What to watch for: Michigan vs. Akron

http://www.michigandaily.com/node/73598

By Zach Helfand, Daily Sports Editor
Published September 12, 2013

While you munch on glazed donuts at Saturday’s game, or fast for Yom Kippur while trying to ignore those munching on glazed donuts at Saturday’s game, here’s what to focus on:

Will the pass rush finally show up?

The depth of this year’s defensive linemen has allowed defensive coordinator Greg Mattison to use an unusually large rotation this season. That makes Michigan’s lack of a pass rush a bit more unsettling.

Mattison wants his front four to win one-on-ones, so that he can pressure quarterbacks without sending extra men. They haven’t so far.

The Wolverines have five sacks in the first two games. That’s a perfectly respectable number. The defensive line itself, though, has just one sack.

Against Notre Dame, Michigan only recorded one sack. Earlier this week, Michigan coach Brady Hoke explained that Notre Dame goes to great lengths to protect quarterback Tommy Rees, so the Wolverines were content to sit back in coverage.

That’s a sound strategy, and it accounts for the lack of pressure on Rees in the game. But it also shows that the defensive line was largely ineffective without extra help.

Most concerning of all is junior defensive end Frank Clark. Clark has had a solid, if unremarkable, first two games. He faced one of the better tackles he will see against Notre Dame. Michigan expects more than solid out of Clark, though.

In the spring and into the fall, coaches and players raved about their dynamic rush end. Clark himself said he set a goal of double-digit sacks for the season.

So far: zero sacks, two tackles and two hurries. He has erred little, but he hasn’t been the spark most expected.

If he can’t beat a porous Akron line, who can he beat?

Is the secondary for real?

It was against Notre Dame, but the statistics were hurt by a soft defensive scheme: the Irish had 314 yards passing.

Still, the secondary did nearly everything right within the game plan. It limited yards after the catch. It prevented the big play. It tackled very well — think Raymon Taylor on a key third-down screen.

The secondary appears to have no holes. It’s hard not to picture how effective this group will be with another year of experience and an infusion of talent from recruit Jabrill Peppers. But for now, the unit has still been very good.

Akron runs an up-tempo spread attack. Michigan shouldn’t have to play as soft as it did against Notre Dame. We should get a glimpse of how good the secondary can be.

Will the interior line show improvement?

Michigan’s three interior linemen struggled against Notre Dame’s talented front seven. Successful runs up the middle were rare. Fifth-year senior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, by most accounts, ran well. Still, he had just 71 yards on 22 attempts. At times, redshirt freshman guard Kyle Kalis looked like a turnstile.

Redshirt sophomore center Jack Miller was a bright spot, but he acknowledged Tuesday that the line still is searching for chemistry.

Expect a steady dose of runs for Michigan on Saturday. James Madison — yes, FCS James Madison — rushed for 188 yards against Akron last week. The Wolverines should have no trouble. If they do, there is cause for concern.

What will Gardner and Gallon do for an encore?

It speaks volumes about redshirt junior Devin Gardner’s performance that he made one of the worst mistakes you’ll ever see on a football field, and Sports Illustrated still moved him up to No. 16 on its mock NFL Draft board.

That’s because Gardner had one of the better performances by a Michigan quarterback in recent memory. He threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another 82 yards and a score. He looked like an NFL-caliber quarterback.

And fifth-year senior wide receiver Jeremy Gallon might have had an even better night. He had eight catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns — one of Michigan’s best receiving performances.

Gallon is nursing a hamstring injury he sustained on Saturday. And even healthy, it would be difficult to surpass the night he and Gardner had against Notre Dame. Can they top it against the Zips’ less-than-stellar defense?

Agree on his first two- both lines. I'm thinking Gallon doesn't play much, no reason not get him back to 100 percent without taking risks.

'shoes

Here's hoping we run on 75% of our plays---and with Gardner on NONE (or very few) of them. Horror of horrors would be an injury to our potential NFL-1st-rounder during a 49-10 (give or take) victory.

Here's also hoping Shane Morris and our 3rd-stringer play the entire second half.

Unfortunately, you don't get credit for near-sacks. Because the defense had several of them against Notre Dame. Tommy Rees, to his credit, is very good at waiting until the last possible second to release the ball. So many times, we came within an an inch of getting that sack but it just never happened until ND's last drive. After about the 6th near-sack, I wanted to throw a pillow at the TV screen.

As for the Akron game, I agree with Mike. Hopefully the team plays some Lloyd-ball with mostly running and the second stringers playing the second half. Fitz should (SHOULD) have no problem running on the Zips defense.

