I was almost half right. My score prediction was 24-13 in favor of Michigan in my game preview, which I never posted because I only finished half of it. So I got Michigan's score correct, but Northwestern was able to put a few more points on the board than I expected.
It helps to get 5 turnovers. Michigan is apparently the first FBS team ever - ever!!! - to win a football game while giving up 5 turnovers and creating 0 turnovers. The offense was actually pretty productive on a down-to-down basis, but Bryce Underwood threw 2 interceptions, there was a fumbled exchange with the backup to the backup running back Bryson Kudzdal, and there was just a bad play on an end around exchange with Andrew Marsh. Three of those turnovers were bad plays by Underwood, who played pretty darn well otherwise. It was a bit of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde game for him, because he completed 21/32 passes for 280 yards and ran 9 times for 30 yards and 1 touchdown. Those are season/career highs in attempts and yards, and it ties a career high in completions. The most inexcusable turnover was the handoff to Kudzdal, on which Underwood put the ball up at chest level, so Kudzdal never had a chance. That's just a basic play for a quarterback that really shouldn't ever happen. (That being said, the offensive line got its butt kicked on that play, and Kudzdal probably would have been stopped for a loss to end the drive, anyway.)
Hit the jump for more.
I didn't explain the other turnover, though. Semaj Morgan is a liability. I'm not sure I can think of a non-quarterback who has been such a liability as a skill player. He has some of the biggest drop problems in the country, and he's not a good punt returner. He fumbled a punt return on Saturday, leaving Northwestern with a short field that led to a touchdown. There are certainly other receivers to play who haven't been as athletic with the ball in their hands, but I think just about any Michigan fan would take Drew Dileo right now, and that's not saying much. Fred Moore left the team and I'Marion Stewart is out for the season due to injury, but I'm not sure what happened to Anthony Simpson. It's still a bummer that a program like Michigan doesn't have someone both more dynamic and a better decision maker than Morgan.
Speaking of receivers: hello, Andrew Marsh. We've known about Marsh for several weeks, and he earned a starting job for good reason based on his performance after the first couple games. But I don't think anyone predicted he would catch 12 passes for 189 yards (both freshman records for Michigan). In fact, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz did a preview podcast where they took the UNDER on Michigan wideouts making 13.5 catches total against Northwestern, and Marsh almost reached that number by himself. (Marsh's 12 catches and Donaven McCulley's 4 receptions gave them 16 altogether.) I don't think Marsh is a great route runner yet, but his toughness, body control, and field awareness are all top notch. The double toe-tap on the game winning drive was an awesome play.
Jaishawn Barham is an unguided missile. Michigan moved Barham back to edge after getting Jimmy Rolder back from injury, and I'm just not super impressed with Barham playing edge at this point. He's an excellent athlete, but he just doesn't seem to see what's in front of him. I understand he doesn't have much time on task playing that edge position, but he plays a little like an ultra-talented freshman. I expected more production out of him this season because of his physical talent, and I expected him to have some more developed pass rush plans as a fourth-year player.
The defense was good but unremarkable. No interceptions. No sacks. Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone finished 13/27 for 184 yards, and the Wildcats had just 61 rushing yards on 26 carries (2.3 yards/carry). In fact, Michigan outgained Northwestern by a mark of 496-245, but the aforementioned turnovers killed Michigan's offense. Obviously, they did plenty to win the game and I would have been pretty ticked off if I were Michigan's defense and the offense didn't score enough to win. If you give up just 245 yards in a game, that should be rewarded with a victory.
A win is a win. I know I say this all the time, but sometimes it only matters that you have more points than the other team when the final whistle blows. Northwestern isn't a good team at 5-5, but you're bound to have a game or two like this every season where you squeak out a victory over a team you should beat easily. There are definitely some things to fix, but turnovers are a little bit random. If Michigan can clean up the ball security issues, they should win against next week over Maryland.
If this were a championship team, I'd be upset. But preseason I was guessing 9ish wins, depending on luck. After OU, I was hoping for 9
ReplyDeleteMarsh got 12yds on one Punt Return. Semaj has only a little more than that ALL SEASON. While I'd rather have someone other than. WR1 back there, it's the end of the season and we have a puchets chance of upsetting our way into a playoff bid. Let the kid cook!
*that stat on (-5) turnovers is wrong, by the way
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ReplyDeleteThunder, how important is it for a team to have a player-leader who inspires everyone to play higher, better, harder? I'm not sure who that player might be on the Michigan team right now. Part of that is the relative youth of the team, part of that is that I don't think any of the seniors -- few of which are starting -- are filling that role. I've seen interviews with Max Bredeson, and I just don't see him as that guy. Rod Moore? He's out, and I'm wondering how much he's leading from the sidelines. It's just a hunch, but my hunch is the Michigan team this years doesn't yet have one of those guys stepping up.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important, and the guy who looked most like that (on offense) was actually Justice Haynes. He was mad when he didn't get the ball, and he was holding guys to a high standard. Some people might not have liked his griping at times, but I think he was being a good player/leader. When you have 6 freshmen or redshirt freshmen starting on offense, that really limits the number of guys who can be "looked up to" for their leadership.
