Why is SU offense inept?

[papadynamite]

I attended the Pinstripe Bowl and was absolutely delighted in the performance of the offense. This year has been a totally opposite feeling except for the WVU game! Why?
It raises the question: Is it the coaching, the players, or a combination of both. Let's start with the coaching. Marrone's latest job as OC of the Saints gave him the opportunity to incorporate schemes with great players. Is he trying to use those same schemes here at the college level? If he is, it ain't working. Why? That gets us to the second part, players. Do they have the skill level expected to perform complex offensive schemes? This year, the answer seems to be no. The key to any successful offense is the QB. I have been wondering going into the second half of this season if Nassib has been injured and the staff is hiding it for lack of going to an unproven backup. His throws have generally not been crisp, overthrows receivers more frequently, and in the Rutgers game, he seemed like he telegraphed his passes, thus intercepted. A seasoned veteran offensive line seems to be getting overwhelmed by opposing defensive lines. The freshman defensive linemen of Louisville killed them.
To these questions, I don't have surefire answers. But I know I am getting so frustrated, my disappointment runs deep. This is a mediocre team now. If they wind up 6-6 and are bowl eligible, who is going to go to the bowl game? I don't think I want to spend the money to watch them at this point and will sit home and see them on TV.

 

[orangenauburn]

Because the coaching staff is afraid of making mistakes or putting their players in positions that they think they can not handle -- thus they do not open things up

when they do open things up - SU looks great and exciting (pinstripe and wvu)

 

[Millhouse]

Because the coaching staff is afraid of making mistakes or putting their players in positions that they think they can not handle -- thus they do not open things up

when they do open things up - SU looks great and exciting (pinstripe and wvu)

they didn't really open things up in those games. 21 passes or something in the pinstripe. they ran for 200+ yards and pushed them around in those games. when you do that it's pretty easy for your qb to look ok but it's not reasonable to expect that all the time. sometimes your qb has to be effective when you're not rolling up 7 yards a carry. that's where we fall on our face.

 

[orangenauburn]

I meant open things up by involving different players and different plays other than standard ten or so we run

it is nice seeing the young 'playmakers' on the field getting opportunities and giving the opponent different looks

 

[SmilinBob]

That's why Smilin Bob is here, to stop this offense from being inept! My dream is to put smilin and satisfied faces on all those fans who watch SU football.

The key is to limit the mistakes and good things will follow. Marrone is marching methodically down the field offensively 10 yards at a time and the chances of a brakedown increase with each possession. Sales broke a few plays for td's in that game and right now we don't have that and not that Sales is the answer but the problem being no one is able to do it. 3rd and 4-5-6 and then you jump offsides, drop a pass, get sacked or throw a 3 yard completion or whatever it has to be done over and over again for 75 or so yards and if you play this way the precision on what has to be done has to be better than what SU is doing right now.

 

[SoBristol]

It is easy for the arm-chair fan to focus on the QB and question play-calling.

Sometimes it is just run-blocking, and the ability of the runner to get 5 yds rather than 3 yds. UConn had an all-league C (Moe Petrus) who will likely get drafted and play on Sundays. Probably outweighs Macky by 40 lbs. UConn was running effective sweeps with their scat back; then delays up the middle with their second QB. Very simple offensive plan, supported by effective blocking. Not much passing.

We were trying Bailey and Graham, with inconsistent blocking. The passing attack was actually decent. You can question the mix of run/pass -- the real problem was the OL did not create running lanes.

 

[orangenauburn]

there were lanes -- they did not hit them

 

[SoBristol]

there were lanes -- they did not hit them

Maybe on occasion -- but not as a rule.

 

[timkay99]

I meant open things up by involving different players and different plays other than standard ten or so we run

it is nice seeing the young 'playmakers' on the field getting opportunities and giving the opponent different looks

I will never understand what open things up means. Hackett has been doing that. He has deep shots, but either the protection breaks down, WR doesn't get separation or Nassib flat misses. He runs end arounds. He runs HB passes. It isn't like he is vanilla and runs the same play over and over again. He hasn't used the rollout bootleg much before Connecticut, which was the staple of the offense last year.

You bring up the Pinstripe and WVU game. The playcalling wasn't any better in those games. The execution from Nassib was there.

The young 'playmakers' have been seeing more time on the field and giving different looks. West was a huge part of the gameplan for Connecticut. Smith probably had his most reps of any game on the season.

 

[Aweart23]

Because we didn't hire Mike Leach or Chip Kelly...