Run Chart: Utah

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Hart Chart returns for 2008 without the Hart and hence, a much duller name. I thought about calling it the McGuffie/Shaw/Brown/Minor/Sheridan/Threet Chart, but that's just creepy.

For those that need a primer on what the following charts are there for, please see the Hart Chart links on the left hand side.

Annnd we're rolling.

O-Line (from LT to RT): Ortmann - McAvoy - Molk - Moosman - Schilling

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot	Sheridan	Botched reverse	-6	Schilling	Ortmann, McGuffie
1-G	Shotgun split twins	McGuffie	Zone left	1	Molk, Moosman	Schilling (-2)

Notes: Reverse was an option right with Sheridan and McGuffie, with slot man Odoms supposed to take the pitch from Sheridan on a reverse. McGuffie ran into Odoms, killing the play. Schilling held his man off to give Sheridan a chance to reverse his field. Ortmann ran around doing nothing. Second play, Molk and Moosman create a sizable hole, but Schilling simply dives at the ankles of a defender, who stays up and stuffs McGuffie.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
3-13	Shotgun split slot	Shaw	Delayed draw	2	Moosman	Ortmann, McAvoy

Notes: A give up play since Sheridan can't really throw. Moosman gets the best of his man, but Ortmann escorts his right into Shaw, while McAvoy is caught upfield when another Ute assisted on the tackle.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot	McGuffie	Zone right	-5	-	Shaw, McGuffie
3-4	Shotgun split slot	Sheridan	Triple option right	3	Ortmann, McAvoy, Molk, Moosman, Schilling	-

Notes: Shaw doesn't block anyone (was he supposed to?), and defenders are in on McGuffie from the start; Sam makes it worse by trying to cut back and reversing his field, turning a one or two yard loss into minus 5. 3rd and 4, Sheridan fakes zone left to Shaw, runs option right with Minor. Offensive line sells the zone left perfectly, but Utah has it sniffed out anyway. No real mistake here, as Sheridan wiggles for 3 and doesn't try pitching to Minor, which would've been disastrous.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-9	Shotgun trips right	Brown	QB sweep right	4	Butler, Hemingway	Schilling
1-10	3-WR shotgun HB weak	Minor	Off tackle left	0	-	Butler, Ortmann, McAvoy

Notes: Carlos Brown takes the snap and runs to the right, where Butler and Hemingway give him good containment blocks to slip through. Schilling though, can't finish off his block, and his man gets Brown's ankles and trips him.

1st and 10, Odoms goes in motion from the left slot as Sheridan hands to Minor. The diversion only draws Utah's strongside linebacker closer in, and Butler, Ortmann and McAvoy all fail to keep Utah defenders away from Minor. The LB who was drawn in gets by Butler and stuffs Minor for no gain.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	???	Sheridan	Zone read?	8	Schilling	-

Notes: Hard to pick this one up, as the ball was snapped while ABC was exulting the virtues of BCS Busters past. Appears to be generic 3-wide with McGuffie as the RB. Sheridan fakes it to him - or pulls it out on the zone read, again, hard to tell - and runs for eight with a nice block from Schilling. Half ends.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun ace	McGuffie	Zone read handoff	2	-	Moundros, Schilling
2-8	Shotgun 4-WR spread	McGuffie	Zone read fumble	-4	-	Sheridan, McGuffie (-2)

Notes: "Shotgun ace" is entirely uninspiring; only 2 WRs on the field, Butler at TE and Moundros in at another TE spot opposite him. Moundros completely whiffs, not blocking anyone, while Schilling is overwhelmed. End result is a miniscule gain.

Next play is 4-wide, two on each side. Sheridan and McGuffie bungle the play, as Sheridan tries to pull it out while McGuffie doesn't want to give it up. Utah recovers the fumble. McGuffie gets an extra minus for staring and pointing at Sheridan. Piece of advice (from someone who never played sports but is familiar with human relations): Don't show up people on your side by pointing out their mistakes in the open.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot	Shaw	Delayed off tackle left	-1	-	Ortmann, Molk, Moosman
2-11	Shotgun split slot	Threet	Designed playaction pass; run right	1	-	-

Notes: By the way, "split slot" is just obviously 3-wide with one in the slot, and the split in the backfield with the QB and a RB/FB on his each side. Ortmann, Molk and Moosman are all overwhelmed here, and the play is blown up.

