Snowflakes - The Day After (Offense)
Just finished rewatching all the offensive plays. The same was super-ugly and disheartening watching it live. Upon rewatching, it was like watching Murphy's Law play out in front of my eyes. Ugly, but saw more positive potential then I thought watching live:
- The job of a coordinator is to get the athletes the best play. Open plays were there. Upon rewatching, we were Inches away from a blowout. Key drops, missed cuts, & slight overthrows. The play calls were there, holes and open men were there, we just didn’t execute or got crap-lucked.
- Stop. Fumbling. The. Ball.
- The coaches seemed terrified to trusting the tackles. Any critical run play, they tried to work off of the interior line. Once Army caught on == toast. Runyun, please get back to healthy... fast.
- 4th Downs. Felt tooooo Harbaugh-ish. Wish we would have gone 4 wide to run those plays instead of bringing everyone into the box. Also, what happened to giving Ben Mason the ball? Doesn't need a whole lotta practice to get the run straight of two yards play correct.
- Should have kicked the Field Goal in the 4th w/ Moody. That + the Metallus points = Win.
- Army: A lot of varied zone. FLOODED the backfield, disguising coverages. Very fortunate we didn't throw any stupid INTs. Looked like guys were going to be open, then suddenly an Army defender would switch and appear out of thin air. They played very disciplined coverages. Anything that open underneath was swarmed, only longer routes seemed to eventually get open.
- Wish there had been more plays designed to punish the defense when they played 10 yards off the ball.. but none of our screen plays amounted to much, because the CB’s/LBs covered ground soooo quickly. Again, I was more impressed by the quality of the defensive effort in the rewatch.
- Wide Receivers: Mugged. All. Day. Could have called holding or PI on most passing plays. Reminds me of MSU. Once a defender felt like he was beat, they did anything they could to stop our receivers from running past them... Anything.
Work is needed. Room for growth by all parties involved... but I saw more potential for this offense to become something than 24 hours ago. Glad we have two weeks until Wisconsin... hopefully that is enough time to get healthy & iron out the kinks.
Last Hot Take: Don’t schedule service teams. I dreaded this one since seeing it on the schedule. All of the previews leading up to this made me feel worse and worse. Glad we came out with a W.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:53 PM ^
I see two possibilities right now. The team rallies big time out of the bye week and wins or contends for the BIG title, or things get..... bad, this year, and he steps away. I think Harbaugh really does love the University, but it at least has to be considered at this point that he has checked out on this job.
A couple years ago there was a lot of ridicule toward people who thought they saw a difference between Harbaugh ‘16 and Harbaugh ‘17, but there was a change. One moment he was running shirtless at satellite camps all over the South, the next moment he seemed restless, kind of bored.
I do know that I was on the Harbaugh train big time, and then the train started kind of slowing and going in an odd direction. Now I don’t know what to think of him.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:58 PM ^
Are you calling for Les Miles?
September 8th, 2019 at 6:06 PM ^
Herbstreit just reported that it is a done deal.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:16 PM ^
A couple years ago there was a lot of ridicule toward people who thought they saw a difference between Harbaugh ‘16 and Harbaugh ‘17, but there was a change.
Yes, there's a change, named Jedd Fisch.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:21 PM ^
Nah, I’m talking about Harbaugh’s general disposition. He has not been the same since ‘16 OSU. You could notice it as early as the bowl game a month later. The team has not prepared the same way since that game, and he hasn’t seemed as invested.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:17 PM ^
Again, he had his nth child between those years right?! I for one saw a change...didn't think a whole lot about it until it started to become something to think about. Fiery Jim has never returned.
September 8th, 2019 at 8:33 PM ^
Upon reflection, this makes a lot of sense. Harbaugh came to Michigan not because of football, but instead because of family. Football is what motivated his other coaching moves...family motivated this one. I think after the birth of his most recent child, he took a step back to realize what was most important to him.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:47 PM ^
Same O - different year - gonna be same results.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:49 PM ^
Point 3 is interesting. I haven’t rewatched but i noticed our tackles looked bad at first glance and army was attacking the interior line.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:50 PM ^
Wish they would have incorporated some screens, draws, trick plays (which Michigan seems to be the only team in the world not run any) mix up the snap counts, more uptempo. Nothing puts defenses in a bind more than an offense that is uptempo and keeps getting the ball out quickly to their playmakers. See Oh St and OK to just name a couple.
The 2nd half reeked of a Harbaugh called game even tho he didn’t have a play sheet. Certainly would have been a different game if the the Metellus TD counted and they didn’t turn the ball over.
