Replace Greg Harbaugh Jr. With?

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I'll throw out another observation on our current offense.

Similar Athan Kaliakmanis's last year with us, we have seen the offensive play calling ... sort of degrade (as far as how far downfield or even the routes run) as time went on. Now with Athan it was VERY CLEAR that he was a part of that process, and we saw very weird play calls late in the Athan era where all recievers ran almost the same route to give Athan a quick easy read ... let alone the issues with missed touch passes to win games was a painful hallmark...

-pauses writing to schedule another session with my therapist-

But with Drake we see something different. He's young, he is not seeing open guys at times (Michigan State game could have been won several times before we won it). OL has also been wonky to say the least. So yeah I would expect options on offensive play calling to be somewhat restricted by that. But Drake in spite of his faults isn't throwing ints or missing badly all that often ...

Even so, it feels like there's something more at play, a sort of offensive play calling paralysis / shrinkage too... yeah you call the plays the players CAN make, but it feels like the offensive plays are moving grow closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. This is in stark contrast where earlier in the year we saw Drake hit guys on crossing routes efficiently ... and not just the TE ... but we don't see those kind of plays often anymore. Everything passing is right near the line.

Like OC ... you can't make every offensive play have to be made 7 yards or less from the line AND keep passing quick passes to Lemeke (while he is at a stand still) when youve INCENTIVIZED the other team's DBs to play man right at the line ... you're just hoping a guy misses but he has almost zero reason to miss...

It feels like the Offensive play callers have become less confidant in the players as the year has gone on, not for NO reason, but maybe far less confidant than the players play should result in...
 
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Ten games in, never thought I’d see this. Chart is sorted by rushing yards per game. And the Gophers’ numbers include the Northwestern State joke game.
 

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MNfootballfan said:
I truly don't understand Fleck's theory of more games are lost than are won when his style has lost us some very winnable games. I honestly think a bunch of idiots (like me) on Gopherhole could call plays like we were playing Madden and beat Bowling Green.

I would love to see us open up the offense and be aggressive but I am not sure it is in Fleck's DNA.
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What do you think is conservative about the current offense?
 

Some guy said:
What do you think is conservative about the current offense?
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Lack of shots down field.

We are passing more but I wouldn't call it an aggressive offense and I feel like we are only passing because of a lack of running game.

There are few to none explosive plays being produced
 

MNfootballfan said:
Lack of shots down field.

We are passing more but I wouldn't call it an aggressive offense and I feel like we are only passing because of a lack of running game.

There are few to none explosive plays being produced
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That’s pretty funny because after the Michigan state game someone was complaining about throwing too many fades


In my opinion you are confusing ineffectiveness with lack of aggression.

Just because you’re bad doesn’t mean you are conservative
 


Some guy said:
That’s pretty funny because after the Michigan state game someone was complaining about throwing too many fades


In my opinion you are confusing ineffectiveness with lack of aggression.

Just because you’re bad doesn’t mean you are conservative
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I would argue the Cal game was lost because there was zero aggressiveness. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I would be shocked if we threw a pass farther than 15 yards more than a handful of times.
 

MNfootballfan said:
I would argue the Cal game was lost because there was zero aggressiveness. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I would be shocked if we threw a pass farther than 15 yards more than a handful of times.
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The cal game was lost because there wasn’t enough effectiveness

Not because you felt they maybe didn’t throw 16 yard passes enough.
 

Some guy said:
That’s pretty funny because after the Michigan state game someone was complaining about throwing too many fades


In my opinion you are confusing ineffectiveness with lack of aggression.

Just because you’re bad doesn’t mean you are conservative
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Saw Chicago Bears coach, Ben Johnson talking about 50/50 balls and how he doesn't like them. They are low percentage. He wants to get guys open and hit them when open.
 

MNfootballfan said:
Lack of shots down field.

We are passing more but I wouldn't call it an aggressive offense and I feel like we are only passing because of a lack of running game.

There are few to none explosive plays being produced
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Seemed like we were hitting and taking more long shots early. I don’t know what the hell is happening with his dink and dunk stuff that we have going on now. 90% of the time the guys get tackled right after they catch the ball for either no gain a loss or a short game.
 



Gopherchase said:
Seemed like we were hitting and taking more long shots early. I don’t know what the hell is happening with his dink and dunk stuff that we have going on now. 90% of the time the guys get tackled right after they catch the ball for either no gain a loss or a short game.
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They’re trying to protect a bad OL
 

Hey guys and gals the reason why Coach Mason had such good offensive production on the ground. One name Gordy Shaw the offensive line coach. I am here to tell you coaching makes a big difference in all facets of the game, but most importantly up front on offense.
 

Jack jones said:
Hey guys and gals the reason why Coach Mason had such good offensive production on the ground. One name Gordy Shaw the offensive line coach. I am here to tell you coaching makes a big difference in all facets of the game, but most importantly up front on offense.
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Thanks for the insight Gordy!
 

Jack jones said:
Hey guys and gals the reason why Coach Mason had such good offensive production on the ground. One name Gordy Shaw the offensive line coach. I am here to tell you coaching makes a big difference in all facets of the game, but most importantly up front on offense.
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Idaho currently 33rd in rushing yards in FCS

We could bring him back!
 



MNfootballfan said:
Obviously stats never tell the whole story... but in 2025 to get a 22.7 ppg is very misleading due to the Northwestern State game! Man, we are bad.
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We are kind of "Brian Ferentz Territory" on offense now. If the Harbaugh experiment continues next year, the AD needs too impose on PJ an accountability standard as Iowa did with respect to Brian Ferentz a few years back (Iowa had to average at least 25 points per game or B. Ferentz would be fired as OC). 25 points on average is not a particularly tough standard. The Ferentz as OC was kind of funny because of the obvious nepotism angle. Maybe Harbaugh had kompromat?

