Picture Pages: Argh Denard

which are completely based on last year, do support some level of digression in terms of Denard's looking to break the long run this season.  Brian's first example was an obvious "big play" opportunity as Denard may have had this year.  This same opportunity last year generated huge TD runs against ND and Indiana.  No way was Denard looking for the sidelines last year, and as a result BIG plays.

I do think there is a priority on having Denard take fewer hits .... and he has been told to use the sidelines to avoid some contact, but IMO Denard is being a little "too" cautious this year.  That said, his passing has looked much better the last 2 games ... and no disregard to Devin - but Denard on the field still give us the best chance for points.

Go Blue!

Question: If the coaches recognize this and just pound into Denard that he should run to open places if they're there, is there any way this is remedied this week against OSU?

He's been asked to do so much the last 2 years. Especially this year, with the Borges quote of "I'm asking him to do more than I've ever asked a QB to do" (or some such similar quote). Remember, he gets a whole offseason to learn with these guys this time. And bowl practices, and he'll be a senior. Michigan 2011 is awesome, can't wait for 2012.

That said. Beat Ohio.

The play where Denard should bounce to the outside: I remember seeing that live and thinking to myself..."Why didn't he bounce outside! It's so obvious! Aarrrrrrggggg!"

I was hoping Brian would give a good explanation for why he didn't in the UFR (or i guess pic pages)...but looks like there really isn't a good explanation? I don't think there is anything going on to the top of the screen because Denard doesn't look to his left, he keeps looking downfield. 

It definetely looks like Denard is more hesitant, I dunno whats up...hope it resolves soon!

You hit both nails on the head.

Nail 1: Denard is thinking too much.  The kid is very coachable, and while that can be an incredible asset, when the things on which he has been coached have not yet been learned to the level of near-instinct, it can cause a lot of slowing.  You can almost see Denard think, "Am I too anxious to scramble here?  Maybe I should wait a second longer.  That's what the coaches always applaud when it leads to a big play."  His purpose was much more clear last year, and thus, his confidence was higher.  He needs to get that confidence back.  

Nail 2:  Reps.  More than really any other single part of playing QB, the option requires reps.  Think of it like free throws.  Denard should be ending every practice with 100 option reads (that wouldn't take very long, really) and 100 pitches with each hand (which he could do running up and down the field with Devin).  Or 50/50.  Whatever.  The point is that it has to be like that for an option QB until he gets it.

That is why those old Nebraska option teams were so deadly.  High schools ran a lot more true option then, and really taught it.  So Nebraska could find someone like Tommie Frazier who had six years of option drills and experience under his belt.  That is harder to come by, now; even a spread-option QB like Devin really didn't learn how to read in high school, since his athleticism allowed him to gain 10 yards on a bad read.  

So, I think that will improve next year if Borges really embraces it and has Denard do option drills all summer.  It only takes two additional guys to do the read drill, and one other to do the pitch drill.  Actually, since catching the pitch and reacting properly to a long option ride are key skills for RBs, this practice would benefit them, too.

I remember seeing that live. I was annoyed because it seemed obvious that he should have gone straight up the field for the first down. I think Denard got it in his head he had to get out of bounds to stop the clock but he should have just relied on the first down to do it instead.

The more frustrating play was the next one where he made the opposite decision and stayed in bounds when he should have sprinted for the sideline. On that play he didn't have a shot at the first down but could have gotten to the sideline.

My biggest concern with Denard over the last two years has been his inability to adjust what he is doing on the fly. It just seems like once he gets it in his head what he is going to do, he can't do anything different. Its like his feet have all the speed and his brain only gets one chance to make a decision per play. I do think that all the changes in the offense and the complexity compared to where he started from in High School has made his  job a lot harder.

I also think there is a good chance that he has a big leap next year. But it is frustrating seeing him not adjust to the play as it unfolds.

I feel like Denard's running has gotten better in the last few games.  I'd like to think that Borges and Denard have kind of found each other's wavelength on the "Denard's feet setup Denard's arm" thing.  As opposed to the arm setting up the feet.  However I also realize that's pulling a lot out of only a few datapoints.

We do seem better than the games were Denard would drop back and put it in Park (which is fine when you are playing a tomato can and want to work on progression, not so great in a Trash Tornado) or where he'd a running lane open only to pull up and throw a wounded duck pass.  At least we've reached the point where when he runs, he runs.  Tucks it, hits the gas and goes instead of kind of hestating and looking for something to come open at the last second (which lets the DE run him down since Denard doesn't floor the pedal on those plays).  

Regarding his specific bounebacks to the inside, I wonder if it is coming from the fact that Molk is really good and the coaches are stressing "Run Behind the Center".  Also Neb has a really weak interior DL so the coaches spent the week conditioning the team to attack there.  Denard may have just gotten himself into thinking "Interior is weak, attack there".  In the past he's shown kind of a fixation for doing things.  You can tell on some plays he said "Fuck it, I'm running this" prior to the snap or "I'm throwing to Hemingway, oh he's double covered, so what?  I'm still throwing it.".  I have to wonder if while coachable Denard does sometime decide stuff in advance and get fixated on it.  All week he heard "Molk is an All American" and "Nebraska's interior is weak" so he just reflexively heads in that direction.  

