Maryland Snowflakes: The Offense
November 20th, 2021 at 7:44 PM ^
Let’s go Blue! You can do this. We are with you!
November 20th, 2021 at 7:45 PM ^
Really hard to read the offense after today. Maryland's defense is a RichRod comedy show. The running game clearly works way better when McCarthy is in there instead of the short, noodle-armed guy who never keeps on read plays. But McCarthy also makes a lot of mistakes. The sooner he is ready to take over, the better since there is a hard ceiling with Cade.
November 20th, 2021 at 7:53 PM ^
McNamara was 22 for 29 today with at least 3 drops. We’ll find out what his ceiling is next week. I know I like how he makes quick decisions and very rarely takes a sack. That’s going to be needed next week. JJ turning his back to the defense and scrambling backwards for 15 yards is a recipe for disaster against OSU.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:39 PM ^
Johnson is a conundrum. He is electric with the ball. But it's like he's got 8 things going through his head every time he's targeted, at least one of them being concerned with getting hit, and he doesn't catch with his hands half the time. Then he'll turn around and do everything right 5 plays later.
November 20th, 2021 at 7:48 PM ^
Mike Hart deserves a shout out. It occurred to me that this is probably the first year since 1994 that I wouldn't trade our running back squad for Wisconsin's.
Also -- why did it take us until 2021 to throw the ball to the running back?
November 20th, 2021 at 8:44 PM ^
Why not a shout out to Jaybaugh who built that room?
November 20th, 2021 at 9:33 PM ^
He may have built it, but he's not developing it. This is the best RB development that we have had since Gary Moeller was our coach.
November 21st, 2021 at 6:24 PM ^
You should thank Jay Harbaugh MUCH more than Hart in this case
November 20th, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
Major improvement from the Rutgers game (similar strength opponent) until now. Aside from a few drops the passing game was humming.
November 20th, 2021 at 8:17 PM ^
Just my take based off what I watched today, but isn't the goal to get your best 11 players on the field?
Hear me out, AJ Henning is a good player in the return game and contributed with a explosive TD in that area today. But he IS NOT a good route runner nor good WR at this point. Just my 2 cents.
Donovan Edwards is a great route runner, has good hands and is a weapon. If I'm Gattis, I'm not letting Henning play outside of special teams and I'm giving Edwards the majority of the snaps at slot WR, assuming Corum is healthy vs OSU. Fight firepower with firepower. Edwards caught 10 passes for 170 yards. Nuts
November 20th, 2021 at 8:35 PM ^
Henning gets relatively few snaps at wr, most of those go to Sarinstil.
November 20th, 2021 at 8:39 PM ^
Won't happen. Edwards hasn't practiced there, doesn't know the assignments there. The slot guys know the offense and you've got to run with them.
Not that we won't see Edwards or Corum do some fun things in the slot, potentially, but those won't be late-in-the-game emergency switches. They'll be planned variations on Michigan's existing personnel packages. In fact, I would almost expect to see stuff like that, because there's a lot of stuff Gattis has shown willingness to do that has been almost conspicuously avoided with Corum and Edwards in the slot.
November 20th, 2021 at 8:49 PM ^
We also don't know how well DE blocks. That is a key skill for WRs in our offense.
November 21st, 2021 at 9:00 PM ^
It was a major shot across Ryan Day’s bow to have Edwards that involved in the passing game. This is an aspect of the offense that has not been seen yet this year and likely has not been planned for. Makes OSU have to take time to plan for it this week and that’s a good thing to mess with them like this.
November 20th, 2021 at 8:19 PM ^
Dear Mr. Gattis,
Use your weapons next week. Continually. To be close, we need to score in the 40s. We will NOT hold OSU to less than 40 points. Keeping up on offense is your ONLY chance.
That is all.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:56 PM ^
It may take 50 points to win the game.
November 20th, 2021 at 11:16 PM ^
Why? I’m not predicting that will happen, but they’ve scored fewer than 40 three times this year, not coincidentally against likely the three best defenses they’ve faced. Holding them under 40 clearly isn’t easy, but we have the pass rush to make some big plays. We won’t stop their offense, but we don’t need to. Just limit big plays on their side, make a few big plays on our side, and hope the offense is as balanced and explosive as it was today.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:12 AM ^
OSU plays their best against Michigan....If they play as well as they did today Michigan has no chance. Dax Hill is a difference maker, but he can't cover all 3 of OSUs great recievers. OSU is going to spread Michigan out, and then pick on either Gray or Green/Turner. Now, if they are forced to max protect the entire game, Macdonald can play 2 deep safeties. OSU isn't stupid, Hutchinson and Ojabo will be getting chipped by their RBs to give Stroud enough time. Just my opinion but Michigan would need a few turnovers and their best game offensively all season to possibly win. If OSU gets a quick 2 score lead it could get ugly.
November 21st, 2021 at 8:35 AM ^
I’m thinking some individual OSU players see UM as similar to MSU for the fact they have similar records and MSU beat UM. They don’t have the focus of a normal “The Game” year. This leads to a quick three score deficit that UM slowly bleeds the rest of the game, but they pull it out. Seems plausible.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:23 PM ^
Suckeyes will find a way to pick on Ross. He likes to watch inside and Penn State abused him for it. I like Josh but lets hope he's ready to cover routes.
