Brick by brick, it’s coming together.
That TD came with less than a minute left in the third quarter and that’s really all I had time for this week.
We looked a little shaky the first couple possessions of the second half but other than that we really dominated that defense.
I talked about this a little bit on the message board on Monday but about the only thing I’d like to see change is more play action on early downs. We’ve got a really effective play action passing game and I think if we’d utilize it more it would help us break games open earlier.
It’s all there, I like what we have in terms of scheme and personnel but when the competition ramps up I think we’re going to have to be more aggressive. We can slowly bleed the PSU’s and Wisconsin’s of the world but we’re just not converting enough drives that start in the opponents side of the field.
I know...this sounds like rich-mans problems at this point but the expectations have changed and the bar has been raised. We’re going to need to turn it all on come the end of November and we’ll need to keep the throttle down all the way through the new year once we reach the biggest stage. The manball formula is necessary to get through the grind of the Big 10 schedule but we’re going to need an extra gear not too far into the future.
- First offensive play of the game Gentry and Onwenu were beaten inside on a zone play to the left. Higdon got through the hole anyway but PSU had numbers on us and a S made the play after a gain of 1. We pulled McKeon from left to right and faked an end-around to Nico to try to peel those S’s away from the play; maybe we expected man coverage in the secondary? Either way PSU stayed home and made the play.
- Second play we run what looks to me a variation of the zone scheme referred to as pin & pull. Minnesota used to run a lot of this when Glen Mason was coaching there. Basically the playside T blocks down and the C and playside G pull around out in front. You need a mobile C to be able to pull it off but the foot work fits pretty seamlessly into the zone scheme and it allows you to outflank the defense. It’s a nice wrinkle that we haven’t used much and on this play Bredeson opens the edge and Cesar does a nice job on a LB and Higdon picks up a first down.
- Next play Higdon breaks it for 50 yards on a zone run. Mike crushes the DT down and opens it up and JBB patiently slides into position and walls off the LB to create the ally for Higdon to run through. This is a great example of Warinner’s impact on the OL. I’ve watched UM OL’s for the past 7 or 8 years get to the second level and fall off LB’s when we were one block away. This time, JBB knows he doesn’t need to lock up the LB, he just needs to put his 335 LB body in the way. He gets a decent but not dominant block on the LB but it’s all Higdon needed.
- On the next play Evans picks up 4 yards on another zone read play to the left. The backside LB slid over to make the tackle when JBB got hung up just a little bit and couldn’t reach him. A nice gain though against a stacked box.
- We go back to the pin & pull on 2nd down but Evans picks up only a few yards as Ruiz is thrown off his path a little bit when a LB submarines Bredeson. Evans probably should’ve slowed up a half step to allow Ruiz to reestablish himself as there was a CB and S on the edge.
- On 3rd & short at the 8 yard line Patterson keeps on the read option and picks up the first down. If the DE doesn’t crash on Higdon he’d have walked into the end zone. Patterson makes the right read and is a McKeon block on the CB away from scoring.
- Patterson scores two plays later. That OL looked more dominant than I remembered on that drive.
- First play of the next drive starts with an 11 yard completion to Gentry. It looks like PSU’s in quarters coverage and we have the perfect call against it. Collins lines up wide left and runs a hook route, which pulls the CB up and inside. Gentry runs a leak to the sideline for an easy 5 yard completion and Collins outside position on the CB opens up the sideline for Gentry to run for a first down. Easy completion taking advantage of the coverage.
- On the next play we run a counter back to the right with Evans but it’s stopped for a gain of 1. McKeon does a great job of setting the edge as Bredeson and Eubanks trap across. The PSU LB does a really nice job of scraping inside and shedding Bredeson’s block.
- Later in the drive...we all saw it...the overthrow on the screen to Higdon. Unfortunate. We probably get points out of that drive if Patterson makes a better throw.
- I didn’t love the call on 4th & 2 from the PSU 41. We had just run the ball on 3rd & 5 so I was surprised to see a pass on 4th down. Our interior was caving in their defensive front.
- On the first play of our third possession we were backed up inside our own 5. The PSU MLB at the very last second shifted over a gap to his left and slides the SLB over as well. I don’t know why he did it but it probably saved another huge run from Higdon. We ran to our right with McKeon and Gentry lined up to that side and we moved both Onwenu and Bredeson to the point of attack. Runyan comes down and tries to reach that LB but he’s just a half step too far inside so Bredeson ends up having to take him. That allows the S to remain free and make the tackle after a gain of 4. If Runyon can reach that LB Bredeson can square up the S and Higdon would’ve off to the races again.