Not being able to dominate the Los is very disheartening and the call to call for it late in the 4th instead of getting the 3 points was a big mistake.
If this trend continues the next few weeks, then it’s seriously time to consider a possible change.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^
Dude, its hilarious that you're using Oklahoma as an example of how Michigan was supposed to be against Army. Where were you the entire off season when literally every website was explaining how this was going to be a difficult game because of how Army played against...Oklahoma.
Oklahoma scored 21 points in regulation against Army. They scored zero in the second half.
This is what Army does. They slow down the game so that if you don't play perfectly, you don't have time to make it a blow out. Michigan fumbled on three of their first four possessions and had a TD incorrectly called back. This game was built for Army to keep it close. And I'm not sure what Harbaugh is supposed to do when his entire team decides to put the ball on the ground in the first half. I dunno, if I was him I might just keep it in the team's surest hands. Maybe with Zac Charbonnet.
I guarantee if Michigan kicked a field goal on 4th and 2 and missed it, every single person on this site would be screaming about what a coward Harbaugh was for not going for it with his gigantic OL against tiny ass Army.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:08 PM ^
Army forced us to keep pounding our head against the wall and running up the middle when it wasn't working?
September 8th, 2019 at 6:10 PM ^
That's not the ideal, but when you fumble on three out of four first half drives and put the ball on the ground five times the week before, I understand why you might go away from the strategy that's resulted in that.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:09 PM ^
I agree with most of what you said except for the last point. We wouldn’t have been bitching because he didn’t go for it. We would have been bitching because he used the wrong kicker! Unacceptable!
September 8th, 2019 at 6:32 PM ^
With respect, I honestly thought it was 4 th and 3, and it was the wrong call not to kick a field goal for would have been Michigan's first lead of the game. If I'm wrong about that so be it.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:06 PM ^
I agree. I think it was a terrible, terrible coaching decision.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:58 PM ^
"I dunno, if I was him I might just keep it in the team's surest hands. Maybe with Zac Charbonnet."
Didn't Harbaugh and Gattis actually do this? How many of Charbonnet's 33 carries were in the second half? And Army figured that out, which is why they were keying on him to get the ball. Low risk = low reward versus high risk = lose the ball and the game.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:53 PM ^
He's being sarcastic and saying he agrees with the game plan.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:45 PM ^
Did Oklahoma finish out that game with ten straight runs for 24 yards?
September 8th, 2019 at 5:51 PM ^
If you truly think that Michigan will lose 3 fumbles every week, then there is a reason to be seriously concerned about the rest of the season.
If you believe that losing more fumbles in two games than the team did the entire 2018 season is a statistical fluke, then its hard to be anything more than pleased that the team didn't blow the season during a stretch when all luck went against them.
I don't feel any worse about my prediction that Michigan will go into the Ohio State game with everything to play for than I did before the season.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:13 PM ^
Maybe the sloppiness with the ball speaks something of Josh Gattis.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^
I think two of those turnovers are directly a result of injuries.
One was on Hayes & I think a Runyan in the lineup avoids that.
I think Shea’s injury to his ribs/sides are making it hard for him to tuck the ball firmly against his body when he sees pressure coming.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:01 PM ^
Has nothing to do with Gattis. It could be due to Fall camp. Did they have a tough camp or was it lighter than the other years? Fall camp gets you in football shape and gets your body prepared to take the hits and also hang onto the ball That's the only thing that makes sense to me as far as our ball security has been.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:36 PM ^
Yeah, it might. He probably spent a lot of fall camp telling the players to take chances with the ball and avoid making blocks in pass protection. Probably even coaches the guys to turn it over on purpose because we have a good defense and hey, why not let the other team move the ball down the field and just let our defense get a takeaway to put the offense in better field position? Saves our offense all the trouble of moving the ball.
Definitely can be traced back to him.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:55 PM ^
Only thing I disagree with is the notion we should never schedule service teams. I think we should periodically have them on the schedule and should be able to whip their asses at will. I don’t like to shy away from competition just because it’s a team that runs something different than what we are used to.
September 8th, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^
How does Wisconsin plan for us? We didn't how anything at all.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:29 PM ^
Michigan has been showing a lot. After seeing the D line the past 2 weeks, I think they plan to run with Taylor, and run, and run, and run.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:05 PM ^
Ah yes, inches away from a blowout if 17 things didn't happen that did.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:12 PM ^
Actually I think it was one thing: The TD that was incorrectly called back. That happens and the game is over.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:10 PM ^
What basis do you have for that? What would have caused us to score more touchdowns just because that one touchdown stood?
