Michigan Defenders in the Box

[mildone]

I would not run Gio much because he's injury prone, although I'd have him roll out if his knee is healthy enough. He made some pretty decent throws to very tightly covered WRs last week that didn't get caught, but weren't far off. So I would focus on buying him time to throw and work up a few very simple 2.5 second timing routes for our WRs. We only need four yards per catch, so focus on the short stuff. I'd start out the game doing a shit-ton of these little dink and dunk passes.

We have to be able to run the ball or we lose. I don't know enough about football to know how to make it work, but I have to think we're not going to just pound it up between the tackles and succeed. At least not unless we do a great job of making them think we're passing (which is what having all those short 4 yard passes early in the game is about above).

I would hope we employ a ton of misdirection and motion and fakes. Tons of it. Borrow a bit of the Army playbook. Delay recognition of the play and hopefully buy our RB a free step or two.

I think we might be a little too predictable and provide too many easy reads for our opposing DL and LBs. That's not so bad when we can be somewhere in the area of the other team's strength and speed. But in a game like this (or OSU), it's a huge problem. For example, if Miller pulls, it's a good bet we're running. So pull Miller to simulate a run and get the D to react like it's a run, but shift the OL left with a tight end to the left and then have Miller and a RB block in the backfield while passing. Miller is very quick, so he can hopefully get there in time, the RB can delay or trap the DE coming from the right side (a big ask, I know) and Gio can roll right. Or something along those lines, I don't know enough about the game to spell it out in detail accurately, but we need to change things up because we're just not going to win by going mano-a-mano against UM.

 

[mdh2003]

"Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell Rode the six hundred."

For a change of pace...the Maidens:


To answer OP - Flea Flicker

 

[krup]

Good post. My post is thus suggesting we might have some success running when we do, if we can keep them from overloading on the line. If you are correct and we cannot run even when they worry about the pass, we will be in for a long tough day. We do have to hope we can run under that situation

I think we are in for a long day, because they are so fast our simply handing off the ball out of the shotgun means there will be a decent number of TFLs. That's why I would like to see them open the playbook in a lot of ways that still run clock but maybe catch defenders out of position. Reverses, fake reverses, sweeps, throwback screens, etc. What's the "risk" of losing 5 yards on a gimmicky running play if our RBs have to fight just to get to the line of scrimmage on standard plays anyway?

 

[wheezer]

I think we are in for a long day, because they are so fast our simply handing off the ball out of the shotgun means there will be a decent number of TFLs. That's why I would like to see them open the playbook in a lot of ways that still run clock but maybe catch defenders out of position. Reverses, fake reverses, sweeps, throwback screens, etc. What's the "risk" of losing 5 yards on a gimmicky running play if our RBs have to fight just to get to the line of scrimmage on standard plays anyway?

--
ok.... I wonder how much of that sort of thing is in the trimmed down Kill offense?...if not there, probably tough to have a lot of that ready with one weeks prep... hope we are capable of some of it

 

[RUich]

My biggest concern is Gio getting hurt. His penchant to try and force another yard when he runs leaves him open to getting his ass kicked.
I'm thinking we may see a real rotation with the QB's unless we are actually in the game. Although different QB's can cause problems with snap counts, etc, it may just keep Mich. off a bit.

 

[fg7321]

Like to see grant throw a pass in this game to blackshear

 

[Wolv RU]

The big assumption you make is that they will need to stack the box to contain the run. They did it last week and got burned, but that isn't a given to be necessary against RU.

As I mentioned above, to me the way to make some plays is to use Michigan's speed and confidence against them with misdirection, hoping they get out of position for their assignments.

Purdue did this against Michigan and it worked for a half.

 

[scarletrat]

wheel route seems to be our best pass play...

 

[Degaz-RU]

I want to see a fake flea-flicker to Blackshear. That play by Purdue was quite awesome, and Blackshear has the quickness to pull it off.

 

[NickRU714]

I want to see a fake flea-flicker to Blackshear. That play by Purdue was quite awesome, and Blackshear has the quickness to pull it off.

The craziest thing is that in the end it is just a very slow run up the middle!

 

[madchuck]

They should just put everyone in the box.

 

[IMARUFAN]

I'd recommend one of these plays:

Or:

 

[RUSK97]

wheel route seems to be our best pass play...

Easily a 2.5 second route. Gio or whoever will only have 0.75 seconds to get the ball off before his arse hits turf.

 

[RU-05]

Simplest plan is a lot of play action. Similarly, actually throwing out of the read option. And throw it deep, at least at times.

