Did the run blocking improve or was it just garbage time stuff?

[upperdeck]

people think every team pulls the starters at some set score.. FSU wanted to shut us down. as Phat says they were playing the same guys and the same style we just handled it better.. some of it was adjustments so of it was going doing a better job. I missed most of the 2nd half driving but the FSU announcers made it sound like they thought FSU had their high level guys still playing. a guy that played in the 1st quarter playing in the 3rd is not a downgrade. DINO mentions it because when he looked at the film he sees the 1-2s playing that were also playing in the beginning of the game.

 

[qdawgg]

Starters playing in the 3rd Q up 35-3 aren’t playing at the same intensity or passion as they were playing at the start of the game. I’ve been in those situations before. Your mental awareness and desire to focus changes. You still want to hit people but you’re playing a little more checkers then chess when you feel like you’re dominating your opponent.

 

[Chip]

people think every team pulls the starters at some set score.. FSU wanted to shut us down. as Phat says they were playing the same guys and the same style we just handled it better.. some of it was adjustments so of it was going doing a better job. I missed most of the 2nd half driving but the FSU announcers made it sound like they thought FSU had their high level guys still playing. a guy that played in the 1st quarter playing in the 3rd is not a downgrade. DINO mentions it because when he looked at the film he sees the 1-2s playing that were also playing in the beginning of the game.

Imagine being Taggart and thinking 'well it's homecoming, I'll just put in the 3rd stringers because I don't care if they score. Our fanbase knows we'd never blow a lead while I'm in charge'

If there's anyone who needed a 49-3 score against an up and comer that beat him last year, it's that guy.

 

[TheCusian]

Imagine being Taggart and thinking 'well it's homecoming, I'll just put in the 3rd stringers because I don't care if they score. Our fanbase knows we'd never blow a lead while I'm in charge'

If there's anyone who needed a 49-3 score against an up and comer that beat him last year, it's that guy.

Exactly. Their fanbases expects to beat us by 40+ - that’s their history (and hubris). Taggert very much wanted to deliver on that.

 

[OrangeDW]

this would make more sense if we were down 35 at the end of those games. but for NC State and Pitt - it was a two score game, we scored and then it was a one score game late. you can call it prevent if you want - but I guarantee you Doeren and Narduzzi were not thinking it was over


That’s what Dino was alluding to in his Monday press conference. Great post.

I didn’t say it was over, but Pitt and NC State were in “don’t let them score quickly and we’re fine” mode. Not in “blitz the piss out of them and attack mode”. We scored, it took forever, and we ran out of time and lost...that’s the idea behind prevent mode.

 

[orangecuse]

I didn’t say it was over, but Pitt and NC State were in “don’t let them score quickly and we’re fine” mode. Not in “blitz the piss out of them and attack mode”. We scored, it took forever, and we ran out of time and lost...that’s the idea behind prevent mode.

Yep! The only stat in the end that matters in the W. Interesting how JB's high winning percentage (due to his end game/taking the air out of the ball strategy, etc.) that has served him so well over the years gets such praise by many...yet apparently there's difficulty seeing basically the same general principle/concept relative to prevent mode.

 

[TheCusian]

I didn’t say it was over, but Pitt and NC State were in “don’t let them score quickly and we’re fine” mode. Not in “blitz the piss out of them and attack mode”. We scored, it took forever, and we ran out of time and lost...that’s the idea behind prevent mode.

I’m aware of the theory - Mark this down as one of those instances where I’m admitting I’m wrong and don’t know what I was thinking lol

I do see a bit of vindication in the posts after that showed FSU wasn’t doing that

 

[OrangeDW]

I’m aware of the theory - Mark this down as one of those instances where I’m admitting I’m wrong and don’t know what I was thinking lol

I do see a bit of vindication in the posts after that showed FSU wasn’t doing that

I agree that FSU was a bit different and I was somewhat encouraged by the way we were able to move the pile and pick up 3-4 yards on a running play, seemingly way more often than we have the rest of the season. Hopefully that continues.

What I would like to see next game:

1)pick up a first down on the first drive. Just one. Is that too much to ask?

2)Score points in the first quarter.

3)Score a touchdown in the first half.

