Strack: Can PJ Fleck Change His Best?

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Bob_Loblaw said:
Yeah, I like Athan more as a threat to run and an ability to evade the rush more than I like him as someone we actually design running plays around.
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I agree. I don't want to see them try to turn him into Rickey Foggie.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Yeah, I like Athan more as a threat to run and an ability to evade the rush more than I like him as someone we actually design running plays around.
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This has to happen, or he will get banged up if he tries to run like a running back bowling over opponents.
 


Panthadad2 said:
Michigan has a 62% run / 38% pass mix this year. Minnesota had a similar 63% / 37% mix in 2019. Fleck's very good 2016 Western Michigan team had the same. I believe this is Fleck's preferred mix if the talent allows. That said, I thought he relied way too much on Mo this year in many situations which hurt the passing game and the offense in general. Unbelievably, I believe the passing game talent might exceed the running game next year, so it will be fun to see how it plays out.
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It's actually a bigger difference than that.

Michigan - 62% run / 38% pass
Minnesota: 67% run / 33% pass

As others have pointed out, Michigan was also winning (by a lot) in all of their games.
 


Bob_Loblaw said:
It's actually a bigger difference than that.

Michigan - 62% run / 38% pass
Minnesota: 67% run / 33% pass

As others have pointed out, Michigan was also winning (by a lot) in all of their games.
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560 run attempts and 323 passing attempts in 2019 according to ESPN stats. That's 63%/37%.
 

PMWinSTP said:
The key difference in the Wisc game was at QB. The receivers are fine.
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The key difference in the Wisc game was at coach. Playing to win, rather than not to lose.

Ler's hope PJ has indeed changed his best.
 

PMWinSTP said:
The QB threat to run adds a wrinkle no doubt, but as I mentioned in other he also has great pocket presence and uses his mobility to buy time. He also will stand in there under pressure and make the throw.
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He also can complete throws over the middle better than Morgan since he is taller. Should be less batted balls.
 

GoldenUMNGopher said:
Im not arguing for either direction, BUT those percentages can be deceiving. For example, if a team passes early in the game and is blowing the opponent out they will more than likely in the second half be running the ball a majority of the time to close out the game. Would be interesting to have a little more context to those percentages when you do a comparison.

If you look at the Michigan games they won pretty handily in a lot of them.
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Michigan threw for 248 and 3 TDs against OSU
 



Panthadad2 said:
Michigan has a 62% run / 38% pass mix this year. Minnesota had a similar 63% / 37% mix in 2019. Fleck's very good 2016 Western Michigan team had the same. I believe this is Fleck's preferred mix if the talent allows. That said, I thought he relied way too much on Mo this year in many situations which hurt the passing game and the offense in general. Unbelievably, I believe the passing game talent might exceed the running game next year, so it will be fun to see how it plays out.
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First, it doesn't matter how many passes your throw, it's now many completions you achieve and how many yards those completions gain you. The threat of passing is often as valuable as the pass itself. If you can sustain drives and score often enough at the end of them, a 2 to 1 rush to pass ratio seems about right. I think many who yen for more passing are as interested in the entertainment of the game as the outcome.

Your point is a good one. Michigan could win the national title with the same ratio as critics of Gopher football find objectionable.
 


grumpy old man post:

one of the phrases that I have grown to detest is

"let XXXX cook."

What - you want to see him on the Food Network with Guy Fieri?
 

RememberMurray said:
You're right. Kaliakmanis' running ability should be utilized, although I hope they don't over-do it. We want him healthy, not all banged-up.

The throwing ability is very impressive. Lots of zip, and a quick release. I hope the staff has an offseason program to help him, specifically with accuracy. He put some throws right on the money, but he was off target on others. A bullet throw that is high or behind the receiver can lead to tipped balls and INTs, because the ball is on top of the intended target so quickly he has less time to adjust.
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The idea is to get the ball to the target so quickly the defense has less time to adjust.
 



