UFR Glossary: Familiarize yourself with all the jargon here.

Substitution Notes: There were many subs (it was crazy) so we need to bullet this game.

• Your starters were McGregor, Jenkins, Graham, and Harrell; Colson and Barrett; Paige, Sabb, Sainristil, Harris and Wallace.
• Hausmann rotated at both LB spots.
• Second team DL was Moore, Goode, Grant, and Stewart. TJ Guy got in first as a 5-2 edge but the Harrell/McGregor/Moore/Stewart got the majority of snaps.
• At DT, the pattern I'm getting is Grant is a nose, but Benny and Goode can be either.
• At LB, Jaydon Hood played much of the 2nd half, while Micah Pollard was in for the last two drives only.
• At safety, Q-Jo replaced Paige, and Sabb was in for Moore. Berry came in at the Paige spot but moved to the Moore spot when they played Brandyn Hillman.
• Backup corners were Jyaire Hill and DJ Waller. Backup nickel was McBurrows.
• Final drive participants not already mentioned were DTs Trey Pierce and Reece Atteberry, DEs Kechaun Bennett and Cameron Brandt, LB Christian Boivin, and Nk Kody Jones.

Formation Notes: Nothing fancy from either team, except this from Michigan I called "Eagle A9" because it's an Eagle front (wide DTs) with a LB in the A gap and an LB in a wide 9. Usually I just call such things "Exotic" but Eagle showed up a few times so I wanted this sorted in that bin.

Just to refamiliarize with our nomenclature I call this formation from ECU "Offset 3x1 RB." Offset because the RB is offset by a yard or more from the QB. 3x1 because it's a 4-wide set with 3 on the field side versus 1 on the boundary side. RB because the RB is flipped to the strongside.

[After THE JUMP: Remembering some dudes]

Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
25	1st	10	Offset Str	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	RPO		IZ/Slants	McGregor	1	-0.59
Graham(+0.5) and Jenkins(+0.5) stand up to doubles until Barrett(+2) flies in and pops a G on Mason into the backfield. This frees Mason to tackle at the LOS. McGregor(+1) got free and helped so it becomes a pile of nothing that falls forward a yard.
O26	2nd	9	Gun 2x2 Y-slide	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 off	Pass	4	Snag	Barrett	5	0.05
A quick dumpoff on 2nd & long, Barrett(+1, tackling+1, cov push) is a beat late bc he had to look up the DB but lays a thwomp on the slot.
O31	3rd	4	Offset 3x1	4-2-5	5-1 Eagle	1 press	Pass	5	Slot Fade	Sabb	Inc	-0.44
Barrett(-1) tips blitz and they check to this; he gets upended by the RB (Hat+1). McGregor(+0.5) and Jenkins(+0.5) are breaking through (PR+1). ECU wants a pick on Sainristil and Harris but they switch (RPS+1, cov+2) and the only thing left is a fade that Sabb(+1) PBUs without looking because he's in this TE's chest.
Drive Notes: Punt. 0-0. 13 min 1st Q. It's a shank that rolls past Thaw down to the M2 so the next drive starts in M territory.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
M47	1st	10	Offset 2x2 H-orbit	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 fld	RPO		Stretch/Bubble	Barrett	-1	-1.28
Barrett(+2) almost tips this blitz, then blasts the C two yards into the backfield. Stewart(+1) has set a hard edge and Goode(+0.5) planted his guy in the backfield too so this runs into pile. LG tripped (Hat-2) so Colson(+0.5) has a free run to clean up.
M48	2nd	11	Empty Diamond	4-2-5	Nk Wide	2 fld	Run		QB Draw	Stewart	2	-0.62
M is stunting, Stewart(+1) picks this up and brings Garcia down with help from Barrett(+0.5). Paige levels a WR at the end of the play (Refs+1) don't notice him standing over his kill.
M46	3rd	9	Offset FB Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 fld	Pass	4	H Out	Sainristil	INT	-4.02
Grant(+2, PR+2) stunts and the ECU guard ignores him until it's too late. Beastman is coming on fast so Garcia flings it away at Sainristil(+2, cov+2) who intercepts.
Drive Notes: Interception. 0-0. 10 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Pistol 2x2	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 off	Run		ZR IZ	Graham	0	-0.70
DL wins across the board as McGregor(+1) plunks the TE to set an edge way inside, Graham(+1) pushed the RG a yard back, Jenkins(+1) did the same to his G, and the C is superfluous as Harrell(+0.5) finds his way to the RB and grabs his waist to prevent a yard.
O25	2nd	10	Offset 2x2	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 bdy	Pass	4	H Stop	Harris	9	0.68
Stunt, Jenkins(+0.5, PR+1) gets squeezed in the B gap and falls down productively. McGregor gets ripped back by his shoulderpad (Refs-1) but Garcia is spooked. He finds his slot set up in hole between 3 defenders; Harris(-1, cov-1) is the culprit as he waves Sainristil to the flat then gets caught too high, but he gets back in time to tackle short of the sticks.
O34	3rd	1	Goal	4-2-5	Goal	n/a	Run		QB Sneak	Graham	3	1.05
Tempo(27). Peacock misses it for replay. M not set (RPS-1) and pile lurches well forward.
O37	1st	10	Gun Str	4-2-5	Nk Under	2 off	Pass		Rollout Stop	Wilson	Inc	-1.07
This is a sight read (RPS-0.5) vs off coverage that gets them 5 yards if accurate; Garcia turfs it (Hat-2).
O37	2nd	10	Offset Str	4-2-5	5-1 Odd	2 fld	RPO		Dart Insert/Flare	D.Moore	-1	-0.76
Interesting play where the C pulls left and the offset-Y leads. M is stunting (RPS+2) which messes up what's probably supposed to be a trap block on Moore by the C, and also delivers a TE into Grant(+0.5): bonk. RB has to cut back where the Nk blitz has delivered Sainristil but D-Mo(+1, tackling+1) and Colson(+2) shot through their defenders to wrangle down in the backfield
O36	3rd	11	Offset 3x1 Bunch	4-2-5	Nk Eagle AA	0 fld	Pass	4	Scramble	Colson	5	0.03
D-Mo(+0.5) and Guy(+0.5) could draw--Moore's getting the full Hutchinson--and collide at Garcia (PR+1) which is enough to spook him into taking off, where Colson(+1, tackling+1) ends him after a few yards.
Drive Notes: Punt. 7-0. 3 min 1st Q. (EO1Q for defense). ECU gets a holding on That's Bait return so next drive starts at the ECU 9.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O9	1st	10	Offset Wk H-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 bdy	Run		Jet Sweep	Hausmann	1	-0.28
Sainristil(+1) sets a hard edge by flying up and plunking the TE, Hausmann(+2) blasts through the RB to tackle at the LOS.
O10	2nd	9	Offset Wk	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	PRO		H-Slant/Power	Hausmann	14	0.96
Hausmann(-2, cov-2) sucks up and gets RPO'd.
O24	1st	10	Gun 2x2	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 fld	Pass	4	Deep Dig	Harris	Inc(-10)	-1.03
