2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

[WaitTilNextYear]

Hmmm. Hasn't been a whole lot of activity in the team section here, but our annual Michigan Football thread is usually good for about 200 posts or so. I decided to keep the same format and slap a 2019 on it, although maybe just having a continuing thread to host our gripes would be better at some point.

Defense projects to take a couple of steps back this year. It'll be weird not getting upset when we let another team complete a pass or kick a FG. I'll just be rooting for us to keep 'em under 30 points instead of pitching the shutout.

Offense projects to at least be interesting to watch. Hopefully it'll also be good. Will have to outscore teams this year rather than just relying on the defense choking teams out.

Looking forward to see what the offensive schemes will look like.

Worried about injuries. Plenty of expected contributors will likely miss the MTSU game, but the mantra will be hopefully so and so is ready for Wisconsin.

Some more info about the team...preseason ranking = 7.


2019 schedule

8/31 vs MTSU, 7:30 EST/6:30 CST/BTN

9/7 vs Army, noon EST/11:00 CST/FOX

9/14 vs BYE (good for resting knees after getting cut blocked all game)

9/21 @ 19 Wisconsin, noon EST/11:00 CST/FOX

9/28 vs Buttgers, TBD

10/5 vs 20 Iowa, noon EST/11:00 CST/TBD

10/12 @ Illinois, TBD

10/19 @ 15 Penn State, TBD

10/26 vs 9 Notre Dame, TBD

11/2 @ Maryland, noon EST/11:00 CST/TBD

11/9 vs BYE (good for showing Devin Bush highlights getting the team hype AF)

11/16 vs 18 Michigan State, TBD

11/23 @ Indiana, TBD

11/30 vs 5 Ohio State, noon EST/11:00 CST/FOX


Discuss...

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

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[marq]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Excited for the season. I'm especially excited to see this new offense. With our QBs, WRs, and new playcalling I'll be happy to watch us on offense.

I also think that the defense will be much better than we think as the year goes on. It's mostly the much needed speed we added because I have faith that Brown will coach them up. Our lack of speed throughout the roster really did us in last season and I'm looking forward to a different story this season. Even if we are only laying a foundation for the next few seasons...I'll TAKE IT!

Just PLEASE BEAT OSU...that is all.

[CBoller1331]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Were the blue end-zones new last year or is this the first year? Either way I am a fan, it's a good look.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Were the blue end-zones new last year or is this the first year? Either way I am a fan, it's a good look.

Not new this year. I forget if it was last year or the year before. And, I agree.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

My much too early observations on the MTSU game...

A bit of a downer strictly from a margin of victory/dominance POV, but the team looked fine save for too many jitters/mistakes. Fumbles, drops, muffed punt returns & stuff that's probably not going to continue at least.

Missing some key guys: DPJ, Runyan, Dwumfour. Others not at 100%: Ambry Thomas, Tru Wilson. Holding back large swaths of the playbook makes it hard to grade their play.

I couldn't really fault the playcalls except for getting that delay of game with both QBs in on the same play. And not using a 270-LB Ben Mason in short yardage.

Good to get MTSU instead of ND in a game like this. And MTSU played well and feisty so credit to them for not getting embarrassed.

Lavert had a bad game, cost the team 14 points or so. He'll be fine. Ambry Thomas had a really nice game. He'll also be fine. Josh Metellus and Brad Hawkins didn't get burned. They should be fine, too. I'm more bullish on the secondary after this game.

Patterson was trying too hard to pad his stats--went deep a few too many times when a check down was the better call. Holding the ball, taking sacks, throwing low percentage. That kind of thing. He'll be fine.

O line play was very encouraging considering I didn't even realize Ryan Hayes was in for Runyan until after halftime. Hard to know for sure with MTSU being so undersized, but the O line might be one of the best units on the team now.

McCaffrey looks even faster than last year somehow. He's a beast on the read option. Such a long strider and with great genes obviously. I almost think Patterson on passing plays and McCaffrey on running plays would be ideal if it wasn't such a tell.

Charbonnet is going to be a stud if he can stay healthy. Better than anything I thought. Fast and finishes runs like De'Veon Smith.

