Official Snowflake Thread: Offense
Per statements last week, this will be the official snowflake thread for thoughts regarding the offensive playcalling / coaching. There will also be a similar thread for defense. Special teams and coaching snowflake threads can be created as needed by volume, but this thread will be primarily for thoughts on the offensive performance.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
Getting the W was important, and at least the offense showed some life late in the game.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
The defense isn't as bad as it looks... it's just that the offense is way worse than it seems.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
Uggghhhhggvvvvbhgehdjjf! What the effff?
I am so angry right now.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:34 PM ^
One thing goes wrong and the whole thing goes in a shell. Especially Devin, he gets rattled so easily.
Establishing the run game in the 4th quarter was huge. Finally took some pressure off DG
September 21st, 2013 at 11:37 PM ^
I wouldn't say mentally weak. Mentally weak is losing that game; you just pointed out how they rebounded to start running the ball in the 4th. They need to stop turning the ball over and catch some breaks; they do that and they'll be okay. Also, give up running inside with this configuration unless the line makes an amazing turnaround.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:49 PM ^
mentally weak is a million turnovers against teams like akron and uconn. winning despite a million turnovers is just talent playing against glorified high school teams.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:51 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:34 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:37 PM ^
when UConn was good.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:40 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:39 PM ^
Blow it out your ass. RR had teams with half as much talent that had more heart than this one. 2008 vs. Wisconsin, 2009 vs. Indiana and Notre Dame plus a valiant 4th Q comeback at Sparty to push into OT in a tropical storm, 2010 vs. Notre Dame on the road, those players played with a lot of guts and scrap.
This team has way more talent and looks like they can barely be bothered to show up for the non-marquee games.
September 22nd, 2013 at 1:00 AM ^
That 2008 team showed SO MUCH HEART against Toledo, didn't they? And SO MUCH HEARt against Illinois in 2009, when they went into a shell after Roundtree was tackled at the one followed by 4 runs for 0 yards. SO MUCH HEART against Mississippi State too. I could go on.
How about you blow it our your ass. I won't say those teams lacked heart or anything...but to say this Hoke team has less heart somehow? They're 4-0 dude. I don't care who they struggled against, they WON against adversity.
September 22nd, 2013 at 8:58 AM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:40 PM ^
I'm pretty sure we beat the same crappy Uconn team more convincingly under RR.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:37 PM ^
Well my car's timing belt asploded this morning in the middle of B.F. Nowhere, Nevada. Had to spend three hours getting a hitch to a place where I could get cell service. Once I got a 30-mile tow into town, the mechanic didn't have the part to fix my car. Had to take a shitty bus 120 miles to the nearest auto parts store to get it.
Upon getting home, I turned on the game early in the second half. And then my day started to suck.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:38 PM ^
And by the way, I have to take another shitty bus ride 120 more miles tomorrow morning to get the part to the mechanic. Great weekend.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
Wow, that sucks worst than the time my timing belt broke and I coasted into Green River Utah (as close to the middle of nowhere I've ever been). The engine was toast, but the car wasn't worth a lot anyway. Traded it for another clunker and limped back to Michigan.
Good luck with the repairs!
September 21st, 2013 at 11:57 PM ^
Yeah about 45 minutes before the shit hit the fan, I passed a sign that said "next gas: 130 miles".
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:08 AM ^
Green River, Utah is close to some of the best desolation this planet has to offer; Moab, Sleeping Ute, Canyonlands, etc. Even though you could die there, it was probably worth it.
September 22nd, 2013 at 1:00 AM ^
...is absolutely gorgeous at sunset. It looks like the gods were playing dice and forgot to put their toys away. Stunning--a much more subtle beauty than Yosemite or Zion or any of the usual showpieces. That first trip through there might have been my favorite drive ever.
Of course I'd probably remember it differently if my timing belt had busted....
September 21st, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^
was far less misleading than our current 4-0.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:39 PM ^
September 22nd, 2013 at 5:34 AM ^
That really depends on how the rest of the year turns out, doesn't it?
