Pirsig

die hard gopher

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Is it just me or did he make some the the EIU guys look like Clowney against Michigan? I think he was definitely the weak link of the O-line tonight and i can't wait to get Lauer back and move Campion back to RT. Too harsh?
 

I'm one of those guys who watches the fast, little guys... guilty as charged.
 

I'm one of those guys who watches the fast, little guys... guilty as charged.

Me too, I tend not to pay attention to the o-line unless it's obvious that someone is sucking.
 

Me too, I tend not to pay attention to the o-line unless it's obvious that someone is sucking.

Same with me. It was just every time a guy got a TFL on our RB when i watched the replay it was Pirsig's guy.
 

Same with me. It was just every time a guy got a TFL on our RB when i watched the replay it was Pirsig's guy.

Hard to say. EIU was run blitzing all night, especially when we were in an obvious run formation. It could just be a case of too many guys to block. I'm like furry and BarnBoy and don't watch the O-Line much but I re-watch every game and will focus more on Pirsig and the O-Line.
 


Hard to say if it was just him. Saw Williams and Plsek both badly miss blocks (Williams more than once) as well as the fullback. Looked like the blitzes were not what we were expecting. Whether it was lack of communication or what, there were quite a few plays we just missed assignments. Film day is not going to be a fun one for the team but hopefully they use it to get better and more crisp and we could get to be a very polished machine
 

He was bad, but it was his first game things slow down more than any other time from game one to game two. Let's see how he does next time out the gate.
 

I'll cut him some slack, it was his first game, I still think he's got a bright future ahead of him.
 

Hard to say. EIU was run blitzing all night, especially when we were in an obvious run formation. It could just be a case of too many guys to block. I'm like furry and BarnBoy and don't watch the O-Line much but I re-watch every game and will focus more on Pirsig and the O-Line.

I think that was a lot of it. I imagine they purposely kept the play calling pretty simple for the first game. We didn't see many plays to the outside, and hardly any read options with Leidner in the game.
 



We blocked really poorly against the blitz when we were running the ball.
 

I really thought it was Foster Bush as the weak link...in fact, the buddy I watched the game with thought so too....
we were talking about it would be nice to have Lauer back at LT, Campion at RG with Pirsig at RT.

I was one of the smaller faster types on the football field as opposed to any kind of lineman, but every year
I catch myself watching the lineman more and more than the playmakers.... Good football teams live and die
by the men in the trenches.
 

Hard to say if it was just him. Saw Williams and Plsek both badly miss blocks (Williams more than once) as well as the fullback. Looked like the blitzes were not what we were expecting. Whether it was lack of communication or what, there were quite a few plays we just missed assignments. Film day is not going to be a fun one for the team but hopefully they use it to get better and more crisp and we could get to be a very polished machine

I was just thinking the same thing. I also just decided I liked the thursday opener because it gives us a couple extra days to work these wrinkles out.
 

We know the Gophers won't be heading to the State Fair this weekend. They've got plenty of time booked in the film rooms.
 



I really thought it was Foster Bush as the weak link...in fact, the buddy I watched the game with thought so too....
we were talking about it would be nice to have Lauer back at LT, Campion at RG with Pirsig at RT.

I was one of the smaller faster types on the football field as opposed to any kind of lineman, but every year
I catch myself watching the lineman more and more than the playmakers.... Good football teams live and die
by the men in the trenches.
Agreed I thought Bush was the weak link as he missed a lot of blocks and other times when he had a chance to make a block out in open field on a screen he ran right past a couple guys and ended up not hitting anyone. I thought Pirsig was average and even noticed him getting out in space and blocking well as he looked to be pretty athletic for a player his size. The TE's really struggled blocking and on the Clowney type play where I'm sure some people will think it was Pirsig's fault it was Lincoln Plsek not getting his head across the guy and cutting him off and Mason went on talking about that play for about a minute how coaches will definitely be showing that one to the TE's.
 

We know the Gophers won't be heading to the State Fair this weekend. They've got plenty of time booked in the film rooms.
I bet you're right :).
Plenty of things to work on and improve in the next two weeks. No chance of the team getting too confident.
 

