Penn State Snowflakes: The Offense
November 11th, 2023 at 4:03 PM ^
Yep, it’s not sportsman like. More suspensions coming…
November 11th, 2023 at 6:39 PM ^
This game was a helluva job interview today. He had me tearing up also because I felt the passion. BET
November 11th, 2023 at 4:03 PM ^
“These fucking guys.” I get why Brian changed the banner to what he did, but I feel like he’s missing an opportunity.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
Pass the ball you cowards. Jk (somewhat) but the lack of balance was not good and cannot happen against OSU
November 11th, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^
Counterpoint: 2021.
But really, Sherrone coached that game like he was playing Iowa and the only way PSU could win was a Chop Robinson strip sack. Boring and a little frustrating, but objectively probably true.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:28 PM ^
I mean we were one big play away from a tie game. I’m fine with run-dominant. Run-exclusive including 3rd and longs is just stubborn.
November 11th, 2023 at 7:25 PM ^
They keep blitzing, we’ll keep running.
November 11th, 2023 at 9:54 PM ^
You’re assuming that big play only comes via PSU offense, it could also have come via PSU defense see, e.g., TCU pick sixes.
The hacks whining all season about no rushing game, setting QB runs to “off” and then get all rushing and rushing explosives including from the QB and are now whining about lack of passing and potentially getting QB hurt.
These fucking posters (the opposite of Sherrone’s these fucking guys!).
This game was over when we stoned them on the goal line and then went up 7-3.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
Double post, sigh
November 11th, 2023 at 3:42 PM ^
Not even close to objectively true. All it takes is one safety to slip for a TD. Moore is lucky that nonsense didn’t backfire.
November 11th, 2023 at 5:09 PM ^
We also doubled the spread. Sure it's possible we win by a bigger margin throwing, also possible we get an unlucky interception. Better to increase the floor and probability of a win than maximize the average margin of victory.
November 11th, 2023 at 5:34 PM ^
Luck had nothing to do with it
November 11th, 2023 at 5:50 PM ^
And all it takes is one missed tackle and The Don is in the end zone...we can do this all day...
All it takes.....
November 11th, 2023 at 3:46 PM ^
True but UM's pass protection wasn't very good. The lack of pass protection kind of forced them to run a lot.
November 11th, 2023 at 4:26 PM ^
We passed the ball more in the second half vs OSU and Washington in 2021 than we did today.
In fact, even 2010 Wisconsin passed the ball vs Rich Rod in the 2nd half.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
Things that have been hammered on and on again during our near 3 season run of being the second best team in the NCAA.
OOC schedule is boring
Play calling is boring
Lack of passing is boring
The results? 2-0 vs OSU, 3-0 vs PSU, Have gone almost 3 straight seasons without a big ten loss, and two playoffs.
Denard was fun, Rich Rod was exciting. Embrace the bore!
November 11th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
Eh, I've been watching this stuff for nearly 40 years and the exact same complaints were constantly leveled at Bo and Lloyd.
November 11th, 2023 at 6:09 PM ^
The tackles, particularly Barnhart, got pretty abused. I love running it down someone's throat as much as the next guy, but having to gameplan over such a glaring weakness is going to be rough if that's not just a one game blip.
November 12th, 2023 at 1:36 AM ^
It absolutely can happen against OSU if it generates a win. Did you see JJ McCarthy after the game? Did he look like a player who was upset he didn’t get more pass attempts?
That was a statement win: “You said we only won because we knew what play was coming. Here’s what play is coming. Try to stop us.” And they couldn’t, and it was glorious.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
On the one hand…what the fuck?
But on the other, Sherrone Moore just said “my team is so fucking good, I literally don’t even need to throw the ball, and I’ll still double the spread.”
Let’s just go with that.
November 11th, 2023 at 5:05 PM ^
I think we were trolling Manny Diaz with that play calling in the second half.
November 11th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^
Let me show you how little signs or telegraphing plays matters - we’re playing the entire 2nd 1/2 with no receivers…and still dominating
November 11th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
Welp, ppl complained about the lack of run game. Wish granted.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
Eh...not exactly. It worked. But it worked because the D was really great (aided by the fact that Allar is just not accurate).
M had only 4 first down in the 2nd half, with three of them on one drive. Did we get ahead of the chains on even one first down in the 2nd half? Maybe on one or two. Overall, that is not the way we really want to roll.
It was enough. But...mixing even some short quick passes would have probably resulted in at least 100 more yards of offense (yards on the pass plays themselves, plus more yards on other plays as drives would have lasted longer).
November 11th, 2023 at 4:00 PM ^
Michigan had at least two pass calls in the half wiped out by a penalty and a time out respectively.
On a granular basis would it have been nice to incorporate some passing? Maybe. But the worst thing that can happen is a big mistake, and a protection breakdown is the easiest route PSU had to accomplishing that. Remember that the one time it looked like they were in the OSU game was a TO returned for a score that was wiped out by a penalty.
Are there other ways to address a pass rush besides just running constantly? Yes, but the OC and OL coach, already double-tasked, also just found out that he’s acting as head coach. Last night. He’s got a lot on his plate, and the suspension of Coach Harbaugh negatively affected the staff’s ability to adjust to the strength of PSU’s defense, on the road, with the snap count reaction advantage that brings.
