten-offensive-player-of-the-week-ucf">was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week</a>. He was spectacular in the first half. He released 22 passes in the first 30 minutes, and, by my charting, he threw one more dime (5) than so-so ball (4). He dropped in a beauty to a diving Jehu Chesson on a post route for 35 yards on 3rd & 8. Staring down a third-down blitz, he took two steps to his right and hit Jake Butt on a drag route — in a spot where only Butt could catch it — for a touchdown. He found Amara Darboh in stride on a post route for a 45-yard score, as seen above. He fired his best ball of the game when, on 3rd & 12 on the UCF 14-yard line, he anticipated Butt’s corner route to the boundary and, before the UCF defender could break on it, rifled the football through a tiny, outside window into Butt’s hands for a touchdown. His only so-so first-half passes were when he just overthrew Chesson on a bomb, didn’t see an open Devin Asiasi in the end zone with a blitzer racing at him, lobbed a third-down screen too high and outside to Chris Evans that didn’t give Evans enough time to redirect upfield for a touchdown, and underthrew Grant Perry on a deep pass that should have been flagged for defensive pass interference. That was it. Everything else he threw was the right decision, and he displayed excellent accuracy within 20 yards.</p>
<p id="j8Ct7Q">Speight was not as sharp after halftime. There were two throws when he opted to aim for a Wolverine that was more covered than his other targets. He also had a few questionable tosses. However, at that point, he did not need to be as sharp. It was behind his arm that Michigan leapt out to a 31-0 lead in the first half and cruised.</p>
<p id="gpGRUY">What stood out about Speight’s performance was that he performed like this despite UCF’s defense sending waves of blitzes at him. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fcollege-ucf-michigan-grades%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maizenbrew.com%2F2016%2F9%2F13%2F12885318%2Finside-the-numbers-michigan-wolverines-51-ucf-knights-14-wilton-speight-run-offense-defense" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Look at this from Pro Football Focus</a>:</p>
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<p id="RIa5Vs">That is impressive, and, by my charting, Speight was pressured more than nine times (14). Michigan would like its interior linemen to make better adjustments pre-snap to prevent blitzing defenders from getting free runs at the quarterback, but Michigan must be happy with how Speight handled himself. He was cool, calm, and collected, standing strong in the pocket and firing with defenders bearing down on him. Not only must it give his teammates confidence in him that he can remain poised, Speight now knows, if he didn’t before, that he can win games when the Wolverines need him to.</p>
<h3 id="9mIjBF">8.6</h3>
<p id="Y5N8nl">By my count, this was the average number of defenders UCF had in the box for Michigan’s first 24 carries of the game. I stopped tracking thereafter because the Knights’ plan was obvious and additional evidence no longer was needed. They loaded the box repeatedly, brought their safeties within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, and forced Michigan to beat them through the air. As a result, Michigan ran the ball 38 times for 142 yards and just 3.7 YPC after sacks and Kenny Allen’s bobbled punt snap are removed. This was not because the offensive line struggled to block up front. In fact, Mason Cole and the right side of the line (Kyle Kalis and Erik Magnuson) graded out pretty well. It was because Michigan had a very hard time finding running room as UCF had extra defenders and had its safeties crashing down into gaps where Michigan was headed. And Jim Harbaugh wasn’t going to reveal any fun wrinkles in this one.</p>
<p id="vglvT0">Michigan responded in two different ways. The first was to suck in UCF’s defense even more with play action and let Wilton Speight beat them over the top. The second was to deploy more outside runs and try to beat the UCF defenders in the box to the edge. This had mixed success. Chris Evans had an 18-yard scamper to the outside, while Eddie McDoom took a jet sweep for 16 yards. However, there were more yards to be had. Whereas Michigan’s offensive line executed their blocks fairly well, the tight ends and receivers made more mistakes. For example, Jehu Chesson uncharacteristically missed some crackback blocks on sweeps and pin-and-pulls, which disrupted the timing of the runs. Also, some old bad habits for DeVeon Smith and Ty Isaac flared up. Yet again, they failed to see open cutback lanes when the blocks in front of them had been executed: </p>
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<p id="JProgg">So not everything with Michigan’s running game is hunky-dory, but the issues are not nearly as severe as the numbers would lead one to believe. UCF loaded the box and never intended to let Michigan beat them on the ground. Even if Michigan had blocked many of these runs perfectly and the backs hit the correct gap, UCF still would have had a defender unaccounted for and nearby ready to cut down the run for little gain.</p>
<h3 id="9P0PF5">293</h3>
<p id="w2dz4T">This was the number of rushing yards that UCF tallied once Michigan’s three sacks are removed, reaching that number on 43 carries for 6.8 YPC. On the surface, that seems horrid and extremely concerning given that the Wolverines will face more talented spread-to-run offenses down the road around, say, Thanksgiving. However, when I drilled into UCF’s rushing stats, I realized Michigan’s run defense fared much better.</p>