WolverineHistorian wrote:

Unfortunately, you don't get credit for near-sacks.  Because the defense had several of them against Notre Dame.  Tommy Rees, to his credit, is very good at waiting until the last possible second to release the ball.  So many times, we came within an an inch of getting that sack but it just never happened until ND's last drive.  After about the 6th near-sack, I wanted to throw a pillow at the TV screen.  

It was the same for Devin. He got hit on a lot of passes, and those passes were right on target.

WolverineHistorian wrote:

Unfortunately, you don't get credit for near-sacks.  Because the defense had several of them against Notre Dame.  Tommy Rees, to his credit, is very good at waiting until the last possible second to release the ball.  So many times, we came within an an inch of getting that sack but it just never happened until ND's last drive.  After about the 6th near-sack, I wanted to throw a pillow at the TV screen.  

As for the Akron game, I agree with Mike.  Hopefully the team plays some Lloyd-ball with mostly running and the second stringers playing the second half.  Fitz should (SHOULD) have no problem running on the Zips defense.  

But the fact is, WH, on at least some of those plays (and yes, the announcer had the call right: "Tommy hung on to that ball till the last possible second", he'd say), Rees' throws were off the mark...including a crucial incompletion (I think I recall) that spoiled their drive with the score 27-20, and we got the ball and drove to (what proved) the winning TD.  So I think your underlying point, trying to credit our D for "near sacks", is well taken; if they didn't exactly turn in 10 sacks, they frequently disrupted TR's passing enough to force INCs/INTs when most needed...and in light of which I'm glad your cocked throwing arm was holding a pillow, not a rock or ceramic coffee mug, in front of the TV...

Indeed, Fitz (and company) had better be able to run it a ton on the Zips' defense which averages, across the front, a sickly (by today's measurements) 265 pounds, and which surrendered a surreal 188 yards to---gasp!---James Madison!  A tiny local (here) college occasionally heard
of on NCAA hoops' Selection Sunday...never in the fall !!!

Addendum to reply to WH:

And if we got that many "near[ly] sacks" with a four-man D-line against six blockers of possibly the best O-Line we'll see this year...
in only our second game...???

WolverineHistorian wrote:

Unfortunately, you don't get credit for near-sacks.  Because the defense had several of them against Notre Dame.  Tommy Rees, to his credit, is very good at waiting until the last possible second to release the ball.  So many times, we came within an an inch of getting that sack but it just never happened until ND's last drive.  After about the 6th near-sack, I wanted to throw a pillow at the TV screen.  

As for the Akron game, I agree with Mike.  Hopefully the team plays some Lloyd-ball with mostly running and the second stringers playing the second half.  Fitz should (SHOULD) have no problem running on the Zips defense.  

There is very much so a stat for QB Hurries.

I think we see two 100 yard rushers Saturday.

I'd like to see the secondary dominate, with Countess and Stribling having great games, multiple picks.

And I would be very happy with large doses of Green and Morris.

Even though we might not see much throwing, I'd like to see Funches involved more in the offense to take advantage of his size.

Was it ever confirmed that he might be a little banged up?

Don't forget, Akron runs a spread. This game "might" not be that easy...

EJinGA wrote:

I'd like to see the secondary dominate, with Countess and Stribling having great games, multiple picks.

And I would be very happy with large doses of Green and Morris.

I'd like Taylor to get a pick six .

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

I think we see two 100 yard rushers Saturday.

Agree

And I have to check SI's mock board. I like seeing Gardner there but I'd hate to lose him after this year. A part of me is still holding out hope that he sticks around. I guess I'll have to wait to see how the rest of the year goes but I'd love for him to stay another year.

He shouldn't be done with his grad degree after this year correct? Maybe he sticks around for that.

sandyeggo_blue wrote:

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

I think we see two 100 yard rushers Saturday.

Agree

And I have to check SI's mock board. I like seeing Gardner there but I'd hate to lose him after this year. A part of me is still holding out hope that he sticks around. I guess I'll have to wait to see how the rest of the year goes but I'd love for him to stay another year.

He shouldn't be done with his grad degree after this year correct? Maybe he sticks around for that.

With the program that he is in there is no way that he'll be done after this season. It isn't that it's that hard, but it is an absolute ton of work. He only has one day of classes this semester, plus I've heard nothing about him having a practicum. He could be on the 16-month track though, but even then he'd get another season/ 16-monthers graduate next winter. That would mean that he has class year'round, with all of the passing academies he attends this will be interesting. Unless of course he merely takes Fall/Winter classes to maintain his eligibility (kinda like that bucknut from ohio who took "Ballroom Dancing")...

