Rutgers Snowflakes: The Offense
September 25th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
More elaboration: Cade can't throw. Receivers can't catch. Rutgers stacked the box on every play and Michigan did nothing but run up the middle time and again. The one time in the second half when they didn't run up the middle, it was a great play! Then they just kept running the ball up the middle again. No idea why they never broke out the Henning/Wilson run-around play. I'm a fucking moron and I can think of this stuff. Why can't Gattis/Harbaugh?
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
Pretty sure Cade had the yips from his missed TD throw end of second quarter on, they had several open pass plays he just flat out missed on. Stacking the box kept the run game in check, but they certainly tried several passes in 3rd and 4th qtr where Cade just missed the guys
September 25th, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
I think Cade was either concussed or really shaken from that targeting hit. The first throw after the hit was the wide open toss to Schoonmaker he missed badly (considering length of the throw and how open he was). And then he missed almost every throw the 2nd half.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:39 PM ^
It was a jarring hit. I kept thinking, why aren't they checking him? why isn't there a doctor siting with him and asking him questions?
September 25th, 2021 at 8:36 PM ^
OK - I agree that would be a good explanation - then why not use McCarthy?
Weirdly obsessed with trying to force the inside run when Rutgers was packing the inside. ? Reverses we saw earlier? ? few wide runs ?
September 26th, 2021 at 7:35 AM ^
Weirdly obsessed with trying to force the inside run ...
Which sums up Harbaugh's offense in a nutshell.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
that is a great call. He looked really dejected after that play.
I didn't think about that until now. He needs to toughen up mentally.
Hopefully a game like this will help.
September 26th, 2021 at 12:10 AM ^
Not the first time a Harbaugh QB has had the yips.
Some people think that he must have been off-kilter from the hit. But then, why was he playing? We literally got Dave Brandon fired for Hoke playing Shane Morris concussed. If Cade wasn't right, he shouldn't have been on the field.
September 26th, 2021 at 1:36 PM ^
Because Harbaugh does the Carr thing of playing not to lose with a lead and doesn’t adjust until it’s too late. Cade is the “low risk” (never thrown an INT!) option. But he clearly wasn’t performing up to standard in the 2nd half for whatever reason and should have sat a bit to get his head on straight.
September 25th, 2021 at 9:30 PM ^
Maybe this is why Michigan will always be just a little bit above average team. They have a head coach it was just too stubborn for his own good, who must consistently think he is Bo Schembechler reincarnated, and then offensive coordinator who seems lost.
September 25th, 2021 at 9:37 PM ^
Cause Harbaugh is a stubborn fucking moron.
September 26th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
Could have been a little more creative on those run plays. They got stuffed every time they ran up the middle for no gain. Would have liked to see that reverse play that they ran for good yardage the last few games.
September 26th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
Could have been a little more creative on those run plays. They got stuffed every time they ran up the middle for no gain. Would have liked to see that reverse play that they ran for good yardage the last few games.
September 26th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
Could have been a little more creative on those run plays. They got stuffed every time they ran up the middle for no gain. Would have liked to see that reverse play that they ran for good yardage the last few games.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
Seriously. The worst performance I think I’ve ever seen from a QB in making reads and executing. Just look at the last two players before the missed field goal. On second down, he could have kept it and walked into the end zone. On third down, Corum bounced it out and may have had the first down.
And glad to see that when the running backs aren’t averaging 8 yards a carry, the OC is still lost.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
The worst performance I think I’ve ever seen from a QB in making reads and executing.
Haven’t watched much Michigan football in the last 15 years, I take it?
September 25th, 2021 at 7:07 PM ^
15 years?
Denard & Gardner did pretty well in this regard.
Patterson drove us bonkers.
Today made Patterson look like Tommie Frazier.
For much of the game, seemed McNamara didn’t have the option to pull it back and run. Then on that third down play when he finally and stupidly kept it, was as exasperating as anything we’d seen all day.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:43 PM ^
That 3rd down play made me think even more that there is no "option" on the read options. I think the give/pull decision is predetermined. Coaches or McNamara thought they would catch Rutgers by surprise with a pull and did it despite what the defense was doing.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:56 PM ^
All afternoon I was screaming for an option, thinking it was maybe a pre-determined play. The way their ends were crashing and the LBs were attacking the A gaps… a read option with a QB keep was there all day it seemed.
Then McNamara kept it on that last play before the missed FG. Having no option all day and then giving one on that play makes zero sense. That play confirmed my fears.
I think there’s a read on all those plays, and McNamara remains clueless in what to do.
September 26th, 2021 at 2:13 PM ^
I think there’s a read on all those plays, and McNamara remains clueless in what to do.
Hard disagree and I think the earlier part of your comment confirms that. Why, when it's blatantly obvious that the pull is there, he never pulls? 3, 4, 5 times in a row and no pull. Then, when it comes to crunch time, a key 3rd down, after we all saw that DB come screaming down, he pulls when he definitely should not have.
Following your logic, neither Patterson, Milton, or Cade can make a read. 3 different QBs across 4 seasons are incapable of making the most basic read in the offense? Bull shit. They don't run a Read Option. It's a pre-determined call. That 3rd down, the coaches saw the DB and told Cade to pull it during the timeout so he did, right into the face of the same DB who knew it was coming.
September 26th, 2021 at 12:49 PM ^
I've only been screaming it from the mountain top since 2019.