<p id="SPEkcl">Of UCF’s 293 non-sack rushing yards, 212 were recorded on just five snaps. That’s it. This means that, on UCF’s other 38 runs, they gained only 81 yards for 2.1 YPC. The Wolverines’ run defense actually was extremely good on a down-to-down basis. They shut down the running lanes and stuffed the Knights at the line of scrimmage often, which is why <a href="http://www.footballstudyhall.com/pages/2016-michigan-advanced-statistical-profile">Michigan still ranks second in the country in S&P+’s Rushing Success Rate</a>.</p>
<p id="0skNG0">The problem is that Michigan surrendered five huge gains on the ground. However, again, this is not necessarily an indictment of the run defense. Three of those five gains were the result of quarterback scrambles, and all three were in clear passing situations when UCF did drop back to throw. So Michigan rushed the passer and dropped back into man coverage with its defensive backs trailing the UCF receivers and turning their back to the quarterback. Therefore, Michigan’s pass rushers needed to be disciplined because they had no support behind them if the UCF quarterback took off. Unfortunately, Michigan was too overeager to get to him on all three of the scrambles.</p>
<p id="gaKOAs">Here, Mike McCray shoots too far upfield, while Rashan Gary vacates his rush lane and pushes to the right where Ryan Glasgow and Chase Winovich are executing a stunt:</p>
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<p id="AWXenX">Here, Jabrill Peppers sprints too far vertically and does not attempt to constrict the pocket. Yet I believe Ben Gedeon was more at fault because, from his initial position, he could diagnose the play and see that a gap had opened to Peppers’ left. Instead, Gedeon slammed himself into the wall of bodies and was shoved aside to UCF’s benefit:</p>
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<p id="dZ5X1m">Here, ABC cut back to the play after the ball had been snapped, so we don’t see how we got here. However, based on Winovich’s position, it’s clear he was too aggressive:</p>
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<p id="GKA2G8">However, unlike the first two scrambles, UCF’s quarterback slipped out to the left and headed toward the near sideline, and McCray should have shut this down quickly:</p>
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<p id="FgzyRO">Instead, McCray runs away from the quarterback — maybe he doesn’t want to commit for fear that the quarterback will pitch it forward at the last sec — and gets sealed:</p>
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<p id="uCicJx">So Michigan’s run defense wasn’t the problem so much as it was the Wolverines’ quarterback containment, ceding 91 yards on three scrambles. They need to do a much better job being disciplined when they rush the passer. This is coachable, and I’m sure Don Brown will emphasize it in practice this week. If the ends want to utilize a speed rush, they need to power back towards the middle if they aren’t going to win the edge. Gary will learn to stay in his lane as he gets more reps. And maybe Brown will consider using a spy — Peppers? — on obvious passing downs against dual-threat quarterbacks.</p>
<p id="LhL87r">As for the two long non-scramble UCF runs that went for touchdowns, those fell on Dymonte Thomas and Gedeon. Initially, I thought McCray was held on UCF’s 87-yard touchdown sprint, but, upon review, it’s 50/50 at best. McCray needs to do a better job fighting off that block to force the ball carrier back inside sooner. Either way though, the run should not have been more than 15 to 20 yards. Thomas clearly was not aware of Adrian Killins’ track speed and crashed down too far inside, permitting Killins to race around him up the sideline for a score. Thomas is not Jarrod Wilson and will be prone to giving up big plays from time to time, so I guess it’s better for Michigan that he did it when they held a 31-point lead. As for UCF’s 34-yard touchdown run, a gap opened right in the center of Michigan’s defensive line, but, for some reason, Gedeon vacated the middle and shifted to the left side of the line after the snap. UCF’s back took the handoff and burst right through the heart of Michigan’s defense for the touchdown. Gedeon has had a tendency to react too quickly upon the snap and over-commit to a gap or position, leaving Michigan’s defense vulnerable in spots, and it backfired there.</p>
<p id="ozGLyd">So there are things upon which Michigan’s defense needs to improve, such as containing dual-threat quarterbacks and preventing the home run on the ground. But, for the most part, Michigan’s run defense actually was pretty stingy against UCF.</p>
<h3 id="07bvz4">27.3</h3>
<p id="S9Wnro">This was UCF’s completion percentage versus Michigan. The Knights’ two quarterbacks, Justin Holman and Nick Patti, combined to go 6-for-22 for 56 yards (2.5 YPA), no touchdowns, and no picks. That equates to an abysmal quarterback rating of 48.65. There were maybe two incomplete passes that should have been gains for the Knights. The first was Mike McCray’s pass deflection in the first quarter. If Holman waits a beat longer, the receiver breaks open behind McCray for a nice pickup. The second was a slant over the middle that exploited a Jabrill Peppers blitz. The slant was under Delano Hill, and, if it had been completed, it likely would have gone for a touchdown. However, it was Patti’s first throw after entering the game, and he airmailed it. Otherwise, the Wolverines’ pass defense was impeccable. UCF’s receivers could not get separation whatsoever. The Knights had only one true chance to connect on a bomb, and Jeremy Clark sprinted step for step with the receiver and raked out a perfectly thrown ball at the last second. Accordingly, Michigan is ranked sixth in the nation in quarterback rating allowed (69.75). And they have done it without their All-American cornerback.</p>
