Mike McQueary (PSU Recruiting Coordinator) comments on Michigan/Rodriguez at the Coaches Clinic International tonight...
In case it may interest some people here, I am at the Coaches Clinic Intl in Scranton. Tonight, Mike McQueary (recruiting coordinator @ PSU) was giving a talk on beating 'Slick' (quarters) coverage and goal line/short yardage strategy.
He used a number of clips of PSU against Michigan last year to demonstrate examples of how to exploit various coverages. Needless to say, it was painful to sit there and watch as he showed clips and described several sequences where defenders WERE exactly where they needed to be and couldn't make plays. FWIW, he said some very complementary things about Rich as an offensive coach ("This clip makes me feel a little sad for Coach Rodriguez. His offense is nearly impossible to gameplan for, but the defense couldn't get it done").
He used Michigan as an example of the importance of finding a few things as a coach that you can connect with your players on re: scheme, rather than trying to run every kind of scheme with minimal understanding (Less is better).
The hardest thing to watch was a near-goal line stand where PSU ran a Fullback draw into a 3-man front and barely needed any blocking to get the TD. He referred to that as "some knuckleheaded goal-line defense".
Anyway, pretty interesting stuff... FWIW, he wasn't just throwing up a lot of stuff against michigan... in fact, much of his hours worth of footage came from games against MSU and Iowa.
February 25th, 2011 at 12:51 AM ^
Mike McQueery
McQUEARY
MIC-QUEERY
Yeah, umm, go Penn State- home of the Queer.
February 25th, 2011 at 12:52 AM ^
I'm dedicating part of my spring break to fixing user blocking on the board just because of you.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:07 AM ^
I apoligize, I was just trying to be funny- and it didn't work.
At heart I love PSU, it's probably my favorite next to Michigan.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:12 AM ^
Wow. Did you really misjudge the idiocy of your first post that much?
February 25th, 2011 at 3:19 AM ^
note the user name.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:55 AM ^
I would hope that by 16 years old, he would be more mature than that.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
You obviously did not grow up in Columbus, OH.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
He's actually 53...just decided to act 16 for life
February 25th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
"I was just trying to be funny- and it didn't work."
Pretty much the understatement of the day so far
February 25th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
did his comment have something to do with making a mean-spirited pun on McQueary's surname?
February 25th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^
Is my name safe!? I swear it's not offensive, I just really like taking poops.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:53 AM ^
I negged you for the homophobic (at worst) or childish (at best) comment.
However, I would like to neg you another time, if I could, for disrespecting a perfectly awesome Irish name.
February 25th, 2011 at 12:52 AM ^
the fundamental ways of running the offense and how it works against certain defense. That's what you're supposed to do in a coaching clinic.
The fact that he was complimentary to RR as a offensive coach speak volume on how much the opposing defensive coaching staff respect RR's ability to churn out great offense after great offense. It's obvious that RR knows what he's doing on the offensive side. It's the ineptness of GERG that doomed RR.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:29 AM ^
Being a former naval officer, I look at the Rodriguez tenure through a leadership lens. I have to say, that as a ship captain, if your navigator runs your ship aground it is your fault. You might get a reprimand the first time (not likely), so if the navigator (two of them) runs the ship aground over and over and over again, it is most definitely your fault.
It is your fault because you failed to apply enough leadership to ensure your navigator and his staff of quartermasters are trained to competence, adequately staffed, and failing that replaced. (This applies to GERG, the assistants, and the players.)
Maybe Rich decided to gamble on focusing on the offense. Maybe the AD wouldn't pay big bucks for a big name DC. But Rich's lack of leadership over compliance, the defense, and special teams did him in (a three year track record no less). In hind sight: he deserved to be done in because that was his fault.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
Those are my thoughts exactly! RR resided over the three worst defensive units in the history of Michigan football. That's not a coincidence (or a conspiracy).
Shafer and GERG took a lot of the blame but ultimately, RR was responsible for the performance of his team on the field...and not just the offense. That's what leadership is all about.
February 25th, 2011 at 12:53 AM ^
glad they didnt show any of the michigan kickers.. that place wouldn't have stopped laughing
February 25th, 2011 at 12:54 AM ^
February 25th, 2011 at 12:58 AM ^
we should start talking about whether RR should be here!
/s
Good info. Thanks for the insight!
February 25th, 2011 at 12:59 AM ^
that a coach can be so good at beating a defense but not know how to stop another offense. Maybe he just really didn't know what was going on in other offensive schemes.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:07 AM ^
It's called an offensive coordinator.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:06 AM ^
At least the dude was honest.
I will truly miss RR's offense, for it was like eye candy. However, watching the special teams and defense were like pulling teeth, and that I will not miss. RR really truly blew it. He had a golden opportunity and let it slide. RR thinks it was the factions to blame, etc...but that is nonsense, because those same hidden powers were there when Carr was interim coach, and the difference was that Carr made it. Had RR won, he'd have been embraced, as one from the Bo coaching tree via Don Nehlen.
And I truly believe this...that RR was distracted just enough by the WVU hate backlash and hurt by it, enough to lose perspective when it came time to decide whether or not to keep Shafer, who is a very good coach. He reacted without thinking, and terminated Shafer. This was the beginning of the end with RR.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:20 AM ^
Complimentary*
February 25th, 2011 at 1:22 AM ^
mature. haha
February 25th, 2011 at 1:34 AM ^
MacQueary said "Rich would make a hell of an OC."
It is definitely too bad he didn't find the right yin for his yang, but part of being an HC is being responsible for both the yin and the yang. It's over, fellas.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:11 AM ^
Did you see Dwight at this clinic?
February 25th, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
He was running the beet concession.
