Kirk Campbell on 'scheming people open' in the passing game, more
Michigan’s passing game has yet to get going this year for a multitude of reasons, Kirk Campbell said Monday. Junior Alex Orji has taken the reins from Davis Warren and thrown for 32 and 86 yards vs. USC and Minnesota, respectively — that will need to improve if the Wolverines are going to reach their goals.
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Offensive coordinator Campbell has had his hands tied a bit with sloppy offensive line and receiver play in addition to sketchy quarterback play. Even the veteran backs have been hit and miss in pass protection this year. But they continue to work on ways to make the offense better beyond a complete overhaul.
“Obviously, the number one goal is for us to win the football game,” Campbell said Monday. “And when you get in the games, they play out different ways. You get big leads in big games and you want to get to the finish line with the ‘W.’ That’s the ultimate goal.
“But to help out the pass game, one, we’ve got to execute with more precision and detail across the board, making sure we put them in good position. But then when the plays are called, we’ve got to execute, as well. So, there’s a catch-22 there. We can, and we have plays on the call sheet to be creative that everybody wants, but if you’re not executing at a high level and moving the football, they’re hard to get off the call sheet. Once you start rolling first downs, you’re able to call those things.”
Even then, it can come back to bite you. Three game-changing interceptions this year came on first and 10 calls when the offense was moving. On one, Warren threw the ball up for grabs when senior running back Donovan Edwards missed a pass protection. Another, his arm got hit as he was going to the end zone.
On a third — Saturday — Orji made a terrible throw, or (as Campbell noted) the game would have been 31-3, all but over. Additionally, the Wolverines were without some of their personnel that could have helped them.
“Not having Semaj last week was a little detriment,” Campbell said. “That’s one of our most explosive players, and we were trying to get him involved as you saw early against USC. So, yeah — we’ve got to help those guys. But when the players are called, we’ve got to execute, as well.”
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That goes beyond just catching the ball for receivers, as well. Routes have been sloppy at times. At others, guys aren’t where they need to be. Just a yard or two can change the outcome of a play — so can a lack of pass blocking, which we’ve also seen too often.
This spring, Campbell said he felt this could be an “explosive” offense. He still believes he didn’t overestimate Michigan’s talent level.
“I don’t think so. When the plays are there, we’ve got to make them, right?” Campbell said. “And then we’ve got to put them in situations to make the plays, too. I still stand by we’ve got really talented players, but we’ve got make some more plays, and we’ve got to call plays to get them in situations to go out there and make them.
“There are multiple things we have done and we need to continue to do. You get them stacked in bunched and motions and all that stuff and, you know, and then you’ve got to win by confines of the routes, the top of the routes. We know we’re going to get challenged in man coverage, and we’ve got to learn to separate. We’ve made some critiques to practice just so we can go out there and make sure we practice or play better on Saturdays. We’ve got to continue to emphasize those points and make sure that we execute them come gameday.”
They’ll get another chance Saturday in a hostile environment at Washington.
