Re-watching game and here is what I see...

[ribbont]

from the line play.


1st play good.
2nd an under throw by Baze but good protection
3rd Shivers misses block but still a completion.

4th Shivers doesn't read the opening and plows straight ahead.
5th was nice pass to Cam.

6th missed blitz pick up. UC just called the right D on what I think was a counter play.
7th Shivers misses a block and DJ dropped for a loss.
8th delayed handoff and Muphy beat. Punted.

1st run and Haggard can't sustain block on LB. 2-3 yd gain.
2nd. Decent protection for a long developing play and Baze threw OB.
3rd. Great protection and huge overthrow for INT. 3 pts UC.

1st Josh not bad run.
2nd good quick slant
3rd Josh good run

4th dropped by Josh
5th Baze flushed right and good throw to Cam

6th good protection and complete to Cam

7th ok protection. Hanna pushed back close to Baze. Overthrow
8th rpo and Baze for 8
9th no room to run but Josh bounced to 1st down

10th Murphy missed stunt. But complete to DJ.
11th nice run by Josh
12th nice line blocking for 1st down run

13th Hanna slow to get good block but still completed to Shivers. UC sniffed it out
14th nice run blocking for a 7 yd gain
15th good protection. Baze got happy feet and rolled out to nothing.

1st. So open left on a run but Steinfelt thrown off like a rag doll.
2nd had time but bad pass

Dumbest announcer line of the game. With :25 sec left in Q1: "now if your Indiana, you have to be careful about giving the ball to Cincinnati with some time and a short field." You mean like the whole 2nd quarter? SMH.

3rd delayed stunt and Murphy a bit late but pushed Pace out right. Of course, Baze got happy feet and rolled that way and got sacked.

1st. Nice run blocking for 20 yds.

2nd. ND/UNC cut away.
3rd. Run. Hanna can't hold block.
4th great protection. 20 yds to Cam

1st. Protection fine. Bad throw or miscommunication.
2nd. No blitz pick up on rt side. Hanna beat.
3rd Katic chose to double and let a DT run right by him.

That's all I got tonight but I think out line is not terrible in ability but gets confused on stunts and blitzes. Straight up pass protection, they did well but Baze would make a bad pass or get happy feet.

Running blocking was not great but somehow Josh found holes. Shivers can bust plays to the outside but inside, he is just not elusive like Josh.

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

Very apparent Josh has better vision, balance and power. He's more elusive but encountering contact many times bounces off tacklers (or vice versa). Shivers gets absorbed by them after stutter stepping delays behind the LOS or wasted lateral movement. He believes he's fast and powerful but wastes both pitifully. Henderson launches into openings with good success.

 

[TMFT]

Shivers is a physical runner. Just not physical to break DL tackles. I think he hits the second level just fine. It was really nice to see that 47 yd run Saturday. I can’t remember the last of gainer like that.

Josh has been very impressive overall. I think they really do complement each other. I’m not entirely sure I agree with Shivers getting the bulk of the snaps, but it’s not very high on my list of IU problems.

 

[ribbont]

Very apparent Josh has better vision, balance and power. He's more elusive but encountering contact many times bounces off tacklers (or vice versa). Shivers gets absorbed by them after stutter stepping delays behind the LOS or wasted lateral movement. He believes he's fast and powerful but wastes both pitifully. Henderson launches into openings with good success.

I believe Shivers has speed but not great burst. He needs to get outside or get through the first level to use his speed. He had a 20 and 47 yd run last game and probably would have had another if not for a missed block. I don't think he wastes his speed or power but the holes open and close so quickly with our line that he doesn't have time to hit them.

Henderson has a nice burst and good lateral movement, so he adjusts well at the line when the hole closes. But he does not have breakaway speed like Shivers.

