Topic: CUSA Championship: 60 hours after

[MUBoogercats]

I wanted to let the dust settle to collect my thoughts on what I observed Friday night.  This is not a coach bashing session or player bashing, just merely observations I came across.

1. Offensive scheme:  From a coaching perspective, you can almost always tell what an offense perceives as the opposing defensive weakness.  For example, if UAB ran inside zone at us once they did it 100 times.  They ran this to great effect as we were never really able to stop it.  Us?  Can anyone name any tendency we had?  We threw on first down our first three possessions followed by a run that put us behind the chains each time.  We threw multiple fade routes into the boundary that I don't think we ever completed.  We tried running with Knox eventually but our OL never really got the push that we were getting two months ago.  We looked at 2nd and 8/10 all night while UAB looked at 2nd and 5/6; big difference in play calling choices.

2.  Preparation:  I think what best sums up our night was our 2pt conversion.  As a coach, you try and prepare for different situations throughout the week and to put your guys in the best possible situation.  Out of all of the plays we have, down two, we ran out best 2pt play and it resulted in a roll out, incompletion, into tight coverage.  You practice all week and THAT was what was considered our best chance at a 2pt conversion.

3.  Confidence:  QB1 hasn't played well since MTSU and I believe his play (obviously) and our play calling hasn't helped.  Many a rumor floating around as to why but I'll ignore all of that and just focus on the field.  Going back to QB1's first start (EKU), he was stepping into throws, checking down to receivers, and making plays with his feet.  Friday night?  He wasn't stepping into throws, balls sailing high, and he stared down WRs like it was his job.  He also looked like he was trying to place throws instead of just throwing the ball.  I'm not calling our RS-FR QB out and I'm not throwing him under the bus because I'm sure he knows all of this.  From a play calling perspective, we have all of a sudden reverted back to vanilla.  Remember the trick plays we were running earlier in the season?  What happened to our motion scheme that allowed our offense to pick up coverage?  Remember running Gaines at QB for fun rather than out of necessity? Poof. Gone. 

Like most people on this board, I am dumbfounded as to why the bottom has fallen out.  We looked like a team running wild and now we look like a team by definition only.  Playing in a conference title, at home, is an accomplishment.  This is Wells first year as a DI QB and he is going to make mistakes and that is expected and 100% ok.  However, good coaching has the ability to limit mistakes and get the most out of young players; just ask UAB's HC, who brought his team back from a self-imposed death penalty.

Go Herd.

[MUsince96]

Excellent assessment.

[herd2win]

Good observations...Wells seems to be pressing since about the middle of the season.  He was throwing high balls for several games.  We need to use more of the field and instead of fades on first down why not short passes to Gaines or the running backs.

We also rarely use the middle of the field.  I say feed Knox the ball more and lean on the Oline.  Something does seem off with this team compared to the excitement they showed for the first part of the season.

Might be as simple as Covid crazy where after being together for so long with limited outside contact everyone just got tired of each other.

[overherd1]

Seems like a good assessment.  Probably best to wait a few days after to take the emotion out of any thoughts.  I remember thinking after the first few games, how well prepared we seemed to be.  That has gone out the window that last couple of games.  I thought we played as a team early in the year, but not quite as much lately.  A challenge ahead for sure as we have a quick turnaround for a game on Christmas.  I have lowered expectations as to not be disappointed, but sure hope we somehow right the ship.  We will see how good our leadership is, both players and coaches, in the game this week.  We have heard all year how we have very good leaders among the players.  It will take a lot of that leadership to turn things around....hope we can.  Go Herd!

[MicDrass1]

What I saw these last two games had nothing to do with Covid.  Same coaches and players were on the field.  This team started to regress earlier than the last two games of the year.  FAU blew it more than we won it.  WKU shut us down in the 2nd half.

[The E-Man]

One assessment that wasn't mentioned is that Doc Holliday needs to either retire or be fired!

[herdorbust]

What I saw these last two games had nothing to do with Covid.  Same coaches and players were on the field.  This team started to regress earlier than the last two games of the year.  FAU blew it more than we won it.  WKU shut us down in the 2nd half.

The whole season was a mirage. I said it from day one. The one team we thought was good Appy st is not that good. Then it was 2 nobodies and a weak CUSA. The first 2 teams that had big offensive and defensive line in CUSA that we played smashed us in the mouth and ran it down our throats. And Rice and UAB aren’t great teams.

[vanhorn78]

Good observations...Wells seems to be pressing since about the middle of the season.  He was throwing high balls for several games.  We need to use more of the field and instead of fades on first down why not short passes to Gaines or the running backs.

We also rarely use the middle of the field.  I say feed Knox the ball more and lean on the Oline.  Something does seem off with this team compared to the excitement they showed for the first part of the season.

Might be as simple as Covid crazy where after being together for so long with limited outside contact everyone just got tired of each other.

This right here. Lean on the best OL marshall has had since 2014, and the best in conference; hand it off to your two backs, but mostly Knox (of course); play action off of the runs. Those routes would be open if they were short or down field. That’s easy money. The downfield stuff will be there. The focal point this season should’ve been the OL and Knox, complimented by Gaines. Literally, it’s so obvious.

[svherd]

If this stuff is easy for most to see, why can't Cramsey and Doc see it as well?

And to be honest, I am not putting much into the bowl. I seriously doubt our players want to be there - thus Buffalo should get the easy W. UGH!

