At 8-0, Michigan Can Still Get Better
The Wolverines are 8-0, and have won all but one game by double digits. But coming into the season, there were questions whether they could replicate last season’s success.
Some questioned whether or not the defense could retool, and others worried about replacing a workhorse back like Hassan Haskins.
On the defense, several players stepped up without missing a beat, and yet again, Michigan has a top five total defense more than halfway through the season. And it turns out that running back Blake Corum can be both thunder and lightning as needed, those extra carries leaving him unaffected, and just as elusive as before.
But there are still some flaws in the Wolverines’ game that need to be addressed come the last week in November, if Michigan wants any chance of realizing its postseason goals.
Here are the most pressing issues:
Finishing Drives
Converting in the red zone was not a problem earlier in the season, but in the midst of Big 10 play, it has certainly become a concern.
Against both Penn State and Michigan State, Michigan had no problems moving the ball, amassing only one punt between the two games. But the Wolverines kicked four field goals against the Nittany Lions, and five against the Spartans. Now, neither game was close, but if the defense had broken down in either, those field goals could have been the difference between a win and a loss. Center Olu Oluwatimi understands this well.
“Coach has got his game plan and put us in a good position,” said Oluwatimi. “And also we have to execute the game plan. I don’t think we executed the game plan that well versus Michigan State, we didn’t run the ball well in the red zone, and missed a couple times in the pass game.”
Red zone success is not simple, it requires both players and coaches to be playing and scheming efficiently with a stunted playbook caused by the short field. And if one aspect of the offensive attack isn’t working, it’s even more of an uphill battle.
“(Red Zone success is) a marriage,” Oluwatimi said. “It's not just on the coaching staff, it's not just on the players. We’re going to continue to fix that, (the coaches) want to see us be perfect and execute, so they’re gonna be in there till midnight scheming up and we’re gonna be watching film and trying to get better as well.”
Rutgers will provide a good opportunity for Michigan to work on this aspect of the game, and possibly open up the playbook in the process.
More Variation and Success in the Pass Game
Except for one early October game in Bloomington, where Indiana sold out to stop the run, Michigan has not yet had to rely on the passing game. Instead, the Wolverines have been content to run the ball down opponent’s throats, supplemented by JJ McCarthy’s arm instead of dependent on it. But at some point later in the season, that will change.
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker’s recent success keeps Michigan’s pass game balanced in theory. But at least partly, it has increased JJ’s reliance on the potent short routes that Schoonmaker provides.
McCarthy has also been taking less deep shots as of late. It is unsure whether this is due to JJ’s confidence, or more conservative play calling, but against the highest caliber of opponents, this aspect of the passing game will need to open up.
Starting Off Strong
So far this season, Michigan has been a second half team.
In Big Ten play, the Wolverines have entered the half within a score on every occasion. But whatever halftime adjustments the coaching staff makes have been working, and in spades. Over the last three games, Michigan has outscored its opponents by 49 in the second half. On top of that, the only score the defense has allowed was one field goal, to Penn State.
The next step for the Wolverines to take is to dominate like it does in the second half in the first. Whether that would require more extensive film analysis, or on-the-fly adaptation to the defense’s tells, it would certainly require some kind of change in mindset.
But gaining that early lead on opponents late in the season will be crucial, and could provide the extra boost that Michigan needs to compete with national championship contenders.
