Thoughts after breaking down film of U-M’s 24-21, double overtime win over Army …
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Several things come to mind after watching this game a second time. First off … if these two teams both played a “clean” game, we’d probably give Michigan the edge by a couple scores, maybe 17 or 20 points. U-M’s unforced mistakes far outweighed Army’s, and that’s the reason this game was so close.
That’s no slight to the Black Knights, who are very well coached and unbelievably tough to prepare for (and just as unbelievably tough in the trenches). And by mistakes, we’re not just talking turnovers. Both teams had three, and we’d call one of each unforced (Michigan senior quarterback Shea Patterson not tucking the ball away on an opening drive sack at the Army 30, Army’s dropped pitch that should have been a touchdown for senior safety Josh Metellus).
But U-M’s errors, added up, included:
• Four dropped passes, three of them critical.
• A punt sophomore Ronnie Bell could have fielded but didn’t, leading to first and 10 at their own six instead of the 35 or so.
• Patterson missing a wide-open Bell down the left sideline for a score (“a play we have to make,” offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said today).
• A blind side block that forced U-M to start inside its own 20 rather than midfield after frosh Giles Jackson took the opening kick.
• Two missed assignments by a running back on blitzes that forced turnovers and a few whiffs at left tackle.
• Senior Khaleke Hudson lining up offsides on third and four late in the game (“Look down the line!” Brown said Monday).
• A fourth and five holding penalty on Lavert Hill in the second quarter. No chance he’s going to get beat there. Hudson held his man, too.
We’re missing some, too (the play before the hold, redshirt frosh corner Vincent Gray has a chance to recover a fumble but whiffs). But all of these led to U-M playing from behind in a game in which you simply can’t win comfortably if you are.
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