Shea Patterson rushed for only 50 yards this season
50 yards. That's how many rushing yards Shea Patterson had. For the season.
Yes, that includes sacks, but Shea didn't take many sacks, and Brandon Peters had 213 yards rushing this season (HT: Magnus's twitter). They obviously want a QB run game in this offense, and they were building the arc package since last year until they seemed to give up on it. Did they even run any of that in the bowl game? I'm definitely not an expert, but his reads looked more like RPOs than QB run options. I only remember 1 non-scramble by Shea and he picked up 9 yards easily. His other tuck and run to the sideline trick also opened up a 10 or 15 yard pass. Think of how much the running game was limited without a QB element. Think about how much the passing game was limited without as much of a rushing attack to keep defenses off balance. Shea was probably injured earlier in the season, but it seems he ran less as the season went along. Knowledgeable Michigan people thought he was making bad reads. McCaffrey's (or Milton's) passing abilities are still mostly unknown, but I'd be shocked if the QB doesn't run for 500 yards or so next season.
Also, McCaffrey's rushing yardage total this season? 67 yards.
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:38 AM ^
I'll always wonder if Shea would have been permanently benched if DMC hadn't gotten hurt against Wisconsin.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:04 AM ^
I'd like to agree with this, but I feel that JH sticks with experience over anything else for the QB position. I don't get the feeling that he looks at upside and thinks 'I'm going to give this guy two games to get a feel and see where it takes us', so much as decides 'this is my 5th yr senior, he starts'.
It was clear all season long that Shea wasn't doing what he needed to do. Coaches were clearly annoyed with the lack of running and the missed reads. He kept telegraphing throws and missing open targets down field (with clear regularity). He didn't really pick up the offense until PSU. I can't help but think some of that (a lot of it) (all of it) was because he improved his golf game so much over the summer.
I also just don't think DMac was that far behind. The injury, and the 5th yr senior thing, combined to keep him off the field. I look forward to some big improvements from the QB spot next year.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:13 AM ^
Sadly, this is true. And this is why I declare that loyalty, in general, is not a positive trait. Unless and until Jim Harbaugh actually employs a meritocracy at this position and allows the best player to ball-out we are stuck with "Shea" being one of the top Michigan QBs of all-time. This may well be the single most detrimental factor keeping this program from ascending to an elite level.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 AM ^
Not going to die on this hill but Harbaugh tossed Alex Smith overboard, after resurrecting his career, because Kaepernick gave the 49ers a higher ceiling. I too believe Dylan's injury prevented Harbaugh from making a change and that of course is because this is Michigan and we can't have nice things.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:36 AM ^
True but it took a multi week injury to make it happen. There is a difference between taking a risk and ruining a QBs confidence by letting a backup in vs putting the backup in because you have no choice and then find out you are comfortable with him and keep him in.
Old loyalty can become new loyalty with familiarity.
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:24 AM ^
He also started Speight over John O'Korn in 2016, when JOK had previously been a starter at Houston while Speight's only real experience was the end of the 2015 Minny game.
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:23 AM ^
I guess you forgot that Harbaugh ditched Alex Smith (the experienced vet) for Colin Kaepernick (the unproven rookie) in the middle of the season, the result of that ended up turning out okay.
I doubt Harbaugh all of a sudden decided when he got here that meritocracy was going bye-bye. If McCaffery didn't play, that must've meant that either a) he was injured, or b) he simply wasn't any better than Shea.
And if the answer is B, then boy howdy are we screwed.
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:41 AM ^
Your 5th wife says, "Hi"
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:14 AM ^
I don't fully buy the golf course thing--I think Gattis was teasing him there. But, something was clearly not clicking in a system that seemed very well-tailored to work for him.
The strangest part (and getting back to the subject) was how much more poorly he sold his run reads. In 2018, he and Higdon would regularly fool even the camera crew, which would chase Higdon upfield ten yards before realizing he didn't have the ball. It was beautiful. This year, he wouldn't even try to sell the fake give--He'd just tuck the ball and run straight into a defender.
Shea's attitude was perfect. He was a solid leader for the team. That's why Harbaugh stuck with him. Being a final-year senior who he committed to was the other part. He could have reasonably been benched in the second half against Bama, but what message would that send to NFL scouts and to Shea himself in his last game?
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:22 AM ^
I think a 2nd half benching in a meaningless bowl game is not going to sway scouts one way or another, considering they have like four years of footage on him.