<h3 id="npZAZC">4</h3>
<p id="RSvmQ1">This was the unofficial number of kicks that Michigan blocked against UCF. Michigan found a weakness in the Knights’ punt formation in the scouting report because Tyree Kinnel flew in from the left side to get a piece of their first two punts. However, these were not registered as official blocks in the stat sheet. Then, without getting too much push, Chris Wormley stood tall and blocked UCF’s low 49- and 50-yard field goal tries:</p>
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<p id="2CdSa3">Essentially, Michigan’s special teams unit transformed into Dikembe Mutombo:</p>
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<p id="QR4BGD">It was the first time that Michigan blocked multiple kicks in a single game since Terrance Taylor knocked down an extra point and Mark Moundros smothered a punt against Utah in the 2008 opener. But, more importantly, these blocks kept points off the scoreboard for UCF and handed Michigan’s offense excellent field position — Michigan began its drives at the UCF 49-yard line on average in the first half. There had been questions whether Michigan’s special teams would experience a dip with John Baxter’s departure. If this was any indication, there is no need to ask such questions.</p>
<h3 id="RkHpyO">84.0</h3>
<p id="pPCYV0">This is Kenny Allen’s current career field-goal percentage, which is the highest in Michigan program history. On Saturday, Allen booted all three of his field goals (24, 36, 37) through the uprights to improve to 21-of-25 in his career. Allen doesn’t have the biggest leg, but there are not many other kickers that are more reliable than him from 40 yards or closer. From that distance, Allen is 20-of-21 (95.2%), and the Wolverines have a peace of mind knowing that field goals from that range are automatic with him.</p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/13/12885318/inside-the-numbers-michigan-wolverines-51-ucf-knights-14-wilton-speight-run-offense-defenseDrew Hallett2016-09-12T10:28:03-05:002016-09-12T10:28:03-05:00A Wolverine Is Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Central Florida at Michigan" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dBhuR6zIaHSkDGAu45lJn8byvD0=/0x0:2224x1483/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50800481/usa-today-9531274.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A Wolverine is honored as a Big Ten Player of the Week for the second straight week in 2016.</p> <p id="YtZ0e5">Wilton Speight has made only two career starts, yet he already is bringing home hardware.</p>
<p id="JzipJH">The Michigan sophomore quarterback was <a href="https://twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/775340783431843841">named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week</a> after leading the Wolverines to a <a href="http://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/10/12872814/no-5-michigan-takes-down-ucf-wilton-speight-rashan-gary-jake-butt-jabrill-peppers-amara-darboh">51-14 victory against UCF</a>. Speight completed 25-of-37 passes (67.6%) for 312 yards (8.4 YPA), four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Speight fired three of his touchdowns in the first half, helping Michigan cruise to a 31-0 lead, before his final pass of the game was caught and taken to the end zone.</p>
<p id="W6TjW3">His four passing touchdowns were tied for the second-most in a game by a Wolverine, and it was the 28th time that a Michigan quarterback threw for 300-plus yards.</p>
<p id="TUEmGW">This is the first time that a Wolverine has been named a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award since Jake Rudock and Jehu Chesson both won it after Michigan’s offensive explosion against Indiana last season. This is the second time this season that a Wolverine has a received a Big Ten Player of the Week honor as <a href="http://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/5/12799924/michigan-wolverines-mike-mccray-named-big-ten-defensive-player-of-the-week-hawaii-warriors">Mike McCray was named the Defensive Player of the Week after his effort against Hawaii in Week 1</a>.</p>
<p id="D6wV0F">The other recipients of a Big Ten Player of the Week award this week are Nebraska’s Nathan Gerry (Defensive), Rutgers’ Janarion Grant (Special Teams), and Indiana’s Marcelino Ball (Freshman).</p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/12/12888714/michigan-wolverines-wilton-speight-named-week-2-big-ten-offensive-player-of-the-week-ucfDrew Hallett2016-09-10T16:04:11-05:002016-09-10T16:04:11-05:00Takeaways from Michigan’s 51-14 win over UCF
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<figcaption>Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It was another blowout, but there are some things to fix.</p> <p id="2OYBoo">Michigan took down the UCF Knights by a score of 51-14 on Saturday afternoon. Despite the blowout win, there were some things the Wolverines need to work on, but they obviously did quite a bit well, too.</p>