Patterson wasn't good, but we can stop saying Patterson couldn't make reads. It's the coaches fault. They don't run the offense they said they would. The don't make reads, they call pulls. Simple as that and I'm done entertaining the thought on neck sharpies or UFRs.
September 26th, 2021 at 8:53 PM ^
This. Basically every good qb from a hs that has sent a player to D1 in its history has their qb making these reads. Most Middle school qbs are taught this read now. The fact that our coaches can't teach it or allow it is stupid
September 25th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Poor Devin. Just visualizing him as our quarterback is enough to concuss me.
September 26th, 2021 at 3:50 PM ^
Missed the Wisconsin game, too. Wentz was historically bad.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
... it's almost like you should mix in some passing, even when you can run the ball for 500 yards in a creampuff game. But that's not as prideful and physical so forget that.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:09 PM ^
But that would actually be logical and pragmatic…we can’t have that now
September 25th, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^
Play calling was actually pretty balanced in the 2nd half.
But you went against a defense that clogged the middle and who crashed the ends down to jam up the inside zone and the combo blocks.
I thought all day that McNamara just didn’t have the option to keep it himself and keep the ends honest.
Then on the last 3rd down of the day, he finally keeps it, and it was the wrong effing read.
All day… and he does that.
Anyone can QB and be an OC when the running game is getting 8 yards per carry.
What happens when you need to do something about a successful defense? McNamara and Gattis weren’t good enough today.
September 26th, 2021 at 1:47 PM ^
Then on the last 3rd down of the day, he finally keeps it, and it was the wrong effing read.
It wasn't a read. The 2nd down play (that was the exact same) was a determined hand off. The coaching staff saw the Safety come flying down (like all of us did) and then called the same play again and told him to pull on the next snap. I'd put a non-insignificant sum of money on it.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:33 PM ^
I do NOT understand why JJ didn't come in. It wasn't working with Cade the second half, and JJ is the future.
Rutgers was never going to be easy. They aren't the same terrible Rutgers from a few years ago, and are a lot better than what we all thought they were. This was an ugly win, but I'm glad it came now, so we can focus on next week and win.
September 26th, 2021 at 2:40 AM ^
JJ has to be hurt, right?
September 26th, 2021 at 10:15 PM ^
No. Why would you even say that?
September 25th, 2021 at 8:14 PM ^
Did you watch any of the John O’Korn or Hoe Milton games? Cade was really bad but so have most of the Harbaugh QBs.
September 25th, 2021 at 8:50 PM ^
If you read the comment again, I was referring to the reads on the RPO.
Didn’t do that with O’Korn.
And as many of the in-depth film analysis showed last year, Milton head placement showed pretty much everything was pre-determined, with minimal if any actual reads.
Patterson was bad at it. McNamara today was worse.
September 25th, 2021 at 8:33 PM ^
You’ve forgotten Joe Milton already?
September 25th, 2021 at 10:54 PM ^
Haha, it was bad, but no no no, it was not the worst. Not by a long shot. Cade looked like a space cadet in the second half, but we saw much worse last year from Milton, and pretty much every game save Purdue from John O'Korn.
September 26th, 2021 at 9:21 AM ^
I was with you completely until you said you were glad the offense was lost. I wasn't glad, unsurprised, but not glad.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
Where is the "speed in space" that was promised?
Joe Moorhead was the architect of the PSU offense when Gattis was there.
Clearly, Gattis doesn't have a grasp on the same concepts.
Some coaches have it and others don't.
Where is the creativity under Gattis?
Anyone can call the game plans we have.
Gattis has had plenty of time to recruit and shape the offense.
Don Brown was replaced.
Josh Gattis needs to be replaced.
September 25th, 2021 at 11:09 PM ^
I have a suspicion Matt Weiss might be on the staff in the event Josh Gattis doesn't get retained/let go. Weiss I believe was best known for his offensive analytics in Baltimore and was responsible for a lot of the pre-snap motion in the Ravens offense (which apparently a highly regarded element of their offense amongst football minds).
It would make sense to get him on staff a year early in the event Gattis just can't get it done as a play caller.
September 25th, 2021 at 11:37 PM ^
So you’re saying another year with harbaugh and co.? …shudders…
September 26th, 2021 at 12:25 AM ^
Not necessarily, although I think it's likely he'll be back. Weiss was a Harbaugh hire, so in the event Harbaugh is gone, it's likely Weiss is gone with him. If, on the other hand Harbaugh is here next year (seems likely) and it's obvious the offense just isn't reaching it's potential after year 3 under Gattis, it wouldn't surprise me if Weiss takes over the play calling duties.
September 26th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
I really don't know why people think that Harbaugh would be fired one year after signing a contract extension...
Barring some epic collapse, he's here next year. You need to come to grips with this reality.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:53 PM ^
This is the only comment needed, mods, please shut down this thread.
September 25th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
I'm not sure why Michigan didn't test the perimeter in the run game until 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter when that had been so successful in the past few weeks..
September 25th, 2021 at 7:10 PM ^
Because there’s no pride in running around the edge when they stack the box, duh…
September 25th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
Exactly. The point of offense is to impose your will no matter what the defense is showing.
only dumb teams adapt to what the defense is showing.
Can’t wait for 20 rushes for 20 yards next week.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:22 PM ^
You're not familiar with our "3 yards and a cloud of 5-loss seasons" mentality?
September 27th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
Best comment in years.
September 25th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
It's 2005 and we can't stop a running quarterback.
Edit: Oops. see below. screw it.