Grant(+2, PR+2) rips past the RG and oh lawd he comin'. Stewart is hauled down trying to spin (it gets called) so Garcia can get this away. Accurate throw could've maybe been a Barrett pick so cov push.
O14	1st	20	Offset Wk	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	RPO		IZ/Slants	Stewart	16	1.36
Stewart(-2) is no Harrell on the edge, gets put inside the TE and there's a cutback lane. Barrett(-1, tackling-1) tries to get him from a bad angle and gets stiff-armed. Harris(-1) was in m2m and almost bumped into Sabb(+0.5), who reacted quickly and shot outside to prevent his from getting the 1st.
O30	2nd	4	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	PRO		Bubble/IZ	McGregor	3	-0.34
Technically a backwards pass so stats file as a run. Sainristil(+2) sets up on the edge and is getting very grappled. McGregor(-1, tackling-2) shot out there and has a shot at a TFL but gets the angle wrong. Sainristil gets off his block and tackles short of the sticks. Kind spot (refs-1) makes it 3rd and 1 instead of 2.
O33	3rd	1	Offset Twins	4-2-5	Nk Under	2 bdy	Run		QB Counter	Colson	3	1.02
Fake pitch gets Q-Jo(-1) and Graham(-1) stepping the wrong way, McGregor(+2) beats the T and set up in the intended gap, pullers (Hat-1) both go for Sainristil. Jenkins(-1) put the C in the backfield but then got ridden upfield and locked out, and with Graham and Johnson wrong-stepped the QB finds a cutback lane to convert.
O36	1st	10	Offset Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Pass	4	X Fade	Wallace	Inc	-1.04
Blitz McBurrows(-1, PR-1) who gets taken out by the RB (Hat+1 this guy is a good pass pro). Graham(+1, PR+1) is shoving his OL upfield vs a G ripping his shirt off so QB chucks a fade that Wallace(+3, cov+3) athletically intercepts. Unfortunately the WR touched the ball while OOB for the briefest moment which by rule makes it a dead ball. Counts in our hearts.
O36	2nd	10	Empty 2x3	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 bdy	Pass	4	H Out	Sainristil	5	0.06
Quick out for 4 yards negates pressure, Sainristil(+1, tackling+1, cov+1) there to tackle immediately. Dinky dunks that resolve to 3rd & 5 are a win for the defense.
O41	3rd	5	Offset 3x1	4-2-5	Nk Eagle A	1 press	Pass	5	Slot Fade	Sainristil	Inc	-0.66
Barrett tips blitz, check, blitz picked up but Stewart(+1, PR+1) is through the RB immediately. Doesn't matter bc ECU is lofting an immediate fade (RPS-1) that Sainristil(+2, cov+2) is in perfect position on but the QB threw this so perfectly it makes it into the WR's arms, and through them. Mikey had a shot to rake it out but DO+ throw for Flinn there (Hat+2).
Drive Notes: Punt. 14-0. 10 min 2nd Q.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Offset Wk H-Fly	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	Play-Action	4	PA Scramble	Barrett	3	-0.30
For the 2nd time ECU calls a TO before the first play of the drive. Personnel thing? Harrell has a weird pass rush where he falls backasswards into the OT--looks like he got pushed in the small of his back?--and nearly sacks while falling down. Graham is coming through as well. They collide behind Flinn but QB is spooked and takes off into space. Barrett(+2, tackling+2) cover a ton of ground to bring this down for a minimal gain.
O28	2nd	7	Empty 3x2	4-2-5	Nk Eagle	1 off	Pass	4	H Out	Sabb	5	0.08
Stunt might get Graham(+0.5) there but this is another dink underneath soft coverage. RPS-0.5 I guess? Cov push. Sabb(+1, tackling+1) immediately on it.
O33	3rd	2	Gun 2RB	4-1-6	5-1 Odd	2 bdy	Pass	4	RB Leak	Barrett	19	2.61
Berry on as an extra safety, McBurrows(-1, PR-1) at Nk blitzes and again upended by RB. Barrett(-2, cov-1) didn't check RB in time and gives up the first then misses the tackle. Then Harrell(-1) whiffs. Then Sabb(-1, tackling-3) does as well. Harris brings him down inside M territory. Biggest play all day for ECU.
M48	1st	10	Offset 2x2	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	RPO		IZ/Slants	Colson	3	-0.36
Goode(-1) gets moved by the C, Colson(+1) manages to slither around that and initiate a tackle and D-Mo(+2) quickly disengages from RT he put in the backfield to stuff.
M45	2nd	7	Offset Wk	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	Penalty		False Start	n/a	(-5)	-1.40
Oops.
O49	2nd	13	Offset Wk RB	4-2-5	5-1 Odd	2 pres	Pass	5	H-Out	Sainristil	8	0.76
Another quick dink to negate the rush but Sainristil(-1, cov-1) slips so this gets good yardage.
M43	3rd	5	Offset 3x1 RB	4-2-5	Eagle A9	1 off	PRO		Stops/Stretch	Goode	8	1.71
Refs miss a little false start by the LG that Goode is pointing at but doesn't affect play. Moore is crashing the RB (Joel Klatt, Chris Simms is not) with a safety blitz at the QB (RPS+1); Sabb(+1) wisely puts his arms up and gets in the way of the only open outlet. Now it's a scramble that should be dead in the backfield but D-Mo(-1) chased a ballless RB way too far, and Goode(-1, tackling-2) gets juked. Flinn escapes, rumbles to the sticks.
