Mailbag question: Offensive plays

Posted at 2:00pm -- 10/14/2009

Mailbag question: Offensive plays

How many times do we run the same offensive play? Seems like we run about 10 or so and they are the same basic plays.

It seems like the imagination of this offense is not there and that when something (a play) gets positive yardage we just keep using it over and over again, which is fine if it works, but seems like no matter what we keep using the same basic plays.

The one running play seems to be our "bread and butter," especially on first down where the back is on one side of the qb and we hand him the ball off going the other way and especially with Minor who seems to always cut it up to the outside.

Isn’t this offense supposed to have more "stuff"?

Brian F.

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Thanks for the question.

No, this offense does not have either more stuff or plays. Coach Frey, at the spring clinics of both the past two years, stated this offense has nine basic running plays and two of those are used only if needed.

All the Michigan offensive coaches emphasized the key to this offense was having a fewer number of plays executed to perfection and playing fast. This is know in coach speak as keeping things simple and this allows Michigan to play fast.

The inside zone, quarterback read, option, you described is the basis of the entire offense and the key to its success.

Well the biggest thing we have seen lately is that Michigan has not been able to get the big plays like they were able to do earlier in the year. Playing better teams makes it tougher to break the big one compared to playing Eastern and Western Michigan.

Written by GBMW Staff

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