If we run the ball, take the 3 and a 20-10 lead?

[balds]

Given the way the game was going, I was speaking loudly at the TV, just run it and make it a two score game. I think I could have made that interception. The safety was moving pre-snap and literally never looked at anything other than a "fade" to Still. How could Mitch not have seen that? Wolitarsky was a great read and broke open across the middle. Eerily similar to the INT vs. Penn St. that could have buried them.

Same story: Get a lead, throw some key interceptions, defense finally gives up a big play, lose.

 

[Spoofin]

Bad throw. I was all for RUTM & FG, but I knew if we did that fans on GH would blow up over how conservative we were. I would like to think we have learned why we are so conservative with ML7 at QB, but today JJ showed he hasn't.


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[60's Guy]

Bad throw. I was all for RUTM & FG, but I knew if we did that fans on GH would blow up over how conservative we were. I would like to think we have learned why we are so conservative with ML7 at QB, but today JJ showed he hasn't.


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If we run the ball in the second half while ahead in all four losses we are very likely 12 and 0. I'm not sure how you label us conservative when we pass more than we run. We are reckless and stupid!!! Not conservative and not innovative.
And we did it in all four losses in the second half.

Stats say 38 runs and 26 passes But, add the 5 sacks, add the 16 Leidner runs of which the majority are flushed out of the pocket... 16 carries for Mitch with a long of 32 yards and a net of 46, I believe he also had a 9 or 10 yard run on the read option opening drive and the read option touchdown run...we passed more than we ran... (zero read option 2nd half?- why?) Smith and Brooks had 22 carries.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

If we run the ball in the second half while ahead in all four losses we are very likely 12 and 0. I'm not sure how you label us conservative when we pass more than we run. We are reckless and stupid!!! Not conservative and not innovative.
And we did it in all four losses in the second half.

Stats say 38 runs and 26 passes But, add the 5 sacks, add the 16 Leidner runs of which the majority are flushed out of the pocket... 16 carries for Mitch with a long of 32 yards and a net of 46, I believe he also had a 9 or 10 yard run on the read option opening drive...we passed more than we ran... Smith and Brooks had 22 carries.

This, reckless and stupid with forced pass plays, that the QB is not capable of making and the offensive line isn't currently capable of blocking and having success.

The fact that after four years we cannot throw a simple swing pass to a tailback, a toss sweep or a WR screen say's a lot. Passing more than running the football, and taking all of those deeps shots with little chance for success, is re-mindful of some of those Northwestern games back in the day under coach Mason and another OC. 22 carries between Smith and Brooks is a sin. They set themselves up to fail with all of those deep jump balls to the boundary. Everytime the Claeys/Kill regime got in a dogfight against other programs, the team, coaches and the head coach all Puckered up and played not to lose. Then they started forcing things and beat themselves. It's not like Wisconsin played lights out or changed much of what they were doing in the second half, it was all of those wobbly throws and poor decisions by the Gophers QB that did them in. 31-17 was not indicative of how well a lot of Gophers played this football game, even the one that threw the 4 interceptions. Still in shock and not understanding how that was even the same football player in the second half.

 

[60's Guy]

Given the way the game was going, I was speaking loudly at the TV, just run it and make it a two score game. I think I could have made that interception. The safety was moving pre-snap and literally never looked at anything other than a "fade" to Still. How could Mitch not have seen that? Wolitarsky was a great read and broke open across the middle. Eerily similar to the INT vs. Penn St. that could have buried them.

Same story: Get a lead, throw some key interceptions, defense finally gives up a big play, lose.

Or just as damaging...go 3 and out passing and take 14 seconds off the clock and put the defense back out there with nothing off the clock.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Given the way the game was going, I was speaking loudly at the TV, just run it and make it a two score game. I think I could have made that interception. The safety was moving pre-snap and literally never looked at anything other than a "fade" to Still. How could Mitch not have seen that? Wolitarsky was a great read and broke open across the middle. Eerily similar to the INT vs. Penn St. that could have buried them.

Same story: Get a lead, throw some key interceptions, defense finally gives up a big play, lose.

Being aggressive and going for the pass there was not a bad decision on many levels...Mitch just made a bad read, locked into his receiver and made a dumb throw. You would hope in that case that your 5th year senior QB would know enough to throw it away but this is Mitch so yeah we all know what happened. Here's hoping the guys that are replacing him next year can do a better job.