DeleteAgree on Haynes, he was that guy
DeleteKlein & ElHadi are captains, but have been injured or not too good. Bredesen is a captain too, but not the vocal type
I can see Marshall being that guy next year. Bryce? He's got some maturing to do before leading anyone
Second question, Thunder -- do you think some of Sherrone Moore's comments are meant to spur someone to step up to the role as vocal leader? In the past he employed more "we" language, but there's been a subtle shift to "they." You as a coach would know better than me, but I suspect there's only so much the coaches can do to spur and motivate, and ultimately the fire has to come from the players. Is Moore trying to spark that?
DeleteYou just watched your true freshman Qb engineer a game ending drive for a come from behind, four seconds left victory after a for shit, 5 turnover, 2 pick game on the road. Underwood is that guy right now.
DeleteDear Lord, if all of us would hold ourselves to the same incredible expectations we have for teenage kids on our college football teams, this world would be a significantly better place.
Underwood is *becoming* that guy. I do not believe he is fully that guy at the present time, given he's a true freshman. That said, the fact that a lot of offensive teammates are also freshman helps him assume that role a bit more than he might otherwise if he was surrounded by seniors.
Delete@Roanman, you say it yourself about "teenagers," so I am not sure why it'd be bothersome to read an online opinion about the youngest QB in the nation needing to mature
DeleteBut I can provide specific examples besides Anon's references at SC and Sparty:
- thunder mentions Haynes as that high standard upperclassmen leader, and we all saw our QB get into a shouting match w/him on the OU sidelines
- against purdont, he overthrew an open Zach Marshall, and then yelled at him
I expect mistakes and poor reads. I thought we'd see even more. But a leader does not blast teammates, especially not in public. Against NW we saw him throw a bad pass and immediately motion to himself. That's accountability and a step toward maturing as a leader
Go Blue
@Roanman -- I wasn't passing judgment on Underwood ... at 18 he's handling more responsibility and pressure than I ever could at that age. My point is that USUALLY teams have juniors or seniors who serve the role of leader. Michigan has juniors and seniors on the team, but it's not clear who among them is filling the role as leader. It could well be that Underwood senses the lack of leadership from others, and he's taking that on, best he can at this point in time. My question of Thunder is really more of Thunder's experience with these things, and to speculate further as to what Sherrone Moore is thinking, as Thunder is a coach as well and has a better understanding of coaching dynamics than we do.
DeleteI think you're over thinking it.
DeleteUnderwood has almost completely provided the exact kind of leadership you want from your Qb within the set of games we have had. Additionally he has made plays on damn near all the big play moments he's been given.
I don't know how you ask for more regarding questions of his leadership.
Concerning other kids stepping up and being leaders, we on the outside seldom get to see it and consequently hardly ever known way or the other.
Then, there are hundreds offends of leaders on teams playing games with balls. One of my kids was a never come off the field kid on his high school team, took your toughest kid mostly and mostly made his life miserable. Picked everyone up, getting pissed off when stuff was going wrong on the field. On his club team he almost never came off, and certainly never came off in the second half if there was a game still happening. But was probably the tenth guy on a state championship team. Here he led mostly by doing what he was told, directing traffic, being irritating, fixing turnovers and putting the ball on their stud kid's foot. He also was on the board of directors - unofficial - of the team. He goes to college and is maybe not a top 20 kid on the roster of a two maybe three final four club. He gets no minutes, but he's mostly their workout leader, organizes extra practices, but most importantly is in charge of the boom box.
Lots of kinds of leaders on a big team, you'll never see it, occasionally hear about it.
But the kid we have doing QB is big time.
of kinds ... I need to fire my editor
DeleteSpot on Roanman. It's Bryce. And he's doing great!
DeleteHe'll grow and mature and get better on the leadership front, I'm sure, but he's already a guy everyone is looking at and up to literally and figurately and handling it all with incredible poise. A QB and RB getting into a shouting match on the sideline -- not necessarily a problem, but if it is -- you gonna hang that on the freshman or the upperclassmen?
"He'll grow and mature and get better on the leadership front"
DeleteYep, exactly what we want and what I've said
"I think you're over thinking it."
DeleteNo, I'm not. If anything, you're doubling down on your idea that Underwood is *the* leader of the team. I never suggested Underwood wasn't *a* leader, just that as a true freshman his ability to be a Corum-like leader was limited. Therefore -- and this was my point -- who, from among the upper-classmen was in that role? That's it. That was my question.
