O-Line Youth

[RABID]

Hopefully Mr. New Offensive Coordinator For 2014 will use it wisely.

I vote for Brent Key, Asst Head Coach/O-line coach @ UCF, or Dave Schramm, OC @ Fresno State.
I also like Nick Rolovich, OC @ Nevada.

 

[RABID]

You guys might also like this:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ant-coaches-who-should-be-head-coaches/page/3

Pay close attention to page 3 and 10.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

this has already been discussed on the board.

at least we get another bye week to prepare, though that didn't help Borges much.

Hopefully Mr. New Offensive Coordinator For 2014 will use it wisely.

An optimistic, yet unrealistic, post from Michchamp? It can't be so.

 

[hungry]

This is what it boils down to. That was the first game where I really thought that we had inferior coaches. In the end, we did pull basically our entire offensive coaching staff from a non-BCS school. There's a reason some of these guys where coaching at SDSU and not Alabama after being in coaching for a while and still at a non-BCS school. When OSU got Tressel from Youngstown State - I don't believe they poached their entire coaching staff. In the end, there's a reason some guys are coaching at Youngstown state and not Ohio State.

For example, Derrell Funk. This is literally his first experience coaching at a major program. He was a grad assistant for Illinois in the 80's and has since been at some pretty god awful programs. Maybe Funk is just meant to coach at a MAC school and isn't meant to coach at Michigan.

I still feel like defensively we have great coaching. They've taken some kids and really developed them on that side of the ball throughout the 3 years. They've put them in the best place to succeed. Do they succeed every time? No, but they are certainly a very capable unit.

Offensively, I just haven't seen it. All three years it's seemed as though the coaching staff just doesn't know what to do with the players we have on that side of the ball. They've made huge errors that have cost us games. The biggest one I can think of is moving Devin to WR and thinking Bellomy was a viable backup. How can you put those two players next to each other in practice and think the Bellomy gives you the same chance to win as Gardner? That's just bad coaching.

Either way, we can't do anything other than to just let this play out. It's frustrating but I guess we can all hope that Hoke makes some difficult calls in the next few months and solves the problems on that side of the ball. I don't really know who is to blame, since none of us are really "in" the program, but it's clear at this point that there is a serious coaching issue on offense.

If Denard doesn't go down vs Neb then the biggest mistake is never seen. I think there have been larger issues than this.

 

[hungry]

You can't tell me that the fullbacks on this team can't block better than Fitz. That's total bullshit. Put a fullback out there. You can't tell me that it would ruin the play action, because no one is buying that shit anyway and even a fullback can fall into the line for no gain.

 

[TheVictors]

Gardner wasn't moved to WR because Bellomy was so good, he was moved to WR to get him on the field. The NEB game was terrible and exposed Bellomy, but Gardner was moved because otherwise he wouldn't have seen the field, but for an injury to Denard.

 

[wlvrnstlr4life]

You can't tell me that the fullbacks on this team can't block better than Fitz. That's total bullshit. Put a fullback out there. You can't tell me that it would ruin the play action, because no one is buying that shit anyway and even a fullback can fall into the line for no gain.

Excellent post

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

If Denard doesn't go down vs Neb then the biggest mistake is never seen. I think there have been larger issues than this.

I think that just shows some of the "behind the scenes" coaching decisions that are terrible. That one was brought to light when Denard went down. It makes you wonder how many we don't know about?

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Gardner wasn't moved to WR because Bellomy was so good, he was moved to WR to get him on the field. The NEB game was terrible and exposed Bellomy, but Gardner was moved because otherwise he wouldn't have seen the field, but for an injury to Denard.

Yes, but taking all QB snaps away from him basically made it so that he was no longer able to be used as a backup QB. They deemed Bellomy a better backup and even last year through summer we were hearing from the coaches how they thought Bellomy and Gardner were basically tied in camp. I think they moved Gardner because they wanted to get his athleticism on the field but I also think they did that because they thought Bellomy was the better person for the backup QB roll.

And when we all know how Denard gets banged up throughout the year, the coaches had to have known that they would need the backup QB at some point in the year.

 

[jever4321]

Yes, but taking all QB snaps away from him basically made it so that he was no longer able to be used as a backup QB. They deemed Bellomy a better backup and even last year through summer we were hearing from the coaches how they thought Bellomy and Gardner were basically tied in camp. I think they moved Gardner because they wanted to get his athleticism on the field but I also think they did that because they thought Bellomy was the better person for the backup QB roll.

And when we all know how Denard gets banged up throughout the year, the coaches had to have known that they would need the backup QB at some point in the year.

...with Bellomy at QB they still had Gardner on the field. I think in the coaches minds, Gardner was supposed to represent the marquee wideout based on his size...When Bellomy didn't work out, they basically lost two impact players (the QB and the "marquee" receiver). That was a tough game for a young QB to get thrown into. Nebraska was playing really well defensively. I'd bet Bellomy isn't as bad as we all think.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

...with Bellomy at QB they still had Gardner on the field. I think in the coaches minds, Gardner was supposed to represent the marquee wideout based on his size...When Bellomy didn't work out, they basically lost two impact players (the QB and the "marquee" receiver). That was a tough game for a young QB to get thrown into. Nebraska was playing really well defensively. I'd bet Bellomy isn't as bad as we all think.