<p id="Y7Miqi">Here are the takeaways:</p>
<h3 id="46XUSN">Speight in Command</h3>
<p id="NsD3ZF">Wilton Speight followed up his debut with an outstanding performance, going 25-of-37 for 312 yards and four touchdowns. UCF was stacking the box to stop the run (more on that later), but Michigan countered with play action passes executed perfectly by the redshirt sophomore quarterback.</p>
<p id="OzsNCT">The Wolverines have a lot of weapons in the passing game and Speight did a great job of spreading the ball around while also feeding the key guys like Amara Darboh, Jehu Chesson and Jake Butt.</p>
<p id="yq0GKc">It was another weak defense they faced, but Speight did the job today and had an excellent outing. He is firmly entrenched as Michigan’s starting quarterback.</p>
<h3 id="WpfKSq">Big Plays Surrendered</h3>
<p id="yXiFDo">Defensively, Michigan struggled to stop the dual-threat quarterbacks that UCF trotted out there. The Knights rushed for 275 rushing yards and had runs of 26, 34, 35 and 87 yards.</p>
<p id="Cbmle9">It is not the end of the world, but Michigan has struggled to stop the spread offense in the past. They put a lot of things on film today, both good and bad, so it will be up to Jim Harbaugh and Don Brown to make adjustments moving forward.</p>
<h3 id="ZHbnsc">Rashan Gary</h3>
<p id="BSSTIN">Gary was up-and-down during his collegiate debut against Hawaii, but the true freshman was arguably the best defensive player on the field and had a great outing. He finished with six total tackles, half a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.</p>
<p id="OVJ2oM">Michigan is a little banged up on the defensive line right now, but Gary will be a mainstay throughout assuming he stays healthy. He was quicker off the snap than last week and looks as if he is easing into his role and is ready to be a huge contributor on the defense.</p>
<h3 id="Ht2STG">Run Game</h3>
<p id="mBVnSi">Michigan was not great running the football on Saturday with 41 rushes for 119 yards, which averages out to about three yards per carry. The Knights were playing with eight or nine men in the box on many downs. The Wolverines were able to counter that with the play action passing game and move the ball anyways, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on.</p>
<p id="9OELnD">Michigan rotated its backs today often and the offensive line was inconsistent, but they were still able to get the job done. Like the defense, they will go into the film room and do their best to tinker and improve.</p>
<h3 id="7quOfF">Special Teams</h3>
<p id="LKg1tZ">Today was another example of just how important special teams is. Michigan was as successful as they were today because of field position and blocking four kicks (two punts, two field goals). On the flip side, UCF was inept on special teams and it certainly did not help their cause at all.</p>
<p id="NgbgZ6">Michigan fans were worried when John Baxter moved on after last season, but Jay Harbaugh and Chris Partridge have done a nice job coaching that group so far this season.</p>
<p id="CVdpPi"><em>What did you takeaway from Saturday’s game? Sound off in the comments below!</em></p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/10/12873362/takeaways-michigan-ucf-rashan-gary-wilton-speight-amara-darboh-jake-butt-jim-harbaugh-don-brownAnthony Broome2016-09-10T14:33:08-05:002016-09-10T14:33:08-05:00No. 5 Michigan Takes Down UCF to Move to 2-0 on the Season
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<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Wolverines were sloppy at times, but still were able to handle the Knights with relative ease.</p> <p id="oCh1ds">It was not always pretty, but it was a win nonetheless.</p>
<p id="7pYOB8">The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines (2-0) took down the visiting UCF Knights (1-1) by a score of 51-14 before a crowd of 109,295 in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon.</p>
<p id="1uSygt">Wilton Speight shined in his second career start, going 25-for-37 with 312 yards and four touchdown passes. Amara Darboh had a career day with 111 yards on five catches, while Jake Butt added seven catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns.</p>
<p id="cqzRUj">The run game did not have its best day, however. The Wolverines finished with 41 carries for 118 yards on the afternoon (2.9 average).</p>
<p id="xr6Dq9">Defensively, Michigan shut down the passing game of UCF, but had trouble slowing down the rushing attack that was led by the Knights’ dual-threat quarterbacks. The Wolverines also surrendered an 87-yard touchdown to Adrian Killins.</p>
<p id="rQfUwB">Rashan Gary had six total tackles with his first career sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Jabrill Peppers added eight total tackles, two of which were for loss.</p>
<p id="oHpwKa">Special teams was the unsung hero of the day for Michigan. They blocked four UCF kicks, two of which were field goals and two punts.</p>
<p id="h323Az">Michigan returns home next Saturday to take on the Colorado Buffaloes at 3:30 p.m.</p>
<p id="HgCmzp"><em>This story is developing.</em></p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/10/12872814/no-5-michigan-takes-down-ucf-wilton-speight-rashan-gary-jake-butt-jabrill-peppers-amara-darbohAnthony Broome2016-09-10T13:57:29-05:002016-09-10T13:57:29-05:00Snapshots of Michigan’s Special Teams Domination
