Where is #SpeedInSpace?
(Mods, if you believe this is not unique enough not to be in snowflake threads, then please delete)
Last week, in the recap of the game, I voiced an opinion that I was worried a bit that our offense did not seem smart. Now, I am REALLY concerned that this offense is not smart at all and this will seriously limit how many game we may win this year.
Again, unlike the most around here, I am not worried about fumbles and turnovers. These things are random. We are on a cruel streak, but there is not much you can do there. I am not even that worried about Shea's bout of inaccuracies as I believe that he is playing hurt (would also explain the almost hysterical aversion to arc keeper).
What worries me a great deal is that just like last year, opponent defenses can sell out, plug the middle and not worry about consequences because we refuse to punish them for it. This was the main reason I thought why we go rid of Pep. But it does not look like other than how why line up, nothing has changed much.
We were promised #SpeedInSpace, but I have yet to see much existence of it.
I mean look...
at all...
this...
SPACE!!! (with our SPEEDY GUYS!!!)
And this is from just first two possessions, I could have posted 30 or 40 of these. And none of these downs resulted in a pass to one of the receivers in the open side (most were RB dive to the middle).
I mean there aren't any defender within 9 yards of our receivers. If you just throw it to our receiver, that is free 4 yards with a potential for a whole lot more if they break just one tackle.
There is almost no passing within 5 yards of the line or within 2 seconds after the hike. Knowing this, our opponents are playing WAY off our receivers which increases pressure on Shea since almost all of our routes take time to develop.
The best thing about RichRod and Fish was that they always took free yards. Why are we saying no to free yards and making everything so much harder for ourselves? Why are we not smart? Am I missing something?
September 7th, 2019 at 4:55 PM ^
#POOPINBED
September 7th, 2019 at 4:56 PM ^
That bastard Locksley took Gattis speed in space playbook!
September 7th, 2019 at 4:58 PM ^
He's making good use of it, evidently. That offense looks truly dynamic.
September 7th, 2019 at 7:55 PM ^
First year too.
Huh, it’s ALMOST as if it DOESN’T take 7+ years to install an offense and execute it properly. Who’da thunk!?
September 7th, 2019 at 5:00 PM ^
College Park, Maryland.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:00 PM ^
Saving it for B1G play?
September 7th, 2019 at 5:10 PM ^
You might be right, but I really hate if this is the case.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:30 PM ^
This can't be the case. This is exactly the kind of stuff you want to put in tape. It isn't exactly genius to throw to an unguarded guy.
September 7th, 2019 at 6:59 PM ^
No. It just isn't there.
Last week in his press conference, Harbaugh said something about 'we used almost everything in our playbook.' I remarked on it, and a lot of people said, "No no no, Harbaugh just means that they used almost everything that they prepared specifically for that week."
Uh, nope. I think this is the playbook. What you see is what we have.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:04 PM ^
I'm not sure what the problem is. Maybe we're being purposefully vanilla. Maybe we tried it early and it was ineffective. I really don't know. But, I know we are new to it and I expect the offense to grow as time goes on.
September 7th, 2019 at 7:13 PM ^
This makes no sense (being purposefully vanilla). You're by no means the only person to say this.
But when you're trailing at half, and in a dog fight in the 4th quarter, there is no more saving all of the super awesome plays for later and running a freshman 15 times in a row en route to a potential loss. If that's what's happening, then our offensive coaches are collectively the dumbest assholes on earth. I choose to believe they are not.
September 8th, 2019 at 8:45 AM ^
I'm just providing a possible concept. I said I didn't know. I agree with you. My point was I expect to improve over the season. I don't have a better answer. Why do you think they did what they did?
September 7th, 2019 at 9:25 PM ^
Sorry man. I’ve been listening to that hopeful hype about saving plays for rivals or big ten play, but it’s pretty clear they tried everything they could in this game. Offense is not in sync or they mistakenly thought some of these plays would work against real defenses.
I can almost hear the whispers of spring practice hype “oh boy, this play is going to make defensive coordinators cry at night!”
Update: “oh crap, none of our plays work and our offense is totally predictable”
September 8th, 2019 at 8:47 AM ^
So, you're already convinced Gattis sucks after his second game of being the coordinator?
September 7th, 2019 at 5:06 PM ^
Just poor coaching. I firmly believe Harbaugh overrode Gattis and ran this shit offense. His ego is out of control
September 7th, 2019 at 5:59 PM ^
That's such a great take, in no way you're being intuitive.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:09 PM ^
Starting to think Gattis was not ready to call plays. As in his career.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:11 PM ^
Maybe, but on most shots of Harbaugh, I didn’t see indications that he was calling plays.
I could be wrong...
September 7th, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^
I did see I think it was the 1st overtime Harbaugh had a play sheet while the team was on the sideline.
That could’ve been them discussing a play but maybe Jim pulled the plug at one point.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:37 PM ^
Maybe, but on most shots of Harbaugh, I didn’t see indications that he was calling plays.
I could be wrong...
September 7th, 2019 at 5:11 PM ^
I think it starts with QB.
Kinda sucks when ball security is lacking and Patterson cannot progress through reads -- stares down the receiver nearly every time.