September 8th, 2019 at 8:03 PM ^
Because of who Army happens to be as a football team.
Honestly, its pretty crazy that anyone who pays attention to anything related to Michigan football didn't understand that the way this game played out was a possibility.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:36 PM ^
Yeah and if they dont false start on the 2 its 21-7.
See how that works?
September 8th, 2019 at 6:08 PM ^
Where the hell are the slots? We heard all about Sainristil and hes nowhere to be found. Giles Jackson looks very shifty and could be used as well. Where are all the rpo's, slants and intermediate passes? This offense looked like it had a little flare potential against MTSU and then it disappeared against Army.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:11 PM ^
Pretty sure it's because Ronnie Bell has experience over them. with DPJ out, maybe it's viewed as a safer bet having experience in.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:16 PM ^
We may be one of the only teams left that constantly uses the experience metric for who plays. Offensive line I can see but skills positions are ripe for these young kids nowadays.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:20 PM ^
They gave Giles Jackson one jet sweep early on and he screwed it up by bouncing outside instead of cutting up behind the blocking.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:15 PM ^
That's only one time though and it's a jet sweep. We ran that play a few times over and over with McDoom and it never worked out either. I'd like to see a fake jet sweep and then get these shifty guys into open field for a pass play.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:15 PM ^
That's only one time though and it's a jet sweep. We ran that play a few times over and over with McDoom and it never worked out either. I'd like to see a fake jet sweep and then get these shifty guys into open field for a pass play.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:09 PM ^
Anybody here seen my old friend Jedd Fisch.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:13 PM ^
I think it's pretty fucked up that harbaugh kept calling the fumble play. he shouldn't do that anymore
September 8th, 2019 at 6:18 PM ^
Give him a little credit...At least he had the right person in the game to execute it.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:19 PM ^
First half was bad execution, good playcalling. Second half they shelved even the charade of read options for straight up runs and the few passes they threw were not really set up off the run plays. So Army was much more able to tee off on the run and drop into coverage on passes (agree they had some nasty trap coverages) because they knew what a given play was going to be. Two games into a never before seen offense and we have depressingly obvious tendencies already. The bye week is a godsend because we have a ton to fix.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:30 PM ^
Agree with almost 100% of the OP.
I think a huge part of this is limiting the offense to avoid QB injuries to both Shea and Dylan because we fully intend to run the hell out of them in bugger games. There was green for MILES with lead blocks at least 8-10 times, and we never took jt Its got to be due to specific instructions not to do it.
Once Army figured it out & that we didn’t trust Hayes enough to run behind him, they stacked the box & we couldn’t get any push on the run game.
The sloppy play, turnovers, (also partly due to injury IMO—Shea can’t tuck the ball well with injured ribs/side) & the totally FUBAR call that robbed Metellus of a TD totally killed the momentum of what was about to become a comfortable win.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:47 PM ^
So your view is the QBs were instructed to not run and risk blowing the entire season?
September 8th, 2019 at 6:51 PM ^
News flash: yesterday's game was entirely irrelevant to "blowing the season" from the moment it was scheduled. It's become clear that the AD is focused on winning the Big Ten, and if taking a loss that doesn't impede that goal is necessary, so be it.
There have been enough awful, pathetic takes over the past weekend to last ten lifetimes, but "losing to Army in game 2 = season is over" might be the worst.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:53 PM ^
Ah, so not only do bowl games "not count" (but only when you lose), OOC games "don't count" too!
September 8th, 2019 at 6:55 PM ^
When the goal is winning the Big Ten, of course OOC games don't count. Why would you think otherwise?
These games only count to fragile or delusional fans.
September 8th, 2019 at 7:04 PM ^
At least you're consistently stupid and insulting. It's not 1950 Bo, "winning the Big Ten" is only a prerequisite for the real goal - going to the playoffs, for which OOC matters a great deal.
Too bad this website's functionality sucks as bad as Michigan's offense did yesterday. Otherwise, I'd put you on "ignore".
September 8th, 2019 at 7:08 PM ^
Is going to the playoffs the real goal? The AD doesn't seem to act like it. Funny how you can't seem to read my posts correctly.
If you want to ignore me, you can always quit the board. You won't be missed.
September 8th, 2019 at 6:56 PM ^
What drives me nuts is a team like OSU with no backup QB ran the starter nine times and won comfortably.