Interesting quotes

[dressedcheeseside]

Good to see some accountability:

“We are the people that make the team go, make the offense go and we didn’t handle our business,” center Freddie Burden said.​

Then CPJ says this about the OL and it's something I've suspected a little bit. The skill guys had a huge role in last year's success.

“I’m not so sure it was all that great last year(OL play),” Johnson said after the game. “We had good skill guys. Everybody wanted to anoint those guys(OL). How many tackles did Synjyn (Days) and Zach Laskey (break)?”​

I'm starting to think our woes are primarily skill position related which is compounded by the OL. Even Ken says as much:

"It would seem clear that the concerns about the offense going into the season, about the inexperience of the skill-position players, have been borne out, and been compounded with the play of the line."​

 

[Tech93]

Backs and WRs were my big concern going into season. Very hard to replace that level of talent from last year. The OL cannot be blamed for all our blocking woes. It is hard to stuff 9 in the box with the D run blitzing on most plays if you have not established a passing game or the ability to get to the edges. When we do go wide the A backs seem hesitant to hit the corners and turn up the speed. They seem to slow down and look to cut back. The option is meant to hit the edges quick and fast. The best B back if he can stay healthy is Marcus Allen...he has the best vision. Skov is trying but he searches for contact vs looking for the gaps. Also A back blocking and WR blocking on the edges needs to improve greatly. CPJ needs to also explore some other play calls and quick passes out in space with possibly some formation wrinkles. Let's hope they can improve this week.

 

[AE 87]

Good to see some accountability:

“We are the people that make the team go, make the offense go and we didn’t handle our business,” center Freddie Burden said.​

Then CPJ says this about the OL and it's something I've suspected a little bit. The skill guys had a huge role in last year's success.

“I’m not so sure it was all that great last year(OL play),” Johnson said after the game. “We had good skill guys. Everybody wanted to anoint those guys(OL). How many tackles did Synjyn (Days) and Zach Laskey (break)?”​

I'm starting to think our woes are primarily skill position related which is compounded by the OL. Even Ken says as much:

"It would seem clear that the concerns about the offense going into the season, about the inexperience of the skill-position players, have been borne out, and been compounded with the play of the line."​

Interesting, I could swear that preseason, cpj said stte of getting OL back was a bigger deal

 

[orientalnc]

See my post in another thread. The skill positions were not ready yet for the load they had to carry. Think about this: Hill, Zenon, Bostick, Waller, Smelter, Laskey and Days were all 22-23 years old. The new guys are 18-19 years old. A lot of maturity happens in those years. And the experience in the system, especially knowing how to block in space, doesn't transfer in a few weeks. The offense is mess right now, but it's mostly a lack of experience and timing. And, the injuries we have suffered have not helped matters at all.

And we sometimes forget just how good Shaq Mason was and how much better he made Burden and Chamberline by his mere presence between them.

 

[takethepoints]

Yep. Like I said elsewhere, Coach is probably kicking himself for getting Laskey to return punts when he was a freshman. (He sucked at it, btw.) If he had been red-shirted, then we'd have Zach as a BB today and I do believe our problems would be pretty much over.

Well, too bad. We didn't look all that great last year at first either. What we have to do now is get our act together just enough to win this Saturday. A win will make a great difference. Hope we can manage it.

 

[Declinometer]

Yep. Like I said elsewhere, Coach is probably kicking himself for getting Laskey to return punts when he was a freshman. (He sucked at it, btw.) If he had been red-shirted, then we'd have Zach as a BB today and I do believe our problems would be pretty much over.

Well, too bad. We didn't look all that great last year at first either. What we have to do now is get our act together just enough to win this Saturday. A win will make a great difference. Hope we can manage it.

Some people discount the ability to catch punts cleanly and not let the ball hit the ground and know when to let it go.

 

[AE 87]

Yep. Like I said elsewhere, Coach is probably kicking himself for getting Laskey to return punts when he was a freshman. (He sucked at it, btw.) If he had been red-shirted, then we'd have Zach as a BB today and I do believe our problems would be pretty much over.

Well, too bad. We didn't look all that great last year at first either. What we have to do now is get our act together just enough to win this Saturday. A win will make a great difference. Hope we can manage it.

Fwiw, from preseason practice notes, as I recall, it was no question that he was the return guy. I don't think the decision was a close call at the time.

 

[AE 87]

Good to see some accountability:

“We are the people that make the team go, make the offense go and we didn’t handle our business,” center Freddie Burden said.​

Then CPJ says this about the OL and it's something I've suspected a little bit. The skill guys had a huge role in last year's success.

“I’m not so sure it was all that great last year(OL play),” Johnson said after the game. “We had good skill guys. Everybody wanted to anoint those guys(OL). How many tackles did Synjyn (Days) and Zach Laskey (break)?”​

I'm starting to think our woes are primarily skill position related which is compounded by the OL. Even Ken says as much:

"It would seem clear that the concerns about the offense going into the season, about the inexperience of the skill-position players, have been borne out, and been compounded with the play of the line."​

Today's press conference clarifies that point about the OL not being that great last year. CPJ expands on that point by saying, "but they got better ... they weren't that great last year at this time, but they got better" (or something like that).

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Today's press conference clarifies that point about the OL not being that great last year. CPJ expands on that point by saying, "but they got better ... they weren't that great last year at this time, but they got better" (or something like that).

Which still leaves me scratching my head because it's the same guys minus Shaq. Shouldn't one assume they'd be at the same level as the end of last year, not the beginning?

 

[AE 87]

Which still leaves me scratching my head because it's the same guys minus Shaq. Shouldn't one assume they'd be at the same level as the end of last year, not the beginning?