 

[jacksback]

Shivers is pretty much a straight line runner. The guy can't make anyone miss unless he simply has the chance to outrun them to the outside. Definitely fast but not at all shifty which seems a little odd for a guy built like a bowling ball.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

The kid at Center, Murphy, is a feel-good story with how much he loves the university but he is completely overmatched and was flat on his back repeatedly throughout the game. Our depth is littered with guys from the state of Indiana who should not be at an FBS school. Now, many of these guys are walk-on’s but for Hiller to say his focus is Ft. Wayne IN, tells you all you need to know about his flimsy strategy.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

The kid at Center, Murphy, is a feel-good story with how much he loves the university but he is completely overmatched and was flat on his back repeatedly throughout the game. Our depth is littered with guys from the state of Indiana who should not be at an FBS school. Now, many of these guys are walk-on’s but for Hiller to say his focus is Ft. Wayne IN, tells you all you need to know about his flimsy strategy.

As a reminder, part of Mallory’s downfall was his stubborn loyalty to recruiting this state for OLs. He took a boatload of kids from Indiana schools that had no business playing at a Big Ten school. But, like Allen, he had some nostalgic rah-rah traits where he thought everyone in the state was like some Rudy figure playing for the home university. Nice for a storybook but doesn’t work on the field.
I would personally get the hell out of recruiting these in-state OL. You get a 3-star from Indiana and they are largely not worth a shit.

 

[TMFT]

The kid at Center, Murphy, is a feel-good story with how much he loves the university but he is completely overmatched and was flat on his back repeatedly throughout the game. Our depth is littered with guys from the state of Indiana who should not be at an FBS school. Now, many of these guys are walk-on’s but for Hiller to say his focus is Ft. Wayne IN, tells you all you need to know about his flimsy strategy.

Caleb had a really rough day Saturday. Particularly against the bull rush, like you said ended up flat on his back several times.

I wouldn't necessarily write him off. I think he's young and has been through so many position changes already that he's not had the opportunity to grow into the position. He was 3rd on the depth chart at C for a reason.

I also saw Sales was out there some but I didn't watch him too closely. I think the biggest thing that got the OL into trouble was that they started getting creamed in the 4th quarter after the drive came up empty when they were fixing to go in and score and make it a one score game. If they punched it in, they would have been able stay on schedule, get another defensive stop with plenty of time to go on another drive. As it turned out, they didn't, and they had to think long passes from there on out and Cinci was able to let it rip on defense. Got ugly.

 

[sparkeyreturns]

As a reminder, part of Mallory’s downfall was his stubborn loyalty to recruiting this state for OLs. He took a boatload of kids from Indiana schools that had no business playing at a Big Ten school. But, like Allen, he had some nostalgic rah-rah traits where he thought everyone in the state was like some Rudy figure playing for the home university. Nice for a storybook but doesn’t work on the field.
I would personally get the hell out of recruiting these in-state OL. You get a 3-star from Indiana and they are largely not worth a shit.

So you are saying that you remember Mallory having very poor offensive line play? Ok.. that is an original take.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

So you are saying that you remember Mallory having very poor offensive line play? Ok.. that is an original take.

Yes - his seasons after 1994. He took some really marginal kids and his OL was bad. Take a look at the offensive production those final two seasons.

 

[Crossblock]

If We want to recruit Offensive Linemen, have somebody spy on and follow the Wisconsin and Iowa Recruiters and identify the guys they can't take due to numbers limits. You know the kid who can stand on the barn floor and use only a pitchfork to throw a hay bail up to the loft. Those two Schools seem to recruit a lot of in state O linemen who aren't 4 and 5 star recruits but develop in their systems and become NFL prospects.

 

[Jackskip23]

Yes - his seasons after 1994. He took some really marginal kids and his OL was bad. Take a look at the offensive production those final two seasons.

Mal was really good with his O lines. Really good. Things fell off after ‘94 in many position groups, but the O line was far from the only spot where we had trouble.

