Michigan Daily Sports Editor Kyle O’Neill is not a collegiate athlete, nor is he a collegiate coach. But he was a starting wide receiver for his winless team at Garber High School, was third in Bay County in receptions his senior year and claims to know something about the game of football. So each game, we’ll let him and his 5-foot-10, 158-pound frame break down why Michigan either succeeded or failed.
- Mira Levitan
Key play: First quarter, 7:25; 3rd-and-9
Explanation: As Markus Curry, Jacob Stewart and Jeremy LeSueur dropped into cover three; Marlin Jackson, Grant Bowman and Ernest Shazor had zone coverage underneath. Notre Dame tight end Billy Palmer ran a three-yard out, meaning running back Ryan Grant had to pick up a blitzing Scott McClintock, which he had difficulties with. Left tackle Jim Molinaro had to push a rushing Alain Kashama underneath quarterback Carlyle Holiday. Center Bob Morton and right guard Sean Milligan double-teamed Larry Stevens out of the play. And right tackle Dan Stevenson dropped back in order to keep a blitzing Lawrence Reid from getting to Holiday. This left Pierre Woods matched up with left guard Mark LeVoir. As from what could be seen on tape, LeVoir looked confused at Bowman (a defensive tackle) dropping back into the secondary. Levoir, expecting to block Bowman, barely got his head on a swivel to see Woods fly by him and get to Holiday, who had just avoided Kashama’s rush. This play set up Steve Breaston’s punt return to the two, which got Michigan’s offense going. The Wolverines’ defense set the tone from the beginning and allowed the offense to fuel through their energy. This play was just one of many times where the defense stuffed Notre Dame’s offense in order to start up Navarre and the boys with good field position.