-
MrWoodson said...
Our game this week against NW will tell us a lot about whether this team is significantly better than last year's team or not. It certainly looks like our offense and defense are steadily improving with each game, but we need to play another good team or two to know whether the improvement is just a mirage (like last year) or real.
While our offense has been somewhat less productive than last year, we also are not turning the ball over at anything close to the same rate. The drop off in turnovers has made a huge difference. Defensively, our worst game was against ND, which has a vastly improved running game from last year and one of the best WRs in the country in Michael Floyd. FWIW, even though Floyd got his catches against us, we managed to keep him out of the endzone. Probably the biggest surprise so far is that we were able to virtually shut down SDSU's offense. It might be that Hoke & Co. are so familiar with SDSU's personnel that we had an unfair advantage, but I don't think anyone expected us to be able to contain Ronnie Hillman the way we did while also pressuring SDSU's QB and disrupting their passing game. We held a SDSU team with a very good offense to just 7 points.
NW's weakness is their defense (they simply don't have the personnel), but their offense is for real. If we can keep them in check (i.e., under 20 points), it will bode well for us going into the MSU game and the remainder of the season.
Michigan State does not and will not run the 3-4 defense.
SpartanRocky ●
- 5 stars Rating: 90
16760 votes total - Andrew Bell
- Heisman
- (22371)
- 29 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
SpartanRocky said...
A 3-4 front is a different animal than a blitzing 4-3. You honestly cannot compare the two. I'd say MSU has a problem against 3-4s, but to say that "Complex blitzing" from a 4-3 is going to confuse them remains to be seen. tOSU blitzed a bit, not much, but some, and got through on rushing downs; None of their blitzes on passing downs got home. Cousins was hit more against CMU than he was against tOSU (didn't give up a sack in either game though).
Mattison's scheme right now reminds me a lot of Narduzzi's in 2009. DBs couldn't cover (for us), so he went blitz-heavy to try and make a positive play out of things. You can't rely on blitzing all year long; MSU has a full 2 weeks to look at all the blitzes you've dialed up thus far. I don't know how much your DBs have improved (serious question? How have they looked?), but I find the best Ds out there are the ones that blitz the fewest. It works well against inexperienced QBs (we used the blitz quite a bit against tOSU), but the more experienced ones will invite it.
Wanna give Cunningham 1 on 1 coverage? Send a linebacker and give Sims free release off the line? Sounds good to me.
WillyWolverine ●
- 5 stars Rating: 96
3813 votes total - Starter
- (9057)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
sarcyspice said...
as an MSU fan I actually think that the more interesting question isn't UM's RB vs MSU D-line and Rb's, but the other way round.... MSU's RB and O-line vs UM's defensive front 7.....
so my question is... what have UM done differently other that going 4-3 from 3-3-5 to stop the run game? is the personel really that much different or are they just a year more experienced?? has the focus on the Run Defense affected the Pass defense at all?? because other that martin, I don't think there is a person on the UM "D" that overly scares me.. that isn't arrogence at all
WillyWolverine ●
- 5 stars Rating: 96
3813 votes total - Starter
- (9057)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
WillyWolverine ●
- 5 stars Rating: 96
3813 votes total - Starter
- (9057)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
xxmgobluexx said...
The rb situation is just now becoming clear. It was a committee to start the season with Toussaint missing at least one of the games. He is breaking away from the pack with his recent performance on the field. Nice to see a rb in there to compliment Denard.
I edited my last post about Toussaint also, fyi.
SDWolverine
- 5 stars Rating: 96
6335 votes total - Starter
- (6471)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
SDWolverine
- 5 stars Rating: 96
6335 votes total - Starter
- (6471)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
SpartanRocky said...
A 3-4 front is a different animal than a blitzing 4-3. You honestly cannot compare the two. I'd say MSU has a problem against 3-4s, but to say that "Complex blitzing" from a 4-3 is going to confuse them remains to be seen. tOSU blitzed a bit, not much, but some, and got through on rushing downs; None of their blitzes on passing downs got home. Cousins was hit more against CMU than he was against tOSU (didn't give up a sack in either game though).
