My Saturday afternoons have been packed lately so my apologies for not the most concise threads to get things started. A lot of my thoughts are generated from reading/scoping boxes and just general communication with other cappers...
I didn't get to see much of IU and UM but, as I said...IU tt and the over. Penix did about what I thought he would do to the secondary. I expected the usual 4th quarter game between these two but that did not materialize. Injuries are mounting for Michigan. As bad as the defense has been, there is simply no help with losing guys like Hutch and Paye early. Hutch is having surgery on his leg fracture. Huge loss.
Here is a snippet from a rivals article...
He finished with 344 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-34 passing (52.9 percent), with his 344 yards standing as the 15th-most any U-M signal-caller had ever thrown for in a game. Explosive plays were also prevalent through the air, with five different players hauling in at least one reception that went for a minimum of 21 yards.
2. Rush Defense
Michigan's rush defense did its part against the IU rushing attack, limiting the Hoosiers to 118 yards and 3.1 yards per carry. Hoosier junior running back Stevie Scott finished the day with 97 yards and two scores, but it came on a dismal four yards per rush.
3. Punting
Michigan has undoubtedly found its replacement for struggling fifth-year senior Will Hart, with redshirt junior Brad Robbins averaging an impressive 53.6 yards on seven punts. Four of his seven punts went 50 yards or longer, and four also landed inside the Indiana 20-yard line.
This was the biggest storyline for a second week in a row, with Michigan's secondary getting shredded for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Vincent Gray was the primary target once again, as defensive coordinator Don Brown seemingly failed to fix the deficiencies that occurred last week against MSU.
2. Michigan's Rushing Attack
How can U-M's offensive line be this bad? Yes, both starting tackles — redshirt sophomores Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes — were out with injury, but there's still no excuse for the team only being able to muster 19 rushing yards on 0.7 yards per carry. The dismal offensive line play obviously contributed to the nonexistent rushing attack, which put all the offensive pressure on Milton's arm.
3. Discipline and Penalties
U-M's undisciplined play continued again on Saturday, with the team committing eight penalties for 89 yards. The defensive line in particular frequently jumped offsides thanks to Indiana's deceptive cadence, an occurrence that eventually became an embarrassing trend. Do the players jumping offside deserve blame for it? Of course, but the coaches deserve more for not fixing it immediately.
Michigan's front five turned in a putrid performance, failing to create any rushing lanes all game long for the Wolverine running backs. The pass blocking was better but also iffy at times, with the Hoosiers racking up three sacks and five tackles for loss.
Indiana's offensive line vs. Michigan's front seven
Michigan's defensive line played better than it did last week against MSU when it was nonexistent from a pass rushing standpoint, but nevertheless failed to record a sack for a second straight week. It did at least perform well against the run, though junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson departed the game with injury and never returned. There is no timetable on when he might be back.
Michigan's wide receivers vs. Indiana's secondary
Several U-M wideouts enjoyed huge afternoons, with junior Ronnie Bell leading the way by hauling in six receptions for 149 yards and a score. Freshman wideout Roman Wilson also reeled in his first career score, while sophomore Cornelius Johnson grabbed a touchdown of his own and finishing with a career-best 82 yards. The receivers helped Milton average an impressive 19.1 yards per completion.
Indiana's wide receivers vs. Michigan's secondary
This was a major mismatch, with senior wideout Ty Fryfogle hauling in seven grabs for 142 yards and senior receiver Whop Philyor bringing in 11 receptions for 79 yards. Gray and redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green were once again picked on all game long, and didn't have many answers for what Indiana was doing through the air.
Quarterbacks
Both quarterbacks posted stellar statistics, but Indiana redshirt sophomore Michael Penix gets a slight edge here due to the fact he never turned the ball over. He finished with 342 yards, three scores and a 60 completion percentage, while Milton threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns as well. Milton's 52.9 completion percentage was underwhelming, and his two picks occurred in the fourth quarter when Michigan was attempting to mount its comeback.
Running backs
Indiana easily gets the nod here, though Scott only averaged four yards per carry. Michigan's rushers were nonexistent, however, thanks in large part to the play of the offensive line. Redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins led the way with 19 yards on six carries, while fifth-year senior Chris Evans was the next leading rusher with just five yards. Explosive plays were nowhere to be found either, with an 11-yard run by Haskins standing as the only rush that went longer than four yards from the running backs.
Special teams
Robbins was a special teams bright spot for U-M on Saturday, averaging a booming 53.6 yards per punt. IU punter Haydon Whitehead had a solid afternoon of his own, tallying 46.2 yards on five punts. Fifth-year senior Quinn Nordin never attempted a field goal, while Indiana's Charles Campbell nailed his only try — a 52-yarder. It was also a quiet day in the return categories for both sides.