They played to win the game and they won it. Cleanly.
I give them an A.
November 11th, 2023 at 10:03 PM ^
Win the game.
Everything else is couch potato wisdom.
November 11th, 2023 at 10:02 PM ^
Exactly. Live reps against the 1s of an elite defense. Now they will fear the run.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
Real emotion from Coach Moore- tough game to have to coach at the last minute. We can complain about play calling but it’s a win- a really hard win. Nice job Coach Moore and Coach Minter.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
We just squatted on the ball for the entirety of the second half because we knew that Penn State had nothing offensively.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:42 PM ^
I upvoted you, but Franklin did them no favors. Down by 8, 4:25 to go and he goes for it on 4th and 6, at their own 30.
One play later, PSU is down by 15. All time Franklin.
November 11th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^
But Frames was likely part of our calculation
November 11th, 2023 at 4:38 PM ^
Counting on Franklin to do something stupid in the 4th quarter should be part of the game plan.
edit: I should have reloaded before posting. Given what we all know about Frames, it’s not surprising that my post was redundant!
November 11th, 2023 at 4:39 PM ^
Franklin's dumbest call of the game. What a dunce. He suffers from Harbaugh in his head.
November 11th, 2023 at 4:47 PM ^
Franklin is a stunningly poor game manager. Fergodsakes, after all these losses to UM-OSU, why won't he just accept he needs to get his ass up into a skybox and let someone else manage the game?
One of the things I admire about JH and all good coaches is a willingness to self-reflect and make changes. He realized OSU was a pro team, so he brought in NFL defensive minds. Calling all the plays was taking away from his ability to CEO - so he adapted. That's good coaching.
Franklin does a lot of things well - but his game management is amazingly bad. Why the F do you go for 2 in either situation they did today? Michigan has a phenomenal short yardage defense, and THERE WAS NO NEED FOR IT in either case.
Idiocy.
November 11th, 2023 at 7:23 PM ^
"Don't forget about me!!!"
M Cristobal, Coral Gables, Fla.
November 12th, 2023 at 1:41 AM ^
The second two-point conversion attempt was correct. It was an awful play call, and it was only necessitated by his panicked first-half decision, but the decision itself was correct.
People need to stop calling 8 points a “one-possession game,” because two-point conversions are statistically worse than a coin flip. So, if you’re down 8, there’s a 40% chance it’s a one-possession game and a 60% chance it’s a two possession game, but you don’t know which. Therefore, when you score a touchdown to go down 9, it is absolutely the correct play to go for two so you know: is this a one-possession game or not? That is critical information.
James Franklin is a terrible, terrible in-game football coach, but he got that one call correct.
November 11th, 2023 at 10:06 PM ^
Are you sure you didn’t mean Ryan (just for men; snitches get stitches) Day…?
November 12th, 2023 at 7:37 AM ^
Klatt was savaging him on the broadcast for that, even before they snapped the ball. In his typically prescient way he said "this puts the game on this play" before the PSU snap on 4th down. 2 plays later, Michigan has a 15 point lead with 4 minutes left.
November 11th, 2023 at 5:37 PM ^
Franklin really is the worst in-game coach in recent memory, especially among top-tier teams.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
Go Blue.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
I didn't know it was legal to put that many offensive linemen on the field for that many plays.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:10 AM ^
Announcers mentioned how Jones checked in as a TE, so I’m fairly certain another non Tight End checked in as a tight end at the same time. Regardless, it was more condensed beef than a wagyu steak on top of a T Bone, smothered in hamburger helper.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
I always said play football like it’s 1930. Bring back the leather helmets.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:58 PM ^
BC looked like he really was wearing leather with no face mask!
November 11th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
helmets? who needs helmets?
November 11th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
Damn, I was sweating, but I'll take it!
November 11th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
Can we incorporate the forward pass next week?
November 11th, 2023 at 3:28 PM ^
Moore will tell you what we’re fucking incorporating.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:58 PM ^
Why? Seriously, who cares? We won.
Running it down their throats is a virtue, not a vice.
As I (vaguely) recall, I was at the last M game at the stadium that was not televised. It was against Long Beach State in 1987 and we killed them 49-0. Kickoff was at 1 PM. It was over in a bit after 3. Students were drunk and back in the dorms before the cafeterias opened at 4
Here's a hoot of an article about it. The best is the quote from their nose guard, "“They don’t hit you that hard, but they’re so big they just get in your way like a wall of humanity,”
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-27-sp-10553-story.html
November 11th, 2023 at 4:55 PM ^
Yeah, but we didn't "run it down their throats." We had 14 points, total, except for a field goal from a fumble and that late TD off a bizarre fourth and six attempt.
We all get that we won, and we all agree that that's all that matters, but ... that was a weird, weird game plan, and I don't understand it. You can't tell me we couldn't have made it a bit easier on ourselves. (And, by the way, a bit easier on our running backs, with a defense not able to run downhill at them every play).
But yeah, we won, and that's awesome. But I, personally, don't think that "we'll only throw it if we start losing" is a smart game plan.