Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Michigan Tuesday: DONe BROWN

Do you ever go to Target for a few things but you know your forgetting something you need.  Like toothpaste, razors, body wash, I think you get the theme.   For some reason, I feel there is an important thing I need to do today that people have been reminding me about for 6 months.   I hope I remember.  

I love that there is a new rule about no practice today so college football players can go out and vote.   With that said, It couldn't come at a worse time for Michigan.  

Brian at Mgoblog points out the next huge reason Michigan should be running a zone defense:

Here are the recruiting profiles of Michigan's CB's:

  • VINCENT GRAY: "Gray's ability to run is in some question. Upward mobility in the rankings was all but impossible after a 4.76 40 at an Opening regional last April."
  • JALEN PERRY: "UGA wouldn't let Perry enroll early and wanted him to play safety … Lacks top-end speed and agility to be a cover CB at the next level." (There were a couple of more positive takes from earlier in his recruitment cycle; the overall picture was not "unquestioned burner.")
  • SAMMY FAUSTIN: "… doesn’t have great makeup speed. He doesn’t seem to be a difference-maker from an athletic perspective at the next level … He is not the most explosive kid and can work on his flexibility"
  • DJ TURNER: "ESPN's listed combine numbers for him are solidly in the "meh" department, with a 4.63 40 and several other numbers that were middling for cornerbacks .. Even [his] top 20 SPARQ at the Opening didn't see Turner get out of the 4.6s in his 40."

Just so I understand this....................

  • Michigan lost their best CB's to the NFL and Draft Prep 
  • Michigan wanted a CB to retire due to injuries, who transfers in the league and ends up being a very good CB. 
  • Michigan's secondary continually gets gashed by high powered offenses like Alabama and Ohio State
  • The playbook on how to beat a Don Brown defense is very well known by Michigan opponents 
  • Michigan hasn't recruited the CB position well at all
  • The current roster is full of back-ups that have to play
  • The current roster of CB's lack speed 
  • Michigan's best CB keeps getting burned by no name MSU WR's and got pulled 
  • Michigan hires a former DC as safety coach that is known for running a zone and is now working from home for some reason. 
  • Michigan has 3 months of practice, most of them non-padded to prefect a zone coverage to make up for areas of concern.  
Don Brown takes all this information and more (as I assume he watches these guys in practice everyday) and still doesn't run a zone.   

What's the plan Don?  To run these 4.7 guys out against 4.3 guys and hope they can cover them?

Is this a old dog, new tricks thing?  If that is the case, then we need to move the old dog out.   

Michael Zordich is also to blame here, as I assume CB recruiting has to be a huge part of his role.   He is the only coach that started with Jimmy at Michigan and still is on staff.  I guess that is a sign that no other schools have come for him with a bigger offer and a new role.   After this short season, he should also be looking for a new role.  

Right now, the only defensive coach I would keep is Brian Jean-Mary as he has clearly separated himself as a good recruiter.  Shaun Nua has not been a strong recruiter and seems to lack the coaching experience for the role.  I like his youth but if he can't coach or recruit he needs to go back to a PAC 12 school.   His latest failure is going to be Rayshaun Benny who is now a strong lean to East Lansing.  

Jimmy says they will adjust.  Outside of hiring Gattis, I have seen very little adjustment since he has gotten to Ann Arbor.  

13 comments:

lryblack said...

Why fuck around? Harbaugh has to go. Anyone with two functioning brain cells knows that.

Chowman said...

Said it yesterday, but time to divest my investment of time following this program. They're not going to change. Too many deep pocketed donors keep writing the big checks for the status quo to change. Until the Stephen Ross' of the world stop giving UoM bushels of money, things won't change. I think the secret is out on Harbaugh. It was NEVER him, but his assistants like Fangio and Shaw. If Jim manage to employ top tier assistants, he won, if not, well you have what we got currently in AA. Don Brown is not that. He's curmudgeon that won't change no matter how bad it will get. Gattis might alright one day, but its obvious this is only year 2 of his career as an OC. He had no answers for what Sparty was doing on defense. Just kept call plays off his play card regardless of what the defense was showing him.

