In Defense Of.......
I used to spend my time on here defending RR, but since he's gone let me try to find other unpopular stands.
Roh's play- After watching him on every snap I've come to the conclusion he just isn't getting any action. I couldn't find any instance of him making a bad play. He faced some doubles, most of the plays were run away from him. I guess he could have made a superhuman pass rush, but most were quick passes and he had no chance.
Roh's Use- He dropped off into coverage a lot. I know everyone hated that last year, but the new staff does it as well.
RB play- I know this sounds illogical but it appears to be the case again. ND overloaded toward the RB's daring Denard to run. We all know the big runs but the short and few rb runs were bad reads by Denard. He should have kept those as well. There was no room to run for the rb's in this game.
Borges playcalling- At 1st glance I was fuming and agreed with Brian that it seemed like a grab bag of bullshit calls, but between Denard's reads, dropped passes and poor accuarcy several drives we're doomed from execution not play calls.
This isn't unpopular as everyone seems to be calling for it, but I must say for the 100th time Denard has got to learn to run. Yes I know that sounds insane, but time and time again he has wide open spaces and he throws low percentage passes instead. Check out the space open on the waggle at 4:55 of the 1st qtr of Boys n da pahokee every snap video. Also look at 3:00 2nd qtr on Hemmingways TD. Both plays he just needs to turn on the jets and pick up an easy 20yds and who knows how much more.
Denard should have had 200+yds rushing in this game.
As a side note watch the ND zone reads. You thought GERG was insane. What can they be thinking? That d staff was lucky. Denard really botched at least 3 more 20+yd runs for himself. He knows it immediately as he claps his hand in disgust that he made the bad read. Why teams continue to do this really baffles me.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
If denard can lean to make proper reads, even if his accuracy is what it is there were enough open people the other night that it wouldn't of looked so ugly.
but denard just seems different this year. his runs aren't going to the house like they did last year and not sure what the difference is.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
I for one am pretty interested to see if Denard ever starts taking off when he has huge holes.. instead of trying to prove he can throw.
I also didn't quite understand the lob/fade to gallon on 1st down when he got picked off..
September 13th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^
Roh has been singled out as playing poorly because we all had high expectations for him. People need to be patient. He was on the backside of most of the running plays because ND had success running at Heninger and Black. I think his production will increase as the season progresses.
I also agree that the offense was struggling due to poor execution not poor play calls and as much as we all love denard, he was making a lot of mistakes. I think he was too excited.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^
Are you saying Denard should have run on the Hemingway TD? Defend all you want, but don't discredit a TD saying it was a bad read--it was a TD.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
And be a bad read.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
In this case. If it was a ball that was thrown into triple coverage, tipped, popped up in the air and caught for a TD sure. But a deep toss to Hemingway, which by the way is what he's best at isn't a bad read.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
But Denard really does almost refuse to tuck and run when his passing options are covered. This needs to be corrected immediately as this is UM best offense. Another issue I have is runnng Hopkins right up the middle on the goal line when ND has every defender in the box..You are taking the pressure off the D by not utilizing the most explosive player in the game on a bootleg in that situation. There is no one in the country that tackles Denard one on one in the open field in a race to the the pylon.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
If you think ND didn't have a spy whos specific job was to watch denard in case of a rollout then you are pretty naive, hell they probably assumed it was the call and just followed the ball. In terms of denards runs this year I think teams are just forcing him to throw. He wasn't taking runs to the house at the end of last year either, teams are just just structuring their defenses to ensure that doesn't happen.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
I'm just looking at the first two drives (can't imagine how much time it takes to do the UFRs), but Roh seems pretty ineffective...
Drive 1
Play 1. Pinned outside by RT, RB cuts inside him for 8.
Play 2. Pushed down line by LT, RB into hole created for 5.
Play 3. Bites on playfake, Rees roles outside of him to hit Floyd for 25.
Play 4, 5, 6. N/A Black in.
Play 7 Stoned by RT on pass rush. ND TD.
Drive 2
P1: Bull rushes RT well. Knocked down by helping guard. Promising rush but ball out quickly.
P2: Fights off RT to assist Martin on tackle on run to his side. Martin penetration killed run but Roh would have, at the very least, strung this out. Good play.
P3: Run away from him. Nothing he could have done.
P4/5/6: Black in.
P7: Pass rush stoned by RT
P8: Wide rush pushed wider by RT.
P9: Walled off by TE on inside run.
P10: Stood up, driven back by RT. ND TD.
Now those were the best two ND drives of the game, so its a bad sample, but the first three plays he doesnt look good. The second drive is better, but I don't think its true that he wasn't getting any action. They ran right at him and he struggled to disengage with his blocker throughout.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
Roh's day will come and hopefully BWC's as well. I don't know what is holding back Roh's production but I agree, much of it could be circumstantial.
I took Hoke's comments about BWC to be an effort problem. "We will see how he practices", Hoke knows BWC can do it but BWC has to want it. Maybe night games are BWC thing, he seems to like the spotlight.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
I'm sorry but anytime you have Hemingway downfield with only one man anywhere near him. Unless it's Derelle Revis or Charles Woodson throw it to him.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
Let's save Denard's running for the second half of the season.
September 13th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
I dislike your icon sir, I don't like seeing Qadaffy Duck in a Michigan Helm. He doesn't deserve such an alcolade.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
throwing and not running. He's not seeing the open spaces because he's looking for receivers. That's what the plan is, though, for him to run less, and that is what he's trying to do...good or bad I'm not sure, but he's trying to do what the coaches are teaching him. Good, if over time the experience of passing keeps improving his throwing game. Bad, if he's missing tons of yards running and not hitting receivers.
You could hear it in the crowd when there were open spaces, but Denard was looking for receivers...the chant of "RUN" would echo through. Easy for fans to see up high but if he's focused on receivers he may not have the sense yet to run. Over time I think that'll improve. Only game two.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
i thought it was going to be a defense of the excessive use of ellipses... ... ... ...
:)