Reading between the lines

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Tight ends did indeed make a few very crucial plays in key situations in our impressive 11th win. Predictably, the "I Heart Tight Ends" crowd went ballistic.

It's been a few weeks since I enjoyed watching Minnesota vs. Auburn, so maybe my memory is a bit faulty. But... weren't there also some rather spectacular plays made by the wide receivers in that game as well? I'm a bit fuzzy on this, but I seem to recall one guy in particular... was he wearing a single digit number on his jersey? Some of you younger guys with sharper memories than me could maybe help this old fella out; what was that guy's name? Tyler something...?

Also, maybe one of our stats nerds could analyze the wide receiver vs. tight end production numbers in the passing game on successful college football teams. We do, after all, live in the age of advanced stats and analytics.
 

RememberMurray said:
Tight ends did indeed make a few very crucial plays in key situations in our impressive 11th win. Predictably, the "I Heart Tight Ends" crowd went ballistic.

It's been a few weeks since I enjoyed watching Minnesota vs. Auburn, so maybe my memory is a bit faulty. But... weren't there also some rather spectacular plays made by the wide receivers in that game as well? I'm a bit fuzzy on this, but I seem to recall one guy in particular... was he wearing a single digit number on his jersey? Some of you younger guys with sharper memories than me could maybe help this old fella out; what was that guy's name? Tyler something...?

Also, maybe one of our stats nerds could analyze the wide receiver vs. tight end production numbers in the passing game on successful college football teams. We do, after all, live in the age of advanced stats and analytics.
Click to expand...

If you want to analyze TE stats of successful college teams, you could start with LSU. 61 TE receptions, which is 14% of their total receptions.

www.espn.com

LSU Tigers 2024 College Football Players Stats - ESPN

Get the full Players stats for the 2024 LSU Tigers on ESPN. Includes team statistics for scoring, passing rushing and offense.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

I feel like a few people here are badly missing the point. We’re not talking about a radical change in offensive philosophy. Think Outback Bowl.
 

This whole thread is a solution looking for a problem.
 

Here is NFL TE production thru week 17. It’s all over the map. Some teams use them a lot; some not so much. The number 1 and 2 TEs happen to be playing in the Super bowl. Doesn’t prove anything, but interesting.

Tight End TE Stats Cheat Sheet NFL Current Season Statistics

Rank NFL Tight Ends by Current Season Statistics - receiving yards per game, targets per game, catches per game, etc.
fantasyfootballers.org fantasyfootballers.org
 

PitinoFan said:
If you want to analyze TE stats of successful college teams, you could start with LSU. 61 TE receptions, which is 14% of their total receptions.

www.espn.com

LSU Tigers 2024 College Football Players Stats - ESPN

Get the full Players stats for the 2024 LSU Tigers on ESPN. Includes team statistics for scoring, passing rushing and offense.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

I feel like a few people here are badly missing the point. We’re not talking about a radical change in offensive philosophy. Think Outback Bowl.
Click to expand...

Clemson on the other hand isn’t a TE team. 5% of receptions on the nose.
www.espn.com

Clemson Tigers 2024 College Football Players Stats - ESPN

Get the full Players stats for the 2024 Clemson Tigers on ESPN. Includes team statistics for scoring, passing rushing and offense.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 


Final note: In 2019 Gophs had 10 TE receptions among 212 total receptions for 4.7%. Two of those receptions were in the Outback Bowl; eight regular season.
 


I'm still trying to figure out why if we have tight ends, why we don't also have loose ends. Just saying.
 




The TE discussion has made me curious about other teams. Can't find an easy source to copy, so I analyzed BIG TE by % of all passes use in 2019. I also added RB by % of all passes. Subtract these two %s from 100 to derive % WR passes. Teams are ranked by end of season standing (CBS 130 for teams outside top 25). Table is interesting, and in some parts shocking. Take aways: Gophers used WRs more than other BIG teams, sometimes way more--no surprise, we had the two best WRs and an accurate QB. Penn State really underutilized WRs. No wonder they wanted KC. NW and Rutgers had very sad years. This table does reveal our passing tendencies. Clear we don't use RBs out of backfield either. Not advocating it! Just an observation.
 

