A couple of questions for Big John

C

Clito Jacket

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Lots of talk about what went wrong with the offense in the second half. Most have said the O-line blocked poorer in the second half than the first and whatever else went wrong, that was a major part of it. Some have said that's all there is to it, but others have said that they blocked poorer because the vanilly offense gave ND too little to have to defend. How did you see it? Some of both maybe? Others have said that with no subbing the line got tired in the second half. Which brings up a question I've thought of from time to time. Why is it that when an offense keeps the ball much of a half the defense is said to tire (and it looks like it, usually) but no one ever says the offense looks tired? They're on the field the same number of plays. Could their defense have just worn out our starting linemen?
 
As we wait for the real pro... a few thoughts.

Most of our runs in the first half were delays, misdirections and draws type runs. They are affective against an aggressive excited pursuer.

However, in the second half, ND made adjustments and stayed put a whole lot more. If you learn that your fanny isn't going to get knocked off the line, then why move? ND also learned that nobody was going to hurt them except for CJ. They doubled CJ, kept a spying LB on Choice (who disappeared completely), and then occassionally blitzed an extra. We don't throw to the tight end, don't throw to RB and our second WR was scaring nobody.

The only thing that opened was the draw for RB. I don't know why we didn't just run it every play quite frankly, if we can't be more creative and throw to tight end. Of course a highly winded QB makes more mistakes...
 
Sorry, I haven't answered. I've been extremely busy and thought I needed to not post.

I'm very dissappointed in the game but very proud of out players.

I'm not going to say anything about the OL at this time. We shut down the offense in the second half and until we attack instead of not playing to lose I will be dissappointed.

This game hurt a lot just as it has hurt a lot of y'all. We have a chance to play in and win the ACCC and that will be fun.

I converted 9 people to be Jacket fans last Saturday night and all will get season tickets next year. That speaks volumne comming from knowledgable football fans.

I am going on a 4 day vacation with my lovely wife and will be away from the computer.

DON'T TAKE OF'S BAIT.
 
refrigeratormover said:
Sorry, I haven't answered. I've been extremely busy and thought I needed to not post.

I'm very dissappointed in the game but very proud of out players.

I'm not going to say anything about the OL at this time. We shut down the offense in the second half and until we attack instead of not playing to lose I will be dissappointed.

This game hurt a lot just as it has hurt a lot of y'all. We have a chance to play in and win the ACCC and that will be fun.

I converted 9 people to be Jacket fans last Saturday night and all will get season tickets next year. That speaks volumne comming from knowledgable football fans.

I am going on a 4 day vacation with my lovely wife and will be away from the computer.

DON'T TAKE OF'S BAIT.
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Too late, some already have but it was really not bait, just a statement of fact and some serious questions. JD if you can answer them, of course I respect your opinion, don't always agree but do respect it.
 
midatlantech said:
ND...learned
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To me, that about sums up why we lost. We just got outcoached. ND made adjustments, we didn't. The offense did what it could with the coaching it received. A good coach can work around an overpowered OL.

That game was a big blow to my confidence in our offense. Our defence did great. Of course they're going to get winded if they spend 75% of the second half on the field. Tenuta is a great coach - we just need a good coach on the opposite side of the line.

I'm not a fair-weather fan so I'll still be watching every game, but this really lowered my excitement. We need to blow away our next two cup-cake games to get some of the fan-base back in it.
 
Bottom line is we have major issues with our OL. My solution is start getting the younger guys in there and challenging. I know there has to be some kids not playing that have the drive and determination and smarts to get out there.

As far as getting tired I call BS, That's why you have off season and pre season I don't care if you missed practice or not there are other ways to condition. How could they be tired if they sat on the bench the majority of the second half.

As far as the offense being vanilla, it is. Yes we throw some screens and qb draws but until the 2nd or 3rd receiver steps up and until we can get a TE that can catch the ball over the middle you will continue to see 7 or 8 men in the box.

Defenses will go with the odds that we are not going to complete 30 to 35 percent of passes thrown to CJ. Most defenses will accept that and take away the rest of our game.
 
midatlanta, the part I don't see though is that we never tried to blow them off the line. We were in thes shotgum most of the night, particularly the second half. When we ran the ball it was a delay of some type. Whether the line could have handled a more traditional set and controlled the los or not is still a mystery to me because we didn't try it.

I'm not claiming to have the knowledge John does or you for that matter, but it seems to me that we basically telegraphed what we were doing to ND. Their DL just bull rushed and their LBs were there to plug any holes. We weren't doing anything to keep them honest, by using screens, the TE, etc., so they just pushed the los. Even with a great line, I don't know how that works.

I agree we have issues with our OL, but we had them last year as well. By the end of the year we were running the ball pretty well, so I'm not sure what happened since then. Maybe getting people back from injury will help, but I can't help but believe our offensive package was badly out of alignment.
 
We tried to blow them off the line on 2nd and 1 and then again on 3rd and 2 the next play! LOL.

Sorry I couldn't help myself. Our OL is the weakest that we've had for the last ten years, weakest as in strength. Our successful running occurs because of misdirection, draws, general delays, etc.

Flat out, if we don't establish the run a little bit (as in not delayed running) then we are in trouble this season, unless a tight end star emerges. I guess we could get lucky and see Cox emerge or another WR, but I just don't see it.

Personally, I'd run the option. We have the athletes to do that. Or I'd throw the high quick out to CJ every pass play.
 
Personally, I'd run the option.
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Running the option can get you killed if you can't block well for the first two seconds of the play. Option plays are delayed plays by their very nature.
 
Think I'll let big John speak up as to what he thinks is/was the problem at least in game 1 vs ND. As has been stated by many here and Bobby Dodd said it as well a big improvement between games one and two. Against Samford maybe we will get some subs in and get more experience. It's true many plays take more time and the line needs to hold to allow the play to develop.
 
First, I don't know how the OL can be weaker than last year. Other than Wrotto they're the same guys. What happened over the off season?

Second, I'll have to dig out my tape, but when did we try to blow them off the line? Were we trying to blow them off the line from the shotgun?
 
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