Quite honestly, it would say absolutely zero to the NFL scouts.
And it should not even matter; Harbaugh is coaching to put his team in the best spot.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:54 AM ^
I don't disagree, but benching Shea, warranted or not, is a pretty tough thing to do to a QB who might be playing his final game ever. Shea played his heart out for that team, and I'm glad JH let him finish the game.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:32 AM ^
Ask Nick Saban. He did this to Jalen Hurts in favor of Tua and they won. I'm not disagreeing with you but, "just sayin'"
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:13 AM ^
Playing for a championship (do whatever it takes) is a bit different that trying to win the Citrus bowl.
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
The number one goal isnt to help Shea, it's to win the game and give Dylan experience for next year.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:32 AM ^
I don't disagree, but Shea wasn't a 5th year senior. He was a 4th year senior.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 AM ^
My fault. But at the end of the day, Shea is who he is; a 2nd half Citrus Bowl is not going to move him up or down. NFL is all about the combine.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:54 AM ^
In 2012 Harbaugh stuck with Kap after Alex Smith came back from injury. Probably the only time he did that, but he kept it open week-to-week.
It would be interesting to go to the alternate universe where Shea was concussed against Wisconsin, and McCaffrey had to fill in for a few weeks, and see how that would shake out.
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:43 AM ^
Coach saw something in Shea that was never there. So much for meritocracy.
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:01 AM ^
If you look at JH's track record pre-UM he had no problem changing up QBs. So, maybe we shouldn't ignore his full body of work.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:41 AM ^
complete tin foil hat theory here...
harbaugh said before the season start that shea and dylan were both going to play this season because he couldn't keep them both off of the field... now what i have thought all season is that the first 2 or 3 games were auditions for both of them to see who could run the offense better... get to the wisconsin game and dylan gets hurt and that threw a wrench into that plan and shea starts the rest of the season and we don't see dylan take another snap until the ND game...
as for shea not running the ball as much as he did last year, it makes me wonder if shea was playing for shea and not for the team this year? i understand that he got hurt against MTSU and a leash might have been put on him for a while when it came to running... but even when plays broke down and no one was open he wouldn't take off and run, which he would do last season...
January 3rd, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
Shea had the yips. My hunch is that he played inspired football in practice. He knew the reads and he acquitted himself well enough to keep the coaches hanging on.
But look at this chart: the four QBs in the playoffs inhabit five of the top spots in the NCAA this year. Look for Shea's name on this list.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=quarterback+ratings+2019
To sit around and whine ourselves silly about Harbaugh and promote this or that paranoid narrative doesn't cut it: Michigan hasn't had stellar QB play and it's the main difference.
Not to say that Shea isn't, like most people, a super-nice kid and trying hard. But there's just not that much more to say, especially about that Alabama game. I was working around the house, then rewatching. Every time I checked in Shea was missing an open player downfield.
Tough nut to swallow, but we aren't winning big games until we have a big-time QB. I reckon Harbs and Gattis know it.
January 3rd, 2020 at 5:52 PM ^
Your practice point is interesting because we often hear that you win spots in practice. If a player knows that he practice play will keep him on the field independent of his game play, that is not an ideal way to determine game snaps then.
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:43 AM ^
It felt like all season long that Patterson played with fear compared to how we played last year. Not sure if that was not given crap during the summer and doing nothing but golfing or having eyes on NFL future he just never seemed fully in this entire season.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:08 AM ^
$1 says his oblique wasn't healthy the entire season. Sometimes, the easiest explanation is the best one.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:16 AM ^
Bad excuse...VERY bad excuse. And if this is so then the mountain of egregious coaching error continues to grow. Then why was Shea on the field!!!
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:41 AM ^
Obviously because he was the best we had.... Its ignorance to think that the coaching staff was playing the second best option because they were more worried about loyalty than winning.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:56 AM ^
I think they ended up forced to play Patterson after the Wisconsin game because McCaffrey was hurt and Patterson was still better than Milton. By the time McCaffrey was healthy enough to play, Shea (or maybe Gattis) had improved enough to where it didn't make sense to start McCaffrey to finish up a few games at the end of the year.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:24 AM ^
That's far to logical to be be in this thread! I don't disagree that if Dylan wasn't injured at Camp Randall, it was probably his job to lose.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:56 AM ^
Agreed.
