My Issues With Our Coaching

[AE 87]

If I were CPJ, it would be tempting to give offensive play calling to Sewak and take over the D. But I'm speaking from ignorant frustration not a real understanding of our D issues.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Say what you will, but opposing offenses are averaging 15 points per game against us. Nobody is perfect, no scheme is perfect, so constructive criticism is certainly always available - but at some point we also need to recognize that the points are staying off the board. If you would have told me against a high powered Miami offense that they would have only scored 21 points would I take it - I would have. We can't expect to hold Miami's offense to 10 points. Maybe Clemson can, but not us. At some point our offense needs to finish drives.

 

[grandpa jacket]

Good post, i have only followed football for about 58 years but the D has not looked all that bad.

 

[augustabuzz]

I just saw that it was reported that Charlie Strong has demoted his DC. Supposed to be an excellent recruiter and really connects with the kids, but just isn't getting it done as a play caller. Sound familiar? Would you think Ted Roof would stick around if we demoted him to LBs coach and brought in another person as DC? He'd take a significant pay cut and role cut, but he'd still be at his alma mater and a great asset given his recruiting prowess. He's already doubling as the LBs coach and DC, we'd just be taking away the DC duties. For what it's worth, I don't think he's actually as bad as people say. We're averaging 1.67 points per drive (I took out Miami's one play drive at the end of the half) on the entire season and 18 points a game. Clemson and Miami aren't pushover offenses and we gave up 24 and 21 points to them. That's with one senior on defense and our biggest play makers being young. But we'll see how the season plays out.

Strong demoted his DC because he knows that he is the best DC on staff.

 

[AE 87]

When we give up TDs on 2 of 3 possessions in the first half and 3 of 6 into the 2nd half, that's not great. 21 pts in their first 31 plays is a lot. That's 52 pts in a 77 play, 15 drive game.

Right now, we're showing all kinds of potential on both sides of the ball and just need to put it together.

 

[JorgeJonas]

The issues blocking might have a bit to do with the fact that we have lost so many offensive linemen to attrition that we're playing guys who should be learning now.

2012: Chase Roberts
2013: Chris Griffin
2014: Gary Brown, Michael Preddy

That's probably 25% of the scholarship offensive linemen. Griffin and Brown would almost certainly be starters today, which means we're starting someone who shouldn't be. The depth takes a hit, and at a school like Tech, that will eventually show. Imagine now a line with Burden, Griffin, Devine, Brown, and Roberts. All of a sudden, we'd be trotting out five upperclassmen, with a senior QB and a JR receiver and a pretty experienced group of backs, which would be shown in improved execution.

This isn't to say there aren't things that the coaches could do differently or better, but no one here is in practice, so it's hard to say what could be done differently. Lastly, two years ago we headed to Pitt fresh off a two game losing streak. Maybe we don't win out (I suspect we won't), but there weren't a ton of people saying we'd do so then, either.

 

[decatur jacket]

When we give up TDs on 2 of 3 possessions in the first half and 3 of 6 into the 2nd half, that's not great. 21 pts in their first 31 plays is a lot. That's 52 pts in a 77 play, 15 drive game.

Right now, we're showing all kinds of potential on both sides of the ball and just need to put it together.

Are you talking about the Miami game? How did our defense give up TD's on 3 of 6 possessions in the 2nd half? We gave up 7 points in the 2nd half. (Can't believe I am defending a TR defense right now...) How are you extrapolating that 3 first half possessions equals a 15 possession game? Miami ran 25 plays in 7 possessions in the 2nd half and scored 7 points, so by your logic above, that's 14 points in a 49 play, 14 drive game.

 

[alagold]

I just saw that it was reported that Charlie Strong has demoted his DC. Supposed to be an excellent recruiter and really connects with the kids, but just isn't getting it done as a play caller. Sound familiar? Would you think Ted Roof would stick around if we demoted him to LBs coach and brought in another person as DC? He'd take a significant pay cut and role cut, but he'd still be at his alma mater and a great asset given his recruiting prowess. He's already doubling as the LBs coach and DC, we'd just be taking away the DC duties. For what it's worth, I don't think he's actually as bad as people say. We're averaging 1.67 points per drive (I took out Miami's one play drive at the end of the half) on the entire season and 18 points a game. Clemson and Miami aren't pushover offenses and we gave up 24 and 21 points to them. That's with one senior on defense and our biggest play makers being young. But we'll see how the season plays out.

how did you count the Srs on Def? I got Davis,Kallon,gamble--Three

 

[AE 87]

Are you talking about the Miami game? How did our defense give up TD's on 3 of 6 possessions in the 2nd half? We gave up 7 points in the 2nd half. (Can't believe I am defending a TR defense right now...) How are you extrapolating that 3 first half possessions equals a 15 possession game? Miami ran 25 plays in 7 possessions in the 2nd half and scored 7 points, so by your logic above, that's 14 points in a 49 play, 14 drive game.

2 of 3 1st half
+ 1 of 1st 3 2nd half
= 3 of 6 into 2nd half.
1st 31 plays of game

 

[decatur jacket]

2 of 3 1st half
+ 1 of 1st 3 2nd half
= 3 of 6 into 2nd half.
1st 31 plays of game

Ahhhh... I read it as 3 of 6 in the 2nd half. Thanks.

Still not sure how you are getting to the hypothetical 15 possession game, though, as we were most of the way through the 3rd quarter on the 6th possession.

 

[Cam]

how did you count the Srs on Def? I got Davis,Kallon,gamble--Three

You're right. Three. I missed out on Davis, but was also not quite counting Kallon. He kind of rotates out a lot. Unless I'm mistaken.

