I reviewed every offensive play from the West Virginia game in slow motion and stop action. For each OL I determined if the block they were attempting was effective or ineffective. Generally speaking, if the defender gets off the attempted block quickly, I consider it to be ineffective. If no attempt is made to block a defender, I make no notation. I do not keep statistics for games against non division one opponents. I include FBs and TEs. I include performances which have been nullified by penalty.
This analysis is not an attempt to grade the OL which would take into consideration many more aspects of an OL’s performance.
I express the results in ratios. For instance, a 3.0:1 ratio means that the OL had 3 effective blocks for every 1 ineffective block. Obviously, the higher the ratio, the better the performance.
In an attempt to give greater coherence to the data, I have created three categories: clearly good, mediocre, and clearly bad. The delineation of these categories is solely based on past, Miami, OL performance and they have been modified from time to time.
Run Blocking:
Less than 3.3:1=clearly bad
Between 3.3:1 - 5.0:1=mediocre
More than 5.0:1=clearly good
Pass Blocking:
Less than 5.7:1=clearly bad
Between 5.7:1 - 9.5:1=mediocre
More than 9.5:1=clearly good
I also keep track of good key blocks and bad key blocks. The categories are self explanatory, but, since all effective pass blocks are good key blocks, I do not bother to include them. But ineffective pass blocks can qualify as bad key blocks.
West Virginia
Run Blocking
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
1. Dobard was effective on all 5 attempts.
2. Gauthier 10.0:1
3. Njoku 8.0:1
4. Williams 6.0:1
Mediocre (3.3:1 - 5.0:1)
5. Darling 3.5:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
7. McDermott 2.6:1
7. Gall 2.6:1
8. Isidora 1.8:1
9. St Louis 1.3:1
10. Herndon 1.2:1
Season
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
1. Chickillo was effective on all 4 attempts.
2. Dobard 7.0:1
3. Williams 6.3:1
Mediocre (3.3:1 - 5.0:1)
4. Jones 5.0:1
5. Njoku 4.3:1
6. Darling 4.2:1
7. Mahoney 4.0:1
8. Odogwu 3.4:1
9. Gauthier 3.3:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
10. Isidora 3.2:1
13. McDermott 3.0:1
13. Linder 3.0:1
13. Milo 3.0:1
14. Herndon 2.9:1
15. Knighton 2.7:1
16. Gall 2.5:1
17. St Louis 2.1:1
18. Irvin 0.5:1
Pass Blocking
West Virginia
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Herndon was effective on all 5 attempts.
2. Njoku was effective on both attempts.
3. Williams was effective on his only attempt.
5. McDermott 31.0:1
5. Gall 31.0:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
6. Isidora 9.5:1
7. St Louis 7.3:1
8. Darling 7.0:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
9. Gauthier 5.0:1
Season
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Williams was effective on all 17 attempts.
5. Mahoney was effective on his only attempt.
5. Dobard was effective on his only attempt.
5. Knighton was effective on his only attempt.
5. Chickillo was effective on his only attempt.
6. Gall 20.3:1
7. Isidora 10.1:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
8. Linder 8.5:1
9. McDermott 7.1:1
10. Njoku 7.0:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
11. St Louis 5.6:1
12. Odogwu 5.4:1
13. Gauthier 4.9:1
14. Herndon 4.1:1
15. Darling 3.8:1
Key Blocks (Good)
West Virginia
1. Gauthier 5
3. Gall 4
3. McDermott 4
5. Isidora 3
5. St Louis 3
6. Williams 2
10. Darling 1
10. Dobard 1
10. Herndon 1
10. Njoku 1
Season
1. Isidora 82
2. McDermott 66
3. Linder 55
4. Darling 46
5. Herndon 42
6. Gall 33
7. St Louis 32
8. Williams 27
9. Gauthier 25
10. Njoku 24
11. Odogwu 13
12. Knighton 5
13. Dobard 3
15. Chickillo 2
15. Jones 2
17. Mahoney 1
17. Milo 1
Key Blocks (Bad)
West Virginia
1. St Louis 10
2. Herndon 6
3. Isidora 5
4. Gall 4
5. McDermott 3
7. Gauthier 1
7. Njoku 1
Season
1. McDermott 66
2. Isidora 48
3. Darling 46
4. St Louis 43
5. Linder 41
6. Gall 31
7. Herndon 28
8. Odogwu 17
9. Gauthier 15
10. Williams 7
12. Knighton 1
12. Milo 1
General Observations:
1. This was the best pass blocking game this season and the worst run blocking.
2. Gall had a phenomenal streak pass blocking. Over the last three games he had 93 consecutive effective pass blocks. However, he continued to be an historically bad run blocker.
3. Gauthier played really well. Is there a ray of hope here for next year or is this just an anomaly?
Up until the bowl game, he stunk. But given time off to regroup and reflect and a couple of practice weeks, maybe his bowl performance is an indication of authentic progress.
4. Isidora had an uncharacteristically poor performance against West Virginia.
5. Herndon appeared to have no interest run blocking. His attempts can only be described as desultory.
Retrospective:
Throughout the entire season the Miami OL was significantly better pass blocking than run blocking. That is not to say they were very good because they were not. Kaaya got pretty good protection up the middle, but the protection on the wings was atrocious. McDermott, Odogwu, and St Louis were very bad and Darling was a human turnstile. He cannot be allowed to play OT. Darling and Odogwu were our best run blockers. St Louis was pathetically inept run blocking. He got progressively worse during the course of the season. I will be surprised if he starts next year. I am attributing Linder's bad season to injury. I think he can be a good college OC when healthy.
