Michigan is thinking of using Dan Villari in a Taysom Hill type role
If it brings wins, everyone will like it. If we don’t win, no one will care how innovative it is.
At this point for Harbaugh, winning is all that matters, everything else is just noise. (EDIT: Said from a fans prospective, not Harbaughs... though he probably thinks the same too)
April 29th, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
"At this point for the fans, winning is all that matters, everything else is just noise."
FTFY
April 29th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
Is this anything like they used Dylan McCaffrey, or Jabril Peppers, Hassan Haskins, or.... The next time I see some innovation on offense will be the first time since the whole offense came out of the huddle in a straight line.
April 29th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
Well there was that one time when Jake Butt lined up on the sideline and the refs went to the trouble of making up a new rule to penalize Michigan's brilliant strategy. Intent to deceive? C'mon, what's that? If that call is real then fake handoffs shouldn't be allowed.
April 29th, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^
I always thought that was interesting, and certainly there is a line where it gets ridiculous, but yeah, play action, hard counts, the entirety of the option offense -- all based on deception.
April 29th, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
Harbaugh will not make it past the Monday after the Ohio state game. I’m going to just enjoy this season and pray for upsets but we will have a new head coach by January 2022
April 29th, 2021 at 12:47 PM ^
I really appreciate the certainty with which you speak. Please let us in on those “sure thing” stock tips.
Go away....
I hate the idea of using him like Taysom. First, he isn't close to the athlete that Taysom is. Secondly, you take away a huge amount of plays that the defense has to account for. They know it will be a gimicky play (which almost never work when the defense knows its coming). I already feel like we give too many "tells" to the opposing defense with our running game. If Corum is in you know he more than likely isn't running up the middle, etc.
Think it is a tad soon to say Corum can't run between the tackles, his highlight recruiting video had quite a few good inside runs. Not the tallest guy obviously but has a stocky kind of build in the lower half.
I don't know how you inferred from my post that Corum can't run between the tackles. I am saying that the plays that they call for him when he is in the backfield seem to lean much heavier towards the edges. Similarly, when Haskins is in, his runs seem to be more between the tackles / power and less running to the edges.
April 30th, 2021 at 10:33 PM ^
Do you really think he's going to play a lot?
And until the last couple of years, Taysom Hill got most of his names on special teams.
I don't see your concern. It's not like he's going to be on the field 35-40% of the time on offense.
Great. More 3rd and long wildcat.
Unfortunately that was correct since that play was so badly misused with Peppers and rolled out at odd spots with Haskins.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
but perfectly executed with TEs carrying the ball for the first time in their careers (ducks and hides)
April 29th, 2021 at 10:33 AM ^
Had we not wildcatted against MSU with Haskins we would have won that game
Neither of whom was a QB, which changes the calculus somewhat.
Double click =double post!
April 29th, 2021 at 10:04 AM ^
The idea of 2 QBs warrants 2 DDs
April 29th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
I've always liked Double D's
(Just sayin')
Hey now!
April 29th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
Double downer.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:00 AM ^
Anytime 2 UM QBs are in the game, everyone knows what's happening next. There is zero surprise value. There is little success. 2 UM QBs gives the opponent the equivalent advantage of 12th man. And, it's a faster way to injure the QB room. Cream 2 QBs in one down.
It usually works for the Saints because
- Taysom is a QB but also viable runner with good vision and decent speed
- the Saints had a generational QB1 and also Alvin Kamara
- Payton is an offensive genius
- Taysom is built like a tank/fullback
Now substitute Dan Villari for every time I said "Taysom," Harbaugh for Payton, McNamara for QB1 and Hassan Haskins for Kamara. Or actually, don't...
April 29th, 2021 at 10:47 AM ^
We’ve been terrible at those. Haskins in the wildcat? Peppers in the wildcat? Eddie McDoom on the field? Hmmmm whats gonna happen???? I don’t know how the coaches don’t realize how badly they telegraph this stuff
The LongIslandCat package. Dan might have thrown the game winner to Selzer last year against State, who knows.