@Anon
DeleteSometimes leadership transcends age but I think the captains (Gio, Klein, Bredeson) deserve our respect. I don't see any void of leadership with this team -- maybe we'll know more after 11/29.
Bryce is already a leader as you acknowledge. Grading on a curve for being a freshman is appropriate but he looks more like a sophomore or junior out there and it's not even January. Dude has been on it all year (composure) and just keeps getting better as player with "more put on his plate". He'll grow as a player and a leader undoubtedly yeah, but he already looks the part. He makes freshman mistakes on some plays, but carries himself like a vet.
Underwood threw multiple darts. But he is lucky it wasn't three picks as Tonielli saved his bacon on the jump ball catch.
ReplyDeleteThe touchdown run was impressive to me, as after some cut above ball handling, he beat the defense to the end zone with his first step. Just one explosive step and he was gone, they were never in the race. I thought that Underwood's decision making was mostly stout from beginning to end. I liked the run late, also
I thought we covered. We had guys getting hands in there cleanly poking balls out.
I also thought that our O line made some plays run blocking on big downs throughout the game.
I'm really liking this team. They're not pure greatness, but they make plays, run to the football, scrap, mostly block and tackle. I just can't get crabby about them.
Oklahoma handled Alabama in Tuscaloosa yesterday.
Yep. I like the team too and am a little frustrated with some of the online pundits (rhymes with emgogrog) who seem in a hurry to move past the season, already counting OSU as a loss, and in "2027 is our year" mode.
DeleteThis team could still make the playoff! We have no clue what 2027 looks like on offense, if Bryce will be healthy, etc. etc. The offense is young and the future looks promising but we are here, living, in 2025 with a team that has been pretty fun to watch develop and (on offense at least) improve DRAMATICALLY from 2024. Mostly thanks to 2 guys (Bryce and Chip) but with assists from many more.
This isn't the 2023 team and that's alright. It's a team that will be defined by what it does by OSU, which is how it usually goes. GO BLUE!
A win is a win...only if it is the championship game.
ReplyDelete"Look, you want to celebrate the outcome? Go ahead, celebrate the outcome, but I can tell you this, if the process is not good, you will be not be celebrating championships or many wins. I celebrate the process and it takes execution of the process to win consistently"
Nick Saban.
Marsh is tracking to have what it feels like is the best freshman year since Mario Manningham. To my eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe sum of the parts is much less than the individual talent. I see exceptional talent at each position, or a least good. The coaching is still a work in progress, as Moore tries to grow into the job. Brown, the special teams coach, should have been fired or demoted last year. The special teams is a shit show and it costs us 100 yards per game. Game management?-Woof.
Every player on the offense seems to be stepping up and getting better, some are tracking to be all americans IMO as juniors and seniors. Except for Bryce, who seems to want to get selfies with the fans during games. The coaching staff needs to put a boot up his ass because he is not progressing.
The OL is very young and they are run blocking the hell out of people. Just watching on TV it is hard to see those QB pressures are their fault or the QB's. The Gardner and Butts podcast is blaming Bryce for not throwing it on time. It appears (to me) they are having trouble pass blocking and executing assignments. They seem to be much better at run blocking at this point. It will come.
WR have rounded into a force...well, Marsh has, but he caught 12 so who needs 4 guys when you got number 4. The young TE seems to be very athletic and they are getting open, in fact, the OC is cooking up open people it appears from my seat on the couch, of course, that open guy could be the 4th read and Bryce will not be able to get through that many reads.
A lot of good things happening, I see a lot of good players out there, but it is most likely at least a year away. I am troubled at what I am seeing out of Bryce, the laughing on the sideline down 30 to USC, the celebration of a meaningless TD like they just won against USC, the taking selfies with fans DURING the game...who is charge here? That kid needs a ton of work and he carrying himself like he is all ready an all American and the first pick in the draft. He needs a reality . Kid, right now, you suck and that is ok, because QB is hard and you are 18. but the Joe Namath act is not going to fly.
The TE's and WR's (the top two) look really good and are getting open but they are not getting ball. The RB;s have been money all year and the depth guys look good. too. OL tracking to be awesome.
IDK how you watch that game and say Bryce isn't progressing. He is up and down like you'd expect with a freshman but he DOMINATED that game for stretches when he wasn't getting sacked or someone was turning it over.
DeleteMarsh has already surpassed Manningham's freshman year production in catches and yardage (though not TDs). Granted, Manningham was playing next to a couple NFL WRs (Avant and Breaston) and Marsh is not, but that means he is drawing a lot more defensive attention.
Other than Marsh -- NOBODY is getting open consistently. See the stats below. Underwood is playing with one hand tied behind his back.
