Josh Gattis expounds at length on the Michigan offense
In the latest episode of Jon Jansen's "In the Trenches," Jansen interviews Josh Gattis, who expounds at length on the Michigan offense heading into next year.
Isaiah Hole has helpfully transcribed most of it for WolverinesWire. Some excerpts:
I think we had a season that was full of everything you could imagine! Highs, lows, mixed emotions there. But the thing that you saw with our kids is they never got too down, never got too high. The thing that we’ve gotta maintain and the thing we’ve gotta preach this offseason this spring is consistency. Because there were times that we played at extreme high levels and there was times that we hurt ourselves rather than other teams hurting us. If we can carry that consistency and add to that to build confidence, that’s gonna lead to a growing group.
His thoughts on how to improve on the results against Ohio State and Alabama:
I think one of the things you saw towards the end of the season, we played, I would argue, two of the top four teams in the country the last two games. We played them competitively for 90 minutes out of 120 and you really need full games.
The things that stood out in those two games was the skill. And that’s an area we have to develop. Games are gonna be won by our skill players, and they understand that and they know the challenge. No offense, the days of just depending on the line – which, we developed there. We were much better by the end of the year than we were at the beginning of the season. But you need skill to take over games. And you need that from your quarterbacks, you need that from your running backs, you need that from your receivers. And that was an area at the end of the year where we just didn’t capitalize and make the plays that needed necessary to be able to win those two games.
When you look at the receiver position, there was some big time opportunities that we missed in those last two games that could have been difference makers in the games. It’s gonna be refreshing this spring. Just to be able to get Nico Collins out there for a full spring. He’s a guy – when you look at our skill players, everyone except for Ronnie Bell didn’t even participate in spring ball last year. Nico Collins was out all spring. Donovan Peoples-Jones was out. Our running backs, all of our running backs playing at the end of the year, they didn’t even participate in spring ball. That’s exciting now to get those guys out here for all the valuable time that they were missing. And it’s not just affecting them – it affects the quarterbacks. The quarterbacks get rhythm and confidence in those guys, well if they’re not out there in spring ball practicing, how are they gonna be able to develop that confidence?
February 20th, 2020 at 11:39 AM ^
I just saw something while scrolling through Twitter about him graduating this spring and then Maryland fans were responding...I knew there were a bunch of transfers announced already didn’t remember him specifically
February 20th, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
hey major props for asking and not just creating a thread about it, brother. it's tough to keep track of all these guys changing teams, especially when they're not starters/major contributors. Just assume if it was new news that it would already be on the board.
February 20th, 2020 at 11:13 AM ^
I'm glad to hear Gattis say that our QB, RB, and WR play isn't good enough. At least he's willing to say it out loud and in public.
February 20th, 2020 at 2:52 PM ^
I only read the OP's selected bits, but this sounds like Gattis' subtle way of saying Shea wasn't good enough, which I think we can all agree on.
Now I wonder how long McCaffrey would have held the job if he didn't immediately get himself decapitated against Wisconsin
February 20th, 2020 at 11:13 AM ^
I don't think it's very complicated. Play the best and hardest working QB. Not the one who has the best golf swing.
February 20th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
What if the best QB and the hardest working QB are two different people? That's both more complicated and happens pretty often.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
If Shea was clearly the better QB then we have more problems then what is being led on.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:18 PM ^
I'm not sure if you're purposely playing dumb so you can get a snarky comment in or if my point really went that far over your head.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:42 PM ^
Your comment wasn't that witty and I highly doubt it went over anybody's head. The response is simply illustrating the fact that the best and hardest working QB are not always the same.
Also, I love how you put in the golf comment to take a not so subtle shot at Shea. If his hobby was playing video games would it make you feel better? Or would him chasing tail at Rick's / Skeeps make you feel worse? Shea's or any other players hobbies are irrelevant -- if the coaches feel like they are the best player at their position and give the team the best chance to win, they should play...PERIOD.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
Fair enough. I'll take a timeout for a day.