If we continue to be unable to accomplish those incredibly modest goals, I’ll continue to have a hard time finding things to be positive about on that side of the ball.

 

[Pyle]

Upon re-watching this is not true for FSU. They did not go in prevent mode.

Score 21-3. The 10 play 61 yard drive in the 3rd Q we moved the ball to the 14 yard line before turning it over on downs. The entire series FSU blitzed every single play with anywhere from 5-8 in the box. We moved the ball well here against their 1's and pressure. (we also had no penalties - key).

(side note - after the downs FSU goes 85 yards for a TD. They converted a crucial 3rd and 10 but more importantly this TD doesn't happen if Cisco makes the easy INT and we have the ball back inside the 30 yard line.)

At 35-3 the game is out of reach at this point. However;

1st play after 35-3 - SU ball, FSU has 7 in the box. 3 down lineman, 2 wide DEs and 2 backers 4 yards off the ball over the guards. They blitz 1 linebacker left. Bergeron picks up and seals the blitzing linebacker. Howard has a nice burst through that hole and picks up 9. Pat Davis also gets to the 2nd level here and picks up the other LB.

Next play 4 down lineman and 2 LBs in the box. They again blitz this time the right side linebacker. Bergeron again wins the seal on the DT, then slides off and picks up the other LB and Hackett kicks out the DE. Howard rips off 18 here and got tripped up by a hand.

3rd play at 35-3; 3 down lineman, a wide DE standing up, 2 LBs and lets call it a rover are all in the box - that's 7 in the box. They've got press coverage on the two WRs, a DB 7 yards off the slot and a deep safety. At the snap they rush 5. Stretch run over the right side, Howard picks up 1. play was to the right but the left side of the line blew it up.

4th play, FSU again playing press coverage with 5 down lineman and 2 LBs in the box. They rush 5 here no blitz. Pass to Jackson 1st down.

5th play. Ball on the FSU 42 yd line. 4 down lineman, 2 backers in the box. Corners in press man. 2 deep safeties. This is the first time they go cover 2 with the safeties. No blitz. Neal run up the gut for 3.

6th play. ball on 39 yd line. 6 down lineman, with a LB and safety in the box 4 yards off the ball - 8 in the box. Corners are 6 yards off the WRs. The slot is completely uncovered here. It's an easy TD. DeVito reads it and is looking at the slot but FSU sends 6 on a blitz and the 2 LBs in the box they drop into coverage. Pocket closes too fast , DeVito tucks and runs north/south and picks up 13 to the 29 yard line.

I'll stop here for now. The first 6 plays of the TD drive, FSU rushed 6, 5, 5, 5, 4 and 6, blitzing linebackers 4 of 6 times. No way no how did FSU call off the dogs on the TD drive. Anything but. What I see with the first 2 drives where we moved the ball FSU rushed and blitzed 5 or more on every single play but 1. (and doing some scans of numbers this was against their starters and 2-deep rotation).

Really liked what I started seeing from Bergeron and Davis run blocking, but particularly Bergeron and we seemed to lean on running right.

Are you guys actually serious? How far are you going to go to analyze something so meaningless? FSU was up 35-3, we hadn't moved the ball all day. Do you really think we were getting their 'A' game at this point? See below how FSU players handle winning by large margins...heads in the game? I get what you're doing. I used do it during the Gerg years, I'd do it during the Lions many losing seasons. You are literally grasping at anything positive. Sometimes there is nothing to grab. Where is the analysis of the first half drives? You know, when FSU still had something to prove?

 

[PhatOrange]

Are you guys actually serious? How far are you going to go to analyze something so meaningless? FSU was up 35-3, we hadn't moved the ball all day. Do you really think we were getting their 'A' game at this point? See below how FSU players handle winning by large margins...heads in the game? I get what you're doing. I used do it during the Gerg years, I'd do it during the Lions many losing seasons. You are literally grasping at anything positive. Sometimes there is nothing to grab. Where is the analysis of the first half drives? You know, when FSU still had something to prove?

View attachment 172225

was answering a question and dispelling another of the many board urban legends that morph into fact. reading comprehension.

other than that I sort of enjoy the analysis and breaking down film. I like to see whats in the details. doesn't matter to me if we win or lose.

