Wednesday Presser 10-18-17: Tim Drevno
[Fuller]
How much improvement did you see from your guys up front in that Indiana game?
“I saw a lot of improvement. It was good. We still need to play better offensively and the guys up front, but when you rush for 271 yards there’s a lot of positivity. Guys are moving guys off the ball and protection was better, so it was a step forward as we prepare against Penn State this week.”
How much improvement have you seen out of Mike Onwenu?
“A lot, a lot of improvement. You can see that he’s moving his feet, he’s understanding it, he’s finishing. He could finish a little bit better, like all of them can, everybody on the offense. But you can see it. Light bulb’s going on, which is neat. He’s playing good football—really good football.”
How did Juwann Bushell-Beatty do in his first full contest?
“Juwann did a nice job. He competed well. There’s some thing we’ve got to clean up but he did a nice job for his first start here. He had a false start there at one point in time in the game but for the most part his protection was good. We’ve just got to clean up some of the run blocking things, but it was real positive.”
[After THE JUMP: Tim Drevno, an American Legion baseball field, a water pump, and a metaphor for the offense]
With the development of the offensive line as a whole, where does it need to continue to improve as a unit?
“I think sustaining drives in terms of not having a run-through like we did, like tackles for losses. You don’t want that. Guys just can’t run through; that’s unacceptable. That little second last strain on the pass-pro or picking up something that somebody’s not getting nicked or hit or dumped—I mean, those are the things you want to eliminate when it’s flawless when you’re up there up front. You’re running the ball efficiently at all times; you’re gaining ground forward, not backwards; ball carrier isn’t getting tackled in the backfield or a guy’s coming off and hitting the quarterback or somebody’s late or missing a free runner on a game or a blitz or what have you or just a regular 3-technique or 5-technique coming. Those are the things that when you see that, that’s the consistency that you want.”
When you’re having troubles with that kind of consistency, what kind of difficulties does that make for you as a play-caller? And I know you guys split up duties.
“That doesn’t affect me. I have a short-term memory. I look at what they’re doing; that’s not going to try to talk me out of doing something. Unfortunately, sometimes they’ll get ya. They’re gonna get ya, but you can’t become paralyzed as a play-caller— ‘Oh, I can’t go back to that’—because then before you know it you look at your whole call sheet and you’re going what can you run? You don’t want to get into that. That’s not how you want to operate.”
So you have to stick with your--
“Original plan, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely, yeah.”
Can you guys be a better screen team than you’ve shown?
“I think yeah, I think everybody could be. There’s a lot of things we need to do better but it’s just—you know, different defenses present different things, and sometimes maybe screens or maybe the go route or maybe an off-tackle play, whatever that is, maybe that’s not what needs to happen in the game. There’s other things that might be better as we break them down and see them.”
I wasn’t talking about play-calling as much as when you have those opportunities it seems you’re just a hair off here or there, like the Karan Higdon play, for example, last week.
“Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot of things we broke down in. It wasn’t just that one. There’s a lot of things. Yeah, anybody can look at it and go, ‘Hey, that play failed. Why?’ You can go through the tape. There’s a lot of other things that guys did.”
What jumps out about Penn State’s defense on film?
“Very well coached. They like to pressure. I think their front is a very good front. The linebackers are very good. Secondary: very good change of direction. Really play very well in man coverage. They’re the ninth-ranked team in the nation defensively, so they’re doing a nice job there, and coach Pry is a very good defensive coordinator and they’re playing at a high level.”
I know you guys are mixing in a lot of zone and a lot of gap stuff and you want to do both, but have you gotten a sense of what this line does best? Do you feel like you’re closer to that in terms of scheme?
“No, you’re always trying to develop more things and different types of schemes, and again, you might see that on film in different games or whatever but when you face a new defense there’s different things you want to do to attack that defense. So, you might branch out. You might go somewhere else to try and create a play or create more yards on the field.”
You said the offensive line made some strides. Are they getting closer to that where the foundational stuff is there and they know what they’re doing on certain things?
“Yeah, absolutely, and you see it the same way I do: you can see that they’re making developments, they’re making strides, they’re better. And each game they’ve gotten better. It’s like the whole offense.
“I mean, I’ll tell you a story. When I started out in this profession in 1993 I married my wife Shannon and I took her to Bozeman, Montana. My first job was a graduate assistant at Cal State Fullerton, but in the summer of 1993 we went to Montana State. She enrolled in school there, we were living in married student housing, I was making $12,000, we’re living in a 600 square foot little home on campus in married student housing and get this: the washer was in the bathroom, the dryer was in the bedroom.
