Passing UFR: Rudock vs Maryland
bizarro iowa is still just iowa
THING NOTES: This was a much different outing for Iowa, as they ran out to a decent lead but then blew it. Rudock ended up throwing or running 64(!) times against just 23 plays on which he handed off. The vast majority of these plays were from shotgun empty formations, for some reason. Iowa omitted even the tiniest threat of a run for the bulk of the second half.
DISCLAIMER NOTES: I'm not intimately familiar with the Iowa roster so there may be the occasional personnel errors.
This one is behind a jump because it's almost a whole UFR.
[After THE JUMP: almost a whole UFR.]
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
O32 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4-4 under | Pass | Waggle flat | Duzey | 11 | ||||||||
IZ fake to a waggle, looks like the boundary CB abandons the flat to cover a route his safety has. Easy dumpoff for a good gain. (CA, 3, protection N/A, RPS +1) | |||||||||||||||||||
O19 | 2 | 8 | Ace twins twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Flat | Bullock | 8 | ||||||||
Quick checkdown as neither WR looks particularly open; the slot might have a shot on a corner route but he's not running one. Rudock makes a quick decision to hit his RB in the flat and Bullock makes it count. (CA, 3, protection 1/1). Sets up third and inches. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 7-0, 12 min 1st Q. Iowa pounds it in on the next two plays. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M20 | 1 | 10 | Ace 3-wide | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4-4 under | Pass | PA wheel | Bullock | 52 | ||||||||
Maryland lines up with eight in the box and an overhang corner; the MLB blows this big time as he assumes waggle and runs to cover people who are not there. Bullock wide open, hit about ten yards downfield, YAC YAC YAC. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, RPS +3) | |||||||||||||||||||
O9 | 4 | 5 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Out | Bullock | 7 | ||||||||
Run run run follows the big play. Iowa goes empty, good blitz pickup, and Bullock beats a LB for first down yardage. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O2 | 1 | G | Goal line | 2 | 3 | 0 | Goal line | Pass | Waggle flat | Krieger-Coble | 2 | ||||||||
First down PA catches Maryland over-aggressive and Rudock executes. (CA, 3, protection N/A, RPS +1) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 14-0, 6 min 1st Q. Maryland puts a touchdown drive together. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M42 | 2 | 15 | I-Form | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Sack | N/A | -1 | ||||||||
Second and fifteen I-form with token fake is bleah. RG blows his pickup, DT let free up the middle, both tailbacks try to abort and pick him up but down have angles. Rudock has to start moving just as he sets up and a second rusher takes him down as he moves into the pocket. (PR, N/A, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M41 | 3 | 16 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Drag | Smith | 10 | ||||||||
Good time, four man rush, Rudock can't find anyone and checks down. This is a quintessential Iowa third down. You should really just bomb it, but this did pick up ten yards that translates to field position so I'm barely not giving a TA. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-7, 2 min 1st Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M34 | 2 | 10 | Ace twins twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Angle | Duzey | 17 | ||||||||
Duzey fakes an out and comes back underneath, running under the other TE's route. Maryland LB bites on the out and can't recover; Rudock reads it and fires. Only about a five yard throw but executed well so YAC picks up a first down. (CA, 3, protection 2/2, RPS +1) Duzey fumbles. | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Fumble, 14-7, 13 min 2nd Q. Maryland turns ensuing drive into a FG. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M26 | 2 | 9 | Ace twins twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Sack | N/A | -12 | ||||||||
LG mistakenly passes off SDE to LT, who has to respect the SAM and has no angle to take the DE; he gets through, flushes Rudock, who escapes one but not two. (PR, N/A, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-10, 9 min 2nd Q. Iowa's give up and punt gains zero yards. Ensuing Maryland drive is sustained TD. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M43 | 2 | 10 | Ace twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | PA cross | Smith | Inc | ||||||||
Scherff straight up whipped by random DL Yannick Ngakoue on PA. Scherff pushes the guy to the outside and then loses him to the inside; Rudock hit as he throws and a likely first down goes for naught. (PR, 0, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M43 | 3 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Scramble | Rudock | 12 | ||||||||
Rudock seems to check two receivers, sees nothing, and then as he rotates to a third notices a lot of green in front of him. He hits it and makes a decisive open field cut to get the first down. (SCR, N/A, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O45 | 1 | 10 | Ace twins twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Waggle TE flat | Duzey | 4 | ||||||||
Default flat completion for a waggle on first down that is Rudock's first pass on that down since the touchdown a quarter ago. (CA, 3, protection N/A). Refs short Duzey at least a yard and maybe two on the spot. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 2 | 9 | Ace twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Dumpoff | Canzieri | Inc | ||||||||
