Michigan @ Purdue, Saturday, 9/23, 4p Eastern, FOX/Stream FSGo

[Jeff Buchanan]

The link below should take you to a series of videos. The first is a play recap, then Post game JH and post game players. Take a look at the play recap. I've commented on this particular video below

[ame]https://youtu.be/LGAwDzCQ9r8[/ame]

[Jeff Buchanan]

The video seems to show the successful plays not the ones that got stuffed. So there's a natural bias that trends to absolve the OL.

What you do see on these successful plays is (1) Great Pass-Pro, (2) Great escapeability followed by very accurate JOK throws (seeing the field), (3) better than expected (based on watching live) OL play in the run game.

I also think that after two of Purdue's players went out for targeting, M's offense got a lot better.** S, Jacob Thieneman was a key loss. Crossing routes and Screens started happening after he went out. LB, JaWhaun Bentley was being used as a gap busting free rusher. The run game broke some big plays and just as importantly started moving the pile on shorter, but important possession runs with him gone.

On the run plays you can view in the video above, you're going to see some decent, maybe not dominant or great, run blocking. It appears to me, it's coming along. You'll see Onwenu pulling, getting a great first level block then getting confused by the huge hole the OL just created for Evans, missing his second level block on the closing S. Fortunately, Evans has hit that hole and is a step ahead of the arm tackle the S attempts. Evans goes 36y for the score on this play. There are others. Look for yourself.

When you see JOK's plays back to back in this video it's like holy crap, why is this guy not starting!? Well, I suspect WS looks better than JOK in practice but, there was no question that today, JOK looked way better than WS in live action. Way, way better. That's what counts and I'm pretty sure JH knows this. We'll see how this pans out. Would be greatly disappointed if JOK didn't earn the start v. MSU on his performance v. Purdue, on the road and in a somewhat hostile environment. I'ts Ross–Ade Stadium for God's sake. Not the most intimidating place to play but .... still.

**A final comment on the offense getting better in the 2nd half. It wasn't just the ejections of two important Purdue defenders. Play calling improved dramatically. With JOK's execution, the coaches kept up a passing attack to the TEs and Grant Perry that exploited an obvious weakness, to me anyway, in Purdue's defensive strategy. The play calling clearly avoided long balls to the WR, favoring the TEs and slot about at a 10 to 1 ration.

In the run game .....go ahead and count yourself. In the early going Purdue has 10 guys either directly on the LOS or within 5y of it at the snap and those guys are stepping up as soon as the ball is snapped. You can see QB play like JOK delivered and WS doesn't makes a huge difference in forcing a defense into more zone coverage and this was a weak area for Purdue's D. They suck at it. Brohm teaches an attack D (like chair throwing though, it might be a little too aggressive). They were very good at that; not good at zone and I suspect that approach didn't get repped much in practice.

Recounting the plays in the video, M did a great job of calling some of the constraint and misdirection plays observers have been wondering about where they were. I think there is something to the thought that M held some of this back v the OOC teams. Anyway, really nice to see these plays produce some gains including some explosive ones.

[Jeff Buchanan]

One last comment. I think credit is due to the coaching staff for adapting the game plan on the fly to what O'Korn does well. He dleivered and that helps.

It remains to be seen if that same coaching staff will recognize that JOK is a much better fit in M's current offense than Wilton Speight is.

[Kstat]

O'Korn did the bare minimum of what I expect from a Michigan quarterback. It just shows just for far below the bar Speight was by comparison.

[Rocky Bleier]

Observations and questions:

1. O'Korn has more escapability and a quicker release than Speight. Wilton needs good pass protection or he's toast.

2. McKeon and Gentry looking good. I still miss Devin Asiasi. Does Wheatley ever get to go out on a pass route?

3. O-Line problems. Recruiting, inexperience, or coaching? Frey is in place if Drevno wants to go elsewhere...

4. Winovich playing way above expectations. How much of that can be attributed to doule-teams on Gary? Didn't hear his name mentioned yesterday.

5. Devin Bush is so much better than I expected when he was recruited. Seems like there are two players wearing #10 on defense.

6. Purdue plays dirty. Two chop blocks. Two targeting calls. Hit on Speight was after he was down and should have been called targeting.

7. Jeff Brohm is one whiny son of a bitch on the sidelines. Harbaugh is like a Tibetan monk by comparison.

8. Don Brown is among the greatest hires in Michigan football history.

[WM Wolverine]

O'Korn made decisions far, far quicker than Speight was what I noticed the most as well as JOK's mobility helped give him more time to pass. Competition (Purdue defense) might've helped as might've the play calling.

Right out of the second half, we saw M throwing the ball on every first down.

[WM Wolverine]

Wheatley had a [minor] injury last I knew, haven't seen him the last couple games, Rocky.

OL has talent (center & right tackle were never expected starters) and inexperience (both guards are true sophomores) issues... So many times, it's just one member making a mistake or getting blown-up, resulting in usually Speight getting pressure way too soon...

If Devin Bush were a couple inches taller, he'd have been a top 100 recruit easily.

[WingsFan]

Winovich playing way above expectations. How much of that can be attributed to doule-teams on Gary? Didn't hear his name mentioned yesterday.

Not by me, I have been tooting the Winovich horn since last year. Hes the best pass rusher on the team, (doesn't hurt having big Moe Hurst on the line next to you) though I thought Gary was just going to be a beast this year, I dont remember his named called but maybe once or twice yesterday.

[WM Wolverine]

Gary is being doubled while Winovich is getting in the backfield on most plays, with a 4-man front you'd see less doubling of Gary.

[WingsFan]

WM have you heard about Crawford?

[WingsFan]

Michigan leads the nation in sacks with 18 thanks to Chase Winovich (his 6 sacks are t-3rd) and Devin Bush (his 4.5 sacks are t-7th).

[WM Wolverine]

Nothing, but haven't been online much today.

[whodean]

Man, this defense is baaaaaaad (in a really good way).

Get better Oline play (against the tough teams on the schedule, oLIEo, PSU, Wisconsin) and they can have success with Tressell ball. This will be necessary because the weapons aren't there for a high powered offense.

This D will completely shut down every other opponent though.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Jeff,
Onthe long Evans run, Wheatley was blocking the backside olb and onewenu was supposed to block the guy over Wheatley. The guy over Wheatley was in man to man tho and followed him all the way across the play. Onwenu was confused that the dude in the hole took himself way out of the play I think

[Jeff Buchanan]

[ame]https://youtu.be/le9EgBByD-Y[/ame]