FanSinceTheFifties said:
First, it doesn't matter how many passes your throw, it's now many completions you achieve and how many yards those completions gain you. The threat of passing is often as valuable as the pass itself. If you can sustain drives and score often enough at the end of them, a 2 to 1 rush to pass ratio seems about right. I think many who yen for more passing are as interested in the entertainment of the game as the outcome.

Your point is a good one. Michigan could win the national title with the same ratio as critics of Gopher football find objectionable.
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Nobody found the Gopher 2019 offense objectionable.
 

Dakota2 said:
The idea is to get the ball to the target so quickly the defense has less time to adjust.
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Yes — Kaliakmanis' rare, undeniable arm talent produces increased velocity upon the oblate spheroid, commonly known as the football.

This increased velocity, while highly desirable overall, also brings into play an increased need for accuracy. Here's why:
You astutely pointed out that the opponent has less time to adjust to the ball's flight when it is arriving at Kaliakmanis-level velocity, but so too does the intended receiver have less time to react to any ball that is, say, just a little high, or ever-so-slightly behind him.

These slightly inaccurate throws at high velocity can result in tipped passes, which generally produce undesirable results from the offense's point of view.

Therefore, it would be highly desirable to make increased accuracy a goal of Athan's offseason training regimen. Kaliakmanis' 52% completion rate this season would also be an indicator that this is an area that could use some special attention.
 

RememberMurray said:
Yes — Kaliakmanis' rare, undeniable arm talent produces increased velocity upon the oblate spheroid, commonly known as the football.

This increased velocity, while highly desirable overall, also brings into play an increased need for accuracy. Here's why:
You astutely pointed out that the opponent has less time to adjust to the ball's flight when it is arriving at Kaliakmanis-level velocity, but so too does the intended receiver have less time to react to any ball that is, say, just a little high, or ever-so-slightly behind him.

These slightly inaccurate throws at high velocity can result in tipped passes, which generally produce undesirable results from the offense's point of view.

Therefore, it would be highly desirable to make increased accuracy a goal of Athan's offseason training regimen. Kaliakmanis' 52% completion rate this season would also be an indicator that this is an area that could use some special attention.
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Or he could develop some touch on his throws. Not everything needs to be gunned.
 

mngolf said:
Or he could develop some touch on his throws. Not everything needs to be gunned.
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Or both... work on touch and on accuracy.

Again, his 52% completion rate would indicate that he could benefit from working on hitting spots better.

That first TD, to Jackson, was a bullet — which it needed to be, with a fairly tight window — and he put it right on the money. He has the ability to be accurate; it just needs further development. More consistency.
 

FanSinceTheFifties said:
First, it doesn't matter how many passes your throw, it's now many completions you achieve and how many yards those completions gain you. The threat of passing is often as valuable as the pass itself. If you can sustain drives and score often enough at the end of them, a 2 to 1 rush to pass ratio seems about right. I think many who yen for more passing are as interested in the entertainment of the game as the outcome.

Your point is a good one. Michigan could win the national title with the same ratio as critics of Gopher football find objectionable.
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I do think people get caught up in the percentages. The key is having both the run game and pass game be a viable threat. There have been too many games over the past 3 seasons now where it felt like our only option was the run game.

Need to get back to the 2019 balance where we could both run and pass effectively.

The MSU game this year was probably the best example of the kind of balance I think we would all be thrilled with. Rushed for 240, threw for 268 and roughly a 2 to 1 run/pass ratio in terms of plays (48 rush, 26 pass).
 

MNVCGUY said:
I do think people get caught up in the percentages. The key is having both the run game and pass game be a viable threat. There have been too many games over the past 3 seasons now where it felt like our only option was the run game.

Need to get back to the 2019 balance where we could both run and pass effectively.

The MSU game this year was probably the best example of the kind of balance I think we would all be thrilled with. Rushed for 240, threw for 268 and roughly a 2 to 1 run/pass ratio in terms of plays (48 rush, 26 pass).
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This is the best post I've seen on this topic. The two bolded statements are so true!

It isn't about run/pass ratio; it's about being able to effectively and efficiently run and pass.

We accomplished that in 2019, but have not been able to do so consistently since then.
 

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