Mattison's scheme right now reminds me a lot of Narduzzi's in 2009. DBs couldn't cover (for us), so he went blitz-heavy to try and make a positive play out of things. You can't rely on blitzing all year long; MSU has a full 2 weeks to look at all the blitzes you've dialed up thus far. I don't know how much your DBs have improved (serious question? How have they looked?), but I find the best Ds out there are the ones that blitz the fewest. It works well against inexperienced QBs (we used the blitz quite a bit against tOSU), but the more experienced ones will invite it.
Wanna give Cunningham 1 on 1 coverage? Send a linebacker and give Sims free release off the line? Sounds good to me.
This post was edited by Peterklima on 10/5/2011 at 12:42 PM
Peterklima ●
- 4 stars Rating: 78
1115 votes total - Letterman
- (2079)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
- 4 stars
-
Peterklima said...
"the best Ds out there are the ones that blitz the fewest" and then you admit MSU blitzed "quite a bit" versus OSU. It's best defensive performance of the year. Actually, MSU blitzed a TON against OSU (as the Buckeye center said, he never saw so many blitzes in his years at OSU).
So, MSU's only "solid" win of the year came with an extremely high level of blitzing against a normally weak offense at OSU.
Plus, you have not watched a lot of UM football. Mattison does not blitz a lot and the first game of the year (WMU) was blitz heavy. (That is a better Offense than MSU with a much more experienced QB). Michigan does not rely on the blitz, but they know how to use it. Plus, Mattison says he has a lot more blitz packages than he showed against WMU.
Anyway, I agree you can't rely on blitzes to have a great defense, but you have to be able to do it when faced with a young QB or young OL. Michigan doesn't rely on it, but they can do it effectively.
Macks ●
- 5 stars Rating: 93
7328 votes total - Starter
- (9519)
- 28 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
Peterklima ●
- 4 stars Rating: 78
1115 votes total - Letterman
- (2079)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
- 4 stars
-
SpartanRocky said...
I wasn't able to watch the SDSU game (wedding), but I see Hillman averaged a shade over 5 YPC and had just over 100 yards rushing. What's the story tehre?
This post has been edited 5 times, most recently by MrWoodson on 10/5/2011 at 12:38 PM
MrWoodson ●
- 5 stars Rating: 91
21099 votes total - All American
- (15272)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
OTPT
- 5 stars Rating: 81
6788 votes total - Other Teams Pursuing That
- Starter
- (5988)
- 29 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
- 5 stars
-
xxmgobluexx said...
Bump for steve hyping and pumping in the wrong thread.
What was going on over there buddy? I literally headed into the Michigan thread before I left the office to say good night to all of you guys, and I felt like the dad in American Pie walking in on his kid doing something embarrassing.
For reference, Wiflong posted that a recruit narrowed his list down and it didn't included Michigan. So the posters were trying to figure out what they could do to entice him to come to Michigan, and one poster thought winning 14 games in a season would help.
xxmgobluexx loved the idea.
Biggest hype and pump fest I've seen this season. Still hyping, still pumping.
This post was edited by steveschneider on 10/5/2011 at 12:44 PM
steveschneider
- 4 stars Rating: 72
3418 votes total - Steve Schneider
- Starter
- (7402)
- 27 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
Peterklima ●
- 4 stars Rating: 78
1115 votes total - Letterman
- (2079)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
- 4 stars
-
CorchBlue
- 5 stars Rating: 89
4832 votes total - King Wolverine247 Mod
- All Conference
- (14200)
- 32 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
steveschneider said...
What was going on over there buddy? I literally headed into the Michigan thread before I left the office to say good night to all of you guys, and I felt like the dad in American Pie walking in on his kid doing something embarrassing.
For reference, Wiflong posted that a recruit narrowed his list down and it didn't included Michigan. So the posters were trying to figure out what they could do to entice him to come to Michigan, and one poster thought winning 14 games in a season would help.
xxmgobluexx loved the idea.
Biggest hype and pump fest I've seen this season. Still hyping, still pumping.
xxmgobluexx ●
- 4 stars Rating: 79
8600 votes total - All American
- (16840)
- 29 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
steveschneider
- 4 stars Rating: 72
3418 votes total - Steve Schneider
- Starter
- (7402)
- 27 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
Peterklima said...
Woops. I meant "OSU" not "MSU." I edited it.