Kid is an 18 year old freshman. Let's keep some perspective. This kind of stuff is just unnecessary.
Here's a sentence we have all heard, likely all have spoken.
ReplyDelete"This kid has to get better."
There are at least two most likely interpretations.
The first, "Oh Boy, Oh Boy!!! This kid is gonna just kill people in a couple of years.
The second, He's good, but not good enough the way he is right now."
I like the first one a lot, the second, not so much.
Now, yours is a fair question, and I freely admit a bias against sport fans in that I mostly infer the second and could possibly/maybe even likely be mistaken, and that it is me and not really the world.But .....
The kid WILL get better.
DeleteThat's all we really need to say about a freshman who is leading a top 30 offense to a 6-1 record in the best conference in CFB.
A lot of criticism for Semaj Morgan is deserved IMO. On the season he has been targeted 35 times with just 18 catches for a catch rate of 51%. This is awful.
ReplyDeleteFor context, on Michigan's 2023 championship squad the top 8 guys all had catch rates between 85% (Loveland) and 100% (Morris). The 2024 squad rarely threw downfield so you'd expect high marks and indeed they delivered with the top 8 guys all ranging between 81% (Morris) and 100% (Morgan).
Record scratch. Wait, Morgan had 100% last year? According to the stats yes.
https://gameonpaper.com/cfb/year/2024/team/130
17/18 as a freshman, 23/23 as a soph, to 18/35 as a junior! Gotta be in his own head right? Otherwise what the hell happened to Semaj in the offseason?
Anyway, this year's receiver stats are pretty interesting. On one hand you've got Marsh with a pretty typical catch rate for a WR (86%) despite being a freshman. Haynes, Marshall, Tonielli, Henson are all in a respectable range you'd expect for guys getting mostly stuff closer to the LOS. But the 3 top WRs after Marsh are:
Klein (59%)
McCulley (55%)
Morgan (51%)
Goodwin (47%)
WOOF!
So some of this has got to be on Underwood for throwing off target to WRs and Lindsey for calling more risky downfield plays, but the fact that Marsh is doing so well indicates it's not just a Bryce issue - WRs besides Marsh are just not getting it done.
It's so obvious when stats are applied without watching the games:
Delete*Morgan's catches last year were at or behind the LoS, which he cried about. The criticism then was that he did NOTHING with those opportunities, registering nothing noteworthy in YAC. Turns out the one thing Campbell got right was limiting his trust and use of Semaj*
This year we don't have to guess; we've seen the ball go through and bounce off Morgan's hands, into his chest or bounce off his facemask
As for the others, I'm not sure about McCulley drops, but it's closer to zero than ten. That catch rate goes to flat & inaccurate passes thrown by Bryce, and low percentage heaves that do not connect. The criticism I have is on miscommunication. Either the TrFR QB is wrong, or the converted WR who missed last year is mistaken. Possibly both
Goodwin got benched because his hands were as bad as Semaj. They both have had a crappy year, but at least Goodwin is coming around as a blocker
*and it's not just as a WR that Semaj has failed to live up to hopes & dreams: he came into NW with 25 Punt Return Yards in nine games. It took Marsh ONE attempt in ONE game to get half that. Semaj is imply not a Dude; not even a Guy. He was a liability, and his role has diminished accordingly
It's sucks, and we all wanted better for him, but the reality is, the hype was always bigger than any performance
Well, there's something to be said for chemistry. I think a lot of QBs have "favorite" WRs. Marsh is getting catchable balls, and he's catching them. McCulley, for example, is getting thrown some balls that aren't anywhere close, and McCulley's strength - his size and jump ball ability - don't fit super well with how Underwood is throwing the ball to him, which is on a line. You need to throw the ball differently to a 6'5" jump ball guy than a speedy/shifty guy who's going to create separation.
DeleteAs for the catch percentage of someone like Morgan . . . Davis Warren throws a very catchable ball. He wasn't winging it 80 mph on a line. That's not to say I want Warren starting over Bryce, but there's something to be said for a QB who throws with some touch.
Throwing with touch is something young QBs learn as they grow more comfortable with what they see and experience on the field. If Moore and Lindsey do things right -- and my sense is they are -- that part of Underwood's play will come along. I think we've seen some examples already ... I can't recall the play, but he's thrown a few that were lofted just over the hands of the defender.
DeleteI think Ron Bellamy agrees with your logic Thunder. My counter is that those different balls are also easier to intercept. I think if you have a guy with an NFL arm you want him to make NFL throws, not tossing the ball up for grabs and hoping your jump ball guy can win the contested ball. Just a much higher chance of success if you are throwing on a line to an open guy. Of course you need guys who can create separation on their own and I think Marsh is delivering. To me it's less chemistry and more just about effectiveness.