M35	1st	10	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 fld	Run		Iso	Graham	2	-0.26
I wonder if this is supposed to be a ZR and the LT got the wrong play call. McGregor(+0.5) shucks him to force a give minus the benefit of an option. Graham(+1) tosses the LG to make the lead superfluous. Colson(+2) crashes then the two-gaps the C to join Graham in stuff city.
M33	2nd	8	Gun 3x1	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	Pass	4	Throwaway	Jenkins	Inc	-0.93
Flinn gets Mintered (RPS+2) as M brings Colson and drops Stewart(+1, cov+2) under the boundary out Flinn wants when he sees safety help disappear to the field. He stares at this in wonder and now Jenkins(+1, PR+2) is far enough past Handsy Grabowitz that the RT has to let go. Benny Hill sequence but Flinn finally manages to throw it back to the LOS from his own 44.
M33	3rd	8	Offset FB Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Pass	4	H-Flag	Sabb	18	-1.02
ECU subs late which means M gets to lollygag (I am saying to Mike Tirico) and takes their time. Rather than make ECU use their last TO or take a delay of game on the outskirts of FG range they put the ball in play and ignore Stewart, which gets the rare Refs-push. Stunt gets Graham(+0.5) free, Harrell(+1) and Jenkins(+1) get free on their own, and Flinn has to put it up. He drops a dime (Hat+2) that Sabb(+2, cov+2) rakes out, which is clear on replay.
Drive Notes: Missed FG(51). 20-0. >1 min 2nd Q. EoH for defense.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O25	1st	10	Offset Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Run		Reverse	Hausmann	1	-0.80
Harris(+2) recognizes the play and bops the QB inside the hashmarks and actually begins the TFL. But you came for Hausmann(+2, tacking+2) who reverses field, lines up, and explodes into this poor guy.
O24	2nd	11	Offset 2x2	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 press	RPO		Stretch/Slants	Wallace	3	-0.13
Jenkins(+1) blows through a G to bend this back. Graham(+1, tackling-1) got upfield to bend it more though he misses what would have been a sick TFL. McGregor(-2) however is hand fighting with the RT and gets edged. This is trouble except Wallace(+2) drives the WR blocking him immediately into the hash mark to close off the lane. RB crashes into them and McG can clean up.
O27	3rd	8	Offset FB Wk	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	Pass	4.5	Z Flag	Sainristil	Inc	-0.22
Graham(+1, PR+2) runs by the RT on a stunt and Jenkins(+1) pushed the LT into the RB which forces a low throw under Sainristil(-1, cov-1) who did give the WR a step. He can't bring it in.
Drive Notes: Punt. 30-0. 7 min 3rd Q. M uses up most of the rest of the 3Q on a drive that ends with #DonQuest. 3rd stringers are entering already but we'll do two more drives.
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O3	1st	10	Offset Ace	5-2-4	5-2 Odd	2 off	Play-Action	4	Back shoulder fade	Sainristil	27(-1)	-0.08
Berry in for Sabb, Hood at MLB, Sain to CB. Harrell drops. Grant(+2, PR+2) rips through a double so Garcia has to chuck. WR is like eh, they're not calling OPI right now but they're calling OPI right now (not charted). Feel like OPI should be a loss of down since DPI is an automatic 1st, especially goofy here because it only backs them up a yard.
O2	1st	11	Offset Str RB	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 off	RPO		Belly/Stop	Stewart	1	-0.18
Minter's answer to the RPOs is Don Brown's trap. Wallace deters the pass read then steps in while Stewart(+1) dives inside the RT. Run is supposed to go backside but M is pinching and Hood(+0.5) steps down to force a cut into the meat. Hausmann(+1) activates and adds himself to the stuff. RPS+2 this was drawn up. EO3Q.
O3	2nd	10	Offset Ace	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 bdy	Pass	4	Back shoulder fade	Harris	Inc	-0.11
Max pro keeps the QB clean for the time it takes to chuck it down the sideline. Harris(-1, cov-1) overruns, WR can't bring it down inbounds.
O3	3rd	10	Offset 3x1	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	Pass	4	RB Dumpoff	Grant	Inc	-0.05
Before this: ECU lines up with 10 players and has to take a TO. Stewart(+1) is beating the RT which soaks up the RB's chip and leaves Grant(+1, PR+3) free to fly up on a stunt. Also D-Mo(+1) is shoving the LT into the QB. Garcia dumps behind his RB to avoid a safety.
Drive Notes: Punt. 30-0. 14 min 4th Q. But why weren't there any sacks?!?!
Ln	Dn	Dst	OForm	DPack	Frnt	Hi	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yds	EPA
O34	1st	10	Gun Str	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	Run		QB Counter	Hausmann	5	0.11
Harrell(+1) dives inside the kickout and gets bear hugged (Refs-2) else he's got a shot at an epic stuff but it's enough to halt the TE lead-blocking. Hausmann(-1, tackling-1) has this lined up now but the TE tackles him at the same time and Flinn runs through it. Hood(+1) flies past a G who released with nobody to block when M scrape-exchanged and stuffs to limit the damage.
