Tanner "The Game Manager" Morgan

Donate To GopherHole
hello-world said:
Our entire run game is zone reads...
Click to expand...

RPO.

Kill/Claeys teams ran the read option with Leidner, et al. This staff runs the run/pass option... with the run being the running back, not the QB....
 
Last edited:

Vandy said:
RPO.

Kill/Claeys teams ran the read option with Leidner, et al. This staff runs the run/pass option... with the run being the running back, not the QB....
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I don't have a recording of the end of today's game, so here are 11 zone reads from less than 10 minutes of highlights from this year:

1 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/JEciz_sHeCI?t=107
2 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/380IiOusBwA?t=14
3 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/380IiOusBwA?t=40
4 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/380IiOusBwA?t=73
5 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=2
6 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=21
7 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=63
8 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=75
9 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/m-DRwOTNWro?t=35
10 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/m-DRwOTNWro?t=76
11 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/m-DRwOTNWro?t=135

We run a ton of zone read, and at the end of the game today. Morgan should have held the ball on a few of them.
RPO plays and a zone running scheme are not mutually exclusive, zone reads can be used to setup the RPO and vice versa.

Zone reads are a huge part of the Gophers running game and Morgan was struggling with them today.

Where Tanner made poor reads toward the end of today's game:
3rd 0:50
4th 14:30
4th 3:59 (Linebacker crashed down)
4th 3:10 (This one was iffy)
4th 2:57 (Even did it twice here because they took a penalty)

Most of these could have gone for 4-5 yards. If Minnesota manages to get up on a Penn State or Wisconsin then there is no room to make the wrong read on those plays.
 
Last edited:

hello-world said:
Unfortunately, I don't have a recording of the end of today's game, so here are 11 zone reads from less than 10 minutes of highlights from this year:
Click to expand...

It's not a zone read if your QB is coached to give it to the RB every time. Then it's just an inside zone. That is what I believe is happening. I think they want to save the QB "keeps" on the zone read for big downs - 3rd and short, red zone, 2 pt conversion, etc. It doesn't cost much to act like you're running a zone read, and it sets up the surprise QB keep out of a zone read in those important situations. If Morgan kept it 5 times a game he would be getting hit at least 5 more times a game and that is simply not affordable until Annexstad is back on the depth chart.
 

matt said:
It's not a zone read if your QB is coached to give it to the RB every time. Then it's just an inside zone. That is what I believe is happening. I think they want to save the QB "keeps" on the zone read for big downs - 3rd and short, red zone, 2 pt conversion, etc. It doesn't cost much to act like you're running a zone read, and it sets up the surprise QB keep out of a zone read in those important situations. If Morgan kept it 5 times a game he would be getting hit at least 5 more times a game and that is simply not affordable until Annexstad is back on the depth chart.
Click to expand...

I agree with this take. Makes sense to try and limit the number of times Morgan gets hit in a game. Save the QB keep for a big situation down the line when the defense won't see it coming.
 



hello-world said:
Unfortunately, I don't have a recording of the end of today's game, so here are 11 zone reads from less than 10 minutes of highlights from this year:

1 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/JEciz_sHeCI?t=107
2 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/380IiOusBwA?t=14
3 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/380IiOusBwA?t=40
4 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/380IiOusBwA?t=73
5 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=2
6 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=21
7 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=63
8 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/mI4dQoNJlvg?t=75
9 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/m-DRwOTNWro?t=35
10 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/m-DRwOTNWro?t=76
11 - Zone read: https://youtu.be/m-DRwOTNWro?t=135

We run a ton of zone read, and at the end of the game today. Morgan should have held the ball on a few of them.
RPO plays and a zone running scheme are not mutually exclusive, zone reads can be used to setup the RPO and vice versa.

Zone reads are a huge part of the Gophers running game and Morgan was struggling with them today.

Where Tanner made poor reads toward the end of today's game:
3rd 0:50
4th 14:30
4th 3:59 (Linebacker crashed down)
4th 3:10 (This one was iffy)
4th 2:57 (Even did it twice here because they took a penalty)

Most of these could have gone for 4-5 yards. If Minnesota manages to get up on a Penn State or Wisconsin then there is no room to make the wrong read on those plays.
Click to expand...

Ok, ok... I didn't mean to make you go back to the tape, but point taken.
 

I'm way old and have been watching Gopher football since the 1960s and Morgan compares well to the best we've had at the QB position. Lots of different offensive schemes over that period, so direct comparisons are difficult. Morgan plays well within the system. The "game manager" tag goes back to guys like Bart Starr and is viewed as a left-handed compliment for a guy for whom many believe their success is largely contingent on the talent around him. As Morgan has shown at several junctures this year, he can make plays that require a little more than handing off or tossing a ball up for grabs and having an all-world receiver make a spectacular play. Fleck has done a good job of assembling weapons for the passing game, but Morgan is integral to making it all work.
 

It was something to watch, glad it was not tainted by a giveaway loss.
 

matt said:
It's not a zone read if your QB is coached to give it to the RB every time. Then it's just an inside zone. That is what I believe is happening. I think they want to save the QB "keeps" on the zone read for big downs - 3rd and short, red zone, 2 pt conversion, etc. It doesn't cost much to act like you're running a zone read, and it sets up the surprise QB keep out of a zone read in those important situations. If Morgan kept it 5 times a game he would be getting hit at least 5 more times a game and that is simply not affordable until Annexstad is back on the depth chart.
Click to expand...

