Hole Poll: What grade would you give the Gophers coaching staff in the Ohio State game?

[GopherHole Staff]

Hole Poll: What grade would you give the Gophers coaching staff in the Ohio State game?

 

[mkAz]

The offensive plan was fine, they threw in some nice wrinkles. Special teams looked good. I was hoping for more out of the defensive game plan, seems they should have thrown a few more wrinkles at a QB making his first start.

 

[upnorthkid]

The offensive plan was fine, they threw in some nice wrinkles. Special teams looked good. I was hoping for more out of the defensive game plan, seems they should have thrown a few more wrinkles at a QB making his first start.

Agreed. I don’t think stroud got past his first read all night and unfortunately the guy was open more often than not with minimal change ups in coverage

 

[GopherGangsta]

35 points in the second half given up is a D

 

[Gophergrandpa]

First half A-; second half C+.

 

[salzie]

I have a C.

Defense breakdown make it impossible give higher.

Offensive game plan prevents from being lower

 

[FullBanana]

I would have gone with a B based on outcome, but there were a few head scratching calls which dropped it to a C.

 

[GFBfan]

I gave them a C. Offense did some nice things most of the game. The defense seemed lost at times and gave up way too many big plays and we didn't seem to make any adjustments to what OSU was doing.

The one offensive series that irked me after watching the replay to do the OL grading was in the fourth quarter. 31 - 21 and we started a nice drive in the third that continued into the start of the 4th. Got a 12 men on the field penalty to make it 1st and 15 on the OSU 34.
First play we are in our heavy package with 1 WR and run a simple zone play up the middle for a 1 yard gain. Don't understand that play when OSU had 9 in the box with a high safety and the CB 1 on 1 with Jackson. The OL did their job but we didn't have enough people to get a hat on a hat and two guys were free to make the stop of Potts.
On 2nd and 14 we go to 12 personnel and run a similar inside zone. OL does their job for the most part Potts makes a great cut and we gain 3.
3rd and 11 and after a TO, we are in 11 personnel with 2 WR split right and TE WR to the left. Our play is to run Wiley on an outside zone play to the right. OL does well but the two WR to that side block one of two DB's and the other makes the stop after a 3 yard gain. Even is that DB misses, the safety is there to run Wiley out of bounds after another yard or two. FG is made.

Those three plays it looked like we were just hoping to run clock and keep it close rather than trying to go after OSU and win the game.

 

[Dakota2]

Hole Poll: What grade would you give the Gophers coaching staff in the Ohio State game?

First reaction would be a B or B+ for holding OSU to 10 points from early first quarter to halftime, being ahead in the 3rd quarter, and keeping it somewhat of a game despite losing possession in a late drive when a flagrant targeting hit was not called but instead it was ruled a fumble. Yes, MBS fumbled but most receivers will when knocked unconscious. Plus earlier Jackson was pushed off stride just before a deep ball arrived and nothing was called.

Those things considered, coaches had a good offensive plan, including throwing to Spann-Ford.

But two strategic planning decisions ruined the coaches' grade and drop it to C-.

On defense the much-discussed decision to not blitz the first-game quarterback because it might leave us too exposed might have been valid until Howden went out but not after that. With a full coverage complement we were plenty exposed, especially giving Stroud hours to look for the guy getting separation. Rossi should have sent pressure. There was little more to lose and a lot to gain. No adjustment is a coaching mistake.

The greatest error in planning was the decision to not return kickoffs. OSU has one and only one weakness. Their kicker cannot get it to the end zone. Minnesota absolutely had to exploit this weakness to stay in the game. We did not.

Potts fair caught most kicks on the 10-11 yard line. The deepest was at the five, not counting the one that hit in the corner and he had to pick up and return from the 3.

Catching a ball at the 10 while moving ahead, Potts can trot to the 25. With a real return and blocking he can bring it from the 10 to the 35 consistently and the 40 once in awhile.

By failing to exploit OSU's one and only weakness we gave up something between 50 and 100 yards of field position for the game, something no one can afford to do against the Buckeyes.

 

[Boomtime]

I like your observations on kickoff receiving. It's a chicken shit strategy to take it at the 25 all the time.

Unless you don't trust your kids? And if that's the case...recruit better guys.