 

[techdad]

Our offense is stale and predictable and when some of the mistakes are made by our players it is due to coaching. On the play where Justin got drilled, our left tackle blocked down due to the play that was called. My problem is that there is no way an OL can block a DE or OLB that is rushing at 100 mph out of a 3 point stance. It is time to enter the 21st century and adapt our offense to compete against these more aggressive defenses. We need to have multiple formations with more than 2 receivers in a set in passing situations. Use bigger players rather than our receivers in a "tight" formation. Who thinks Brad Stewart or Ricky Juene can block a 280lb DE or OLB?? Play some man to man on defense once in a blue moon. Giving 10 yard cushions does not work. Finally, I don't care what a genius CPJ is, use a play sheet in a game. I know for a fact that he has called plays in a game that haven't been run for the last few years. You can't possibly remember all the plays. Especially when you are in crunch time. We have the talent, we just need to use it in the proper way.

 

[AE 87]

Ahhhh... I read it as 3 of 6 in the 2nd half. Thanks.

Still not sure how you are getting to the hypothetical 15 possession game, though, as we were most of the way through the 3rd quarter on the 6th possession.

I took rhetorical licence to say the game was pretty much over at that point. Their O with a 14 pt lead in the 4th and after 30yds of penalty really was just running clock.

So, rather than saying we allowed 21 points in the game, I wanted to translate what our D gave up in those 1st 6 drives into a full game equivalent.

In 2014, our D allowed 17 pts in 7 drives and our O scored 28 in 7. Our O would have to be almost 2014 good to keep pace with what our D allowed this year. I think we can expect better from D.

That being said, our O misfires made it impossible to know what would've happened. It's crazy how often we have these games vs Miami.

 

[CrackerJacket]

Unless they win big, a coach seems to have a shelf life of ~7 or 8 years. CPJ is on year 9, correct? When I see lots of buy-in on 'stale' or 'predictable' like we have in response to the OP (excellent OP, by the way), I begin to think that's the case here. O'Leary was a success at GT, but I felt like even he was beginning to wear out his welcome when he bolted to ND. And Chan - well, damn near everybody was tired of the same old thing from him when D-Rad let him go. The mood of GT Nation now reminds me of Chan's and GO'Ls last year at Tech. Don't misunderstand me - I hope CPJ can turn the thing around, but I'm not betting the house on it.

 

[MWBATL]

Good post, i have only followed football for about 58 years but the D has not looked all that bad.

I never said our defense was bad (although AE is making some solid points that the D is only good because the other team is trying to run out the clock on us). I said I wished that they would do two things:
(1) disguise their scheme much more than they currently do; and
(2) play situationally and when we get behind go much more aggressive and blitz more.

Miami's hit and return for their first TD came...on a blitz. We never had that kind of chance because....we never blitzed.

 

[AE 87]

Fwiw, I think if we can get a lead, our D will help us keep it. I just wish our D could carry a bigger load.

Pitt's O scored 31 on OK St, but they had 17 drives. That's not great. Their D has given up a lot of points too. I really hope we win handily.

 

[4shotB]

And Chan - well, damn near everybody was tired of the same old thing from him when D-Rad let him go. The mood of GT Nation now reminds me of Chan's and GO'Ls last year at Tech. Don't misunderstand me - I hope CPJ can turn the thing around, but I'm not betting the house on it.

I get the gist of your post but we are nowhere close to the end of the Chan era. I think the rest of the season will be telling though. i think we have the chance to have a good year and will be rooting for Paul. I want him to stay and be successful.I want off the roulette wheel approach to building a program ....i.e.,let's spin the dial and hope for better. I want better leadership up the food chain who WILL DO THINGS TO HELP OUR COACHES...not just sacrifice men at the altar to appease the masses. I am confident that our last 3 FB coaches have been good coaches but have been thwarted by people above them who have been nothing more than administrators or bureaucrats.

at this point, I am disenchanted with GT's approach to FB and no longer point the finger at the coaches (and yes, all of them have had their own weaknesses or shortcomings). I will no longer be appluading the hire of the next hot new coach unless i have a understanding of what else will be done differently to affect change.

 

[CrackerJacket]

I get the gist of your post but we are nowhere close to the end of the Chan era. I think the rest of the season will be telling though. i think we have the chance to have a good year and will be rooting for Paul. I want him to stay and be successful.I want off the roulette wheel approach to building a program ....i.e.,let's spin the dial and hope for better. I want better leadership up the food chain who WILL DO THINGS TO HELP OUR COACHES...not just sacrifice men at the altar to appease the masses. I am confident that our last 3 FB coaches have been good coaches but have been thwarted by people above them who have been nothing more than administrators or bureaucrats.

at this point, I am disenchanted with GT's approach to FB and no longer point the finger at the coaches (and yes, all of them have had their own weaknesses or shortcomings). I will no longer be appluading the hire of the next hot new coach unless i have a understanding of what else will be done differently to affect change.

Nowhere near the end of the Chan era? I assume you mean CPJ era. I agree that barring a total collapse, we will have CPJ at the helm through the 2017 season. But I think we're at a crossroads. GT either reconciles itself to a middling 4-7 to 7-5 football program or commits to improve. By commits to improve, I mean steps from The Hill to facilitate recruiting such as a more SA-friendly major and admissions exceptions. What did you have in mind?

 

[augustabuzz]

Nowhere near the end of the Chan era? I assume you mean CPJ era. I agree that barring a total collapse, we will have CPJ at the helm through the 2017 season. But I think we're at a crossroads. GT either reconciles itself to a middling 4-7 to 7-5 football program or commits to improve. By commits to improve, I mean steps from The Hill to facilitate recruiting such as a more SA-friendly major and admissions exceptions. What did you have in mind?

An SA friendly major that requires calculus?

 

[danny daniel]

how did you count the Srs on Def? I got Davis,Kallon,gamble--Three

and Chungong