The Double Pass
With the respect for the Michigan tradition that Brady Hoke has, the creativity that Al Borges has, and the throwback jerseys already being worn twice(!!) this season...there is no better way to incorporate all of these things then by bringing out the lloydbook and running the good old Double Pass play.
We probably have the best personnel to run this play then we've ever had before. Two very fast quarterbacks who cause defenses to get worried when both on the field at the same time (a la Woodson). The throw could turn into a disaster, yes, but in the right situation it could be fun (and 7).
Before you paste your 'cool story bro' images in a post, recognize that this post is: (a) Not about the MSU game or the after effects and suspensions (b) Not about a QB change (c) Has a video (unless embed derp) that might bring back some good memories
Credit to WolverineHistorian for the video
October 18th, 2011 at 12:34 AM ^
It would have been a little hard to run this past week with all the wind!
October 18th, 2011 at 12:41 AM ^
i would love to see this play for nostalgia's sake, but i disagree with your thinking about the perfect personnel being denard and devin on the field at the same time. These plays worked because no one was expecting a throw back. With both our quarterbacks on the field the other team would be looking for something like this and would be watching them both like a hawk. It would work better if only one of them was on the field, unless the first thrower went downfield instead of staying at the line of scrimmage where he could be accounted for more easily.
Also I like how in the Henson version of it they say "probably a planned play!" as if it could have been some kind of improvisation...
October 18th, 2011 at 12:52 AM ^
I think it would work with Devin and Denard. Take Denard's speed and Devin's arm, you have a very good combiniation that I beleive even if expected could work well. I mean look at Denard, everyone expects him to run and he's still able to have 200 yard rushing games.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:55 AM ^
I agree and disagree. If you come out in a diamond WR formation with Denard behind 3 WRs, the defense is going to be so worried about getting to Denard that they are going to flock to him. A couple of screen passes to him for 10 yards and the defense won't even be looking at Devin anymore. The other thing about that type of formation is that you can put Hemingway on the other side of the field and probably get 1-on-1 with him. A pump fake to Denard should be enough to take the safety down a step and leave the deep field open for him. Better yet, two backwards passes to really pull the safeties in and a bomb to Hemingway. There are a lot of things you could do with it.
October 18th, 2011 at 9:12 AM ^
I'm not a big fan of having someone throw deep after a lateral. That's becoming a predictable play and frequently does not fool a defense (as we saw in the EMU game).
October 18th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^
You just have to execute it correctly to sell it. Once EMU's guy caught the ball, he didn't act like he was going to run at all. It made it pretty easy to diagnose. Compare that with how Vincent Smith sold the run on his passing play (granted, it was against Minnesota) and you can see the difference. Throwing to Denard has the benefit that everyone already thinks he's going to run, so if he takes a stop like he's going to and then throws it, it will cause the defense to bit hard. Like I said, if you set it up with a single pass a few times first, then the double pass won't get sniffed out as quickly.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:57 AM ^
He's pretty good catching that pass and doing something with it, which would probably keep defenses honing in on him after he catches it, he can throw and if he gets it back to an open Denard... I think we can assume that's 7.
The only problem is, I think Denard is too much of a threat to be lunaccounted for any time on the field, regardless of the circumstance, so it might never actually work that great with him. But if they did the thing like they did in the Brady/Henson one, where Denard fakes an injury to get Devin in, who gets the double pass back from V. Smith, I could see that working very well, depending on how well opposing teams know Devin's capabilties.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:11 AM ^
I also think Denard would excel as a decoy on a play like this. Have a receiver on one side and then you have Denard and two other receivers on the other side, you're more than likely going to be able to draw single coverage on that one receiver.
October 18th, 2011 at 4:08 AM ^
These types plays only work if the defense gives it to them. Screens, throwbacks, reverses only work if the offensive coordinator sees an overcompensation somewhere.
October 18th, 2011 at 4:08 AM ^
These types plays only work if the defense gives it to them. Screens, throwbacks, reverses only work if the offensive coordinator sees an overcompensation somewhere.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:55 AM ^
While i agree that we have great personnel for the play, I'd rather see us, ya know, master the basics of pass-blocking and run-blocking before we breakout the trickeration. Call me cynical, but that MSU game tape will give us enough to worry about before trick plays enter the mix. Sorry if I just crushed the mood in here.
Sidenote: props for the original thought, tho.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:58 AM ^
that MSU did this to us back in the 08 season. It worked for them too. Trick plays are great and all but I would like to see an offense that can beat the opponent just by having a more talented and determined group out on the field.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:02 AM ^
miss Keith Jackson.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:20 AM ^
Everybody misses Keith Jackson. If any football fan who ever heard him didn't miss him, I would suggest checking for a pulse.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:20 AM ^
At least he sets his feet when he throws. I still like Denard and want him to do well, but I wish he would think less when passing. Feet set then I throw; feet not set then I don't throw. I feel D Rob costs us more games than he wins, but we are at the point of no return. He runs like hell on shitty teams and sucks at decision making when playing athletes. Could we beat EMU, SDSU, WMU with Gardner? Yes. Just thinking out loud here in depression.
October 18th, 2011 at 9:04 AM ^
This is not even a post about Denard as a qb. Please stop. As to your statement that Denard has lost us more games than he has won, the ND fanbase disagrees. If you are talking about the most recent MSU loss, you might want to distribute the blame to the oline, the terrible routes taken by our WRs and the lack of production from our RBs. Sure Denard played poorly but to pin the loss on him is insane.
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October 18th, 2011 at 7:36 PM ^
He cost us the game period. Notre Dame was luck. Lay off the kool aid.
October 18th, 2011 at 7:36 PM ^
He cost us the game period. Notre Dame was luck. Lay off the kool aid.
October 18th, 2011 at 7:26 AM ^
everyone taped the last one in slow-motion.
October 18th, 2011 at 8:52 AM ^
If you told me Carr had run this play 4 times, I would have thought you were lying without seeing the video. Its cool seeing all the big offensive lineman out running in space.
While it worked great in the 4 plays in the video, were there also times where it went afoul?
I do agree that it was probably more of a surprise with the Carr style offense than it would be today.
October 18th, 2011 at 9:02 AM ^
In the '97 Outback bowl, Woodson threw it to Griese, who promptly slipped and fell for no gain.
October 18th, 2011 at 9:01 AM ^
What I am looking forward to out of that package is a play action Denard Sweep and hit him down the sideline with a wheel route.
October 18th, 2011 at 9:17 AM ^
I'd like to see that used regularly with both Denard and Devin throwing passes out of it, like teams used to do in the Tom Harmon days when the QB didn't necessarily throw more passes than a back did. That is, of course, much easier for me to say than it is to implement.
October 18th, 2011 at 9:43 AM ^
How about Vincent Smith just pulls up on his sweep right and bombs it to Dileo in the endzone?
October 18th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
I think you're on to something there.
October 18th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
They aren't throwbacks. They're corporate-created "legacy" uniforms.
The OP shows us why fans aren't coaches. Nostalgia has no place in play-calling.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
Maximizing talent has a place in play-calling.
Our offensive identity should be its unpredictability and versatility until we have manball personnel and an accurate quarterback. What looks like a gimmicky trick play is really a call that will keep defenses honest and planning around more than one individual.
Whatever spreads the field and punishes defenses for putting eight in the box is relevant.