Know Thy Enemy: UW Huskies 2020 offensive primer
Seattle Times published a very informative article on upcoming outlook for 2020 UW football team. Worth a look: https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/uw-huskies-2020-offensive-primer-wide-receivers-tight-ends-and-offensive-line/
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:28 AM ^
By the looks of it, this game will feature two offenses replacing most of their offensive line and their QB position.
Should be a good one!
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:32 AM ^
Notice in most of these P5 non conf series our road game is the season opener before we’ve figured anything out about our team and when we get X team at home it’s not the season opener.
Absolutely clueless scheduling spanning multiple ADs and coaches.
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:43 AM ^
At least this year we are returning all our offensive coaches and have the choice of two 4-star QBs both of whom have been in the system for more than a year. Meanwhile UW will be adapting to an entire new offensive coaching staff and is choosing between either an unheralded junior QB and a few 4-stars who are either true freshman or RS freshman with very little experience. In addition UW is replacing a ton on defense. Despite the early game on the road I like our chances unless UW's inexperienced players are much better than your average first year starter. Based on recruiting you'd think UM has the talent and experience advantage.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
WRT the QBs, I am probably going out on a very long limb ( /s ) in saying that the QB competition in spring/fall camps will be 'so tight, either of these young men can win the job. We don't really have a clear #1 yet...' And the two-deep won't add any clarity until the first offensive series is played in the opening game.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
Afraid you have not accounted for the "Willingham effect." That is the effect that happens when a new coach breathes new life into a talented program in his first year.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:29 PM ^
But it's the infamous West Coast first game of the year mistake.
January 22nd, 2020 at 2:17 PM ^
There was a choice of four 4-star or better QBs last year. I have no doubt that Michigan is the more talented team. Sadly, for some reason, superior talent has not always been the key difference in outcomes.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:12 AM ^
The fans won't know a ton about their teams but the coaches and players do. And it's not like playing a warm-up game against WMU or Montana would functionally change that perception by the staff and players.
Honestly, I'd rather get the OOC game done sooner rather than later, especially since you're just as likely to catch the home team figuring itself out as the away team is.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:15 AM ^
Agreed, it's usually better to play young teams or teams with new coaches early while they are still learning.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:55 AM ^
Have you been watching this team the past 5 years? I wonder what they practice during fall camp.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:19 PM ^
Golf.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
If it were a true neutral site game, you might have a point, but being a road game, this doesn't really make much sense.
If both teams are working things out, who has the advantage? The team at home.
Especially given Michigan's road woes over Harbaugh's entire tenure.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
There's no reason to think we will be "working things out". We return both coordinators and are running the same systems we ran last year where whomever starts all of them have at least a full year of learning in that system prior to fall camp. They should be full tilt and just normal year to year attrition. UW on the other hand is getting an entirely new coaching staff and learning new terminology, new systems, all while breaking in lots of new starters. UM should still have the talent, experience, and coaching advantage. The only thing in UW's favor is the location of the game, which is important, but IMO not enough to overcome all the other stuff unless our QB plays really poorly.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
Harbaugh has a winning record in true road games 15-9 or 62.5 win percentage. Every team is better at home than on the road. Washington may not be ranked and this is their coaches first game. I think it's fair to expect a win assuming there aren't any major injuries ahead of time.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:06 PM ^
I don't know if Michigan will be working things out but UW will have a new HC, a number of new players on both sides of the ball, and they were somewhat underwhelming the past couple of years as well.
Michigan's big issues with road games under Harbaugh (and really for a long time) is against top-15 teams (or Iowa). Washington will likely be neither of those next year, and regardless it doesn't seem to matter when UM plays good teams on the road. So I'd rather bet on earlier in the year than get worked up that they didn't tune up against some MAC team.