Second play isn't really applicable. The OL was in pass protection and was off the screen by the time Threet ran.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot	Minor	Zone read handoff	21	Moosman, Molk, McAvoy	-
1-10	Shotgun split slot	McGuffie	Zone read handoff	0	Ortmann	Molk, Moosman (-2), Schilling
2-6	Shotgun split slot	Minor	Off tackle right; fumble	0	-	Minor

Notes: The middle of the line - Moosman, Molk and McAvoy - create a huge gap for Minor to burst through on first down.

McGuffie's carry, Molk is bullrushed and overpowered. Moosman does the annoying dive at the ankles which fails miserably. Schilling never engages anyone, and all three of the defenders converge at the ball.

Minor's carry, there isn't really any OL issues. A stunt by Utah forces Minor outside to the right, where he fumbles as he is tackled.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace 3-WR	McGuffie	HB dive	5	Ortmann, Molk	-
2-5	Shotgun trips right	McGuffie	Zone left handoff	4	Schilling, Molk, McAvoy	-
3-1	Shotgun split twins right	McGuffie	Off tackle (?) right	2	Schilling, Moosman, Molk	-

Notes: Michigan's first successful play under center (and second overall, first being Sheridan's fumbled snap) goes for five (!!). OH DEBORD, WE WERE WRONG ALL ALONG. WE LOVE YOU.

Next two plays are back to the gun with McGuffie. The 3rd and 1 play was a little weird. It wasn't really a zone play, since the OL didn't move as one single entity, and it didn't appear as if Threet was ever planning on pulling it out. It wasn't a draw, and may have been off tackle.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot	Threet	Zone read	-2	-	Threet
2-G	Shotgun ace	McGuffie	Right up the gut - TD	2	Schilling, Moosman, Moundros	-

Notes: I have a real problem with the playcall on the 1st down play. Threet is a statue. He should never have zone read plays called for him where he is taught to pull the ball and run if the end he's reading crashes down on the RB. Regardless of that, he makes the wrong call here. The Utes don't bite on the play, and Threet has nowhere to go.

Second play, Schilling and Moosman bury their assignments, and Moundros seals a hole right up the middle for McGuffie to squirt through for the touchdown. On a side note, does anyone else just hate the shotgun inside the five? That's one place where I'll miss the i-formation with the fullback shuffle.

Charting ceases here, as the final run of the game is a 2-yard scramble by Threet out of a passing play.

Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	3	4	-1
McAvoy	3	2	1
Molk	6	2	4
Moosman	6	3	3
Schilling	6	5	1
McGuffie	0	4	-4
Minor	0	1	-1
Moundros	1	1	0
Threet	0	1	-1
Shaw	0	1	-1
Sheridan	0	1	-1
Butler	1	1	0
Hemingway	1	0	1
TOTAL	27	26	+1

Thoughts:

• An overall score of +1 seems dubious since Michigan ran for 36 yards on 25 carries. This is remedied slightly by the fact that they actually gained 62, and lost 26 on sacks and negative carries and by the fact that one successful run in a zone scheme can often put pluses on the board for almost the entire offensive line.
• Overall, as everyone knows, this was a stinky performance. Run blocking was spotty, and the numbers would be worse if pass blocking was analyzed as well. However, this was the first game in a new system with one starter back. Lets not talk the long walk off the short cliff yet.
• Is the annoyingly useless tactic of having an offensive lineman literally throw himself at the ankles of a defender feebly actually taught? If so, can we throw fruit at the teacher? This is a useless technique that at best might neutralize a defender for a moment or two, at worst will result in a cut block and accusations of dirty play, and most of the time will do nothing except take one of your offensive linemen out of the play while freeing up a defender for an easy tackle on the ball carrier. Both Schilling and Moosman did this from what I saw, and both times it was a spectacular failure.
• McGuffie and Shaw were, predictably, erratic. We were so spoiled by four years of Henne and Hart.