Michigan Preparing for Run No Matter Who is QB

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Iceland12

Iceland12

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http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/09/amid_minnesota_quarterback_que.html

“I think whenever you play a Jerry Kill team … " Brady Hoke said Wednesday.

The answers from then on were predictable. Minnesota runs the ball. The pace of play is slow. The style is methodical. Kill is in his fourth year as the Gophers’ head coach and employs a staff of nine assistants and strength and conditioning coach that have served under him for a combined 131 years, making it the most tenured in the country. This is all well known..


That said, Minnesota might not get far if it attempts to run the ball on 58 of 65 offensive plays, as the Gophers did in last weekend's game. Michigan ranks No. 9 in the country with 80.3 rushing yards allowed per game and has surrendered only 4 total rushing yards in the first half of the last two games.

"We have to play our technique, play our position,” senior linebacker Jake Ryan said. “I’m confident in this defense. We have the guys, we have the depth and we have the front seven that can do this and that can win the Big Ten championship."

 

They held Notre Dame to 1.7 yards per carry in their game against them a few weeks ago.
 

Need to get creative. I hope we don't abandon the run if it's not clicking on the first couple series, but rather are prepared to get guys involved in different ways (sweeps, screens, read option) if and when plugging Cobb on a RUTM isn't working.
 

I will surprised if Hoke doesn't play press man coverage on the WR's and bring up the S when we go three wide to show 8 in the box.

We will have to have success with the pass and hope that our D can keep the game close as I doubt our OL is good enough to consistently control the LOS.
 

we will know when we have a good running attack, where execution against 7 or 8 is the norm. Even if it is one play, one counter. Execution to a level where coming to line you tell them what you are going to run, and you run it. That is a running game. There are few great running teams in college or pro football. It is not exciting, it begs the question why not throw it. Or the insistence that you are going to have to throw it. Giving up the running game before the game is even played is defeat. Run the ball! And if the want a single safety, we have to hit the play action at least 3 times a half. And if the receiver is open we need to be 3 for 3.
 


husker70 said:
we will know when we have a good running attack, where execution against 7 or 8 is the norm. Even if it is one play, one counter. Execution to a level where coming to line you tell them what you are going to run, and you run it. That is a running game. There are few great running teams in college or pro football. It is not exciting, it begs the question why not throw it. Or the insistence that you are going to have to throw it. Giving up the running game before the game is even played is defeat. Run the ball! And if the want a single safety, we have to hit the play action at least 3 times a half. And if the receiver is open we need to be 3 for 3.
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Pretty much just summed up the run game here under Mason. Wisconsin is definitely in this boat as well. I would argue though that a great running game can be very exciting to watch, maybe not flashy but still a lot of fun to watch.
 


No disrespect intended, but don't think that's true. Sure, they preferred to run, but they had to pass when they played solid teams. Mason only went run, run, run against the teams that his team could man handle. Even then his QB completed a lot of passes. This memory "lapse" by Gopher fans always puzzles me. Heard Glen say often that not only does it puzzle him too, but "We could throw the ball!".

Heck Cupito threw the ball 918 times, completing 513 of them for 7446 and 52 touchdowns! Those aren't stats that suggest 3-4 completions a game. The problem Mason's teams had were on Defense and coming from behind.

A very good run game did win Glen a lot of games. Tarring Mason with the "his teams could only run" brush though, doesn't seem fair or accurate.
 

Iceland12 said:
No disrespect intended, but don't think that's true. Sure, they preferred to run, but they had to pass when they played solid teams. Mason only went run, run, run against the teams that he his team could man handle. Even then his QB completed a lot of passes. This memory "lapse" by Gopher fans always puzzles me. Heard Glen say often that not only does it puzzle him to but "We could throw the ball!".

Heck Cupito threw the ball 918 times, completing 513 of them for 7446 and 52 touchdowns! Those aren't stats that suggest 3-4 completions a game. The problem Mason's teams had were on Defense and coming from behind.

A very good run game did when Glen a lot of games. Tarring Mason with the "his teams could only run" brush though, doesn't seem fair or accurate.
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Not sure if your post was directed towards my comment but I totally agree with what you are saying. Mason's offense was a run first offense but they could certainly pass. They had the kind of passing game that the current Gophers need to strive towards in that the run game was the focus of the offense but when teams would load up to stop the run game they could hurt you through the air as well.

Mason's offense paired with Kill's defense would be a perfect match.
 



MNVCGUY said:
They held Notre Dame to 1.7 yards per carry in their game against them a few weeks ago.
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How'd that work out for them?


(sorry, I hate to see someone set the ball and nobody take the spike).
 


Go Gophers Rah said:
How'd that work out for them?


(sorry, I hate to see someone set the ball and nobody take the spike).
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Badly! :D

Notre Dame and Utah found that the way to beat Michigan is through the air. Probably why lousy Michigan team is now a 12 point favorite
 




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