OL: inferential leap in competency
The offense line impressed. It allowed no sacks - think about this compared to the last few years. Recall spinning and scrambling QBs getting harrassed and hurried almost every play. I am not going to embed an example - the 3rd quarter of the Minn game last year - you can search it yourself.
This looked like an OL of the great past, allowing the QB to stand in the pocket which is what a pro-style offense needs. This is a fundemental real improvement.
We could be a dangerous offense with this line if we can get a few skill players to hit the holes, run correct routes, check down receivers and have a little more touch on the long throw. The OL gave the opportunity to win the game.
September 4th, 2015 at 8:24 AM ^
it seemed like there was room or at least the appearance of more room outside the tackles
every time we went up the middle it was just a cluster-f of bodies
September 4th, 2015 at 8:32 AM ^
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September 4th, 2015 at 8:49 AM ^
Do you trust our primary back to win any footraces to the outside? Most CFB DEs have the same speed as Smith not to mention OLBs.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:23 AM ^
plodding is the word that comes to mind
September 4th, 2015 at 8:24 AM ^
Third offensive scheme / run game for these OL in three years. That has to not help. Pass pro looked good, I agree. And I think the run game will take time, but come around quicker than last season.
September 4th, 2015 at 8:29 AM ^
Seeing your post, I had to log in and chime in too....
Kalis still has no pulling ability, and got literally blown off his feet a few times by a samoan dude who got under leverage. That 4th and 1, he whiffs... he isn't a good football player yet.
Braden still looks like Tarzan, but plays like Jane. A shame, it really is.
Cole blew alot of plays... he should be a guard.
Poggi missed a ton of blocks at h back.
We couldn't run inside, but this is also a function of Smith not cutting back and picking the wrong hole.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:20 AM ^
On the 4th down play, Kalis didn't whiff, he ignored the two LBs shooting into the hole and ran right by them.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 8:36 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 8:42 AM ^
but our OL looked bad, especially when running. Our interior was consistently losing leverage, getting very little movement.
I thought our pass blocking looked good in the first half, but I think that was predicated on the Utah front 7 really selling out on stopping the run. Once we were down in the second half (with more obvious pass downs), they really teed off on Ruddock.
September 4th, 2015 at 8:53 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 8:55 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 9:11 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 9:15 AM ^
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September 4th, 2015 at 9:20 AM ^
who say it's the backs. A good to great back just needs a sliver of space to get through. Drake, so far, is the only guy to consistently show it.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:49 AM ^
drake johnson didn't even play last night.
Don't know how you can say it's the backs, when all the backs were bad and had about the same average YPC. They all got hit behind the line. Sure maybe a few holes were missed, but for all the backs to have between 2.2-3 YPC says more about the line than it does the backs.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^
If true, how could we have been so off on recruiting these guys? Derrick Green was the #1 or #2 coming in and De'Veon Smith was also well thought of. So did we miss on potential, or has coaching ruined these guys?
September 4th, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 9:26 AM ^
I'm not really sure what you were seeing last night. To be a great O-Line you can't be one-dimensional. Yes, the pass protection was very good. But the run blocking was horrible. Like many others on this blog I saw a lot last night to make me optimistic for the future. But to say the line played as well as you're implying is premature.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:30 AM ^
I agree the line played well in pass blocking and poorly in run blocking, but this UTAH D Line is a top-5 unit IMO. It was a huge test and although I do think we failed (because we lost) I see our line at a better starting point than they would have been with Hoke. I think they will learn and you will see this team get better every game. I think our pass blocking looked a bit better because the UTES focused solely on stopping the run, which they did very well.
Overall not a great day for the O-Line but they looked better than I expected against the competition they faced. I'm still at 7-5 for the season as I was before., I'm happy. I want to see progress within the season and I know we will. This is year one.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:36 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 9:57 AM ^
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September 4th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
To be great at run blocking you have to have your techniques down so well that you aren't thinking about it. To be great at run blocking your technique just is spot on and your focus is being nasty and mean (within the rules obviously). Your great run blocking teams are mean. Our guys are still focusing on doing it right. Still learning. It will happen by the end of the season, we will get there.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:42 AM ^
with the small amount of progress, but this line is nowhere near the great lines of the past. Those lines were maulers who could take over games. These guys, not so much. I do think they'll improve as the season goes on, but the "light" needs to go on for them yet.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:44 AM ^
you must've seen a different O line that I did, or your baseline is very low based on past years.