Misdirection should be part of the plan, but that is more of a sprinkle than a game plan.

 

[RU-05]

Throw on first down please.

And risk stopping the clock? Never!!!!

 

[Pils86]

They can't have 8 in the box if we have 4 WR's wide. Spread them out, try an occasional trick play like a half back option, quick outs, sweeps, pray.

 

[koleszar]

Penn State gave us the blueprint, do what they did and points will flow

Our wide receivers aren't good at jump balls like their 6'4" WR and 6' 6" TE. McSorely throws a lot of jump balls and his receivers are good enough to go up and get it. Once in a blue moon he drops one in beautifully. I would use more misdirection plays. It's something we never do. Which is quite disturbing. A simple fake throw or hand off to one side hit the TE could do wonders for this offense.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Levaos Lectures: spoken like a true teachers asdistant from Rutgers...what I don’t remember seeing the last two weeks is a your smug ass offering congratulatory praise to the team....FAH.

He's wrong more than a broken clock. Cheers Levaos!

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

I'd just love to see this enter the playbook sometime in the near future.

 

[RUinBoston]

Punt on first down.

Agree. Punter is our best playmaker. Need to get the ball in his hands as early and often as possible.

 

[RU-05]

I'd just love to see this enter the playbook sometime in the near future.

Which is another simple wrinkle that can punish the opposition defense for playing too close to the line.

 

[Kamovitch]

Penn State gave us the blueprint, do what they did and points will flow

We do not come close to Penn States talent however.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Bubble screen. Well see if our freshman WRs can block. And then eventually, we have to try to go deep and get behind them.

Roll out Gio and go deep to Grant

Bubble will not work.. too easy to see which side we are going to and that side will get safety attention over the top.. the QB won't have time to try a longer pattern out there.

We need to split wide on both sides and throw fade routes to the sideline on press coverage.

Although I like the idea of splitting RBs wide also, we have shown no skill at hitting RBs with passes on the run.. and that's what you need. Out RB passes.. all too often. see them waiting for the ball or reaching behind them.. stopping momentum.

Hopefully we have been practicing 3 second timing patterns to open spots on the field and lining up under center and doing quick dives and passes off quick dive fakes.

If we can get those fade routes hitting 40% we will move the chains and Michigan will back off and go to a zone and try to jump that route. Then we can start mixing in bubble screens and even runs up the middle and off-tackle and QB runs. It about seizing the initiative and making the other team adjust to what yo are doing. Don't let them do what they want to do.

Those fade routes.. you need a QB that can throw to a spot. Here's the drill being done by the Steelers. You need WRs who can shake a CB and get there in time and not fall down allowing the CB to run the pattern.

 

[NickRU714]

1. I wonder if any of these trick/high risk high reward types of plays and formations are even in the Kill playbook to begin with.

2. If they are, I would highly doubt they have been installed or practiced half way through his first year. I honestly would almost prefer they weren't installed. We need to make sure we get the basic fundamentals of the Kill playbook understood first at this point in our offefnse.

 

[RU31trap]

We will not score in this game.

With a post like this you have the audacity to call me a TROLL? Allow me to enlighten you to a little fact, Rutgers will be in this game going into the 4th quarter.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

They can't have 8 in the box if we have 4 WR's wide. Spread them out, try an occasional trick play like a half back option, quick outs, sweeps, pray.

I would "like" this a thousand times if I could. Going max protect just invites run blitzes that turn into pass blitzes. Take snaps under center too.. a play-fake from the shotgun doesn't do very much, all a fast D need do is aim for 5 yards behind center no matter if it is a run or pass. If you are under center and actually do give the ball to a back he starts 2 yards from LOS.. outside blitzes and crashing ends could actually HELP him find a hole.

If you split the TE wide then you can have 4 wide plus an RB. Then throw quick slants and sideline fade routes to open space depending on how the D is aligned. Let the D know they have to play the pass. And get those passes off so quickly that the pass rush is moot.. they will get "lazy" and lose incentive to put everything they have into an outside rush that goes nowhere. They will start jumping up and trying to bat balls.. which requires freezing in place and backing off the OL.. which would open up the run game.

All of this is common sense when facing such an aggressive D. Every Rutgers fan should know it well because we saw it used against us and Schiano's Ds for a decade.

 

[beaced]

Hemlock?

Hemlock? Not before trying a few Hail Mary's,a couple of Acts of Contrition and even consider giving up Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving.

 

[RUinPAC10land]

I wouldn't use trick plays in this game. Save them for the games against Maryland and Indiana.