DeleteAs far as Morgan goes I think the answer is what was noted above -- it was a lot of low difficulty stuff. However, Morgan did catch a few downfield too and never displayed the issues in either '23 (with McCarthy) or any of the '24 QBs as he has shown in '25. I am skeptical this is a Bryce issue and believe it's a Semaj issue - perhaps mental "in funk" more than anything clearly deficient.
Holy cow. Nobody said "toss the ball up for grabs" ... it's about a bit of arc, dropping on the Receiver, not a laser that travels 5, 1o or 15yds past him. It's not an uncommon challenge for young QBs, especially those with an arm-cannon. Hope that improves your knowledge on passing
DeleteAs for Semaj, his issues started in year one. Against Iowa he had a head start but got chased down by a guy who was flat on his belly and many yards behind ... then there's the Rose Bowl punt he gave away AND a drop that should have been a first down
Ron Bellomy knows a little something about passing and has some views:
Delete"What the bigger guys gives to you is the one-on-one matchups," Bellamy said this week. "You can throw the ball up. Those guys, most people call them 50-50 balls. But the ball in the air is ours. That's the mentality we have. And when you're starting to roll out 6-3, 6-4, 6-5 guys, most of those guys have basketball backgrounds, right?
"Ball in the air is rebounds to them, boxing people out, using their big body. So, that's something we did not have last year, for the most part, and we do now. We feel good about the additions that we made to address that. But to me, it takes stress off the play caller and the quarterbacks."
Point about Semaj was he wasn't dropping any passes until this year. Level of difficulty hasn't been high this year or in the past, but that's not really the point. He's dropping easy ones now. That seems odd, new, and different.
DeleteI know folks are blaming Bryce, and Bryce obviously is bringing the heat, but so did JJ. Semaj was able to handle that. Maybe Bryce is well beyond that velocity. Either way, we have one guy (Marsh) who does not have any problem in catching those balls it seems. That means something. They aren't uncatchable.
I don't actually think McCulley has been bad on this side either, despite the low success rate to him, he has very good hands. He's just not winning a lot of the balls where Bryce is throwing to him as he is covered. He has won some, but contested attempts are contested attempts. McCulley just doesn't get open like Marsh does. I think that explains the difference in success rate.
We can see it in the games when they are throwing a lot of contested balls to McCulley because they trust him to make a play on the ball (see Bellomy's comment above) in part because of his size. That's not getting great results. Throwing to Marsh is. Marsh is not exactly tiny but he was the "runt" of the recruiting class, per Sherrone.
Maybe a lesson there or maybe Marsh is just weirdly excellent.
Sooo ... nobody here said that. Gotcha
DeleteAnd - watching the games - how many times have we tried "5o-5o balls" this year? Last year? The NC year? Even when in position for a halftime Hail Mary, Sheronne opted against it
*HINT: you won't need two hands to count
As for Bellamy's quote, he didn't say we were doing that or even would do that. He's talking about that we COULD do that
It's from an article regarding adding MORE than jUsT sIzE. The article also takes a shot at pLaYmAkeRs, referring to 2o24 as having "minimal proven options" at WR
https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2025/04/michigan-has-added-size-depth-at-wr-what-does-that-mean-for-the-offense.html
*it's no surprise the 2o24 pLaYmAkeRs have been pushed out of the way by transfers & Freshmen. We upgraded in Size & Depth and are getting production from a better group
But Semaj did have drops; important drops. Moments are just too big for him. Just not ready to be The Guy, and never was:
https://youtu.be/j7-6oUY4BSs?si=Ki5VYYqdUsqhhB4h
I don't know of anyone blaming Bryce for Semaj being a liability; but I'm sure there's low football IQ posters on the internet who say all kinds of goofy stuff
It's been said here several times: McCulley has two drops on the season. Every other non-catch has been either miscommunication between him & the QB or a poorly thrown ball (flat). Maybe you can find YouTube clips to backup the "he's not winning" claim?
We agree that McCulley is not dropping balls. Yet the success rate when throwing to him is very low. We can explain the low success rate with somebody like Semaj (it's the drops) but with McCulley it's something else. Something else that isn't a problem for Andrew Marsh.
DeleteWe also agree on the "low football IQ posters on the internet who say all kinds of goofy stuff"
There's too much going on to go back and read the entire thread, but the problem with McCulley has several elements. Some of the problems appear to be that he is not well attuned to the details of playing WR, perhaps because he spent a lot of time playing QB early in his career. But he should be better by now.
DeleteAlso, he does not have a great vibe with Underwood, for whatever reason. Too many passes to McCulley are "uncatchable" whereas most of the passes to Marsh are at least where Marsh can reasonably get to them. With McCulley, they're being thrown three yards out of his reach or four feet above his head.
Agree with the first paragraph.