PJ should be told that in 2026, the team must average at least 25 points per game in the B1G (currently averaging 18 points in 8 Big Games), or Harbaugh moves out. No excuses. PJ could help by encouraging the D to plays more aggressively for turnovers ... or encouraging the STs to work hard on KO and Punt returns in order to create more favorable field position for the O.
 



LeftofThaDial said:
I don’t think Shaw has coached at Idaho in over 10 years, he coached Lineman at Maple Grove in 2018
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lol

I googled him when I read his name and this was the first thing I saw

Gordy Shaw - Football Coach - University of Idaho Athletics

MOSCOW, Idaho – Gordy Shaw is no stranger to Moscow or the Western Athletic Conference. As the University of Idaho Vandals’ newly installed run game coordinator/offensive
govandals.com govandals.com

Didn’t check dates at all. Glad he is still coaching somewhere.
When UST hired Caruso he was the other finalist. Would be interesting to see where they would be at if they hired Shaw instead
 

Some guy said:
lol

I googled him when I read his name and this was the first thing I saw

Gordy Shaw - Football Coach - University of Idaho Athletics

MOSCOW, Idaho – Gordy Shaw is no stranger to Moscow or the Western Athletic Conference. As the University of Idaho Vandals’ newly installed run game coordinator/offensive
govandals.com govandals.com

Didn’t check dates at all. Glad he is still coaching somewhere.
When UST hired Caruso he was the other finalist. Would be interesting to see where they would be at if they hired Shaw instead
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WCCO profile on Gordy Shaw, who is now coaching linemen at Maple Grove HS

per WCCO: He’s long been a seen as a friend to Minnesota High school coaches. Gordy Shaw made his name recruiting Minnesota high school football players as an assistant for the Gophers. After a long career that covered most of the United States, he moved back to Maple Grove and found a job …...
gopherhole.com gopherhole.com

Posted by Bleed:

Oct 20, 2018
per WCCO:

He’s long been a seen as a friend to Minnesota High school coaches. Gordy Shaw made his name recruiting Minnesota high school football players as an assistant for the Gophers.

After a long career that covered most of the United States, he moved back to Maple Grove and found a job … as a high school coach.

On a cold day at Maple Grove High School, the offensive line was getting a tutorial from a guy who knows a little about the game.

Gordy Shaw has spent most of the past 40 years coaching college linemen. He kept his home here while continuing the journey, but this fall, at his wife’s request, he came back.

“She’s missing the grandkids,” he said. “So we came back to Minnesota.”

His new arena: Friday nights, instead of Saturday afternoons.

“Having someone like him on the staff has been a treat,” Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi said. “We’ve been very lucky that he’s in this area.”

There is something of an adjustment to coaching the high school game, though.

“Unbelievably different. I’ve always admired high school coaches because you’ve got to build with what’s in the building. They don’t go out and recruit players. They’ve got to understand the kids’ skill levels.”

He’s old school — that means run the football, and that’s what Maple Grove wants to be about, with a little Shaw education.
“After games, he’s there at 7:30 in the morning with the O-line, teaching them how to grade themselves,” Lombardi said. “He brings a little of the college flair to it.”

That’s all part of what he does: coach football.

“These kids are out there because they love football. They’re not getting a scholarship for it. It’s really rewarding from that standpoint. They play football because they love it,” Shaw said.

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/10/19/famed-assistant-to-coaches-now-one-himself/

Go Gophers!!
 

gopherbadgerman said:
Why is it so hard just to admit that we’re just not that good.
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I recall PJ, early on saying things to the effect that this year’s squad might be his best team. Hard to get our arms around the fact that all that seeming potential has manifesting itself as one of his less effective teams. 😕
 
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Gophergrandpa said:
We all listened to PJ say this might be his best team. Hard to get our arms around the fact that all that seeming potential has manifesting itself as one of his least effective teams. 😕
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I never once heard him say that? Do you have a link to him saying this might be his best team?
 

Some guy said:
I never once heard him say that? Do you have a link to him saying this might be his best team?
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I honestly believe I heard it in a PJ presser before the season started. I looked back at two, both linked below. In the presser before the Buffalo he mentioned this team had great depth at all positions, for example his deepest WR group. He mentions that this team reflected best recruiting for him. He also said near the end that this team had the best “install” of plays ever, and was most connected. In the B1G presser he talked about the team possibly being a CFP participant, loaded with guys like Taylor, Smith, Koi … building off of 2024. I’m not going to look at more pressers or articles. Too old! Maybe I heard best team he had coached (I truly think I did in one presser), or maybe I conflated best depth, best recruiting, best install of plays, several top players, most connected, etc into best team. Anyway, I have never heard pre-season PJ more effusive and laudatory about a team than this team.
gophersports.com

Press Conference: Coach Fleck Previews Season Opener - University of Minnesota Athletics

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck met the media on Monday to preview next week's season opener against Buffalo. The Gophers and Bulls meet on Thursday, Aug. 28...
gophersports.com gophersports.com
www.espn.com

CFP not a 'pipe dream' for Minnesota, says Fleck

After a string of close losses in 2024, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck believes his team is on the brink of challenging for a spot in the College Football Playoff this year.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 

Some guy said:
Idaho currently 33rd in rushing yards in FCS

We could bring him back!
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He was one of the best assistant coaches at the U in the last 30 years. If he was still in his prime, this Oline would be better than it is right now. He was also one of the best recruiters in the state of Minnesota.
 

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