Good run called back on dubious downfield holding call, setting up second and nine. Rudock gets instant pressure up the middle as NT rips through the center and a guard does not pick up. Rudock does a good job to get any sort of pass off; it is a bit low but catchable for the RB, who has room to run; he drops it. (CA+, 2, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 3 | 9 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Throwaway | N/A | inc | ||||||||
Plenty of time, Rudock cannot find anyone and is eventually flushed from the pocket, where he dumps it OOB. (TA, N/A, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-17, 3 min 2nd Q. Iowa gets the ball back with 17 seconds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M38 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Scramble | Rudock | 4 | ||||||||
Looks at two or three guys and then gets a few. Had an open out for a first down and probable OOB, but missed it. (TA, N/A, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M42 | 2 | 6 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Seam | Duzey | Inc | ||||||||
This is probably not a great idea since Duzey is running into the middle of three guys, but given the situation whatever. Very small window that Rudock misses, throwing it well behind Duzey. Possible that Duzey is supposed to read the coverage and turn the other way. (IN, 0, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M42 | 3 | 6 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Prevent | Pass | Deep cross | Vandenberg | Inc | ||||||||
Twenty yard bullet hypothetically could set up a 57-yard FG or hail mary shot if WR gets down immediately; instead he bobbles and bobbles and drops it. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: EOH, 14-17. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M35 | 1 | 10 | Ace twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-4 under | Pass | Dumpoff | Weisman | 11 | ||||||||
Straight dropback, Rudock looks at Smith on some sort of post (maybe) and doesn't like it. He does notice that Maryland dropped very deep and dumps to Weisman for a quality gain. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O41 | 1 | 10 | Ace twins twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-4 under | Pass | Throwaway | N/A | Inc | ||||||||
Rudock has nobody and appears to just chuck it OOB. (TA, 0, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O41 | 2 | 10 | Ace twins twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | TE out | Hamilton | 3 | ||||||||
Bobbled snap. This looks like all hitch; no WR is farther downfield than four yards unless the guy out of frame is. Rudock is too close to the LOS because of the bobble and just wants rid of the ball so he hits his TE for a very Iowa gain. (CA, 3, protection ½, Rudock -1) | |||||||||||||||||||
O38 | 3 | 7 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-3-5 nickel | Pass | Batted | N/A | Inc | ||||||||
Safety blitz is well timed and goes right up the middle, Rudock hit as he throws. Slot WR was well covered anyway. (PR, 0, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-17, 13 min 3rd Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M43 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun 2-back TE | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | PA rollout flat | Canzieri | Inc | ||||||||
Basically a waggle from the shotgun that Maryland is all over. DT gets in Rudock's face after a whiff by the RG and he has to make a quick decision. Only real option is the flat since he can't set his feet; RB drops the ball. This actually saves Iowa a yard or two as it was behind the LOS. (CA, 3, protection 0/2, RPS -1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M45 | 3 | 8 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4-3 under | Pass | Rollout deep out | Martin-Manley | Inc | ||||||||
This is open for a first down and the protection's good; Maryland LB just makes an excellent play to get a fingertip on the ball as it reaches the LOS. (BA, 0, protection 2/2, RPS +1) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-17, 10 min 3rd Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M37 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Improv | Hamilton | Inc | ||||||||
LG gets run right by and Rudock has to engage evasive maneuvers. He does manage to escape the pocket thanks to a hold and has some time to see what his WRs are doing. He waits a little bit too long so even if caught this will be out of bounds. He does put it on Hamilton's face mask only to see him drop it. Uh... (PR, 0, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M27 | 1 | 20 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Drag | Smith | 5 | ||||||||
Check down after good time. I don't know if this is a good decision or not but I can see how Iowa fans would be super frustrated. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M32 | 2 | 15 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Drag | Duzey | 6 | ||||||||
LG again gets blown by, this time eating a stunting DE to the facemask. He does delay slightly; Rudock has to get rid of it and hits his TE for a decent gain. (CA, 3, protection ½) | |||||||||||||||||||
M38 | 3 | 9 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | TE curl | Duzey | Inc | ||||||||
Good time, Rudock seems confused by the coverage. He takes a couple of hitch steps and then pumps. Only then does he fire. It's an accurate ball for first down yardage but the delay has allowed the coverage to close; TE hit immediately and the ball falls to the ground. (MA, 1, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 14-17, 7 min 3rd Q. Maryland gets a 53-yard screen TD to Diggs on the ensuing drive. Iowa now down ten with th end of the third quarter approaching. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O45 | 3 | 4 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Out | Martin-Manley | 5 | ||||||||