O39	2nd	5	Empty 3x2 H-Jet	4-2-5	Nk Even	2 fld	Run		Power Read	McGregor	12	1.47
Jet sweep becomes a Power Read. M is blitzing the backside so and McGregor(-1, RPS-2) is backing out and thinks he's getting RPO'd. When he realizes otherwise he's late and a TE shoulders him down. A lot of space now. McBurrows(+0.5) plays it safe and pops his slot to funnel this to a convergence of him, Berry, and outta nowhere Jyaire Hill(+1).
M49	1st	10	Gun Wk Flex	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 off	Pass	4	RB Dumpoff	Mi.Pollard	7	0.58
Pollard in. 2022-ass pass rush as Harrell(+0.5) and McGregor(+0.5, extremely reticent to give a PR+1) both round their respective OTs but Braiden slips and Harrell gets shoved 3 yards deeper than where he made the turn. Spooked Garcia dumps it to his RB but Micah(-1, cov-1) got pulled too far by the drag he'd already passed off so this gets 7 yards instead of 3.
M42	2nd	3	Offset Str	4-2-5	Nk Split	2 fld	RPO		Counter/Slant	Hill	-1	-1.35
Blow'd up by a slant with a CB blitz (RPS+2). Guy(+2) gets under the kickout again to delay the lead, and while they get this sorted out Hill(+1, tackling+1) screams in off the edge to join Guy for a TFL.
M43	3rd	4	Offset Wk Flex	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 bdy	Pass	4	Hitch	Hill	5	1.44
Drop Moore bring Pollard but no time for a rush before a quick hitch under Hill (cov-push) who jumped a little too far back at a stab downfield on 3rd & 4 but got back so quickly he made it difficult so he gets his point back.
M38	1st	10	Offset Trips Z-Fly	4-2-5	404 Tite	2 bdy	Pass	4	Hitch	McBurrows	7	0.42
This is thrown immediately 2 yards downfield so it's more of a screen. Waller funnels but McBurrows(-1) over-pursued so the H can back up to the LOS and run through Hood(-1, tackling-1) until D-Mo(+1) arrives and ends it violently.
M31	2nd	3	Gun 2RB Ace	4-2-5	Nk Split	1 fld	RPO		Trap/Slant	Jenkins	13	0.08
Graham(+1) is instantly across the C who grabs Mason's facemask and twists him back (Refs-2) which allows the LG to turn around and help. Micah(-2) sees the T release then Corporal Upham him, but doesn't know what that means. Also Stewart(-0.5) is distracted by the other RB lead blocking outside and is late to replace inside of Jenkins, though he does get a hand on the RB. Berry(-0.5) got a little too far upfield. Sabb(+0.5) calmly ends it as ECU enters the redzone for the first time all day.
M18	1st	10	Offset Wk Z-Jet	4-2-5	3-4 Odd	2 off	Run		Arc Give	Hood	3	-0.11
Neat #SpeedinSpace version of the old M staple. D-Mo gave Garcia a keep read if he wanted but a double on McGregor(-1) has moved him and the jet fake widened McBurrows (RPS-1) to create some space. Jenkins(+2) ruins these plans by coming through the backside T and initiating a tackle that Hood(+1) patiently finishes as Graham(+0.5) had his double well occupied this whole time.
M15	2nd	7	Offset Trips H-Fly	4-2-5	Nk Over	1 press	Run		3O Shovel	Graham	2(-10)	-0.94
This works (RPS-1) since it gets Hood(-1) and Hausmann(-1) both chasing the sprint option, but it doesn't work because Graham(+3) fights through a double, spins out of a hold, and has an interception for a moment though he doesn't realize it. ECU OL manages to pin it against his TE so nobody's the wiser, but the hold and illegal man downfield get called as the Michigan-hating replay expert tries to argue it shouldn't have been (it's close--what is it with this guy?).
M25	2nd	17	Trips RB H-Fly	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 off	Pass	4	Throwaway	Graham	Inc	-0.80
Somebody made Graham(+2, PR+2) angry. He splits a double as Stewart(+1) spins inside of his OT and Garcia is on the run. Hood(+1, cov+1) is keeping up with the TE so Garcia dumps it OOB before he gets taken down. Refs-1 ignore that it went out a good 4 yards shy of the LOS.
M25	3rd	17	Offset Wk Flex	4-2-5	Exotic	1 off	Pass	4	Scramble	D.Moore	11	1.00
Guy is in a 2pt stance at nose and stunts. Benny(+2, PR+1) is coming through inside and D-Mo(-2) just has to be secure on the edge but spins inside of his T and then gets a little held, and the edge is wide open. Shouldn't be that big of a deal on 3rd & 17 but Hood(-1, tackling-1) whiffs his tackle at the 20 and Garcia rumbles inside the 15.
M14	4th	6	Gun 2RB Z-In	4-2-5	Nk Over	2 fld	Pass	4	Scramble	Hausmann	1	-3.85
Guy(+1, PR+1) gets around the LT and this time they call the choke because Guy goes down. Garcia decides to make a run for it but Hausmann(+2) like a bullet erases the space to the sideline and wrangles the big QB down near the LOS with a little help from Grant(+0.5).
Drive Notes: Turnover on downs. 30-0. 6 min 4th Q. End of charting but here are some sad field goal drive events clipped for 2024 preview purposes: Brandyn Hillman goes boom, Kody Jones covering a back shoulder.