Okay, now to the other team in-state... MSU. They reverted to what we thought they were. Man, that was extremely underwhelming. Yes, that is a letdown spot but they also are not very good at all. That was more reaffirming for me than anything I saw this weekend. I simply didn't have a great grasp on Iowa to make a play here but I believe line sunk to 5.5 just before kick? If so, that is wild. Jailen Nalor is very good, fwiw and was their offense on Saturday. This was a trenches game, and Iowa played Iowa football in that regard.
Ohio State took care of business in the first half. I'll let you guys explain that 4th quarter to me. Well, it was basically the 4 min mark on of the 3rd they had 2 TD drives, a return and then a 21 play drive that ended in a fumble. I do not think it is all that concerning but like a few years ago...opens up some nice over opportunities in OSU games/2nd halves perhaps.
Illinois is awful. Any team that struggles to break 20 vs Minnesota has issues. They ran the ball okay, that is the one positive. What a difference this year for Lovie and company.
Looks like a an ugly game in Evanston... I'll let @cubsker break down anything pertinent.
Well, I am happy that my Penn State future got voided back in August lmao. Wow, and wow...all I can say.
Lets sum up a few things we know in conference right now...
Minnesota has a terrible defense, regardless of missing games.
Michigan has terrible corners and their DC scheme is awful for the collection of players he has currently.
Northwestern is BACK!
No, seriously, the Cats are playing very good defense.
Indiana is a solid team. The PSU win is looking less impressive now (and I know their offense was iffy that game)
Taulia looks the part, no doubt, the last two games.
I do not know how you even tier this conference out right now.
Ohio State
Northwestern
Indiana
Wisconsin(?)
Purdue
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Penn State
Nebraska
Rutgers
Michigan State
Illinois
My quick takes on this weeks lines...
Iowa, seems like a good play. This is the first good offense they have played though so judging them so far is tough.
Who is the Wisconsin QB? Mertz cannot practice this week, right? The UM defense loses a big piece and has to have no confidence. This number moved 3.5 points pretty quick.
I think this will be the IU letdown game. I'll keep an eye out for a good live number for them up in East Lansing.
Rutgers is 6.5 point chalk. Yes, in a conference game they are almost laying a TD. That is the essence of 2020...
Penn State and Nebraska both looking to break the seal. I don't even know what to think here.
Ohio State and Maryland presents some fun totals options that I'll definitely look into...
Battle for the West at Purdue. This should be a very good game overall...no lean at all. I like both teams.
Back late night tomorrow...still watching some highlights etc to catch up.
GL to all.
I didn't get to see much of IU and UM but, as I said...IU tt and the over. Penix did about what I thought he would do to the secondary. I expected the usual 4th quarter game between these two but that did not materialize. Injuries are mounting for Michigan. As bad as the defense has been, there is simply no help with losing guys like Hutch and Paye early. Hutch is having surgery on his leg fracture. Huge loss.
Here is a snippet from a rivals article...
Three Things That Worked
1. Milton and the Passing AttackHe finished with 344 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-34 passing (52.9 percent), with his 344 yards standing as the 15th-most any U-M signal-caller had ever thrown for in a game. Explosive plays were also prevalent through the air, with five different players hauling in at least one reception that went for a minimum of 21 yards.
2. Rush Defense
Michigan's rush defense did its part against the IU rushing attack, limiting the Hoosiers to 118 yards and 3.1 yards per carry. Hoosier junior running back Stevie Scott finished the day with 97 yards and two scores, but it came on a dismal four yards per rush.
3. Punting
Michigan has undoubtedly found its replacement for struggling fifth-year senior Will Hart, with redshirt junior Brad Robbins averaging an impressive 53.6 yards on seven punts. Four of his seven punts went 50 yards or longer, and four also landed inside the Indiana 20-yard line.
Three Things That Didn't Work
1. The Pass DefenseThis was the biggest storyline for a second week in a row, with Michigan's secondary getting shredded for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Vincent Gray was the primary target once again, as defensive coordinator Don Brown seemingly failed to fix the deficiencies that occurred last week against MSU.
2. Michigan's Rushing Attack
How can U-M's offensive line be this bad? Yes, both starting tackles — redshirt sophomores Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes — were out with injury, but there's still no excuse for the team only being able to muster 19 rushing yards on 0.7 yards per carry. The dismal offensive line play obviously contributed to the nonexistent rushing attack, which put all the offensive pressure on Milton's arm.
3. Discipline and Penalties
U-M's undisciplined play continued again on Saturday, with the team committing eight penalties for 89 yards. The defensive line in particular frequently jumped offsides thanks to Indiana's deceptive cadence, an occurrence that eventually became an embarrassing trend. Do the players jumping offside deserve blame for it? Of course, but the coaches deserve more for not fixing it immediately.
Position-by-Position Battles
Michigan's offensive line vs. Indiana's front sevenMichigan's front five turned in a putrid performance, failing to create any rushing lanes all game long for the Wolverine running backs. The pass blocking was better but also iffy at times, with the Hoosiers racking up three sacks and five tackles for loss.