 

[tikited]

Being aggressive and going for the pass there was not a bad decision on many levels...Mitch just made a bad read, locked into his receiver and made a dumb throw. You would hope in that case that your 5th year senior QB would know enough to throw it away but this is Mitch so yeah we all know what happened. Here's hoping the guys that are replacing him next year can do a better job.

Mitch made yet another stubborn throw that cost the game. I'm sure there were many of us thinking as soon as the first INT happened...the game was over. Just like the Penn State game. Instead of going for broke on the play, how about go for the first down? Anything but throwing into double coverage would have been better. Bad call and worse throw.

 

[Jack jones]

Any throw into double coverage is 60% QB and 40 % coaching. Pre snap read will usually take into account most double coverage. When you see the Gopher QB come off the field classy eyed - as if - what the hell just happened- you know it was probably coaching.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

Expecting ML to win a game with his arm is crazy. I too was asking for a run and then the FG attempt to go 20-10.

Johnson has no imagination with the running game and without Woli the passing game would have been the worst ever. I can't remember any runs to edge or wide. A jet sweep, with someone other than Woli, or two to keep the D on its toes would have been my call. I don't recall any quick toss sweeps all year. TC mentioned that we would see both Brooks and Smith on the field at the same time. Logic and past performance should have told Johnson that we need more than to run up the middle and hope to win a slug out with the Wisky DL.

Were there any passes to our TE's? Even a simple 7 yard curl. Or quick passes to the WR's or Smith in the slot? Or quick circle route to Smith?

I wonder if TC has instructed Johnson to call a conservative game and try to win with ball control and defense.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Any throw into double coverage is 60% QB and 40 % coaching. Pre snap read will usually take into account most double coverage. When you see the Gopher QB come off the field classy eyed - as if - what the hell just happened- you know it was probably coaching.

This wasn't double coverage. The safety was in the center of the field at the snap and just read Leidner's eyes. If Mitch just looks off the safety for 1/2 second it's probably a TD. WR was open.

 

[husker70]

Back to the correct call, run the ball and kick the field goal.

 

[GophersInIowa]

It's interesting, some were mad Claeys didn't go for it on 4th down at midfield in the 1st half, and others are mad we didn't play it conservatively inside wisconsin's 15.

 

[Maroon92]

I was fine with them going for a TD but for pete's sake that was a terrible throw

 

[MGGopher]

I was fine with them going for a TD but for pete's sake that was a terrible throw

Agreed. Leidner had already made a great throw in the endzone from a similar field position earlier in the game, so I was fine with the decision in theory. It's on him as a senior leader to recognize the play is going nowhere, throw it away, and let your K go get 3 points.

 

[mplsbadger]

I watch both of these teams a lot. All the hand wringing about RUTM is probably misplaced. Biegel and Watt are elite players and it's probably difficult to have a lot of success off tackle against them. That said, I was stunned at how much ML was under center when the read option worked in the first half. That's the whole point of a read option is that the ball goes where the ends aren't, right?

 

[GopherJake]

I think I could have made that interception. The safety was moving pre-snap and literally never looked at anything other than a "fade" to Still. How could Mitch not have seen that?

I have the answer to your question you ask in bold. This one is 100% on the coaching staff. Yet again on an important play, the play call came in VERY LATE. It happened at least twice in this game and has been a problem all year on important 3rd and 4th down plays. Leidner gets up to the line with about 6 seconds remaining. He has no time to collect himself, look over the defense, alter anything, if necessary - nothing. It was a get set, snap the ball situation. That's a formula for a problem.

Get the GD M Effin' play calls in quick. Every time!!

 

[MNVCGUY]

It's interesting, some were mad Claeys didn't go for it on 4th down at midfield in the 1st half, and others are mad we didn't play it conservatively inside wisconsin's 15.

Yeah I really don't get the people saying we should have just settled for 3 in that situation. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but when you get down that close against a really good team you have to try and get the TD. Mitch made a horrible decision on the play and it led to the pick but it is crazy to insist that the team should have laid up and just settled for 3.

 

[John Galt]

Yeah I really don't get the people saying we should have just settled for 3 in that situation. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but when you get down that close against a really good team you have to try and get the TD. Mitch made a horrible decision on the play and it led to the pick but it is crazy to insist that the team should have laid up and just settled for 3.

There is a difference between "settling for 3 points" and running a high probability play. How many 15 yards TD passes have we had this year? Run a short pass, a screen, or run it. Our defense was playing lights out. If we go up 20-10, it's a 2 score game and we have momentum.