GBMWolverine: Coach's Corner -- Michigan Football -- Michigan at Michigan State -- Preview

Posted at 6:00am — 10/14/2011

GBMWolverine: Coach’s Corner — Michigan Football — Michigan at Michigan State — Preview

The long awaited rivalry game is here, the anticipation is noteworthy and the winner will take home a prize of being in a temporary driver’s seat over the rest of the legends.

Let us start with some realities and misconceptions. It is a reality that Michigan State is now a very successful program within the Big Ten arena. This Spartan team may not put fear into top shelf SEC teams, but make no mistake the 2011 version has experience, toughness, size, and good skill position players. A reality is that the Spartans were Big Ten tri-champs last year.

There are some misconceptions about the Michigan State program that many hold to be so, but simply are not. One is that MSU has no running backs. Baker and Capers are a nice one-two punch for inside and outside. This duo can hurt a team if the run defense is not up to par. Cousins is a quarterback that cannot play is another misconception. Wrong again, while his decision-making may be questioned, his size and arm strength is very high level. He has the confidence and the ability to squeeze passes into small holes, sometimes two small or non-existent holes. Dantonio is a guy who cannot coach is also a misconception. Yes he can and has successfully for years. Ohio State would love to have him back as a defensive coordinator, even though by most teams’ standards the Ohio State defense is excellent. Michigan State is low on talent. No, this is also a misconception. Plenty of guys on the current roster will get a chance to play on Sunday.

Dantonio has put into place simple, time-tested elements of successful football. To some degree these tenets mirror his mentor at Ohio State, Tressel.

First, a team is built around a physical, talented defense that performs well enough to keep the offense in every game. Coach Dantonio has been very successful with using a zone blitz scheme over the years.

Second, the running game is built around size and attacks the edge. When the opportunity arises, the backs use the cutback against the flow to break big plays. Counters also are a regular staple of the MSU offense.

Third, get a big, physical, quarterback with a sound arm and make the passing game a balanced part of the overall offense. When the offense fails use good special teams and punting to establish field position for the defense.

Michigan is attempting to revive its own Big Ten football reality based on formulas similar to Dantonio’s. Michigan wants to run a power game with power backs. That is a work in progress more than a reality. Michigan may not want to mold the WCO offense to Denard’s strengths, but that is the reality at this time, especially of course regarding the running game. Michigan would like to get the ball down-field some: the Wolverines have, but sporadically. The defense’s number one objective is to stop the other teams running attack. The reality is that this goal has occurred to some degree against different grades of opposition. Notre Dame gutted Michigan’s run defense early and then, in the opinion of many GBMWolverine staff members, got a little cute. Michigan State is big and physical, and even though the Spartans will not be a top 20 team at rushing the ball, the Spartans will check Michigan’s oil from sideline to sideline in the running game.

So, what may happen Saturday? Let us start with history. History states that the team that rushes the ball the best in the rivalry game will likely win, say something like 38 out of the last 41 times.

Well, if that is to happen Denard needs to stay healthy and rack up some big yardage with his speed and ability to improvise. Michigan has started to put in little pieces of offense that beg the tag of option. Michigan State has shown some vulnerability to the option. So, the weird little pieces of stray offense may equate to some type of option or edge attack. Borges may not be able to gain much up the middle and probably has Plan B ready to go.

Michigan State will definitely attack the edge for two reasons. One, the Spartans are pretty good at it, and Michigan still gives up the edge easily. Roh, Kovacs, whomever plays will linebacker, had better be ready.

The defensive assignments of force, fill, contain, and cutback better to adhered to the letter by the Michigan defenders. Michigan State will run zone inside and zone outside that looks similar and can confuse defenders. The Spartan running backs will look for opportunities to cutback. Michigan is doing better against the cutback, but one error can lead to a monster run. In addition to zone blocking, MSU can also run standard power schemes.

The wide-outs of Michigan State present match up problems, especially in the red zone. Cunningham is very good, maybe Sunday good, and Fowler is probably back this week. Having Fowler gives MSU the advantage of not locking in on Cunningham, a trait that was fatal against Notre Dame.

The Spartans love to run a go route straight down the sideline and hit the receiver in the seam between the up back and the deep defender coming over. The Spartans love to run an out with the first receiver and a post-flag with the second. Every Spartan game will have guys grabbing for the ball in the front or corner of the end zone. The Spartans will send a guy deep and then run a skinny post gaining position on a lone safety that has to make a quick choice.

The Spartans will zone blitz all over the field, likely bringing the heat up the middle. The zone blitz is meant to confuse the offense, giving the defenders an edge of one or two seconds in thought process. Michigan better block, on every play in every situation or the heat will get intense. Michigan may indeed counter by trying to get to the edge, ala Shaw last week against Northwestern. The option is another way to get to the edge. The quick passing game to the outside is a viable option. The quick passing game over the middle is another story. Part of the zone blitz scheme that dates backs to the old champion Miami Dolphins and then Dick LeBeau is blitzing backers and cover guys and dropping ends and even interior guys. If a quarterback does not read this fire drill properly, the result is a where did he come from interception. The best way to beat the zone blitz is to isolate a skilled athlete on a linebacker or defensive end, which could yield a big play. Of course to do this the quarterback must stay on his feet.

This is an interesting game, one that has been labeled as a measuring stick of growth for Michigan. The test will indicate growth against an established program that won quite a few games last year and pulled off a victory against Ohio State at the shoe. In fact, except for Joe B. finding a seam with a few seconds left, Ohio would have been shut out for the first time at home in an eon.

Michigan may have to play its best game to have a chance late into the fourth quarter. As always running the ball, big plays, and turnovers will be Sunday’s headlines.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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