I have forgotten the format for these.

I think you are supposed to ask me about all the takes that people had after the game, and I try to answer them by synthesizing the analysis above that you didn't read.

I thought the defense played well. I especially liked the part where they didn't let ECU into the red zone until all the starters were off the field, and had a shutout until ECU kicked a sad field goal as time expired.

I need you to be a little more annoying. Pretend you're the guy who's extrapolating everything to November.

I am very concerned about what our third team's performance against a team of AAC replacements means for Ohio State.

You are not taking this seriously.

Whatever I say you're just going to rip it apart with a drive chart.

If you can't do this I'll just copy-paste comments from a Facebook group for you.

You wouldn't da--Why can't we run a modern offense like ECUs? They were moving the ball against us all d--That was cruel.

So was Michigan's defense. There were only nine ECU drives in this game, seven before Michigan emptied the bench. Of those, four drives went three-and-out, two more fizzled out in ECU territory after a couple of first downs, and then there was a 10-play, 42-yard drive near the end of the first half that ended on a missed 52-yard field goat attempt. ECU gained 2.8 yards per play.

Why weren't there any sacks?

I'm so glad you asked. The answer is the ECU coaches came in with a gameplan designed to lose with their quarterbacks intact. The two throws they completed in rhythm all day were actually an RPOs in usually-run situations when linebackers got caught overplaying run. Most of their downfield passing used the 2020 Mel Tucker cowardball strategy of getting the Pass out of the pocket as soon as possible, except because 2023 Michigan plays a lot more zone the underneath dinks outnumbered the immediate lobs downfield.

Those of us used to NFL passing games and pro-style college versions thereof are not calibrated for the results of this strategy. Stewart (#5 at the bottom of the line) got to the quarterback about as efficiently as a blocked man can be, but the nature of a "go get it" fade is the ball spends most of the play safely airborne.

The variant against zone coverage was the quick underneath pass. Of the 26 plays I charted that could be called downfield passes, the majority were within a few yards of the line of scrimmage, and four more were fades like the one above. As Michigan's lead grew, they began to play more off coverage, and ECU's QBs were clearly coached to take the four yards whenever they saw it.

There were times when ECU was forced to throw it like normal human football beings. The results: throwaway, scramble, throwaway, deep out that got raked, scramble, scramble to throw it away, throwaway at the RB, throwaway, Benny Hill Theme.

This came out in our pressure metric (sack threats / [rushers/4]), which was 21/26. Within that I charted seven plays where the pressure was 2 or higher, meaning the pressure ruined the play (or ought to have). Considering how quickly ECU was getting the ball out, this was actually a pretty good day. Michigan was usually getting at least one threat to the quarterback, at which point said quarterback immediately buggered off.

Interestingly, most of the way Michigan was doing that was with stunts. I caught nine of them on those 26 passing plays, including this one where pressure from an unblocked Kenneth Grant led to a Sainristil interception.

I was actually pretty impressed with some of the throws the ECU quarterbacks were making. This one that Sabb raked out was under heavy duress when Michigan has seven guys dropping back versus three receivers with routes past the sticks, and Flinn dropped it in the only spot a receiver could have brought it down. Here's his situation at the release:

This said, there were several times in this game that a couple of pass rushers ran into each other behind the quarterback. One thing that made Hutchinson and Ojabo so effective was one would usually turn the corner at a different depth than the other, with the high man forcing a step up in the pocket where the low man was waiting. The problem in 2022 was if Michigan got one guy around the corner the other would usually be stuck on a tackle. The problem in the first game of 2023 was two guys getting around the corner at the same depth, though Harrell really tried to dig in here:

McGregor and Moore were able to provide a consistent B-level threat to get ECU's big, mobile quarterbacks to abandon ship. Harrell is Harrell. Guy came under a tackle once but he didn't seem to be changing the paradigm (PFF has him for two hurries on 6 rushes, FWIW).

The rest of the pressure was coming from the DTs on those stunts, particular through the right guard who kept forgetting to block them.

I think I am out of questions. Do we just end it here?

That's it? You don't want to name some dudes and see their scores or anything?

Okay. Davion Rogers. What's my score?

What's my what?

You said name some dudes. I figured this like that squares game where people get points the more obscure the name they can remember. Wayne Lyons!

I...

Will Johnson.

He didn't play.

The DT from the early 2000s?

I mean dudes on this team. I have scores for them.

Based on obscurity?

Based on how they played against ECU. I just went through every play and scored all the events I found.

I don't want to go back and read all that gobbledygook. Can't you summarize it into a table or something?

We usually call it a chart.

Why is it called a chart if it's a table?

Do you want it or not?

I will see this chart that is a table.

Chart that is a table.

