However, this week Michigan debuted a slight wrinkle from the normal H-back formation.
This is the "Shotgun H-back" formation Michigan featured prominently against UConn:
The H-back flexes back against the grain at the snap, and, as Martell Webb displayed last week numerous times, nails the unblocked end.
However, in the new formation that came into play against Notre Dame...
The H-back is lined up on the opposite side, and in this case serves as a pure lead blocker. This came into play during the 87 yarder. In the Run Chart, this formation will be called "Shotgun heavy."
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun heavy | Robinson | QB power left | 4 | Huyge, Koger | Molk, Schilling |
| 1-10 | Shotgun trips left | Robinson | QB lead draw | 2 | - | Schilling |
| 2-8 | Shotgun trips left | Robinson | QB keeper left | 3 | - | Huyge, Shaw |
1st and 10: Very basic. Huyge and the H-back Koger do a good job escorting traffic away, but Ian Williams has gotten leverage on Molk, and Schilling, despite being right there, chooses to bypass Williams to go after Manti Te'o. Williams tackles.
1st and 10: Huyge actually gets away with a hold here, but this is all on Schilling. He's too slow getting to the second level, and Carlo Calabrese stuffs this play in its tracks.
2nd and 8: Huyge can't contain Kapron Lewis-Moore, who sheds the block to derail this play, along with a failed cut block by Shaw on the linebacker. FYI, this play directly sets up Roundtree's touchdown on the next possession. Exact same formation, exact look, and on this play Terrence Robinson came wide open down the seam as the linebacker came down when Denard showed run.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun heavy | Shaw | Zone read handoff | 4 | Robinson, Huyge, Schilling | Shaw |
| 2-6 | Shotgun 4 WR trips left | Shaw | Zone read (?) handoff | 1 | - | Huyge, Shaw |
1st and 10: Lewis-Moore stays at home, so correct read on the zone play by Denard. Schilling mashes Sean Cwynar inside here, and Huyge puts a hat on Te'o, but this is poor vision by Shaw. Omameh, Molk and Dorrestein have all picked up their blocks on the right side here, and there is reasonable room for Shaw to slip through if he takes it that way, but instead he chooses to immediately cut upfield with it.
2nd and 6: Not sure what's going on here, as Denard gives the appearence of a zone read, but there's nobody being read on the play. And once again, as the right side of the line plus Molk solidly locks onto defenders to create a sizable hole, Shaw once again displays well below average vision and tries to cut upfield again, where Lewis-Moore has muscled Huyge backward, forcing some spinorama nonsense that Shaw unfortunately has a history of. No surprise, Vincent Smith is in to start the next possession.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 2-1 | Shotgun trips left | Robinson | QB lead draw | 9 | Smith (+2), Schilling | Huyge, Robinson |
| 1-G | Heavy offset | Hopkins | HB dive | 1-TD | - | - |
2nd and 1: Huyge gets driven back by Lewis-Moore again, forcing Denard to bounce outside. Smith locks onto Te'o, and Schilling gets to Calabrese on the second level, but as Denard scoot by Te'o disengages from Smith and punches the ball out. -1 to Denard because it was definitely hanging out there to be stripped. An extra +1 to Smith for hustling and diving on the ball.
1st and goal: Not giving anything out here, just a case of hoping your mass of humanity is stronger than theirs and your running back falls forward for a yard. This happens. Notable on the field in this formation: Taylor Lewan, William Campbell, Quinton Washington.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun 4 WR | Robinson | Zone read keeper | 36 | Robinson, Roundtree | Grady |
| 2-10 | Shotgun 5 WR | Robinson | QB draw | 6 | Molk | Schilling, Grady |
| 3-4 | Shotgun slot left | Shaw | Delayed counter draw | 1 | - | Schilling |
1st and 10: Perfect read by Denard. The end is actually blocked, by Te'o is blitzing and there's nobody else nearby, so he yanks it from Shaw and puts a move on Brian Smith. Roundtree pops Zeke Motta a dozen yards downfield, springing Denard really loose. Kelvin Grady, lined up at the other slot on the other side of the field, doesn't get Harrison Smith. If he does, Denard runs for a 92 yard touchdown.
