SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 32,585
- Like
- 62,818
- There’s just been too many plays this year where you knew, with 40-50 yards to go, that they were going to score. Chris Gedney always lets out a loud sigh when that happens and Chris has signed too much this year.
- Regardless of the opposition, you can’t win games giving up 654 yards. The idea of this defense is to keep things in front of you, close on the play and make the tackle. That’s how you deal with a talent gap. It’s far from the reality of this defense.
- But much of the scoring gap was the result of the kicking game. A blocked extra point, (by Jarron Jones – ouch!), leading to two points for Notre Dame. A kickoff return for a score. A missed field goal. A missed extra point. That’s 14 points and we lost by 17. Dino Babers was asked after the game if Cole Murphy is injured and he said no, so I don’t know what his problem is.
- I said before the game that the key would be efficiency on offense. Neither team was going to stop the other. The team that was going to convert drives into points the best would win and that’s the way it happened. We punted 9 times. They punted 5 times. We were 3 for 15 on third down. We did have a goal line stand but when it was 27-47 but we failed on a fourth and goal that could have changed the moment. We got the only turnover but failed to turn it into points. We are averaging 495 yards a game to 504 but are scoring 28 points a game to 37. Last year’s “meathead” team averaged 27 points a game so all our fancy yards have gotten us is one more point per game.
- And our scoring as declined as the game progressed: 58-58….44-59….20-28….20-37 (per quarter). That indicates the other team is making better adjustments and that our supposedly superior conditioning has yet to evidence itself.
- Against Louisville the opponent scored three times in their first five plays. Somehow we struggled to get it back to 21-35 and then intercepted a pass just before halftime to give Colin Murphy a chance at a field goal he missed but it was OK because we were going to get the ball to start the second half. But we had to punt and the opponent drove down to score and re-take control of the game. Against Notre Dame the opponent scored two times in their first four plays. Somehow we struggled to get it back to 27-33 and then intercepted a pass just before halftime to give Colin Murphy a chance at a field goal he missed but it was OK because we were going to get the ball to start the second half. But we had to punt and the opponent drove down to score and re-take control of the game. But and paste. (Literally.)
- Eric Dungey was our leading rusher with 17 carries for 49 yards. He scored three times but we sure don’t want to expose Eric to the defense as much as we did. After getting ‘targeted’, he rolled around holding his helmet. Part of the problem is that he seems to give up on the play too early. He wasn’t under a great rush. It seems to be his instinct to bail out if no one is open immediately. Part of the problem is that an offense with one running back has only alternative if you want to use any deception in the running game: have the quarterback keep it. I know Dino isn’t going to go to a two back backfield in this century. It’s just my observation on modern football. If we had one back backfields in the days of Little and Coughlin, there would be no Coughlin and no Larry Csonka in the backfield. The alternative to Little would have been Rick Cassata keeping the ball. That’s what we’ve got now.
- Dontae Strickland gained 43 yards on 12 carries, (3.6). Moe Neal gained 3 yards on 3 carries, (1.0). Jordan Fredericks gained 20 yards on 4 carries, (5.0). Just sayin’. Again. I know I’m not a football coach. I know this coaching staff has seen all three runners through spring and fall practice and the between game work-outs. I know Frederick’s carries have come at the end of games this year, 9but not last). I know there’s more to it than just running the ball. The RB calls out the blocking schemes and does plenty of blocking himself. He also needs to be a threat to catch a pass, (which Fredericks proved he wasn’t). But it’s obvious to everyone that Fredericks is a stronger, better runner than Strickland or Neal, neither of whom was recruited as a feature back and that we need to get the running game going to compliment the passing attack. Fredericks still looks like the answer to these eyes.
- Amaba Etta Tawo had, by normal standards, a great day with 7 receptions for 134 yards and score. But why did he disappear from the offense in the second half? I know Notre Dame was concentrating on him but their pass defense is supposed to be their weakness and they lost a starter on that targeting call. ET could have had twice those numbers. Instead we spent the second half running the ball and throwing short. I don’t understand it. If you’re Joe Frazier, you throw the left hook.
- Can we can the rugby-style punts? Hofrichter, (39.5 per kick today), does much better with the conventional style.
- Someone asked in the chat room if Dino is becoming a “meathead” coach. I doubt it but it did seem strange that we didn’t go for it on fourth down more than twice against a superior team.