I saw an O line that can't run block, and is only marginal on pass protection. Run blocking is so bad you're almost giving up a down and just happy to get near the LOS after a run play. Rudock didn't have that much time. It seemed like a lot when compared to last year's team, but compared to good college football teams, it wasn't.
September 4th, 2015 at 9:56 AM ^
Not quite yet OP. The OL did look far more competent than years past. We get a back with speed and vision they will look even better.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:12 AM ^
I concur that I was encouraged by the OL despite the very plodding nature of our backs and their inability to always find the optimal hole. I'd say Chris Perry back in the 2000s had the best vision of any UM back we've ever had. The dude just always, always optimized his yards. If Smith had bounced that 4th and 1 in the 4th, he's 20 yards down the field... so sad.
But we all need to chill and recall we just played an opening road game with our new regime, against a quality team with a 4th year starting QB, heisman caliber back and top 5 D front, and we were 2 or 3 plays where even semi-competent QB throws would have guaranteed us victory.
A win would have been great, and we're all sad that Harbaugh wasn't the magician we'd irrationally hoped, but I was very encouraged across the board.
Oh, and Peppers is a god.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:21 AM ^
I was happy with the line, Braden an exception. For a supposed freak of an athlete, he is not nearly as nimble or as powerful as expected. He was blown back too much. Our backs were not great at picking up the blitz or breaks in blocking coverage. Rudock was forced to throw early more than can be the norm.
Lots to be excited about but much to work on. I hate Michigan losing but I love our staff and the culture that is being developed.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
The pass protection was solid, it still wasn't without flaws. Braden got whipped rather easily once. Cole didn't have his best performance, often forces Rudock to step up into the pocket. The blitz pick up suffered at times, with Isaac missing an assignment. The pass pro was much improved from last year, but it was just solid to above average, it wasn't great.
As for run blocking, it was pretty awful. So there are a lot of issues to fix on the OL still.
September 4th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 11:23 AM ^
I was really hoping for more from the OL. I only listened to the game on the radio but from what I heard/read on the live thread the interior line seemed to be having trouble. I thought Kalis/Glasgow were supposed to be on their way? Particularly with run blocking?
Its frustrating for a layman like me because it seems we have all the ingredients for a good line (Good recruits, good size, experience, time together as a unit to gel, coaches with a history of getting the most out of talent) but are missing some secret sauce that just evades us in terms of creating a good O line.
September 4th, 2015 at 11:34 AM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 10:40 AM ^
I'm slow on the best of days, but remembering how much this board hated "we failed to execute" last year, it occurs to me now there are multiple reasons for the discontent. Listening to JUB's comments this morning was one of those "aha" moments.
Saying in effect "You guys screwed it up" even though Hoke obviously never intended to be demoralizing, sent a message that was reinforced with every loss. JUB described how Harbaugh did the opposite. As tough as he is, he still made a point of saying to the team, the great things he did see. Part of what we will see change this year is fixing the mindset from before.
September 4th, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^
poggi missed a few blocks
RB can't follow the FB into the hole
September 4th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
The offensive line and the RBs have a ton to fix. I thought Braden had a rough night, but that surprises no one. Same old issues - bending back, leaning in on target, then losing balance, defender rips past him.
Michigan's RBs need a lot of work too. Smith's vision issues continue. Either they are hesitant (trying to be patient) hitting the hole and the OL blocks they are waiting for never materialize, or they are hitting the wrong damn hole entirely, or they are blind to the holes that are opening up.
You can coach some of that up, but that instinct (running to daylight) kind of has to be there as a freshman. Ty Isaac and Joe Kerridge need to get the ball more. They both ran the ball with authority, though not much speed.
I was surprised that Hunter Dimick had zero sacks all night, so that's a positive.
September 4th, 2015 at 11:50 AM ^
despite the run blocking our rb's simply have no vision, we need drake to get healthy.
September 4th, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^
September 4th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^
They will progress and get better under Drevno. He's got the track record to prove it. But they are still very much a work in progress.
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September 4th, 2015 at 2:57 PM ^
I would have loved to have seen Devin Gardner get his chance with Harbaugh and this line. He ran for his life the entire time he was here and I think we'd be surprised what a passer he could have developed into while standing upright.