Duke Postgame

[Skeptic]

allow me to be the skeptic here, but if you always (or 95% of the time) start behind the 25 (say at the 20,15 or 10) why do it? A return attempt also carries a lot of risk (fumble, injury or penalty) that a touchback doesn't.

Good points, all. But sometimes you get the 95-yarder, too, besides which the game is just more fun when it is on the grass and not analytics. There is this thing about won-lost records, I know, but I am always for the team trying to win and not trying not to lose.

 

[4shotB]

There is this thing about won-lost records, I know, but I am always for the team trying to win and not trying not to lose.

IIUC, then you like the return because it is an aggressive play (i.e. "play to win", 'force their hand". etc.) Actually I like that philosophy as well but until you marry vision with action (in this case, teach the KO return team how to block) I struggle to ignore what I see on the field with my own two eyes. So until we fix the issues, I say stay conservative as it increases the probability of the win, which is the ultimate goal anyways.

 

[Skeptic]

IIUC, then you like the return because it is an aggressive play (i.e. "play to win", 'force their hand". etc.) Actually I like that philosophy as well but until you marry vision with action (in this case, teach the KO return team how to block) I struggle to ignore what I see on the field with my own two eyes. So until we fix the issues, I say stay conservative as it increases the probability of the win, which is the ultimate goal anyways.

As Richard Pryor was known to say in another context, who are you gonna believe? Me or your lying eyes?

 

[augustabuzz]

Very good point for short qb and wide receiver.
Duke qb and 3TE are 6'5"ish. it looked like w tried to keep hand up as they got close to qb. He had a quick release and seemed to know which guy would be wide open. He was not accurate on long passes or it could have been worse. pretty good qb for a freshman.

It's not necessary that we get a hand on the ball. We need a little more air under his passes. 6'5" helps, but it does not immunize against that tactic. And, he will be throwing into more people.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

Just a couple of observations:

1) There is not a nickel worth's of difference between the teams in the ACC Coastal Division. They are all middling teams and every game played between them will be some sort of back and forth, high scoring affair with mistakes deciding the outcome. Reference, Duke playing Louisville last week to the wire, Pitt vs. VT last Thursday, Miami now being 4 and 4, UNC with nice record but losing to UGA and winning two games on the last play, etc.
2) We are what you see out there by now. Our offense will work on occassion but not consistently and we just need to keep developing our offensive linemen and start thinkng about a QB for 2017. Our special teams are inconsistent except for Butker who is our most valuable player in my opinion. Our defense is not good and and the guys we have playing are doing their best but frankly we do not have enough really good players to be solid.
3) Our coaching staff is as good as most but they are having problems getting the best out of our guys on a consistent basis. This is not unique to Georgia Tech. If you watch enough football, you see this at a majority of D1 programs. I think we need to start weeding out some of the non producers. I know that is not GT like but if we don't start holding our players to a higher standard, we are not going to make the improvements needed to reach the next level.
4) We need to enjoy the wins. They ae damn hard to get. There will be plenty of opportunities to be upset and mad becasue we lose a game we should have won. That has already happened twice this year in our own experience (or at least that is what I think). Of course you could say we have won a couple we should have lost but I digress. It just seems like a lot of fans want to complain about everything, the coaches, the players, the band, the cheerleaders, the stadium, the traffic cops, etc. Remember this is entertainment and while it is fair to criitcize if the participation is creating a negative influence on your life, find something else to do. Life is too short to be in a constant state of unhapiness.
5) We can win or lose every game left on our schedule for 2016. It will be interesting to see how things play out. Let's just get behind our guys and coaches and do our part as fans to help them be as successful as possible. Let's enjoy the misery our neighbors to the East are suffering. Just observe their fans and they will show you how not to support your tesm. Let's not be like them.

Go Jackets!

 

[leftylover]

Note from the game: if JT doesn't under throw BS, it would have been a "house call"

 

[AE 87]

Just a couple of observations:

1) There is not a nickel worth's of difference between the teams in the ACC Coastal Division. They are all middling teams and every game played between them will be some sort of back and forth, high scoring affair with mistakes deciding the outcome. Reference, Duke playing Louisville last week to the wire, Pitt vs. VT last Thursday, Miami now being 4 and 4, UNC with nice record but losing to UGA and winning two games on the last play, etc.
2) We are what you see out there by now. Our offense will work on occassion but not consistently and we just need to keep developing our offensive linemen and start thinkng about a QB for 2017. Our special teams are inconsistent except for Butker who is our most valuable player in my opinion. Our defense is not good and and the guys we have playing are doing their best but frankly we do not have enough really good players to be solid.
3) Our coaching staff is as good as most but they are having problems getting the best out of our guys on a consistent basis. This is not unique to Georgia Tech. If you watch enough football, you see this at a majority of D1 programs. I think we need to start weeding out some of the non producers. I know that is not GT like but if we don't start holding our players to a higher standard, we are not going to make the improvements needed to reach the next level.
4) We need to enjoy the wins. They ae damn hard to get. There will be plenty of opportunities to be upset and mad becasue we lose a game we should have won. That has already happened twice this year in our own experience (or at least that is what I think). Of course you could say we have won a couple we should have lost but I digress. It just seems like a lot of fans want to complain about everything, the coaches, the players, the band, the cheerleaders, the stadium, the traffic cops, etc. Remember this is entertainment and while it is fair to criitcize if the participation is creating a negative influence on your life, find something else to do. Life is too short to be in a constant state of unhapiness.
5) We can win or lose every game left on our schedule for 2016. It will be interesting to see how things play out. Let's just get behind our guys and coaches and do our part as fans to help them be as successful as possible. Let's enjoy the misery our neighbors to the East are suffering. Just observe their fans and they will show you how not to support your tesm. Let's not be like them.

