CPJ Radio Show

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

We have had some powerful b-backs and if Benson is the fastest and strongest that makes me optimistic.

As fast, or FASTER than Jon Dwyer, and squats 600 lbs x 3. Whoa Nellie.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Early in their careers, I had given up on Days, Perkins, Laskey, and several others. Don't judge a back until the end of his career. Remember when we moved that unknown DB to the backfield? Hollings, Oh yeah.

Yeah, it seemed bleak when Robbie Godhigh was playing but Perkins wasn't. Let's see what CPJ comes up with.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

If I remember correctly he was injured in high school and needed surgery, which kept him out through his T-Fr year. I think the staff wanted him to delay enrollment until January since he wouldn't be able to play that year anyway, but he chose to just use it as his redshirt year. Last year was his first year where he was able to practice, plus being the first year after surgery he was still getting stronger and healthier. I wasn't surprised to see him at the back of the depth chart last year but fully expected him to push for PT as the primary backup to Mills. I can't wait to see him bust a few big ones getting those starter carries!

I am hoping he will remind us of Broderick Snoddy.

 

[00Burdell]

But, then they could all go in motion and switch positions!

You laugh but I was at every UH home game in 1992 when CPJ was the OC and he has some two-QB sets in his playbook. Hawai'i was almost impossible to stop that year - just ask BYU and Illinois.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I always liked Marshall as the starter and Mills as the backup last year. Mills never showed me anything but brute force. Marshall's run late in the 4th quarter in Athens last year was the best run by a GT back in a long, long time. I am hoping Benson's speed will be the ticket to some "house" calls.

Mills was surprisingly shifty in the trash. He definitely hit the hole quick which is imperative in this O and hard for many to grasp. That's why Synjyn was stuck behind Laskey for so long.

 

[DrJacket]

I think that might have been a record for his position rather than team. I might be wrong though. Also don't think they are comparing records to prior eras but again could be wrong.

Regardless, the young man is without doubt kuntree skrong.

I don't recall there being any qualifiers. He was over 600lbs. iirc.

 

[swampsting]

You laugh but I was at every UH home game in 1992 when CPJ was the OC and he has some two-QB sets in his playbook. Hawai'i was almost impossible to stop that year - just ask BYU and Illinois.

PJ used to tell me his offense at Hawaii would come to the line of scrimmage and start laughing at the opposing defense, even telling them, "we're going to run the option right here (point to a spot) and you can't stop it" and they wouldn't.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

Often, very often, seems as if D is just a footnote in our program.

 

[4shotB]

Often, very often, seems as if D is just a footnote in our program.

Unless it was during the CCG era where the D was the highlight most of the time and the O (it seemed) an afterthought.
We all wait patiently for the day when the stars align and we are good in ALL 3 phases at the same time. And we are pretty sure that our coaches over time understand the importance of same. This frequent misalignment between O and D performance over the last 15-20 (or more) years has been a constant and baffling source of mystery, debate and frustration.

 

[33jacket]

As fast, or FASTER than Jon Dwyer, and squats 600 lbs x 3. Whoa Nellie.

sounds good getting off the bus. Does he have the desire, and toughness to truck people, pop you, and keep going? We will see.

 

[33jacket]

Unless it was during the CCG era where the D was the highlight most of the time and the O (it seemed) an afterthought.
We all wait patiently for the day when the stars align and we are good in ALL 3 phases at the same time. And we are pretty sure that our coaches over time understand the importance of same. This frequent misalignment between O and D performance over the last 15-20 (or more) years has been a constant and baffling source of mystery, debate and frustration.

Its a depth issue.

GOL initially told ralph he gets first pick. All the athletes went to O
I know for a fact GOL did this.
I also know for a FACT CCG told the reverse to tenuta.
I don't know CPJ philosophy. I think its more even, but his O system is what wins on O. I do know, for instance, he asked the d if they wanted guys like Cooper, and they said no, so he took em on O. So Paul does give the D first shot sometimes.

At tech, what happens is, you can make one unit good. But we can't recruit enough great athletes yearly to make both units great....it truly is a stars aligning.

But this is why CPJ should be able to do it. His O and O system is good enough, that he should go all in on D recruits...and first choice...and maybe he is starting too.

Then, hire the right D staff (again)

 

[gtg936g]

Its a depth issue.

GOL initially told ralph he gets first pick. All the athletes went to O
I know for a fact GOL did this.
I also know for a FACT CCG told the reverse to tenuta.
I don't know CPJ philosophy. I think its more even, but his O system is what wins on O. I do know, for instance, he asked the d if they wanted guys like Cooper, and they said no, so he took em on O. So Paul does give the D first shot sometimes.