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<img alt="Hawaii v Michigan" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eABmBA0-X_nfNXqazALwG9OnCdQ=/0x582:2302x2117/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50774109/598978560.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="scbx2O">Not a lot has gone wrong during Michigan’s soiree with UCF. They lead by 30 as the third quarter winds to a close.</p>
<p id="yvJLcA">The group leading the way has been special teams - you know, those guys everybody forgets to talk about before the game starts. Any tiny amount of concern Michigan fans might have had over replacing one of the nation’s best special teams coaches in John Baxter is already gone; Michigan has Michigan problems. Michigan just reloads.</p>
<p id="laKN83">“They’re kind of Coach Partridge’s and I’s baby together, I guess,” Jay Harbaugh said before the season, shrugging off the height of the challenge. “There were some things with Coach Baxter that were great and that we’ve carried over and other things that kind of we took from other places and things we’ve done in the past.”</p>
<p id="LU29Ar">“As with anything, it’s always kind of a hodge-podge of different parts of your experience and you kind of piece together whatever you think is best for your specific team and players, so it’s a little bit of everyone.”</p>
<p id="iY2nkV">‘A little bit of everyone’ describes how Michigan helped set the tone early against UCF. Tyree Kinnel got things started early, managing to blocked two different punts before Wilton Speight even completed a pass.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="University of Michigan v University of Central Florida" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v46JBcgs5Z9IZ0l3Sd4Fm5azO3w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7077079/601952710.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="69CRzX">Chris Wormley got in the action shortly after, blocking a 50-yard field goal by Matthew Wright. He was in on another blocked field goal later in the second quarter.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Central Florida at Michigan" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/32uUG_C5U0k_c8G7gkxpqwuwSKc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7077039/usa-today-9530739.jpg">
<cite>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="gSA5qT">The other superstar here is Jabrill Peppers, who’s returned two punts for 46 yards - including a 35-yard beauty that almost scored a touchdown.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Central Florida at Michigan" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FCMKtUNBC84B2SGwTsj4OpFYRi4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7077047/usa-today-9530898.jpg">
<cite>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="RhmfJp">Oh, and Kenny Allen has been as solid as a rock: 3/3 on field goals, responsible for 14 points in all.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Central Florida at Michigan" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ASOphnIC0wYPATFx_qKFtDdshxQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7077045/usa-today-9530925.jpg">
<cite>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="7dpTh1">Michigan’s special teams just keep getting better, and at this point they’ve got to be considered one of the most dominant units in the country.</p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/10/12872678/michigan-football-snapshots-of-special-teams-domination-central-florida-knightsNick Bodanyi2016-09-10T06:00:10-05:002016-09-10T06:00:10-05:00Michigan vs. UCF: What to Watch For
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z52Vm1C2WOM0sLZWCp3C3QLrNak=/0x0:5760x3840/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50770531/Michigan_63__Hawaii_3-22.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dustin Johnston / @DJPhotoVideo</figcaption>
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<p>Will the Wolverines make it two lop-sided wins in a row?</p> <p id="oTpZaK">The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines (1-0) welcome the UCF Knights (1-0) to Ann Arbor for a Saturday afternoon match-up that sees U-M as a heavy favorite for the second week in a row.</p>
<p id="y0Dbso">Here are a few things to keep an eye on:</p>
<h3 id="UZxxei">Repeat Performances</h3>
<p id="hyola8">True freshman running back Chris Evans was a star against Hawaii, rushing for 112 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts. De’Veon Smith and Ty Isaac figure to be the two leaders in the backfield, but can Evans further establish himself as a gamebreaker that will be a factor this year? Time will tell.</p>
<p id="I27gbB">UCF is another weak opponent that will provide opportunities for stats to be padded, but some players just have traits that matter and can be carried over into all games. It will be interesting to see if Evans was a one-game wonder or if he can continue to build on a strong camp and debut performance.</p>
<p id="qihzrn">Wilton Speight is a player that people will obviously have their eyes on all season long as Michigan’s starting quarterback. His debut was good sans an early interception. He should be pretty good at taking what the defense gives him and that bodes well for games like Saturday, where the opportunity for plays to be made exist throughout.</p>
<h3 id="UekBa0">Defensive Dominance</h3>
<p id="nRJgdP">Michigan did was it was expected to against Hawaii, but that does not make the performance any less impressive. Great teams smother opponents that they overmatch on paper, so if the Wolverines come to play on Saturday afternoon, it will be another outing like last week where UCF just has no answer for what Don Brown is throwing their way.</p>
