Picture Pages: Good Scoop Comment Count

Brian

Okay, so. On the last play Michigan picked up three yards when Brandon Minor cut behind Steve Schilling and got tracked down by the backside defensive end.

On this play Michigan returns to a more conventional formation. They're going to run the exact same play:

purdue-good-stretch-1

Again, the key block on this is the Schilling-Moosman double on the playside DT. Getting him blocked and Moosman into the linebackers is win.

purdue-good-stretch-2

Okay, Moosman has engaged with the backside DT and is actually driving him back off the LOS a bit. He didn't get this much push on the last play. Schilling, also given the humiliatingly amateurish Paint Arrow, is hustling to get into position.

purdue-good-stretch-3

Schilling's still rushing to get there, but on this scoop we see Moosman already disengaging to get to the second level… look at him facing downfield, not towards the guy he's nominally blocking. You can see Schilling's knees buckle.

Schilling intends to cut the DT. For this to be legal, Moosman can no longer be engaged with him; this block requires precise timing.

purdue-good-stretch-4

Moosman is away, again with great angle to block a Purdue linebacker who's got no idea what's going on. You can see the frontside DT shooting hard to the playside. There is about to be…

purdue-good-stretch-5

…one hell of a crease. Minor cuts up. Note that the linebacker Moosman had such a great angle on has decided to go around the other way. The backside DE is still chasing, but Minor's cut isn't taking him back to the right enough to be caught.

purdue-good-stretch-6

Minor bursts into the secondary for 21 yards. The backside DT, nearest to you in the picture, is still getting up. That linebacker who eschewed contact is waving at Minor's legs as he passes.

Object lesson on this one is: cutting a defensive tackle to the ground is a good idea, if you can do it.

Also, it is sad that Michigan's running game commands so little respect that Purdue has six guys in the box on second and seven. Four wide and all that, I guess, but still.

Comments

Tim

November 6th, 2008 at 1:14 PM ^

To be fair to Purdue's respect for our running game, the entire purpose of the spread (for RR's purposes) is to force guys out of the box to defend the pass, opening up running lanes.

DamnYankee

November 6th, 2008 at 1:41 PM ^

that demonstrates the necessary precision needed right now for our ground game to be effective.  Without it (the first play), we are pretty much toast.  I know you stated in the first example how a  true dual-threat QB would freeze and keep the backside DE honest and prevent him from crashing down and wreaking havoc.  Ahh, to think of the possibilities that await us after this year.  Thanks again for the awesome information - I am not able to catch this on live tv.

gsimmons85

November 6th, 2008 at 2:04 PM ^

like the playside DE is playing a different technique in the two plays..   in the first play he is a B gap player in the 2nd he is a C gap player, looks like they are slanting to the formation...   no way to kick out a b gap player if you are the tackle,  should have been downblocked and the play should have bounced to the outside...  also notice how in both plays, the uncovered guard first looks to the playside tackle, if that end is slanting in hard, he has to help keep penetration from hapening...  

papabear16

November 6th, 2008 at 3:00 PM ^

What's sad to me is that Threet could run this better, even though he isn't Pat White.  Granted, White's threat to take it to the house each play is great, and I look forward to QBs like that.  But Threet has proven to be a capable runner, as well, and teams have to view him as a threat.

With one exception, however.  Threet is not now a threat to keep the ball on a zone read, because he simply refuses to make the "keep" read.  If he kept it more consistently when he should, that DE would have to respect him regardless of not being Pat White.  Like the timing with our offensive line, this is just a pure lack of experience.  If Threet remains the QB next year, I suspect he'll be much better at that read.

gsimmons85

November 6th, 2008 at 3:42 PM ^

well be right, but my question is,  how do you know he is being given the option to keep it?  We just a assume that this is read option, and not the zone give, or zone keep.  It very well  could be, becasue of injury concerns, and minors ability to break tackles, that he is being told to give it.  Or that he is being told to give it unless their is no de threat at all.  Im not saying thats the case, but i think it probably is.

caup

November 6th, 2008 at 5:03 PM ^

you're proabably right about that, because any injury to Threet = loss for Michigan.

And then a Purdue guy takes a blantantly high head shot on him well after he released the ball. Concussion and out for Minnesota.

Sigh. The nightmare continues...