Rumormongering: Morris taking 1st Team Snaps this Week? [Ed-H: False.]
I'm not sure where else to inquire about this, but I've heard a few unfounded rumblings that Shane Morris is taking the majority of the snaps this week in practice. At first, this sounds pretty ridiculous until you take into account the tweet re: Gardner's arm being in a makeshift sling earlier this week.
Mods, I plead that, if this is too incindenary, that you promptly shut down said thread instead of purchasing my one-way exit row seat to La Paz.
[Ed-Heiko: This rumor is false.]
November 29th, 2013 at 5:41 AM ^
Wangler started in 1979. Hewlett started the first two games of 1980 after Lawrence Taylor destroyed Wangs' knee on the Gator Bowl. Wangler started the rest of 1980 even with a terrible knee.
November 29th, 2013 at 7:41 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 4:30 PM ^
I don't remember why he came out, but two Wangler-to-Carter bombs were the big plays later in the game.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:17 AM ^
What Devin Gardner needs more than anything is a competent offensive line and a coherent offensive game plan. He won't need counseling if he gets those things.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:35 AM ^
I'm no football expert but read these posts and shake my head. DG's problems are directly related to his lack of blocking on the oline. Now he is tentative in every facet of his game, whether running or passing. Those things aren't going to change for Shane Morris either. What's worse is he isn't moblle like Gardner. He'll get killed.
Playing Shane Morris at this point would piss me off to know end because it would be the coaching staff saying the problems with this offense are related to him and not the pathetic coaching that has been going on.
November 29th, 2013 at 11:56 AM ^
It would say that Gardner's too dinged up to perform adequately.
There's no way he gets benched because of performance; it's possible he might not play because of injury. And if that decision would piss you off know end, I don't know what to say.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^
I'm not sure the problem is purely Devin. I think after "Turnoverpolaza" midseason he was coached to STOP THROWING INTERCEPTIONS NO MATTER WHAT by somebody. Like maybe the QB coach perhaps? And in doing so Borges completely fucked up his QB confidence.
And guess what happens when you start playing scared? You won't throw into tight windows and you will wait to make 100% your reciever is absolutely open before releasing the ball. In short, exactly what we're seeing out of Devin right now. That, and I'm sure he is way more injured than they let on. And it's the injury that would account for the Morris reps (if true) this week.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:53 AM ^
I think you nailed it. Over-correction by Devin. But its probably due to a combination of coaching instruction and his own perfectionism. To put his constraining over-correction squarely on the coaches is to look for an easy scapegoat.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:58 AM ^
Agreed. I dont' know. I'm sure my confirmation bias is at work here as there's not much negative regarding our offense I wont' ascribe to Al right now. This included.
But it very well could be just Devin as you say - I have no way of knowing.
November 29th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^
is that he's watching the rush. I can't say that I blame him too much, I would be too, after MSU and Nebraska.. However, that problem, in itself, is leading to more sacks because he is not loooking downfield and releasing the ball.
You may well have a point about the qb coach, I don't know what's been said. My impression is that he isn't, necessarily, refusing to throw to tight windows, it's that he has been too tentative to throw the ball at all.
It's also quite plain that he's really pretty injured out there, and that obviously is playing a role in this. Where he was athletic enough to get out of some of these situations early in the year, he cannot now.
If you remove his athleticsm, Devin is a pretty ordinary BiG quarterback, if you ask me. If that ordinary quarterback is afraid to throw the ball (for whatever reason) he can't do much for you. To me this has been more a problem for the last 2 or 3 games than offensive line play. The line was poor, but not horrible agains NW and Iowa, and Gardner still looked tentative.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^
Two-step drops, crossing routes to Dileo, Hayes, whoever. Neither Gardner nor Morris will have time to survey the field for his receiver of choice before lauching a 30-yard strike. Between blitzes and Ohio's D-line behemoths the time either M QB will have to find his target and deliver the ball will be measured in nanoseconds. To whoever's in there, best of luck.
And one more thing . . . is it written in stone that Gardner will return for another year? The consensus is that he will, but even if that's true does he have a lock on the starting QB positon? I suspect the competition will be a lot more open than anyone thought at the beginning of this season.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:57 AM ^
He will definately be back. Right now, he has no chance at the NFL (which is where he has stated he wants to go). Only if he returns does he have that chance. Returning offers a good test for himself - if he cannot win the starting qb position here next year, then he probably should look for another career.
November 29th, 2013 at 9:15 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 9:22 AM ^
Sorry, but this is really short-sighted. Gardner has the physical attributes of a current trend in NFL QBs. He also has the physical talent. He needs to get his mind there. And, perhaps most of all, he needs to work behind a competent OL. His mental mistakes and issues cannot be separated, at this piont, from the incompetent play of his OL.
November 29th, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
You need to differentiate spotting a trend from a judgment of its actual value as a trend. Thanks for signing up today to make such a valuable contribution.
November 29th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 10:41 AM ^
Have you ever gone on the job market? Have you ever heard of the fact that people consider how their attributes and experience might fit with certain openings when looking for a job? And that people look to trends in openings when looking at their attributes and building their resumes? What is your suggested job that Devin look for?