CPJ was saying guys are not staying within the system. They're trying to out-think the situation and pressing, as has JT at qb.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Good to see some accountability:

“We are the people that make the team go, make the offense go and we didn’t handle our business,” center Freddie Burden said.​

Then CPJ says this about the OL and it's something I've suspected a little bit. The skill guys had a huge role in last year's success.

“I’m not so sure it was all that great last year(OL play),” Johnson said after the game. “We had good skill guys. Everybody wanted to anoint those guys(OL). How many tackles did Synjyn (Days) and Zach Laskey (break)?”​

I'm starting to think our woes are primarily skill position related which is compounded by the OL. Even Ken says as much:

"It would seem clear that the concerns about the offense going into the season, about the inexperience of the skill-position players, have been borne out, and been compounded with the play of the line."​

Regardless of the excuses, explanations, analysis, or what have you. It does change the fact that we are a very average to below-average team, and if you are saying it's because that is the skill level we have right now, I don't find that to be a cause for celebration or optimism. Duke kicked our ever-loving butt. Many felt we were a top 10 program. Obviously we are not. Toledo got more votes this week than Georgia Tech. And there is no bright spot on the horizon. We are not going to rub the magic lamp and become good. I think you will amazed at how easily Carolina rolls us Saturday.

 

[Boomergump]

Regardless of the excuses, explanations, analysis, or what have you. It does change the fact that we are a very average to below-average team, and if you are saying it's because that is the skill level we have right now, I don't find that to be a cause for celebration or optimism. Duke kicked our ever-loving butt. Many felt we were a top 10 program. Obviously we are not. Toledo got more votes this week than Georgia Tech. And there is no bright spot on the horizon. We are not going to rub the magic lamp and become good. I think you will amazed at how easily Carolina rolls us Saturday.

JBR, what "fact" do you speak of? That we are a below average team? That is clearly an opinion, which you have every right to have btw. Saying that Duke "kicked our ever-loving butt" is a bit over the top given the box score. We won first downs 16-11, got more yards, had more time of possession etc etc. They won the biggest stat, score. We allowed a KO return for a TD, a punt return for a TD (or close to it), and snapped a punt over our own heads on a miserable wet sloppy day where points are at a premium. How "good" we are is certainly yet to be decided. We played poorly two weeks in a row and have our work cut out for us, for sure. However, I would argue it is way too early to be drawing firm conclusions about this team. I would be very surprised to see us "rolled" this coming weekend by UNC. Very surprised. As always, we will get to see it played out.

It is funny how, who you are a fan of, changes your perception. I have a former player who attends Duke right now and I texted him a "good game" message when it was over. You know what his reply was? "yeah it was, we got lucky". He felt we were better and should have won. Whatever. I am just glad we get to actually play the games and not assume losses.

 

[Declinometer]

When he said, "we got lucky", he was just being nice.

 

[Boomergump]

When he said, "we got lucky", he was just being nice.

Really?

 

[iceeater1969]

Which still leaves me scratching my head because it's the same guys minus Shaq. Shouldn't one assume they'd be at the same level as the end of last year, not the beginning?

Could it be that shaqs replacement is the difference?
I am wondering if after Orange bowl and first two games ( dominate lessor talent and stop top talent. )- the DC saw what SHAM did if you put someone over him so they are leaving a gap overhim . If this was ever done with shaq, he helped key block ANDgot a LB. Notice klock in at end of duke game. ? ??
Perhaps

 

[CHE90]

Regardless of the excuses, explanations, analysis, or what have you. It does change the fact that we are a very average to below-average team, and if you are saying it's because that is the skill level we have right now, I don't find that to be a cause for celebration or optimism. Duke kicked our ever-loving butt. Many felt we were a top 10 program. Obviously we are not. Toledo got more votes this week than Georgia Tech. And there is no bright spot on the horizon. We are not going to rub the magic lamp and become good. I think you will amazed at how easily Carolina rolls us Saturday.

Could have said the exact same thing last year at this time and look how we turned it around.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Could have said the exact same thing last year at this time and look how we turned it around.

But we were supposed to be better than this time last year. Heck, many here thought we were picking up where we left off at the end.

 

[alagold]

Which still leaves me scratching my head because it's the same guys minus Shaq. Shouldn't one assume they'd be at the same level as the end of last year, not the beginning?

heese,
It is was almost amazing last yr how many times we ran the right side of line to start the game especially behind Shaq.Hardly ever was stopped--btw-for those guys that thought just plugging in a Sr (from ANOTHER Offense) even at 235 at bback was the easy answer are WRONG--there is a trick to running the right cut correctly even behind Shaq.

once we established that then the other stuff worked
of course having TWO pro WRs at 220+ killing the outside helped also-the safeties have go outside out of middle because the cornerbacks are neutralized--the difference in WR talent is HUGE

 

[Boomergump]

Could it be that shaqs replacement is the difference?
I am wondering if after Orange bowl and first two games ( dominate lessor talent and stop top talent. )- the DC saw what SHAM did if you put someone over him so they are leaving a gap overhim . If this was ever done with shaq, he helped key block ANDgot a LB. Notice klock in at end of duke game. ? ??
Perhaps

Klock at the end of the Duke game? I will say this: I am 90% sure SD got his bell rung on a play in the third QTR. I saw it on film and thought Oh-oh. Klock came in for a series after that. Then SD tried to give it another go. He never looked the same to me, just a little weaker in the legs. I think he tried hard and showed some toughness. Klock played late, IMHO because Devine was a little foggy. I'm just speculating, but I think I'm right.

 

[Declinometer]

I believe we see a lot of rotation on the line this week to find out who wants it.