<p id="E6IWEu">Bryan Mone and Taco Charlton are out and it would not be a surprise if Jourdan Lewis was held out again, as well. No need to risk injury in a game that you have no business losing.</p>
<h3 id="PYal07">Can they Cover?</h3>
<p id="z6hLD2">Michigan comes into Saturday as a huge favorite yet again, this time by 35.5 points. If the drama is not quite there on the field, people will be paying attention to the spread and if the Wolverines are able to cover that number.</p>
<p id="d4H7FT">On paper, there really is no reason why they shouldn’t. Still, that is why they play the games on the field and not based on what computers say will happen. Michigan should be focused, but you never know. A few bounces here and there could make things interesting, as always.</p>
<p id="q0jZem"><em>What will you be looking for during Saturday’s game? Sound off in the comments below!</em></p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/10/12870238/michigan-vs-ucf-what-to-watch-for-chris-evans-wilton-speight-jim-harbaugh-jourdan-lewis-bryan-moneAnthony Broome2016-09-09T11:00:06-05:002016-09-09T11:00:06-05:00MnB Roundtable Doesn’t Offer Free Beer
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Hawaii at Michigan" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5bi80zJi9IGT5ufG440Hr8GXvHw=/0x834:2000x2167/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50753537/usa-today-9524462.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><em>At Least the </em><em>Knights</em><em> won a game this year already!</em></p> <p id="iOtQJF">This week the UCF Knights come in looking for a win for the ages.</p>
<p id="DNAcAH"><em>17 Freshman saw the field against Hawaii. Which one impressed you the most or has the best shot to be a permanent presence?</em></p>
<p id="imWvFd"><strong>Anthony Broome</strong>: It's hard not to be excited about what Chris Evans brings to the table. Every year it seems like there is a player in camp that everyone says is ready to breakout, but sometimes it doesn't translate to the field. It did for Evans, regardless of it was against Hawaii or not. He definitely has a shot to stick. He brings speed and pass catching ability to the running back position and is going to be a nice change of pace for the offense. He may not put up huge numbers every week, but he is a special talent and he will continue to get opportunities.</p>
<p id="B7Sw4A"><strong>Alex Shashlo</strong>: Chris Evans impressed me most but it's hard not to say Gary will have the best shot as a permanent presence. Love that he got extended time and was basically fighting off holds the whole day.</p>
<p id="dGym3X"><strong>Zach Travis</strong>: Chris Evans. McDoom, Bredeson, and Gary get honorable mention, but Evans was the breakout star, and the level of athleticism and running instinct he showed bodes well for him to continue contributing to the offense as the competition gets tougher in the coming weeks.</p>
<p id="EaSEsH"><strong>Nick Catoni</strong>: Chris Evans. The easy and obvious answer.</p>
<p id="n9CJDA"><strong>Kevin Bunkley</strong>: I was counting on Mike McCray to take control of the linebacker spot that has been waiting for him since last season, and he grabbed it by the neck. I spotted him in the backfield constantly and all over the middle of the field making quick tackles. By the end of the game, McCray had nine tackles, a forced fumble, and two sacks. That’s very, very, encouraging going forward.</p>
<p id="RraAWU"><strong>TW</strong>: I mean, the obvious answer has to be Chris Evans right? Ran for a 100+ yards and showed a burst that Michigan hasn't had since Denard Robinson. I think Cap has the potential to become a 2-3 year starter after this year. Unless Najee Harris commits. *Ducks*</p>
<p id="Y7lyNd"><strong>DH</strong>: I have a different answer for each question you asked. The true freshman that most impressed me was Chris Evans. There were reports during training camp that Evans was performing well, but I wasn't expecting such a dazzling debut from him. He had eight carries for 112 yards (14.0 YPC) and two scores, and what stood out most were three traits that Michigan's other backs don't seem to have: decisiveness, elusiveness, and explosiveness. He demonstrated patience in following his blocks and seeing gaps. He juked a defender out of his cleats on one run before spinning off a tackler in the backfield on another. He burst through a hole for a 43-yard score that likely would have closed on DeVeon Smith after 12 yards. Evans demonstrated that he can be a different kind of weapon for the Wolverines -- a change-of-pace running back -- and that he should be getting more touches as the season progresses. </p>
<p id="UgjECC">However, just because Evans was the most impressive and should get more touches doesn't mean he has the best shot to be a permanent presence. That true freshman is Rashan Gary. Evans still is the #3 running back on the depth chart and will be battling Smith and Ty Isaac, both of whom the coaches like, for carries. Plus, there is always the possibility that Hawaii was a one-hit-wonder type of game for Evans. On the other hand, Gary is a sure thing. He was the top overall recruit in the 2016 class and nearly broke into the starting lineup despite Michigan having one of the most talented and experienced defensive lines. He will be a mainstay in the (frequent) rotation all season and should get more snaps in the coming weeks after injuries to Taco Charlton and Bryan Mone. There is no chance Gary fades into the background.</p>
