Take What They Are Giving You

77GTFan

77GTFan

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No offense can do whatever it wants against good opposition - it has to take what the defense will give. Notre Dame took away the option game - all three options, by playing tight on the line and penetrating, by usually having at least nine players close to the line of scrimmage, and trusting single coverage on our wideouts.

Duke and Clemson, and to an extent UNC, have followed this plan. They are absolutely attacking the option game and taking it away from us. They are getting penetration and making plays in the lane the QB needs to run the offense.

When a defense does this - what are they giving you? The vertical game is open. Throw slants to the AB's and WR's. Throw deep to the WR's. Seal the defenders and try rocket toss and FB and QB sweeps. But, mainly, fake the option, then drop back, and hit them with ball over the middle.

The offense scored twice today - both on wide open deep passes. If that is what defenses choose to give us, we have to take advantage. Justin has to throw it with confidence. Didn't we have a four TD pass game earlier in the Johnson era? My recollection is it might have been against Miss. State or Duke. We have to try and take advantage.

If the WR's and ABacks and Justin can't make these plays, then there is nothing else left to do. We can't block nine guys attacking the line of scrimmage and run the option successfully.
 
No one has taken the option away from us. We've given it to them by not blocking properly. Defenses are playing us the same way they always have. No one woke up one day and figured out how to stop an offense from the 1950's. We aren't executing. I'd like to see a few wrinkles thrown in for more pass plays, yes. But a good offense takes what the defense doesn't give you, and imposes its will.

Any number of "styles" of offense can succeed, but it requires the players to cover their assignments and make plays. Slants and deep throws aren't going to work either if we can't block at the line of scrimmage. We will just take more sacks and lose more yards.
 
smokey_wasp said:
No one has taken the option away from us. We've given it to them by not blocking properly. Defenses are playing us the same way they always have. No one woke up one day and figured out how to stop an offense from the 1950's. We aren't executing. I'd like to see a few wrinkles thrown in for more pass plays, yes. But a good offense takes what the defense doesn't give you, and imposes its will.

Any number of "styles" of offense can succeed, but it requires the players to cover their assignments and make plays. Slants and deep throws aren't going to work either if we can't block at the line of scrimmage. We will just take more sacks and lose more yards.
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it's kinda tough to properly block 8-9 guys constantly in the box. Add in the fact that we can't block 4 guys in the box and it's why we've lost 4 in a row.

So it's kinda stupid to keep running the same plays and expecting different results. You gotta call plays for the team you have, not the one you wished you had. Or coach up the team you have. Neither is occurring.
 
The entire team isn't blocking well enough to pick up 8-9 in the box blitzing. Yea, guys are open deep when we manage to hold long enough, but the number of missed passes and sacks tells me that the issue isn't play-calling.
 
smokey_wasp said:
No one has taken the option away from us. We've given it to them by not blocking properly. Defenses are playing us the same way they always have. No one woke up one day and figured out how to stop an offense from the 1950's. We aren't executing. I'd like to see a few wrinkles thrown in for more pass plays, yes. But a good offense takes what the defense doesn't give you, and imposes its will.

Any number of "styles" of offense can succeed, but it requires the players to cover their assignments and make plays. Slants and deep throws aren't going to work either if we can't block at the line of scrimmage. We will just take more sacks and lose more yards.
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On one play, the commentators noted that ALL 11 defenders were within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. That play was a 3rd down and, IIRC, there was about 7 or 8 yards to go for the first down. What play did we run? The dive. For about a yard.

Yes, people ARE taking away the option game by bringing the safeties up to the line, moving linebackers out into the flat to key on the pitch man and by just generally overloading the line of scrimmage. The way to attack this is vertically, just like the OP said. We have been unable to do this (or unwilling in many cases).
 
Commentators were especially critical of the offensive play calling and said essentially being a GT fan has got to be tough when u run a dive play in that scenario. We look like dawg öööö when our offense doesn't work. I'm talking embarrassing, just looks like the team doesn't belong on the same field.
 
CPJ said we checked into those calls, and it was the right checks. We just didn't block worth a crap so it looks really bad.
 
Boo hoo!!!

How many of you same posters thought we were juggernauts for beating MSU, UGA, and Clemson when they put 9 in the box last year??

Quit regurgitating everything the announcers tell you.

The play calls aren't any different. All phases of our game are. If you were around for 2010 you've seen this before.
 
GTM3 said:
Commentators were especially critical of the offensive play calling and said essentially being a GT fan has got to be tough when u run a dive play in that scenario. We look like dawg öööö when our offense doesn't work. I'm talking embarrassing, just looks like the team doesn't belong on the same field.
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I had an emergency come up so only got to see snippets of the game on the TV at the hospital. This was the first drive of the 2nd half and Tech ran 2 dive plays and then on 3rd and 7 ran another dive play for a ööööing yard. I'm like WTF, come on are you kidding me? 3 and out on 3 dive plays for a total of 4 yards and you are already getting your ass kicked.

So after that play my observation was either the coaches don't give a f*** or the players don't give a f*** so I asked myself why should I give a f*** and never looked back.
 
TechRush said:
I had an emergency come up so only got to see snippets of the game on the TV at the hospital. This was the first drive of the 2nd half and Tech ran 2 dive plays and then on 3rd and 7 ran another dive play for a ööööing yard. I'm like WTF, come on are you kidding me? 3 and out on 3 dive plays for a total of 4 yards and you are already getting your ass kicked.

So after that play my observation was either the coaches don't give a f*** or the players don't give a f*** so I asked myself why should I give a f*** and never looked back.
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I think CPJ gave up on winning at Duke and in this game. I think he was calling plays to get reps on running them correctly. Which probably happened 3 times this game.
 
ElCidBUZZingFAN said:
CPJ said we checked into those calls, and it was the right checks. We just didn't block worth a crap so it looks really bad.
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If we checked into a dive call with 9 men in the box and 11 men within 5 yards of the LOS and he thinks that's the right play call, then we have much more serious issues than execution.
 
RamblinWreck92 said:
it's kinda tough to properly block 8-9 guys constantly in the box. Add in the fact that we can't block 4 guys in the box and it's why we've lost 4 in a row.

So it's kinda stupid to keep running the same plays and expecting different results. You gotta call plays for the team you have, not the one you wished you had. Or coach up the team you have. Neither is occurring.
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There was one play in particularl that stands out for me. It was a third and long (obvious pass play). Clemson rushed THREE GUYS and JT still had zero time in the pocket.

Essentially our same OL that was straight up trucking over people last year cannot block worth a öööö now. It's mind boggling.
 
I don't think we have any offensive tackles. We are awful on the edges. It looks like we have decent centers and a bunch of guards but no one who can play tackle.
 
bonham said:
There was one play in particularl that stands out for me. It was a third and long (obvious pass play). Clemson rushed THREE GUYS and JT still had zero time in the pocket.

Essentially our same OL that was straight up trucking over people last year cannot block worth a öööö now. It's mind boggling.
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So much this. They got pressure rushing 3! I mean wtf. This has certainly been a tough year and doesn't look to get better any time soon. Hopefully we get enough reps for young guys so that next year is better.
 
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