I don't think he's as bad as he was in the Nebraska game, but I can't imagine that he's better than Gardner at QB. With only three scholarship QB's on the roster at the time, you would think that you'd want Gardner at least splitting time at the position.

 

[Gulo Blue]

I don't buy into the O-line youth excuse. I might buy into the "Lewan is a horrible leader" idea, but the coaches should be all over that if that's the case.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I don't buy into the O-line youth excuse. I might buy into the "Lewan is a horrible leader" idea, but the coaches should be all over that if that's the case.

Even so, a bad leader and youth shouldn't = worst Oline performance in Michigan history. There's something else seriously wrong that we just don't know about.

 

[byco42]

I don't buy into the O-line youth excuse. I might buy into the "Lewan is a horrible leader" idea, but the coaches should be all over that if that's the case.

Several FR and RS/FR are rotating in. I've never been impressed with Schofield.

 

[TheVictors]

Yes, but taking all QB snaps away from him basically made it so that he was no longer able to be used as a backup QB. They deemed Bellomy a better backup and even last year through summer we were hearing from the coaches how they thought Bellomy and Gardner were basically tied in camp. I think they moved Gardner because they wanted to get his athleticism on the field but I also think they did that because they thought Bellomy was the better person for the backup QB roll.

And when we all know how Denard gets banged up throughout the year, the coaches had to have known that they would need the backup QB at some point in the year.

This is revisionist thinking. First, it was an emergency situation in Lincoln that forced Bellomy in to play and seeing how Gardner has played under pressure is year, the perma-blitzing Bellomy saw would have gotten to DG too. Second, DG was the starter the next week and took the team over with that comeback vs. NW, so the idea that DG wasn't getting snaps and that he wasn't ready is pretty weak. Memorial Stadium is a tough place to play and the Corn had the M game circled all summer after the ass whipping in A2 in 2011.

Yes, Bellomy looked horrible thst game but there is zero evidence to say that DG would have done any better as an emergency entrant at QB.

Plus, until Denard got hurt, the coaches would have no reason to worry about Denard getting hurt. I also seem to recall a few posters here gushing about Bellomy's Spring Game last year, so let's not pretend that we all knew Bellomy would suck or that Gardner could have stepped in without skipping a beat.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

This is revisionist thinking. First, it was an emergency situation in Lincoln that forced Bellomy in to play and seeing how Gardner has played under pressure is year, the perma-blitzing Bellomy saw would have gotten to DG too. Second, DG was the starter the next week and took the team over with that comeback vs. NW, so the idea that DG wasn't getting snaps and that he wasn't ready is pretty weak. Memorial Stadium is a tough place to play and the Corn had the M game circled all summer after the ass whipping in A2 in 2011.

Yes, Bellomy looked horrible thst game but there is zero evidence to say that DG would have done any better as an emergency entrant at QB.

Plus, until Denard got hurt, the coaches would have no reason to worry about Denard getting hurt. I also seem to recall a few posters here gushing about Bellomy's Spring Game last year, so let's not pretend that we all knew Bellomy would suck or that Gardner could have stepped in without skipping a beat.

Well, we know he stopped getting snaps at QB - the coaching staff said exactly that last year. Gardner had been permanently switched to WR for the season after a few games in. They only gave him snaps at QB after Bellomy got destroyed and we needed a QB for the rest of the year.

Sure, everything is 20/20 in hindsight - but it's still concerning that the coaches thought Bellomy was = to or better than Gardner at the position. We don't know if Gardner would have done better, but at least we could have tried something different than watching Bellomy get blasted play after play.

As I said, it wasn't really an "emergency situation" because we all knew Denard had a history of exiting games with injury. I think there's every reason for the coaches to think Denard was going to get hurt. It should have been expected that, at some point, Denard was going to go down and we'd need a backup QB. It happened consistently all 4 years Denard was at Michigan.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Even so, a bad leader and youth shouldn't = worst Oline performance in Michigan history. There's something else seriously wrong that we just don't know about.

By bad leader, I mean he could actually be a discouraging force.

 

[deathroh]

I don't buy into the O-line youth excuse. I might buy into the "Lewan is a horrible leader" idea, but the coaches should be all over that if that's the case.

Wait a second. Is this just poorly executed sarcasm or what? In the (recent) past you've touted the WSJ article that corresponds returning experience on the o-line with overall success. You even brought it up prior to this season if I'm remembering correctly. Now, when the experience factor has gotten even worse with the coaches replacing (non performing) inexperienced players with even less experienced players...it's not a reason/excuse?

 

[TheVictors]

So M&B, your issue is with the coaches and the ability to identify and develop talent. Moving DG to WR was ...to get him and his large body on the field. He wasn't the greatest WR but he was in the Funchess/Chesson mold we're seeing now.

But you seem to feel that the team would have been better with DG on the bench, waiting for Denard to inevitably get hurt and assert the NEB game outcome would have been a M win under these circumstances.

I completely disagree.

 

[TheVictors]

Wait a second. Is this just poorly executed sarcasm or what? In the (recent) past you've touted the WSJ article that corresponds returning experience on the o-line with overall success. You even brought it up prior to this season if I'm remembering correctly. Now, when the experience factor has gotten even worse with the coaches replacing (non performing) inexperienced players with even less experienced players...it's not a reason/excuse?

Lewan and Schofield have a lot of experience ...the rest have none.