WTKA Roundtable 10/5/2017: The Joe Tiller Memorial Gameplan

I’m just telling Jim Harbaugh the right way to approach this game

[Bryan Fuller]

Things discussed:

• State previewed: OL troubles. They look good in Ed’s pass D stats because opponents have missed all of their wide open deep guys.
• Brian’s gameplan: Don’t run at all. State couldn’t press versus ND and that changed MSU’s ability to swamp the run game. Pick on their safeties all day.
• State’s gonna run the jet, and run speed options in high-leverage situations. Positive effect from playing Air Force?
• Lewerke is a good athlete who looks good 60% of the time and looks crazy the rest.
• Bad week to be without Tarik Black. Pass pro and take deep shots on these guys. DPJ please.
• James “Doug” Foug versus their guy should give Michigan the special teams edge despite the lack of Peppers.
• Ed defends Brian’s totally sane suggestion that Michigan go with the Joe Tiller Tribute offense.
• Offensive line cohesion is a big deal according to an older caller whose great-grandfather used to hang around Hangersturfer’s and listen to Craig talk about strategy when the forward pass was still just a gimmick.
• Tight end-focused route combinations: get the ball in Zentry’s hands.
• State gonna test the O’Neill crew’s willingness to flag OPI: they run a ton of pick routes, and their corners want to play up and grabby. Craig believes we’ll get a neutral game because we’ve been talking about these guys so long.
• Nunez thoughts: reminds Craig of THJ. Very good spot-up shooter, rare among his generation he can shoot an actual jumper. Castleton is a skinny shot-blocker.

You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream on Audioboom.

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