<p id="uI6L8p"><em>Are you pleased with the choice of Speight or should O'Korn still be in the conversation?</em></p>
<p id="Q58sbT"><strong>AB</strong>: Jim Harbaugh maintains that competition at quarterback is always going, but Speight is the guy unless the wheels fall off. He will have his fair share of ups and downs, but we've seen how he deals with adversity early on in his career and he just fights through it and gets the job done. I would expect him to stay at the top of the depth chart barring an injury.</p>
<p id="MvEkr1"><strong>Shash</strong>: Yep, c'mon. Don't ask me to disagree with Harbaugh.</p>
<p id="WU5h2k"><strong>ZT</strong>: LOL at anyone who wants to second-guess Jim Harbaugh's choice of quarterback based on scout team hype from last year. If Jim's happy then I'm happy.</p>
<p id="Rg0CMw"><strong>NC</strong>: Yes. I trust Harbaugh.</p>
<p id="JpWKAS"><strong>TW</strong>: I am very pleased with Speight. As I said in the preseason roundtable, he makes good decisions with the ball (minus the first throw) and has ample enough arm strength to make most throws. The deep post to Darboh was the only throw that disappointed me, because late-season Rudock makes that throw. He has plenty of time to clean things up, though.</p>
<p id="fKmwiB"><strong>KB</strong>: I foresee a similar path as Rudock last year: a QB steward. Speight knows the offense, and will make plays when Michigan needs them. However, the grand plan is to let O’Korn and Peters learn the system apace in the meantime so they can maximize their readiness for the future.</p>
<p id="2tbUOO"><strong>DH</strong>: I had no qualms with Wilton Speight being named the starter, and I would have had no qualms if it had been John O'Korn instead. There was a trust in Jim Harbaugh that, regardless of whom he chose, that individual would be more than serviceable at the position. That's what we saw from Speight in his first career start against Hawaii. Yes, he threw the poor pick, but he settled down thereafter and threw a couple of nice passes, particularly the post to Jehu Chesson just before his touchdown pass to Grant Perry. He did benefit from facing an awful Hawaii pass defense, so we still need to see how he performs when pressured by Big Ten defenses. But Speight is the starter. There is no conversation.</p>
<p id="yI1TDp"><em>As far as I can tell from the Michigan record books, in the modern era (i.e. since 1950), they've never scored 70 points. Is that in play this time?</em></p>
<p id="gawgez"><strong>AB</strong>: Nah.</p>
<p id="xx8HO1"><strong>NC</strong>: Point-a-minute, baby!</p>
<p id="xUUSXF"><strong>AS</strong>: Nah.</p>
<p id="K6cyTM"><strong>ZT</strong>: Nah.</p>
<p id="XeCp01"><strong>TW</strong>: MCDOOM.</p>
<p id="C0rw8E"><strong>KB</strong>: MCDOOOOOOM.</p>
<p id="zaIWeX"><strong>DH</strong>: Nah.</p>
<p id="3YPk3e"><em>Yes, Michigan won by a lot, but did you see anything that concerned you?</em></p>
<p id="BRXHLG"><strong>AB</strong>: These are nitpicky, but I thought that Michigan could have played better up front on both sides of the ball. Hawaii did not present much of a challenge, but I thought the run blocking could have been better at times, but it seemed that once Ben Bredeson came in for Patrick Kugler it improved a bit. I was surprised the defensive line did not get more of a push,but they played fine even after losing some guys to injuries. There was a sequence in the game where Hawaii picked on Channing Stribling and that was when they started to move the ball a bit. It's hard to find too many issues in a game where Michigan won by 60.</p>
<p id="oDxOjg"><strong>Shash</strong>: I actually saw a few second reads from Speight, unless I was hallucinating. I liked this. I'm going to hop past the obvious M comments and talk about other games for a second. If I'm an MSU fan, and I most definitely am not, what concerned me most was Tyler O'Connor doesn't seem to understand that there are other receivers on the field after his first read. Dude's going to have a real hard time against a team as driven as Furman but loaded with talent. Also: did anyone else get really frustrated watching Chad Kelly hold the ball as long as he did? I counted at least three play-action sacks that just KILLED drives. That's why Ole Miss lost. That and FSU is loaded as hell.</p>
<p id="bC9Tri"><strong>ZT</strong>: Injuries and that one stretch in the second quarter where Hawaii moved the ball with a few quick passes. Coincidentally, both of these things are concerning for the same general reason: Michigan's defensive strength is in its defensive line's ability to control the game. A rash of injuries up front could thin that unit out, thereby reducing its ability to run an eight- or nine-deep rotation. That, and quick passing is a way to negate Michigan's advantage in the trenches by (theoretically) removing the pass rush from the game (you know, if it works against what is still a good secondary). This isn't a huge concern given that a few guys were sitting out, but it is something I will look for now that Michigan isn't a man-press-all-the-damn-time team on defense anymore. Does Brown have something diabolical up his sleeve to deal with teams that try to say "screw running, let's just dink and dunk". Survey says he does, but we'll need to wait and see.</p>
