300 yards from a UM QB?
Focusing on stat-nerd stuff vs. embarrassing 6th-year, home loss to in-state rival’s 1st-year coach, but how many 300-yard passing games have we seen at UM under Harbaugh? He came in as a hyped QB coach, but was this maybe the first 300-yard performance we’ve seen (50+ attempts noted)?
I’ve been a fan since the mid-70s, and 300-yard days are historically rare because of conservative tendencies, but they’ve been realllly rare lately, no? I guess I could dig through the Google somewhere, but some fans here may know off-hand... have we seen a few in the Harbaugh-era? This seems like the first. But I may be totally wrong. Or not.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:18 AM ^
Couldn’t wait, hit the Google, seems Shea had a few, Wilton and Jake too. Few and far between, but they pop up. Nothing to write home about... I do pine for the days when UM was sorta “QB U” and/or “RB U” or any sort of elite anything. But I’m getting old, don’t mind me.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:30 AM ^
Okay, more details, 10x total in the Harbaugh-era. Five in ‘15 and ‘16. Zero in ‘17 and ‘18. Four last year. And today.
Hope you enjoyed me talking to myself and now you know that 300-yards is a bit of an eyebrow raise. But maybe not quite as high as I’d thought. Maybe. Go Blue.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:34 AM ^
I just want to know why we have such a hard time getting passes deep. Even if it's just to put a scare in the defense or draw a PI. Or just to let me see how far Big Joe can chuck it. That all seems more worthwhile than slamming it between the guard and center with 10 defenders in the box. I don't think Milton was a big part of the problem today. I thought the neutered offensive approach was.
That said, I also know the Milton interceptions are probably coming, and possibly coming in bunches. He throws into tight windows and throws with a flight path and speed that a finger tip deflection or bounce off the chest plate could send it 30 feet into the air. However, if I have to lose I'd rather lose with 4 Milton INTs than with 20 wasted snaps on run plays that never had a chance.
November 1st, 2020 at 9:16 AM ^
We don’t have the deep threat guys who can beat DBs clean or go up and overpower guys for the 50/50 calls. Pretty simple answer. In years past, we didn’t have a QB capable of making that throw except for Speight.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:46 AM ^
According to my research, Joe Milton against MSU was the eighth time it has happened in the Jim Harbaugh Era.
- 2015: Jake Rudock (2), 440 @ Indiana, 337 vs. Rutgers
- 2016: Wilton Speight (2), 362 vs. Maryland, 312 vs. UCF
- 2017: 0
- 2018: 0
- 2019: Shea Patterson (3), 384 vs. MSU, 366 @ Indiana, 305 vs. Ohio State
- 2020: Milton (1), 300 vs. MSU
November 1st, 2020 at 2:18 AM ^
Yes, Milton was not the problem today. It's his second start, ladies and gents, and he threw for 300 yards and ran for close to 60. He's not polished, but has the physical tools to get better, as the game slows for him and he makes better reads.
The cornersbacks looked atrocious, Don Brown made no noticeable adjustments, and the play calling was very bad.
I believe we all know where the fault lies here. Coaching.
November 1st, 2020 at 4:10 AM ^
On Twitter, Space Coyote talked about how the Gattis RPO offense relies on threatening the edges as "blocks". But they basically refused to threaten the edge even though State was focused on shutting down the RB game up the middle. Seemed it would have been a great time to run the arc package, but I guess they didn't wanna run Milton for some damn reason. I still haven't been able to watch the game yet, but it seemed there were lots of 3rd and longs. You're not gonna be successful often in those situations. Also, Urban said WRs couldn't get separation.
November 1st, 2020 at 4:56 AM ^
It’s crazy to me... Corum literally out ran MSU’s edge defenders on that TD and the coaches refused to go back to it. Like come on. It’s not rocket science.
November 1st, 2020 at 6:43 AM ^
Terrible game plan by the entire coaching staff but ESPECIALLY BROWN! He needs to be shown the door. Also, we know how much the opponent gets fired up for this game and our guys were emotionless.....that also falls on the coaching staff.
November 1st, 2020 at 8:41 AM ^
The only reason we were able to keep that game close is because we converted a fuckton of 3rd and longs. I wish I had counted because it was really an amazing job by Milton on a lot of those plays.
November 1st, 2020 at 6:40 AM ^
Another 50 were wasted by drops.
November 1st, 2020 at 9:22 AM ^
Stat I saw on reddit:
Jim Harbaugh started 19-3 (.863) at Michigan. He's 29-16 (.644) since.
This is not where we need to be.
November 1st, 2020 at 9:51 AM ^
Damn. I just ran the numbers myself cause this didn't seem right but it 100% is.
What happened to the guy we hired???
November 1st, 2020 at 10:05 AM ^
He’s a winner with Hokes talent
November 1st, 2020 at 10:40 AM ^
If you throw 51 times, I better hope he throws for 300 yards but it was not a good performance since it's less than 6 ypa. Good QBs averaged more than that in a game. I thought MSU put out a great gameplan against Michigan and baited Milton into throwing to their coverage which he did but he got away since his arm is so strong and MSU lacked the athletes to pull it off.