 

[Jackskip23]

If We want to recruit Offensive Linemen, have somebody spy on and follow the Wisconsin and Iowa Recruiters and identify the guys they can't take due to numbers limits. You know the kid who can stand on the barn floor and use only a pitchfork to throw a hay bail up to the loft. Those two Schools seem to recruit a lot of in state O linemen who aren't 4 and 5 star recruits but develop in their systems and become NFL prospects.

They look for frame, feet, hips and hands. Then they have coaches who develop them a certain way. Wisconsin’s center is an Indiana kid who will play in the NFL. By the time we offered, we basically had no chance. Not saying he would’ve prospered for us, but both of those schools have cultivated a well earned reputation for developing great O linemen, and it’s easy to see why kids want to go there. We just need to find those niches and make them work to our advantage. I think we’re doing that some on D but it’s been a more difficult road on O.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

If We want to recruit Offensive Linemen, have somebody spy on and follow the Wisconsin and Iowa Recruiters and identify the guys they can't take due to numbers limits. You know the kid who can stand on the barn floor and use only a pitchfork to throw a hay bail up to the loft. Those two Schools seem to recruit a lot of in state O linemen who aren't 4 and 5 star recruits but develop in their systems and become NFL prospects.

Both of those programs have a track record of developing Olinemen. If my kid were a four star OL I would really look closely at those teams.

 

[Hoosiers47614]

My biggest concern with Murphy is his inconsistency snapping the ball.
Most glaringly here was the obvious bad snap that rolled in the end zone and easily could've been a safety. Beyond that, though, I could see from the stands a ton of other high and/or off-target snaps in that game.

Aside from the obvious turnover risk a bad snap presents, it screws up the play timing.
Which happened multiple times Saturday and against WKU, most clearly on the 4th down in the WKU game. He has to get that fixed or move out of that spot.

 

[Tommaker]

from the line play.


1st play good.
2nd an under throw by Baze but good protection
3rd Shivers misses block but still a completion.

4th Shivers doesn't read the opening and plows straight ahead.
5th was nice pass to Cam.

6th missed blitz pick up. UC just called the right D on what I think was a counter play.
7th Shivers misses a block and DJ dropped for a loss.
8th delayed handoff and Muphy beat. Punted.

1st run and Haggard can't sustain block on LB. 2-3 yd gain.
2nd. Decent protection for a long developing play and Baze threw OB.
3rd. Great protection and huge overthrow for INT. 3 pts UC.

1st Josh not bad run.
2nd good quick slant
3rd Josh good run

4th dropped by Josh
5th Baze flushed right and good throw to Cam

6th good protection and complete to Cam

7th ok protection. Hanna pushed back close to Baze. Overthrow
8th rpo and Baze for 8
9th no room to run but Josh bounced to 1st down

10th Murphy missed stunt. But complete to DJ.
11th nice run by Josh
12th nice line blocking for 1st down run

13th Hanna slow to get good block but still completed to Shivers. UC sniffed it out
14th nice run blocking for a 7 yd gain
15th good protection. Baze got happy feet and rolled out to nothing.

1st. So open left on a run but Steinfelt thrown off like a rag doll.
2nd had time but bad pass

Dumbest announcer line of the game. With :25 sec left in Q1: "now if your Indiana, you have to be careful about giving the ball to Cincinnati with some time and a short field." You mean like the whole 2nd quarter? SMH.

3rd delayed stunt and Murphy a bit late but pushed Pace out right. Of course, Baze got happy feet and rolled that way and got sacked.

1st. Nice run blocking for 20 yds.

2nd. ND/UNC cut away.
3rd. Run. Hanna can't hold block.
4th great protection. 20 yds to Cam

1st. Protection fine. Bad throw or miscommunication.
2nd. No blitz pick up on rt side. Hanna beat.
3rd Katic chose to double and let a DT run right by him.

That's all I got tonight but I think out line is not terrible in ability but gets confused on stunts and blitzes. Straight up pass protection, they did well but Baze would make a bad pass or get happy feet.

Running blocking was not great but somehow Josh found holes. Shivers can bust plays to the outside but inside, he is just not elusive like Josh.

Great write up!