Harbaugh presser: no offensive line changes this week
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
We'll see
September 3rd, 2018 at 3:06 PM ^
They shouldn't burn Mayfield's redshirt, period. The only way we'll ever get out of this vicious cycle is to stop burning freshman tackle redshirts completely and suffer the near-term consequences in exchange for having a pipeline of 5th year linemen down the road. What if we had 5th year Mason Cole this year?
September 3rd, 2018 at 3:30 PM ^
I don’t know, I think if you can get four years out of a guy that’s pretty good. If he’s the best option we’ve got, I think you play him. You’ve got three years beyond that to recruit his eventual replacement.
September 3rd, 2018 at 3:32 PM ^
I hear you in general, but I doubt Cole would've stayed. 3rd round pick with not enough physical upside to get picked higher.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
No idea if he plans to make a change or not, but I wouldn't expect him to publicly tip it off if so.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
The Harbaugh quote was quite cryptic. "The way we'll play" could be in reference to formations, line calls, etc., and not in reference to the actual lineup (especially, as UMBig implies, after the first quarter).
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:45 PM ^
I talked to several ND fans after the game. Very gracious in victory and wonderful people. But they also offered an interesting analysis. They didn't feel that the O line was inept, but they felt that they weren't being utilized to their strengths.
Which made sense in that the lot of these guys were recruited to run power, now they have a qb who is an RPO guy.
They believed we could be the program we all expect if we settle on a firm identity.
it made a lot of sense to me. And I wonder if Harbaugh gets that and that is what he meant.
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:06 PM ^
This is probably the best take I’ve heard since the game. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:37 PM ^
RPO isn't a blocking scheme though.
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^
I apologize for the confusion. The spirit of what I was trying to convey was that there is confusion regarding offensive identity. Do they want to do run pass option? Or do they want to run power and then work off of play action?
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:59 PM ^
Considering we didn’t run RPOs last season and the O-Line was still garbage, I’m not sure their analysis is accurate.
September 3rd, 2018 at 4:12 PM ^
This is exactly it. The question asked specifically about personnel & JH broadened out his answer and said “we’ll play the same WAY.”
Bottom line is he didn’t directly answer the personnel question at all. It was a totally understandable coach speak press conference answer.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
Is it really that hard to believe Hudson/Steuber/Mayfield simply aren't ready? How many times have we sworn up and down things can't be worse only for the person we're clamoring for to start and, lo, it's worse.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
They need to give those guys a chance this week because we arent winning shit with Runyan. Hopefully by the end of the season, one of those guys can be prettt bad vs a turnstile.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
In Runyan's defense, he was never considered a tackle prospect coming out of a HS. He was a C/G possibility and playing him at tackle is setting him up for failure. Especially putting him at left tackle. It is just an indictment of tackle recruiting while Harbaugh has been here. Losing both Hamilton and Wilson to late flips along with Grant's injury has been devastating to the program.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
Even better reason to get him out of there.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
and chuck filiaga
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
He's a guard now.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:52 PM ^
Yes, but obviously we have issues at tackle and we've moved other players from qb to te, defense to offense, etc. I doubt going back to his natural position that he would play any worse than JBB.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
What makes you think tackle is Filiaga's natural position? Given the tackle situation, if he could have played there, he'd still be there. There's more to playing tackle than being tall.
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
Position played in HD =/= natural position. Pretty much all OL recruits are tackles in high school.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:51 PM ^
He made the wrong decision with Ulizio last year. How hard is it to believe he made the wrong decision again this year?
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^
Wasn't Ulizio Greg Frey's decision? And after Jim Harbaugh moved away from both Ulizio and Frey is when the running game started working?
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
Did he? The RT position continued to be a tire fire all year.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:19 PM ^
You're right. Maybe things just are THAT bad.
Sad for year 4.
September 3rd, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
You have a point. Also, moving the pocket more on every pass play would negate this olines flaws and play to Patterson’s strengths (he throws dimes on the move) which automatically buys him time/no more blind side hits. The opposing Defense won’t know where the pocket will be each play throwing them off balanced as well
September 5th, 2018 at 10:04 AM ^
Exactly! I remember in '14 Gardner was playing so horribly that I was clamoring for Morris. No way he could be worse, right? Well, he was worse.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
Would any changes actually make the o-line better?
