Category: Football

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Michigan vs Michigan State Football — Looking Back – 2021

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The first installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back just two years, to 2021.

In the time since 2019, the world experienced a lot of change. Covid-19 sent workers home, and people adjusted to isolation. Many struggled with it, while others benefited, to varying degrees. Some even reveled in the change.

Michigan carefully reexamined its football course prior to 2021, and chose to go back to basics. Jim Harbaugh remained head coach, and Josh Gattis remained his offensive coordinator, though the success Michigan’s offense experience came from renewing its commitment to a power running game. There were several factors involved, but the tangible result was success for Michigan.

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Michigan grabbed the early lead when Cade McNamara connected with Andrel Anthony for a 92-yard touchdown. Late in the second quarter, the game turned on the pivotal play. Michigan was leading 20-14 with less than two minutes left when MSU quarterback Payton Thorne faded back to pass deep in Spartan territory. Michigan defensive end David Ojabo beat a block and sacked Thorne, stripping the ball in the process. Better still, all-world defensive end Aidan Hutchinson recovered the fumble in the end zone, and Michigan had a two-score lead.

There was just one problem. Officials reviewed the tape and ruled that Thorne’s shin was down before he fumbled the ball. Television replays gave every impression that the original ruling was correct, because that ball appeared to pop loose before Thorne’s shin hit the ground. However, the game officials reversed their original call and ruled that Michigan State would keep the ball. Instead of having 26 points on the scoreboard, Michigan witnessed what might have been the 26th time in series history that an officiating controversy worked in Michigan State’s favor.

After that, Jake Moody kicked a field goal just before halftime to extend Michigan’s lead to nine points, but the Wolverines had difficulty overcoming the obvious officiating mistake in the first half. Late in the game, Michigan had a fourth down and 3 yards to go in Michigan State territory. Once again, the referees missed the fact that a defensive back grabbed Ronnie Bell’s arm, preventing him from reaching for the ball. MIchigan turned the ball over on downs, and Michigan State won, 37-33.

The good news for Michigan was that the Wolverines went on to beat Ohio State and top Iowa in the Big Ten championship game, earning their first berth in the College Football Playoff. Still, that controversial loss to Michigan State in East Lansing prevented the Wolverines from finishing the regular season with a perfect record, something that will stick in the Wolverines’ craws forever.

Many thanks for Fox Sports, the Big Ten Network, YouTube and YouTube poster Matthew Loves Ball for the accompanying highlight film of this game. As always, I own nothing and do not profit from this blog post in any way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-BcS6eakck

6 Michigan vs #8 Michigan State Football Game Highlights 10 30 2021

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Michigan 52 Indiana 7 – Game 7 Recap

GAME 7 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 52-7, Michigan by 45 over Indiana
SP+ Projection: Michigan by 36.5 (+8.5)
CD Projection: Michigan by 35 (+10)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 7 RECAP vs. Indiana

In this game, the Michigan offense dealt with the positive and negative sides of the coin through the whole game. The positive: JJ McCarthy and the passing attack were hyper-efficient yet again. JJ went 14-for17, racking up 222 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jack Tuttle took over in the 4th quarter and went 5-for-5 and also connected for a touchdown against his former team. The negative: McCarthy was sacked as many times in this game as he had been all of the first six games combined. Also, the running game produced a 40% success rate, two points behind what Indiana could muster (42%). There is a lot to learn from this week’s film sessions.

I expected Indiana to be able to find some success early in this game. For one, they were coming off a bye week, so hey had some extra time to prepare. Also, they canned their previous offensive coordinator before the bye, so significant change was inevitable, and really they could only improve from where they had been. That said, the Wolverine defenders were disruptive today, forcing 4 turnovers. That was plenty to boost the Michigan offense out of a slow start, and snatched the fire out of the Hoosiers.

Special teams MVP goes to Tommy Doman for pounding touchbacks on many kickoffs today, avoiding the extra touches for Indiana’s best player Jaylin Lucas. Special mention to Tyler Morris who electrified the crowd again on a 27-yard punt return in the 2nd quarter.

The Wolverines didn’t play their best game, and still finished ahead by 6+ touchdowns on he scoreboard. We have heard Jim Harbaugh happily accept an “ugly win” in the past. He may have just invented the “ugly blowout”. Regardless, Michigan is 7-0 and heads to East Lansing for rivalry week before taking a much deserved week off. Onward!

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Michigan Football Podcast — Teams Know What They Are Getting Themselves Into – Game 7 Indiana Preview

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Phil @pcallihan and Clint @Clint_Derringer preview the game vs Indiana – SP+ analysis and commentary. With Cam Goode and Jim Harbaugh.

