Looking for Answers in 2015

[Milwaukee]

I'm glad somebody else brought this up. I couldn't for the life of me understand why he didn't just snap the ball when he saw the guy directly in front of him jump. I'd like to think he has the freedom to do that, but maybe he doesn't?

It was the little things like this that we didn't do all year that killed us. The interception instead of throwing it away and taking 3 points. Juene trying to fight for extra yards when he already has a first down only to fumble. I appreciate the fight, but knowing the situation is equally important. That play took a while to develope (nice job Oline) and they were sitting in a zone. By the time he caught the ball there were guys converging from all of the field. If he has a guy man to man on the outside, there is more to gain from fighting to break loose and less risk. Just little things that make a huge difference in the outcome of a game.

Football is a very instinctive sport and we seemed to be lacking in this department this year. I don't know if it was guys putting too much pressure on themselves when things started to go bad, guys were thinking too much or what. Hopefully we improve in this area as well next year because I know we've got some smart players.

I was listening to the radio call: Bedford said that we just don't do that, the center is taught not to with our scheme.

 

[Boomergump]

Football is a very instinctive sport and we seemed to be lacking in this department this year. I don't know if it was guys putting too much pressure on themselves when things started to go bad, guys were thinking too much or what. Hopefully we improve in this area as well next year because I know we've got some smart players.

I love this paragraph.

 

[Skeptic]

I was listening to the radio call: Bedford said that we just don't do that, the center is taught not to with our scheme.

that's an eye opener.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

that's an eye opener.

If the defender managed to jump back onsides before the snap...the QB would have the ball...and whatever play was called would likely be jacked because the aback movement we have nearly every play would be off.

It's not absolutely necessary. If the D jumps offsides the guard or tackle can jump in response to get the D flagged for the penalty.

 

[B Lifsey]

Or the QB doesn't have the ball and D recovers fumble...

 

[jackette]

some of these offensive coaches were better at recruiting than the actual recruiting coordinator just saying

 

[Skeptic]

If the defender managed to jump back onsides before the snap...the QB would have the ball...and whatever play was called would likely be jacked because the aback movement we have nearly every play would be off.

It's not absolutely necessary. If the D jumps offsides the guard or tackle can jump in response to get the D flagged for the penalty.

Yeah, but still. I sure would have liked a 5-yard penalty in that sequence. Could have won the game for us.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

If the defender managed to jump back onsides before the snap...the QB would have the ball...and whatever play was called would likely be jacked because the aback movement we have nearly every play would be off.

It's not absolutely necessary. If the D jumps offsides the guard or tackle can jump in response to get the D flagged for the penalty.

And we do this all the time. In fact, we did this to the mutts on a 4th down play and got the free first down!

 

[Skeptic]

And we do this all the time. In fact, we did this to the mutts on a 4th down play and got the free first down!

Does not the offender have to be in front of the O man who responds? Or is that an NFL rule?

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Does not the offender have to be in front of the O man who responds? Or is that an NFL rule?

dunno.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I think part of the problem is that the offense is too hard and has to be run perfectly. We should have been much better in the UVa, VT and Miami games even with the injuries, IMHO.

I can't explain the D or ST (punting and lack of returns).

Punting has no real answers save that we have been inconsistent there for several years now. As for returns, I think Qua and Cottrell being injured hurt us there. Golden has just not been the same at PR since the injury.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

you guys can argue all day about certain players like Smelter and maybe some of the stats aren't totally right (Choice) but I stand by the main point. CPJ recruiting has not been that great and, in my opinion, we had better players during Gailey's reign. Not a better team mind you, but better players. We need some 4 and 5 stars or at least 3 stars that turn in to 4/5 star players. Maybe some of this year's freshman team - defensive linemen, Cottrell, Marshall, Mitchell, Gray could develop into stars. They are not yet like Dwyer and Burnett were as freshmen but have shown some talent. Maybe we need to spend more money on recruiting or a coordinator - I don't know.

That opinion is not backed up by fact. CPJ recruiting rankings have averaged slightly higher than Gailey's. While CPJ hasn't hit lightning in a bottle like Gailey did with the 2007 class, his classes have overall been ranked higher than Gaileys. Gailey would hit on a few more four stars, but would also have classes littered with two star recruits as well. To me, it's a statistical wash on who is/was a better recruiter.

 

[awbuzz]

If the defender managed to jump back onsides before the snap...the QB would have the ball...and whatever play was called would likely be jacked because the aback movement we have nearly every play would be off.

It's not absolutely necessary. If the D jumps offsides the guard or tackle can jump in response to get the D flagged for the penalty.

Which DID happen on one play ...

