Interesting piece on Foster's defense against OSU

[UgaBlows]

What do yall think the score would have been if we had played VT late in the season last year?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Trick plays too often are the last resort of a desperate, in this case, team, and certainly the Duke game was desperate. That crazy pass play to Thomas against Clemson in '09 was interesting even if it was later determined to be illegal. The occasional fake punt, which I don't consider to really be a trick play, I kinda get. (That fake FG by Georgia was a trick for sure and really well done, but even after that they came out of it with three points.) I'm glad we have them, I just know what it means when we use them. Now, that wheel route is something else, the highlight reel being the '11(?) throw to Tony Zenon who lined up at Bback on the game's first play and before Middle Tennessee could spot it, Zenon was manned up on the middle linebacker out and to the sideline. Really a cool play. Not sure if it would be considered a trick play or not, though it tricked MTSU. Not sure when that play should be used against what defense so I am an agnostic. The basic option is tricky enough for me.

Agree that, while trick plays can be fun, they should never be part of our meat and potatoes offense. We confuse defenses plenty with our "gimmicky offense" without adding gimmicks.

 

[Skeptic]

What do yall think the score would have been if we had played VT late in the season last year?

That's really a good question. Every one -- I am violating my own absolute certainty rule here, and I bet at least one some one will dispute that -- has acknowledged that the difference in Thomas from the first six or seven games to the last five or six was almost startling, and the O line was better. But given the track record of to-the-wire decisions, I think maybe about the same, maybe 10 points difference, but maybe not a nail biter to the end? As one poster noted Foster seems to be the one guy who apparently tries to think a move ahead of Johnson rather than stay with him and react. Whatever he does works.

 

[JorgeJonas]

What do yall think the score would have been if we had played VT late in the season last year?

38-7.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

54-17.

 

[danny daniel]

Agree that, while trick plays can be fun, they should never be part of our meat and potatoes offense. We confuse defenses plenty with our "gimmicky offense" without adding gimmicks.

I like CPJ's often use of the unbalanced line. Its not much of a gimmick as we can still run most of our base stuff. It forces the D to move over and adjust to our numbers but it can also expose them to our quickness back to the weak side. They pick their poison. I believe it forces the D to abandon some of their prep stunts and play more straight up which helps our blocking. We may also get better matchups (big on little).
Whatever advantage we get, it seems to work. It is something simple we do that causes more confusion/problems for the D. As a coach I used the unbalanced line but saved it for the playoffs. Seems to work especially well in those short yardage plays.

 

[Skeptic]

38-7? 54-17? Goodness, fellows. Only thing I can figure is that it was 5 o'clock somewhere. Or while Thomas was spinning his miracles he turned your tap water into wine. I love the optimism, though.

 

[deeeznutz]

VT certainly did last season, and it took a great play -- passing, not running -- to get us in a position to tie and then win. Thomas had a lot of yards on the ground that game, as I remember, and we still really struggled. I know, I know. Thomas and the O line were untested. But seems to me the jailbreak mode is about as good as you can defend this option. Hit us before we hit you kind of thing.

Also remember that it took a ridiculous fluke bounce right into the QBs hands in stride to put them in the lead. We looked clearly like the better team that day, and we overcame the luck to still win.

 

[JorgeJonas]

38-7? 54-17? Goodness, fellows. Only thing I can figure is that it was 5 o'clock somewhere. Or while Thomas was spinning his miracles he turned your tap water into wine. I love the optimism, though.

They couldn't score at the end of the season, and no one could stop us from doing so. I don't think a blowout would have been an unreasonable expectation. Hell, we beat the second best team in the SEC by two touchdowns, and it could have been 49-13 (three of their touchdowns were on a Hail Mary, a drive that should have ended in a fumble, and a garbage time score). At the end of the season we were one of the five best teams in the country.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

VT certainly did last season, and it took a great play -- passing, not running -- to get us in a position to tie and then win. Thomas had a lot of yards on the ground that game, as I remember, and we still really struggled. I know, I know. Thomas and the O line were untested. But seems to me the jailbreak mode is about as good as you can defend this option. Hit us before we hit you kind of thing.

And we didn't run the same plays we did against MSU in the second half of the OB. Had we done that, who knows what would have happened.

 

[PBR549]

CBF and CPJ are like two heavy weight boxers slugging it out or even better two chess masters studying all the possible moves only at a much faster pace. The difference is from year to year the ammunition in the form of players changes for each one. Watching the matchup is a thing of beauty. IMO this coaching matchup is about as good as it gets period.

 

[TechPhi97]

VT certainly did last season, and it took a great play -- passing, not running -- to get us in a position to tie and then win. Thomas had a lot of yards on the ground that game, as I remember, and we still really struggled. I know, I know. Thomas and the O line were untested. But seems to me the jailbreak mode is about as good as you can defend this option. Hit us before we hit you kind of thing.

They did the season before, but they played us very differently last year. They didn't have the LB jumping the snap and they were much more limited in how they attacked our line.

 

[jackets3517]

f bud foster; he pawns mufflers on local b'burg tv.