January 22nd, 2020 at 2:08 PM ^
Yeah, I think this being the first game gives Michigan the best chance too. Lake will be figuring out how to manage clock, emotion and pressure of the new role for the first time. Those factors neutralize home field advantage. It says more about Michigan if they can't go in there and win barring injuries.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
Just look at 2015. Utah certainly benefited from a new QB in a new system under a new coach. That 2015 Michigan team got good and Utah is lucky they caught us right out of the gate. I think we win that game somewhat comfortably if it's in the back half of the season. Hopefully we can catch UW in the same spot
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:52 PM ^
If i'm understanding you correctly, you're hoping for Michigan to replicate Utah. Big difference is Utah was at home, Michigan will be on the road. I still think Michigan should win that game unless injuries are the theme this offseason.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Honestly, thinking of both 2015 and 2018 and how poor Michigan looked on offense with new QBs, you would think someone would have addressed the same issue for 2020. Make it the third game of the season, not the first.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:17 PM ^
In both of those years, Michigan started a QB that was on campus for only a few months, learning a new system in that short time, doesn’t hold true for the 2020 season.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
But this is their season opener. Am I missing something?
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
They are at home and thus have the advantage.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:15 PM ^
I misunderstood what WD was saying. I thought he was inferring that they would have a game under their belt when we play them, but he was actually saying that in the past a team would have a game under their belt when we open against them at our home.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
He's getting annoyed that all of our Home and Home series recently the game on the road has been the season opener for both teams (Utah, ND and Washington) and all of their return trips were not the first game of the year. Thus the home field advantage is somewhat diminished because teams have had a couple games under their belt.
At least for the Oklahoma and Texas series in 2024-2027 all games in that series are week 2 for both the home and away trips.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:35 PM ^
I agree, we should have a warm up home game against a much lesser opponent before heading out on the road against a top 20 team. There's probably only a 30 to 40 percent chance of winning this game, so the odds are that we will already have 1 loss to open the season. Odds are high we will lose at OSU, so the best record we may obtain this season will be 10 wins, which is not good enough to make the playoffs. 11-1, we may have a chance at the playoffs, unless OSU blows us out again. If we had Washington as the 2nd game of the season, we may have a 50/50 chance of winning. Even back in the 80s and 90s when talented Michigan teams would always lose on the road to Washington.
January 22nd, 2020 at 6:15 PM ^
If losing those games were keeping us out of the playoffs I would complain but who gives a shit. Beat the fuckeyes and then talk. Lose to osu again and does it really my matter if we win this game...
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:38 PM ^
Should be a "good one" in the same way that the Iowa game this year was a "good one"
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:23 PM ^
If you we're born in the 70's or before, nothing about that game was unusual. Typical Michigan/Iowa sludgefart. The only thing missing was a muddy field.
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:28 AM ^
Michigan is probably going to lose. Am I doing mgoblog right?
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:37 AM ^
**why bother clicking on that article? It doesn’t matter who they thing bring back, they will beat us mercilessly with our collapsing roster of middling 3 stars, 150lb DT’s, a head coach who’s checked out and emotionless eyeing a return to nfl, and a DC who can only bully weaker teams but shits the bed anytime he plays an offense with a pulse.
FIFY
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
I am learning so much today
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:43 AM ^
You’re halfway there.
Now, if they do wind up losing, you have to act incensed and personally offended. THAT’S how you MGoBlog.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
I mean...Michigan probably will lose? And that's not really a negative take, its just the take based on the history of the program? And the fact that Harbaugh has done nothing to change the course of that history in his time at Michigan.