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Gophergrandpa said:
The TE discussion has made me curious about other teams. Can't find an easy source to copy, so I analyzed BIG TE by % of all passes use in 2019. I also added RB by % of all passes. Subtract these two %s from 100 to derive % WR passes. Teams are ranked by end of season standing (CBS 130 for teams outside top 25). Table is interesting, and in some parts shocking. Take aways: Gophers used WRs more than other BIG teams, sometimes way more--no surprise, we had the two best WRs and an accurate QB. Penn State really underutilized WRs. No wonder they wanted KC. NW and Rutgers had very sad years. This table does reveal our passing tendencies. Clear we don't use RBs out of backfield either. Not advocating it! Just an observation.
Click to expand...

Interesting numbers. Penn State’s QB struggles with accuracy down the field, so maybe that has something to do with the lack of targets to WRs. They usually have a huge talent advantage, so they dump a lot of passes off the the RB, hoping for a lot of YAC. Auburn is similar with their inaccurate QB. Both of those QBs have been coached to avoid throwing a bunch of interceptions (other than Penn State against the Gophers), and their play calling is very conservative.
 



GoldenNugz said:
Has KC told you this himself?
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I just posted a statistical analysis (below) of BIG team passing to TEs and RBs in 2019. As to the stats, I have to say that Spoofin is correct. What was in KC's head is another thing. We are a real outlier on TE and RB usage as passing. I'm not advocating anything anymore, I'm just sharing the stats.
 

Lessons from history: Hitler’s prideful RUTM into the teeth of Stalingrad‘s defense was classic Jerry-ball. To add insult to injury the deep corner route into the Caucuses was blanketed, and he mistakenly massed his numbers/kept his tight end and RB in to block (yet still failed to cover his quarterback’s flanks and rear against blitzing defenders). If he had only sent the tight end south or north on a shallow crossing route early on Putin may well have ended up driving a Mercedes taxi in Saint Petersburg.
 

Let's hope that under Sanders greater TE involvement is not at the expense of WR play. I will be happy with 15-10% TE involvement in key situations to make it difficult for opposing defenses.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Lessons from history: Hitler’s prideful RUTM into the teeth of Stalingrad‘s defense was classic Jerry-ball. To add insult to injury the deep corner route into the Caucuses was blanketed, and he mistakenly massed his numbers/kept his tight end and RB in to block (yet still failed to cover his quarterback’s flanks and rear against blitzing defenders). If he had only sent the tight end south or north on a shallow crossing route early on Putin may well have ended up driving a Mercedes taxi in Saint Petersburg.
Click to expand...

:poop:
 

Gophergrandpa said:
I just posted a statistical analysis (below) of BIG team passing to TEs and RBs in 2019. As to the stats, I have to say that Spoofin is correct. What was in KC's head is another thing. We are a real outlier on TE and RB usage as passing. I'm not advocating anything anymore, I'm just sharing the stats.
Click to expand...
You are trying to talk reason with a whack-job that has been banned on here 14-times in less than 6-months due to an unhealthy and pathetic obsession that makes him think he should keep coming back? Good luck with that.
 

PMWinSTP said:
This whole thread is a solution looking for a problem.
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Yep, we went 12-0 with 100% offensive efficiency.

Physically impossible to make any improvement to last year’s offense.

My favorite was the Wisconsin game last year, where we crushed them 42-0! Remember that game??
 

The Wisconsin game keeps coming up on this thread.

A respectful question for those who bring up the loss to the Badgers: does anyone here believe we could have (maybe even would have) won the Wisconsin game, if only we had thrown more passes to the tight ends?

The reason I ask is because the topic of this thread is the Gophers tight ends, and how they are utilized in the Gophers' passing offense. Therefore, if you're bringing up the loss to Wisconsin on this particular thread, is it because you're making some sort of connection?
 
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RememberMurray said:
The Wisconsin game keeps coming up on this thread.

A respectful question for those who bring up the loss to the Badgers: does anyone here believe we could have (maybe even would have) won the Wisconsin game, if only we had thrown more passes to the tight ends?

The reason I ask is because the topic of this thread is the Gophers tight ends, and how they are utilized in the Gophers' passing offense. Therefore, if you're bringing up the loss to Wisconsin on this particular thread, are you making some sort of connection?
Click to expand...