<p id="KjHvbY"><strong>NC</strong>: The final drive of the first half. So no, not really. I can't really remember though, the opening-weekend-euphoria-blinders were on.</p>
<p id="I8yTKQ"><strong>TW</strong>: Not really, though when Hawaii went up tempo and went four and five wide it seemed to throw Michigan off. They will clean that up, but it was something to take note of. A 63-3 win doesn't allow much concern to be had.</p>
<p id="I26vRj"><strong>DH</strong>: I still need to see how Michigan's offensive line holds up against stiffer competition, but the biggest concern from the Hawaii game was the injuries. Jourdan Lewis, Maurice Hurst, and Ben Braden missed the opener with injuries, albeit minor ones reportedly. De'Veon Smith (ribs), Taco Charlton (leg), and Bryan Mone (leg) left the field during the game and did not return. The good news is that Lewis, Hurst, and Smith should be back this Saturday, while the others should be back by no later than the end of the month before the schedule begins to toughen up. Nonetheless, Michigan has an excellent chance to contend for a title this season, and we saw what happened to the Wolverines' defense at the end of last season when the defensive line wore thin. Michigan does not want a repeat of that, so it is imperative that injury luck favor Michigan.</p>
<p id="qLt405"><strong>KB</strong>: Hawai’i scored points. That really grinds my gears.</p>
<p id="O3m60Y"><em>Attempt to explain why UCF was the worst team in Division I last year.</em></p>
<p id="mssFha"><strong>AB</strong>: That was really strange to me. UCF has always been solid but last year was a nightmare. Nowhere to go but up from there, but it won't come on Saturday.</p>
<p id="e0Kux4"><strong>Shash</strong>: Man oh man don't make me do this I'm pretty sure George O'Leary's soul left his body midway through last summer and UCF was coached by a bunch of squirrels in a human suit.</p>
<p id="9eXj4r"><strong>ZT</strong>: I can't, because RUTGERS.</p>
<p id="xLUPRQ"><strong>NC</strong>: They didn't want that Orlando bar to stop serving free beer.</p>
<p id="IEg56r"><strong>TW</strong>: No idea. Maybe they wanted to allow all those UCF fans to get all that free beer last year.</p>
<p id="ofH4et"><strong>KB</strong>: No one can understand a team in the prime talent pool of Florida not winning a game. Not even Central Florida’s coaches. That is probably why many of them no longer coach there.</p>
<p id="BKthAt"><strong>DH</strong>: It's arguable that UCF was the worst FBS team in 2015 because Kansas also didn’t win a game, and North Texas took the throne of finishing 128th in S&P+. But that's just me picking nits because it is undeniable that the Knights had a horrendous season. From my understanding, it was a combination of two things: (1) lack of leadership and (2) injuries at key positions. Apparently, then-head coach George O'Leary tried to delegate his duties as a coach as he became acclimated to his new title: athletic director. However, once the injuries took their toll, UCF did not have the leadership in place patch up the cracks, and everything collapsed around them. UCF actually should have a quicker bounce back than other 0-12 teams because the Knights do have talent within their program. But Scott Frost must mold that talent to his uptempo schemes.</p>
<p id="sbE37U"><em>A big drop-off in quality games this Saturday, so instead, what're ya drinking?</em></p>
<p id="VoFaNN"><strong>AB</strong>: Something cold. Suggestions?</p>
<p id="zSdw7p"><strong>Shash</strong>: BUNKLEY I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. This weekend I'm diving into every Marzen - Oktoberfest beer - I can find. Looking forward to shitting on the staff's picks.</p>
<p id="MH51WX"><strong>NC</strong>: Water and coffee.</p>
<p id="gSX8WS"><strong>TW</strong>: I have a wedding, so all of the beer. And liquor, baby.</p>
<p id="zorc8X"><strong>DH</strong>: Last week while in Dallas for USC-Alabama, I very much enjoyed the Velvet Hammer from Peticolas Brewing Co. This week, I will be watching from home, which means returning to my usual favorite: Fat Tire.</p>
<p id="4fOh5x"><strong>KB</strong>: Whatever is handed to me at the tailgates I crash. Wait, that sounds dangerous...</p>
<p id="X5raCV"><em>Overtime Q: UCF is coached by first-year man Scott Frost -- what's his connection to Michigan?</em></p>
<p id="uCL1Pr"><strong>AB</strong>: Scott Frost was the QB for Nebraska in 1997 -- the year the Huskers shared the national title with Michigan. Paper championships are LAME.</p>
<p id="dCSFla"><strong>Shash</strong>: Other than sharing the national title with them as Nebraska's QB in '97 I'm not sure. I believe he and Charles Woodson also beat Peyton Manning in '97 ;)</p>
<p id="RCClpB"><strong>NC</strong>: Stupid ‘97 Nebraska.</p>
<p id="itLsz7"><strong>TW</strong>: Living in Lincoln, Frost is a folk hero around here. And I despise it. Despite being only 2 in 1997, the shenanigans he pulled after the bowl games anger me. Plus, that resulted in me hearing all about the split decision all the time. Maybe I should just move to Ann Arbor.</p>
<p id="HDvFPs"><strong>DH</strong>: If you have read Maize n Brew at all this week, I think you know the answer.</p>
<p id="bdleGP"><strong>KB</strong>: That reminds me: everyone read Mark Lennox’s <a href="http://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/8/12848236/michigan-football-nebraska-column-scott-frost-ucf-national-championship">column</a> on the site this week.</p>
https://www.maizenbrew.com/2016/9/9/12858374/michigan-football-roundtable-central-florida-scott-frost-jim-harbaughKevin Bunkley