Stat of the Evening

Submitted by TheGhostofYost on

With two returning 1000-yard rushers including a record-setting QB, a former near-1000-yard receiver, and an experienced OL with a top 20 pick at LT, this offense just did something that hasn't been done at Michigan in 50 years.

The last team to be held without a TD three times in one season was the 2-7, 1962 squad quarterbacked by Bobby Timberlake.  They were shut out 4 times, and scored more than 14 points just once.

inthebluelot

November 2nd, 2012 at 1:57 PM ^

Its not that you shouldn't judge him, its that you shouldnt be calling for his head during his second year without a quarterback he had a hand in recruiting. 

He did have a hand in recruiting Bellomy... so, I fail to see your point.  He has failed to prepare "his" QB in the event the starter goes down.

lhglrkwg

October 28th, 2012 at 1:02 AM ^

if you can't score TDs with the amount of talent that we have, youre not a very good OC. I dont care if we dont have the best WRs, you should be able to score more than FGs and not just run Fitz into a pile of bodies 10 times a gamr

snarling wolverine

October 28th, 2012 at 12:49 PM ^

But to be fair, Mattison is really, really good - probably one of the five best defensive coordinators in the country.  Almost no coordinator will look good in comparison to him.  I think the jury's out on Borges as OC.  I'm actually a little more concerned about him as our QB coach, to be honest.

 

 

 

Metzger

October 28th, 2012 at 9:22 AM ^

Your QB has all kinds of Michigan records... and national ones. And many times, he's been called "the most electrifying player in all of college football."  And now you have gone 2 games without a touchdown.    It's like Borges has been given the keys to a corvette and he's driving it like a freaking pinto. 

Now facing difficult defenses is one thing... but OSU just rolled Nebreaska a few weeks ago. I have a hard time believing their offense is THAT much better than ours, personnel wise.  I actually think we match up quite similarly.  But they score 60+ and we score 9.  To say it's frustrating is an understatement. 

Don

October 28th, 2012 at 10:31 AM ^

I don't have any trouble believing that OSU's talent on offense is, overall, considerably better than ours. But to support your main point, OSU's head coach is a proven offensive mind who knows how to maximize the available talent he has on hand. Our offensive coordinator has yet to prove he is able to do that.

mGrowOld

October 28th, 2012 at 10:50 AM ^

Our OC answers to the HC.  If Hoke truly has an issue with what he's seeing like the rest of us do then he has the power to change it.

Today.

And I'm not saying he has to fire him.  But he does need to excercise some supervisory oversite and demand changes in what's being called.  Two games with no TD's is no more acceptable than the defensive debacle under Rich.

PurpleStuff

October 28th, 2012 at 1:22 AM ^

At least we finally ran play-action off the veer stuff we actually run.  Hit for a big gain to Roundtree, drew a penalty, and almost hit for another (thought the overturn of the catch call was a bit harsh).

Still don't attack the flats in the passing game and telegraph shit regularly (can't believe we ran the throwback screen again with Bellomy in the game after they jumped it so aggressively early). 

That being said, the fact that Devin Gardner never entered the game at QB or that anyone thought Bellomy would be a better option under any circumstances is way more troubling than any nitpicking about playcalls.

maizenbluenc

October 28th, 2012 at 9:31 AM ^

about Gardner at WR, and how he was goign to get the 1 jersey ... well it didn't make any sense to take your big game experienced back up, and NOT practice and develop him at QB for an entire season. Especially when we now have either Gardner with a year less experience at QB reps, Bellomy, or freshman Shane as options next year.

The idea was fine last year for a couple of trick plays. They took a big gamble this year and the baloon payment just came due on the mortgage.

robmorren2

October 28th, 2012 at 1:29 AM ^

I'm not a Borges fan. Our output is far less than our talent level should produce. Northwestern has a better looking offense. You can't tell me they have more talent.

snoopblue

October 28th, 2012 at 1:43 AM ^

At least our kickers can kick!

I agree about Borges. He is a journeyman coordinator for a reason, you know. Borges must be one of those guys that looks and sounds like he knows exactly what he's talking about but in reality has no clue. Let's hope once we run a pro-style he's willing to mix it up a little bit, think 2008 Capital One Bowl vs. Florida.

turtleboy

October 28th, 2012 at 1:48 AM ^

2nd year in the offense, 6 pts against Notre Dame, 12 against Sparty, and 9 against Nebraska.

