The last three drives; really predictable up the middle stuff. The Wolverines downfield weapon has so far been Gentry, extending two deep drives with long catches. Other than Gentry everyone else is playing like they’re waiting for the game to end already.
Hmmm, I think this referred to drives 2-4, but lets see if I can go though the first four (I got through 3, I'll maybe try for the fourth, the first TD at some point)
1st
1st and 10 out of double wing: Ran counter, which should be off-tackle, but a DE drives a TE upfield. RB and everyone else end up cutting at the A-gap, got 6
2nd 6 out of shotgun 2-TE with twins to the field: Little pass to the flat, kinda open, gets
3rd and 1, two-TE I-from: They run power, again an off-tackle you can cut back inside. They let the TE release downfield, rather than washing down the end. End comes upfield, absorbs two blockers and forces the run more inside (that shouldn't happen). The tackle doesn't get a clean block on the LB, who kind of crawls his way into position, and no one gets the other backer, who helps finish. The end and backer, plus the RB not being hyper decisive end that.
2nd
1st and 10 out of singleback two-TE: Play action on predictable run down (changeup). Pass rusher in QB's face, looks like that forces a miss.
2nd and 10, shotgun 3x1 with a wing TE: QB almost runs while climbing the pocket, throws late, gets tipped, ends up in receivers hands. Quite lucky.
1st and 10 out of double wing: Again counter out of this look. Kinda goes the same as the game's first play. The gap gets kinda shrunk, forcing it more up inside, though in this case, kinda off-tackle still. Gets 1.
2nd and 9 out of shotgun, trips bunch close: Pass, works through progression, dumps to RB for 4
3rd and 5 out of shotgun 2x2 everyone tight with at least one TE: QB holds it, 3-man rush eventually rushes him. Tries to run. Bad
3rd
1st and 10 out of Singleback, maybe te-TE: Jet sweep look. Ran jet, got 11
1st and 10 Shotgun two TE: I think this is a sweep, but it could be a G-down off-tackle play. A miss on a linebacker makes it difficult, but back finds room and gets 7
2nd and 3 out of I-formation twins: They run power, which should be off-tackle. The backside DT somehow slips in, and the guy who left him then can't get to the backer. Goes for 2.
3rd and 1 out of I-from two-TE: Power again, this time the A-gap is open. Get's 8
1st and 10 out of pistol with a pair of TEs: Go play-action on a running down. TE rips open on a kind of corner route (there's something more shallow and I think a deep route over him). Nice play
1st and 10 out of Shotgun 2-TE: This is that play that I swear is sweep but might be G-down. The playside guys gets the edge guy, but logs him inside, Evans goes outside for 9
2nd and 1 out of double wing: Inside zone, so between the tackles. It's the first time they did it out of that look. There's not much push in the middle, and the MLB runs into it, shoving people forward and burping out the other side to mess things up.
3rd and 2 out of the I-form with two TEs: They run power, a couple michigan linemen get worked, RB cuts back and it a little too fine trying to get it, gains 1.
4th and 1 out of the I-form with 3 TEs: They go with a true G-down run (playside guard pulls out and prys open hole). Lead fullback doesn't get much of a block, but enough to convert.
1st and 10 out of the I with two TEs: Power with that small back. There's space, but the playside guard gets whipped and his man makes the play.
2nd and 8 out of the I with 3 TEs: They try G-down again. The edge defender goes inside and both pullers seem to watch him. The back goes outside-ish and a corner gets him. Not ideal. Playside guard looks very confused after play.
3rd and 8 from the Shotgun two-TE twins: They attack with a lot of vertical routes, Patterson tries to get to a TE coming back to the ball, but the DB just beats him to it. (Pass might be a little aggressive)
So Jim clearly likes power out of power sets in a lot of spots. They are kinda up and down, and the G-down as a change-up was also up and down. Of course, guys are losing battles left and right, so that hurts. These are not technically "between the tackles." Probably predictable, but coaching predicable and fan predictable are wholly different things. It's kind of a pity, the view from the side makes 80 percent of runs between the tackles. You have to be pretty wide to look "outside" on that angle. You don't see space/gaps/all that. And then there's the flow factor, where plays that are "off tackle" can flow outside or between the tackles. (UW's inside zone was suddenly an outside play when TCU was defending it a certain way in the 2011 Rose Bowl.)
