ak47

September 12th, 2021 at 12:15 AM ^

It’s clear the passing game is broken on many levels and it’s tough to tell what the primary problem is. Like it seems easy to blame play calling but then you get stuff like a 3rd and 7 where McNamara gets a clean pocket, good protection and immediately throws a first read well covered out route at 4 yards. Like if that’s the sort of conservative decision making you are getting running the ball in this game is probably better. It’s just not going to get if done consistently and it’s disappointing the offense looks like it does given the level of potential talent.

Joined: 05/05/2011

MGoPoints: 33614

TennesseeMaize

September 12th, 2021 at 7:50 AM ^

7 completions on 15 passing attempts for an avg gain of 2.9 yards per pass for a total of 44 yards in an entire game… would appear to be good reason to wonder if Michigan truly has the ability to pass adequately. 
 

Let’s hope the coaches have a plan to get it going and more balanced in future games when the team faces far better defenses. 

Joined: 09/02/2018

MGoPoints: 3010

BlueinKyiv

September 12th, 2021 at 9:58 AM ^

Both those historic rushing games would have been lost without the passing of our quarterbacks.  Greise not only threw a touchdown for the first score against the Buckeyes but his 35-yarder to the tight-end at the 8 minute mark was the game decider.  Griese was a class game manager, but he still needed to make key throws to beat our rivals. Same with Navarre in the State game, he threw 3 TOUCHDOWNS for our win (yes, great that Chris Perry got 4 yards per carry, but you cannot be predictable to beat equally talented teams.

Joined: 04/05/2017

MGoPoints: 4226

JonnyHintz

September 12th, 2021 at 8:00 AM ^

Yeah my issue isn’t so much with how many times we threw the ball, it’s how unimaginative and ineffective it was when we did.
 

Half of the pass attempts were screens/swing passes that got blown up at the line of scrimmage. They were clearly not working yet we kept going back to them on the very few times we did decide to throw it. 
 

Im fine running the ball when it’s working and you have a lead. I’m not so fine with the 2.9 yards per passing attempt. 

Joined: 01/11/2015

MGoPoints: 48345

ohio

September 12th, 2021 at 3:06 PM ^

My theory, Harbaugh knew Washington was missing several starters at wide receiver and, in order to remove the caveats to the victory, decided also to not use his receivers either in the pass game. We already had the home night game advantage. Give em a chance!

 

Joined: 09/04/2011

MGoPoints: 1043

Newton Gimmick

September 12th, 2021 at 1:16 AM ^

It was kind of a 2018 Michigan performance.  That team was only up 13-7 on Wisconsin at the half but won 38-13.  Only up 14-0 on Penn State at half but won 42-7.  We know how that year ended of course.  But I kind of miss beating that next tier of Big 10 teams.  Wisconsin crushed us in '19 and '20 just by being 2018 Michigan

 

Joined: 05/06/2015

MGoPoints: 33792

BlueInGreenville

September 12th, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^

For a three game stretch in 2018 (vs. Wisky, PSU and MSU) we looked like one of the best teams in the country.  Then OSU ran mesh on us, Don Brown short circuited and the whole program went to crap.  I'm guessing that Harbaugh wants to re-capture that 2018 magic but with a more flexible defense.  It's not the craziest idea.  I'll be watching.

Joined: 10/22/2017

MGoPoints: 6329

Red is Blue

September 12th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^

Over the long run, M will have to pass to be effective.  But that does not mean you have to be run/pass balanced in every game/quarter/series.  My prime example is USC v. M in the (2007?) Rose Bowl.  USC came out if the first half and tried a balanced offense with little success.  They adjusted at halftime and came out in the second half and passed literally every play.

The question is whether M is capable of a decent pass offense.  We'll find out when the game situation dictates relying on at least some passing.

Joined: 05/13/2010

MGoPoints: 23889

Ezekiels Creatures

September 12th, 2021 at 3:45 AM ^

It's funny how focus for the blame of having such low yardage in passing has been put on Cade McNamara. Some people forget things pretty quickly. He's been great. He didn't call the plays today. Running over Washington's defense went great today. They obviously don't have as good a defense as billed. They lost to Montana, and got run over by Michigan. It's probably not their last loss of the year.

Joined: 03/14/2019

MGoPoints: 28664

HAIL-YEA

September 12th, 2021 at 8:51 AM ^

Washington's defense was as good as advertised. Ouur Oline is OK but we have 23 stud rb's, that's all there is to it.

There is plenty of blame to go around for the passing game but Mcnamara missed some open receivers in the game, but most of the time the recievers were all ell covered. Losing Bell might be what caused this.

 

 

Joined: 07/15/2009

MGoPoints: 10810

Ezekiels Creatures

September 12th, 2021 at 12:22 AM ^

I'm concerned about what message this is sending to Cade McNamara, JJ McCarthy, Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, Daylen Baldwin and every other great offensive player involved in the passing game. Transferring in NCAA football has become very easy to do.

Joined: 03/14/2019

MGoPoints: 28664

DairyQueen

September 12th, 2021 at 3:35 AM ^

 but how in the hell is it possible that a major conference program can’t throw for 50 yards in a game?

Just to counter, there is a real difference betwen "can't" and "didn't" (or "won't")

Also, I wouldn't underestimate how powerful it can feel to simply run the football down an opponents throat, never even having to throw the football.

How many UM games have you watched where our vaunted, S&P-hyped defenses have had an offense just run the ball down our throat, and realized "holy shit, we will never be able to stop them...." ?

I'm not saying we're Alabama or something, and I'm not saying "our pass game is so good we can hang up the keys", just that, solely running at at a defense, who knows all you're going to run at them, and still having success running it, is a big deal, and you can take away just as many positives as negatives.

I'd have to re-watch, but the game pretty much never felt out of our own control. And after each successive march, it really started to feel like we were simply bullying them.

I also think there's something to, almost acquiescing, to a defense (by not throwing), and saying, so what, we're still good enough to pivot and adapt, fighting away from your strength.

Clearly we need more data points, but McNamara threw well last game (against WMU, sure), like an 80% cmp, 2 TDs, with a 76yd long, so it's not like the passing game was atrocious and we simply bailed on it by game #2. In CFB the run really does set up the pass (moreso than in the NFL at least), and by being able to run against a full(er) box, against a decent defense, that felt good.

You could look at this with a lot of positives or a lot of negatives, simply because there aren't enough real data points yet.

Joined: 04/20/2014

MGoPoints: 6642

Rico616

September 12th, 2021 at 5:09 AM ^

I think this early in the season, it's hard to determine how the season will play out. 

My obvious take: The run game looks good. The defense looks good. The passing game needs work.

The players will grow as the season goes on. They have NIU next week and then Rutgers. Hopefully as the season goes on McNamara improves or they turn to McCarthy and he shows us something. I just think for those all door and gloom, Michigan didn't need to pass today and wanted the win. Early on when it was close I think Michigan wanted to stick with what was working but as Michigan expanded the lead I wouldn't have been opposed to opening it up a little more. He did have 15 pass attempts and with 44 yards, that falls on Cade.

Joined: 07/01/2009

MGoPoints: 2864