Real Kato Blog: Michigan Football Recap: Week 1

Michigan 30, UConn 10

This was a game that many expected UConn to win. UConn was supposed to be a contender to win the Big East this year, with many starters returning from last year's 8-5 squad, a team that beat South Carolina in a bowl game. But Michigan's spread offense came to life with the athleticism and new-found decision-making skills of Denard Robinson. Robinson set a Michigan record for rushing by a quarterback with 197 yards, and nearly tied a passing mark by completing 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards.

It was certainly an offensive show. After the jump, there's a breakdown of some of the offensive plays, and how they demonstrate the philosophy of Rich Rodriguez's offense.

Early in Michigan's first drive, the offense lines up in its usual shotgun formation, with trips left. UConn is in a cover-1 defense, (man coverage and a single deep safety). It's a 4-3 look, with the defensive ends responsible for outside containment, and the tackles and weakside linebackers responsible for stopping any interior runs. With me so far?

QB draw 1

After the snap, we see that this is a designed quarterback draw play. The offensive line has double-teamed both of the tackles. Schilling (the left guard) and Dorrenstein (the right tackle) will crease the tackles and then proceed to make blocks at the next level. Huyge (the left tackle) and Koger (the tight end) are making kick-out blocks on the defensive ends, which is easy because the ends are playing to outside containment anyway. Shaw, the tailback, is moving up through the hole to make a block on the linebacker.

QB draw 2

As the play proceeds, we see the central tenet of the spread offense: You Don't Have Enough Guys To Cover Us. Michigan has seven blockers with good angles to block the seven defenders UConn has in the box. It might not look like much of a hole for Robinson, but all the defensive linemen are in fact already out of the play; meanwhile, Schilling, Shaw, and Dorrenstein are in position to make crushing blocks on the linebackers. The deep safety has recognized the run threat at this point, but he's twenty yards downfield and still doesn't know which way the play is eventually going to go; he has to sit tight and make sure he doesn't overrun the play.

QB draw 3

The linebackers have been duly crushed. Robinson is in empty space. The free safety, who has actually retreated a couple of yards, is finally moving up to stop Robinson.

QB draw 4

If Dorrenstein can maintain his block and Robinson can make a move, there's no one left to tackle him; it's 75 yards of open space to the end zone.

QB draw 5

Unfortunately that doesn't happen; Dorrenstein can't quite maintain contact on his block and that slows Robinson down just enough for the linebacker and safety to make the tackle. But Robinson still falls forward for a 22-yard gain and a first down. This is all on a quarterback draw play, mind you, one of the simplest bread-and-butter plays of the offense. In an offense where running plays always involve a handoff, there'd be a middle linebacker or strong safety unblocked and in a good position to stop this play for three yards. With a spread offense, even the simplest running play is a threat to score a touchdown. Every. Single. Time.

Let's take a look at another play in this same drive.

Michigan lines up in flex deuces left (tight end and two receivers to the left, and a receiver split to the right). UConn looks to be in zone coverage, with the corners covering the flats, the safeties playing deep, and the linebackers responsible for reading run and covering short zones. After the snap, it looks like an outside zone read running play; Dorrenstein (the right tackle) has left the backside defensive end unblocked. The end is playing to contain the quarterback, so Robinson should hand off to Shaw.

Play Action 1

Except, whoops, what's Schilling (the left guard) doing? He's pulling back across the formation. And Shaw doesn't take the handoff; he stops and squares to pass-block. It's play-action! IT'S A TRAP!

Play Action 2

The defensive tackle and the linebackers are befuddled as to why there's no one rushing the ball towards them. Koger, the tight end, is running in acres of empty space, since both linebackers have been sucked up by the play action. And even if Koger had been covered, Shaw is headed towards another empty space where he could be available as an outlet receiver.

Play Action 3

This is how open Koger is when he catches the ball. Five defenders around him, but none within three yards.

Play Action 4

Say what you want about the spread being some kind of gimmicky newfangled offense: at its heart, it's just fundamental football principles. Find the guys who are open. Establish a rushing attack; when the defense reacts to it, go play-action. Control the ball and maintain possession (Michigan's time of possession in this game: 36:52). It's great to watch.

Now, on the defensive side, Greg Robinson deployed a bend-don't-break strategy that mostly worked. The "don't break" part was helped by some dropped passes and a timely fumble; if not for those, the game could have remained much closer. (But then again, Michigan's offense took its foot off the throttle in the fourth quarter; it seems quite possible that Michigan could have scored several more times if they'd played at their usual tempo.) The young defensive secondary played surprisingly well; if there was a weakness, it was at the linebacker spot, where Ezeh failed to read running plays several times during the game. But not a bad performance overall.

Grades: Offense: A+, Defense: B.

Next week, Notre Dame.

Other Notable Games: Utah beat Pitt last Thursday, knocking off the team that was supposed to be UConn's primary competition for the Big East title. Florida and USC won in somewhat ugly fashion against mediocre teams. Boise State knocked off Virginia Tech and looks to have a clear path to the BCS title game (already!). Ole Miss lost to 1-AA Jacksonville State.

Permalink 3 Comment

Posted by Ken in: sports

Comments

Comment #1 from Alan H. (alanh)
2010 Sep 9 - 4:14 pm : #

This is great, Ken! Must have taken a while to put together, but I hope you'll do more.

Comment #2 from Paul G (Guest)
2010 Sep 9 - 6:39 pm : #

I look forward all off-season to the most excellent Kato Analysis of the college gridiron. This latest one just raises the bar! Only thing missing was the customary mini-version for Wolfpack fans? What's the Pack's biggest challenge in the upcoming rematch vs UCF? Can we emerge from Orlando with a 2-0 record to take into a next Thursday night showdown with Cincinnati??

Comment #3 from Ken (realkato)
2010 Sep 9 - 8:51 pm : #

Yeah, sorry I didn't comment on the NCSU game... it was against Western Carolina, after all, which I believe is a high school team. It is somewhat concerning that the Wolfpack only managed 129 yards on the ground. Weeks 3 through 6 will be a challenge... I'll have something to say about those games, for sure.

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