November 29th, 2013 at 8:56 AM ^
Morris in & Devin at wideout - means we have a chance at beating OSU. Shotgun only so he can see field good
November 29th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^
that if they were inclined to spead it out and go 4 wide, Devin would be the next choice (I don't see that tomorrow, but maybe next year some). I guess Norfleet and Justice would also be options, but they're not going up to catch high balls like the other guys.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:59 AM ^
The UM crowd will also be wild if Morris gets put in & Devin at wideout. One good momentum play - & it could be a good day for us
November 29th, 2013 at 9:24 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 9:37 AM ^
DG's good (not great; needs to learn his fundamentals) when he's limited to a brainfart or 2 a game. However, last 4 games teams have spotted him in their own 10 yardline and he can't move the team. Loved the TD pass to AJ Williams last week. Typically scramble to the edge, ran out of room, looked up and luckily saw him standing there. Sure, let's put in Shane - He might do better or worse, but we really have nothing to lose at this point.
November 29th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
I dont get these "we dont have anything to lose at this point" statements. This is Michigan football playing Ohio State. We have a great deal to lose. How does any Michigan fan not get that?
November 29th, 2013 at 2:55 PM ^
The point they are making is that we have no production on offense to lose. Look at the second half drive summaries against IOWA. 6 yards of offense until the final drive where your Hero Devin fumbled the ball for the loss.
I mean... it's hard to do worse than 6 yards and a turnover. We aren't gonna win with that anyway. So there is nothing being lost by trying Morris. At worst it has no effect on whether or not we win.
November 29th, 2013 at 9:48 AM ^
What exaclty has he done that shows he'll be better than Devin Gardner?
Devin Gardner was a 4 star prospect ranked number 1 in his class. He kicked ass at the Nike Elite Eleven, and had a lot of praise from Winfield and the Mannings this past summer.
Shane Morris was a 4 star prospect ranked number 4 in his class. He struggled to get to the Elite Eleven, and did not have the greatest season his senior year. In the games he has played in this year, he has a lower completion percentage than Devin, and YPC is pretty much the same. And then there is game experience (remember Bellomy).
The point is, Shane is a totally unknown entity over Devin Gardner. Can Shane be The Guy, sure ... but right now Devin Gardner is our best chance to win. As far as next year is concerned, they should compete for the starting position (bet Gardner wins it), and we need them both at QB for depth reasons.
That said, in 2007, I thought Ryan Mallet was our better chance to beat Ohio State over an obviously one armed Chad Henne. (My Buckeye friends were worried when Mallet went in, and then couldn't figure out why we went back to an ineffective Henne.)
If Devin is that hurt, then maybe a few series with Morris in the game to see if we can get something rolling is the way to go.
November 29th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 11:53 AM ^
are you talking about?
November 29th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^
Sounds like you just disagree and your'e basic argument is that those that disagree w/ you are "asinine." That's weak.
Whether Devin learns from his mistakes or not going into next season, we do know that he hasn't learned over the past year and a half. While he's cut down on turnovers, he too quick to leave the pocket, doesn't get rid of the ball or terminate plays when necessary, doesn't go thru his progressions, etc. What's the probabiliyt he learns all that and changes his bad habits before next and last season? Given that this season is shot, if Morris is capable, I say play him and lets move forward w/ the offense that the coaches want to run. Borges has already dumbed it down due to inabilty to execute.
November 29th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
You're right about one thing, there sure are a lot of pathetic fatalistic wusses on here lately. I have assumed that comes from the same type of kittenesque attituted Brian comes here with every single day (edit -- make that days when he's here and not shopping for Kitty Kollars at Walmart).
PS. I don't think DaytonBlue's comment warranted yours, and he's at least partially right about Devin's failure to throw the ball away.
November 29th, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 4:36 PM ^
Gardner was magnificient against a ferocious ND rush. (Do you think our O-Line somehow had a good game?)
From then all subsequent D-Coordinators knew our weakness.
QBs normally play best when the O-Line is a sieve and the D-Coordinator can count on it as he plans his coverages.
November 29th, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
November 29th, 2013 at 10:58 AM ^
Urban Meyer, being Satan and all, has already cast a hex on Michigan. That naturally makes this game lopsided.
November 29th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
I agree with your logic here. The great thing about this game is that the team that has supposed to win has lost many times. The old "throw out the record" thing can be true. That said, I have serious concerns about tomorrow.
Having grown up in Ohio, it's nice to see a level-headed Buckeye fan. Both fan bases have their share of idiots.
November 29th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
Who knows, maybe he will be better at the short passing game then Gardner has been.
November 29th, 2013 at 4:39 PM ^
You know, needing to play soft in case the O-Line holds for a normal protection.
November 29th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^
This is great strategy. This game is meaningless. Save Gardner for the Big Ten championship game when everything is on the line.
What ? We aren't in the BTCG? How did that happen?
November 29th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^
...we're gonna save him for that crucially important Heart of Dallas Bowl (also known as the FortWorthless Bowl).
November 29th, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^
Michigan will be ending up in the Gator Bowl.
November 29th, 2013 at 2:07 PM ^
Thanks for fact-checking. We'll return to our ancillary meltdowns on other topics.
November 29th, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^
I would have hated to see a murder on the field had Morris tried to run this broken-down offense against OSU. At leat Gardner could conceivably get out of the way.
November 29th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ^
I'm not sure where else to inquire about this, but I've heard a few unfounded rumblings...
Good to see we're holding up the ol' standards around here.