Well timed out on a rub route that's supposed to convert on third and four-ish. Maryland reacts well to it but not quite well enough. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
O40 | 1 | 10 | Ace | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Batted | N/A | Inc | ||||||||
PA max protect with just the two WRs in the route and Weisman leaking out. Some time, but then it disappears as the RG again loses a DT. Rudock comes off his first read, hesitates on the second, and then just tries to get rid of it. He gets hit, and the ball falls to the ground. Lucky not to get a grounding penalty as this did not get to the LOS. (BA, N/A, protection ½) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 21-24, 2 min 3rd Q. Weisman rips off a 38-yard run and punches it in himself. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
O44 | 3 | 2 | I-Form Big | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4-3 under | Pass | TE corner | Hamilton | Inc | ||||||||
Third and short, pass called, Rudock looks at a little out for the first down but does not throw it as a LB is jumping. The pass will come open after but the FB failed to cut a DE and Rudock comes off the read, trying a deeper corner route that Maryland has blanketed. Throw is inside, making the PBU easier. If he floats it to the edge maybe this works. (MA, 0, protection ½) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 21-24, 14 min 4th Q. Yes, Ferentz punts in plus territory on fourth and two while down in the fourth quarter. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M38 | 1 | 10 | I-Form | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Long handoff | Smith | Inc | ||||||||
Supposed to be one of those nothing throws against a DB in the parking lot. Smith does not read it like Rudock does, so Rudock has to pump. Smith stops belatedly, Rudock has to re-load and get it over a DE's arm, ball is high and through the hands of Smith. (MA, 1, protection N/A) | |||||||||||||||||||
M38 | 2 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Out | Bullock | 4 | ||||||||
Blitz up the middle; the guy is completely unchecked. Rudock has no choice but to take a quick throw for eh yards. (CA, 3, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
M42 | 3 | 6 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Hitch | Bullock | INT | ||||||||
This is a looooong throw from one hash all the way to the other sideline and Likely jumps it for a pick six. Rudock is throwing to a CB-RB matchup instead of a LB-WR one, for one. For two, Maryland hasn't seen a pass longer than the sticks that wasn't in a 17-second drill more than two or three times all day. But this is a throw you cannot make no matter how set up you are for doom. (BRX, 0, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Defensive touchdown, 21-31, 12 min 4th Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Ace twin TE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-3 under | Pass | Sack | N/A | -8 | ||||||||
By God, Iowa's interior OL is horrendous. Both the center and the LG get annihilated. Rudock has no one the instant he finishes his drop and gets buried by two guys. (PRX, 0, protection 0/4) | |||||||||||||||||||
M18 | 2 | 18 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | Pass | Tunnel screen | Powell | Inc | ||||||||
Got the right call on as Iowa catches Maryland in a blitz and should have something here, but the ball gets batted at the line. (BA, 0, screen) | |||||||||||||||||||
M18 | 3 | 18 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Drag | Bullock | 9 | ||||||||
Three man rush, plenty of time, Rudock checks down. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 21-31, 11 min 4th Q. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M15 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Hitch | Bullock | 4 | ||||||||
Another instance of terrible protection forcing Rudock into a quick throw as the LG gets beat almost clean and is lucky not to draw a holding flag. Rudock dumps it to Bullock for a short gain. Scherff also got beat but that's not even relevant because Iowa's guards can't block a constitutional amendment to make ham illegal. HAM IS DELICIOUS (CA, 3, protection 0/3) | |||||||||||||||||||
M19 | 2 | 6 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | In | Duzey | Inc (Pen -10) | ||||||||
Iowa again gives up pressure straight up the middle, this time on a stunt. Scherff gets bowled over backwards; LG lets the DE through. Rudock has to dump it. He turfs a ball thrown off his back foot. (PR, N/A, protection 0/4). A hold on the guard follows, and it's a deserved one. | |||||||||||||||||||
M9 | 2 | 26 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Out | Smith | 8 | ||||||||
Finally some protection, same dink throw. This one is very open and could lead to some YAC but Smith can't control his momentum and runs OOB. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M18 | 3 | 8 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Out | Bullock | 2 | ||||||||
This gameplan is so goddamned stupid it could have come from the Hoke/Borges braintrust. The Iowa OL has proven it cannot block Maryland's DL straight up, and still it's empty after empty after empty. Someone at Iowa is an idiot. LG flat smoked by a DT, pressure right up the middle, Scherff struggles with the DE, Rudock has to get rid of it before anything can develop, punt time. (CA, 3, protection 0/3) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Punt, 21-31, 8 min 4th Q. Maryland runs three minutes off the clock with a touchdown drive, putting Iowa in extreme desperation mode. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M25 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Slant | Powell | 16 | ||||||||