- Dino Babers’ losses are more entertaining than Scott Shafer’s but they still hurt.
- Regardless of the opposition, you can’t win games giving up 654 yards. The idea of this defense is to keep things in front of you, close on the play and make the tackle. That’s how you deal with a talent gap. It’s far from the reality of this defense.
- But much of the scoring gap was the result of the kicking game. A blocked extra point, (by Jarron Jones – ouch!), leading to two points for Notre Dame. A kickoff return for a score. A missed field goal. A missed extra point. That’s 14 points and we lost by 17. Dino Babers was asked after the game if Cole Murphy is injured and he said no, so I don’t know what his problem is.
- I said before the game that the key would be efficiency on offense. Neither team was going to stop the other. The team that was going to convert drives into points the best would win and that’s the way it happened. We punted 9 times. They punted 5 times. We were 3 for 15 on third down. We did have a goal line stand but when it was 27-47 but we failed on a fourth and goal that could have changed the moment. We got the only turnover but failed to turn it into points. We are averaging 495 yards a game to 504 but are scoring 28 points a game to 37. Last year’s “meathead” team averaged 27 points a game so all our fancy yards have gotten us is one more point per game.
- And our scoring as declined as the game progressed: 58-58….44-59….20-28….20-37 (per quarter). That indicates the other team is making better adjustments and that our supposedly superior conditioning has yet to evidence itself.
- Against Louisville the opponent scored three times in their first five plays. Somehow we struggled to get it back to 21-35 and then intercepted a pass just before halftime to give Colin Murphy a chance at a field goal he missed but it was OK because we were going to get the ball to start the second half. But we had to punt and the opponent drove down to score and re-take control of the game. Against Notre Dame the opponent scored two times in their first four plays. Somehow we struggled to get it back to 27-33 and then intercepted a pass just before halftime to give Colin Murphy a chance at a field goal he missed but it was OK because we were going to get the ball to start the second half. But we had to punt and the opponent drove down to score and re-take control of the game. But and paste. (Literally.)
- Eric Dungey was our leading rusher with 17 carries for 49 yards. He scored three times but we sure don’t want to expose Eric to the defense as much as we did. After getting ‘targeted’, he rolled around holding his helmet. Part of the problem is that he seems to give up on the play too early. He wasn’t under a great rush. It seems to be his instinct to bail out if no one is open immediately. Part of the problem is that an offense with one running back has only alternative if you want to use any deception in the running game: have the quarterback keep it. I know Dino isn’t going to go to a two back backfield in this century. It’s just my observation on modern football. If we had one back backfields in the days of Little and Coughlin, there would be no Coughlin and no Larry Csonka in the backfield. The alternative to Little would have been Rick Cassata keeping the ball. That’s what we’ve got now.
- Dontae Strickland gained 43 yards on 12 carries, (3.6). Moe Neal gained 3 yards on 3 carries, (1.0). Jordan Fredericks gained 20 yards on 4 carries, (5.0). Just sayin’. Again. I know I’m not a football coach. I know this coaching staff has seen all three runners through spring and fall practice and the between game work-outs. I know Frederick’s carries have come at the end of games this year, 9but not last). I know there’s more to it than just running the ball. The RB calls out the blocking schemes and does plenty of blocking himself. He also needs to be a threat to catch a pass, (which Fredericks proved he wasn’t). But it’s obvious to everyone that Fredericks is a stronger, better runner than Strickland or Neal, neither of whom was recruited as a feature back and that we need to get the running game going to compliment the passing attack. Fredericks still looks like the answer to these eyes.
- Amaba Etta Tawo had, by normal standards, a great day with 7 receptions for 134 yards and score. But why did he disappear from the offense in the second half? I know Notre Dame was concentrating on him but their pass defense is supposed to be their weakness and they lost a starter on that targeting call. ET could have had twice those numbers. Instead we spent the second half running the ball and throwing short. I don’t understand it. If you’re Joe Frazier, you throw the left hook.
- Can we can the rugby-style punts? Hofrichter, (39.5 per kick today), does much better with the conventional style.
- Someone asked in the chat room if Dino is becoming a “meathead” coach. I doubt it but it did seem strange that we didn’t go for it on fourth down more than twice against a superior team.
- Dino Babers’ losses are more entertaining than Scott Shafer’s but they still hurt.