At tech, what happens is, you can make one unit good. But we can't recruit enough great athletes yearly to make both units great....it truly is a stars aligning.

But this is why CPJ should be able to do it. His O and O system is good enough, that he should go all in on D recruits...and first choice...and maybe he is starting too.

Then, hire the right D staff (again)

And some of the good recruits we get on O don't fit a lot of the more common NCAA offensive schemes.

 

[PBR549]

It is a depth issue. That's why we've never been consistent offensively or defensively over a period of years. That's also why consistency of the staff is so extremely important for us. We've had some special years with Johnson and we will continue to have a chance to have special years with him but we will never have enough depth to consistently good every year. That has proven to be the nature of Tech football. Let's let Paul handle it. He's been the best thing that has happened to us in 40 years or more. It's easy to sit back and throw rocks at someone who's actually working!

 

[OldJacketFan]

sounds good getting off the bus. Does he have the desire, and toughness to truck people, pop you, and keep going? We will see.

Well considering ALL the work he has put in rehabbing and learning the playbook and all the practice/scrimmage time and he has the confidence of PJ and Candeto I would say that question has already been answered.

 

[deeeznutz]

Often, very often, seems as if D is just a footnote in our program.

Unfortunately, that perception is driven by the media. With our unique offense, it becomes the focal point of any discussion on our team and is always used as what determined a win/loss (not necessarily by our coach, but always by media and opposing fans). It's the nature of the beast when you do something different from the herd...football is a very conservative sport, and most coaches like the safety of doing the same thing everybody else is.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Very few teams have the kind of depth to be good every year. Even factories have down years. Look at Texas, FSU, UGA, USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, you name it.

 

[33jacket]

Well considering ALL the work he has put in rehabbing and learning the playbook and all the practice/scrimmage time and he has the confidence of PJ and Candeto I would say that question has already been answered.

Has it? Its not like he beat out mills. I respect his comeback but to say its been answered when he hasnt played even close to this focus and visibility is premature. I think he has alot to show himself and everyone in real bigtime games for a full 4q. He is the starter. So clearly he has shown enough to beat a true freshman and Q but again for me we will see. Like paul says. He has to still show it

 

[33jacket]

Very few teams have the kind of depth to be good every year. Even factories have down years. Look at Texas, FSU, UGA, USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, you name it.

True. But everyone of those teams minus uga has been in the national title scene or game multiple times in the last 20 years. What we are discussing is not good every year, but having the moons align to have one year where both the O and D are top 25 units where we are in a bigger national scene one year. Imo its been impossible to see in modern crazy football (since tv and arms races started 12 years ago) unless we literally hit a magic season.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Has it? Its not like he beat out mills. I respect his comeback but to say its been answered when he hasnt played even close to this focus and visibility is premature. I think he has alot to show himself and everyone in real bigtime games for a full 4q. He is the starter. So clearly he has shown enough to beat a true freshman and Q but again for me we will see. Like paul says. He has to still show it

Desire? Look at the work he has put in. Toughness? Saw him at the spring game and the fall scrimmage as well as in HS, he's plenty tough enough. I don't doubt for a second he will be a very good B back and quickly.

 

[4shotB]

Its a depth issue.

GOL initially told ralph he gets first pick. All the athletes went to O
I know for a fact GOL did this.
I also know for a FACT CCG told the reverse to tenuta.
I don't know CPJ philosophy. I think its more even, but his O system is what wins on O. I do know, for instance, he asked the d if they wanted guys like Cooper, and they said no, so he took em on O. So Paul does give the D first shot sometimes.

At tech, what happens is, you can make one unit good. But we can't recruit enough great athletes yearly to make both units great....it truly is a stars aligning.

Interesting hypothesis that is in sync with what our eyes have told us over the years.Also interesting that GOL (being a former DC) let the O get "first dibs" since it flies in the face of conventional wisdom...i.e. "that defense wins championships". I do not follow recruiting all that much but it never seems to appear (on paper) that our recruiting is better on either side.But you are saying/implying that we only really "hit"on about 15-20% of our recruits. (Number thrown out off of the top of my head....say we get 11 guys on one side who collectively can make one side "good to great". Sprinkle in a few good players from the "other" or "bad" side of the ball. So that's 15 (give or take) out of 85 "hits". Of course there might be a few more hits on your roster. For example, Tim Byerly was a quality player. But he was logjammed behind a really superior talent.

anyway, I am rambling and apologize. But this is perhaps the most lucid responses to the eternal "why can't we get our $%^! together on both sides of the LOS at the same time" question that I have ever read. I don't have anything to refute your comments with.