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Michigan is 4-0, but…
Well, Michigan is through September with a perfect 4-0 record. The record is perfect, but the play on the field is far from it. Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff are going to have a field day when they go back and watch film of yesterday’s game. The linebacking play is terrible and Obi Ezeh is not having a stellar season as he continues to miss tackles and not make plays. Those snaps, GEEEEEEEZ…get it right. Michigan lost almost 50 yards and blew opportunities left and right because of problems with executing a shotgun snap.
Thoughts on Beating Indiana 36-33
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Ouch for the Defense
What happened to the fundamental improvements when it comes to tackling, handling gap responsibilities, taking proper pursuit angles and getting off blocks? As I mentioned above, Obi Ezeh continues to miss tackles and play poorly and Jonas Mouton had his fair share of missed tackles and poor pursuit angles. A big factor in this game was the lack of a pass rush. I think Brandon Graham made a handful of plays and busted through a couple times, but in general the D-line was not impressive and their size again played in Indiana’s favor. Cissoko again played terrible at corner and was replaced by an undersized JT Floyd. A win is a win, but damn that was frustrating to watch. -
Offensive Inconsistency
Scoring points is a lot of fun and big plays are a lot of fun, but as a Michigan fan you have to remember and consider the youth of Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson. Every game you can see their upside and their potential, however, against Indiana you saw Forcier try and do too much at times. I think, as he matures, those mistakes will be minimized. The bad snaps will not continue, but man did they have an affect on this game in a big way. David Moosman is not experienced enough to snap the ball early if a defender jumps across the line of scrimmage. Doing so took away a scoring opportunity and Michigan wound up punting. -
Minor or Brown?
This is tough – Brown continues to score on big plays and produce, while Minor tends to make an impact in smaller doses at critical times in close games. RR must continue to use both, but it will be interesting to see how each will continue to receive playing time. I think Minor is the better back running between the tackles, but doesn’t quite have the breakaway speed that Brown has – although he is fast and bursts through a hole with serious force. And Brown is a bit better catching the ball out of the backfield and moving upfield in a hurry. Nobody knows if Minor is truly banged up with a nagging ankle injury primarily because when he gets in the game he looks to be 100%. Michigan is better when both are playing and both are healthy – let’s hope they both continue to make an impact. -
Tay Odom’s TD
Over 4 games Martavious Odoms hasn’t quite filled up the stat sheet, but there is no doubt that his presence on the field makes a difference. He’s made several great blocks and some clutch catches – most notably on the final drive against Notre Dame. It was great to see him get in the endzone and pull in the game-winner yesterday.
Tay Odoms / Det. News
Thoughts on Being 4-0
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The Eye Test
The eye test is an easy one – after watching 4 games – do they pass the eye test? Well, Michigan is averaging 37.5 points per game so far and have pulled out two games in the final minutes. Exciting, yes – perfect – of course not. The offense is producing big plays and scoring points when it counts. The defense is an issue and needs to focus on the fundamentals once more. If the defense continues to play like it did against Indiana – Michigan will struggle against 3 of their next 4 opponents – Michigan State, Iowa and Penn State. In general, Michigan has grabbed some national media attention and has passed the eye test. -
T. Force & D. Rob
Both Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson have made some plays that really only scratch the surface of their potential. Rich Rodriguez is still trying to figure out his strategy when it comes to playing both of these guys. Forcier’s health is becoming a concern – without him healthy I’m not sure how far this team can go. Although, I would be interested to see Denard taking snaps for an entire game – how many long ones would he break and can he throw the ball with any consistency. -
The Defense Struggles
This has to be the greatest concern for the remainder of the season. The defense started the season strong – hammering Western Michigan – then allowed Notre Dame to pile on over 400 yards of offense. Notre Dame’s supposed high-powered offense allowed Michigan to give the D a pass, but against Eastern Michigan the D again looked weak. Against Indiana, ouch. Seriously, IU busts an 85 yard 4th quarter touchdown run where tackles were missed and the pursuit angles were terrible. Michigan’s season might be full of shootouts where the offense will have to be spectacular late in games because the defense simply lacks the talent and depth to control games. -
4-0
Michigan has played four games and has won all four. You can’t do any better than that. Finding ways to win games is what counts – last year Michigan found ways to lose games – quite a difference. Michigan will learn a lot in the next two weeks going on the road to face Michigan State and Iowa. So far it’s been fun, because there’s a zero in the loss column and Michigan’s young stars are making plays when it counts.
Tate Forcier / Det. News
