Excellent Article from SBNation

305jacket

305jacket

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
477
Great article, he has one for every other ACC team also already. I've read a couple, really gives you some knowledge about each team.
 
GTNavyNuke

GTNavyNuke

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
10,063
Location
Williamsburg Virginia
Thanks. I need to read more of his articles for other teams. Bill Connelly is one of my favorite writers. He likes GT because we are unexpected and different.

There are a lot of stats, which I love, but they become confusing to me because there are so many and they are complex. I put some of my notes on his book in a previous thread ..... https://gtswarm.com/threads/book-review-study-hall-college-football-its-stats-and-its-stories.4984/

We are going to be challenged to maintain our high positive turnover count with the new ABs and BB. But I think the D will pick up the slack. Fortunately, we have out three easiest games in the first four to get some things down.
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,220
Excellent read. I still have an issue with this, however:

"This is the most plug-and-play offense in the ACC: the B-backs fall forward up the middle, the A-backs hit the corner, and the receivers block well and leap high for lobs. If the QB is up to snuff, the offense will succeed."

I still hold to the belief that there was a strong correlation between our success and the fact that 90% of our offensive skill players were seniors.
 
GTNavyNuke

GTNavyNuke

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
10,063
Location
Williamsburg Virginia
dressedcheeseside said:
Excellent read. I still have an issue with this, however:

"This is the most plug-and-play offense in the ACC: the B-backs fall forward up the middle, the A-backs hit the corner, and the receivers block well and leap high for lobs. If the QB is up to snuff, the offense will succeed."

I still hold to the belief that there was a strong correlation between our success and the fact that 90% of our offensive skill players were seniors.
Click to expand...

I was going to comment on that quote too. But I was going to say that all offenses are plug and play. All you have to do is block and execute the play as designed. The rest are "details" (tic).

But like John said in the article, the theory of plug and play will be tested this year with the less experienced backs and WRs. By the end of the season, they will be experienced and those that cant block or fumble will not be playing. Next year the cupboard will be full for experienced backs and WRs.......
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,220
GTNavyNuke said:
I was going to comment on that quote too. But I was going to say that all offenses are plug and play. All you have to do is block and execute the play as designed. The rest are "details" (tic).

But like John said in the article, the theory of plug and play will be tested this year with the less experienced backs and WRs. By the end of the season, they will be experienced and those that cant block or fumble will not be playing. Next year the cupboard will be full for experienced backs and WRs.......
Click to expand...
I think the theory loses traction the more guys you have to replace. One or two guys, yeah, plug and play. The entire skill group, not so much.
 
TheGridironGeek

TheGridironGeek

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
276
dressedcheeseside said:
Excellent read. I still have an issue with this, however:

"This is the most plug-and-play offense in the ACC: the B-backs fall forward up the middle, the A-backs hit the corner, and the receivers block well and leap high for lobs. If the QB is up to snuff, the offense will succeed."

I still hold to the belief that there was a strong correlation between our success and the fact that 90% of our offensive skill players were seniors.
Click to expand...

He's right in the sense that in carrying the ball, A-backs just have to keep pitch relation, catch it and run down the sideline, so the #'s can be really impressive even for some freshman off the bench. Could Shun White ever have set Navy's rushing record w/ 300+ yards in one game if he was a regular tailback taking I-formation handoffs?

But the blocking...that's a potential issue. A-backs were dominant against MSU blocking the belly play. Blocking is an art form no matter what system you're in, so I don't know that the B-back won't have a little tougher sledding on those types of plays this season.
 
AE 87

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
Messages
13,026
Does anyone know a source for determining which games particular OL guys played?

I went back and looked at our stats for 2008, and we hit a rough patch in the middle of the year but otherwise did pretty well. I think a couple games were without JN, but a couple were after he was back.

I'm wondering if that data might inform our ideas about 1st year skill players with good qb and good OL.
 
cuttysark

cuttysark

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
580
While I'm not saying this analogy is exactly the same as the offenses are different, BUT, if you look at the revolving door of skill players that have come and gone over the years for the New England Patriots while they maintained a very experienced offensive line and Tom Brady at QB, that is the critical ingredient for successful offensive football. They also still won without the "schematic advantage" provided by Charley Weiss.

With GT returning 4/5 on the offensive line along with quality depth and a comparable field general in Justin Thomas, then there is no reason the skill players can't also be plugged in too. I remember everyone crying that after Travis Custis was no longer a member of the team that questions were being asked: "How can you run this offense without a great B-Back? Now GT doesn't have one."

Then Zach Laskey went down with an injury and that same question persisted. Hence the Synjyn Days performance which thereafter became the: "Should Zach Laskey start over Synjyn even when he gets back from his injury?

How about: "Who's going to replace Roddy?" Which was followed next year by: "Who's going to replace Robbie?"