Ron said...

I don't agree with you about the defensive line coach Nau, I don't think he's been here long enough to make that evaluation I think he can recruit and I think he can coach

Rudy said...

May need to take a couple of our 4.3 WRs and have them play both ways like Mr Woodson did back in the day. When you don't have the assets, take what you have and exploit them.

Unknown said...

As badly as the cornerbacks with zero pass rush played, IN TODAY'S CFB IF YOU ALLOW ONLY 27 POINTS YOU SHOULD WIN THE GAME !! The stubborn coaching calling plays BETWEEN THE TACKLES RIGHT INTO STATE'S STRENGTH TO KILL NUMEROUS DRIVES
cost M the game. "Speed in Space" ? If that's the case then CALL PERIMETER PLAYS !!!! Look at CFB scores every week. Allowing 27 points shouldn't cause the defense to be blamed for the loss.

UofM91 said...

So basically we should start Eamonn Dennis and Andre Seldon with their sub 4.4 speed...

Tim said...

Unknown...I do agree regarding the offense. Yes, the defense was bad and frustrating to watch, but our offense was terrible. I am not sure if Gattis is below average or Harbaugh holding him back but for whatever reason our offense has not looked good since Gattis arrived on campus. We have won some games, but I would say we won some games again weak teams. I don't remember winning a game last year thinking "wow, we beat a really good team and our offense had a great plan."

Again, maybe it is Jimmy holding back Gattis. I don't know what is going on.

If Jim, Don and Gattis will make any changes (I am not hopeful they will) it will be this week. They just got embarrassed and all three could be unemployed in a few weeks. If they can coach and adjust it should be this week against IU. If it is the same old thing we are starting 3-5 in the eyes and everyone will be out of a job next month...and we will be back to square one looking for a coach...ugh...

Rudy said...

Agree that 27 points should still be beatable if you're getting "speed in space", but when it really counted the D gave up two long drives in the crucial time of the game to completely choke it. Half of these dudes are supposed to be in the NFL within the next year or two. As Biden would say...C'mon man!!

Rudy said...

CBS has their mock 2021 draft out. They have 7 Bama players going in the 1st round....7! All seven were 5-star recruits. The Suckeyes have 32 5-star dudes either on the roster or committed. UM has Daxton Hill. When you have good to great players, you have to play well all the time to win consistently. When you have elite players, you can get away with having a less than great game, and still win!! The DBs got exploited but what we really saw is how our poor recruiting of DBs got exploited. Don't see Cockeyes having problems with their DBs huh? Good recruiting classes aren't good enough, got to get the 5-star dudes. BTW...Justin Fields is a 5 star and he's gonna beat our arse!

Tim said...

Yep. Recruiting is the life blood of college football. To be elite you need a special player or two. Some teams have done well with getting the special player but then sink to mediocrity when that guy leaves (see LSU).

If you can constantly recruit 5 stars odds are a group and 5 stars will beat 3 stars year in and year out. And odds are a stud will come out of 5 star group rather than 3 stars.

To your point, Rudy, Michigan needs to recruit better.

Thom said...

The Michigan fans will have to be the ones to make a change. Don't purchase tickets, don't waste money on the Michigan brand items. On TV,
don't watch, viewer ship goes down the ad money does not come in. At some point the the all mighty will get the point that this football team over the years has SUCKS and a change has to be made to get the fan back.
If everyone keeps complaining and still shells out money, nothing will change. Why should it, MONEY speaks. That is why the school asked for donations to help support a rundown program and help pay JH his $8 million contract. As along as the MONEY rolls in, everything is fine.
As they say in politics...follow the MONEY.

Goblu said...

I’m just grateful that Bucknut Man hasn’t posted today :)

Small victories

szanreno said...

Goblu you guys didn't show him any love so he went to Dubai. He's hurt... Hahaha.