Film Study - Offense vs Clemson

[Yaller Jacket]

I find the bit about Clemson guessing right on our plays seriously troubling. I wonder if there are tells that are giving us away or if they just know our tendencies that well. It bothers me too that we seem to have no answer if they shift at the last second. I have always thought that PJ had an answer for anything a defense could do, but this tells me that ain't necessarily so.

I am beginning to understand something which has baffled me until now. The first part is how could our line look so goshawful this year? The second is how could we have looked so dang good against Georiga, FSU, and MSU? I assume they had similar calibre athletes on their defenses last year. The answer seems to be that they tried to play us straight up, no correctly guessing our play calls, no last second realignment. When our guys are clear on who they are to block and the other team doesn't know what's coming, we can run our offense.

 

[4shotB]

I assume they had similar calibre athletes on their defenses last year. The answer seems to be that they tried to play us straight up, no correctly guessing our play calls, no last second realignment. When our guys are clear on who they are to block and the other team doesn't know what's coming, we can run our offense.

why does theory not work in reverse? In other words, what can our D do to confuse the other team's O? And why don't we do it? I know some of you gentlemen are more X and O savvy than myself, so I'll hang up and listen.

 

[Ash]

I have to agree about our game speed. I watched Clempsun play Wofford the first game. I thought Wofford was playing slow...they looked like they were going half speed compared to the Tigers and got stuffed for it. I thought we would be faster...I was wrong. We are able to beat lower classification teams because that is the level of speed we have right now. I hope it's just because we are playing so many young kids due to injury and not a symptom of something else.

 

[Skeptic]

I find the bit about Clemson guessing right on our plays seriously troubling. I wonder if there are tells that are giving us away or if they just know our tendencies that well. It bothers me too that we seem to have no answer if they shift at the last second. I have always thought that PJ had an answer for anything a defense could do, but this tells me that ain't necessarily so.

I am beginning to understand something which has baffled me until now. The first part is how could our line look so goshawful this year? The second is how could we have looked so dang good against Georiga, FSU, and MSU? I assume they had similar calibre athletes on their defenses last year. The answer seems to be that they tried to play us straight up, no correctly guessing our play calls, no last second realignment. When our guys are clear on who they are to block and the other team doesn't know what's coming, we can run our offense.

I doubt but obviously don't know that Johnson has seen anything this season he has not seen before in 30 years or so running it. The difference might be the caliber of athletes doing it against us, and the caliber of athletes they oppose. Other forces at work I'm sure -- one of the more disturbing possibilities is the QB -- but we can seen clearly now, to coin a lyric, that this much ballyhooed notion of "plug and play" at WR, Aback and Bback was just plain silly on its face. In the first place it implies anybody can play this offense, and they can't, and that experience in it doesn't count for anything at all.

 

[iceeater1969]

I doubt but obviously don't know that Johnson has seen anything this season he has not seen before in 30 years or so running it. The difference might be the caliber of athletes doing it against us, and the caliber of athletes they oppose. Other forces at work I'm sure -- one of the more disturbing possibilities is the QB -- but we can seen clearly now, to coin a lyric, that this much ballyhooed notion of "plug and play" at WR, Aback and Bback was just plain silly on its face. In the first place it implies anybody can play this offense, and they can't, and that experience in it doesn't count for anything at all.

Plug and play wr, bb, and most ab is definitely NOT possible.

Perhaps giving some preference to keeping the PIPELINE GOING would avoid the totally empty cupboard.

Also when wholesale replacements occur, perhaps it is a good idea to have some more called innovative plays

 

[DC Bee]

I want to throw this out there for discussion. Since Taquan Marshall is on the mend, why not move him to QB and move Jordan back to AB. We really need some help at AB. If we get Snoddy back, MLD, and Jordan would be a good rotation. Lunch and Willis can be good subs. Next year we will be loaded at AB, but right now we have to get some playmakers and stability at that position.

I like TaQuon, but when would he play QB? Certainly not this year as a true frosh. Not sure anything less than a R-Soph could do well playing QB in this system. It would take a really gifted player to pull that off IMO.

 

[UgaBlows]

We need to go "George Castanza" and run the exact opposite logical option of what we normally would do based on what the defense is showing presnap

 

[Techster]

I like TaQuon, but when would he play QB? Certainly not this year as a true frosh. Not sure anything less than a R-Soph could do well playing QB in this system. It would take a really gifted player to pull that off IMO.

TaQuan is moving to QB...this spring. CPJ has all but said it.

Until then, he is more valuable at AB, and Jordan is more valuable at QB given the Byerly situation. Taquan hasn't even gotten a snap in practice at QB, and at this stage of the season, it's not a possibility unless our QB numbers is wrecked...and no one wants that.

 

[Skeptic]

Plug and play wr, bb, and most ab is definitely NOT possible.

Perhaps giving some preference to keeping the PIPELINE GOING would avoid the totally empty cupboard.

Also when wholesale replacements occur, perhaps it is a good idea to have some more called innovative plays

Someone, I don't recall who, noted the number of 2013 recruits who left for one reason or another. He had a point, as they would have been juniors this season. As for calling more innovative plays, well. With this bare cupboard?