“But that next summer I got a job as a groundskeeper for the American Legion team, the Bozeman Bucks, which up there in that area American Legion baseball is huge. I mean, everybody goes out. It’s pretty cool stuff. Cliff Hysell was the head coach there at Montana State. So, it was a chance for me to make $6,000 for the summer and I was fired up and the first day I showed up on the job the guy, the head of the Bozeman Bucks, wrote me a check for $3,000. I was like, Wow, this is big time.
“But there’s one day I was out there—I had to mow as a groundskeeper—and I got out there and didn’t bring any water. It was hot; up in that Big Sky area, 95 degrees, it can be hot, sunny, blue sky. So I had to mow the field. It’s like 380 feet to deep center field, but it was a motorized mower. You with me? You pull it—rrrrrrrrr. It wasn’t one you ride around, like the beautiful ones. They didn’t have it in the budget. Maybe they paid me too much, I don’t know.
“But I didn’t have any water, but there was a water well out back. You guys know what a water well is? A water pump? Okay, so the water pump, I didn’t have any water so I went out the back gates, tired, hot, pushing, and you gotta empty the bag, right? Carry over to the dumpster, pmmmff. I mean, there’s a lot of maneuvering going on. It was good, I really enjoyed it. Very therapeutic. Very therapeutic.
“So I went back to the back there to get some water because I was thirsty, so I started pumping and I started getting five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten—come on, is it gonna give? Come on, let’s go. It’s gonna give. Let’s go, come on. So I get to like twenty, twenty-five, I don’t remember the number, so I turn back around and walk through the fence and go back to mow. And this whole time I’m thinking, If I went one more pump, is this thing gonna give? Just one more pump. So I mowed some more, went out back, get to fifty. Fifty-five. Sixty. Come on, man, you gotta give. Come on, give it. You know what I’m saying, give it. Nothing. But still in my mind, I’m thinking, would it give?
“Go back and mow some more. Get back out there. Seventy-five. Eighty. BAM! Water comes out. Wow, this is great! I’m thirsty, it’s quenching the thirst. I feel great. But the one thing I really learned from that whole experience was you gotta keep pumping before it’s gonna give, and I really believe offensively, it’s gonna give.
“You look at some passes we missed deep or getting tackled in the backfield or big runs—we are on a path for great things to happen. We’ve just got to keep pumping, and we’re doing that as an offensive coaching staff to finish. We’re on our way, but I thought I’d share that story with you. It was a good story, right? It’s something that I’ve learned as a coach or just as a father: you’ve got to keep pumping.
“I chase perfection every day. I walk in here every day: how great can I be? I’m going to fail. I’m a human being, but I’m gonna learn from my mistakes, I’m going to become a better teacher, I’m going to be a better father, a better husband by experiences that I experience throughout daily life. That’s something I apply in the coaching profession and as a husband and a father.”
Jim talked about the need to get open receivers—
“You don’t like the story?”
[much laughter]
“You’re jumpin’ around!”
How close is it?
“Very close, very close. We’ve got to make plays out there. Everybody’s got to make plays. The offensive line, the right tackle, the tight end, the receiver, the fullback, halfback, receiver, the quarterback—whoever it is, this game’s about making plays. You all have seen that. You see it every day. It’s about making plays.”
We saw Kareem [Walker] have a nice run. What does Kareem have to do to earn some more carries, and I know Karan [Higdon] has something to do with that.
“Yeah, Kareem did a nice job. Just keep working, keep competing every day, keep running the playbook. That was nice to see him [inaudible]. That was cool.”
How far has he come since the first day he got here?
“A long ways. A long ways, and they all have. You come here as a true freshman, there’s steps to take but he’s done a real nice job. Keeps getting better.”
How much longer until you get water out of that well do you think? You don’t set a timetable, but do you feel like the water’s inching up?
“Absolutely it is. Absolutely it is.”
How close are you?
“We’re very close. Very close. Very close. I believe it every day. You gotta have faith. If you don’t have faith, you’re going the wrong direction. I have tremendous faith in this team offensively and the coaches.”
Jim keeps talking about precision football and it’s a really hard time to get there but everybody has messed up. Are you getting a sense that the screw-ups are fewer and fewer?
“Yeah, absolutely. Every day we’re getting better. Every day. And you saw that in the last game. We’re making strides. We chase perfection. It’s getting closer.”
This is a fanbase question: they want to know why Brandon Peters isn’t the one pumping the well. What does he have to do to get—
“Everybody goes up and pumps the well every day.”
What would he have to do to put himself in position for playing time?
“Just keep doing what we’re doing like everybody. We throw the balls out there every day and challenge our quarterback, but just like a receiver or an O-lineman or a quarterback or what have you, just keep working every day.”
October 19th, 2017 at 9:51 AM ^
When they needed a first down to win the games against MSU in 2015 and Iowa and OSU in 2016, they couldn't get it done. Is that fine? I don't think it is. Or how about with just over a minute to go against Indiana last week? Get a first down the game is over. Can't get it done.
