Wednesday - September 19, 2007
A Few Thoughts on 38-0
I don't mean to pick on anyone, but Armando Allen had a very, very freshman 1st quarter. Rewatching the game, I saw:
1. a misread on a simple handoff where the point of attack was blocked to perfection but Allen instead cut back and was caught for a short gain by an (intentionally) unblocked DE
2. a frontside blitz which Allen ignored, moving left after the snap, seeing no one to block and then releasing as a checkdown (while Clausen got drilled by the blitzer)
3. a beautifully blocked inside run which left Allen the choice of either cutting inside or outside of his blocker 5 yards downfield, but instead saw him being indecisive and eventually running right into the blocker.
4. Another sack which came when Allen stood in the backfield and did not help with either the frontside blitzer (Crable, who blew by the TE) or the blindside blitzer (Harrison, who blew by the LT).
5. A fumble on another play where he chose to cut back into the unblocked Michigan D even though the point of attack was well blocked.
Other curious items from the ND side:
I know Charlie Weis usually scripts his offenses opening plays, and I have to assume the end around from the 1 on 2nd and 27 was a scripted play. If so, Weis has to be flexible enough in the future to throw the script away under such unusual circumstances. If it was not scripted, what was he thinking? The end around is a play which frequently loses yardage because if one defender on the backside reads it and stays home, the WR is running 6 yards deep in the backfield, right into the defense. And in this circumstance, it was only Brandon Graham's enthusiastic pursuit of a ballfake that prevented that play from being a safety (even if Tate had been able to evade Graham, the time it would have taken would have allowed the DBs in pursuit to meet him in the endzone instead of at the 4).
Clausen's attempt to corrall his fumble brought back memories of Brady Quinn's laugh out loud funny fumble late in last year's game. Too bad Warren intelligently landed on the ball instead of scooping it up and running for 7.
The very first pass play for Michigan came with Toney Clemons on the field (due to Mathews being disciplined for losing his cool against Oregon)! And it was to Mike Hart split out wide. Uncovered. Completely uncovered. Gimme yardage.
Mike Hart is not fast but he explodes into a well blocked hole. He is patient when he needs to be, but he gets to his first gear about as fast as anyone and that explosion helps him deliver that pop in the hole. I know Tom Zbikowski is a boxer tough-guy and all, but when Hart meets Zbikowski, Zbikowski goes backwards almost every single time. And despite being a senior now, Zbikowski continues to be in the wrong place so often Pacman Jones refuses to believe it's a coincidence.
Morgan Trent is good and Donovan Warren is getting there. Trent gives the appearance at times of being about to give up the big play, but he's not giving it. Great closing speed is part of that. Shawn Crable had a great day. It was almost David Harris-like the way he'd show up out of nowhere to be in the right place and end a play. All that stuff is great to see because it's *not* dependent on Notre Dame being a terrible team. They may be terrible, but they are not predictable, so reading them right and getting there is a good sign.