Thunder/Magnus posts about Rutgers
Well, that was an unexpected nail-biter.... But a win is a win.... so I'll take it for now....
Hire Sean Gleeson!.... Gleeson stresses defenses in so many different ways, and you can see that with how he finds weaknesses to pick on.... he does all those things with mediocre players. I think he could do some really explosive things with skill guys....
Cade McNamara.... he got targeted by Rutgers defensive tackle Julius Turner.... he missed a wide open Luke Schoonmaker.... It seemed like one or both of those events knocked him off his game....
A.J. Henning: 0 offensive touches.... Michigan continues to fail to get its most explosive players the ball....
Hopefully Cade McNamara and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis learn a little something from this, but at least with Gattis, I think the chances are slim.
(More at the link)
https://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2021/09/michigan-20-rutgers-13.html
Please give the link a look, and give Thunder some clicks and comments. It helps lots. Or better yet, become a regular commenter there. He does have good information on Michigan football.
September 27th, 2021 at 8:03 AM ^
I read somewhere several years back where Urban Meyer was talking about the need to simplify offenses in college football and look for explosive plays because he didn’t feel as if college kids could consistently drive up and down the field without mistakes and penalties. It’s always stuck in my head because that is exactly what Harbaugh wants to do and most likely will never succeed at consistently.
September 27th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
The follow-on to that was some analysis years ago that college fb games, more than most other major sports, hinge on "big plays".. not winning the majority of plays. In other words, the study was emphasizing that going after more big and dynamic plays is much more likely a source of winning than the Iowa approach (and now i guess the Michigan approach) to getting to a solid 8-3/8-4 type record every year by just out-slogging other sloggers.
It was interesting because, they took what Urban said a step further, and it wasnt just a capacity thing, they went as far as saying it was predictive. Big plays, blocked punts, long TDs, defensive tds, long passes/runs were far more indicative of winning than things like time of posession, sacks, etc.. .traditional measures. And before you say.. yes, the team that scores more wins, that wasnt their point. Their point was, you can lose on some statistics, but if you win the "big play" category, you very often win the game, even if you pass for less, run for less, give up a lot of yards on defense.
I think that not only is it a capacity thing for 19-21 year old athletes, with limited practice/prep time compared to pro athletes, but its also an emotional sport for players, coaches and fans. Far more so than pro sports. Its the reason i care about softball! Its our tribe, so we root for our tribe.
September 27th, 2021 at 8:04 AM ^
Wonder if the pressure is getting to Cade with higher expectations for this team and JJ on his heels? I do not mean that negatively at all...that's a heck of a position to be in and many, even elite athletes, would struggle.
I rewatched the game and as I'm surely not a high level "x's and o's" guy he looked like a mess in the 2nd half. If you watch his feet even they were all over the place, even his release looked different. It was like a different person.
Again, totally not a bash on Cade as this would be a terribly challenging situation to be in.
September 27th, 2021 at 10:36 AM ^
The thing a lot of us overlook is that execution plays a part too. Vastardis did not have a good game on Saturday and that probably caused a lot of issues with what Michigan wanted to do.
There are some things that are coaching, some things that are the players, and some things that are both.
The 2nd half on Saturday struck me as the third option.
September 27th, 2021 at 10:36 AM ^
The thing a lot of us overlook is that execution plays a part too. Vastardis did not have a good game on Saturday and that probably caused a lot of issues with what Michigan wanted to do.
There are some things that are coaching, some things that are the players, and some things that are both.
The 2nd half on Saturday struck me as the third option.
September 27th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
I will say this, Cade does not throw a pretty ball. Even in our previous games his deep throws are floundering in the air like wounded birds. On short and intermediate throws he still doesnt seem capable of throwing a spiral to his target. The second he releases the ball it has a wonky rotation on it.
I know, I know the backup QB is everyones favorite player. JJ will certainly make more mistakes than Cade this season. There are also a lot of plays he can make that Cade will flat out never be capable of. I wouldn't mind seeing JJ get at least a couple drives a game regardless of opponent. This teams ceiling is so much higher with him. When were running the ball all but 10-15 plays a game I think that gives you a little more opportunity to work in your young inexperienced QB as well.
September 27th, 2021 at 11:17 AM ^
I actually think Cade has nice touch on his deep balls. He lets his WR either run under it/adjust, or simply make a play on it.
His arm strength on his outs are lacking, but i do think he has darn good accuracy. Not sure what the hell happened 2nd half, and his WR's didnt help him on a couple of those.
September 27th, 2021 at 11:29 AM ^
Agreed. I do not want to see him throwing many out routes, but he does put nice touch on the ball. The missed throw to Erick All in the second half, for example, had great touch and was just about 1 foot too far in front of All to be reeled in.
BTW, lots of receivers like to catch a ball that is slightly wobbly. They're a little bit easier to catch. Otherwise, some perfectly thrown spirals get on you too quickly and/or slip right through your hands.
September 27th, 2021 at 11:20 AM ^
McNamara absolutely throws a nice, catchable ball. The complaint about him is the strength behind his shorter throws (which I think is an overrated concern but exists). But how someone can think he threw something like 6/9 for 150 yards in the first half as a sign of a bad throw and poor mechanics is beyond me.
September 27th, 2021 at 11:26 AM ^
Lol what games are you watching? Cades passes have been for the most part totally fine
September 27th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
They seem to be fine about 62.3% of the time...
September 27th, 2021 at 11:39 AM ^
Gleeson would be a smart hire. I’d imagine it would likely take Gattis either moving up to a head job somewhere or the offense being just bad enough to be the obvious problem of like a 9-3 year. We’re not really seeing the benefits from Gattis as a recruiter, and the play calling itself is not great shakes.
September 27th, 2021 at 8:56 PM ^
I don't know why Gattis has to be kept. Coaches do get let go.