Defensive Line
Player	Snaps	+	-	T	Notes
Kris Jenkins	24	8.5	1	+7.5	Drew a lot of attention, got TOO upfield one time.
Mason Graham	27	13	1	+12	Beast mode.
Kenneth Grant	20	8	0	+8	Pass-rushing nightmare.
Cam Goode	12	0.5	2	-1.5	Played a lot but was just kinda there.
Rayshaun Benny	16	2	0	+2	Quiet day, going to pass Goode by B10 season.
Jaylen Harrell	21	3	1	+2	Held down his edge, pass rush got weirder not better.
Braiden McGregor	26	5.5	5	+0.5	Lost some edges, lost to a double, crushed early.
Derrick Moore	23	5.5	3	+2.5	Mostly avoided, gunning for a sack late.
Josaiah Stewart	18	7	2.5	+4.5	Unlike his peers those are pass rush +'s and run -'s.
TJ Guy	10	3.5	0	+3.5	Very visible for as little as he was on the field.
TOTAL	233	56.5	15.5	+41	Stoned ECU run game, pass game avoided them.
Linebacker
Player	Snaps	+	-	T	Notes
Junior Colson	27	6.5	0	+6.5	Went the right direction. No notes.
Michael Barrett	23	7.5	4	+3.5	Covers a lot of ground, a couple of things to clean up.
Ernest Hausmann	26	7	4	+3	Saw some new things, showed some new things. Dude.
Jaydon Hood	17	3.5	3	+0.5	Might stick at LB4.
Jimmy Rolder	0	0	0	-	DNP
Micah Pollard	14	0	3	-3	Same oofs as freshman year. Hope he redshirts.
TOTAL	111	24.5	14	+10.5	Best top 3 we've ever charted? On the table.
Secondary
Player	Snaps	+	-	T	Notes
Rod Moore	0	0	0	-	DNP
Makari Paige	10	0	0	-	Biggest hit was superfluous to the play. Left early.
Keon Sabb	45	6	1	+5	Excellent debut.
Quinten Johnson	27	0	0	-	I will take boring from him.
Zeke Berry	30	0	0.5	-0.5	Barely saw him.
Mike Sainristil	34	8	2	+6	The guy on the cover of the magazine.
Will Johnson	0	0	0	-	DNP
Josh Wallace	36	5	0	+5	Sets a hell of an edge. Spiritual interception.
Keshaun Harris	45	2	3	-1	Up and down debut, looked like he could handle it.
Ja'Den McBurrows	19	0.5	3	-2.5	Upended by RB on blitzes. Be more physical.
Amorion Walker	0	0	0	-	DNP
Jyaire Hill	17	2	0	+2	You see it. Wouldn't surprise if he's starting by November.
TOTAL	289	23.5	9.5	+14	Hello Wallace. Hello Sabb. Hello again Mikey.
Metrics
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Pressure	23	2	+21	Pirate QBs were 17/29 for 4.6 YPA, but didn't get sacked.
Coverage	15	8	+7	Dinks underneath but nothing over the top.
Tackling	8	12	-4	Got a little bit sloppy.
RPS	10	7	+3	New ECU, Minter's turn to HC limited cuteness.
Hat Tip	6	5	+1	QBs dropped dimes their WRs dropped. OL oofiness.

What do you we do now?

I think you name some dudes and I talk about them.

Alan Branch.

I said he has to be on the team.

He was out there on Saturday.

Oh, you mean Kenneth Grant!

Yes: Alan Branch.

Michigan may have found a gift from the football gods indeed. After years of charting Mazi Smith I was not prepared for this rip move and ensuing acceleration that ruined the rare ECU dropback opportunity.

He did this multiple times. And we already mentioned Grant's role in the Sainristil interception but I don't mind watching it again just to mentally clock how fast this 350 pound man is moving.

#78 DT on the bottom of the midfield M

I made fun of ECU's guard for not blocking him but that is fast. When this much dude is coming at you that quickly it has a quality of its own. I didn't get to chart Grant against the run very much; for some reason ECU didn't really seem interested in trying him.

I also thought I detected Ryan Glasgow?

Ah, the other gift from the football gods. Mason Graham was the player of the game, and a major reason for the utter lack of an ECU run game despite all of the RPOs and weird stuff, like this attempt at a shovel pass that he momentarily intercepted:

Peacock announcing: not exactly Fox.

Most of his day was spent taking on doubles so his teammates could force RPOs into runs, and he still put up a +12 in 27 snaps, which is Mike Martin territory, by winning blocks and making himself part of the tackle. I'm still clipping this stuff so Graham isn't officially Boringly Good in his first game of his true sophomore season, but that's where he's tracking.

What about Josh Uche?

Josiah Stewart wasn't Ucheian, but he did look at least as dangerous as Mike Danna, though ECU was determined not to have that be part of the equation. Either they had an RB (their RB is great at pass pro, by the way) helping out Stewart's OT, or they were using Stewart snaps as cause to loft the ball out of the backfield.

#5 from the bottom of the DL

Brian mentioned in the podcast that the tradeoff with Stewart was a downgrade from Harrell's superb edge defense. In ECU terms this means there was one run where he gave up the edge.

You might also remember this play as "The one time ECU successfully ran the ball" because it was only the one time. Since Harrell does not give up the edge ever, it was indeed a downgrade from Harrell.

How did all the rookie DBs fare?

We'll go through them based on how much information we got, though there wasn't that much on any of them. Sabb was the most interesting in that he was trying to be a boring--IE responsible--and fared well when it came to tackling anything that made it to his level except for the one play when he, Mike Barrett, and Jaylen Harrell all suddenly forgot how to wrap up.

When they tried him in coverage he won, but not without adventure. The one they needed replay to show he knocked had the feel of a catch because the receiver's roundish flag route won him two or three steps when the ball went in the air. You want your safety on this guy's hip.

On the other hand, he made the play. Similar-ish story on the fade that ended ECU's first drive. Sabb was in the guy's chest making it hard, and because he's so big that was plenty to prevent a non-Keon Coleman WR from making a catch. But you also want him to get his head around.

Kechaun Harris was interesting in that he showed he can set an edge, but also had a Channing Stribling moment late where he didn't replace after his WR went to crack a safety. The other interesting thing was I saw Harris and Sainristil pull off a switch coverage on the afore mentioned Sabb PBU.

