Is it mostly us or them?

[jacketup]

Let's look at the last 8 years. From 2010-2013 (4 years) we had a .500 record against FBS competition. From 2014-2017, we were 1 game over .500 against FBS competition--and we didn't play an undefeated UCF team on the road, or we might have been .500 for that 4 year period.

So not much has changed, although the OP suggests that things have changed.

The 2 years before that (08 and 09) a coach who knows how to coach offense took over from a coach that didn't know how to coach college offenses. So the results were great in '08 and '09 because we had the combination of good talent and good game day coaching.

However, the coach that knows how to coach offense doesn't recruit as well as the coach that didn't know how to coach college offenses. So, the overall results for the last 8 years are about the same as the six years prior to '08. Different reasons, but overall, the same mediocre results for most of the last 14 years.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

The Vol's game! If Mills had been with us and taken the last pitch out of the game we win no doubt!

We didn't need Mills to "take the pitch." What we needed was for TQ to MAKE the pitch, which he didn't do. Whoever the pitch man was (Qua?) could have walked into the end zone for the win.

 

[Skeptic]

This is pretty true. The one thing that i would add is that familiarity also helps our offense. Look at how we have done against VT these past couple years. CPJ is starting to get into Foster's head and always has som wrinkles specifically for him that we add in. I would argue that the coach turnover in the ACC might have actually hurt us slightly in that CPJ had not faced those d cooardinators so he did not know exactly how to attack them.

The lack of option pitch was sometimes a missed read but often last season opposing defenses were flying out to defend the pitch because that was where we had our more known athletes.

I always look forward to Johnson standing on one sideline and Foster kneeling on the other, their brainwaves in a clash of the Titans about midfield.

 

[jayparr]

We didn't need Mills to "take the pitch." What we needed was for TQ to MAKE the pitch, which he didn't do. Whoever the pitch man was (Qua?) could have walked into the end zone for the win.

You are correct!! Thank you!!

 

[TechPreacher]

Let's look at the last 8 years. From 2010-2013 (4 years) we had a .500 record against FBS competition. From 2014-2017, we were 1 game over .500 against FBS competition--and we didn't play an undefeated UCF team on the road, or we might have been .500 for that 4 year period.

So not much has changed, although the OP suggests that things have changed.

The 2 years before that (08 and 09) a coach who knows how to coach offense took over from a coach that didn't know how to coach college offenses. So the results were great in '08 and '09 because we had the combination of good talent and good game day coaching.

However, the coach that knows how to coach offense doesn't recruit as well as the coach that didn't know how to coach college offenses. So, the overall results for the last 8 years are about the same as the six years prior to '08. Different reasons, but overall, the same mediocre results for most of the last 14 years.

If CPJ had bad seasons in 08 and 09, does anyone here think that this guy would want to include them?

 

[Ash]

I have come to the conclusion that the other coaches we play regularly have figured us out. Not the TO, but Johnson's play calling/coaching. Whatever advantage we had by running a different O than most teams has been eroded away over the years and CPJ has not innovated enough to stay ahead. Other DCs know exactly what we are going to do. They know they don't have to cover the middle of the field or anything other than verticals in the passing game. They can coach how to shed a cut block on the perimeter and blow up the outside pitch for us. Gone are the days of steam rolling teams that are unprepared to play us. We have to have guys make plays to win games, we can't coach ourselves out of a jam any more. We have to execute just like anyone else.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I have come to the conclusion that the other coaches we play regularly have figured us out. Not the TO, but Johnson's play calling/coaching. Whatever advantage we had by running a different O than most teams has been eroded away over the years and CPJ has not innovated enough to stay ahead. Other DCs know exactly what we are going to do. They know they don't have to cover the middle of the field or anything other than verticals in the passing game. They can coach how to shed a cut block on the perimeter and blow up the outside pitch for us. Gone are the days of steam rolling teams that are unprepared to play us. We have to have guys make plays to win games, we can't coach ourselves out of a jam any more. We have to execute just like anyone else.

So in ‘14 we were figured out then, too?

 

[AE 87]

I cannot comprehend the logic of those who blame CPJ's playcalling.

Opposing DCs have it figured out in 2013, forget in 2014, remember in 2015, forget in 2016, remember in 2017?

Imo, our biggest problem on O last year was injuries (+early departures) on OL with some of our remaining best playing hurt. We did not have the depth to sustain that.

Our 2nd biggest problem was QB inconsistencies in reads and passing.

However, I think our D coaching vs opposing OCs has been a problem. We'll see if a change here helps.

 

[knoxjacket]

We are worse at damn near every position than we were in 2008 and 2009.

Something that jumped out at me the other day when I'd gone down the rabbit hole of GT videos on youtube was the size and speed of the guys of the guys running with Tarrant on this punt return:



Mario Butler, Morgan Burnett, Cooper Taylor, Sed Griffin, Dominique Reese, Jerrard Tarrant. We were big and fast. We are now short and slow. We looked like we belonged on the field against Clemson. We have not looked like that physically in years.

 

[WreckinGT]

We are worse at damn near every position than we were in 2008 and 2009.

Something that jumped out at me the other day when I'd gone down the rabbit hole of GT videos on youtube was the size and speed of the guys of the guys running with Tarrant on this punt return:



Mario Butler, Morgan Burnett, Cooper Taylor, Sed Griffin, Dominique Reese, Jerrard Tarrant. We were big and fast. We are now short and slow. We looked like we belonged on the field against Clemson. We have not looked like that physically in years.

The Clemson team from 2009 wouldn't look like they belong on the same field as any Clemson team from the last three years.

 

[iceeater1969]

So in ‘14 we were figured out then, too?

The msu dc was the db coach a week before the game. The uga coach was pruit - a teflon talker who had minimal expeirence, the fsu dc was our db coach 2 years before.

They never expected shamire and erin joe on the field at the same time. Great coaching , but not against great competition coaching. These three teams had a ton of talent but bad dc 's

 

[jacket_fan]

Back to the original post. What concerned me most about last year was the poor performance in the second half. I do not have statistics, but the offense was not able to close the deal. Whether it was coaching, talent or bad luck, the offense was not able to put the game away. Or the opposing DC was able to outcoach Johnson.

The stats my not back me up on this, but remember sitting in the stands thinking one more first down, or one less turnover would have won the game.

 

[jgtengineer]

Back to the original post. What concerned me most about last year was the poor performance in the second half. I do not have statistics, but the offense was not able to close the deal. Whether it was coaching, talent or bad luck, the offense was not able to put the game away. Or the opposing DC was able to outcoach Johnson.

The stats my not back me up on this, but remember sitting in the stands thinking one more first down, or one less turnover would have won the game.

This was where the depth problem showed. In the beginning of the games we would often be dominate but as the game wore on and we had not really subs for the OL, we'd lose that domination and stop executing as well.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

This was where the depth problem showed. In the beginning of the games we would often be dominate but as the game wore on and we had not really subs for the OL, we'd lose that domination and stop executing as well.

There was also the self doubt and a “here we go again” mentality that was happening. When you believe something bad is about to happen, it usually does. We had a lack of leadership and it showed.

On the bright side, it seems our team leaders recognized this and have made a real effort to step it up this spring. That’s all well and good till adversity rears it’s ugly head in games. Then we’ll find out what we got.

 

[Ash]

So in ‘14 we were figured out then, too?

Yes. I believe we had lost our edge with scheme by then. But our players made plays. Other teams knew what we were going to doing to do but could not stop us. It's the same effect as what we are up against with the talent gap...We know what Clem and UGA are going to run but we can't stop them.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Yes. I believe we had lost our edge with scheme by then. But our players made plays. Other teams knew what we were going to doing to do but could not stop us. It's the same effect as what we are up against with the talent gap...We know what Clem and UGA are going to run but we can't stop them.

I think it is player related, but for a specific reason that eluded us last year. We have counter upon counter to whatever a defense throws at us. It's the whole chess match analogy. In '14, CPJ had all, or most, definitely more chess pieces to play with that we had last year. To say it plainly, our guys were unable to execute many of the basic plays in our offense last year. If we can put those arrows back in the quiver, we'd be just as dangerous as '14. The dive, the counter option, the triple option, the smoke route, the back shoulder fade, the deep out.... Need I say more?

 

[bobongo]

We couldn't keep the MLB honest with the dive. I think that was the biggest factor. We couldn't punish them for selling out on motion.

Kirvonte Benson averaged 5.2 yards per carry. The dive was our most consistently positive offensive play. In some stretches of some games, it seemed to be the only play that worked.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Kirvonte Benson averaged 5.2 yards per carry. The dive was our most consistently positive offensive play. In some stretches of some games, it seemed to be the only play that worked.

That average takes into account all runs, not just dives. Mills fared much better up the middle than Benson. The mutt lb had no fear of the dive and was chasing motion the whole game. Safeties, too.

 

[bobongo]

That average takes into account all runs, not just dives. Mills fared much better up the middle than Benson. The mutt lb had no fear of the dive and was chasing motion the whole game. Safeties, too.

Benson was solid and dependable up the middle. He had very few long runs that stretched his average. There were times when he was leaned on heavily when nothing else worked. Maybe the mutts "chased motion", but Benson was solid up the middle over the whole season. The mutts are not a good example, as they very nearly won the NC. We weren't in their league. Maybe other teams chased motion, too. But that does not negate the fact that Benson was solid up the middle. I know what I saw. And Benson was solid up the middle. Our ground game problems are at OT. As far as Mills vs. Benson against the mutts is concerned, last year and 2016 are not comparable because the mutts were MUCH better last year. I liked Mills a lot, but Benson filled his shoes well.

 

[Skeptic]

I think it is player related, but for a specific reason that eluded us last year. We have counter upon counter to whatever a defense throws at us. It's the whole chess match analogy. In '14, CPJ had all, or most, definitely more chess pieces to play with that we had last year. To say it plainly, our guys were unable to execute many of the basic plays in our offense last year. If we can put those arrows back in the quiver, we'd be just as dangerous as '14. The dive, the counter option, the triple option, the smoke route, the back shoulder fade, the deep out.... Need I say more?

I think ACC teams have gotten better at defending us, but after a decade they should. But it is easier to defend a scheme the other guy for whatever reason isn't running all that well, and last season we were not world beaters with the pitch off the option. It's not a matter of placing blame, just acknowledgement that as you note many of the basic plays just didn't work so well. Mix that in with better defensive schemes against us and it can smart some. (Seems to me the MLB throughout the league are quicker and against us play a couple of steps deeper.) Given all that, a some of the teams will devote time in spring and in August to defending our option. Clemson has in the past devoted two full practice days to it even if they do say they don't obsess over it. Maybe not, but we're in their heads. Even this season, with a team that is by any standard loaded, a top five recruiting class and most of the feared NFL defections returning, and favorites to return to the NC playoffs, they will again. Because both Dabo and Venables know the tank trap on their schedule is Georgia Tech. Tech has a history of beating Clemson, Johnson can beat Dabo, Johnson can win big games, and twice I believe we have knocked Clemson out of unbeaten seasons. Simply, even crippled, this offense scares people.