Last year we threw for 338 yards on ND. They lost their entire secondary this year and we only managed 138.

Sparties defense was better last year, and aided by a competent offense, and we managed 2 touchdowns last year on the road. This year they were a few players short, obvious defense was STILL obvious, and we managed zero touchdowns at home.

Last year we threw for 180 yards on Nebraska and ran for 238. This year: 93 and 95. Their defense took a huge step back, and we made them look damn good. Pelini hadn't even handed out the blackshirts this year at all because they were playing so bad. Maybe he will now, though.

We have a problem. 

Mike420GoBlue

October 28th, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^

Myself a bridge to jump off of. Glad to hear its not just me who thinks the offense has taken some rather large steps backward. I understand gotta keep the Lamborgini in the garage if you don't want it scratched up, but you can't win driving it like a golf cart. Not saying plow thru the line like a tank (RR offense) but you gotta take the leash off. Live by Denard's creativity, die by Denard's creativity

BlueinLansing

October 28th, 2012 at 3:02 AM ^

that is kind of pathetic

 

I watch a lot of football but I'm not a coach and I'll say this, I have no freakin idea what Al is doing.  None at all.  I didn't when he was at Auburn and I don't now.  It just makes no sense to me.  Every other college game I watched today I had an idea of the OC was trying to accomplish.

2nd and 3rd and longs in a power set with a running  QB.....WTF???

JohnnyV123

October 28th, 2012 at 5:10 AM ^

That's a great point. I think a lot of it has to do with Denard's skill set not being what Borges wants out of a quarterback.

It's like he eliminated the plays that he thinks Denard can't do from his offense, kept the running plays and passing plays from his system that he thinks Denard can do, and then also kept Rich Rod zone read type plays that fit Denard's playing style.

While that doesn't sound all that bad in theory it makes the offense look like it lacks an identity a lot of the time. Rather than having a big picture offensive strategy through the game it's like Borges goes hey let's see if this play works!

I won't be so down on Al until he fails with a pro style passer but in my mind he's made the leash a bit shorter.

Bryan

October 28th, 2012 at 5:34 AM ^

I'm here and had to watch this. For all I'm concerned that was Nick Sheridan not making pays. Holy hell that was bad and there's no stat that will make me happy

readyourguard

October 28th, 2012 at 7:56 AM ^

Let's not overlook the absolutely horrific job Fitz Touissant did blocking.  It was embarrassing. When you review the "Every snap: Offense" you'll see what I mean.

Goddamn shameful  

mGrowOld

October 28th, 2012 at 8:14 AM ^

In the darkest defensive days of 2010 we ripped RR constantly for keeping his friend Tony Gibson in place as one of the defensive coaches.  RR was absolutely vilified for not putting the best interests of the team above that of his loyalty to a friend.

Will we do the same to Hoke if he stands behind Borges?  I think we keep forgetting Borges (who is also the QB coach - how's THAT working out for us) works for Hoke.  Brady could make a change today if he wanted to so the ultimate responsibility for this debacle falls on the HC....not the OC.

the Glove

October 28th, 2012 at 8:41 AM ^

Say your a race car driver for the last 25 years, then one day you get handed the keys to a jet. Do you think it would be a comfortable transition? Before you burn Borges on a steak maybe you should let him have the chance to run his offense with his people. They just had a coaching change, everyone was spoiled with the senior class that we had last year. A good portion of the plays that he is calling are plays that he's never called in his career.

mGrowOld

October 28th, 2012 at 8:53 AM ^

Ok good analogy.  Lets say I'm a race car driver for 25 years.  And one year i do nothing but hit walls, other cars, blow up my engine and generally suck in every race i'm in against other good race car drivers.  When I race go carts I'm fine...as a matter of fact i stomp the guts out of the other go cart drivers but when I'm facing competition driving real race cars and not just go carts I really, really suck.

When would the owner of my race car start looking for a change in drivers?  

Bosch

October 28th, 2012 at 8:45 AM ^

of Borges on the sideline, I can't help but imagine him slinking out of sight like the coach in Waterboy (Fonzi) after his playbook got stolen....