Go Jackets!

Duke still has to play vpi, unc, pitt and d'oh u. If they don't play those games close by scoring more than 2.5 ppd, will you admit error?

I will if they do. I already admit being wrong about the improvement I expected on D.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Who wouldn't start?

your list is shorter, better if you answer.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

Duke will play vpi (who got run by Syracuse), unc (their natural rival), pitt (who is fading) and Miami ( their 5 stars will quit now that their season has turned to scat) tough. They won't win them all but they wont't lose them all. They are better than most of our fans give them credit for.

Go Jackets!

Duke still has to play vpi, unc, pitt and d'oh u. If they don't play those games close by scoring more than 2.5 ppd, will you admit error?

I will if they do. I already admit being wrong about the improvement I expected on D.[/QUOTE

 

[LloydC]

I have not seen it addressed here, but was there an explanation of the replay confirmation of the Duke kickoff returner touching a knee at the goal line? It may have not meant much in the grand scheme of things as the resulting drive ended in Duke fumbling on the GT 3 yard line, but it might have made a big difference in field position (assuming the D could stop them). The replays on tv and even the announcers were positive that the returners knee was down and watching the replay today, I can't see any reason how they could confirm the call on the field. There were a few questionable calls yesterday, but this one was stuck out the most because it was missed TWICE (on the field and in the replay booth)

 

[Yaller Jacket]

Love what Inside had to say about the defense way back up the thread.

Following cheese's comment about the DTs, what has happened to our run defense the last two games? Before that we were a pretty good run stopping team. The last two games we stopped nothing consistently.

It'll be interesting to see PJ and Ted's approach to UNC. PJ was way more irritated that usual after the game, especially with the defense. Will he tell Ted he wants a different approach?

One aspect of not having Mills seems to me a pretty big thing. Marshall doesn't get many yards after contact, while Mills reliably does. So on a run up the middle, if there is a hole and Marhsall gets hit after three yards that's usually about all he gets. Mills always gets another two or three. So with Mills, you're looking at second and 5. Will Marshall, second and 7. In our offense, those two yards are important to keeping the chains moving. Also, if we get those five yards consistently, you get LBs and safeties leaning toward the middle and taking the B back fake, so the outside opens. If we are only getting three yards, nothing changes.

Glad to see PJ decided pretty early to attack what they were giving us, in this case the pass And even more satisfying that we can now execute well enough to make a team pay with the pass. If we could just play even a little better defensively, we might yet have a good season.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

> FBI re-opens criminal case against Hillary

,

Our chances of getting into The CFB playoffs is better than her being arrested.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I have not seen it addressed here, but was there an explanation of the replay confirmation of the Duke kickoff returner touching a knee at the goal line? It may have not meant much in the grand scheme of things as the resulting drive ended in Duke fumbling on the GT 3 yard line, but it might have made a big difference in field position (assuming the D could stop them). The replays on tv and even the announcers were positive that the returners knee was down and watching the replay today, I can't see any reason how they could confirm the call on the field. There were a few questionable calls yesterday, but this one was stuck out the most because it was missed TWICE (on the field and in the replay booth)

Replay showed it touching. Now safety, 1" line, or touchback would be the question.

 

[LloydC]

Replay showed it touching. Now safety, 1" line, or touchback would be the question.

Exactly. But it was placed at the 14 yard line which is none of those.

 

[jeffgt14]

One thing I've noticed on kickoffs is teams are kicking higher to put the ball at the -1 to try and get teams to return it and not make it to the 25 instead of a touchback. This allows the kickoff team to get down there quicker. Player safety was a good thought... It's probably worse now.

 

[jeffgt14]

Replay showed it touching. Now safety, 1" line, or touchback would be the question.

The reason it stood if because the replay couldn't tell if it was a touchback or down at the one so play stood as called.

 

[RamblinWreck92]

The 50 yard scramble on the goal line was a back yard play. The 50 yard run on the 3&17 looked like we ran verticals to clear out the middle of the field for a designed qb scramble. Isnt that what you want though? Playmakers? People who can make plays when something breaks down? Not every play is going to be executed perfectly, I hear so many people bitching about us not having someone who can take over a game and then our quarterback accounts for 450 yards of offense it's because everyone else sucks. Just STFU and go somewhere else

Yeah, because scrambling around our starting QB is both smart and repeatable. Why don't you STFU and go somewhere else?

 

[RamblinWreck92]

Watch the 40 second play clock again... it starts when the player is called down. The 25 second play clock starts on the ref's whistle.
so if a second goes of the clock, then the knee that'd still leave time on the clock.

The game play clock is 40 seconds, not 25.

 

[AE 87]

The reason it stood if because the replay couldn't tell if it was a touchback or down at the one so play stood as called.

It actually looks a lot like Orwin's safety. Ball partially out so not touchback, not completely out so not in play.

 

[danny daniel]

My brother was a an excellent coach for over 25 years. He got routinely criticized for not spending much practice time on KO returns. He often told me that spending practice time on KO returns was not a good return on investment. " If you are returning more than one KO per game you should be spending your practice time with your D". His coaching success was obviously based on a strong D. The game has changed but even so there is a good point here.