Mid season questions answered... where to from here

Sideways

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bke1984 said:
I think they're OK...the problem is that they're just so thin. Tough to be good when you've only got 5-6 guys for the entire game
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I think, sheer speculation mind you, but the loss of Andrew Marshall is more serious than perhaps was first realized. Will is serviceable at tackle, (for that matter if pressed he could probably play center in a pinch) but it would appear that he is much more comfortable and more suited for guard. We badly need Jake and J Lee to up their game just a little. Thank goodness for Sham and the development of Cooper along with the usual all round excellence of Parker.

As for the lack of big plays, it is apparent to me that most of these teams are selling out on stopping the dive and pursuing hard inside out on the pitch. There is one way, and really only one way to beat that and it is to burn those safeties. Scorch their butts with skinny posts and seam patterns to our A backs. T has to make them pay it is that simple. The line has to give him time and if we can make the safeties hesitate it will open everything else up. Because I am here to tell you they are creeping up and looking to close the lanes on the pitches because they do not fear passes down the middle. What do ya'll think? Idiot musings, spot on, somewhere in between?
 
AE 87

AE 87

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doug said:
Tech is averaging 5.8 yards per rush, second best during Johnson's tenure (behind 2014).
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Interesting. Then there's this:
upload_2017-10-24_20-43-18.png


Our yards/play is in the middle, but our plays/game is the highest under CPJ.
 

Sideways

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CHE90 said:
So you've decided our offensive line can't block based on one blind side sack by Duke Ejiofor, a first or second round NFL draft pick after this season? Whatever, man.
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That dude can play. He might be the best that JL will face this year so at least he has that behind him.
 

Sideways

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AE 87 said:
Interesting. Then there's this:
View attachment 3034

Our yards/play is in the middle, but our plays/game is the highest under CPJ.
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Interesting chart. My takeaway is not the ever popular YPP, important though it may be, but the plays/game. The way our team is constructed simply demands a positive TOP and that means the closer to 70 plus plays we get the better off we are. In 2011 under Tevin we had the highest YPP and it was a year of big plays to be sure. This year it would appear that we are slightly below the norm on YPP at the moment. I really think we are very close to having video type stats just need to make the most of opportunities presented when teams sell out as they all do at one time or another.
 

CHE90

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Frenchise said:
The offensive line is not that good, can't pass protect, can't make the right blocks. Marshall's passing makes it harder to hit our rarely open receivers. Them's the breaks. We need receivers who are bigger threats and we need to be more consistent blocking.
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Oh, and out of 8 weeks in ACC play, our offensive line has received 3 Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. We've had 2 bye weeks (one bye and UCF cancellation) so really only eligible for 6 offensive lineman of the week awards. So we have received one-half of the offensive lineman of the week awards for which we have been eligible if my math is correct. Plus its not one guy winning it on 3 different weeks. It's 3 separate guys: Parker Braun, Kenny Cooper, and Shamire Devine. And you can probably bet that Will Bryan deserved one of those awards but didn't get it because it would have been an embarrassment of riches. Don't tell me our offensive line can't block.
 
Longestday

Longestday

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@AE 87 do you have PPD for each season? I think there may be a difference in field goals versus TDs???... but I could be wrong.
 
AE 87

AE 87

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Sideways said:
Interesting chart. My takeaway is not the ever popular YPP, important though it may be, but the plays/game. The way our team is constructed simply demands a positive TOP and that means the closer to 70 plus plays we get the better off we are. In 2011 under Tevin we had the highest YPP and it was a year of big plays to be sure. This year it would appear that we are slightly below the norm on YPP at the moment. I really think we are very close to having video type stats just need to make the most of opportunities presented when teams sell out as they all do at one time or another.
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Right. I think plays/game reflects our D getting faster stops.
 
BleedGoldNWhite21

BleedGoldNWhite21

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Offense struggled in the second half against Miami with our starting BBack out and really bad weather. It sucks, but that's just how it goes sometimes. Other than that, I'd say our offense is fine unless they are beating themselves. Too many fumbles and the lack of a reliable FG kicker hurts, too.