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Podcast Summary

  • Michigan Wolverines vs. Indiana Hoosiers football game.0:00
    • Michigan enters undefeated, Indiana enters with low rankings.
    • Michigan’s running game could finally break through against Indiana due to weather conditions.
    • Clint Derringer predicts Michigan will score 45 points, while Indiana scores 7, with a potential big play or touchdown for Indiana despite their defense being in turmoil.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ football team performance and areas for improvement.6:42
    • Michigan’s SP plus rankings have consistently ranked them as one of the top teams in the country, with a current ranking of number one overall.
    • Michigan football coach Clint Derringer discusses team’s mental toughness and potential distractions in upcoming game against Indiana.
    • Clint Derringer expects Michigan’s running backs to have more explosive runs as they settle into their best plays and counters.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ offensive and defensive strategies.12:37
    • Phil Callihan predicts Michigan will have a run-heavy attack with two backs reaching 100 yards.
    • Clint Derringer highlights the improved blocking of tight ends Max Bredesen and AJ Barner as a key factor in the team’s run game success.
    • Clint Derringer highlights the need for Michigan linebackers to improve in zone coverage and getting to the right drops in the upcoming game against Indiana.
  • Michigan Wolverines football strategy and quarterback JJ McCarthy’s performance.18:51
    • Clint and Phil worry about JJ McCarthy’s safety in upcoming game against Michigan State.
    • Clint Derringer suggests throwing more passes early in the game to challenge the QB in less than ideal conditions, but not overdoing it.
    • Phil Callihan suggests not even seeing JJ McCarthy on the field in some situations, and opening up the playbook to show something new to other teams.
    • Phil Callihan and Clint Derringer discuss the importance of Michigan’s offense continuing to improve and execute their normal plays while also adding new elements to make the game more interesting.
    • They also mention the potential for turnovers and the risk of getting too cute, which could make the game closer than it should be.
  • A football play where a quarterback throws a touchdown despite coach’s initial hesitation.25:42
    • Jim Harbaugh praises JJ for throwing a perfectly thrown touchdown pass to Roman Wilson in the endzone, despite initial hesitation.
  • Michigan Wolverines football team’s schedule and depth.27:10
    • Michigan football coaches discuss the team’s schedule and potential challenges ahead, including a rivalry game against Michigan State.
    • Clint Derringer analyzes Michigan’s football schedule and notes that while the non-conference strength of schedule was hurt by the addition of ECU and the loss of UCLA, the Big Ten crossovers provide a challenging rematch of last year’s title game.
    • Derringer is not concerned about the schedule’s impact on the team’s conditioning, but rather the mental and physical toll of the season on the players.
    • Clint Derringer and Jim Harbaugh discuss Michigan’s depth and ability to handle long games, with Derringer highlighting the team’s experience in close situations and Harbaugh addressing his contract situation.
    • Harbaugh expresses openness to extending his contract, citing his desire to be somewhere he’s valued and appreciated.
  • Jim Harbaugh’s contract extension with Michigan Wolverines.34:44
    • Jim Harbaugh jokingly mimics signing a contract during a press conference, downplaying any potential distraction for the team.
    • Phil Callihan praises Harbaugh for taking a pay cut and putting his money where his mouth is, and notes that Harbaugh has done everything else he promised.
    • Clint Derringer confirms that Harbaugh and Michigan are working on a long-term contract extension, with a possible 3.5-year agreement.
    • Clint Derringer: Michigan athletic director hopes to extend Jim Harbaugh’s contract long-term to avoid negative headlines and keep the team’s momentum going.
    • Derringer: Harbaugh’s turnaround over the last three seasons has been remarkable, with young players contributing to the team’s success.
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Michigan 52 Minnesota 10 – Game 6 Recap

GAME 6 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 52-10, Michigan by 42 over Minnesota
SP+ Projection: Michigan by 18.5 (+23.5)
CD Projection: Michigan by 27 (+15)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 6 RECAP @ Minnesota

The Wolverines have settled on their starting five offensive linemen, and it paid off. Michigan put up a 67% success rate against Minnesota, who came into the contest as the 28th ranked defense, per SP+. That is the 2nd highest mark of the season for Michigan (68% vs. Bowling Green). JJ McCarthy was also solid in the passing game with a 70% completion rate, 219 yards, and a touchdown to Colston Loveland. The most impactful part of McCarthy’s game was adding 2 touchdown runs. The QB run game must officially be accounted for by the rest of the defensive coordinators on Michigan’s schedule.

We’ve seen the Michigan defense give up an explosive score early (vs. Rutgers), and a few times late (most recently Nebraska). This time, the cringe-worthy play happened just before halftime when Minnesota’s WR Daniel Jackson beat Mike Sainristil on a fade route late in the 2nd quarter. After the Wolverines were staying blocked on some outside zone runs, this looked like there could be significant question marks. Then the 2nd half arrived, and Mason Graham and his partners smothered the Golden Gophers, allowing only 46 total yards after half time.

On special teams, James Turner has settled in as the place kicker. He has shown a strong leg, and looked solid on all 7 (!) extra points while also converting a chip shot field goal. Jake Thaw and Tyler Morris continue to compete for the punt return duties. Seems like Thaw is the “safe” option, while Morris probably has more upside for an explosive return.

While the B1G Ten season’s opening three games have come against similar opponent profiles (Rutgers, Nebraska, & Minnesota), we are seeing the Wolverines continually improve week after week. The offensive line is settling in, but there is still room to grow as the running backs continue to look to add more big runs. The interior defensive line appears unblock-able for long stretches in every game, but there are still cracks visible in the secondary. This team is playing extraordinarily well, but the scariest thing is that they might not be at their peak. Yet.