September 7th, 2019 at 6:21 PM ^
He's clearly injured. He borderlined on psychopath when it came to pulling or handing-off at the mesh-point last year, and against MTSU.
Now, however, he has become massively more conservative. He's regularly seen wincing after every play. And he barely ran at all, even when the game was deeply on the line.
It looks like it could be a core injury. The receivers missed too many catches, but many of the passes were too off the mark, and some horribly off the mark.
September 7th, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
If he's injured then get him the hell out of there. It almost cost Michigan the game today.
...and BTW, Shea's lack of arm strength and vision and turnovers existed before this injury you speak of. Unless Patterson was injured when he transferred that is.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:11 PM ^
Snowflake knows its a snowflake thread post, but still wants to create his own thread.
Please don't rip on our staring QB he's doing a good job.
Saying Mods delete if this is a snowflake thread doesn't absolve you of not posting in the coaching snowflake thread.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:30 PM ^
Well, good thing you are not the mod...
And nobody is ripping the QB. This is all on the coaches.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^
Peps offense from the gun. Brian said so himself that this offense isn’t that much different from last year
September 7th, 2019 at 5:16 PM ^
In space, obviously.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:21 PM ^
Speed is a relative term.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:22 PM ^
You are so correct about RichRod. He ALWAYS took the free yards. His problem was on defense, where he was giving all the free yards back, and then some.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:22 PM ^
What is missing is quick and accurate throws to slot WR 5 to 10 yards down field. Our offense takes way too long to run a play. It seems like our QB and WR are not on the same page. If a team blitz you all the time, then you take 2 step drops, throw to a spot 5 to 15 yards downfield and your WR should be there. It is not happening here. OSU ran it quite well against us last season.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:22 PM ^
maybe a couple WR screens plays with DB's playing off
September 7th, 2019 at 5:23 PM ^
Speed in Space is in Clemson, Tuscaloosa, Athens and Columbus. Not in Ann Arbor. This is Bo, Loyd, And Jim.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:23 PM ^
If Uof〽️ plays like this next week we lose to Whiskey ?.
September 7th, 2019 at 7:59 PM ^
I think we will be fine next week. It's the following week that worries me.
September 7th, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
IDK... the way Michigan puts the ball on the turf, we could very well lose to BYE. This weekend isn't a gimmie.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:27 PM ^
In space, the furthest possible place from Ann Arbor
September 7th, 2019 at 5:32 PM ^
Seriously. Gattis of all people is the one who hyped me up about this new offense. He spent all offseason tweeting about #SpeedInSpace and posting videos displaying it.
Literally not a single play weve ran, NOT A SINGLE ONE, has looked anything like the videos he would post displaying this "Speed in Space". No crossing routes that lead to long YAC. No screen passes that lead to 1st downs. Nothing, nada, zilch
It really is looking like Locksley was the mastermind behind speed in space. His Maryland offense is killing it while our offense is dead
September 7th, 2019 at 5:43 PM ^
It’s hard for me to believe that Gattis doesn’t know how to develop the same kind of plays as the videos he was using showed. Something weird is going on behind the scenes, though. If Harbaugh is meddling with the play calling just two games into the season, that would be RR-level buffoonery.
September 7th, 2019 at 6:01 PM ^
Agreed. There is a story here we don’t know.
September 7th, 2019 at 6:07 PM ^
My guess is that Patterson is hurt and McCaffrey either doesn't throw well or doesn't have enough command of the offense to run it full time.
Bunch of open receivers and plays that Patterson should have kept the ball and ran where neither happened.
That said, I'd be happy for Harbaugh to meddle enough to get Mason back on offense for some heavy goal line and short yardage packages. Not every damn play needs to be from the gun.
September 7th, 2019 at 8:33 PM ^
I think we'll see Gattis in the transfer portal end of season.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:36 PM ^
Not sure what I saw today. Definitely not what was advertised. Why have they abandoned the goal line short yardage jumbo package? I think Mason could get a couple yards just by breathing on them.
September 7th, 2019 at 6:47 PM ^
I was wondering this too - seems like a great idea on the 4th and shorts or goal line situation, just fall forward.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:41 PM ^
Space, bitches.
September 7th, 2019 at 5:45 PM ^
#FumblesInSpace
September 7th, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
We’re not being purposefully vanilla. We’re not saving. We’re trying to win games. This is it. It’ll develop or not. Harbaugh doesn’t save when a game is on the line.
September 7th, 2019 at 7:03 PM ^
Seriously. How many years are we going to have to endure this “we’re just saving all the good plays” bullshit??
No, no we’re not saving anything. Our offense is just pure shit. And I’m sorry to say but when you go through multiple offensive coaches and the product in the field is STILL horse shit, then it’s time to look for common denominators...
September 7th, 2019 at 5:53 PM ^
In all of those pictures Army only averaged 6 guys in the box. You have failed to convince based on your evidence provided. You fail.
September 7th, 2019 at 6:25 PM ^
He didn’t specify which space. It’s looking more and more like the space between the guards and the center is what they meant.
September 7th, 2019 at 7:29 PM ^
Updated to #FumbleInSpace...
We will get better and I still believe we beat osu.