Pioneer Press: How much did option reads hamper shutdown running game?

Fleck on Sports Huddle said (paraphrasing), they don't want Rhoda running a lot because they don't want him to get hurt. Fleck added "that's how Maryland wound up playing the 3rd-string QB" - meaning the first 2 QB's got hurt running the ball.

<b>If that's the case, fine. If the coaches don't want the QB running, then I humbly suggest that you adjust the system to suit what the QB does best. Rhoda - as others have pointed out - is not a running QB. He's an I-formation or pro-set type, drop-back QB. That is why Claeys & co didn't want him back, because he didn't fit the system they were planning to run. Fleck asked Rhoda to come back, but he has him playing in a system that he really isn't suited for.</b>

Seems obvious, huh?


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Fleck on Sports Huddle said (paraphrasing), they don't want Rhoda running a lot because they don't want him to get hurt. Fleck added "that's how Maryland wound up playing the 3rd-string QB" - meaning the first 2 QB's got hurt running the ball.

If that's the case, fine. If the coaches don't want the QB running, then I humbly suggest that you adjust the system to suit what the QB does best. Rhoda - as others have pointed out - is not a running QB. He's an I-formation or pro-set type, drop-back QB. That is why Claeys & co didn't want him back, because he didn't fit the system they were planning to run. Fleck asked Rhoda to come back, but he has him playing in a system that he really isn't suited for.

Zach Terrell wasn't exactly a running QB at Western Michigan either. The offense worked pretty well there.
 

Zach Terrell wasn't exactly a running QB at Western Michigan either. The offense worked pretty well there.

What does this have to do with SON's suggestion to adjust the offense for what our QB does best? How dare he suggest PJ do something different.


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What does this have to do with SON's suggestion to adjust the offense for what our QB does best? How dare he suggest PJ do something different.


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Because Fleck's offense is designed to work with a QB that doesn't need to run. Rhoda is more than capable and pulling it down and running for 18 yards per game, which is what Terrell did at WMU. He doesn't need a dual threat QB for his offense to work. He does need an OL who can block, WRs who can catch, and a QB who can accurately throw.
 

Because Fleck's offense is designed to work with a QB that doesn't need to run. Rhoda is more than capable and pulling it down and running for 18 yards per game, which is what Terrell did at WMU. He doesn't need a dual threat QB for his offense to work. He does need an OL who can block, WRs who can catch, and a QB who can accurately throw.

Agree. Pretty sure he has all three. Pass blocking has not been an issue. Don't understand the basic, vanilla offense.
 


Agree. Pretty sure he has all three. Pass blocking has not been an issue. Don't understand the basic, vanilla offense.

Running the ball is still the most important and the run blocking is brutal. You also need playmakers on the outside to spread the field. The Gophers have 1, TJ. The offense has been vanilla for years because of the issues they have on the OL, QB, and at WR. This year is no different.
 

Running the ball is still the most important and the run blocking is brutal. You also need playmakers on the outside to spread the field. The Gophers have 1, TJ. The offense has been vanilla for years because of the issues they have on the OL, QB, and at WR. This year is no different.

Sorry, Fleck has what is needed to run the offense. I see none of the short pass, play option, or edge runs. It was painfully obvious that those all were for the taking yesterday. Really hard to run with 8 in the box. All of those would have helped the run. Zero adjustments. It was very puzzling.
 

Sorry, Fleck has what is needed to run the offense. I see none of the short pass, play option, or edge runs. It was painfully obvious that those all were for the taking yesterday. Really hard to run with 8 in the box. All of those would have helped the run. Zero adjustments. It was very puzzling.

Yeah because they don't have the athletes to do it. He doesn't have even close to what he needs on offense. Kill and Claeys had the same problem. It's not puzzling at all.
 

There is no reason for running the zone read if you aren't going to read the end and keep it if he crashes. Use a straight run play and hand it off quicker and block it differently. It seems either poorly thought out or poorly executed (maybe both).
 



There is no reason for running the zone read if you aren't going to read the end and keep it if he crashes. Use a straight run play and hand it off quicker and block it differently. It seems either poorly thought out or poorly executed (maybe both).

Yeah, it seems odd. They do have Rhoda under center at times - might as well keep doing that.
 

Sorry, Fleck has what is needed to run the offense. I see none of the short pass, play option, or edge runs. It was painfully obvious that those all were for the taking yesterday. Really hard to run with 8 in the box. All of those would have helped the run. Zero adjustments. It was very puzzling.

Yeah, it's not hard to figure out if your QB isn't particularly good, you're running into Big Ten caliber defensive fronts, and you don't have an all world WR it helps to have a QB that threatens with his legs. Sure you'd love to have a great QB throwing to a 4 star cast of receivers but that's not happening any time soon.
 

Yeah, it's not hard to figure out if your QB isn't particularly good, your running into Big Ten caliber defensive fronts, and you don't have an all world WR it helps to have a QB that threatens with his legs. Sure you'd love to have a great QB throwing to a 4 star cast of receivers but that's. Out happening any time soon.

Didn't open up the play book at all. There's more than enough talent to do so. I was just really surprised because the 5-10 yards behind the LBs was wide open for the taking.
 

Didn't open up the play book at all. There's more than enough talent to do so. I was just really surprised because the 5-10 yards behind the LBs was wide open for the taking.

I'm pretty sure at least some of their plays can be changed by the QB pre-snap. It looked to me like Rhoda either changed the play incorrectly into a run call on some of the plays that got blown up or he gave a dummy audible and should have changed the play but didn't. This could be a case of mis-reading the defense and not taking advantage of situation. I'm hoping this week was a learning opportunity and not a permanent trend.
 



I'm pretty sure at least some of their plays can be changed by the QB pre-snap. It looked to me like Rhoda either changed the play incorrectly into a run call on some of the plays that got blown up or he gave a dummy audible and should have changed the play but didn't. This could be a case of mis-reading the defense and not taking advantage of situation. I'm hoping this week was a learning opportunity and not a permanent trend.

That's a handful of plays if true. My point is that the staff didn't game plan well or make adjustments. I'm sure they will do better going forward. As I said in other posts, players and coaches under performed in that game.
 




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