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:38 AM ^
Thanks for sharing. I'm more curious about the QB who appears to be either 3-star recruit to be junior Jake Haener, 4-star to be sophomore Dylan Morris (not sure if he RSed in '19), or incoming true freshman 4-star Ethan Garbers. The latter two are both top 200 players nationally in the same general recruiting status as McCaffrey & Milton, but both are younger and McCaffrey is the highest ranked of the group.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
Fun fact, Ethan Garbers is the little brother of Cal starting QB, Chase Garbers (a Jr next year) who went undefeated for Cal last year in every game where he played the whole game. Every loss Cal had Chase either didn't play (injury) or missed a significant portion of the game (injury). Chase has been the starter since he was a true freshman.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:54 PM ^
Pac-12 conference defense implied :)
January 22nd, 2020 at 10:54 AM ^
I'm just excited to "sailgate" before the game
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:27 PM ^
Honestly one of the coolest experiences I've had while attending a sporting event. It's a great stadium with a great atmosphere, and the fact you can party on the water pre-game is icing on the cake.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:19 AM ^
Thanks for the link. Informative about the players returning. The one sentence that stood out to me in the whole article was in the final paragraph.
A statement that the new coach wants to establish a downhill, physical run game. Given how we fared this past year against offenses like that this year (Wisconsin, OSU, Alabama), it won't take long to see if Hinton / Mazi Smith can make a difference..............
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
I don't know if they will be good, but that O-Line is pretty large.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
Good stuff.
They have a lot of questions in the passing game, which isn't surprising given the new QB and a couple of guys graduating. Does sound like they have some talent and guys coming off injuries, but UW's offense has struggled a bit the past couple of years so it might be more than just a temporary issue. With having to replace both tackles, this might be a game where Don Brown can get pressure via misdirection, which is a strong suit for him.
It's a long ways away, so I'm sure stuff will change, but it looks like a pretty interesting game.
January 22nd, 2020 at 11:57 AM ^
Interesting article for sure. I will not pick Michigan to go into Seattle and win at this point until they prove that they can go on the road and beat a program that is worth something. Despite the appearances of being down, it is still Washington and they have made into the playoffs. Michigan will be ok on offense if Harbaugh allows Gattis to pick his QB this spring and go with him. I am afraid, however, that MCcaffrey has already been crowned with his family status and how that kind of stuff plays out at Michigan. if he is the starting QB then hopefully he will have earned it. Defensively, I expect the same old stuff again. The Huskies will hit on big plays where Michigan is outmatched in man coverage and move the ball when they want to. If anyone on this board believes that those new defensive coaches are coming in and wave a magic wand to influence Brown then you know nothing. Brown matched up man against the BEST WR in the country (Jerry Jeudy) and got torched on the first snap. He is NOT changing anything on defense folks. Same old Song as Dance as Aerosmith sang
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
The Huskys have zero receivers in the Jeudy eschelon.
Both teams will have a lot of new pieces: Starters and coaches. Will be a fun game.
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
Happy Wednesday.
January 22nd, 2020 at 1:19 PM ^
Brown matched up man against the BEST WR in the country (Jerry Jeudy) and got torched on the first snap. He is NOT changing anything on defense folks. Same old Song as Dance as Aerosmith sang
That was not man. I believe it was said to be cover 2. Their was no one over Jeudy on the snap. Dax just got caught flat footed.
January 22nd, 2020 at 2:31 PM ^
That is not quite true-getting caught flat-footed. They got Jeudy isolated on Dax with an entire field to work with. Good luck with that-even if you had the best safety in the NFL.
January 22nd, 2020 at 2:48 PM ^
Another pathetic loser excuse
January 22nd, 2020 at 2:47 PM ^
Cover 2 places your safeties in MAN coverage with the post/vertical routes. Quit making excuses and especially if you do not know X's and O's. His scheme SUCKS against good offenses. Prove me wrong with hard facts that I am wrong
January 22nd, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
Born and raised in A2, lived in Seattle since 1992. My buddy has been going to every home Husky game since he was about seven years old. We've been looking forward to this home and home since before it was scheduled.
And we have a standing wager: Fan of losing team swims after the game. Lake Washington in 2020, Huron River in 2021. I'm trying to get him to up the ante to an Argo bridge jump in 2021, but so far he's not going for it.
Both games are going to be an all-day events for us with full-on David Puddy "Support The Team" facepaint.
Can't wait!