But seriously, guy below said it much better. I think Harbaugh guaranteed Shea a starting job and as many humans would do in that scenario, his work ethic (apparently) slacked off. Hot take? Maybe. But it seems to connect the dots.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:50 PM ^
Maybe we should question their judgment on who are the best players and who isn't.
Example: Glasgow playing DT against Wisky is bad judgment.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:57 PM ^
re: Shea and golf, his hobby was only relevant when our OC brought it up in the offseason, and then he proceeded to underperform for the first half of the season. Was that mostly injury-related? perhaps. Or maybe it was something else. We'll never know.
QB is a very difficult position to play in the best of circumstances, and Shea's transition to another OC was not the best of circumstances, but implicit in Gattis' comments was the possibility that he could have been working a bit harder. Would it have mattered? We'll never know.
Also to be fair to Brutus, there have been rumblings since the season ended that perhaps Shea wasn't the hardest working QB in the room and that a degree of preference was paid to him that might not have fit within the "meritocracy" framework. Are those rumblings true? Dunno. But it's fair to say Shea didn't ultimately achieve elite QB status. It is it fair to speculate as to why? Maybe not, but people will do it.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:51 PM ^
Then you play the best one.
The idea is to win games, not reward players for hard work.
February 20th, 2020 at 2:16 PM ^
Yeah, it's not that simple. At all. Culture is a real thing, and if you aren't careful, playing a talented player who has clearly been outworked by a less talented player can have a dramatic effect on your team's cohesiveness and work ethic. This is particularly important if the team is dissatisfied with talented player's contribution.
February 20th, 2020 at 8:46 PM ^
Huh?
Anyway, in Michigan's case, they didn't play the hardest working QB. They played the one promised the starting job to get him to transfer here.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:36 PM ^
Or don't tell a 5* transfer if he comes here he'll start.
February 20th, 2020 at 5:04 PM ^
What makes it complicated is that the best QB we had was playing for Illinois last season. Need to figure out how THAT happens.
And, before the minions show up to insist the BP was not the best, here's the #1 thing I judge in a QB, and BTW so does the NFL. How does he respond to rush pressure coming in on him? Watch Peters playing behind an Oline that couldn't be called competent and watch how he managed it. Ruddock was the next best we've had at doing that. Hence his brief stint in the league.
An NFL scout see's a college QB pull the "turn his back and duck and try to spin clear of the rush before anyone has laid a mit on him" and he says out loud. No thanks. NEXT!!
Shea did that at least 25 times this season. But the guy we sent packing would stand in there and throw a pass. Fuck me if we don't address what, systemically, let that situation happen. We will be fucked for a LONG time to come.
February 20th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Need to recruit better skill. Get nico some 50/50 balls. Put mike and Giles in space. Let the RBs do their thing
February 20th, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
Need to recruit better skill.
I agree. We definitely need better skill players than the #1 WR in the country in order to have good play.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:04 PM ^
Exactly. Michigan has been hauling in some great skill players. Harbaugh has just criminally underutilized them.
We need to recruit better QB's, CB's and DL.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:04 PM ^
It'll be interesting to see what happens with Dylan and Joe this year. Shea was 2 year transfer who survived two different OCs and offensive systems. Peters left and seems to have been good but not great. So we will finally get to see what baking for several years in the Harbaugh oven will do for a QB. Whoever ends up starting and/or playing the most next year will be the truest test of this staff's ability to develop a QB. You can give them a pass on "missing" on Peters, but one of Dylan or Joe should be damn good if this staff knows what it's doing. An upperclassman, year two of the system, - one of these guys should be able to show out this year. If not, i'll be far more concerned about future than I have been.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:20 PM ^
This season will tell us everything we need to know about Harbaugh, the offense and the QB play. If this team is anything like last year's team, this program will never get over the hump. At least not as long as Harbaugh is running the show. 6 years should be plenty of time.