- Great route combination on the 47 yard completion to Nico. They run a little twist between Collins and Eubanks where Nico moves inside a couple steps at the top of his route and Eubanks slips underneath him on his way to the sideline. This causes the S and CB to collide and leaves both receivers wide open.
- On the next play from the PSU 37 we run another zone play and Higdon picks up 5. The scheme runs to the right but Higdon cuts it back to the left behind Runyon who had his DE on roller skates, driving him 6 yards off the ball.
- On 3rd & 4 I have no idea what we’re doing. Higdon gets tackled for no gain but Runyon and Bredeson step hard to the right while Ruiz fires out straight ahead. Onwenu also steps right, but that leaves the DT in the G/C gap unblocked. Mike tried to get back to him but it’s too late. What’s really weird though is that JBB sets up to pass block, so I don’t even know where to start here. Mike thought he had help inside, and if Ruiz had been there things would’ve looked a lot better. Still no clue what JBB was doing though.
- On the next play Gentry let a man through his inside gap which led to the blocked FG.
- On 3rd & 2 after the Winovich fumble recovery we run a zone play to the left. PSU sends both LB’s to the A gaps and Ruiz doesn’t keep his head up and completely misses one LB who takes Higdon down for no gain.
- On the next possession after the DPJ TD catch we try a QB draw on 3rd & 4 from the PSU 32. We have trips lined up to the right and that causes PSU to cover all 3 receivers plus shade a S. Patterson tried to go left but makes a mistake by cutting it back to his right. There are just too many defenders in space on that side of the field. I’m not sure if that play was going anywhere anyway but Patterson kind of rushed it and he ended up taking a 3 yard loss.
- On the first play after halftime we run an outside zone to the right and really for the first time all game our OL is pushed back across the board and Higdon picks up only a yard.
- On 3rd & 6 PSU brings a LB and a S but Higdon stands in and picks up the LB and Patterson has the ball out before the S can bring pressure. The ball is incomplete to McKeon but it was still a perfect blitz pickup. If Patterson waits another second he has Collins coming free on a skinny post for a nice gain.
- First play of the second possession of the second half we try to get the ball to the perimeter with Higdon as Bredeson pulls around to the left. This is kind of a mess as Bredeson can’t seal the playside LB, Ruiz can’t cut off the pursuit of the other LB, and both DPJ and Black whiff on blocks on the edge. Sloppy start to the second half as Higdon gets a yard on his own.
- On 3rd & 2 Higdon is stopped a yard short on a read option play. I think Gentry messes this up. PSU has a DE either head up on Gentry or on an inside shade. There’s also a S walked up next to the DE. On the snap Gentry crosses the face of the DE and blocks down on the DT. The DE does a great job of squeezing it down and tackles Higdon short of the first down. I would think that Gentry needed to take that DE. Typically you’re optioning the first man outside the hole; well, that DE is definitely not outside the hole as he’s lined up to the inside. He’s got to take him so Patterson can option the S. As it is Shea can do nothing with it since he was left to look at two unblocked defenders on the edge.
- On the next possession on 3rd & 6 we run another read option and this time we block it right and McKeon comes back across the formation and gets a block on a LB that opens up a lane for Patterson to run for the first down.
- Later in the drive on another 3rd down we run zone to the left. On the snap McKeon works across the formation and pulls a LB out of his gap as he had man cover responsibility. Higdon takes it right to the vacated gap as Bredeson and Onwenu open the seam and Ruiz finds the LB. Perfectly executed.
- Once again on 3rd down we run a great pitch & catch to Evans against man coverage. Collins and Martin work inside as Evans leaks out toward the sideline. The LB gets caught up in the wash and Evans picks up a big gain.
- Looked to me like the TD pass to Gentry was an RPO. Ruiz and JBB pulled around to the right as McKeon and Eubanks block down to open a hole but Patterson is likely reading LB and decides to pull and throw a dart to Gentry for the TD.
That TD came with less than a minute left in the third quarter and that’s really all I had time for this week.
We looked a little shaky the first couple possessions of the second half but other than that we really dominated that defense.
I talked about this a little bit on the message board on Monday but about the only thing I’d like to see change is more play action on early downs. We’ve got a really effective play action passing game and I think if we’d utilize it more it would help us break games open earlier.
It’s all there, I like what we have in terms of scheme and personnel but when the competition ramps up I think we’re going to have to be more aggressive. We can slowly bleed the PSU’s and Wisconsin’s of the world but we’re just not converting enough drives that start in the opponents side of the field.
I know...this sounds like rich-mans problems at this point but the expectations have changed and the bar has been raised. We’re going to need to turn it all on come the end of November and we’ll need to keep the throttle down all the way through the new year once we reach the biggest stage. The manball formula is necessary to get through the grind of the Big 10 schedule but we’re going to need an extra gear not too far into the future.