2nd and 10: Molk moves Ian Williams out of the way so Denard can scoot right up the middle, but Schilling is just a step slow and can't get Anthony McDonald on the second level. Also, Kelvin Grady can't hold the block on Darius Fleming long enough.
3rd and 4: This is that dreaded counter draw that destroyed Michigan's defense for so long. Poorly timed here, as Notre Dame is blitzing. It still may have gotten a first down if Schilling was able to restrain Ian Williams.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun H-back | Smith | HB dive | 2 | Schilling, Molk | Huyge |
| 2-8 | Shotgun trips left | Robinson | QB blast | 14 | Omameh, Koger | Dorrestein |
| 1-10 | Shotgun split slot left | Smith | Zone read stretch | 4 | Molk | Dorrestein |
1st and 10: This is the staple play from the UConn game. The H-back Koger cracks back to pop the unblocked end, and normally this would be a plus, but the end (Kerry Neal) is too tenative and the block doesn't factor in anyway. Schilling and Molk double Williams, but Huyge doesn't stay on Lewis-Moore long enough, and KLM tackles Smith for a minimal gain.
2nd and 8: Denard blasts through the right side as Omameh and Koger get enough (not all, but enough) at the line to spring him through. Dorrestein is too slow to get to Gary Gray in time, so Denard "only" gets 14. Te'o may have made this play right where Gray did regardless. Denard is shaken up, and we all want to die.
1st and 10: Maybe a handoff all the way since it's Gardner at QB, but whatever. Dorrestein gets blown back, which ruins the stretch play. Molk has calmly escorted Ian Williams down the line, so there's some room when Smith cuts up.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | QB sweep right | 2 | Omameh | Schilling |
| 2-8 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | QB sweep left | 7 | Smith, Koger, Molk | - |
| 3-1 | I-form twins right | Smith | HB dive | 2 | McColgan, Huyge, Schiling | Molk |
| 2-10 | Shotgun heavy | Robinson | QB power right | 87-TD | Koger, Dorrestein, Molk, Omameh (+3), Roundtree (+2), Odoms | - |
1st and 10: Omameh locks onto Ethan Johnson and drives him back, but Ian Williams gets the best of Schilling again. Much more impressed with Williams so more in this game than in the 2008 or 2009 games.
2nd and 8: What onions by Vincent Smith here. Brian Smith is blitzing right into the place where this play is going, he could've created a disaster, but V-Smith chops his legs out from under him, springing Denard. Koger latches onto Te'o, and Molk mashes Ian Williams. Williams actually makes the tackle here, but when a defensive tackle is making the play eight yards downfield and wasn't dropping into a zone, it's usually because he got owned by an interior offensive lineman.
3rd and 1: McColgan gets a decent enough lead block, and Huyge and Schilling double Lewis-Moore. Of startling note: Williams drives Molk violently back here, to the point where they almost took out Smith in the backfield.
2nd and 10: Freakshow time. H-back Koger picks up Kerry Neal, who was waiting on the QB run. Huyge occupies Ethan Johnson, and those two blocks are enough for Denard to get to the second level. Molk also mauls Cwynar. Now the real fun. In one of the coolest things I've ever seen from an offensive lineman at any level, Patrick Omameh locks onto Te'o, drives him back a solid five yards so hard and so fast that he uses Te'o to trip Harrison Smith and take him out too. He then buries Te'o in the Notre Dame Stadium turf for good measure. After this, Roundtree executes a devastating cut block downfield on the outside on Motta, Odoms chases off and stymies Darrin Walls enough, and it's a trail of vapor from here as Denard is gone. My god, this is a thing of fuckin' beauty.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 2-6 | Shotgun H-back | Robinson | QB blast | 1 | - | Robinson, Omameh |
2nd and 6: Ethan Johnson sheds Omameh rather easily to make the tackle, but I have no idea why Denard stops and cuts back here, the right side looks to be reasonably open, and he stops and ends up trying to reverse his field.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun trips left | Smith | Zone read handoff | 0 | - | Huyge |
| 3-10 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | Pump fake draw | 3 | - | - |
1st and 10: Hard to determine if this is a misread by Denard, the end is blocked and Te'o and Brian Smith are on the edge, so it's probably the right call, but I'll leave it alone. Regardless, Lewis-Moore knifes inside of Huyge far too easily and tackles for no gain.