I'm sure the Harbaugh apologist are already creating their new excuse for the failures.
February 20th, 2020 at 10:19 PM ^
I'm sure the Harbaugh apologist are already creating their new excuse for the failures.
Oh goodness. Bite me. I shouldn't post after a martini but come on. 10 freakin wins in 3/5 seasons. Some great wins too, not all fluff. And this after 7 years of cratering and our culture getting wrecked. Enjoy being chronically disappointed with pretty much every team you decide to follow.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:58 PM ^
Yes - we need a dozen top 100 skill position recruits, not one.
In the 2020 class OSU is bringing in the #1, #5, #10, and #16 receivers. All four are ranked in the top 100 in the country overall.
All four are ranked ahead of Michigan's #1 receiver recruit.
2019 Michigan had one top 100 skill position player (Charbonnet). OSU had two, plus Justin Fields.
2018? OSU: 2, Michigan: 0
February 20th, 2020 at 1:13 PM ^
No, he definitely solved it. Recruit some 4 star reciever. Claim him to be the best in the NCAA (he’s not.) and then we can finally win something big!
February 20th, 2020 at 1:21 PM ^
Now go do one for Clemson and every other team that ended up in the top 10. Michigan under performs relative to the players that we get.
Sure we'd be better with a class of 27 top 100 players, but we'd still be worse than one would expect based on that level of talent. At some point you just need to win a game you're not supposed to.
February 22nd, 2020 at 1:50 AM ^
The lions drafted the #1, #5, #10, and #16 receivers over a couple years. Unfortunately they didnt have top 5 offensive minds coaching back to back.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:11 PM ^
Oh shit you solved it man. Just recruit the best receiver and nothing else and then the success will follow. We won’t be keep putting up 9-10 win seasons. We won’t get our teeth kicked in by anyone with a pulse anymore. You should be a head coach! Fucking idiot
February 20th, 2020 at 1:16 PM ^
Fuck you, asshole.
Here's a rough breakdown of our talent last year.
WR: DPJ (5 star), Niko (high 4 star), Black (4 star)
QB: Shea (5 star), DMC (high 4 star)
RB: Probably our worst skill position. ZC (high 4 star, though freshman), a bunch of guys.
Yeah, it's the talent that's the problem.
To reiterate my point fuck you, asshole.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:51 PM ^
Nico*. Dumbass
February 20th, 2020 at 2:14 PM ^
annnnnnnd scene!
{clap, clap, clap} Well done to you both, JPC and Chipper1221. You really channeled the rage of an online message board poster. I could feel the hate seething from you both. Excellent work! I really believed it.
Now let's hug it out and try again, this time with a more understated dislike for one another and mild curiosity for each other's point of view.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
FOOSBALL!
February 20th, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
There will be a year two leap in this offense that gets talked about all year as a "shock" or "surprise" development. The media won't see it coming and will use it as a story all season: "With a new QB and a revamped OL, nobody saw this coming."
Year two is a huge year for any college football system. Our offense started humming late last season and will pick-up where it left off, but with better skill players. I would be more surprised if we ended up outside the top 20 than if we ended-up in the top ten. And, if we can hold onto Gattis, it will continue to improve in 2021.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:52 PM ^
Maaan I hope you're right, but I feel like we've been waiting "next year we'll have a top tier OL!" or "in 2 years the recruiting class will be lights out!" or whatever the "next" thing is since 2006 maybe?
February 20th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
I hear you. But when was the last time Michigan had an OC who was on the cutting edge of CFB offensive strategy? The closest we've had is the RichRod years, and there were obviously some other serious issues there. This is the first time we've had a competent HC with an OC who is on the right side of innovation in my lifetime.
February 20th, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
So very tired of reading garbage like this. Harbaugh is a dud and his football teams will continue to underperform as long as he is coaching at Michigan. He’s been coaching the Wolverines for 5 years and has exactly zero wins as an underdog. Let that one sink in. Jimmy’s a dud.