WMU has a better offense than OSU and a much more experienced QB than Braxton Miller. The point being that MSU's defense had to rely on the "all or nothing blitz" against a weaker opponent. It worked for them, but as Spartan Rocky says, "you can't rely on the blitz all year long.
MSU's defense faced one good offense (ND) and lost. The next best Offense they faced (which was not very good) required them to blitz a LOT in order to pull out a victory.
steveschneider
- 4 stars Rating: 72
3418 votes total - Steve Schneider
- Starter
- (7402)
- 27 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
xxmgobluexx ●
- 4 stars Rating: 79
8600 votes total - All American
- (16840)
- 29 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
MrWoodson said...
Ronnie Hillman is currently the 2nd leading rusher in the country. Prior to the Michigan game, he was averaging 166 ypg and 6.5 ypc. FWIW, he also was the 10th leading rusher in the country last year, averaging nearly 6 ypc, so his early stats this year are not a fluke. In comparison, we held Hillman to 109 yards rushing and 5.2 ypc. He also had 8 TDs in his first three games this season, while we held him to zero TDs. It is very difficult to totally shut down a RB like Hillman unless you devote all of your resources to that one goal and SDSU has far too good of a QB to do that. Hillman broke 100 yards against us, but it was his lowest production of the season, both in ypg and ypc, and we kept him out of the endzone. In fact, our redzone defense has been outstanding this year in all five games.
bb011
- 4 stars Rating: 71
297 votes total - Jr. Varsity
- (796)
- 28 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
- 4 stars
-
xxmgobluexx ●
- 4 stars Rating: 79
8600 votes total - All American
- (16840)
- 29 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
WillyWolverine ●
- 5 stars Rating: 96
3813 votes total - Starter
- (9057)
- 22 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
steveschneider
- 4 stars Rating: 72
3418 votes total - Steve Schneider
- Starter
- (7402)
- 27 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
Maize&Blue said...
I disagree on this. I think they really miss Tressel's coaching. At this point I am really questioning Fickell and Co. ability to coach. Miller looks really lost at QB and with him enrolling early and spending all spring with the team he should have much more understanding off the offense than he does right now. Miller has shown the raw talent to play QB but it is really hard to bring along a freshman during the season who has shown that the game is just to fast for him at this time. The coaches need to spend the time during the week now going over game film and game planning for the next opponent.
steveschneider
- 4 stars Rating: 72
3418 votes total - Steve Schneider
- Starter
- (7402)
- 27 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
steveschneider said...
What was going on over there buddy? I literally headed into the Michigan thread before I left the office to say good night to all of you guys, and I felt like the dad in American Pie walking in on his kid doing something embarrassing.
For reference, Wiflong posted that a recruit narrowed his list down and it didn't included Michigan. So the posters were trying to figure out what they could do to entice him to come to Michigan, and one poster thought winning 14 games in a season would help.
xxmgobluexx loved the idea.
Biggest hype and pump fest I've seen this season. Still hyping, still pumping.
That was a different recruit. Work on your reading skills. Stefon Diggs named us to his top 10. Then someone asked about his teammate Wes Brown, and Steve put that article saying he didn't include Michigan in his list. Then we were talking about how we could get Diggs to come here, and someone said if we go 14-0 that would entice him to come here. What's wrong with saying that? That's a fact. If we go 14-0, he would probably come here if the coaches want him. That's not hyping and pumping, that's the truth..
And you headed into the thread to say goodnight? No.. All you did was tell us how our team sucks and how we shouldn't be hyping our team. I have a question. Why are we not allowed to be excited about our team when we are 5-0 and our defense looks good for the first time in a while? Are we supposed to be down on our team and expect us to lose every game? That's what tRCMB does, so I know you're used to it, but most fans are optimistic about their team
Ducksworth
- 5 stars Rating: 92
9033 votes total - Wolverine247 Moderator
- All American
- (15598)
- 25 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
steveschneider
- 4 stars Rating: 72
3418 votes total - Steve Schneider
- Starter
- (7402)
- 27 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
.
- Post a New Topic
- Back to Topics
- « Previous Topic
- Next Topic »
- Boards ▾
- Pages: 1 | ... | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | ... | 2588
The Official Michigan, MSU, and 1 Random Guy from Arky Thread