Double slants get Powell open underneath as Maryland appears to be in nothing long mode. Good throw and catch for about seven; Powell adds some YAC. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M41 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Tunnel screen | Martin-Manley | 2 | ||||||||
Bullock runs a route instead of blocking the corner, and that dooms the play. (CA, 3, screen) | |||||||||||||||||||
M43 | 2 | 8 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Drag | Duzey | 7 | ||||||||
Good time, Rudock with his usual drag checkdown. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
50 | 3 | 1 | Ace empty TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Run | QB sneak | Rudock | 6 | ||||||||
They get it. A lot. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Throwaway | N/A | Inc | ||||||||
Three man rush, forever. Rudock punts the ball OOB, unable to find a target. (TA, 0, protection 2/2) Had the usual drag but didn't see it. | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 2 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Slant | Powell | Inc | ||||||||
This is only going to get like five yards; it is dropped anyway. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
O44 | 3 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Dig | Smith | 15 | ||||||||
Scherff expecting help from the LG, does not get it as he is paying attention to the two DTs lined up right next to each other. Pressure comes up the middle yet again; Rudock fires a wobbler in the face of that pressure that finds Smith for a first down. (CA+, 2, protection 0/2). | |||||||||||||||||||
O29 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Skinny post | Kittle | 25 | ||||||||
Some guy comes in to play TE/slot and immediately gets open; Rudock waits for him to get past the linebacker level of a zone and fires it in with excellent timing and accuracy, setting up not only a first down but another chunk of YAC. (DO, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O4 | 1 | G | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Throwaway | N/A | Inc | ||||||||
Rudock misses an option route from Some Guy Kittle that is wide open and throws it OOB after the protection finally breaks down. (TA, 0, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O4 | 2 | G | Shotgun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-3-5 nickel | Pass | Corner | Martin-Manley | Inc | ||||||||
Max pro; Maryland busts a coverage badly and leaves Martin-Manley wide open in the corner of the endzone. Rudock throws it to him. KMM drops it. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O4 | 3 | G | Shotgun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-3-5 nickel | Pass | Slant | Hillyer | 4 | ||||||||
Hillyer runs a nice route as the bunch catches man coverage and he breaks in, getting good separation. Rudock puts it on him in rhythm. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 28-38, 3 min 4th Q. Iowa recovers the onside kick as Hillyer makes a spectacular play on the sideline. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
50 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Tunnel screen | Powell | 16 | ||||||||
Iowa gets a little fortunate here as there is a stunt on and one of the DL is taken right to the play by it. He takes an angle too far upfield and gives Powell a crack to exploit, which he does. Rest of DL is gone and Maryland is playing conservative so the secondary doesn't react until a first down is acquired. (CA, 3, screen) | |||||||||||||||||||
O34 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | Pass | Sack | N/A | -12 | ||||||||
SDE times the snap, blowing around Scherff and spooking Rudock. He attempts to throw the ball away but does not get it to the LOS. I would normally file this PR but he's trying to get it in the vague area of a short WR and misses. Even off the back foot this is something you should be able to accomplish. (IN, N/A, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O46 | 2 | 22 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel over | Pass | Dig | Duzey | 23 | ||||||||
Good pocket; Rudock steps into it and lasers a deep dig in. Duzey is well-covered but the throw takes him away from it as it hits his hands for a first down. (DO, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O23 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Drag | Duzey | 4 | ||||||||
Three man rush, forever, drag checkdown. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O19 | 2 | 6 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Slant | Powell | 4 | ||||||||
Powell almost certainly has the first down here until he decides to get flashy and try to go around for a bigger gain. This doesn't work, and the clock ticks under two minutes. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
O15 | 3 | 2 | Ace empty TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Run | QB sneak | Rudock | 4 | ||||||||
Another easy conversion. | |||||||||||||||||||
O11 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Drag | Duzey | 5 | ||||||||
Not the worst thing here as this does get OOB after a decent gain. If this was being thrown to a slot receiver maybe he can turn it up for a TD. (CA, 3, protection 2/2) Looks like the spot is really bad, also. Duzey seemed to get two or three more yards than this. | |||||||||||||||||||
O6 | 2 | 5 | Shotgun trips TE | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | RB out | Bullock | Inc | ||||||||
