McElwain on playcalling: I just try to stay out of the way"
Nick BaumgardnerVerified account @nickbaumgardner
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McElwain asked how involved he’s been in the play calling process: ‘I just try to stay out of the way and coach our guys."
Interesting given all the speculation on who's involved.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
Yikes. He's really throwing the other coaches to the sharks on this one...
September 5th, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^
Love it
September 5th, 2018 at 2:04 PM ^
This guy is a supercreep. I finished my PhD at UF while he was pottering around there, and formed a very poor opinion of him. It's been another unhappy sign for me about Harbaugh's ability to read people. This is a really creepy and unfortunate comment. Likely he's gone by next year, but
September 5th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
So what is your poor opinion based on? The fact he walked around the campus while you were there? He might be a weird dude, but that doesn't mean he's bad at his job.
September 5th, 2018 at 4:48 PM ^
Do an internet search. I live in Gainesville and he sucks at his job. The crap he pulled at UF damaged that program. He pulled scholarships without telling players, chased Will Grier out of town, and was not well liked by anyone on staff or campus.
September 5th, 2018 at 5:50 PM ^
I did do an internet search. You acted like you had some inside knowledge due to being at UF. Almost every coach in America pulls scholarships; Harbaugh famously has done so a couple of times. Grier may have been driven off, but he was also suspended a year for being caught with PEDs and then seemingly lying about it. So it's not like he didn't cause some of the pain he experienced. And "he was not liked by anyone" again seems to be radio blather as much as anything. I'm sure some poeple didn't like him, but my guess is part of that is because he lost a bunch of games.
Again, I don't particularly care either way about him, but I was legitimately interested in some knowledge you had.
September 6th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^
You guys have very short memories. Google back two minutes further and see how he got fired.
September 5th, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^
Are you talking about the walk-on scholarship thing? It didn't sound like he did anything wrong there.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
What speculation? It's a Harbaugh/Pep offense and a Don Brown defense.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:50 PM ^
Not entirely accurate. It's JH this year. Sure, there is some input from the staff, but he is calling the shots.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
How is our approach different from last season? Or would you say he was calling the shots last year too?
September 5th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
It's not entirely clear. Last year, Harbaugh called the play, but took suggestions from Pep and Drevno (and maybe others?), but from Internet rumor Harbaugh did actually make the decision.
If Harbaugh is making the decision this year, maybe he's not asking Pep or Warriner (McElwain has said he's not asked)? That's my guess based on rumor and what UMBig11 is saying.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^
Any chance you can ask our playcaller then how on earth he ever expected this play to work? I'm still baffled at running PA, at the goal line, and sending both backs out into the pattern.
In what universe was this suppose to work?
— Daily Sports Video (@BlockMVideo) September 3, 2018
September 5th, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
Ah, see, I found your problem there.
What's supposed to happen is the line should actually block, and then...nope, I don't get it. But the line really does need to block.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
What do you mean by sending both backs out into the pattern?
and not much will work with blocking that terrible
September 5th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
I had the same question. Fullback runs a route and halfback blocks someone on the left side... at least that's what I saw.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:37 PM ^
Pretty easy actually, Mckeon fires out straight and tries to "accidentally" pick Mason's guy and Patterson hits Mason for a 3 yd TD. The problem with the play is that Patterson held the ball. It's a 1 read play. Throw it away!
September 5th, 2018 at 1:42 PM ^
Yeah, I don't understand what Shea is doing here. At 0:05 in the clip he's got to get rid of the ball. Instead, he steps up right into the arms of the defenders.
I agree that it's a questionable playcall though. Just run it there.
September 5th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
I wouldn't fault a QB for stepping into the pocket when there is pressure coming around the edge. That's what you are supposed to do. Even if Runyan just blocks below average here Shea could of turned this bad play call into something. But wow...Runyan really got beat there.
September 5th, 2018 at 4:11 PM ^
At least Runyan slowed his guy down. Look at JBB on the other side, it seems so easy for the rusher.
September 5th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
On the goal line, where everything is compressed, you usually don’t have time to move around too much in the pocket. Just get rid of it and live to play another down.
September 6th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
True, but QBs run for scores all the time in the red zone on pass plays. Running QBs have been doing it to us for years. And when you step up into the pocket usually if you take the sack its only for a few yards.
September 5th, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
and give ND credit, even without our poor stunt pick up, they had this covered real well.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
i watched that play ten times, the only possible play that had a chance would have been a fade to dpj. but he just stood there. and youre right no reason to run playaction on the 2 yard line. i am very confused.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
There's a very brief window where he can hit Mason, possibly for a score.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
What makes matters worse on that call, look at DPJ at the bottom of the screen, he is just standing there looking for a quick hit, yet its a play action that takes forever to develop. In what universe would DPJ be getting a quick throw?