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Removing JBB and replacing him with pylon would help.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
JBB was fine. Runyan was the weak link by far.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
Idk about fine, but, not completely humiliated in pass pro 90% of the game, ok. But, probably still humiliated 60% of the time.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^
I'm not at all inferring that runyan has solidified his spot and he's all-american however I am saying they have one glaring huge issue at the current RT.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:49 PM ^
no way, watch it for yourself. clear as day. Runyan at least gets involved in every play. JBB standing around by himself is his one move the other move is to let his man go right by him.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
I watched the game 3 times now, not sure what you're seeing what you're seeing. We'll find out when the UFR comes out.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
The play before the long sack on the first drive saw JBB straight up ignore an outside rusher, leading to Patterson getting hit ~1.5 seconds after the snap. The sack on that 2nd and 2 play call saw him get beat cleanly by Hayes. Like, I don't think he even touched him.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:09 PM ^
he either stands around not engaged or if he is, he's usually the first to let his guy go after the qb. one play early on, he pulls with big mike, they both take on nobody but I'm going to assume JBB screwed big mike up on that play somehow. lol
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:16 PM ^
The first one was a line call issue. They should have slid the protection over when the blitzer showed. They didn't and JBB had to chose between the two guys lined up over him and the rules usually have OL blocking inside to outside so he correctly chose to block the interior man.
He does get clean once or twice, I'm not saying he was the second coming of Jake Long. I'm saying he improved greatly from year and looked adequate. Runyan on the other hand was a constant sore spot all game long, run and pass.
Edit: agree with poster below that the 2nd and 2 long sack wasn't in JBB. Shea scrambling back in response to Runyan losing his block immediately screwed up JBB's blocking angle. Escorting a speed rusher farther upfield is what he's supposed to do, there's no way for him to know Shea had put himself exactly where he was trying to take the DE.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^
On the PA: He didn't touch Hayes because Hayes didn't need to curl around upfield. By the time Hayes got to Shea, Shea was 10 yards behind the LOS. It's pretty clear watching the footage that JBB expected Shea to be further upfield.
The play itself was actually really well defended by ND. The intended target is Mason, with (edit: Mckeon -- Gentry was the second read and probably would have been open) clearing out defenders in front of him, but ND smoothly passes off coverage and Mason is covered. Higdon is effectively cut-blocking the outside man (Higdon's pass blocking, on rewatch, is a revelation). Shea pulls off of Mason and keeps backtracking, in part because Runyan has just been burnt crispy by his man and Shea is looking at a defender charging full throttle toward him up the middle of the field. Thus, Hayes can go deep and there's not much JBB can do.
Could JBB have been better? Probably, yes. But the development of the play left him in a tough position, and Runyan's failure is actually a lot worse when you watch it. 2:42 of the video if you're interested.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
He was?
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:14 PM ^
JBB fine ? Watch the replay ! Rb saved his ass many times . I was at the game and focused on him 3 plays in a row . Twice shae avoided the pass rush and once he got plastered as he threw it . Both tackles got waxed
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
The young guys aren't developing, Fire Warriner!!!
/s
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
So I guess this is an instance where Runyan gets to redeem himself against lesser competition. If he holds his own then continue with him. Otherwise Hudson/Mayfield in the second half?
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:35 PM ^
Hudson/Mayfield should get some significant game reps anyway, if nothing than at least for development.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
Careful, the way it's been since last season doesn't give me too much hope that this week will afford them game snaps......
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Well, shuffling chairs on the Titanic and all.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
3 weeks until the next tough game. 5 if you think Northwestern blah. Relax.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:03 PM ^
Northwestern beat Purdue and has a legitimately good front 7. Let's not overlook anyone here.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:07 PM ^
Just what we thought about Air Force and Cinci last year.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:18 PM ^
yeah that northwestern game is key. They need to bet a solid team on the road before they can even think about beating great teams on the Road. If they beat Northwestern ill give them a shot against Wisconsin. It could be worse Michigan couldve lost their opener like Miami
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
I think one of Harbaugh’s main problems right now as the team struggles (counting end of last yr) is that he is very stubborn.
He thinks his next play call will work, and to be honest a lot of times his teams are in a good spot to make a play. Seems like often over the last couple of seasons the team fails to make a big play when needed. At some point Gentry needs to make the catch in the endzone, the defender made a nice play but those are plays that need to be made at least half the time if you are gonna when a big game.
Harbaugh has coached his players and calls the plays and expects the plays to be executed. When the OT can’t pass block it’s almost as if his stubbornness gets in the way and he believes they will make the block next time instead of chipping and helping the tackles. After the continued struggles of the O-line I think his confidence has been affected and he can’t seem to admit to himself the plays don’t work as he expects them to.
I could be talking out of my ass but this is something that has crossed my mind a lot watching him the last 2 seasons.