DeleteMcCulley's a solid option, at a position Michigan needed help at. He's probably better than he looked as Indiana's WR5 last year, but that's closer to the truth than what he showed in the back half of '23 on a very bad Indiana team. I'm not sure how much better he "should" be given what we already knew about him coming into the year.
The scouting reports have laid out the reasons why and yeah I tend to blame not playing the position before on that (similar issues with low success rate downfield happened with Devin Gardner).
It's simpler I think to just say that McCulley isn't all he was made out to be. He filled an important need for Michigan but he isn't a "true" WR1 nor is he an NFL caliber WR.
To me if we are talking about "vibes" and "chemistry" we are in the mumbo jumbo phase. McCulley's limitations are a more tangible and direct explanation for the stark difference in outcomes.
I think there's gotta be something to the fact that Marsh is consistently getting more accurate/catchable balls thrown his way. My hypothesis is that Bryce is being encouraged by the coaching staff to let McCulley go up and make a play on the ball. Alternatively, maybe the coaches don't say that (like they said in public), but instead Marsh does a better job getting open so Bryce feels more comfortable throwing to him rather than worrying if the contested ball going McCulley's way is going to be picked off.
It's all speculation as to why but again the contrast is stark.
But we've explained the "something else:" bad throws by Bryce and miscommunication from one or both of them
DeleteIs there a reason WHY Bryce is making bad throws and/or miscommunicating to one guy far more often than the other? Is it just random / coincidence / voodoo that we can't explain?
DeleteSet aside the screens and easy short stuff we are talking success rate on downfield throws. The area where DM is supposed to thrive at, but seems to be less successful than a true freshman who was deemed the "runt" of the class. Seems like there is a logical explanation for this.
Sometimes to get to the root of something you have to ask WHY several times.
In this case, the question is rhetorical I guess. If you want to just blame it on intangible things (i.e., chemistry/vibes) there's not much else to say. I think there's a more tangible explanation. The NFL scouting reports, Cignetti's statements and actions, the M coaching staff's statements and actions, and my own eyes seem to point to this being an issue of confidence in DM beyond that which is warranted.
And again, not to say he's a bad player, or that he didn't help Michigan this year because I think he is clearly better than Semaj, Goodwin, etc. I also think he IS good at contested balls, he caught several of those over the course of the year. But I think the praise and expectations were overheated (e.g., 1000 yard season) more because of DM's limitations than Bryce's. A jump ball guy can only do so much if he doesn't have the other traits necessary to thrive at WR. DM is mostly JAG, not that fast not that good at getting open, but he can do better than most others at contested balls.
I have a similar opinion on Klein who was once again JAG as a receiver. Michigan missed Hansen (a big target who has flashed) and they missed the playmaking version of Semaj they got glimpses of in '23. He was flat out bad this year as everyone has discussed.
I just don't think Michigan is really going to miss DM very much in 26. Don't know who is going to step in opposite Marsh obviously but I expect a massive upgrade in production from the top 4 receiving targets whoever they may be.
Asking WHY there were miscommunications on a blog is pretty pointless. Obviously, nobody here knows the answer to that question. We don't have the playbook, the play calls, etc. We saw McCulley blocking when Underwood thought he should be running a route, we saw McCulley breaking in when Underwood thought he should be breaking out, we saw Underwood throw deep balls out of bounds, we saw Underwood throw bombs flat and inside when McCulley couldn't get there, etc.
DeleteA lot of QBs have favorite receivers that they seem to connect with really well. For Denard Robinson, it was Junior Hemingway at times and Roy Roundtree at other times. Chad Henne had a good connection with Braylon Edwards early. Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon weren't great individually (according to what the pros thought), but they were certainly very much in connection on the field at Michigan, and Gardner talks all the time on WTKA and The Blueprint about how well they worked together.
Devin Funchess was a better athlete than Gallon and Funchess's NFL career backs that up, but Gardner-to-Gallon was a better connection at the college level.
Sometimes it's just about the connection (or lack of it).
LOTS of speculation:
Delete"my hypothesis is that Bryce is being encouraged by the coaching staff to let McCulley go up and make a play on the ball"
You forgot the flat, too high, too far or otherwise off target passes. Clip some videos, and see if it pops for you too
*the receiver relationship is critical to a pass game. Disregarding intangibles is further evidence of not understanding the game
"McCulley, for example, is getting thrown some balls that aren't anywhere close, and McCulley's strength - his size and jump ball ability - don't fit super well with how Underwood is throwing the ball to him, which is on a line. You need to throw the ball differently to a 6'5" jump ball guy than a speedy/shifty guy who's going to create separation."
ReplyDeleteThis is just an excellent point.