[MUonium]

This right here. Lean on the best OL marshall has had since 2014, and the best in conference; hand it off to your two backs, but mostly Knox (of course); play action off of the runs. Those routes would be open if they were short or down field. That’s easy money. The downfield stuff will be there. The focal point this season should’ve been the OL and Knox, complimented by Gaines. Literally, it’s so obvious.

there's credence what people have said though, linemen both sides of the ball got trounced on size/technique or whatever by Rice.  almost same can be said about UAB - it appears both got better as their year progressed.  whatever change you make to play calling on O, if your lines aren't winning most of the war, how's that gonna help? 

I don't pretend to know what you know, so i'm being sincere when i ask, for instance, how would 'play action off of runs" change how the OL moves/shifts or whatever, open holes/allow QB time to check down his receivers?  and are TEs/RBs part of blocking?

[parshall2marshall]

Like I mentioned in the game thread, why do multiple receivers end up in the same area on our routes. For years now under Doc. It is like gift-wrapping a good defensive play or a pick against us.

On the Gaines TD, the DB left him and went to the deep sideline, I guess as a tendency since we hadn't been using the middle of the field all game.

[vanhorn78]

there's credence what people have said though, linemen both sides of the ball got trounced on size/technique or whatever by Rice.  almost same can be said about UAB - it appears both got better as their year progressed.  whatever change you make to play calling on O, if your lines aren't winning most of the war, how's that gonna help? 

I don't pretend to know what you know, so i'm being sincere when i ask, for instance, how would 'play action off of runs" change how the OL moves/shifts or whatever, open holes/allow QB time to check down his receivers?  and are TEs/RBs part of blocking?

What happened in the game when we finally ran the ball on first down? A play later we got our first first down of the game, correct? It seemed we were allergic to running the ball on first down, but because Cramsey’s focus was on Wells getting going. That takes care of itself and opens up passing lanes much more if you don’t bs around getting the ground game going. We bs around (Cramsey did). Against Rice, we didn’t compensate with our play-calling being down both starting tackles. That really hurt them in that game, and sometimes the game plan may not change. Sometimes, you have to. You have to call, based on the strength of your players, while not falling into predictable tendencies. In that UAB game, if you run the ball 2 out of the first 3 first downs we had, into an ODD defensive front... it’s stealing. Inside zone, split flow, and power (B and C gap) all day. Hit them with play action, and it’s open. They didn’t start off that way. They went to it when they couldn’t complete a pass on first down and then that was all they were working with. They were one dimensional for most of the game. Defensively, your defense is only going to make so many stops against good football teams. Part of the offense running the football and controlling the game that way is also chewing up clock, especially against good teams, in big time games. How tired is my defense going to be when we can’t put drives together? Exhausted. If they’re on the field all game because the offense can’t get it going, what’s that looking like when the defensive guys start to wear down? That’s 101. That’s the basics. We didn’t run the ball on first down against UAB until our 4th or 5th drive. And we got a first down on two runs. Imagine if we’d put a couple drives together and scored at least once... come on now. This game is deeper than what we see on the surface. You have to appreciate the basics and the intricacies of the game, before you can flourish on a bigger/larger scale, with other components and aspects of the game.

[vanhorn78]

Like I mentioned in the game thread, why do multiple receivers end up in the same area on our routes. For years now under Doc. It is like gift-wrapping a good defensive play or a pick against us.

On the Gaines TD, the DB left him and went to the deep sideline, I guess as a tendency since we hadn't been using the middle of the field all game.

Play action power to the tight end would’ve been open going down the middle of the field as early as the beginning of the second quarter if we establish the run instead of trying to baby the pass game on first downs in the first quarter. In the late 2nd, and at some point in the 3rd quarter it would’ve been Willie, Gammage, and Keaton eating downfield or with short to intermediate routes. Ride your O Line in the 4th. Sometimes those guys have MA’s and that’ll cause them to end up in the same area.

[MUBoogercats]

In that UAB game, if you run the ball 2 out of the first 3 first downs we had, into an ODD defensive front... it’s stealing. Inside zone, split flow, and power (B and C gap) all day. Hit them with play action, and it’s open. They didn’t start off that way. They went to it when they couldn’t complete a pass on first down and then that was all they were working with. They were one dimensional for most of the game.

This.  Absolutely this.  This guy knows.

[MicDrass1]

These coaches do not know how to implement a multiple back system.  We should be going 3 deep in the run game.  Uab knew how.

[coalherd]

Play action power to the tight end would’ve been open going down the middle of the field as early as the beginning of the second quarter if we establish the run instead of trying to baby the pass game on first downs in the first quarter. In the late 2nd, and at some point in the 3rd quarter it would’ve been Willie, Gammage, and Keaton eating downfield or with short to intermediate routes. Ride your O Line in the 4th. Sometimes those guys have MA’s and that’ll cause them to end up in the same area.

Gist of parshall2marshall's post is that the Herd under Doc for several seasons vastly underutilizes about 60 percent of the field on almost all of its pass patterns.  Too much emphasis game in and game out of throwing to the side lines over and over, often with 2 or more Herd receivers in relatively close proximity where one, maybe 2 defensive backs can cover easily.  We don't use the center of the field nearly enough.  Of course, it seems we don't keep Wells in the pocket that much but want to roll him to the sidelines.  No quick slants from the pocket across the middle.  Seldom see, from the pocket, straight fly patterns, or seam patterns straight down the field. Maybe Coaches think that Wells' height is a detriment for throwing consistently from the pocket, so they roll him out.  Use to kill me when Litton was there and we'd roll him almost to the sideline on the right so he could throw a 40 yard plus horizontal pass to the left side line for a 3 or 4 yard gain, usually when we needed 5 or 6 yards for a first down!  Totally NUTS!!