Perhaps not, but I don’t think throwing numerous deep passes in the wind and snow was a sound game plan either. Maybe a shorter, ball control passing game would have been better? I don’t know. What do you think?
 

PitinoFan said:
Perhaps not, but I don’t think throwing numerous deep passes in the wind and snow was a sound game plan either. Maybe a shorter, ball control passing game would have been better? I don’t know. What do you think?
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I have grave doubts that the tight ends would have been able to stem the tide and turn that game around, no matter how they were incorporated into the game plan.
 

RememberMurray said:
I have grave doubts that the tight ends would have been able to stem the tide and turn that game around, no matter how they were incorporated into the game plan.
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Maybe not, but as good as the offense was this year, there’s plenty of room for improvement. For example, they weren’t very good on first down, and they gave up way too many sacks. I’m sure the coaching staff will spend all off season trying to figure out how to fix that, rather than stick their heads in the sand, and pretend everything about the offense was great, because it wasn’t.
 

Spoofin said:
You are trying to talk reason with a whack-job that has been banned on here 14-times in less than 6-months due to an unhealthy and pathetic obsession that makes him think he should keep coming back? Good luck with that.
Click to expand...
Spoofin-
Failure is growth
F.A.M.I.L.Y—-Forget about me I Love you
Don’t be afraid to be a legend
Become elite with the HOWpher attitude
Attack today with a Nekton mentality
Change your best
Keep your oar in the water and ROW
Be better today then you were yesterday
 

RememberMurray said:
The Wisconsin game keeps coming up on this thread.

A respectful question for those who bring up the loss to the Badgers: does anyone here believe we could have (maybe even would have) won the Wisconsin game, if only we had thrown more passes to the tight ends?

The reason I ask is because the topic of this thread is the Gophers tight ends, and how they are utilized in the Gophers' passing offense. Therefore, if you're bringing up the loss to Wisconsin on this particular thread, is it because you're making some sort of connection?
Click to expand...

It’s not about TEs. It’s about offensive predictability. Great defenses that take some chances, betting on tendencies, often handle predictability pretty well. If you have a diverse offense (you need the talent, of course), you can counterpunch in ways that punish defenses which take chances. Last spring, PJ spoke with optimism of throwing to Rodney Smith and of what a player BSF could become. He envisioned a balanced offense. Turns out Johnson and Bateman were so dominant that we didn’t need balance to win almost all of our games. Maybe in 2020, if our top two WRs are unable to combine for over 2,500 receiving yards, it would be good to have some diversity in our passing game.
 
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hungan1 said:
Let's hope that under Sanders greater TE involvement is not at the expense of WR play. I will be happy with 15-10% TE involvement in key situations to make it difficult for opposing defenses.
Click to expand...

Yeah a smattering is good enough for me, and less so if we're having problems protecting Morgan.
 

John Galt said:
I wonder if Chicago Bulls fans in the 90s were clamoring for more shots by Luc Longley and their centers? I’m sure fans were upset because everyone knows having a more diversified offense helps and it would have been nice to get some higher percentage shots in the paint?

Or maybe the Patriots all these years should have been running the ball more in order to have a more balanced offense?
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Difference? Those Bulls teams and Patriots teams WON TITLES. Our Vikes in 98 did not, and our Gophs of 2019 also did not.
 


GoldenNugz said:
Spoofin-
Failure is growth
F.A.M.I.L.Y—-Forget about me I Love you
Don’t be afraid to be a legend
Become elite with the HOWpher attitude
Attack today with a Nekton mentality
Change your best
Keep your oar in the water and ROW
Be better today then you were yesterday
Click to expand...
Wow, maybe you should take some of your own advice and "Change your best" by engaging in actual conversations (i.e. not about spoofin) with members of the board who aren't Spoofin.

Seriously, this is the definition of sad.
 

hungan1 said:
Let's hope that under Sanders greater TE involvement is not at the expense of WR play. I will be happy with 15-10% TE involvement in key situations to make it difficult for opposing defenses.
Click to expand...

This. You can incorporate the TE more into the passing game without having a massive impact on your WR numbers. Haven't seen anyone advocating for tons of passes to the TE.

Will be interesting to see if Sanford/Simon expand the pass catching role of our TEs. Wouldn't shock me to see them become a more active part of the passing game.
 

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