Great Play by Myrick Overlooked?

[Nomellini]

The article from the Athens, Ohio newspaper claimed that the Bobcats were cursed with bad luck when their kick returner failed to score on that final kickoff return due to a leg cramp. The only thing I saw was Myrick running like an angry man to save the game. To me his contribution was just as clutch as his Northwestern runback last season but I have not as yet read of anyone acknowledging it. Thank you, Mr. Wyrick!

 

[Nomellini]

I apologize. I just read the Special Teams Thread.

 

[skauma]

Play of the game. When the return was happening, I was thinking, ah ****, here we go.

Its the difference of going into conference play 2-2 with a weak non-conference schedule, and being 3-1 with our only loss to the #2 team in the country.

 

[dlw4gophers]

skauma, I think we should wait to see how the season plays out, but I don't think you can call our OOC schedule week. Kent State, yes. The other three teams we played all look solid and by season's end I think their records will prove that.

 

[DoubleB]

why didnt Ryan kick it out of the endzone i the first place?

 

[MNVCGUY]

why didnt Ryan kick it out of the endzone i the first place?

Only thing that makes sense was that he just miss hit it and didn't get enough on the kick. Obviously in that situation the one thing you don't want to allow is the potential for the long return which is why teams squib kick it. We have a guy with a big enough leg to get touchbacks he just didn't get it done on that last kick.

 

[Some Day...Is Coming!]

skauma, I think we should wait to see how the season plays out, but I don't think you can call our OOC schedule week. Kent State, yes. The other three teams we played all look solid and by season's end I think their records will prove that.

Kent St is obviously the weakest, but I don't think they'll be as bad as people think. They were one play away from beating Marshall in regulation. I think Illinois game was just "one of those games".

As for Myrick, that's one of the biggest things I've noticed from year one of Kill, is the speed. I don't remember Gopher teams having speed like Kill's teams. It was first apparent to me at the UNLV game I went to in Vegas.


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[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Kent St is obviously the weakest, but I don't think they'll be as bad as people think. They were one play away from beating Marshall in regulation. I think Illunois game was just "one of those games".

As for Myrick, that's one of the biggest things I've noticed from year one of Kill, is the speed. I don't remember Gopher teams having speed like Kill's teams. It was first apparent to me at the UNLV game I went to in Vegas.


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It seems a few turnovers or bad ST plays gave Illinois short fields the whole 1st half. None on the Illini's scoring drives in the 1st were longer than 40 yards. The 2 in the second half were long.

 

[STPGopher]

It seems a few turnovers or bad ST plays gave Illinois short fields the whole 1st half. None on the Illini's scoring drives in the 1st were longer than 40 yards. The 2 in the second half were long.

In addition, I believe the game was postponed a day due to rain and Kent State had to fly in and out from Bloomington (Ill?/ Indiana?) the next day to play the game.

 

[zman]

I have not seen a replay of the return but my first thought was that Myrick saved his own hind end. I thought he was the one that let the returner get to the outside to begin with.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

In addition, I believe the game was postponed a day due to rain and Kent State had to fly in and out from Bloomington (Ill?/ Indiana?) the next day to play the game.

Another factor was that was Illinois' first game with their new coach. That might have been a contributing factor to the blowout. I don't think Kent State is very good either way, but they aren't as bad as that game made it seem.

 

[dpodoll68]

I have not seen a replay of the return but my first thought was that Myrick saved his own hind end. I thought he was the one that let the returner get to the outside to begin with.

I didn't go back to verify it, but someone said that it was Craig James running inside of his lane that allowed the long return to happen.

 

[SonOfTheVarsity]

why didnt Ryan kick it out of the endzone i the first place?

In general, we've had great success with Santoso kicking it high and to the corner, allowing the coverage team to get down and make a stop before the 25 yard line. I'm sure the thought was that we could force a return and make the tackle before the 25 yard line. So, instead of taking the ball at the 25 with 30 seconds, Ohio would have it at the 15-20 with 25 seconds left.

Obviously, there's risk in that, and it almost burned us. It seemed to me that Santoso mis-kicked it. He generally buries those pretty far into the corner of the field. This time, it was right down the middle, which likely compromised our coverage team.

 

[zman]

I didn't go back to verify it, but someone said that it was Craig James running inside of his lane that allowed the long return to happen.

Quite possible.

 

[GopherJack]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, (I never played football), but I've often wondered that why on crucial punts and kickoffs (where you have a lead or don't want to risk a big return) all coverage teams run as fast as they can to get to the returner, only to have the returner do a head fake or jab step and 3-4 guys bite and just blow right by him. Wouldn't it be better to have the coverage team run down as fast as they can, stop or slow down about 5-10 yards away (yes, concede those return yards), and let the runner come to them and cut down your risk of a big return? At least that way the returner is running towards 11 defenders and not 7 or 8. I'm probably way off base on this because if it was that simple, teams would be doing it right?

 

[Golden_Sloth]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, (I never played football), but I've often wondered that why on crucial punts and kickoffs (where you have a lead or don't want to risk a big return) all coverage teams run as fast as they can to get to the returner, only to have the returner do a head fake or jab step and 3-4 guys bite and just blow right by him. Wouldn't it be better to have the coverage team run down as fast as they can, stop or slow down about 5-10 yards away (yes, concede those return yards), and let the runner come to them and cut down your risk of a big return? At least that way the returner is running towards 11 defenders and not 7 or 8. I'm probably way off base on this because if it was that simple, teams would be doing it right?