Bullock comes out of the backfield and runs an option route on a linebacker. This should be an advantage, you'd think, but the LB stays step for step when Bullock breaks out and gets a PBU when Rudock throws. Meanwhile Scherff got beat by a stunt and he gets hit. This id the D with hands on ball, yes, but he's getting hit, he has to make some throw, and this is the one that looks like the least worst idea. (MA, 0, protection 0/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
O6 | 3 | 5 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Throwaway | N/A | Inc | ||||||||
Rudock doesn't really have anyone open but you have to try to force it in at this point. (TA, 0, protection 2/2) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: Field goal(23), 31-38, 1:24 4th Q. D holds after failed onside and Iowa gets the ball back on the 20 with 59 seconds, no timeouts. | |||||||||||||||||||
Ln | Dn | Ds | O Form | RB | TE | WR | D Form | Type | Play | Player | Yards | ||||||||
M20 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Drag | Martin-Manley | 7 | ||||||||
Three man rush, forever, drag checkdown. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M27 | 2 | 3 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Drag | Martin-Manley | 11 | ||||||||
See previous play. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M38 | 1 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Drag | Martin-Manley | Inc | ||||||||
Ten seconds run off the clock after the conversion. See previous two plays, except KMM drops it. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M38 | 2 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Deep hitch | Powell | Inc | ||||||||
Rudock steps into a throw in a small window and leaves it a little short, possibly because Donnal did let his guy through after a decent block. Pass is still catchable; Powell gets his hands under it and then it hits the ground. (CA, 2, protection ½) | |||||||||||||||||||
M38 | 3 | 10 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-2-6 dime | Pass | Hitch | Bullock | 6 | ||||||||
Why the hell even run this route with 24 seconds left, let alone throw it? IOWA. Bullock catches a three yard pass and gets tackled in bounds. (BR, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
M44 | 4 | 4 | Shotgun empty | 1 | 1 | 3 | Nickel even | Pass | Hitch/out | Bullock/Smith | Inc | ||||||||
Bullock runs an out, Smith runs a hitch, both at the sticks. The two guys run into each other and the ball is dropped as a result. Ultimate Iowa passing game. (CA, 3, protection 1/1) | |||||||||||||||||||
Drive Notes: EOG, 31-38. |
Checkdown, checkdown, checkdown, checkdown. This guy is the only human who, if named somebody's new defensive coordinator, would proclaim his defense would get less aggressive.
Is bolded alter ego secretly an Iowa fan?
Bolded alter ego is just a man who likes staying awake in the middle of the damn afternoon.
Ah so.
This was a vintage Greg Davis performance in result if not formation. The game was played in two phases: Normal Boring Iowa and Spread Empty But Still Boring Iowa. Normal Boring Iowa got out to a 14 point lead with Rudock barely involved except as a gentleman who dumps it to the flats. Spread Empty Iowa started becoming more prominent as Maryland adjusted to the Iowa run game, and then at halftime Normal Boring Iowa was thrown in a dumpster. It was deeply weird.
It was still deeply Iowa. Rudock threw a million passes and ended up with a paltry 5.7 yards an attempt. Wide receivers could have taken the first half off; tight ends and running backs combined for 19 receptions to the WRs' 13. The big play was a 52-yard wheel route Maryland elected not to cover on which Bullock had 42 of his yards after the catch. I count just four completions that were longer than ten yards in the air.
It reminded me of a Michigan game in so many ways.
Not least the terrible QB play?
I would say a deep confusion about whether the QB play was a cause or an effect. This gameplan was so bad it would rank up there with Al Borges's greatest disasters of the Denard era. Well after Iowa's offensive line had proven they could not block the Maryland defensive line, Iowa insisted on maintaining the shotgun empty look that 1) told Maryland a pass was 100% likely, 2) exposed Rudock to constant pressure, and 3) all but invited him to check down as fast as possible.
Here's one of a dozen different examples.
Second and fifteen drag checkdown as Maryland's entire back seven lines up and executes zone drops without even checking run. Meanwhile, a stunt wrecks the left guard—who was terrible in this game—and Rudock gets pressure right up the gut. He has little choice but to take the short route for a bleah gain.
This was a constant refrain. Completely unchecked blitz up the middle? Quick out for four yards. Or incomplete. Left guard executes his sixth ole(!) block of the game? Quick out for two yards. Stunt sees both left guard and Scherff run by or through? Back-foot attempted checkdown is incomplete. Left guard oh for pants sake? Hitch. Play action on second and ten sees Scherff whipped? Likely first down wiped out because Rudock is hit on the throw. Center with an ole(!) block for a change? Attempted dumpoff left short. Scherff blown by again… actually this is a first down.
When Rudock did have time it was often in difficult situations, like third and fifteen. The result was often a much less defensible checkdown drag. But I don't know what it looks like downfield and that's eleven yards that could have been the foundation for a fourth-and-reasonable conversion attempt. So is that on Rudock, his offensive coordinator, his receivers, or the fact that it's third and fifteen?
Probably a combination of all of them.