Morgan is absolutely reading multiple inside zones per game. It was a lot more obvious yesterday than in the non-con that he was staring down the edge player and holding the mesh point much longer in order to read it. He might be told to limit his carries, but he's absolutely being asked to make reads. As hello-world pointed out, there's room for all 3 of these things in a college offense:

1) Zone read
2) RPO
3) Inside zone that looks like zone read but is really being called keep or give from the sideline
 



Some Day...Maybe said:
I’ve never seen a QB stat line that good. Has anyone else? That high a percentage, with those yards, those TD’s, and no turnovers.

WOW!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Mentioned in another thread that for me nothing had ever come close to 1998 Drew Brees against us - 31/36, 522 yards, 6 TD. Morgan's performance on Saturday is right up there with that one.

The best part of all this is that Morgan is only a redshirt sophomore and has just 10 games of starting experience under his belt. Should still be room for growth and improvement as he gets more and more game experience. He rarely forces the ball somewhere he shouldn't or tosses up the 50/50 balls.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Annexstad when he is fully recovered but as of right now it would take something pretty remarkable for anyone to unseat Morgan with the way he has played since taking over part way though last season.

If things continue on the same trajectory over the remainder of his career here we will most likely be talking about him as one of the greatest QBs ever for the Gophers.
 

MGGopher said:
Morgan is absolutely reading multiple inside zones per game. It was a lot more obvious yesterday than in the non-con that he was staring down the edge player and holding the mesh point much longer in order to read it. He might be told to limit his carries, but he's absolutely being asked to make reads. As hello-world pointed out, there's room for all 3 of these things in a college offense:

1) Zone read
2) RPO
3) Inside zone that looks like zone read but is really being called keep or give from the sideline
Click to expand...

Sorry, not buying it. If he is in fact reading the edge player, that's him doing a good job of selling that there's a chance he'll keep it. They ran multiple zone reads (despite the fact that it has never been a significant part of the Ciarrocca offense), and yet he didn't keep it even once? Ok, sounds totally plausible.

And you are right, there is definitely room for all three of those types of plays in an offense. The problem with the theory is that a zone read is rarely if ever called in this offense.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Sorry, not buying it. If he is in fact reading the edge player, that's him doing a good job of selling that there's a chance he'll keep it. They ran multiple zone reads (despite the fact that it has never been a significant part of the Ciarrocca offense), and yet he didn't keep it even once? Ok, sounds totally plausible.

And you are right, there is definitely room for all three of those types of plays in an offense. <b>The problem with the theory is that a zone read is rarely if ever called in this offense.</b>
Click to expand...

I love it. I thought you were above pivots like this. Almost too good to be true.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

MGGopher said:
Morgan is absolutely reading multiple inside zones per game. It was a lot more obvious yesterday than in the non-con that he was staring down the edge player and holding the mesh point much longer in order to read it. He might be told to limit his carries, but he's absolutely being asked to make reads. As hello-world pointed out, there's room for all 3 of these things in a college offense:

1) Zone read
2) RPO
3) Inside zone that looks like zone read but is really being called keep or give from the sideline
Click to expand...

You are, of course, right. We do run some Zone read plays. I linked an article quoting KC last week on the topic. Some still like to feel smarter and explain RPO as if we can’t do both.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




dpodoll68 said:
No, I don't mean the part about being a contrarian and criticizing Morgan's reads. I meant the part about how the read option is such a "core part" of our offense and how Morgan needs to get better at running it. <b>We've run a read option maybe 10 times combined in the 2-plus years Fleck's coaching staff has been here.</b>
Click to expand...

Is this the same as “we never have and never will”, or “hey mods, can we get a sticky on RPO to this site”, or “why do I have to explain it 85 times”? How about to “an OC being kind to a confused reporter.”

You constantly point out when any other poster is wrong, but fail to admit when you are. It is a personal flaw, tbh.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

dpodoll68 said:
Sorry, not buying it. If he is in fact reading the edge player, that's him doing a good job of selling that there's a chance he'll keep it. They ran multiple zone reads (despite the fact that it has never been a significant part of the Ciarrocca offense), and yet he didn't keep it even once? Ok, sounds totally plausible.

And you are right, there is definitely room for all three of those types of plays in an offense. The problem with the theory is that a zone read is rarely if ever called in this offense.
Click to expand...

Since Fleck got to Minnesota, our entire offense has been built on the read-option. What team are you watching?
Do you not remember Demry Croft? Half of our offensive production when he was on the field was off of the read-option.

Do you know what color the Gophers wear? I'm not sure if you've been watching the right team for the last 5 years.
 
Last edited:

hello-world said:
Since Fleck got to Minnesota, our entire offense has been built on the read-option. What team are you watching?
Do you not remember Demry Croft? Half of our offensive production when he was on the field was off of the read-option.

Do you know what color the Gophers wear? I'm not sure if you've been watching the right team for the last 5 years.
Click to expand...

Here in the real world, I'm wondering what offense you're watching. In 4 games this year, Tanner Morgan has 27 rushing attempts. But in the NCAA, sacks count as rushing attempts, and he has been sacked 15 times - so, in actuality, he has rushed the ball 12 times in 4 games, a whopping average of 3 times per game. Probably 10 or 11 of those 12 were a result of him scrambling. So, he has run the ball once (or maybe twice) this season on plays where he had the option to run. Our "entire offense," you say? You seem to be laboring under the false impression that "mesh point" = "read option."
 

So we are done hoping that Morgan loses the starting job, right? I understand why the backup quarterback is the most popular guy on a losing team, but Morgan has been winning since he got the job.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom