I reviewed every offensive play from the FSU 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.
FSU
Run Blocking
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
none
Mediocre (3.3 – 5.0)
1. McDermott 4.8:1
2. St Louis 4.3:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
4. Donaldson 3.0:1
4. Herndon 3.0:1
5. Gauthier 2.1:1
6. Darling 1.4:1
7. Gaynor 1.1:1
Season
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
1. McDermott 5.4:1
Mediocre (3.3:1 - 5.0:1)
2. Irvin 4.3:1
3. Donaldson 3.3:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
4. Herndon 3.0:1
5. Darling 2.8:1
6. St Louis 2.7:1
7. Gauthier 2.6:1
8. Mahoney 2.0:1
9. Gaynor 1.8:1
Pass Blocking
FSU
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Herndon blocked effectively on all 13 attempts.
2. McDermott 11.5:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
3. St Louis 8.0:1
4. Darling 5.8:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
5. Gauthier 4.4:1
6. Gaynor 4.0:1
7. Donaldson 2.8:1
Season
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Irvin blocked effectively on his only attempt.
2. Herndon 11.0:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
3. Gauthier 8.7:1
4. McDermott 7.9:1
5. St Louis 6.8:1
6. Darling 6.2:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
7. Donaldson 4.5:1
8. Gaynor 2.5:1
Key Blocks (Good)
FSU
1. St Louis 6
1. Gauthier 6
4. Donaldson 5
4. McDermott 5
5. Herndon 3
6. Darling 2
Season
1. Gauthier 20
2. McDermott 19
4. Darling 16
4. Donaldson 16
5. St Louis 13
6. Herndon 8
8. Mahoney 3
8. Irvin 3
9. Gaynor 2
Key Blocks (Bad)
FSU
1. Donaldson 8
1. Gauthier 8
4. St Louis 7
4. Darling 7
5. McDermott 2
7. Gaynor 1
7. Herndon 1
Season
1. Gauthier 18
1. St Louis 18
3. Donaldson 14
4. Darling 13
5. McDermott 8
6. Herndon 5
7. Irvin 2
8. Mahoney 1
General Observations:
1. McDermott was solid-clearly the best Miami OL on the field. The other OLs got eaten up pretty badly. However, the OL rose up after being dominated all game and were outstanding the last two scoring drives of the fourth quarter.
2. Herndon gets a game ball. He stayed in to pass protect 3 maybe 4 times more than he normally does and was perfect. He didn‘t chip block once. He was strictly one-on-one primarily with DEs and sometimes blitzers.
3. Donaldson really had trouble with the quickness of the FSU DTs. That being said, in my opinion, and based on a small sample size, Gaynor is not ready for prime time and there will be a big drop off if he has to replace Donaldson. Despite his struggles against FSU, I think Donaldson is going to be very, very good very soon.
4. This may be the first game that I have analyzed in the last ten years where the OLs had more key bad blocks than good (I’m too lazy to go back and check).
5. As was the case the last two seasons, this OL is a better pass blocking line than run blocking. I think Coach Richt recognizes this and abandon the run early against FSU. The only way to win that game was to pass a lot and run in spots.
6. So far, Gauthier is not playing as well as Linder did last year.
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.
FSU
Run Blocking
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
none
Mediocre (3.3 – 5.0)
1. McDermott 4.8:1
2. St Louis 4.3:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
4. Donaldson 3.0:1
4. Herndon 3.0:1
5. Gauthier 2.1:1
6. Darling 1.4:1
7. Gaynor 1.1:1
Season
Clearly Good (>5.0:1)
1. McDermott 5.4:1
Mediocre (3.3:1 - 5.0:1)
2. Irvin 4.3:1
3. Donaldson 3.3:1
Clearly Bad (<3.3:1)
4. Herndon 3.0:1
5. Darling 2.8:1
6. St Louis 2.7:1
7. Gauthier 2.6:1
8. Mahoney 2.0:1
9. Gaynor 1.8:1
Pass Blocking
FSU
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Herndon blocked effectively on all 13 attempts.
2. McDermott 11.5:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
3. St Louis 8.0:1
4. Darling 5.8:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
5. Gauthier 4.4:1
6. Gaynor 4.0:1
7. Donaldson 2.8:1
Season
Clearly Good (>9.5)
1. Irvin blocked effectively on his only attempt.
2. Herndon 11.0:1
Mediocre (5.7:1 - 9.5:1)
3. Gauthier 8.7:1
4. McDermott 7.9:1
5. St Louis 6.8:1
6. Darling 6.2:1
Clearly Bad (<5.7:1)
7. Donaldson 4.5:1
8. Gaynor 2.5:1
Key Blocks (Good)
FSU
1. St Louis 6
1. Gauthier 6
4. Donaldson 5
4. McDermott 5
5. Herndon 3
6. Darling 2
Season
1. Gauthier 20
2. McDermott 19
4. Darling 16
4. Donaldson 16
5. St Louis 13
6. Herndon 8
8. Mahoney 3
8. Irvin 3
9. Gaynor 2
Key Blocks (Bad)
FSU
1. Donaldson 8
1. Gauthier 8
4. St Louis 7
4. Darling 7
5. McDermott 2
7. Gaynor 1
7. Herndon 1
Season
1. Gauthier 18
1. St Louis 18
3. Donaldson 14
4. Darling 13
5. McDermott 8
6. Herndon 5
7. Irvin 2
8. Mahoney 1
General Observations:
1. McDermott was solid-clearly the best Miami OL on the field. The other OLs got eaten up pretty badly. However, the OL rose up after being dominated all game and were outstanding the last two scoring drives of the fourth quarter.
2. Herndon gets a game ball. He stayed in to pass protect 3 maybe 4 times more than he normally does and was perfect. He didn‘t chip block once. He was strictly one-on-one primarily with DEs and sometimes blitzers.
3. Donaldson really had trouble with the quickness of the FSU DTs. That being said, in my opinion, and based on a small sample size, Gaynor is not ready for prime time and there will be a big drop off if he has to replace Donaldson. Despite his struggles against FSU, I think Donaldson is going to be very, very good very soon.
4. This may be the first game that I have analyzed in the last ten years where the OLs had more key bad blocks than good (I’m too lazy to go back and check).
5. As was the case the last two seasons, this OL is a better pass blocking line than run blocking. I think Coach Richt recognizes this and abandon the run early against FSU. The only way to win that game was to pass a lot and run in spots.
6. So far, Gauthier is not playing as well as Linder did last year.