... I now see that @dressedcheeseside pointed that out too

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

If you have watched the team played this year and can objectively say that PJ has done a good job coaching than I would need to make sure you knew what the word objectively meant. The man himself has said he needs to do better. How someone on the outside can pretend he has done a good job coaching this year is just hard for me to comprehend.

I was in the stands for every game. I know what objectively means. I disagree with you. Sometimes the external factors are out of your control. We went 1-3 against top 10 teams, losing two of those games by a TD. Bad coaching doesn't keep us in games against top competition...

 

[awbuzz]

Does not the offender have to be in front of the O man who responds? Or is that an NFL rule?

Believe a player "likely to be hit" (my interpretation) is allowed to flinch / respond to defend themselves. So it is usually only one or two players that are allowed to do so.

 

[Lee]

I was in the stands for every game. I know what objectively means. I disagree with you. Sometimes the external factors are out of your control. We went 1-3 against top 10 teams, losing two of those games by a TD. Bad coaching doesn't keep us in games against top competition...

No one is saying he wasn't dealt a tough hand this year because he was. I'm just saying that even with the hand he was dealt, we should've won more than 1 game out of our last 10. We lost to possibly the worst VT and UGA teams in the last decade, a bad UVA team, an average at best Duke and Pitt teams, and blew a 21 point lead against a UNC team that lost to a bad USCe team.

If you're using the fact that we went 1-3 against top 10 teams to say PJ did a good job then that says a lot about your expectations of what GT can accomplish. I also wouldn't say the ND game was close either. Did we lose by a td? Yes, but anyone watching that game knows it was one-sided. When the score is 30-7 with a little over 6 mins left in the game and your last 3 drives combined for 13 plays and 35 yards, I'd say the game wasn't nearly as close as the score made it look.

While we are throwing out records, would you say that someone coaching a team that went 1-6 versus FBS teams not ranked in the top 25 did a good job? What if that 1 win was against a team from a bad conference that only won 3 games all year?

Look, PJ is a good coach, but he did not come close to doing his best job coaching this year. There were more than 3 wins to be had and if you don't think that is true and are content with playing teams close, than you and I just have different views on what can be accomplished here.

 

[iceeater1969]

Answers
In 14 it seemed like the larger tackle was away to get the offense going. Aka rrin joe got did heavy lifting in trench as well and suprisingly got effective blocks out in space. We fought Clemson to a draw and rolled through end of year.
In 15 defenses became much more aggressive and had lb coached up to move quicker to the ball. Sitting in the end zone seats sham and joe looked very very massive in their white uni. Joe got off line quickly but could not get a piece of the pursuit. No one was over sham and he often blocked no one. All year rt brian has seemed to be more concerned with not being offsides ( who can forget 12) & was last off the line at snap. By end of year we tried the faster freshman.
Jjoe and sham made some really great blocks but the system (in space) seems to work better with faster rather than larger linemen.
2016
Massive is out at tackle for sure. At guard maybe. young guns hitting the weights, sham and joe slimming down and the return of griffin gives me hope coach can "fix it"

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

No one is saying he wasn't dealt a tough hand this year because he was. I'm just saying that even with the hand he was dealt, we should've won more than 1 game out of our last 10. We lost to possibly the worst VT and UGA teams in the last decade, a bad UVA team, an average at best Duke and Pitt teams, and blew a 21 point lead against a UNC team that lost to a bad USCe team.

If you're using the fact that we went 1-3 against top 10 teams to say PJ did a good job then that says a lot about your expectations of what GT can accomplish. I also wouldn't say the ND game was close either. Did we lose by a td? Yes, but anyone watching that game knows it was one-sided. When the score is 30-7 with a little over 6 mins left in the game and your last 3 drives combined for 13 plays and 35 yards, I'd say the game wasn't nearly as close as the score made it look.

While we are throwing out records, would you say that someone coaching a team that went 1-6 versus FBS teams not ranked in the top 25 did a good job? What if that 1 win was against a team from a bad conference that only won 3 games all year?

Look, PJ is a good coach, but he did not come close to doing his best job coaching this year. There were more than 3 wins to be had and if you don't think that is true and are content with playing teams close, than you and I just have different views on what can be accomplished here.

What I am saying is that looking solely at W-L is simplistic and futile if you want to truly evaluate a team. Think about this:

1. Our OL play was terrible.
2. We lost multiple RB's to injury, so much so that by midseason, the guys starting weren't even on the two deep last spring.
3. Our best defensive player was ejected for most of one game and lost for the season a few games later.
4. We had walk-ons getting significant playing time at AB at one point.
5. We had a freshly converted DB playing AB mid-season.
6. Due to heavy graduation of offensive skill players and ensuing injuries, we started more freshmen than almost any school in FBS. (5th most)
7. We lost our starting QB for the Miami game.
8. One of our two starting WRs left the team mid-season.
9. Projected All-ACC DT JHD was suspended mid-season and left the team.
10. I could keep going, but I'll stop here...