It might work but if you completely slow down you're really susceptible to getting blow back by the blockers. In general you can't stop your movement if the opponent has a full head of steam or you're going to get rocked. Kick coverage is all about lane control, a returner should never be able to juke more than one guy at a time because they will be juking right into someone else's lane.

 

[WHB Brewer]

Only thing that makes sense was that he just miss hit it and didn't get enough on the kick. Obviously in that situation the one thing you don't want to allow is the potential for the long return which is why teams squib kick it. We have a guy with a big enough leg to get touchbacks he just didn't get it done on that last kick.

I'm starting to doubt the ability to drill it through the end zone. When was the last time we have seen it? All the kicks seem to be to the goal line. Drill it and put them on the 25 every time if it is supposed to be so simple. Why risk a mistake? It has happened twice in crucial spot now

 

[Gophers09]

I have not seen a replay of the return but my first thought was that Myrick saved his own hind end. I thought he was the one that let the returner get to the outside to begin with.

The kicks I've watched closely, Myrick starts outside but drifts into the middle and holds back as the safetey. That part of the coverage worked perfectly in this instance and it definitely seems smart to have him in that role with his speed.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, (I never played football), but I've often wondered that why on crucial punts and kickoffs (where you have a lead or don't want to risk a big return) all coverage teams run as fast as they can to get to the returner, only to have the returner do a head fake or jab step and 3-4 guys bite and just blow right by him. Wouldn't it be better to have the coverage team run down as fast as they can, stop or slow down about 5-10 yards away (yes, concede those return yards), and let the runner come to them and cut down your risk of a big return? At least that way the returner is running towards 11 defenders and not 7 or 8. I'm probably way off base on this because if it was that simple, teams would be doing it right?

Man if you stop or slow around nearby the runner you're going to find yourself getting blocked to the 30 and pushed away from the runner....

 

[John Galt]

I thought Ohio was going to run it back.... there was literally no one in the area. Great play/speed by Myrick to get there.

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, (I never played football), but I've often wondered that why on crucial punts and kickoffs (where you have a lead or don't want to risk a big return) all coverage teams run as fast as they can to get to the returner, only to have the returner do a head fake or jab step and 3-4 guys bite and just blow right by him. Wouldn't it be better to have the coverage team run down as fast as they can, stop or slow down about 5-10 yards away (yes, concede those return yards), and let the runner come to them and cut down your risk of a big return? At least that way the returner is running towards 11 defenders and not 7 or 8. I'm probably way off base on this because if it was that simple, teams would be doing it right?

Here's the deal, you are never going to catch up to someone running 21 mph if you are standing still and you are going to get picked off by a blocker very quickly if you are not moving. Our kick coverage has been very good under Kill, I wouldn't worry too much about one good return that only got to mid-field.

 

[metrolax]

Its a good thought and question, GopherJack, but on kickoff returns things happen so fast, that if you slow down,
you will get beat. Its is one of those instances where its all-out or defeat- with lane control being the only thing
to think about.

Punt returns? I've done both, and they are a whole different animal entirely. As a returner, your eyes are up, looking
for the ball, and you're hopefully catching the coverage out of the bottom of your eyes. The ball rarely comes down
in a consistent trajectory, and often shoots straight down right from the arch. Just catching punts, especially under pressure,
is not for everybody.

 

[GopherinPhilly]

I have not seen a replay of the return but my first thought was that Myrick saved his own hind end. I thought he was the one that let the returner get to the outside to begin with.

If you re-watch the return, it was Craig James that came flying in from that side of the field, ran into one of our guys, wasn't close to the ball carrier and then watched as the returner ran straight into the lane he just vacated. Not sure if he has contain on that side but he certainly isn't supposed to plow into the middle from that lane and blow it up. He had a bad game...a very bad game. Thank goodness Myrick runs like a deer being chased by a truck full of rednecks.

 

[GophersInIowa]

My guess is James tried too hard to make a play because of the mishaps he had.

 

[zman]

If you re-watch the return, it was Craig James that came flying in from that side of the field, ran into one of our guys, wasn't close to the ball carrier and then watched as the returner ran straight into the lane he just vacated. Not sure if he has contain on that side but he certainly isn't supposed to plow into the middle from that lane and blow it up. He had a bad game...a very bad game. Thank goodness Myrick runs like a deer being chased by a truck full of rednecks.

Thanks.

 

[Winnipegopher]

I was quite scared they would flag Myrick for a late hit. It wasn't but it took the replay to show that.

 

[1983]

The article from the Athens, Ohio newspaper claimed that the Bobcats were cursed with bad luck when their kick returner failed to score on that final kickoff return due to a leg cramp. The only thing I saw was Myrick running like an angry man to save the game. To me his contribution was just as clutch as his Northwestern runback last season but I have not as yet read of anyone acknowledging it. Thank you, Mr. Wyrick!

It is the curse of the Myrick for NW. As I gazed into my pint of Traitor IPA from Badger hill (no relation to anything cheese) brewery last night I saw Murray come off the edge to block a field goal and Jalen scoop it up and score to avoid a last minute tying kick.

 

[Vandy]

If you slow up and are flat footed, it is all the easier for the ball carrier, at full speed... to just blow around and by you.

 

[Stuff]

The best part of the play was seeing the Ohio returner slide all the way across the side line and end up underneath the bench. Definitely one of the funniest things I've seen during a game.