This analysis is not an attempt to grade the OL which would take into consideration many more aspects of an OL’s performance.
I express the results in ratios. For instance, a 3.0:1 ratio means that the OL had 3 effective blocks for every 1 ineffective block. Obviously, the higher the ratio, the better the performance.
In an attempt to give greater coherence to the data, I have created three categories: clearly good, mediocre, and clearly bad. The delineation of these categories is solely based on past, Miami, OL performance and they have been modified from time to time.
Run Blocking:
Less than 3.3:1=clearly bad
Between 3.3:1 - 5.0:1=mediocre
More than 5.0:1=clearly good
Pass Blocking:
Less than 5.7:1=clearly bad
Between 5.7:1 - 9.5:1=mediocre
More than 9.5:1=clearly good
I also keep track of good key blocks and bad key blocks. The categories are self explanatory, but, since all effective pass blocks are good key blocks, I do not bother to include them. But ineffective pass blocks can qualify as bad key blocks.
West Virginia
Run Blocking
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
1. Dobard was effective on all 5 attempts.
2. Gauthier 10.0:1
3. Njoku 8.0:1
4. Williams 6.0:1
Mediocre (3.3:1 - 5.0:1)
5. Darling 3.5:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
7. McDermott 2.6:1
7. Gall 2.6:1
8. Isidora 1.8:1
9. St Louis 1.3:1
10. Herndon 1.2:1
Season
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
1. Chickillo was effective on all 4 attempts.
2. Dobard 7.0:1
3. Williams 6.3:1
Mediocre (3.3:1 - 5.0:1)
4. Jones 5.0:1
5. Njoku 4.3:1
6. Darling 4.2:1
7. Mahoney 4.0:1
8. Odogwu 3.4:1
9. Gauthier 3.3:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
10. Isidora 3.2:1
13. McDermott 3.0:1
13. Linder 3.0:1
13. Milo 3.0:1
14. Herndon 2.9:1
15. Knighton 2.7:1
16. Gall 2.5:1
17. St Louis 2.1:1
18. Irvin 0.5:1
Pass Blocking
West Virginia
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Herndon was effective on all 5 attempts.
2. Njoku was effective on both attempts.
3. Williams was effective on his only attempt.
5. McDermott 31.0:1
5. Gall 31.0:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
6. Isidora 9.5:1
7. St Louis 7.3:1
8. Darling 7.0:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
9. Gauthier 5.0:1
Season
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Williams was effective on all 17 attempts.
5. Mahoney was effective on his only attempt.
5. Dobard was effective on his only attempt.
5. Knighton was effective on his only attempt.
5. Chickillo was effective on his only attempt.
6. Gall 20.3:1
7. Isidora 10.1:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
8. Linder 8.5:1
9. McDermott 7.1:1
10. Njoku 7.0:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
11. St Louis 5.6:1
12. Odogwu 5.4:1
13. Gauthier 4.9:1
14. Herndon 4.1:1
15. Darling 3.8:1
Key Blocks (Good)
West Virginia
1. Gauthier 5
3. Gall 4
3. McDermott 4
5. Isidora 3
5. St Louis 3
6. Williams 2
10. Darling 1
10. Dobard 1
10. Herndon 1
10. Njoku 1
Season
1. Isidora 82
2. McDermott 66
3. Linder 55
4. Darling 46
5. Herndon 42
6. Gall 33
7. St Louis 32
8. Williams 27
9. Gauthier 25
10. Njoku 24
11. Odogwu 13
12. Knighton 5
13. Dobard 3
15. Chickillo 2
15. Jones 2
17. Mahoney 1
17. Milo 1
Key Blocks (Bad)
West Virginia
1. St Louis 10
2. Herndon 6
3. Isidora 5
4. Gall 4
5. McDermott 3
7. Gauthier 1
7. Njoku 1
Season
1. McDermott 66
2. Isidora 48
3. Darling 46
4. St Louis 43
5. Linder 41
6. Gall 31
7. Herndon 28
8. Odogwu 17
9. Gauthier 15
10. Williams 7
12. Knighton 1
12. Milo 1
General Observations:
1. This was the best pass blocking game this season and the worst run blocking.
2. Gall had a phenomenal streak pass blocking. Over the last three games he had 93 consecutive effective pass blocks. However, he continued to be an historically bad run blocker.
3. Gauthier played really well. Is there a ray of hope here for next year or is this just an anomaly?
Up until the bowl game, he stunk. But given time off to regroup and reflect and a couple of practice weeks, maybe his bowl performance is an indication of authentic progress.
4. Isidora had an uncharacteristically poor performance against West Virginia.
5. Herndon appeared to have no interest run blocking. His attempts can only be described as desultory.
Retrospective:
Throughout the entire season the Miami OL was significantly better pass blocking than run blocking. That is not to say they were very good because they were not. Kaaya got pretty good protection up the middle, but the protection on the wings was atrocious. McDermott, Odogwu, and St Louis were very bad and Darling was a human turnstile. He cannot be allowed to play OT. Darling and Odogwu were our best run blockers. St Louis was pathetically inept run blocking. He got progressively worse during the course of the season. I will be surprised if he starts next year. I am attributing Linder's bad season to injury. I think he can be a good college OC when healthy.