 

[UgaBlows]

38-7? 54-17? Goodness, fellows. Only thing I can figure is that it was 5 o'clock somewhere. Or while Thomas was spinning his miracles he turned your tap water into wine. I love the optimism, though.

Are you sure about that?

 

[Skeptic]

Are you sure about that?

About what? The optimism, yes. Even excessive optimism. I love Thomas to pieces but unless he plays all the positions all the time we are a tad too exuberant. Shouldn't we at least give him one more season? First the funeral, then the eulogy. The tap water into wine? Nah. Just had no other way to figure it.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Looking forward to the VPI game this year. As good as JT was against them last year.....he was 2x better by the end of the season. I predict VPI will play us fairly well....but their players are gonna hate trying to stop JT this year.

I'll go ahead and say it. We will take Virginia Tech apart on Thursday night. Your point about Justin Thomas is exactly right. He was extremely new to our offense last year in Blacksburg, and still we found a way. Our offense has grown immeasurably complex with his talents. Our offensive line will, for the first time in recent memory, be physically superior to the Hokie defensive line, changing this match-up from a contest of scheme against scheme to a game of smash-mouth inside, with blazing speed on the edge, sprinkled with timely possession passing. We will be unstoppable on offense, and good enough on defense to contend with Virginia Tech's plodding attack.

 

[Skeptic]

I'll go ahead and say it. We will take Virginia Tech apart on Thursday night. Your point about Justin Thomas is exactly right. He was extremely new to our offense last year in Blacksburg, and still we found a way. Our offense has grown immeasurably complex with his talents. Our offensive line will, for the first time in recent memory, be physically superior to the Hokie defensive line, changing this match-up from a contest of scheme against scheme to a game of smash-mouth inside, with blazing speed on the edge, sprinkled with timely possession passing. We will be unstoppable on offense, and good enough on defense to contend with Virginia Tech's plodding attack.

Believe me, I hope every one of you guys are right. I'd like to mash up on VT because it is a great rivalry and they are always hard on us and well-coached. The same for Clemson: great teams, great rivalry. Beat up on the good rivalries because it means more. Georgia is, well, Georgia, but always a good game. I want to beat UNC bad just because. Same with Duke. ND because of its reputation, much of it self aggrandizement, and the playoffs in '13 proved reputation will go a long way but sooner or later one has to prove it on the field. The NC States and Virginias don't get a rise from me one way or the other. All of which is to say I just don't see us taking VT apart. They will come to play. You note some good points, but: Thomas was not "extremely new" to the offense. He alternated starting in 2013. He got a bunch better as a starter, but it wasn't his first barn raising. Get past him and we still the the issues at Bback, Aback and WRs. They are not inconsequential problem areas and Thomas himself might be used as the example of why there is no substitute for experience, as the folk song goes. I'll abstain from excessive exuberance and start fresh with Alcorn State.

 

[UgaBlows]

About what? The optimism, yes. Even excessive optimism. I love Thomas to pieces but unless he plays all the positions all the time we are a tad too exuberant. Shouldn't we at least give him one more season? First the funeral, then the eulogy. The tap water into wine? Nah. Just had no other way to figure it.

Yeah i'm not talking about what will happen this coming season, but i'm sure beating VT won't be easy, never has been yet......But, i strongly feel that last years squad late in the season would have embarrassed the Hokies, they got worse and we got WAY better

 

[DC Bee]

I predict VPI will play us fairly well....but their players are gonna hate trying to stop JT this year.

They cannot stop what they cannot catch.

It kind of reminded me of their strategy against us from the year before when they kept having their CB who was up in the box blitz the snap every time.

2013 was a very disappointing game. The whole 1st quarter that CB blitz really blew up the entire flow in the backfield. Vad couldn't make something happen from nothing and Foster's scheme worked. In the 2nd half, their monster DT Hopkins removed the BB option from the line of scrimmage completely.

 

[DC Bee]

I think the idea that some Tech fans have that he's some sort of kryptonite for our offense is pretty intriguing. Our first year, I believe it was the fourth game of the year running a brand new offense

GT getting called for 2 personal fouls late in the 4th quarter helped VPI win that one. One of those calls was outrageous.

the second year we dominated them in the second half

Even though their All-American FS knew which way the play was going to go

the third year we were dominating them again until Nesbitt got hurt (and even then almost won

Heartbreaker

the fourth year we scored 26 points on them (they allowed 17.6/game)

GT had them on the ropes late in the 3rd and then Jerimiah Ipunchu committed a dumb personal foul in the moment that changed the entire tempo of the game. Logan Thomas lead a comeback for the ages.

the fifth year was the opener on the road

GT scores the go-ahead TD with 0:45 seconds left. The GT effense (sic) could not stop VPI from going the distance to kick a tying FG, and TW throws a pick in the end zone in OT. Crushing defeat.

the sixth year we couldn't beat ourselves more than they beat us (but they played very well)

I think that game stands out as one that demonstrates Foster's coaching potential from a scheme (CB blitz) and preparation (good tackling, few mistakes) standpoint.

The idea that, because he talked to Iowa's coaches or something, he has the thing figured out always makes me laugh.

I agree. They have gotten most of the breaks as history shows. My premature premonition is that this year won't be such a gut check late in the game.