Some will remember how giddy we were the last time we had a freshman QB making plays with his arm ... not so much his feet. Chad Henne was an outstanding Qb. Again, maybe not pure greatness, but damn good in college and a solid backup Qb in the league which I still say might be the single best job in all of sports. But a fair number of the plays we saw Henne making with his arm were really Braylon making plays only Braylon could make. I wish I knew for sure how that passing offense was being coached, but I think some of those balls were overthrows that Braylon turned into TDs. Actually, I'll go all the way to pretty sure.
As I said above, our young lad Underwood is throwing darts, with the occasional laser and not a few BBs, a comparatively high percentage of his throws are dead on.
I need to stop, the more I type the deeper in love I fall.
"... and a solid backup Qb in the league which I still say might be the single best job in all of sports."
DeleteThe second best would be a good golfer on the senior circuit ... good enough to be in the money, but self-aware enough to know it's not necessary to get twisted into a pretzel trying to win every tournament.
For all the talk about Henne also being someone who threw lasers early in his career, he was an excellent deep ball thrower. Some of those highlights from 2004 of him throwing to Braylon Edwards are really well placed balls with a high enough arc where a 6'3" leaper like Edwards could go up and get it. Underwood throws some lasers, but I think he throttles back on short throws better than J.J. McCarthy did early in McCarthy's career. Underwood doesn't quite have the trajectory needed for those bombs down the sideline, though one did work out with Marsh on Saturday.
DeletePretty sure the phrase with Henne was "could get some air under it".
ReplyDeleteHe got some criticism for not improving to people's satisfaction as his years rolled by, and while Chad Henne was never lacking for guys to it throw to, Braylon was pretty special. Could have the occasional bad drop. tho.
Lay it out there.
DeleteWith our two blue chips RBs out, MICHIGAN is stuck with a walkon (second fastest on our offense) and a TrFR (4star)
ReplyDeleteTraveling to a friendly environment like College Park against a 4-6 team with the 1o3 ranked RunD (over 17oYPG), you'd think the staff would feel confident with their bench. Instead, Max Bredeson is expected to play Tailback
We haven't run our third back much in most games (or none at all). But suddenly Max Bredeson - a two time Captain - is making a move here. I wonder why?
#RBmatters
https://247sports.com/college/michigan/article/michigan-football-intel-a-new-option-at-rb-the-latest-on-hogan-hansen-more-262404169/
We'll see how "stuck" they are. My guess is the offense will do very well Saturday.
DeleteBredeson at RB3? That should work. We've seen a lot of success with guys like Ben Mason, Khalid Hill, and Sione Houma moving around and taking on RB duties before. You don't need bigtime speed to be effective at the position. Nor do you necessarily need a lot of prep to chip in, as we've seen Mullings and Haskins move from LB and quickly make an impact -- Bredeson has a lot more backfield experience and has run it before of course.
Note what Casula said "And that's not about because of what we don't have — it's because of what we do have in him. He's one of a kind."
Well OK Steve LOL but it kinda is let's be honest. It's probably not a coincidence that you're exploring depth options when RB1 and 2 are both unavailable and Johnson and Kapanna are also hurt. They'd do that at any other position that lost 4 guys, especially when that includes the top 2.
You want options and you need insurance so you cross-train. If you play team sports you know the deal.
Anyway, sounds like a easy way to manage the reduced depth to me. Michigan has used RB3 in most games this year but never heavily. They don't need to do it, but they might want to. Where I'd start to worry is if Bredeson were to be elevated to RB2 ahead of Parker. That would raise a bigger concern about him. That would be a big surprise but you never know about trust level with freshman. And yeah Max isn't your everyday fullback. Hoffman wouldn't be bad option either.
Getting well ahead of ourselves but a fun subplot to tomorrow's game to see how they manage being down the top 2 RBs.
GO BLUE
Uh, the offense had better do "very well" Saturday, considering the Terrapin runD sucks butt, and is among the worst in the nation
DeleteHassan Haskins didn't get double digit carries until halfway through 2o19, and didn't earn his first start until the last week of October. Mullings only got switched after BC's injury, and didn't earn his first start until two seasons later. Neither were "quick impacts"
When did Ben Mason play Tailback? Khalid Hill? NEVER! They were HBacks, and Mason played some DL (hahahaha)
The untruths are laughable at best, and so easily picked apart
The move with Bredesen is all about the injuries; our elite guys are out, and we have a big Question Mark for our SMASH offense. Your "LOL" on Casula is telling: the coaches know RB matters
Oh, and here's another MGo radio take:
"Jordan Marshall is SPECIAL but Bryson Kuzdzal is PLAYABLE"
#RBmatters
*I'd add a caveat: "playable" for a game or two, especially if the opposing RunD sucks. But championship teams need special talent
#RBmatters
Rude and childish response especially for someone who is wrong.