Long Island Iced V
Cool.
He's going full Mignery!
April 29th, 2021 at 11:29 AM ^
You should NEVER go full mignery!
I don't watch the NFL. Can someone explain what a "Taysom Hill role" mean?
Basically what Peppers was in 2016, except with a slightly greater chance of throwing the ball.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
Yep. This is pretty much it, which brings up a good point.. The only chance this has of being remotely effective is if Villari can demonstrate - on game film - he could be deployed in ways outside of a HB pass.
What makes Hill dynamic for a few plays a game is that he can also split out wide and catch the ball downfield. He can take handoffs, and screen passes. And occasionally, he will throw the ball as well.
If the plan is to plug Villari into the "Pepcat" and occupy the same role, I don't see how that will not fail miserably. If Villari can do some of the things Taysom Hill can do, then it could be a nice wrinkle to have. It would definitely require some more ingenuity than we've seen from previous Harbaugh/Gattis offenses, so lets hope we see that.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:26 AM ^
Soooooooo maybe he can operate like a HB?
The commentary over this film of Villari is just hilarious BTW.
April 29th, 2021 at 11:25 AM ^
That commentary is great. Kinda want him to win the starting job now.
New York high school commentary > New York high school football. I think that might literally have been Tommy Pickles at corner.
Still, though, it at least seems plausible that Villari could do some useful dual-threat stuff.
That is some seriously funny commentary!
April 29th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
Wait, I saw them do this in the Spring Game....nvm.
Basically a WR with a threat to throw or take snaps under center
Tim Tebow at Florida, basically. A guy who can run it like a 1970s FB and then throw it serviceably enough to be "dual threat." If they had more scholarship QBs it sounds like he'd be a TE in the vein of Reimersma or Gentry.
If Cade or JJ becomes a Drew Brees, then cool, but can they perfect the regular QB position, first? I'd love to see them just have one damn QB that they can count on for an entire game without an in-game desire to put in the backup.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:24 AM ^
He's kinda the epitome of gadget player. He's a college QB who in the NFL basically can and does line up at every position on the offense besides OL. QB, RB, FB, TE, WR, he takes periodic snaps at all those positions and is used as a decoy, blocker, runner, thrower, receiver. You really don't know what he's going to do when he's on the field
April 29th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
It means coaches' favorite and fans' worst nightmare. Then throw in a $40M contract.
I'm thinking about making some eggs here in a minute.
I predict both my eggs and this zany new offensive scheme will have equal impact on our win/loss record this year.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:34 AM ^
I thought we had eggs playing in the defensive secondary last season. They're the ones that got fried.
I'll show myself out ...
April 29th, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^
Disagree.
Unless there's something you're not telling us there is no chance in hell the team will squander your poached eggs on critical 3rd down pass plays, unlike what this Vilari package will likely do.
April 29th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
I'd like some eggs right now.
I'd prefer a Tom Brady type role.
There's nothing that bothers me more as a Michigan fan as seeing them rotate out five or six guys after one play on offense. Can we just go back to the days where our best skill players play 95% of the damn snaps until the game is in hand?
Every play doesn't need at least three or four guys coming out of the game when you are on offense. The constant shifting of packages is part of the coaching problem. There's a reason our best offense seemed to come in two minute drills, where there was a need to not substitute players so damn much.
April 29th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
I could not agree more. I think this obsession with multiple personal packages hurts us in so many ways:
1. Running backs cant get into a groove. 10 carries is NOT enough for a RB.
2. Players dont know what to do because they arent on the field enough, with the same players, running the same plays. Execution beats exotic every. single. time.
3. Two minute offense depends on a bunch of teenagers knowing exactly when to run on the field, execute one play and then run off (maybe) which predictably goes badly and leads to horrible and time consuming plays.
I dont get why things like this are so fucking obvious to anybody watching us play but are a mystery of the ages to our coaching staff.