Now, in spite of all this, we were in a position at the end of game to win in 7 of our 9 losses. Pitt had to connect on a career long FG to beat us. UNC didn't make a comeback until Gotsis was ejected from the game. (We were stopping them cold prior to that) We were competitive in every game save two with a mostly inept offense.

Had not 1-10 above happened, I might agree with you, but you cannot conveniently dismiss the multitude of misfortune that chose to rear its ugly head this season. I can't blame al of that on coaching.

 

[Lee]

What I am saying is that looking solely at W-L is simplistic and futile if you want to truly evaluate a team. Think about this:

1. Our OL play was terrible.
2. We lost multiple RB's to injury, so much so that by midseason, the guys starting weren't even on the two deep last spring.
3. Our best defensive player was ejected for most of one game and lost for the season a few games later.
4. We had walk-ons getting significant playing time at AB at one point.
5. We had a freshly converted DB playing AB mid-season.
6. Due to heavy graduation of offensive skill players and ensuing injuries, we started more freshmen than almost any school in FBS. (5th most)
7. We lost our starting QB for the Miami game.
8. One of our two starting WRs left the team mid-season.
9. Projected All-ACC DT JHD was suspended mid-season and left the team.
10. I could keep going, but I'll stop here...

Now, in spite of all this, we were in a position at the end of game to win in 7 of our 9 losses. Pitt had to connect on a career long FG to beat us. UNC didn't make a comeback until Gotsis was ejected from the game. (We were stopping them cold prior to that) We were competitive in every game save two with a mostly inept offense.

Had not 1-10 above happened, I might agree with you, but you cannot conveniently dismiss the multitude of misfortune that chose to rear its ugly head this season. I can't blame al of that on coaching.

1. Coaching issue. 4 returning starters
2. Agreed
3. Losing one player over halfway through the year doesn't count as an excuse for going 3-9. Especially when the reason we lost the UVA, VT and UGA games because our offense stunk.
4. Same as 2, can't count this twice.
5. Same as 2, can't count this 3 times. Plus PJ said he wanted to move LG to aback in the spring, but let him stay at DB due to his wishes.
6. Agreed, but part of this falls on coaching as it pertains to recruiting and separation of classes.
7. Seriously? Let's say he plays and we win. We would still be 4-8. That's just a little less terrible.
8. You mean the guy with 12 catches and 178 yards and was losing snaps and opportunities to younger players? I'm sure that's why we lost games...
9. Coaching. Lots of hype with nothing to show for it. I personally think our dline played better without him.
10. Grasping for straws. We all know there were too many young guys thrown into the fire at the skill positions and all of the injuries to the aback position was killer. Outside of that, which Did play a big part, nothing out of the norm happened that didn't happen anywhere else. In fact, think about the attrition we had leading into the 2014 season, we had as many excuses that year as this one.

UNC didn't make a comeback until Gotsis was ejected from the game. (We were stopping them cold prior to that) We were competitive in every game save two with a mostly inept offense.

Gotsis got thrown out of the game on the first play of their 2nd drive. And yes, we played close games but didn't win due to an inept offense as you say. Who coaches the offense again?

Lastly, nobody is blaming the whole season on coaching. You said PJ did a good job, I disagree. I don't think he did terribly, but he did not come close to doing a good job. The kids like (or at least respect) him and play hard for him. I think he will get it turned around next year, but I won't blindly say he did a great job this year.

 

[daBuzz]

That opinion is not backed up by fact. CPJ recruiting rankings have averaged slightly higher than Gailey's. While CPJ hasn't hit lightning in a bottle like Gailey did with the 2007 class, his classes have overall been ranked higher than Gaileys. Gailey would hit on a few more four stars, but would also have classes littered with two star recruits as well. To me, it's a statistical wash on who is/was a better recruiter.

I'd just have to disagree with you.
Gailey recruited not only the 2007 class but the best wide receiver we've probably ever had at the school. Throw in players like Vance Walker and others who are still playing in the NFL as well.

We simply haven't had that type of star power or "difference makers" here who have the talent to succeed on Saturdays as well as Sundays.

Now don't get me wrong. Gailey was able to do less with more more often than any other coach in the world, as far as I'm concerned. We may have more depth now (part of which is a function of us no longer having scholarship restrictions as we did when Gailey was here), but the talent level now is most definitely not the same from 1-8 the way it was under Gailey's tenure.