3rd and 10: This is really on Denard again, he makes the wrong cut and runs right into tacklers.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun 4 WR trips right | Robinson | QB blast | 3 | Dorrestein, Shaw | - |
| 1-10 | Shotgun 4 WR trips left | Shaw | Zone read handoff | 5 | Dorrestein | Robinson |
| 2-5 | Shotgun 4 WR | Robinson | Pump fake draw | 19 | Omameh, Molk | - |
| 1-10 | Shotgun 4 WR trips left | Robinson | Zone read keeper | 1 | Robinson | Omameh |
| 1-10 | - | - | - | -10 | - | Molk (-2) |
| 2-15 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | Pump fake draw | 8 | Molk | - |
1st and 10: Dorrestein seals inside and Shaw blocks Brian Smith on the lead, but Te'o isn't picked up and contains this.
1st and 10: I'm going to be a stickler here and subtract from Denard, because even though the read end stays square and doesn't recklessly crash down on the RB, he's still shuffling his feet toward Shaw, and would be flat footed if Denard pulls it here. Dorrestein blocks down on Ethan Johnson which allows Shaw to pick up five, but this play goes for more if Denard keeps it, IMO.
2nd and 5: Omameh and Molk get good blocks to provide a hole, but the bulk of these yards are a result of Denard's pump fake to Shaw in the flat getting Te'o to bite.
1st and 10: End is coming down here, so a good decision to keep by Denard, but a) Omameh whiffs on Calabrese, and b) Harrison Smith is coming down from his safety spot the whole time. Simple case of ND sniffing the play out.
1st and 10: Holding on Molk.
2nd and 15: This is the type of playcall that infuriates Michigan fans in 2008 and 2009 because it was called with below average (Threet, Sheridan) and barely above average (Forcier) running QBs. With Denard, this is an easy eight yards due to his Denardness (and Molk occupying Calabrese on the second level).
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun heavy | Robinson | Zone read keeper | 0 | Robinson | Robinson |
| 2-10 | - | - | - | -10 | - | Omameh (-2) |
1st and 10: Correct read by Denard in keeping, but he tries to make it something bigger by bouncing outside instead of going straight upfield. If he goes straight, he picks up 4-5, instead Motta and Te'o string it out and he gets nothing. Denard also actually has Roundtree wide open on the bubble, and still had time to get rid of it once Motta committed to the run.
2nd and 10: Holding on Omameh.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun H-back | Smith | Zone read stretch | 3 | Robinson | Huyge, Dorrestein |
| 2-7 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | QB power right | 4 | Smith, Webb, Odoms | Omameh |
| 1-10 | Shotgun trips left | Robinson | QB power left | 5 | Huyge, Molk | - |
| 1-10 | Shotgun slot right | Smith | HB dive | 6 | Omameh, Dorrestein, Molk, Webb | - |
| 2-4 | Shotgun H-back | Smith | HB dive | 0 | - | Huyge, Schilling |
1st and 10: Looks like the right read, but Huyge getting pushed back (and then discarded) by Lewis-Moore forces Smith to cut upfield, and Dorrestein's cut block on Ethan Johnson fails spectacularly.
2nd and 7: Vincent Smith as the lead blocker smacks Carlo Calabrese. Martell Webb occupies Ethan Johnson, and Odoms locks onto Darrin Walls and drives him down the field. Omameh though, can't get to Te'o in time.
1st and 10: Not especially dazzling blocking here, but Huyge and Molk get enough of Nwankwo and Williams so Denard can get a decent gain.
1st and 10: Webb seals Ethan Johnson outside, Omameh just wrecks Cwynar, Molk seals Calabrese, and Dorrestein catches Te'o offguard and bulldozes him. Good stuff.
2nd and 4: ND blitzes here, and Schilling doesn't pick it up. This is compounded by Huyge getting mauled badly by Kapron Lewis-Moore.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 2-5 | Shotgun heavy | Robinson | Zone fake/QB power right | 11 | Koger, Dorrestein, Omameh | - |
| 1-24 | Shotgun slot right | Robinson | QB draw | 11 | Molk, Omameh | Stokes |
2nd and 5: Denard gives a token appearence of a zone read, but it's for a nanosecond; this is a QB run all the way. H-back Koger and left tackle Dorrestein get great kick out blocks on Ethan Johnson and Kerry Neal, and Omameh locks onto Te'o again and blasts him not once but twice.