October 19th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 2:58 PM ^
Around #40 in S&P? With our talent? That is not "fine." We should be top-20 every year, top-10 some years.
October 19th, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^
"when we are consistently playing mostly upperclassmen who have been in the system for 2+ years? That’s when this O will be nasty." Generally agree, but that experience has to be coupled with quality QB play.
October 18th, 2017 at 9:52 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 10:20 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 10:54 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 11:48 PM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^
Yes, and those plays are based on misdirection, pre-snap motion, and isolating defenders. His offenses operate largely out of the shotgun and have a clear purpose. What's our offense's purpose? What's our goal? Obviously to score points, but how?
October 18th, 2017 at 11:57 PM ^
Michigan the last two years, when they had a bunch of upperclassmen on the side of the ball.
October 19th, 2017 at 3:00 PM ^
Nope. #38 and #41 in S&P is not a good offense, especially with our talent level.
October 19th, 2017 at 9:58 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 3:02 PM ^
Not true. At Standford Harbaugh used tighter splits on the OL and far more pre-snap motion. Very little inside zone. Pulling guards kept their shoulder square to the line of scrimmage.
In San Fran, he used spread and zone read concepts much more often, and the power game used more wham and trap concepts.
Basically, Harbaugh used more misdirection and deception at previous stops, and had staple plays that worked consistently.
October 19th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^
Rep'ing pass combinations will do you no good if your QB is incapable of looking past the first read. Especially if that QB makes consistently wrong first reads when there's only two recievers to read!
October 19th, 2017 at 10:21 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
I guess you've never watched the Patriots play...
October 19th, 2017 at 3:06 PM ^
First of all, that's the NFL--totally different game and much more complex. If you're expecting 19-year-olds to execute at that level, you're crazy.
Second, the Patriots do have a clear identity and several plays they use repeatedly and other teams fear. They are spread-to-pass outfit that utilizes quick passes and short route combos to isolate defenders.
Oh, and they have the GOAT at QB. Is our offense going to be dependent on that?
October 18th, 2017 at 7:09 PM ^
that does sort of explain why they stuck with Ulizio so long. For better or worse, it's a stubborn group.
October 18th, 2017 at 7:15 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 7:38 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 8:42 PM ^
Prime the pump, bro! (I just made up a new expression there.)
Somebody should have told him.
October 18th, 2017 at 9:27 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 7:27 PM ^
Coach.
October 18th, 2017 at 7:29 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 7:47 PM ^
First interview he's given without breaking down into neutral coachspeak I think. Not sure I like the short term memory adage he used but I believe in Harbaugh, Drevno's track record and what they're trying to do. I also believe what Drevno is saying which is, basically, the engine is good just misfiring at the moment. Changing the offense around radically with the Pep Hamilton hire may have been a bridge too far this year. Hopefully they go back to the year 1 & 2 manball the rest of the season. We are not a high powered passing O atm regardless of what Pep wants them to be.
What I don't understand is how JOK can look so bad, fundamentally, having been coached by JH for 3 years.
October 18th, 2017 at 10:53 PM ^
In the article featuring him and his family on MGoBlue (link), O'Korn said that he was used to being the guy needing to make plays (first season at Houston and in HS) so having to play as a part of a system or a unit has been a transition.
So, to me, it sounds like he is still fighting his wanna-be-gunslinger tendencies (ie breaking the pocket too quickly, trying to make the "big play" rather than take what's there, not going through progressions). When he does that the fundamentals that Harbaugh and Pep are trying to instill in him go out of the window.
IMO, his Purdue performance is when he focuses and plays within the system but Indiana (x2) and MSU are him trying to be "the man" and do too much. I also wonder if his former Houston HC, who benched him, being on the Purdue sidelines made him focus that much harder in order to prove that he was a different QB.
All rampant speculation but just my thoughts.
October 19th, 2017 at 4:24 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^
says it all. Guys like O'Korn are the one read and then scramble/playground FB kind of QBs. I think John would have been better at an air raid school like Texas Tech or Ok State.
Kid has the talent but his mindset is better for a different scheme.
October 19th, 2017 at 9:58 AM ^
He's a one\-read-then-run QB without the athleticism for that to work.
October 19th, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
"What I don't understand is how JOK can look so bad, fundamentally, having been coached by JH for 3 years."
Sometimes the clay can't be molded.
October 18th, 2017 at 7:59 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 9:44 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 8:20 PM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
In my high school in the early/mid 70's we were not allowed to have any water during football practice. None.
The coaches thought it slowed you down.
But instead of focusing on proper tackling technique, I was focused on wanting water. Anything for water.
When I look back on it now, that just seems insane. But nobody even questioned it.
It was a different era then, that's for sure.
(They did water the field though.)
October 19th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
tablets for everybody though!
