Are We Becoming Wisconsin on Offense?

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MaxyJR1

MaxyJR1

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The good Wisconsin. Game managing QB who hits the passes he needs to and a dominate running attack with the ability for a back to step in and be successful.
 


And a really good offensive line for running the football. A lot of hay has been made over our deep stable of running backs (5 different guys with 100 yard games this year). Not trying to knock the running backs because they have looked solid, but I've been thinking for a while that running backs putting up big numbers has to do more with the team/scheme/line than the individual running back. In the NFL, when an all star running back goes down, it always seems like the backup goes in and impresses with better than expected numbers, and this could be the reason. Haven't a lot of people said of Wisconsin's long line of productive running backs "I could put up 1000 yards running behind that line"?
 

MaxyJR1 said:
The good Wisconsin. Game managing QB who hits the passes he needs to and a dominate running attack with the ability for a back to step in and be successful.
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Maybe in that general sense.

Schematically/identity wise, we're the opposite.

Shotgun, RPO, zone-blocking. Vs Under-center, set play, gap-blocking (power, pulls, counter blocks).
 

MaxyJR1 said:
The good Wisconsin. Game managing QB who hits the passes he needs to and a dominate running attack with the ability for a back to step in and be successful.
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I mentioned this in the thread where we were debating roster construction -- but I think we are trying to be better than Iowa and Wisconsin. Fleck has the ability to show receivers that if they come they can make the league which is something that the other two schools cannot. With that said they can make better arguments to lineman and tight ends (Iowa). The question I have is when will we see the next All B1G receiver at Minnesota.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I feel like our offense is more than that.


But in the meantime there's no reason to stop running if they can't stop us.
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This 2021 Gopher team is quite possibly, the ultimate “dream team” of the Kill/TC & the Staffers era. The Northwestern game is a prime example of offensive ball control, clock control and sheltering/enhancing the defenders by keeping the defense off the field. That is ultimate defense!

I say this as a total compliment to Coach Fleck and the Staff. They have perfectly assessed the strengths of their team and are utilizing the assemblage of talent on the team from true freshmen to sixth year redshirt seniors.

Gone are the days of taking pride in redshirting EVERY recruit. From portal transfers in to the program to young freshman players who were playing in high school a year ago at this time.

This may be the best utilization of all the players on the squad that I have ever witnessed in all my years of seeing and attending Gopher football games…going on 65 seasons!

Hats off to Coach Fleck, his assistant coaches and ALL the players for this SPECIAL season.

From the bottom of my heart, I am feeling a lot of Gopher Pride. Beat the stinking Illini, GOPHER!

This culture stuff is special!
 
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noamfromm said:
I mentioned this in the thread where we were debating roster construction -- but I think we are trying to be better than Iowa and Wisconsin. Fleck has the ability to show receivers that if they come they can make the league which is something that the other two schools cannot. With that said they can make better arguments to lineman and tight ends (Iowa). The question I have is when will we see the next All B1G receiver at Minnesota.
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Yeah, Iowa does crank out the TEs.
 

Said in another thread, I think this what we could have been under Mason if he could have figured out the defensive side of the ball. It is a different style of run game but a dominant run game paired with a strong defense and a good enough passing game to keep teams honest.

The style of running game with a massive, dominant, o-line fits the Wisconsin mold from all those years where they would just overwhelm teams with their power up front and ability to run the ball.
 

I think PJ is safe with reputation, when he is on the recruiting trail. This offense is nearly Service-Academy-like with its dedication to the run. At first glance one would say that makes wide receiver recruiting a tough sell. But PJ has a legacy of developing NFL receivers at the U and W. Mich. He can simply say he molds his team to the players he has rather than the other way around. If I were a HS WR, I wouldn’t think twice about signing on to play for Fleck.
 



Schnauzer said:
I think PJ is safe with reputation, when he is on the recruiting trail. This offense is nearly Service-Academy-like with its dedication to the run. At first glance one would say that makes wide receiver recruiting a tough sell. But PJ has a legacy of developing NFL receivers at the U and W. Mich. He can simply say he molds his team to the players he has rather than the other way around. If I were a HS WR, I wouldn’t think twice about signing on to play for Fleck.
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We have only been running the ball as much as the service academies this season. Hopefully it doesn't negatively our ability to get high end receiving talent.
 



MNVCGUY said:
In answer to the OP's thread title - Are we becoming Wisconsin on offense - the answer is NO. We are becoming something better.
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I hope so. At least when looking at the past decade where good Fadger teams usually have been held back by a lack of explosiveness on offense. They had some pretty balanced and higher powered offenses under Butt Bielema, especially the Russell Wilson year.
 



MNVCGUY said:
Said in another thread, I think this what we could have been under Mason if he could have figured out the defensive side of the ball. It is a different style of run game but a dominant run game paired with a strong defense and a good enough passing game to keep teams honest.

The style of running game with a massive, dominant, o-line fits the Wisconsin mold from all those years where they would just overwhelm teams with their power up front and ability to run the ball.
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Mason’s teams probably put more pressure on their own defense simply because his offenses were SO EXPLOSIVE!

I loved watching Mason’s offense. I also did lament the fact that the defensive team spent SO MUCH time on the field against spread offenses that they always wore themselves out. It was during that same era that vaunted defenses such as Texas, Michigan, TOSU, PSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, et. al started surrendering a LOT of points. However, the blue blood football teams were able to put better, faster, quicker offenses AND defenses on the field. They built themselves to win shoot-outs. And teams like Oregon, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas A & M, Ohio State, Alabama, et. al simply started out scoring other teams

I will never forget in 2003 when Michigan came to town. The moment I KNEW the Gopher was in trouble was midway through the third quarter when Michigan scored on a long pass play, I believe. About the second or third offensive play for the Gopher, Asad saw a gap in the middle of Michigan’s well-spread defense and raced, untouched right up the middle of the field For a 75 yard touch down. Good thing, yes? It was not good…at all. Less than a minute had elapsed. The weary and banged up Gopher defenders went right back on the field…and… the inevitable collapse was in the cards.

Mason just couldn’t seem to get his offense to run clock time to defend his overmatched defenders.

Coach Fleck’s is defending his defense AND at the same time wearing out the opponent’s defense and limiting the plays for the opposition.

I believe you are correct about Coach Mason. His offenses were simply too explosive to not wear out his own defenses. And: his great zone blocking offensive line may have been too light, quick and fast and built for a pulling center and guards to properly POUND the ROCK to defend his defenders.
 
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cjbfbp said:
OR talented quarterbacks.
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We raise our own offensive linemen, tight ends, linebackers and some pretty fair wide receivers. That makes up a good number of positions. And, best of all, we have our own open air, horse shoe, on campus stadium and get real weather possibilities during the last half of October and all of November
 

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