 

[Pyle]

was answering a question and dispelling another of the many board urban legends that morph into fact. reading comprehension.

other than that I sort of enjoy the analysis and breaking down film. I like to see whats in the details. doesn't matter to me if we win or lose.

Whatever makes you happy I guess. I just don't see the point in deep analysis of garbage time. Because once they were up by 5 scores, that's exactly what it was. 4 scores i guess if you assume we would convert 4/4 2 pts conversions but I don't see that happening.

 

[TheCusian]

Are you guys actually serious? How far are you going to go to analyze something so meaningless? FSU was up 35-3, we hadn't moved the ball all day. Do you really think we were getting their 'A' game at this point? See below how FSU players handle winning by large margins...heads in the game? I get what you're doing. I used do it during the Gerg years, I'd do it during the Lions many losing seasons. You are literally grasping at anything positive. Sometimes there is nothing to grab. Where is the analysis of the first half drives? You know, when FSU still had something to prove?

View attachment 172225

You're right. Pouting is better. I retract all of the good things we kind of said about a so-so 2nd half.

Feel better?

 

[PhatOrange]

Whatever makes you happy I guess. I just don't see the point in deep analysis of garbage time. Because once they were up by 5 scores, that's exactly what it was. 4 scores i guess if you assume we would convert 4/4 2 pts conversions but I don't see that happening.

I guess it's the coach in me. On another note I don't see the point in a lot of things.

 

[upperdeck]

people act like we went 3 and out all game and FSU never tried to shut us out.

we started horribly. but from the 13-0 score we played OK D for large stretches to get back in the game

we had first down at the 31 took a penalty and ended up with a fg
we then had a 12 play drive that crossed mid field
had another stop had first down at the 32 missed a FG
then had another drive that ran out of time with some clock management issues

it could easily have been 21-9 21-13 at that point and given the crazy double pass play probably should have been 13-6 or so..

2nd half we went punt , 13 play 60, 13 play 75 13 play 75

so it was not 35-3 when FSU just let us score, we moved the ball all but 2-3 drives after the first 4 awful drives.

FSU went 3,7,3,8,5,4,16,5 plays. they made the bigger plays for sure much of that was Akers just making plays and a couple really good catches on solid coverage.

 

[upperdeck]

going back thru the 2nd half we blocked better for a large stretch. the good/bad? part is that much of the blocking issues were just mental mistakes or bad blocking calls. not even sure what we were doing on some of the key plays when the game could have been 28-17 or so had we just not blocked anyone. TD rushed the throw in the endzone and we got nothing from that drive.

I think this week tells us whether we took a step forward or not.

 

[TheCusian]

people act like we went 3 and out all game and FSU never tried to shut us out.

we started horribly. but from the 13-0 score we played OK D for large stretches to get back in the game

we had first down at the 31 took a penalty and ended up with a fg
we then had a 12 play drive that crossed mid field
had another stop had first down at the 32 missed a FG
then had another drive that ran out of time with some clock management issues

it could easily have been 21-9 21-13 at that point and given the crazy double pass play probably should have been 13-6 or so..

2nd half we went punt , 13 play 60, 13 play 75 13 play 75

so it was not 35-3 when FSU just let us score, we moved the ball all but 2-3 drives after the first 4 awful drives.

FSU went 3,7,3,8,5,4,16,5 plays. they made the bigger plays for sure much of that was Akers just making plays and a couple really good catches on solid coverage.

Yeah - and it while the deserve credit for recruiting such a stud in Akers and then changing a lot of their offense by going wildcat - just for us (I suspect the Briles/Dino relationship is to blame) - I was pleased with the 2nd half D.

This team is not as far away as it seems. It's likely that they figure something out by the end. A bitter pill given expectations for sure. But at this point? I'll take it.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Yeah - and it while the deserve credit for recruiting such a stud in Akers and then changing a lot of their offense by going wildcat - just for us (I suspect the Briles/Dino relationship is to blame) - I was pleased with the 2nd half D.

This team is not as far away as it seems. It's likely that they figure something out by the end. A bitter pill given expectations for sure. But at this point? I'll take it.

This was my takeaway from the second half as well. The same team that struggled against far lesser opposition suddenly seemed to get motivated and communicating. BC will be a good test. Win that and it’s two more for a bowl game.