Their last drive looked like Alex Malzone's last drive in the spring game, though.
Yes. The above is not to say that I don't feel Iowa fans who were frustrated by Rudock in the aftermath. They got the ball back on their 20 with no timeouts and 59 seconds on the clock, whereupon their offense went:
- checkdown drag
- checkdown drag
- checkdown drag
- Rudock hit while throwing slightly inaccurate 15-yard curl that Powell drops
- three yard hitch in-bounds
- either a five yard hitch or five yard out that sees two Iowa receivers run into each other
For large parts of this game I could not tell whether Rudock was missing opportunities downfield or none existed; with a minute left and eighty yards to go that is horrendous.
I mean… I don't care who or what has told you to throw the following pass in this situation. I don't care if Greg Davis and Kirk Ferentz have your family held hostage. I don't care if God himself descends from the clouds on a horse made of lightning and woe. You do not listen to these people.
I think it is highly likely that Rudock suffered because he's being coached by maroons, but by God man throw it downfield.
Then that last hitch came on fourth and four with ten seconds left. A five yard first down is as good as game over. And yet.
As a result of all this we have a very eventful
zzzzz chrt zzzzz
chart.
Jake Rudock
Opponent | DO | CA | MA | IN | BR | TA | BA | PR | SCR | DSR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maryland | 2 | 38++(2) | 4(1) | 2 | 2* | 6 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 75% |
Northwestern | 5+ | 7+(1) | 3(1) | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 71% |
A blizzard of five yard drags will artificially inflate your downfield success rate but look at that PR number. That is huge, and it doesn't include several other throws that could have landed there had things gone slightly differently. There are four or five CA throws that may have been PR, an IN (the intentional grounding), and an MA or two. Rudock was under siege, which greatly contributed to all the dink dink dink.
Checkdown checkdown checkdown chec
We get it.
Yes. Rudock did not seem confident in his reads at all. Even when he did get time the checkdowns were rampant; on this third and nine he takes three hitch steps and pumps once before throwing it to his tight end. The delay allows Maryland to close and get a PBU.
Occasionally he had the drag in situations in which it's not a terrible idea (like first and ten) and just chucked the ball away. Or he held the ball forever on third and nine and then had to get rid of it.
But… again, I go back to the unbelievably stupid gameplan. When Rudock was put in a situation where a run was vaguely plausible, he got some protection and found receivers.
There Maryland has to fire six guys at the QB; the two guys left in help pick it up and Rudock steps into a confident throw. The previous play saw another blitz picked up and Rudock finding a wide open Martin-Manley. (Martin-Manley dropped it.)
These instances were few and far between. I can't be sure because this broadcast included zero replays of downfield coverage, but I would not be surprised if Rudock was looking at tiny, risky windows as his pedestrian wide receivers attempted to get separation from seven-man coverages that did not have to even think about the possibility of a run. (Iowa did not call one QB draw; the only time Rudock crossed the LOS was on a scramble or two.) When we did see what might be going downfield it didn't look like he had much to throw at.
I mean, here's a checkdown drag against a three man rush on third and eighteen. It gained nine yards that were certainly useful in field position. Is that bad? Or is that a guy making the best of a bad situation? That's in the eye of the beholder.
You seem angry about all this.
I got a glimpse into life as an Iowa fan, which is a lot like life as a Michigan fan if the light at the end of the tunnel was a Ferentz contract extension instead of HARBAUGH. I'm mad for the same reason Stephen White was mad when he tried to evaluate Taylor Lewan: this dumbass gameplan means I don't know how much of use I got out of it.
That was no more apparent than on the pick six that put Iowa deep in the hole. It is a very, very dumb play. You go five wide. You have Will Likely, Maryland's best corner, on a tailback. Just inside of him you have a WR/LB matchup. Instead of running some sort of smash route with your advantage you run a basic hitch right to the sticks on the opposite side of the field from the QB. You have not run a double move all day, or even threatened to go deep on the diminutive Likely. Result:
Rudock should not have thrown that ball. I cannot help but feel his coaching staff set him up for that one all the same.
And the thing is: when I've seen Rudock load up and fire downfield he looks terrific. He was spectacular against Northwestern and the few opportunities he had in this game were on par with those. He is very accurate… if he can just find a target.
I don't know if his inability to in this game is a problem with him or just Iowa's coaching staff getting whipped.
I don't know if his inability to in this game is a problem with him or just Iowa's coaching staff getting whipped.
I'm going with the coaching staff. Frerentz sucks as an offensive coach and Greg Davis is a shitty OC.
We'll find out in four months time. I suspect that if Rudock starts at Utah the conclusion is nurture. In Harbaugh I trust.
which is him checking down a ton and inability to pull a trigger when the deep route are open. They also gripped that he doesn't trust his eyes that the passing windows are open.