1st and 24: Molk and Omameh do their jobs in creating a lane. We have a Je'Ron Stokes sighting! Unfortunately it's of him mostly just standing there as Gary Gray sidesteps him to hold this down.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 1-10 | Shotgun ace | Robinson | QB power right | 1 | - | - |
1st and 10: Denard slips.
| Down | Formation | Runner | Play | Yards | Yay | Nay |
| 2-10 | Shotgun 5 WR | Robinson | QB draw | 12 | Molk, Schilling, Grady (0.5), Omameh (0.5) | - |
| 2-3 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | QB power right | 2 | Dorrestein | Schilling |
| 3-1 | - | Robinson | QB sneak | 0 | - | - |
| 4-1 | Shotgun ace | Robinson | QB power right | 1 | Omameh | - |
| 2-5 | Shotgun slot left | Robinson | QB power left | 0 | Webb | Huyge |
| 1-G | Shotgun ace | Robinson | QB power left | 2-TD | Dorrestein, Molk, Omameh | - |
2nd and 10: Molk and Schilling double Ian Williams and drive him back. Kelvin Grady gets a nice block on Calabrese from the slot, and just as Calabrese is shedding him Omameh steps in to finish him off.
2nd and 3: Dorrestein kicks Darius Fleming out with ease, but from the other side, Schilling is too slow (slightly impeded by Molk) in getting to Calabrese, which allows Calabrese to tackle.
3rd and 1: Nobody really screws up egregiously here, I think everybody in maize and blue expected to catch ND's D-line off balance here. Instead the Domers get under our guys and stuff this play.
4th and 1: Denard runs up behind Omameh, who gets just enough push to pick up the conversion.
2nd and 5: This might actually be more on Denard for not picking up the blitz and letting the OL know, but regardless, Huyge kicks out to pick up the blitzer, but this also catches Shaw off guard and takes him out of the play. If Shaw picks up the blitzer and Huyge goes downfield to block, this play likely ends in the endzone, as Webb pancakes Kapron Lewis-Moore, but because the left tackle stayed in, there are multiple unblocked defenders, and the play goes nowhere.
1st and goal: Dorrestein cuts Ethan Johnson from the backside, and that combined with Molk reminding Ian Williams who his daddy is creates a cavernous cutback lane for Denard, who zips through it and dives in as Omameh gets one final blast at Te'o. Celebration time, bitches.
Game Chart:
| Yay | Nay | Total | |
| Huyge | 4 | 8 | -4 |
| Schilling | 4 | 7 | -3 |
| Molk | 12 | 4 | 8 |
| Omameh | 11.5 | 5 | 6.5 |
| Dorrestein | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Koger | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Webb | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Grady | 0.5 | 2 | -1.5 |
| Odoms | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Roundtree | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Stokes | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| McColgan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Shaw | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Smith | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| D. Robinson | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 63 | 37 | 26 |
Some thoughts:
- Schilling crashes down to earth because ND had two very good linebackers and Ian Williams was not the laughably movable object he was the last two years.
- ...But yeah Molk still owned him when they matched up.
- Much better from Omameh. The 2* who was a 250 pound DE in high school crushed the 5* all-world linebacker multiple times, with brutal efficiency.
- I was very impressed with the tight ends.
| UConn | ND | TOTAL | |
| Huyge | 4 | -4 | 0 |
| Schilling | 8 | -3 | +5 |
| Molk | 10 | 8 | +18 |
| Omameh | -6 | 6.5 | +0.5 |
| Dorrestein | 4 | 4 | +8 |
| Koger | -2 | 5 | +3 |
| Webb | 2 | 3 | +5 |
| Grady | 1 | -1.5 | -0.5 |
| Odoms | 1 | 2 | +3 |
| Roundtree | 1 | 3 | +4 |
| Stonum | 0 | N/A | 0 |
| Stokes | N/A | -1 | -1 |
| T. Robinson | 1 | N/A | +1 |
| McColgan | 1 | 1 | +2 |
| Shaw | -2 | -2 | -4 |
| Smith | 4 | 4 | +8 |
| Gardner | 1 | N/A | +1 |
| D. Robinson | -2 | 1 | -1 |
| TOTALS | 26 | 26 | +52 |
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