February 20th, 2020 at 12:59 PM ^
The full article is worth the read. From a couple of the comments Gattis makes about the offense and QB's last year it sure sounds like lack of leadership on offense may have been a bigger issue than one may have thought.
I find it amazing in five years Harbaugh has yet to have a season where the talent, leadership and luck all come together.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:27 PM ^
I'm not sure how anyone could watch that team last year, look at who left to the NFL, and NOT think something's wrong.
February 20th, 2020 at 1:44 PM ^
Didn't Michigan have eleven players get invites to the NFL Combine? Only LSU (16) had more players. Hell, OSU had 11.
How can that be? How does a team go 9-4 and accomplish nothing get eleven players invited to the Combine? Something doesn't make sense here.
What am I missing here?
February 20th, 2020 at 1:51 PM ^
Apparently you missed everything the two posters you responded to typed
February 20th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
Naw, I clearly understood what they said. I added additional facts to the age-old question: What the hell is Harbaugh doing?
February 20th, 2020 at 2:17 PM ^
You'll like MNU much better when all his posts read:
*** Troll Content Removed ***
February 20th, 2020 at 2:00 PM ^
Michigan is a basketball recruiting school.
February 20th, 2020 at 2:43 PM ^
How is it that so many folks here are all-knowing football geniuses? All I see are repeats of various criticisms that pundits and sportswriters have already stated.
Michigan’s D-line was not stellar in 2019 for a variety of reasons. By the second half of the last two games, they looked gassed. And when the D-line isn’t stopping plays, the rest of the defense is more likely to get tired.
Tempo or not, the offensive plays weren’t working all that well against OSU and Alabama. Show me the data that says tempo would have helped the 2019 team when they’re dropping passes, missing open receivers, working with freshmen running backs, etc.
Consider the possibility that a tired defense was the reason that OSU and Alabama were scoring at will in the second half of the last two games, and because of that, Harbaugh had to keep the D off the field as long as possible.
In other words, maybe decisions about tempo were made to try and do something, anything, to help that defense catch its breath.
Ever since the end of the Carr era, Michigan hasn’t been able to recruit well in Ohio, and high school football in Michigan has been in decline for a long time. Added to that, we have to compete with MSU for Michigan talent, and our academic standards are stricter than OSU or Alabama. So we can’t take certain players.
Harbaugh could be the greatest coach ever, or not, but when he hasn’t got a loaded deck, it’s harder to win games against teams who do. In any case, much of the criticism leveled at Harbaugh fails to take lots of other factors into account.
You’ve now seen four coaches who’ve had very little success against OSU since the beginning of the Tressel era: Carr, Rich Rod, Hoke and Harbaugh. And you’ve seen a lot of coordinators come and go There’s more to it than the coaches.
There seems to be a combination of negative factors at work, and that’s a fact that doesn’t make for hot takes that are particularly meaningful.
February 20th, 2020 at 9:21 PM ^
Username... suffices?
February 20th, 2020 at 2:44 PM ^
" The quarterbacks get rhythm and confidence in those guys, well if they’re out on the Golf Course working on the swing, how are they gonna be able to develop that confidence? "
Edit
February 20th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Brand new O Line, breaking in a new QB, less a few weapons on offense. Considering we were loaded in 2019 and the offense got worse, I think Gattis has his work cut out for him this season.
February 20th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
You’re a fucking moron, and we’re all a little bit dumber for having to read your troll-ass posts.
February 21st, 2020 at 8:51 AM ^
You might think I'm also a "troll", cool. But what did he say that is wrong? Go back and look at this message board from last summer. Every post was geared toward everyone saying "we are stacked, who is going to stop us?" You now lost a bunch of the guys that you were basing those comments off of, and the poster pointed it out. I mean you are literally banking on the team getting better through attrition? Take a look back in history, that rarely pans out.