DeleteBen Mason had 33 carries and 7 rushing TDs in 2018. Some of those were from the FB spot but most came as a short yardage RB with a FB blocking ahead for him.
If you want to trust Mgoblog here you go:
https://mgoblog.com/content/upon-further-review-2018-offense-vs-nebraska
"At RB Higdon a clear #1, Wilson a clear #2, and Samuels sprinkled in on a couple carries before garbage time. By the middle of the third it was Samuels and a debuting Christian Turner. Mason got some run at RB, obviously. Jared Wangler got some backup FB snaps."
" Michigan debuted Ben Mason as a single back and duly delivered him to the second level. When you are not a DL and get hit by a full-steam Ben Mason the pile only goes one way, and does so fast and far."
Those that watched games that season know that Ben Mason played RB.
You said most of Mason's carries came as a tailback with a fullback lined up in front of him, and then proceeded to share a link to the Nebraska game, in which all the clips of him at "tailback" are as a single back without a fullback lined up in front of him.
DeleteI don't remember the exact percentage of plays in which he was lined up as a single back or lined up with a fullback in front of him, but the clips in the Nebraska UFR suggest it was actually the opposite: he lined up as a single back WITHOUT a fullback in front of him.
Also, Ben Mason's carries all came within the opponent's 10-yard line, so they were low red zone plays. Essentially, he was a goal line back and nothing more (when it comes to playing "tailback"; obviously, he was more when it came to playing FB/TE/etc.).
This isn't the same as RB3. An RB3 is the third guy on the depth chart, who can presumably do all the things RB1 and RB2 can do, except probably not quite as well. If you can't put your "RB3" in the game on 3rd-and-9 and let him run a swing route or run a draw with him or block a play well and get 35 yards, then he's not really an RB3.
Bryson Kuzdzal? RB3. He's clearly worse than RB1 and RB2 at virtually everything, except maybe he's a little faster than RB2. But he can still run all the plays they can.
This is our annual reminder that lining up at a position does not mean you PLAY that position. A QB lining up at WR doesn't make him a WR. A WR lining up at RB doesn't make him a RB. And a FB/TE lining up at tailback doesn't make him a tailback.
Yes. The single back plays that shows that he was playing RB pretty clearly, as does playing with a FB in front of him. He did that too.
DeleteHere is Mason lining up at RB behind the FB.
From that game Here is mgoblog on the the MSU game on the same year:
"Mason was again limited but able to get in a dozen or so snaps; Wangler had a couple cameos when Mason was at RB"
No one here is arguing that Mason wasn't a FB or wasn't an H-back. He was also a RB. This wasn't a trick play (like using a QB as a WR) built on deception - it's the exact opposite. They're running it down the opponents throat.
The play above isn't a gimmick. It's not a 2 FB play. It's the same exact play that you run with a RB and a FB you are just using one of your FB as the RB. Because that guy can do both jobs.
So, I'll disagree that RB3 has to be all purpose back. RB3 can be a specialist - a pass catching / pass blocking guy like Vincent Smith can fit as RB3 as can a short yardage specialist like Mason or Hill.
If you ask that specialist to be RB1 you might be in trouble. If you ask him to give your all purpose back a break, you should be fine. RBs can be specialists and role players, they don't have to do all things.
---------------
People can play more than one position, some can even do it well. Like how Max Bredeson can line up at FB, or H-back, or TE. Or how Andrew Marsh can lineup in the slot or outside WR "positions". Or how Devin Funchess can play TE or WR. Or how Mike Sainristil could play WR, CB, nickel, or safety. Or how Jaishawn Barham can play EDGE or ILB.
Not everybody is just one position forever and ever the end.
Mason was mostly a FB/TE/H-back like Bredeson, but unlike Bred he played RB often enough (and also) DT that he could add a couple more slashes in there. FB/TE/H-back/DT/RB
In 2018, he had a relatively small role as a RB but it was important. That season Michigan had 1 APB (RB1 Higdon) another guy who was more of a 3rd down speed back (RB2 Evans) and then freshman and walkons otherwise. So Ben Mason played a meaningful role in the RB rotation, along with his other duties at other positions, because it spared Higdon (who had a heavy workload otherwise) and supplemented Evans (who wasn't necessarily a short yardage type of guy). It also put Mason on the field more in another a role he thrived at (short yardage RB). They could have used Tru Wilson instead because he was closer to an APB, but they didn't because Mason was better at this part of being a RB even if he was limited in other ways.
Forgot the link on the Mason run:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bg0gzWoN2w
Uh, this has "Giles Jackson is a RB" vibes
Delete"If you ask that specialist to be RB1 you might be in trouble" ... and ... "another guy who was more of a 3rd down speed back" and "wasn't necessarily a short yardage type of guy (Evans)"
In summary, RB matters. Different username, same argument. But hey, thanks for the effort!