Agreed I thought Bush was the weak link as he missed a lot of blocks and other times when he had a chance to make a block out in open field on a screen he ran right past a couple guys and ended up not hitting anyone. I thought Pirsig was average and even noticed him getting out in space and blocking well as he looked to be pretty athletic for a player his size. The TE's really struggled blocking and on the Clowney type play where I'm sure some people will think it was Pirsig's fault it was Lincoln Plsek not getting his head across the guy and cutting him off and Mason went on talking about that play for about a minute how coaches will definitely be showing that one to the TE's.

Yeah...the run blitz was coming off the edge. Our blocking scheme has the takles looking heads up or reaching inside. The TEs (of which there are usually three on the field) are responsible for the gap outside of the takle...which is where the penetration was coming from.

Not saying that Bush and Pirsig graded out at 100%, but they weren't missing blocks on most of those plays...it was the TE and FB/HB whiffing over and over again. It was like we weren't prepared for the obvious defense against our base running plays. Ugh.
 

Yeah...the run blitz was coming off the edge. Our blocking scheme has the takles looking heads up or reaching inside. The TEs (of which there are usually three on the field) are responsible for the gap outside of the takle...which is where the penetration was coming from.

Not saying that Bush and Pirsig graded out at 100%, but they weren't missing blocks on most of those plays...it was the TE and FB/HB whiffing over and over again. It was like we weren't prepared for the obvious defense against our base running plays. Ugh.

Agreed. One series that sticks out is when we recovered their 2nd bad snap on about the 5 yard line. I think we ran 4 plays because of an offsides (neutral zone, etc). Line blocking looked good on all four plays, but Maxx missed his man twice and Kirkwood might have been able to bounce it outside and kind of just ran into the pile. Then Mitch ran it in. Great example of a series where you might say, "where was the blocking". It was there.
 

After re-watching the game, Pirsig did miss on a couple of plays, Bush missed a few more and our TE's and backs whiffed on some too. Overall I thought each did alright, but collectively they need work on picking up the Blitzes better.
 

Agreed I thought Bush was the weak link as he missed a lot of blocks and other times when he had a chance to make a block out in open field on a screen he ran right past a couple guys and ended up not hitting anyone. I thought Pirsig was average and even noticed him getting out in space and blocking well as he looked to be pretty athletic for a player his size. The TE's really struggled blocking and on the Clowney type play where I'm sure some people will think it was Pirsig's fault it was Lincoln Plsek not getting his head across the guy and cutting him off and Mason went on talking about that play for about a minute how coaches will definitely be showing that one to the TE's.

This is key. If anyone knows a thing or two about offensive line blocking schemes, it's Mason. If he calls out a guy for missing a block (or two, in Plesek's case), I'll trust his judgment.
 

I agree with this assessment.

I really thought it was Foster Bush as the weak link...in fact, the buddy I watched the game with thought so too....
we were talking about it would be nice to have Lauer back at LT, Campion at RG with Pirsig at RT.

I was one of the smaller faster types on the football field as opposed to any kind of lineman, but every year
I catch myself watching the lineman more and more than the playmakers.... Good football teams live and die
by the men in the trenches.

Pirsig struggled with who to block amongst the blitzers also, but it was Foster Bush who completely whiffed on two blitzers
in the A gap when he looked to block outside and blocked nobody, that and he had a holding penalty, not even an average game from Bush in this one, he would get the b- to C on the O-line.
The H-backs, tight ends and full backs all struggled to block anyone of the blitzers and the running backs did not do a particularly good job of picking up any of the blitzing lineman. I remember one instance where Cobb needed to just stay in front of his guy or chip him and he completely missed. I was surprised by Eastern Illinois athleticism and quickness on defense, they had decent size along the front four and were able to generate a lot of pressure blitzing their linebackers off the edge. A lot zero blitzes where they sold out to stop the run and brought everyone.
 

If we can't block on the right side; the Golden I is toast. Our straight up blocking looked good for the most part. The angle blocking (which is a whole different skill set) held more to be desired.

I'm confident that they'll get these kinks out for next week's Polar Bowl.
 


He was the weakest (of several) weak links on the O-line last night. Will be good to have Lauer back, but he has to be ready to step in. Hopefullly we can just mark it down as first-game nerves.
 