I was thinking the same thing during the last drive before the half.  I saw the hole open to the inside, and I screamed to cut it upfield.  At the time, I didn't realize that it was Hemingway attempting to blcok the corner.  Could the likelihood of an "ole" gone into Denard's thinking of trying to out run the corner to the edge?

I just got the feeling that denard was so afraid of making mistakes that he was making them a lot.  i mean, alls well that ends well, but lets not go to that well too often.  Perhaps Borges will tell him this week just to run like the wind whenever.

no potato salad here.

I had more than a few "Argh Denard" moments last Saturday.  I think that I'm in the minority here, but in the ground game (option, and running), I thought Denard was thoroughly awful.  His running, especially, looked frighteningly bad.  he reminded me of a high school freshman athlete who tries to break every play to the outside because he thinks that he can still outrun everybody.  Failing to make the right reads on option plays is understandable, but his regression running the ball is puzzling. 

This has been a constant criticism I've had about Denard.  He isn't very good at making reads in the run game, whether it's where to run the ball (like on this highlighted play) or whether to hand off/pitch the ball on the option.

He does make some excellent plays, such as the mesh with Vincent Smith against MSU when Robinson yanked the ball out of Smith's belly and got the first down.

But more often he hands off the ball when he shouldn't, keeps the ball when he shouldn't, or keeps the ball when he should...and runs to the wrong place.  This is why it never looked like Rodriguez ran much read "option" because the mesh point was so quick that it looked as if Robinson was told to either hand it off or keep it in the playcall.  Robinson hasn't been a master of the zone read option for even one year in college, whether his coach was Rodriguez or Hoke. 

I remember watching Jeremiah Masoli at Oregon and how masterful he looked when running the zone read.  Obviously, Robinson is a better overall athlete than Masoli, but Masoli was much better at reading the run game, in my opinion.  If Robinson could master the zone read option, this offense would be unstoppable.

denard does not seem to be making a lot of progress in the 'happy feet' department. I have no idea of how a coach can cure this problem--but if he is serious about being an NFL QB he better develop some poise or its going to be hard going.  Hope the best for the kid though. 

I noticed Denard's hesitation on the 2nd TD run at Illinois. He had a huge hole but then brokedown and shuffled, then went, instead of exploding through. Thinking too much?

I think them finally relying on more zone read is what helped Denard have this "best game of the year so far" but it still needs work. It looks at times like he needs practice at the zone read. Sounds wired, right? To me it looks like quite a few of the option plays aren't him reading at all and deciding in advance that he's gonna just go for it. Same with some of his decisions to throw into coverage no matter how big the running lane is at times. Designed runs payed off in this game some as well, but it looked like they weren't nearly as potent as his gains when scrambling, they really seemed to fall flat at times in this game. Keep in mind I was drinking, but I remember seeing it almost as a rule: "designed qb run? Tfl. Read option? Modest gain or better." He did make some bad decisions after the snap, but quite a few more were made before it IMHO. If he can get more practice in actually reading the defenses and less time just rolling the dice and seeing what happens then he'll really start exploiting defenses.

He's a smallish guy and I'm wondering if the hits are starting to add up.  Not physically, but in terms of his psyche?

The tendency to want to run outside on everything is something that shows up in peewee ball with kids that don't like contact.  

...but aren't we averaging more points this year with completely new coaches?

That has to count for something... And, ya know, the wins and everything.

Assuming Borges is as good as advertised, this is what I believe we'll see next year:

1.  Denard runs for 75-150 YPG

2.  Denard completes about 60% of his passes for 150-200 YPG, utilizing all his receivers, including TEs

3.  Toussaint gains 100-150 YPG.

4.  Gardner, Smith, and others make up an average of 100-150 yards.

Denard will spend the off-season learning how to better fit into the offense Borges wants to run.  (This still doesn't mean I-form).  He will read the running lanes better and this will open up the passing game, especially the deep routes.  TDs-to-INTs will be about 2:1 instad of 1:1.  Denard is a gifted athlete, but I just don't think his brain can handle all the change.  Borges will get him on track. 

Toussaint will be a beast.

Gardener will get the entire 4th quarter against tomato cans .  This will not only be to get him ready to lead the Wolverines in  2013, but because a more consistant offense and a rock-solid defense will make Hoke comfortable in leashing the Denard Toussaint monster. 

Talk amongst yourselves, I'm getting verklemt just thinking about it.

It's almost like he's making decisions before the ball is snapped. Seeing this (type of thing) on some throws too. 

But uhh W00T for two 1000 yard rushers, right?

. . . for teeing it up so that the usual folks can tell us that one of the best and most dynamic players we've had at Michigan isn't so great after all.  My lying eyes told me that Denard had one of his better games against Nebraska.  Not perfect, sure, but I'll take a less-than-perfect Denard any day.