Watch #36 and #0 in coverage at the top of the screen

This was a play that ECU checked into when they saw a m2m setup and Barrett tip a blitz. The slot there is supposed to rub Harris off his coverage of the guy coming outside-in. I griped all last year about how Michigan was making their cornerbacks fight across those picks. It may be because Harris and Sainristil are both upperclassmen, but so was DJ Turner. Anyway, fixed.

As for the rest I got very little on Ja'Den McBurrows, who got on the field as Sainristil's backup but spent most of them getting upended by ECU's RB on blitzes. Quinten Johnson played a bunch but stayed over everything and thus out of the picture; ditto Zeke Berry. Let's see, who else? Kody Jones defended a back-shoulder play I didn't chart. Brandyn Hillman showed up to this really fast. Jyaire Hill got to be part of Minter emptying the anti-RPO playbook at the end.

You missed one!

Which one?

Number 12. I didn't recognize him.

He's not a rookie. He's played more football than anybody on this roster. That's Josh Wallace, our UMass transfer!

Is that you doing your bit?

No I think he can be just Josh Wallace. Hughes is always Casey Hughes the Utah transfer because he couldn't get on the field. Wallace looked more like a guy who's going to be hard to keep off of it.

This was ruled incomplete because the WR touched it out of bounds, which is where Wallace put him to erase a back-shoulder "go get it" pass. ECU receivers aren't Marvin Harrisons but as for what you wanted to see in the debut of a UMass transfer cornerback there didn't seem to be any lack of speed or athleticism worth exploiting. Meanwhile UMass Twitter peeps @ZACHISGOD and @CurryHicksSage told me over the summer that Wallace's main thing is he's a strong edge-setter. This tracked like whoa.

McGregor got stuck on a tackle there so once Graham missed the tackle this was looking dangerous.

Then Wallace donkeyed his receiver to the hash mark and used him to initiate a bringdown. Wallace was also involved in one of Minter's tricks for messing with ECU's favorite RPO. Watch the CB on the top and tell me if you recognize the coverage.

That's Don Brown's old Trap, which maybe one other starter in the secondary (Paige) probably remembers from his time here. It can shut down an RPO because it messes with the QB's read, but in order to do so the cornerback has to play a bit of chicken to convince the QB he's taking away the flat before zooming in to defend the run. Wallace got the timing down perfectly, which resulted in a run for no gain.

So Charles Matthews the Kentucky transfer.

That's a different bit from the Hughes one.

No, I mean Charles Matthews the Kentucky transfer fans are never going to let this one go even though he played most of his career at Michigan where he was a perfect fit for what they wanted to do.

Ah yes. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ernest Hausmann, the Nebraska transfer.

This event was not one-off. When Hausmann starts going in a direction he gets there so fast you think he's going to overrun it.

This was liable to happen even if someone was standing in the way.

There were a few blips his game. ECU got Hausmann to suck down out of his lane on an RPO, which shouldn't be something he needs to do with that acceleration. Hausmann also missed a tackle on the edge (though it might have been because the TE tackled him first; it was hard to see), and would have been way out of position Graham hadn't made a play on the shovel pass. For a linebacker debut, though, "missed a tackle and went the wrong way on a trick play" is way up there.

The other linebackers had good days as well, and encouragingly in Colson's case, it was more in the read-and-react vein. Some of that was what we've seen from him before. This is a blitz where Colson throws himself into a lineman who's too off-balance to prevent Colson from two-gapping him to make the play.

And earlier I linked a play where he came under a pulling center to wrap up in the backfield.

#25 on the top of the formation

Last year I was advocating for more flinging Colson at the line of scrimmage because his tackling and reckless approach to the game serve him well in there. What I found more encouraging was the +1s that I didn't clip of his. One where he slithered around an OL about to disengage with Graham to help bottle up an RPO run after forcing the give. Another where Moore and Guy collided behind the QB who took off into space only for Colson to calmly bring him down. The one play where live I thought Colson was covering grass turned out to be Kechaun Harris. Colson finished the day with zero negative events in my charting.

We're just gonna let that one sit.

Barrett meanwhile started the day with a couple of thunks that are going on his NFL reel.

#23 the bottom LB on both of these:

His negatives were letting the untackleable RB catch the pass in the first place, not tackling said RB, and getting stiff-armed while trying to save the edge that Stewart lost.

As for the backups, Jaydon Hood got in for most of the 2nd half and showed why he has emphatically passed Micah Pollard, and might not give back the RB4 spot when Jimmy Rolder returns either. Hood also showed why he's unlikely to break into the top three, in that he also overpursued on the shovel that Graham saved, and missed a couple of tackles. Balanced against that were keeping pace with ECU's WR/TE on a drag across the formation, jetting past a releasing guard, and patiently waiting behind a Graham double until it was time to stick. Hood isn't large, but he he has good speed and a good sense of how to cause trouble, and paired w