Michigan Football: 3 Keys for Wolverines against Penn State
By Adam Childs
1. Throw to open up the running game
This seems completely backward in thinking for a Michigan offense, but it is something they need to do. Normally Harbaugh has offense run and run and run again to hopefully open up the offense. Once the run is set up they use play-action to get the passing game going.
Well if you paid attention to the game against Rutgers, and at times that was hard to do, but McNamara came in and started slinging it around the field and all of sudden Hassan Haskins found holes to grind out yards.
The Michigan offense line is more of a band aid than anything else right now and they need all the help they can get. They haven’t been opening up huge holes early in games this year or really at all. But if the Wolverines can establish the pass and back off the linebackers, in can help the line create those holes for the running backs.
When Milton was in the game, the opposing defenses pressured him and weren’t worried about getting burnt. Milton has struggled with his accuracy and got happy feet, so it was an effective strategy. But McNamara has looked calmer in the pocket and has been much more accurate. That keeps teams from blitzing as much and will open up the running game.
It is completely against what Harbaugh has done his whole career, but hey it hasn’t been working this year, so get out of the old mindset and let the passing game open up the running game.