The Snowflake Thread: Offense

That's fantastic.

But when you have WRs that hardly ever get any separation and drop the balls far too often on the few times they get the ball to their hands,  combined with a QB who cannot get timing, accuracy, or really anything right in any sort of consistent way...well, then pass protection is moot. 

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I get that old feeling that I use to get when Denard would raise his arm to throw.  Gardner is a turnover machine.  Today, he wasn't even pressured.  On that deep pick, he had a receiver open on the sideline and threw to the other buy.  Actually, the throw was so bad, I am not sure who he was throwing it to.

Northwestern is clearly a terrible team. Like Indiana and Penn State they simply don't have many good-great players. That Michigan could not dominate them points more to a deep seated coaching/training/game decision issue. The defense played well but on offense, Devin Gardner's problems are glaring:

1. He isn't an effective runner due to his injuries.

2. His passing has problems with his throwing motion. It doesn't have much zip despite his considerable height and reach.

3. He has not developed as a QB in reading defenses and managing the game. In the one really bad pick he had both Dever and Drake Johnson open - Johnson was an easy check off.

Injuries can't be helped, but a big part of points 2 and 3 have to be the responsibility of the OC/QB coach/head coach over the past 4.5 years. I feel bad for him because basically he hasn't developed much as a player. This won't help gather better QB recruits.

He does deserve great credit for taking a beating, going out there, being a good representative of the program. I hope he hears a lot of applause on Senior Day. He deserves it.

Morris doesn't seem like a fantastic option based on 1) what we've seen in his limited opportunities, and 2) the fact that he's not even on the coaches minds.

I think the purpose of my comment was that, as much as I agree we need a fresh start in the coaching staff, I can't sit here after this game and point at the coaches and say "that's why we're not good!"  They've had some clock management hiccups in different games.  The special teams personnel is a coaching error.  But by and large I think our team is what it is because we have no viable option at the most important position on the field.  He is literally a turnover machine.  

I don't want to give our team too much credit, but with the Big Ten what it is, our defense a legitimate B+ (lacks a shutdown corner...Hi Jabrill!), and our O-Line improving...I think we could have been a 9-10 win team if we had a "game manager" at QB.  

Speight and Malzone have that potential at the very least.  I'm not ready to give up on Shane, but he's looking like a rocket arm without QB instincts.  

It reminds me of our offense.

The O-line wasn't bad at all tonight, and they have been much better this year.  Gardner is broken.  

How many sacks have NW and IU had the last two weeks?  I think the line is doing fine on pass protection.

He's good at destroying QBs, maybe he can be good at being one.