Vincent Gray and a lot of the other youngsters looked ready for prime time.

Defense looks better than I thought. Josh Ross is a man. I'm liking Devin Gil's number change to 8. It suits him better than 39 or whatever he had been. I wish Khaleke Hudson would show up a bit more.

DL struggling to get pressure rushing 4 hopefully won't be a recurring theme. Kind of a problem that they weren't just pancaking MTSU's offensive line. This could really hurt Michigan against teams with real passing games. I'm hoping Mike Danna can be a guy here so it's not all on Uche to get sacks.

[marq]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Would be nice to have QBs under center for short yardage situations though. Definitely felt like a preseason game so I take it for what it was...a W. On to Army!

[sadams33]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Would be nice to have QBs under center for short yardage situations though. Definitely felt like a preseason game so I take it for what it was...a W. On to Army!

don't really care for the patterson mccaffrey playing at the same time

[jda1202]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Talk about leaving points on the board. Michigan could’ve easily had 50+ if Bell makes that catch and Hill gets the easy pick six. Also Shea had a pretty nice throw to Sanstrill in tight coverage that almost ended in a td. Overall I like what I saw from the limited offense as long as they clean up the mistakes. That defense will be something to watch next week as I’m starting to think the secondary might actually be the strength given how the d-line played.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Talk about leaving points on the board. Michigan could’ve easily had 50+ if Bell makes that catch and Hill gets the easy pick six. Also Shea had a pretty nice throw to Sanstrill in tight coverage that almost ended in a td. Overall I like what I saw from the limited offense as long as they clean up the mistakes. That defense will be something to watch next week as I’m starting to think the secondary might actually be the strength given how the d-line played.

You managed to sum up all my thoughts above, but in much fewer words. lol. I agree with basically everything you're saying here. This game was a fine line between what we had and a 63-0 type of game.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

I'm not buying into the predictions from some of the experts that we'll be in the playoffs. I just think installing yet another new offense is going to pop up and bite us at some point in a game we should win (looking at you @Wisconsin). We certainly have the schedule to make it even with one loss, but I'm not convinced yet. Just ****in' beat OSU for once and I'll be good.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

Really don't like playing a triple option team. Have to spend an entire week on defense focusing on something these players will likely never face again.

[jda1202]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

This is atrocious.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

I'm not even going to attempt to sum that one up. lol

My emotions looked like a WPA graph in baseball with a lot of late lead changes.

Feels bad man, but somehow the team is 2-0.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019 Michigan Wolverines | Speed in Space

After a bit more thought, I'm both concerned about the team and feel that concern could be somewhat overblown.

The problems I saw during MTSU were quite the foreshadowing for the Army game. I thought Shea Patterson was subpar--making bad decisions, holding onto the ball, almost like he was trying to kick start a Heisman campaign by padding his stats and making Superman-type plays instead of managing the game. Just a feeling I got. Then, he seemed to hurt his ribs/oblique and all of those issues were magnified against Army. Plus, it seems pretty clear he's not allowed to keep on option runs which begs the questions: (1) why play a QB that you have to protect so much and that is likely not healthy enough to be effective? (2) given the situation, then why even call those plays at all?

Definitely worried that Michigan is playing John O'Korn in a Shea Patterson body suit right now.

The other main concern I had after MTSU that reared up bigtime against Army, was the lack of a short yardage package. There is no I-form anymore? No use of fullbacks? That's too bad, because short yardage bully-ball was one of the best aspects of the Harbaugh offense. I flash back to Khalid Hill scoring like eleventy billion short yardage TDs. Maybe Jim is simply letting Josh Gattis learn thru failing? The Army game has an entirely different complexion if the team simply goes under center with a tight formation for a half-dozen key short yardage plays.

I'm not really worried about anything else. Defense will be better than I thought. O-Line is actually quite good. Running back and wide receiver looks good also. I don't necessarily think this year's team has the juice to contend for anything major, but I also think most aspects of the team will be good enough to be respectable against pretty much every opponent on the schedule.

But, yeah, getting the whole QB play thing right and being able to convert short yardage are the things that makes me sweat through my shirt while watching the games right now. And those goddamned fumbles.