October 18th, 2017 at 9:29 PM ^
October 18th, 2017 at 9:49 PM ^
We are young. Are there tweaks I’d like to see the offense make? Ya a few. Not wholesale but some wrinkles. And maybe they’ll bust a few out on Saturday. The OL hopefully builds off of the Indiana game. And please OKorn, find some open guys and this game could be interesting!
October 18th, 2017 at 10:48 PM ^
I have family and friends coaching in high school and college and who have coached in the pros even. It's not a science. The pay sucks. Some never get paid. Drevno has stuck with it and coached on the highest levels. We are lucky to have him.
I hope these guys get it together in a consistent way. It is hard to see the defense play like that. The bar is very high.
Beat Penn State.
October 19th, 2017 at 6:08 AM ^
My preference is for an offense, any offfense, that can score in the twenties, or thirties against good teams.
You cannot win games consistently by scoring in the teens. We may be a ways away, but let's make up the gap this week!
October 19th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
It's a good Drevno story, but I'm a little torn here.
I'm sure Al Borges felt that 27 carries for 27 yards was just priming the pump.
"Just one more time. That 28th carry is going to be the one that does it. Maybe the 29th . . ."
It does show why coaches are reluctant to change. They have a lot invested in their current approach. "I can't stop now, I've already pumped 50 times." They always think they are just one degree of execution away.
It's a tough call as to whether you are reallly just one pump away or you are pumping a dry well, and hey "Look at that guy over there, he's getting water from a flowing stream. Should I maybe try that?"
In any case, it's clear that our plan is to keep doing more of the same. Fingers crossed that leads to some refreshing water, and soon.
It's going to be hot and dry in Happy Valley.
October 19th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
Yes, I torn by the folksy vernacular and don't really understand the long winded metaphor? Are we supposed to admire Drevno's tenacity at the pump or should he be admonished for his lack of foresight and preparation? There's a profound difference between practice and futility. I could practice shooting buckets all day and night for the next ten years and I would never make the NBA. Why? Because, I'm not 6'8" and can't jump like the wind. It doesn't mean that one shouldn't try but the challenge that I have with his approach is that in many ways it is extremely naive. Success often emerges from repeated failure but that's only if one learns from failure and adjusts accordingly. Drevno's approach appears to be keep making repeated mistakes and hoping that something might work eventualy (Isn't this the definition of insanity?)
If one wants to stick with his strange pump analogy... How many pumps would have made before he realized that perhaps the well might be dry (the analogy being his game plan/offensive scheme might not be working)? 100, 200, 300? Until he collapsed and died from exhaustion or heat stroke? No, he stuck with the pump because he assumed that it was working because it was surrounded by a built up area and grass. That is, there was evidence that the pump had been successful in the past and was working. That assumption doesn't apply when working with a complicated offense and young inexperienced kids who have yet to be successful. That's like being in a desert with nothing more than a mirage for a pump. So rather than fantom pumping perhaps he should figure out a different survival strategy.
October 19th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^
Last week, before the IU game, I complained that I hadn't seen any improvement game to game from the QBs, WRs, OL, and RBs. But what we saw against IU was improvement from the WR, OL, and RB positions. Not sure the QB has much improvement left in him, even if he hits a few big passes. With the switch to manball, PSU's defense will have 9 guys inside the box and dare us to try throwing. I swear, if JOK hit's DPJ 20 yards downfield on a go route, it'll open that well. Because that play will be open again later in the game, several times. No way PSU backs off after one or two hits. It will take sustained hits to get them to back off. If JOK can hit a few big gainers, they'll back off, and manball will punch them in the throat.
If we can keep it close, or have the lead late, PSU will begin to fold. Too much pressure, and FG Franklin will be scared of Brown's defense. And Harbaugh team's just don't get blown out.
October 19th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
Yes, there were some incremental improvements but not where we should be at this stage of the season. The OL still can't pass block effectively and the WR's don't consistently get separation. While, the run game worked wonders against IU, it just won't fly against PSU and their defense with guys stacked in the box. Unless this offense develops quickly into a tight unit with excellent execution, we're in for a long and disappointing Saturday.
October 19th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 10:54 AM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
Maybe if we had pumped one more time a few years ago, we might remember 28 for 29 instead of 27 for 27.
October 19th, 2017 at 1:09 PM ^
Seriously though if he feels that this offense is very very very close than i would hate to see his version of the offense being very very very far away.
October 19th, 2017 at 1:30 PM ^
October 19th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
I guess maybe Drevno needs to be the one to clarify this, but I see the pump thing not as a metaphor for Borges-like stubborness, but for a young team that has to keep repping for the light to come on. He kept saying how very close they were to coming together as a unit, not hitting a big play.
Whatever. Make this old fart happy, boys; beat Penn State.
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