You keep carrying that torch, though. Hold it high.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^
One thing I would like to see is more out of the gun. If Miller and the guards can't block inside, at least don't have Devin turning his back to the line in the process. You can still run from that formation with relative ease.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
And we won despite gifting them 14 points. Devin is who he is--a good quarterback with a huge mobility plus that he offsets with terrible turnovers. But we won again.
When was the last time a team dropped multiple spots in the polls two weeks in a row after wins?
September 21st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
STFU AND GO AWAY SUNSHINE BLOWERS. THIS TEAM SUCKS.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:43 PM ^
There are people here who are so stupid that they say, "Well, we're 4-0." These people--sunshine blowers--need to go away and allow the realists to have a rational discussion about the miserable state of this team.
Also, I don't give a shit about points.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
lol troll.
September 22nd, 2013 at 2:05 AM ^
DAVID FROM WYOMING, you are the most insufferable poster on this board. You never express an opinion of your own, only mock and make snide remarks about the opinions of others. Please go away.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
Well this was terrible.
Gardner looks shattered out there. He knows how to run but he no longer has the confidence to throw, even against overmatched opponents. This is a problem.
Part of the reason for this is that our receivers have been exposed. We wondered why Chesson never got targeted, and then we found out when Gardner threw a decent ball his way and Chesson was neither able to gain separation nor beat a shorter guy for the ball.
Gallon is really the only guy Gardner likes to throw to, and that causes a lot of problems.
So does the OL, which is rough. There was one sack where Miller basically stood still and slightly brushed his man as the defender ran by to chase Gardner around. Not good.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
See, I thought Chesson played decently. That throw was short, and as a freshman who didn't have a great QB in HS it may take some time to adjust to those types of throws. He'll be fine. I think Gardner's locking on too much to Gallon, but at the same time the line isn't keeping him clean, and that is disrupting throwing lanes and his rhythm. I don't think he is shattered; he's just not comfortable out there.
The line will be shaken up this bye week. It might not be better, but I expect some changes.
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:35 AM ^
the bomb to him in the endzone should have been caught. he misjudged the ball. he did have 2 great hits on special teams though.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:45 PM ^
to hang onto the damn ball.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:46 PM ^
I agree Chesson showed why he isn't quite ready. Looks like a good athlete, but he seems to have the Breaston syndrome of not being good at playing the ball in the air. Hope I am wrong about that one.
I don't get the lack of Tight end targets, though. I feel we need to develop more plays with tight ends as the #1 read because Butt and Funchess can physically outmatch a lot more guys than our receivers can.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:59 PM ^
If Devin doesn't underthrow the ball, Chesson has a nice catch. Quit acting like Chesson has no idea what he's doing. It was by far Devin's fault. Just because the announcer, who had no clue what was going on, says it was Chesson fault, doesn't make it true. Chesson couldn't outjump a ball that was behind AND below him. It was a bad throw, that simple.
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:19 AM ^
On the INT, yes. But Chesson should have had a TD later on, on the throw in the endzone. If he'd kept running, instead of leaping and flailing at it, it'd have fallen right in his hands.
September 22nd, 2013 at 11:41 AM ^
September 22nd, 2013 at 1:22 AM ^
Ok, uneccesarily angry guy, I was referring to the missed TD catch not the int, though I thought he had a play on the int as well. It was a bad throw but that doesn't mean he couldn't have played the ball better.
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:25 AM ^
often, but he pretty much came up with the most important catch of the entire game. Also I disagree about him not getting seperation on that play, he had a step or two on the db on the INT. I do agree he should have come back to ball to help Gardner out, but he had his guy beat on that play.
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:30 AM ^
I thought Chesson looked okay. Made a great play on the third and long. Wasn't aggresive enough on the interception, but it was underthrown and not really on him. He pulled up on the potential TD pass at the end of the game, which seemed like a beginner mistake--could've had six there if he'd run through it.
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:45 AM ^
There was a pretty stiff wind, too, and that might have been an issue.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I intensely dislike the punt coverage and punt returns. Muh stone age special teams. And Al Borges.
September 21st, 2013 at 11:42 PM ^
September 22nd, 2013 at 12:17 AM ^
September 21st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
Bye week is coming at a good time. Time to practice and get ready for Big Ten season. This team is young and has a very long way to go. The two things they need right now are practice and confidence.
I will not give up on this team.