There is really no excuse for overall how much penetration we gave up. But it's only one game lets just get those kinks worked out.
 

EIU did a lot of blitzing indeed, and the gave a good accounting of themselves on the LOS. This will happen again, of course, and hopefully the boys get better at picking those attacks up. Still, if defenses are gonna bring it like that we gotta be ready to see it and take advantage. Just lining up in the I-formation for another 32 smash is not going to work. My plan would more option plays designed to go outside the tackles with a crack back block/route by the W/R against the play side linebacker. St. Johns did this to great effect over the years with a pulling guard to lead the blocking. If that LB brings it you just feed it off to the W/R as a quick slant. Quick strike 6 to 10 yards. The double option - it is basic and it is nothing new, but it will keep a defense honest if you can learn to execute it.

I'm not actually a football coach, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
 

EIU did a lot of blitzing indeed, and the gave a good accounting of themselves on the LOS. This will happen again, of course, and hopefully the boys get better at picking those attacks up. Still, if defenses are gonna bring it like that we gotta be ready to see it and take advantage. Just lining up in the I-formation for another 32 smash is not going to work. My plan would more option plays designed to go outside the tackles with a crack back block/route by the W/R against the play side linebacker. St. Johns did this to great effect over the years with a pulling guard to lead the blocking. If that LB brings it you just feed it off to the W/R as a quick slant. Quick strike 6 to 10 yards. The double option - it is basic and it is nothing new, but it will keep a defense honest if you can learn to execute it.

I agree with TrapperDoo, this is where Mitch Leidner has to come in and change things up at the line a little bit and help out his lineman and H-backs along with Tommy Olson too(he cannot be afraid to change it up and give Mitch another call to go to thinikng ahead if there showing you that continued look). Hopefully he get's more comfortable at the line of scrimmage in calling audibles or Olson can help Mitch out, when the defense is overloading there linebackers off the edge and your in a stacked "Maryland I" or smash 32, you have to adjust because your making it very difficult for the tackles, and H-backs full backs to be able to pick up more than one guy off the edge. This is where you can exploit the blitzers with a pulling guard and trap these suckers these zero dogs, but you need to get out of that tight formation in order to do so. Mitch is still a young guy for a quarterback even if he seems like an upper classmen now, and one thing he has going for him is if in doubt he can escape and take off running.
Coach Mason was right though you cannot completely whiff like Plesk did, you have to at least face guard a guy a little bit with your body or get some hands in the way. Not to single out Plesk because everyone was having trouble getting to the blitzer.
I have to imagine that Limegrover did not want to give to much away last night and really it was Bush and Pirsigs first start so they get the benefit of the doubt and a chance to get better. With that tight to line of scrimmage Maryland I your going to open yourself up to the edge rusher unless the QB can change it up sooner. I would like to see some middle screens from Mitch to get him used to those dump off plays like he did on the swing pass to Roderick Williams that was heck of a nice play by both the QB and RB to pick up the first down and beat the blitz. It was a fun game to see the Gopher defense play hard and for the most part tackle well. There not going to see as many dual threat quarterbacks that are as quick as #2 last night with the exception of the Michigan guy or the new guy at Wisconsin.
 

Ok i watched the the game (offense in slow motion) and Pirsig did not miss as much as Max did. if it weren't for his jump over the DB his night was full of missed assignments that would have led to scoring plays. it was his responsibility and he missed it.

having 10 guys do the right thing and one not will cause a play to break down. Every OL missed at least a couple except for Champion he was a beast. and of course Epping did enough to get a punch int the groin!

I am hoping that the first game will lead to more dominate performance in the 2nd game otherwise the O will be open for a long period of drought for scoring again this season
 

EIU was a good barometer for the OLine. Their Defense is rank up there even though they are an FCS school. They routed San Diego State last year and also have a high scoring offense averaging mucho points.

These preseason games are good for our young pups in both offense & defense. They will know how far they have to go in order to be B1G caliber when it is all said & done. The sooner we can throw them into the fire early in the season the better for the team as a whole.
 

We need a permanent thread on just the OL. Great discussion and even more fun to read.
 

Do you think Christianson will take over Bush spot during the Big Ten
 




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