They prefered CJ Brethard because he takes more deep shots and was more willing to take chances.
have you been speaking with some germans recently, brian?
This is the issue with Rudock. He is Malzone from the spring game with a bit more starting experience. That's why nobody at Iowa wanted him. You ever notice there are zero Iowa fans that are even close to upset about him leaving?
This is who he is, it's how he played all year and it's why he got benched. Beatherd earned the starting job because when he came into the game the team got a boost, the offense got some energy and got moving. Fans got excited.
Greg Davis catches a lot of flack for play calling but really it's more or less Ferentz limiting his offense. (not that he's some offensive mastermind but that's the true story of what's going on)
No skin off our back, we got a kid that might be able to play a game or two. If he starts I am very afraid of what's behind him because he's NOT good. He's serviceable at best.
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I am going to disagree.
There is an Iowa alum a few houses down from me and he is upset that Rudock transferred. Any thinking Iowa fan should be upset. They just lost a proven B1G starting QB. What if Beathard doesn't work out or gets injured, their back up is???
Rudock is not going to be the top QB in this conference, but his stats last year were excellent - 2nd highest completion % in the league and only 5 Ints! We went from 0 proven B1G starting QBs to 1. If there can only be 14 starting QBs in this league (1 for each team)...I think he will easily be in the top half. The odds were, we didn't have this before his transfer.
Would have been glorious to play Iowa. Instead, we get the likes of Maryland and Rutgers. I hate what expansion has done to the Big 10. I'd gladly give back Maryland and Rutgers. And I'm not that thrilled with Nebraska or Penn State often replacing Iowa and Wisconsin in the game schedule.
Wouldn't it have been glorious for Harbaugh to give Rudock a game plan and protection and receivers and RB's to carve up Iowa's defense all day? The schadenfreude in such a game would have been beyond compare.
If we played Iowa this year, I doubt Iowa releases him to us.
.....if we meet in the Big 10 title game it could end in epic fail for Iowa.
Sounds like the kid is gun shy because he got little to no protection from OL.....what's it going to be like for him here? And even if he does get better protection, can he shake off the shell shock? Gardner couldn't.
I really want Shane to show some growth over the summer....I think he's our best chance.
"it would rank up there with Al Borges's greatest disasters of the Denard era"
You mean. . . Iowa?
When you know up front the OL is most likely going to get smoked on nearly every play, the QB is going to be looking for a quick dump...not ever expecting to have time for a deep route to open.
It remains to be seen if our OL can keep progressing. That will be the key more than Rudock in my mind.
As a Washington NFL franchise fan, I am disturbed by the apparently large number of times Scherff did bad.
As a Michigan fan, I am not sure what to think.
He should have said never mind to the Bullock.
Should have told Maryland "here comes the Pistol."
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The interesting chicken and egg question is if Davis was conservative with Rudock due to Rudock...or Davis was conservative with Rudock due to Davis. Everyone assumes the former. Maybe - just maybe - Davis is competent and knows what Rudock's limitations are and coaches around them, and limits his touches and "chances" he takes. This is not a popular theory but I am going to go half and half on this and not think Rudock is some wunderkid held back by this OC completely. Maybe the OC is conservative but maybe the OC also sees the types of mistakes the QB makes in practice and together with Ferentz (who by nature is conservative as well) decided to create gameplans that limits those chances for mistakes.
We shall see. But I expect a game or three like this UFR above from Rudock with us too (if he starts).
you're on to something here. It is interesting how the difference between Beathard and Rudock play in the same offense with the same play calls. Very different in some ways and whether that's the difference in player or what the coaches are looking for would be hard to say. Looking at the entire season(I watched every game) I'm thinking a lot of it has to do with Rudock's ability and that they're coaching around that. My opinion...
The 3rd & 10 pas with 23 seconds left most certainly speaks to issues on Rudock's end. Along with Davis being who he is, and Ferentz being who he is, I'm going to conclude that the issue is with both the QB and the coaches.
I'll still happily take this kid as an option.
There are people who think of QBs as superheroes and people who think of QBs as system players first. To a large extent it's a matter of taste, because it can be either. But high-variance QBs are equally capable of losing games by themselves; there are no clearer examples of that than Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner. There are games we simply wouldn't have been in if not for them, but we've also lost winnable games due to terrible QB play. I think they're awesome dudes with miles of electric highlight film but I also probably lost about twenty years off my life watching them play.