Indiana's offensive line vs. Michigan's front seven
Michigan's defensive line played better than it did last week against MSU when it was nonexistent from a pass rushing standpoint, but nevertheless failed to record a sack for a second straight week. It did at least perform well against the run, though junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson departed the game with injury and never returned. There is no timetable on when he might be back.
Michigan's wide receivers vs. Indiana's secondary
Several U-M wideouts enjoyed huge afternoons, with junior Ronnie Bell leading the way by hauling in six receptions for 149 yards and a score. Freshman wideout Roman Wilson also reeled in his first career score, while sophomore Cornelius Johnson grabbed a touchdown of his own and finishing with a career-best 82 yards. The receivers helped Milton average an impressive 19.1 yards per completion.
Indiana's wide receivers vs. Michigan's secondary
This was a major mismatch, with senior wideout Ty Fryfogle hauling in seven grabs for 142 yards and senior receiver Whop Philyor bringing in 11 receptions for 79 yards. Gray and redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green were once again picked on all game long, and didn't have many answers for what Indiana was doing through the air.
Quarterbacks
Both quarterbacks posted stellar statistics, but Indiana redshirt sophomore Michael Penix gets a slight edge here due to the fact he never turned the ball over. He finished with 342 yards, three scores and a 60 completion percentage, while Milton threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns as well. Milton's 52.9 completion percentage was underwhelming, and his two picks occurred in the fourth quarter when Michigan was attempting to mount its comeback.
Running backs
Indiana easily gets the nod here, though Scott only averaged four yards per carry. Michigan's rushers were nonexistent, however, thanks in large part to the play of the offensive line. Redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins led the way with 19 yards on six carries, while fifth-year senior Chris Evans was the next leading rusher with just five yards. Explosive plays were nowhere to be found either, with an 11-yard run by Haskins standing as the only rush that went longer than four yards from the running backs.
Special teams
Robbins was a special teams bright spot for U-M on Saturday, averaging a booming 53.6 yards per punt. IU punter Haydon Whitehead had a solid afternoon of his own, tallying 46.2 yards on five punts. Fifth-year senior Quinn Nordin never attempted a field goal, while Indiana's Charles Campbell nailed his only try — a 52-yarder. It was also a quiet day in the return categories for both sides.
Okay, now to the other team in-state... MSU. They reverted to what we thought they were. Man, that was extremely underwhelming. Yes, that is a letdown spot but they also are not very good at all. That was more reaffirming for me than anything I saw this weekend. I simply didn't have a great grasp on Iowa to make a play here but I believe line sunk to 5.5 just before kick? If so, that is wild. Jailen Nalor is very good, fwiw and was their offense on Saturday. This was a trenches game, and Iowa played Iowa football in that regard.
Ohio State took care of business in the first half. I'll let you guys explain that 4th quarter to me. Well, it was basically the 4 min mark on of the 3rd they had 2 TD drives, a return and then a 21 play drive that ended in a fumble. I do not think it is all that concerning but like a few years ago...opens up some nice over opportunities in OSU games/2nd halves perhaps.
Illinois is awful. Any team that struggles to break 20 vs Minnesota has issues. They ran the ball okay, that is the one positive. What a difference this year for Lovie and company.
Looks like a an ugly game in Evanston... I'll let @cubsker break down anything pertinent.
Well, I am happy that my Penn State future got voided back in August lmao. Wow, and wow...all I can say.
Lets sum up a few things we know in conference right now...
Minnesota has a terrible defense, regardless of missing games.
Michigan has terrible corners and their DC scheme is awful for the collection of players he has currently.
Northwestern is BACK!
No, seriously, the Cats are playing very good defense.
Indiana is a solid team. The PSU win is looking less impressive now (and I know their offense was iffy that game)
Taulia looks the part, no doubt, the last two games.
I do not know how you even tier this conference out right now.
Ohio State
Northwestern
Indiana
Wisconsin(?)
Purdue
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Penn State
Nebraska
Rutgers
Michigan State
Illinois
My quick takes on this weeks lines...
Iowa, seems like a good play. This is the first good offense they have played though so judging them so far is tough.
Who is the Wisconsin QB? Mertz cannot practice this week, right? The UM defense loses a big piece and has to have no confidence. This number moved 3.5 points pretty quick.
I think this will be the IU letdown game. I'll keep an eye out for a good live number for them up in East Lansing.
Rutgers is 6.5 point chalk. Yes, in a conference game they are almost laying a TD. That is the essence of 2020...
Penn State and Nebraska both looking to break the seal. I don't even know what to think here.
Ohio State and Maryland presents some fun totals options that I'll definitely look into...
Battle for the West at Purdue. This should be a very good game overall...no lean at all. I like both teams.
Back late night tomorrow...still watching some highlights etc to catch up.
GL to all.