CPJ knows what he's doing and expect to see the GT running game hitting on all cylinders again this season because the pieces are all in place for another winning season. It will just be different names accomplishing the same results at the end of the day.
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,220
cuttysark said:
While I'm not saying this analogy is exactly the same as the offenses are different, BUT, if you look at the revolving door of skill players that have come and gone over the years for the New England Patriots while they maintained a very experienced offensive line and Tom Brady at QB, that is the critical ingredient for successful offensive football. They also still won without the "schematic advantage" provided by Charley Weiss.

With GT returning 4/5 on the offensive line along with quality depth and a comparable field general in Justin Thomas, then there is no reason the skill players can't also be plugged in too. I remember everyone crying that after Travis Custis was no longer a member of the team that questions were being asked: "How can you run this offense without a great B-Back? Now GT doesn't have one."

Then Zach Laskey went down with an injury and that same question persisted. Hence the Synjyn Days performance which thereafter became the: "Should Zach Laskey start over Synjyn even when he gets back from his injury?

How about: "Who's going to replace Roddy?" Which was followed next year by: "Who's going to replace Robbie?"

CPJ knows what he's doing and expect to see the GT running game hitting on all cylinders again this season because the pieces are all in place for another winning season. It will just be different names accomplishing the same results at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
All of those examples are about replacing one skill guy at a time.

Let the following sink in:

After checking the 3 deep depth chart for last season at Bback, Aback and wr, we only return 4 guys. That's 4 guys out of 15. This fact cannot be overstated. To fill out the 3 deep for these 5 positions, we need 11 new guys.

11 new guys................. in one season.

From last year's 2 deep in the skill positions, we return 1 guy, Summers.

1 guy. That's 9 new faces out of 10.
 

jayparr

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,441
Location
newnan
cuttysark said:
While I'm not saying this analogy is exactly the same as the offenses are different, BUT, if you look at the revolving door of skill players that have come and gone over the years for the New England Patriots while they maintained a very experienced offensive line and Tom Brady at QB, that is the critical ingredient for successful offensive football. They also still won without the "schematic advantage" provided by Charley Weiss.

With GT returning 4/5 on the offensive line along with quality depth and a comparable field general in Justin Thomas, then there is no reason the skill players can't also be plugged in too. I remember everyone crying that after Travis Custis was no longer a member of the team that questions were being asked: "How can you run this offense without a great B-Back? Now GT doesn't have one."

Then Zach Laskey went down with an injury and that same question persisted. Hence the Synjyn Days performance which thereafter became the: "Should Zach Laskey start over Synjyn even when he gets back from his injury?

How about: "Who's going to replace Roddy?" Which was followed next year by: "Who's going to replace Robbie?"

CPJ knows what he's doing and expect to see the GT running game hitting on all cylinders again this season because the pieces are all in place for another winning season. It will just be different names accomplishing the same results at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
great reply indeed!!!!
 
tech_wreck47

tech_wreck47

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,670
dressedcheeseside said:
Excellent read. I still have an issue with this, however:

"This is the most plug-and-play offense in the ACC: the B-backs fall forward up the middle, the A-backs hit the corner, and the receivers block well and leap high for lobs. If the QB is up to snuff, the offense will succeed."

I still hold to the belief that there was a strong correlation between our success and the fact that 90% of our offensive skill players were seniors.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but having a guy like Thomas should help some with overcoming any bump in the road we have with the new guys. I'm hoping with a year under his belt he will be able to bring some balance to an inexperienced offense (minus the o line).
 

jayparr

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,441
Location
newnan
dressedcheeseside said:
All of those examples are about replacing one skill guy at a time.

Let the following sink in:

After checking the 3 deep depth chart for last season at Bback, Aback and wr, we only return 4 guys. That's 4 guys out of 15. This fact cannot be overstated. To fill out the 3 deep for these 5 positions, we need 11 new guys.

11 new guys................. in one season.

From last year's 2 deep in the skill positions, we return 1 guy, Summers.

1 guy. That's 9 new faces out of 10.
Click to expand...
You make some very good points, but I am just hoping Cutty's is more true!
 
AE 87

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
Messages
13,026
dressedcheeseside said:
All of those examples are about replacing one skill guy at a time.

Let the following sink in:

After checking the 3 deep depth chart for last season at Bback, Aback and wr, we only return 4 guys. That's 4 guys out of 15. This fact cannot be overstated. To fill out the 3 deep for these 5 positions, we need 11 new guys.

11 new guys................. in one season.

From last year's 2 deep in the skill positions, we return 1 guy, Summers.

1 guy. That's 9 new faces out of 10.
Click to expand...

I think we get your point in the abstract. Besides Summers and Snoddy, we will be relying on new guys in skill positions.

Do you have a concrete measure in mind where your skepticism can be proven correct or not? A certain points/drive or yds/play?

What will make you think, "that's what I was afraid of" or "wow, I guess I was wrong" if anything?
 
Top