Rudock is a risk-averse, low-variance QB. If you need that long TD with less than a minute he won't deliver that for you. But he also won't dig you into a hole. Personally I prefer it, at least compared to a high-variance QB at the same talent level. That does mean we are more likely to lose against teams we are supposed to lose to, but his predictability will give the rest of the team someone to gel around. That's not a knock on Denard or DG, but Borges and Nuss repeatedly stressed that it was a challenge to make the most of their talents within a cohesive scheme. Like, you can teach the O-line inside zone but then you've got this guy who can fly all over the field like the laws of physics have a bug and now his job is to just hand off the ball.
Here's my thinking on that 3rd & 10 with 0:23 left. There was time for two plays, and a Hail Mary is likely to result in a game-ending INT. The receiver was wide open; there was no one within five yards. Make a couple guys miss and he could've tried for the end zone -- it's a long way away, but FFS he could at least try to maximize his YAC or go OOB. Rudock did his job; he got the ball to a guy in space with a chance to do something. Instead the guy slams into the first defender well short of the sticks and in bounds. Plus I saw the DBs swarm in from off-screen to clean up meaning he got zero downfield blocks. There's nothing Rudock can do about unspeakably stupid receiver play. The last hitch was a bad idea -- that's the time for a Hail Mary -- but a high-variance QB probably would've thrown the game-ending INT on 3rd and 10 anyway.
I think you're working too hard to explain away that pass with 23 seconds left. He's on his side of the 50 down by a touchdown. Every option that provides a chance to win is high risk. The dump-off provides a near-zero chance of winning. What about an 18 yard corner route, or a 20-yard seam? Maybe they only give you a 3-4% chance of winning in that scenario - I have no idea, making up numbers - but they're much higher than that check down. It's a terrible decision and I put that on Rudock. Just as Brian says, even if he was coached to do that and all his reads say dump, he's got to look at one of his other options.
But I agree with a lot of what you say - I'm happy to take low variance this year if that's what wins the job. I'll just brace myself for some disappointment in similar scenarios. Our coaching won't be Davis/Ferentz, so we'll be better off, but I put this type of decision squarely on Rudock.
"I think you're working too hard to explain away that pass with 23 seconds left."
Maybe, but there's a surprising lot going on in QBs' heads; the good ones anyway. If Rudock has any untapped potential then there was a fixable method to his madness. So my verbose justification may sound like desperation but I'm just trying to be optimistic.
"What about an 18 yard corner route, or a 20-yard seam?"
Rudock doesn't get to tell the receivers what routes to run, especially post-snap. Hence the frustration evident in Brian's post-UFR summary. And if say there was a seam that's double-covered (Maryland was in full prevent) you've just lost the game with enough time to run one more play. I like that he at least got it to a guy in space. The last hitch was inexcusable. The 3rd-and-10 checkdown was justifiable but the receiver did just about everything wrong, including possibly catching the pass. If he didn't feel he could get the first down or go OOB he should've just batted it down.
I guess my point is that you can put the decision on Rudock, not the coaches, call it a mistake, and still come away without serious doubts. Given a chance, he didn't pull off a miracle; to the contrary, he played to not lose and lost. That is disappointing. But the guy who also had a 16:5 TD:INT ratio is THE EXACT SAME BRAIN. You get one, you get the other.
We beat ND in 2010 because of Denard. We lost to ND in 2012 because of Denard. With Rudock, we get the opposite. I'll take it, but again, personal preference. I don't lament Denard playing for Michigan, but I just want everyone to get used to a very different style of QB without despairing over well-known compromises to his style of play.
Big thanks to Brian for UFR'ing multiple Rudock games to see what exactly we've got in him, showing a nice range of good-to-great Rudock (vs. Northwestern) to meh-mediocre Rudock (vs. Maryland).
Is he the second coming of Andrew Luck? Hell no. But neither is he a guy who's occasionally going to be so awful he'll lose games for you single-handedly. As others have said above, he's low-variance -- and with the kind of defense we expect to have this fall, that's plenty good enough to lead this team to at least 8-9 wins with this year's schedule. And as the previous UFR against Northwestern showed, when this kid has decent protection, he can be pretty darn good -- he's got an accurate arm with some zip that can make all the necessary throws. And unlike every other QB on the roster right now, he's got significant starting experience as a Big Ten QB.
Ideally, Shane Morris is so good in fall camp that he beats out Rudock for the job -- I think his upside (and thus the upside for the offense) is higher, and it would sure be nice going into 2016 with a loaded roster that includes a senior QB with a year of starts under his belt. But worse case, Rudock is your starter with Shane pushing him hard, and then in 2016 you have a senior Morris w/a year of Harbaugh polish ready to take the reins, unless he's beat out by one of O'Korn/Speight/Malzone/Gentry. It's good having multiple bullets in the chamber.
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