Congratulations, Wolverines! A great season at 15-0.
Congratulations, Wolverines! A great season at 15-0.
Say what you want about Harbaugh, but the team was very well coached last night. While everyone including myself expected tons of pass rush pressure on Penix just like they did to Milroe, Harbough wanted to minimized Washington’s deep threat that could put lots of points on the board quickly. So, he went with a 4-man front, and used the nickleback very effectively and trusting those 4 linemen to bring just enough pressure to throw off Penix’s timing. While this strategy allowed Washington to connect with short yardage plays, those were’t enough to keep up with Big Blue’s ground game that churned out big plays for 3 quarters. This type of D is tough to execute because it requires excellent communication amongst the backfield to prevent busted coverage which did occasionally happen, but the 4 linemen were still able to collapse the passing pocket enough to keep Penix throwing from his heels. The Michigan backfield was also very effective at swarming to the receivers and running backs on those short yardage plays. When Washington made into the red zone, Michigan changed up the pressure and forced interceptions. The net effect was that Michigan was only credited for 1 sack, but got to Penix so many times that he was limping by the 4th quarter.
From the offensive side it was a Corum and Edwards running clinic for 3/4 quarters. Washington was able to make some adjustments at the half to contain Corum, but they couldn’t sustain it through the 4th quarter. However, the real damage was done in the first quarter as Edward ran freely through holes the size of TX for a pair of early touchdowns. The O-line did a fabulous job despite Zinter’s absence (All-American Team Captain who snapped his leg against OSU). It’s virtually impossible to come back from that as the defense starts to squeeze.
Last edited by Sensei; 01-09-2024 at 09:39 AM.
I like my rifles like my women - short, light, fast, brown, and suppressed.
Nick Saban to retire. When it comes to college coaching…
I like my rifles like my women - short, light, fast, brown, and suppressed.
For our University of Washington fans, if you're still following this thread, remember that Saban played for Don James at Kent State.
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