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Don't forget, Akron runs a spread.  This game "might" not be that easy...

I would love to see Arizona and RichRod on the schedule in the future.

He talked about wanting to do that. With the Pac-12/B1G agreement it quite possibly will happen. That could get ugly with the fans though...

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

He talked about wanting to do that.  With the Pac-12/B1G agreement it quite possibly will happen.  That could get ugly with the fans though...

yep here is a link to the article.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/wildaboutazcats/2011/12/08/arizona-vs-michigan-a-coach-says-its-a-matchup-that-rich-rodriguez-wants/


it's old but that's the last I read about it. I'd love to see it.

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

sandyeggo_blue wrote:

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

I think we see two 100 yard rushers Saturday.

Agree

And I have to check SI's mock board. I like seeing Gardner there but I'd hate to lose him after this year. A part of me is still holding out hope that he sticks around. I guess I'll have to wait to see how the rest of the year goes but I'd love for him to stay another year.

He shouldn't be done with his grad degree after this year correct? Maybe he sticks around for that.

With the program that he is in there is no way that he'll be done after this season.  It isn't that it's that hard, but it is an absolute ton of work.  He only has one day of classes this semester, plus I've heard nothing about him having a practicum.  He could be on the 16-month track though, but even then he'd get another season/  16-monthers graduate next winter.  That would mean that he has class year'round, with all of the passing academies he attends this will be interesting.  Unless of course he merely takes Fall/Winter classes to maintain his eligibility (kinda like that bucknut from ohio who took "Ballroom Dancing")...

Thanks for clearing this up. I'll pass it along to my brother-in-law who was wondering also.

And I thought that was Matt Leinart that took ball room dancing at U$C. Did I miss an O$U player doing that?

Ok, maybe I miss remembered? I could have sworn that Crain Krenzel took ballroom dancing for his last semester. Krenzel actually graduated with a 3.75 in molecular genetics. Searches all showed Leinart and Krenzel together so maybe that's why? I didn't find anything definitely saying Krenzel took ballroom dancing but didn't he already earn his degree before his eligibility to play football what exhausted? That was why he took a blow-off class...

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Ok, maybe I miss remembered?  I could have sworn that Crain Krenzel took ballroom dancing for his last semester.  Krenzel actually graduated with a 3.75 in molecular genetics.  Searches all showed Leinart and Krenzel together so maybe that's why?  I didn't find anything definitely saying Krenzel took ballroom dancing but didn't he already earn his degree before his eligibility to play football what exhausted?  That was why he took a blow-off class...

From Krenzel's wiki.

Krenzel graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in molecular genetics and a GPA of 3.75. He did research as part of a selective oncologylaboratory at the Ohio State University Medical Center.^[1] Krenzel was named a First-Team Academic All-American and Academic All-American of the Year, and received three Academic All-Big Ten awards, the Today's Top VIII Award, a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame post-graduate scholarship, Sporting News' Socrates Award, and the Draddy Trophy.^[2]

fishgoblue22 wrote:

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Ok, maybe I miss remembered?  I could have sworn that Crain Krenzel took ballroom dancing for his last semester.  Krenzel actually graduated with a 3.75 in molecular genetics.  Searches all showed Leinart and Krenzel together so maybe that's why?  I didn't find anything definitely saying Krenzel took ballroom dancing but didn't he already earn his degree before his eligibility to play football what exhausted?  That was why he took a blow-off class...

From Krenzel's wiki.

Krenzel graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in molecular genetics and a GPA of 3.75. He did research as part of a selective oncologylaboratory at the Ohio State University Medical Center.^[1] Krenzel was named a First-Team Academic All-American and Academic All-American of the Year, and received three Academic All-Big Ten awards, the Today's Top VIII Award, a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame post-graduate scholarship, Sporting News' Socrates Award, and the Draddy Trophy.^[2]

yawn! what a bum ha ha  

He never really made it in the NFL though....

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Don't forget, Akron runs a spread.  This game "might" not be that easy...

Bump...

It WAS Matt Leinert that took one class (Ballroom Dancing) his entire senior year.

'shoes

Yep, I conceded that point. Krenzel was actually intelligent which pains me to admit. Captain Kirk was bright too, he started Pre-Med before changing to the ever popular General Studies...

I think that I'm gonna hurl now... 

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Yep, I conceded that point.  Krenzel was actually intelligent which pains me to admit.  Captain Kirk was bright too, he started Pre-Med before changing to the ever popular General Studies...

I think that I'm gonna hurl now... 

Krenzel is from michigan right? I could google it but I'm lazy and don't care all that much.

Yep, he was from Sterling Heights.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Krenzel