College Football Analyst Greg McElroy on Shea Patterson
Greg McElroy was the analyst for ABC's coverage of the Michigan-Illinois game on Saturday. He also co-hosts "The First Team" on Sirius/XM's college sports channel. On Monday's program, he took a call from a Michigan fan asking for his blunt commentary on quarterback Shea Patterson, and his disappointing play much of this season. McElroy began by talking about what he saw from Patterson while breaking down film in preparation for the game.
"Watching Michigan throughout the course of the week I was unimpressed with Patterson," McElroy said. "I didn't think he did a great job of going through his progressions. I think he's a better improviser than he is a stay in the pocket type of player. I don't think that's his strength. I think he's better running around and creating on his own. He hasn't really been asked to do that at Michigan."
McElroy then described how Patterson and the offense had been hindered by all the turnovers this season (Michigan leads the nation with 17 fumbles): "As far as the RPO (run-pass option) concepts are concerned, talking to their coaching staff they had to water it down some because of the ball-security issues (like fumbled mesh points."
Yet on Saturday, McElroy said Michigan ran "some advanced RPO' for perhaps the first time this season.
"They had a touchdown against Illinois on a corner route, and that was an advanced-level RPO called a quarterback wrap, and that's an advanced level RPO that really puts stress on a defense," McElroy said. "They did the same thing later in the game on a stack play that's supposed to be a run , but if you get the ideal look you can throw it. Shea got the ideal look, and he hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for a touchdown."
McElroy believes unleashing more of the offense and putting it in Patterson's hands helped boost his confidence.
"I think for the first time this year Shea played confidently," McElroy said. "He did a nice job against Illinois, and regained that moxie we've seen from him at times over the years. Because if he had struggled in this game I think they would've thought it was time to see what Dylan McCaffrey can do."
Finally, McElroy made it a point to go down to the field during pregame warmups to "watch all of Michigan's quarterbacks closely."
"Shea is their best thrower right now, while McCaffrey does a lot of nice things athletically with his legs," McElroy said. "But I think if Shea plays confidently he can regain his standing. Because (on film) I saw a guy who plays scared. Who didn't play confidently. At Ole Miss he was like Baker Mayfield confident. Now he's not, and he's got to get that back."
