SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
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- Connecticut stinks. They are probably the worst team we will face this season, (Stony Brook is 6-1 and ranked #10 in FCS). Beating them- even by 30 points, offers little evidence as to what will happen in other games.
- The last time we beat someone like this was last season’s West Virginia game. That one also had nothing to do with what happened next.
- Marrone didn’t look too elated in his press conference. He was asked about not having any turnovers and he pointed out we fumbled three times. We just got the ball back each time. But fumbles disrupt and offense, even if we get the ball back. So far this year, we’ve fumbled the ball 15 times to only 6 times for the opposition. And if Mackey doesn’t slam that pass like he was Fab Melo, that would have been a pick, maybe a pick six.
- And what does it take to get a turnover? We had a pick on a tipped ball ourselves but an interference call that looked questionable canceled it. We forced a fumble but the one Connecticut guy in the pile-up gets the ball. We sack the quarterback. The ball comes flying out. The refs rule that it was a fumble and we recover. They review it but they never change the call in college do they? Yes they do. Finally on the next play we got one.
- Our running attack was very effective but none too versatile or imaginative. It was basically all draw plays off the shotgun, or fake draws with the quarterback keeping it so he can wrestle with the linebackers punctuated by an occasional end-around to our slowest receiver. It worked because dominated the line of scrimmage. But a really good defense, (and Connecticut’s was not, despite the numbers), could certainly figure out how to stuff that. If we are going to run the ball 53 times in 73 plays why not put both Smith and Gulley in there so you can have a lead blocker, fake to one guy and give it to the other, have the possibility of an inside run or and outside run on every play and leave the defense in doubt as to who is going to carry the ball, as they would be in doubt as to who is going to be thrown to on a passing play? Just sayin’
- What ever happened to our roll-out passes? Nassib was pretty good at that and if you are going to run him, I’d rather he be running down the sidelines where he could go out of bounds rather than sliding or getting hammered.
- Where are you Marcus Sales? You and Alec Lemon are supposed to be a dynamite combination. Not only didn’t we throw to you much but you didn’t look like much when we did. Chris Gedney pointed out that on an early tipped pass play, you would have been in perfect position to grab the ball except you’d broken off your route. Fortunately, it fell incomplete. So did a later third down pass thrown right into your hands. You lead the team with 37 catches yet had none in this game. I think he gets bored when we aren’t throwing to him. The staff’s mysterious problems with him a couple of years ago seem a bit less mysterious today.
- Last week they ran drills to avoid turnovers and had zero turnovers. This week we need to run pass interception drills. Shamarko doesn’t quite get the concept.
- Another guy who doesn’t quite get the concept is the guy who knifed someone at Midnight Madness such that everyone has to be wanded before they enter the Dome now. Thanks, pal. Then there was the guy who wanded me, got a buzzer and just waved me on.
- Some people tried to start a "Wave" but it petered out after a couple of sections.
- Why is Larry Csonka wearing #34, not #39 in his picture? Just wondering.
- Who, exactly is Clay Cleveland Jr.?
- The last time we beat someone like this was last season’s West Virginia game. That one also had nothing to do with what happened next.
- Marrone didn’t look too elated in his press conference. He was asked about not having any turnovers and he pointed out we fumbled three times. We just got the ball back each time. But fumbles disrupt and offense, even if we get the ball back. So far this year, we’ve fumbled the ball 15 times to only 6 times for the opposition. And if Mackey doesn’t slam that pass like he was Fab Melo, that would have been a pick, maybe a pick six.
- And what does it take to get a turnover? We had a pick on a tipped ball ourselves but an interference call that looked questionable canceled it. We forced a fumble but the one Connecticut guy in the pile-up gets the ball. We sack the quarterback. The ball comes flying out. The refs rule that it was a fumble and we recover. They review it but they never change the call in college do they? Yes they do. Finally on the next play we got one.
- Our running attack was very effective but none too versatile or imaginative. It was basically all draw plays off the shotgun, or fake draws with the quarterback keeping it so he can wrestle with the linebackers punctuated by an occasional end-around to our slowest receiver. It worked because dominated the line of scrimmage. But a really good defense, (and Connecticut’s was not, despite the numbers), could certainly figure out how to stuff that. If we are going to run the ball 53 times in 73 plays why not put both Smith and Gulley in there so you can have a lead blocker, fake to one guy and give it to the other, have the possibility of an inside run or and outside run on every play and leave the defense in doubt as to who is going to carry the ball, as they would be in doubt as to who is going to be thrown to on a passing play? Just sayin’
- What ever happened to our roll-out passes? Nassib was pretty good at that and if you are going to run him, I’d rather he be running down the sidelines where he could go out of bounds rather than sliding or getting hammered.
- Where are you Marcus Sales? You and Alec Lemon are supposed to be a dynamite combination. Not only didn’t we throw to you much but you didn’t look like much when we did. Chris Gedney pointed out that on an early tipped pass play, you would have been in perfect position to grab the ball except you’d broken off your route. Fortunately, it fell incomplete. So did a later third down pass thrown right into your hands. You lead the team with 37 catches yet had none in this game. I think he gets bored when we aren’t throwing to him. The staff’s mysterious problems with him a couple of years ago seem a bit less mysterious today.
- Last week they ran drills to avoid turnovers and had zero turnovers. This week we need to run pass interception drills. Shamarko doesn’t quite get the concept.
- Another guy who doesn’t quite get the concept is the guy who knifed someone at Midnight Madness such that everyone has to be wanded before they enter the Dome now. Thanks, pal. Then there was the guy who wanded me, got a buzzer and just waved me on.
- Some people tried to start a "Wave" but it petered out after a couple of sections.
- Why is Larry Csonka wearing #34, not #39 in his picture? Just wondering.
- Who, exactly is Clay Cleveland Jr.?