A friend mentioned that the bucks OL holds. I worry we get cheaped all game and our needed pressure will be way less. So the need will be for sustained drives and limit them on possessions as well as score.
I really think Michigan has the variety of weapons and will be difficult for them to defend. Those of us who worried earlier in the season about being one dimensional would be easy to derail by really good defenses. The game yesterday will give pause to selling out on stopping our run game. And that is a big deal. We are going to see balance this Saturday. I'm excited about watching a competitive game for a change.
November 20th, 2021 at 8:27 PM ^
- Loved the mix of pass and run. MD was selling out to stop runs, so they found ways to get the ball to Edwards anyway.
- Best possible use of Edwards' talent. He's a wizard as a pass-catching RB. Such a match-up nightmare!
- Maryland is bad. Their defense is really bad. Nice to abuse a bad defense, and we did just that.
- Whole bunch of contributors. Johnson, Schoon, Sainristil, Edwards, Haskins, Wilson. Give Corum and All another week to heal up, and we have an arsenal of potential weapons. We'll sure need 'em.
- Got JJ lots of snaps against a lousy defense. Perfect confidence booster.
- No turnovers, again! Ball security this year has been stellar. Hats off to Cade and RB's.
59 points! Well done! Beat Ohio!
November 20th, 2021 at 9:00 PM ^
So explain to me why we wouldn’t put Corum and Edwards in the backfield and run wheel routes to each side every time. How would a defense cover this plus our WR’s? Asking this as both tongue in cheek but also like, for real.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:12 PM ^
Receivers making plays. 1 handed grabs especially... Lovin'it.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:32 PM ^
Win the “Game”
November 20th, 2021 at 9:35 PM ^
Offense has real issues with so many 3-n-outs and limited explosiveness. It sounds trite, but JJ changes the entire O with his running.
Regardless, hats off to Edwards, Haskins and OL - great game.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
Sure wish they could mix the scripted 3 and out on the first drive, but after that the O looked pretty good.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:55 PM ^
Haskins was his dependable self. Edwards put on a show. JJ showed his explosiveness. Johnson needs to step up as the #1 receiver.
Put it all together next week and beat the Bucknuts. Go Blue.
November 20th, 2021 at 9:57 PM ^
Maybe #1 should be the #1 receiver.
November 20th, 2021 at 10:53 PM ^
Gattis did a decent job TODAY, but let's not pretend this offense is OSU caliber. It' going to need a Cade/JJ mix with Corum, All, DE and the play calling to keep pace with the #1 offense in the country next week.
November 20th, 2021 at 11:14 PM ^
Interesting gave OSU a lot to prepare for, I think we ran alot of stuff we haven't this year.
Anyone want to see Haskins and Corum in the backfield with Edwards at slot. I sure as hell do.
November 21st, 2021 at 8:20 AM ^
How about those 3 in the wishbone?
November 20th, 2021 at 11:16 PM ^
CoJo caught Erick All's disease from 2020. Other than that the offense was pretty darn good. There were a handful more stuffed runs than I would've liked to have seen. But all in all it was a very good showing by the offense. Donovan Edwards rapidly rising and just in time for next Saturday.
November 21st, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
We need a fullback and I-formation for short yardage. This group of young receivers with Edwards are incredibly exciting to have on board. Looking forward to the next couple years. Haven't had a group of playmakers emerge this strongly since Breston/Manningham/Avant, and they didn't have a dude like Edwards receiving out of the backfield. If Harbaugh doesn't take the Denver Boot off in 22,23 with this crew, he never will. Who am I kidding, of course he won't.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:51 PM ^
How many times in the Harbaugh era have we heard "looking forward to the next couple years"? And how many times have we actually been doing any better a couple years after that?
November 21st, 2021 at 10:38 AM ^
With all the talk about Corum and Edwards next year, are we sure Haskins is gone? Doesn't he have 1 or 2 years of eligibility left? I don't necessarily see him as a high draft pick, so why wouldn't he come back?
November 21st, 2021 at 2:36 PM ^
Advantages of coming back: increase draft status; degree; fun. But I think he'll already have his degree.
Advantages of going pro: HH will share carries next year barring injuries to Corum and Edwards and is unlikely to be a stat machine (e.g. 700-800 yards is what I'd expect with others healthy). His draft status is unlikely to improve. NFL scouts know what they have: a strong runner with decent vision, knows where he is, gains yards after contact and a special teams contributor. He has a great chance of making a roster and eventually getting a 2nd contract as a 3rd back and ST player.
Maybe I'm wrong, and he will slip into higher rounds this year, but I see no scenario where he improves his draft grade by staying to make more $ or increase his chance of a roster spot. I'm confident he can make an NFL roster next year, which is why he should.
November 21st, 2021 at 12:44 PM ^
Gattis is developing into a good schemer IMO.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:49 PM ^
Unfortunately, we still have a dink-and-dunk passing game, with only one viable (and not too speedy) running back, and a QB who is no threat with his legs. That's not going to cut it next week.