September 5th, 2018 at 2:00 PM ^
Not intended for him. He knew where it was going. He wasn't in the play.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:59 PM ^
It works if McKeon doesn't allow his guy to ride him to the sidelines or Mason turns his head after the chip. If either things work as designed that is a catch for six. Patterson should have then sailed it and the tackles should actually not get blown by on a passing play.
September 5th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
I don’t understand why Harbaugh runs PA ever. The line can’t block so why give the QB less time for the shitty play to develop? Harbaugh needs to get over this NFL shit because it doesn’t work with his players.
September 5th, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
I could be wrong, certainly not an expert, but I think that's just a real poorly run variation of this...
September 5th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
It worked in the universe of Stanford, where as others have echo'd, had a solid o-line.
Knowing what we know about our o-line however...
September 5th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
Lucky for you I made a whole twitter thread on that LINK
I didn’t like pass on 2nd and G from the 2, but I’m going to explain why this is an easy thing to hate in hindsight but is actually far from a terrible call (thread) https://t.co/3K10Oes6Zz
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 3, 2018
September 5th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
His show and his job on the line so his call. As long as he's got dedicated coaches (upstairs and next to him) watching the clocks at all times and in constant communication, pushing him to relay calls as quickly as possible, etc and doing the best they can to constantly monitor the little things - bc head coaches calling games can get messy if everyone's not on top of it.
I prefer dedicated coordinators calling the shots but I'll be rooting for jim to pull it off. He knows football and certainly knows what he wantsbso well see
September 5th, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^
Yea and he sucks at it
September 5th, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^
you've said this multiple times in different ways. makes me think what you're not saying is that pep has been relieved of play calling duties.
your insistence that harbaugh is calling the shots on offensive game planning and play calling concerns me..with pep, warinner, mcelwain on the staff, all with pretty good past experience, there's nobody around who is in a better position to call plays during the game than JH?
Even if Pep, JM, EW aren't the offensive coordinator, surely they could call plays from a previously-agreed-upon game plan stamped by harbaugh. why does harbaugh want to call plays?
September 6th, 2018 at 8:40 AM ^
Pep, warriner and Mac have all sucked at calling plays at past stops... Shit, Ed was one of the coaches responsible for squandering one of the best teams in modern college football history in 2015. They ran him out of town after that. And Pep?? Did you see some of his Cleveland offenses?
September 5th, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^
Well I gotta say his 1st and goal from the 5 yd line should have been 4 straight runs to higdon instead of the pass play on 2nd goal from 3 which killed a chance at a TD. JH play calling since jedd fisch left has been bad, minus osu last year where okorn lost that game
September 5th, 2018 at 12:41 PM ^
I think what he actually said was "I just try to keep it out of the shark I mean keep out of the way"
September 5th, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
I mean, it would be quite unusual for a WR coach to be calling plays when there is a passing game coordinator. So what did he expect to get out of this question?
September 5th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
Using coach speak to actively distance himself from the atrocious play calling. I like your style Mac.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:47 PM ^
I honestly didn't think the playcalling was that bad overall. We just could not block at all, which is a bit of a problem.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
I think it’s pretty obvious that he reads MGoBlog and wants to make sure we all know he has nothing to do with the play calling.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:46 PM ^
Well given our less than stellar results on Saturday maybe he should get in the way if he can.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:50 PM ^
Given how his offenses performed at Florida, perhaps not.
September 6th, 2018 at 3:33 AM ^
Uh, I think that might've been more about Nussmeier being dogshit.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
Again, McElwain needs to be promoted to full-time OC, and promote Roundtree to his first full-time WR coach gig.
Get Jim out of the playcalling altogether, and get his hands-on needs satiated by being the true QB coach regardless of who gets to actually be called that.
The QB-Coach-in-name-only could even be Jay, allowing us to get a real RB coach.
And Pep would be... oh wait, no other positions open for Pep. Rats.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:49 PM ^
Promoted to OC? Did you happen to watch his offenses at Florida?
September 5th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
Right--he did horrible as OC at Alabama for 4 years from '08-'11 ... we would hate to have those offenses.
September 5th, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^
You must be on the same selective memory medications urban liar takes if you just want to ignore the shit show offenses he produced 2015 - 217.
September 5th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
I would have agreed with you before UM hired Greg Nussmeier. Now I don't know what to think of coordinators that come out of Alabama. Are they brilliant football minds or just gifted with remarkable players?