February 25th, 2011 at 3:12 AM ^
if we can have ONE DAY on this board without a reference to RR in a post or the related comments.
I don't think it is possible. Taking bets
February 25th, 2011 at 4:59 AM ^
I would pay cash money to watch Mike McQueary mercilessly beat the stupid out of you. Given the bottomless depths of stupid you possess Mike would have a tall job ahead of him, but I'd be cheering him on to the inevitable conclusion.
Go back to MLive where you belong.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:08 AM ^
Rich Rodriguez WAS a helluva off. coordinator.
At Tulane and Clemson, he put together a scary attack. Clemson had a long history of wonderfully athletic option QBs who were being wasted by inept coaches who tried to put a round peg in a square hole. Woody Danzler looked like he was specifically hand-crafted by the baby jesus for Rodriguez's schemes.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^
Who in the hell thinks that is funny? Just a little heads up, if you have friends, they don't think you tagging them in the balls or pulling chairs out from underneath of them is funny either. Something tells me you needed to be told that.
Edit: this is directed at 16forlife
February 25th, 2011 at 9:32 AM ^
He is only stating what we all know, we were bad last year.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:46 AM ^
McQueary seems to be a pretty decent guy. Especially for a ginger.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:54 AM ^
As a preemptive measure to cut off the RR debate:
1. To the RR Critics
-we know, as head coach, he is responsible for all phases of the game
-we know that the defense was terrible
-we know that the special teams were terrible
-we know that (without any characterization) the offense struggled in certain games
-we know, turnover are not good
-we know, poor choices in defensive hiring
-we know, attrition, Mallett, Borin
2. To the RR Loyalists
-we know, decimated defense
-we know, injuries / youth
-we know, the offense put up amazing numbers
-we know, the whole offense was returning
-we know, Mallett was out the door anyway and is a massive prick in any event
-we know - GERG ARGH
-we know, divided fanbase didn't help
Now nobody has to feel compelled to make any of these point, so we can hopefully avoid a umpteenth reitaration of these topics.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^
or I certainly would. Not that it would count, but I'd do it anyway. I'm not opposed to new information or insight that would fall on either side of the RR ledger, but enough with the same 5-10 arguments on either side. Everyone's heard them, if someone's not converted to your side yet, repeating the same argument for the five millionth time won't do it.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
Why would you have anything that says "F--- Jesus," joking or not (and even if someone else said it)?
February 25th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
Thanks for taking the time to post the OT. Sorry 16ForLife ruined it.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
He seems like an ok guy to me. My friend tried walking on at PSU I think Mike was the coach that dealt with the walk on program at the time.
Also no Office jokes please some of us on here grew up in North Eastern PA ( Scranton) as much as I like the show and some of the things they talk about there is not one buidling in Scranton or Wilkes - Barre that looks like the office. It also chaps my ass that they film it in Cali so people get the wrong idea of how Scranton is from the show.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
Man, I'm bummed that I missed what was apparently quite a heated discussion with an idiot on this thread.
Still, to the OP, thanks for the post. I guess it is reassuring that other coaches noticed that RR's offense was on the right track and that his defense just needed to catch up, but yeah, it falls on him for failing to foster a better sense/scheme on that side of the board.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
While I see many, even outside of the RR loyalists here, talk about the man as an offensive guru & whatnot, I guess I just dont see it. In order to have that kind of praise heaped upon him I would have to be able to look at games against quality opponents and say, "well, they never stopped us, our D just couldnt hold up". Instead I look at the games vs. Wisc, OSU, Miss st. and say the opposite. Our D actually gave us a fighting chance early in those games and it was the Offense that fell on its face repeatedly.
I'm sorry but judging an offense, or defense for that matter by what it did against Umass or whatever other patsy just doesnt mean anything to me. Illinois was the one somewhat quality defense that we did have success against but thats just not enough. If we'd at least kept it close vs. Wisc, OSU or Miss st I'd have another data point to make the case for his offensive mind but we just muddled in those games and frankly it looked easy to be a D-coordinater against us.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
""This clip makes me feel a little sad for Coach Rodriguez. His offense is nearly impossible to gameplan for, but the defense couldn't get it done")."
February 25th, 2011 at 1:51 PM ^
That makes me feel worse for Calvin Magee. RR was more than just the OC.
February 25th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
You have a future writing headlines at MLive.
February 25th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
February 25th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^
McQueary said some nice things about a coach who is now out of a job. This is hardly earth shattering and could just amount to professional courtesy for a respected colleague.
The fact of the matter is that regardless of how impossible it is to gameplan for RichRod's offense, many teams suceeded at stopping in 2010.
February 25th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
hey, you know, i'm sitting at a Coaches Clinic watching film clips dissecting the weakness of our Michigan Wolverines. Just passing it along.
Also, Chuck Heater spoke today. Had some good stuff to talk about with regards to coaching Defensive backs/defensive strategy. Made several Bo/Michigan-related comments. He mentioned having talked to Coach Loeffler earlier in the day about the UM/Florida bowl game, and the adjustments made in game as a result of how the Florida DB's were playing. Knowledgeable guy who presents material in a very accessible manner.
In regards to your comment on teams stopping RR's offense in 2010, I would say this: I think UM's youth and the consant struggle to maximize points on the board due to the non-existent D were the primary factors that slowed us down.
Not important, though... we're in a new era. I was just passing along observations for those who care....
February 26th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
My comments may have come across wrong.
The clinic sounds like it is very cool. I wish the public could have more access to the coaches actually talking about this kind of stuff.
The Capitol One Bowl is one game, in particular, that left me with many questions especially regarding the offensive gameplanning.
February 26th, 2011 at 2:58 AM ^
I wonder if McQueary's pubic hair is red?