 

[1979jacket]

The offense is a mess but let's talk defense scheming. I am with you that we are light in the 4-2-5. We are. We were last year as well and you began to see McNair and Harell play more in the 4-3-4 late in the year. I think we need to do something similar this year. Put Mitchell in or somebody and let's at least stop the run and have some more blitzers. We may get beat with the pass but so what. Make the other team one dimensional and help our corners. The way Clemson was throwing accurately, even their second team QB, good coverage will not work. We have good corners and if you could make the QB throw quicker, his accuracy might not be as good. I am not a big fan of the 4-2-5 even with stout linemen but certainly not in our situation.

 

[1979jacket]

With that said, congrats to Gotsis yesterday. He played well.

 

[upwgdrb]

The offense is a mess but let's talk defense scheming. I am with you that we are light in the 4-2-5. We are. We were last year as well and you began to see McNair and Harell play more in the 4-3-4 late in the year. I think we need to do something similar this year. Put Mitchell in or somebody and let's at least stop the run and have some more blitzers. We may get beat with the pass but so what. Make the other team one dimensional and help our corners. The way Clemson was throwing accurately, even their second team QB, good coverage will not work. We have good corners and if you could make the QB throw quicker, his accuracy might not be as good. I am not a big fan of the 4-2-5 even with stout linemen but certainly not in our situation.

Strongly agree with this. We could even use a young physical safety like Kagawa in the roll. Right now we are not getting any pressure. We should be blitzing a ton with the current team.

 

[Milwaukee]

We need to go "George Castanza" and run the exact opposite logical option of what we normally would do based on what the defense is showing presnap

Haha. Great episode.

 

[AE 87]

Plug and play wr, bb, and most ab is definitely NOT possible.

Perhaps giving some preference to keeping the PIPELINE GOING would avoid the totally empty cupboard.

Also when wholesale replacements occur, perhaps it is a good idea to have some more called innovative plays

The preference on pipeline has been there. We got hit by attrition, injury, and guys not getting admitted as expected. We have enuf real problems without making crap up.

 

[gtg936g]

I like TaQuon, but when would he play QB? Certainly not this year as a true frosh. Not sure anything less than a R-Soph could do well playing QB in this system. It would take a really gifted player to pull that off IMO.

If Jordan stays at AB and Tim leaves, he would be the #2 next year and this year. In my mind we don't have anything to lose by playing Jordan at AB now. I know the fear is that we are doomed if they both JT and Jordan go down, but we are kinda doomed with what we have now.

 

[AE 87]

I'm not surprised at Skov getting reduced snaps. If you need to grind out a tough 3 yards, Skov is our best bet. However, he is not a natural runner. There's a reason why Stanford put him at FB and not RB, and why he had a grand total of 14 carries the previous 3 seasons. I know announcers like to mistakenly call our BBs fullbacks, but BBs have to have natural runningback instincts. Our offense needs a credible RB at BB...someone that has good vision through the tackles and can make the first guy on the second level miss. It's the difference between "three yards and a cloud of dust" and possibly breaking a long run on every snap. Still puzzled why so many posters thought he would be just as good as either Days/Laskey. There was nothing on film or in his production at Stanford to suggest he'd match either Days or Laskey's production...especially not in his first and only year in this offense. To be honest, I'm not disappointed in Skov's production running the ball...he is who his history says he is.

What disappoints me about Skov is what he did for Stanford as a FB...which is easily translatable to BB duties. Provide pass pro for JeT, and clearing the way for JeT on QB follows. He should be far better at those things than he's shown.

Fwiw, Skov was more of a ball carrier at Stanford. He was not the starter at FB used for blocking but came in for short yardage plays, iiuc. Regardless, at this point he's just thinking too much.

 

[AE 87]

Nice job @Boomergump.

For whatever reason, our OL has not been responding too coaching this year. I know they care, but 4 games in a row where the most experienced unit on O still struggle to be on the same page is what it is.

 

[upwgdrb]

Nice job @Boomergump.

For whatever reason, our OL has not been responding too coaching this year. I know they care, but 4 games in a row where the most experienced unit on O still struggle to be on the same page is what it is.

I just cannot believe that the current offensive line has totally forgotten how to play. Our guys look and act confused. I could be wrong but I truly think we are seeing something different with the change of looks and constant run blitzing. There are some rumors of locker room issues. This makes sense to me if we are confused or not sure how to handle the assignment.
I want to say I am not knocking CPJ. I think he is one of the true offensive geniuses in college football today. Because of this my expectations are that he can adjust our scheme and run a set that puts our true freshman is a position to be successful. That is my real frustration, I think he should have already figured this out.
My guess is we get well this weekend and see some wrinkles that help us get our offense restarted. I expect the same thing on the defensive side.

 

[Boomergump]

We need to go "George Castanza" and run the exact opposite logical option of what we normally would do based on what the defense is showing presnap

That's it! Opposite George! It may just work.

 

[stylee]

Anyone else notice how bad the ABs' motion looks?

Half of the time, we look like a bad high school flexbone team because our AB motion is too early, too slow, and to the wrong spot.