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:30 AM ^
Wasn't he injured pre-season? And then maybe again in the early season? I feel you're right. The reluctance for him to run was probably partially by coaching design (minimize runs) and maybe partially Shea avoiding it (the many times he gave when he should've kept)
QB running is clearly in the offense since that's half of what Dylan does when he comes in
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:53 AM ^
Maybe. People keep mentioning that fit the run game, but I don't think it's possible to throw effectively without an oblique. Twisting your torso is exactly what obliques do.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:43 AM ^
NFL future?
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:44 AM ^
Why are we doing this?
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:46 AM ^
What? Talking about Michigan football on a blog that is popular because it covers Michigan football?
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:59 AM ^
No, the issue isn't with talking about Michigan football... its mentioning a lame stat in which takes into account sack yardage. Could Shea have ran more? Yes; there were plenty of times in which he could of picked up a first down, but mentioning his rushing stats like it would have had some major effect on the season is just dumb.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:04 AM ^
....It would have had a major effect on the season? If Shea actually ran the ball when he was supposed to it likely would have opened up the offense quite a bit more. Did you not watch the numerous times last year it had a major effect on the season?
Personally, I did not realize how dire his rushing stats were until this post.
Edit: Last year Patterson had 273 yards rushing, over 5x more than this year. Michigan's offense was decidedly worse this year, in large part because of his poor showing on the ground.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:27 AM ^
Just checked the stats myself. Shea had 87 rush attempts this year and had 50 yards on the ground. Last year he rushed for less (73) and had the 273 you said above. Shea couldn't hang onto the ball as well this year as he did last year, so maybe he just took a sack more instead (25 this year compared to 21 last year though).
It wasn't his rushing this year that would have won us the big games. The only game that would have/could have been that case was the PSU game. His completion % in big games was bad.. Wisky = 44%, OSU = 42%, and Alabama = 46%. He needed to be better more in his passing game than his running game. That would have changed the season.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:54 AM ^
Perhaps if teams had to respect his threat as a runner, there would have been easier throws to make.
Adding a couple of easy first downs on the ground in the Penn State game might have won that game for Michigan. In games where the offense stalled and had to settle for FGs against Ohio State and Alabama, it could have resulted in touchdowns in the first half and then who knows what happens?
Anyway, I think we've established that the topic the OP posted has relevance right?
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:42 AM ^
Look at modern college offenses and you're telling me a QB who can run the ball doesn't change things? Shea running couldn't have helped finish off a couple more drives against Alabama?
I'd feel better with a closer loss to Wisconsin, blowing out Army, beating PSU, and a nail biter against Alabama.
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:09 AM ^
Don't forget that he got like 80 yards on one rush against Wisconsin last year. Otherwise he averaged like 2.5 yards per rush last season. Not all that great.
January 3rd, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
Cool. Take that away and he ran for nearly 4 times as many yards last year.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:08 AM ^
Stats aside, rushing from the QB in this offense is a very large part of offensive success. All season long we (board users, fans, and Brian/staff) complained about Shea's lack of rushing attempts. Had he kept more often, of course the stats would be different. Who cares about the actual numbers - he rarely kept. That's the part nobody is happy with.
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:17 AM ^
Ah yes... because a dual threat QB is a thing of the past... lmao
But I do agree, it's less of an issue than him being a Dual Screw-up QB... would like to see the metrics on "Butterfingers Patterson" fumbles vs interceptions.
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:56 AM ^
I know why I'm doing this. Why are you doing this?
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:49 AM ^
but I'd be shocked if the QB doesn't run for 500 yards or so next season.
You're going to be shocked.
Are you talking about Michigan?
January 3rd, 2020 at 7:55 AM ^
Yeahhh with McCaffreys injury woes I’d be surprised if Michigan tries to run him often. Especially since it’s likely that the loser of McCaffrey/Milton battle will transfer
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:05 AM ^
I read an article about Joe Montana where he said the year he added muscle to his upper body was the year he stopped getting injured so much.
I read somewhere about 2 weeks ago that Milton said he's not going to transfer even if he doesn't start. I haven't seen anything from him to make me think he could pass McCaffrey. But maybe.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:50 AM ^
Milton wouldn't start on any MAC team.
January 3rd, 2020 at 10:00 AM ^
This is such a ridiculous statement.
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:14 PM ^
You're a pathetic troll.