Defensively, we have some really positive moments and some really disasterous moments.

If we hold onto the ball and the defense can be a little more consistent, we can compete in every remaining game on our schedule. If we're sloppy with the ball against UGA and/or Clemson, both of them will blow us out.
 

Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau

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bke1984 said:
I'm sure someone will point out stats that says I'm wrong, but it just feels like we have a really hard time getting tough yards this year when we need them...which is something we've been great at in the past. The ability to grind out a drive or death march just isn't there and we also struggle in the red zone when we've got less space to work. Just my observation.

If we're able to somehow figure that out, then good luck to everyone else, because we ain't gonna lose again the way our defense is playing.
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We have had some difficulty grinding out drives, and picking up the tough yards on occasion. But at the same time, we have broken some huge plays from scrimmage--30, 40, 50 yard plays--and not just a few, and not just Marshall. Does anyone have a count of our plus-30 plays? It has got to be 8 or ten at least. That ticking time bomb has got to give opposing DC's heartburn.
 

Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau

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Frenchise said:
Yeah, that blindside sack on TM didn't happen against wake, nope.
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No, it happened. Wake's DE is a great player that we had trouble handling one-on-one. Everyone who has played Wake has had trouble with him. But we eventually got that fixed. The problem is Clemson will have three DL's as good as that guy.
 

Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau

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CHE90 said:
Oh, and out of 8 weeks in ACC play, our offensive line has received 3 Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. We've had 2 bye weeks (one bye and UCF cancellation) so really only eligible for 6 offensive lineman of the week awards. So we have received one-half of the offensive lineman of the week awards for which we have been eligible if my math is correct. Plus its not one guy winning it on 3 different weeks. It's 3 separate guys: Parker Braun, Kenny Cooper, and Shamire Devine. And you can probably bet that Will Bryan deserved one of those awards but didn't get it because it would have been an embarrassment of riches. Don't tell me our offensive line can't block.
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Unable to check your math; please show your work. :)
 

doug

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AE 87 said:
Right. I think plays/game reflects our D getting faster stops.
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It is, but it also is a reflection of our explosiveness being down this year. We're not hitting the big pass and running plays like we've done in the past, but our running game is consistently strong. We got great down field blocking on our big runs last week that sprung long scoring plays, so hopefully we've turned the corner on that. We just need to get the deep passing game on track.
 

YJMD

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BleedGoldNWhite21 said:
Offense struggled in the second half against Miami with our starting BBack out and really bad weather. It sucks, but that's just how it goes sometimes. Other than that, I'd say our offense is fine unless they are beating themselves. Too many fumbles and the lack of a reliable FG kicker hurts, too.

Defensively, we have some really positive moments and some really disasterous moments.

If we hold onto the ball and the defense can be a little more consistent, we can compete in every remaining game on our schedule. If we're sloppy with the ball against UGA and/or Clemson, both of them will blow us out.
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Yeah it really hammered home how bad a sloppy field is for us. First of all, we were not willing to run the option and risk putting the ball on the ground. But more importantly our blocking schemes rely on a lot of pulling, getting to the second level, creating angles, etc. So much harder to do that with sloppy footing. The counter for TQM where Parker slipped in a puddle and the DE(?) ran Taquon out of bounds looked to me a sure touchdown or at least big gainer if that block is made. Really, the block didn't need to be made. If Parker didn't slip when he did he would have been able to make the defender commit to a pursuit angle in order to defeat the block such that, even if he did, Taquon would have been able to evade him instead of trying to string it out to the edge. On a better field, he might have done a spin or some other move and won anyway.

Not having Kirvonte was a big deal, though. Although I am more than happy to have QW spell Kirvonte, the leg drive in the hole that KB has is something special. 2 extra yards in the slop is a big huge deal. Jerry might have been able to do more, but I really doubt throwing a true freshman into those conditions with the lead was anywhere near Paul's mind.
 
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