Indiana Snowflakes: The Offense

Submitted by LSAClassOf2000 on

This will be the repository for your hot takes and thoughts about the offensive performance in our game against Indiana.

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UMForLife

November 19th, 2016 at 6:52 PM ^

Mr. SMITH ends the last home game in BEASTMODE. It is funny how we all thought JOK was the game changer and Speight was the game managers. Little we knew who the actual game manager is. Actually, I liked the fact that JOK did not make any mistakes. And that one run sparked a huge comeback.

Hope Speight is back next week. We need him.

Joined: 11/04/2013

MGoPoints: 63393

bamf16

November 19th, 2016 at 8:28 PM ^

Fitzgerald Toussaint is on an NFL roster.  Smith's a better overall back due in large part to his pass protection.  But I'd agree with you that I don't see him as a feature back in the NFL.  But the guy is likely going to be in an NFL training camp with a Michigan degree next summer.  

 

I have a feeling he'll be ok in life!

Joined: 01/05/2014

MGoPoints: -100000

bamf16

November 19th, 2016 at 8:30 PM ^

You don't think O'Korn played better in the second half?  I do.  It wasn't spectacular, but it was better than in the 1st half.

 

Whoever the QB is next week needs to play better than his last game.  

Joined: 01/05/2014

MGoPoints: -100000

Reader71

November 19th, 2016 at 10:02 PM ^

If I'm not mistaken, he went 2/6 for 13 yards in the 2nd half. He scrambled at the first sign of pressure, and sometimes even before pressure materialized. He scrambled into pressure. He threw every 2nd half pass off his back foot, sometimes while he was running backwards 10 yards or so. I don't think he was any better in the 2nd half than the first. I absolutely, categorically deny that he provided any 'spark', because that's a narrative device used by fans to make sense of a game that is nothing but a collection of 22 individual independent trials every play, for 120 plays or so.

Joined: 08/30/2009

MGoPoints: 22968

stephenrjking

November 19th, 2016 at 10:42 PM ^

He made a key, big run which flipped the field and set up Smith's TD on the next play. He made that big run basically by scrambling too early like he has before, but this time finding space. 

It was enough. It had a significant effect on the game, setting up a TD that put Michigan into the lead and stabilized the strategy (run the ball, defense, the occasional conservative pass, it's ok if no points are scored the rest of the game). In that sense, you could call it a "spark" since it was a big play. A well-thrown 30 yard bomb would have had exactly the same effect.

It doesn't mean that O'Korn somehow turned a corner in his passing ability, or that he was suddenly patient or well-mannered in the pocket. He isn't somehow going to use this to propel him to a scorching passing day against OSU--that just doesn't look possible right now.

 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

Reader71

November 19th, 2016 at 11:36 PM ^

He made a big play. He also made many bad plays. He was very, very poor today. I hope he plays again, and I hope he does well and I hope he beats Ohio next weekend. I wish John O'Korn nothing but the greatest successes in football and life. But he was bad today, in both halves. I'm not down on OKorn as a player, I'm down on that performance, and I didn't see any improvement in his play half over half. As for the 'spark', that's the way you understand the game, and it's perfectly legitimate. But I've seen hundreds of 30 yard runs in the middle of drives ending in a punt, or FG, or turnover. I've also seen hundreds that lead to TD drives in lost games. I do not believe that one play has a carryover effect, because I've seen hundreds of 30 yard runs that are followed immediately by TFLs, holding penalties, false starts, sacks, etc etc etc. Just a different way of seeing the game.

Joined: 08/30/2009

MGoPoints: 22968

bamf16

November 20th, 2016 at 9:54 AM ^

Ok, you cite a statistic and then rant about some BS nonsense.  

 

His first pass was when he scrambled and had Chesson open on the left side but didn't get it there.  I think this is the pass that decided for you that he threw every pass off his back foot while running backwards 10 yards or whatever.

 

His second pass hit Butt in the hands, but his feet gave out and he was on his way down when the pass came in.  Hardly O'Korn's fault.

 

His third pass was in traffic, but hit Asiasi in the hands.  Should have been caught.

 

His fourth pass was the shot deep with Darboh.  The ball wasn't thrown far enough to the outside.

 

His fifth pass was complete across the middle.

 

His last pass of the game was the 3rd down completion to Darboh.

 

So yeah, 2-6, 2 of those 4 incompletions hit receivers in the hands.

 

O'Korn was better in the 2nd half than he was in the 1st.  And I'm not entirely sure why you're as passionate as you are about dismissing the idea of a "spark."  No one can know for sure unless they were playing in the game whether a spark was provided by O'Korn's long run, or whether it was Smith, or maybe a combination of the two.  Perhaps you'd rather emphasize the narrative offered without proof over that which perhaps contradicts it?

Joined: 01/05/2014

MGoPoints: -100000

Sten Carlson

November 20th, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^

^^^ this! I agree! I thought JOK looked shaky to start, but then settled in and started to look like the QB who was the Freshman MVP at Houston. I think conditions were just tough enough to make a couple of those catches tougher than usual. No excuse, help your QB out and catch the ball. As far as the spark goes, I'm with you 100%. That run was THE turning point in not only the game, but the way JOK carried himself. His passionate first down signal seemed to fire up the team, especially the OL and Smith -- who then took over the game. JOK will be fine. He's got game, he just needs to settle in, watch some more film of him playing live games against a first team D, and get ready for OSU.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: -56

Reader71

November 20th, 2016 at 11:48 AM ^

I don't want to keep piling on O'Korn, because it's not fair to the kid. But even if the two passes were caught, his line goes up to 4/6. That is better than the 5/10 he put up in the first. In that respect, you are right. Not a marked improvement, but you're right. But let's say one is caught and one isn't - that's 50% passing in both halves. As you see, that's a small improvement, if any. Moreover, the pass to Asiasi was very dangerous and probably shouldn't have been thrown. And the last completion was for no gain on a third and short. Neither was a good play. Not sure why you would leave that out of your analysis, since you clearly watched the game over. As for the 'spark', it's not that I don't think the play was important. I think it was the 3rd most important play of the game. It's that I don't believe in 'sparks'. Because while I have no doubt that it pumped the team up, all it would have taken for that to wear off is one holding penalty on the next play. 1st and 20, there goes your spark. Now you might be willing to credit the long scramble for the lack of a holding call on the next play, and for all or some of the good plays that followed it. I'm not. I don't see the game that way. We've all seen great plays and things that look like they are bringing momentum, only to have one mistake end the drive shortly thereafter.

Joined: 08/30/2009

MGoPoints: 22968

stephenrjking

November 19th, 2016 at 10:46 PM ^

O'Korn is fleeter of foot than Speight, but he doesn't have "pocket presence." This is the difference between "mobility" and "pocket awareness," as debated at other times. Speight isn't a fast guy but he is brilliant at getting away from pressure and finding the right spot in the pocket to throw. O'Korn... is none of those things.

He doesn't have the patience and he doesn't have good natural instincts for dodging pressure (contrast his spins and turns with those of Devin Gardner, who when on his game could make the perfect moves to give himself space to throw).

I hope Speight can go next week. It sounds like a panic fan statement, and maybe it is, but I wonder if it's worth giving Peters a look in practice. I mean, yeah, it's absurd, you're talking about torching a redshirt for a chance to beat Ohio State. Would I give up a whole season of a franchise-type QB just to win one game?

This game? Yes.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524