Plug and Play Offense...

[JacketFromUGA]

The problem is outside of 08 all of our "plug and play" a backs replacing seniors and such had been in the program for about 2 years beforehand. They were able to plug and play just fine but they had that foundation from the years they'd already spent learning where to be.

This year our plug and play members with the most experience are rFr such as Lynch and Searcy and it took them a bit longer to figure out where to go. Our true Freshmen god help them they're trying their best.

 

[iceeater1969]

Wait till next year when the average to below average defense graduates 4 starting cb and safeties.
Fortunately we have given some playing time to the rs freshman and soph and freshman.

 

[InsideLB]

The problem is outside of 08 all of our "plug and play" a backs replacing seniors and such had been in the program for about 2 years beforehand. They were able to plug and play just fine but they had that foundation from the years they'd already spent learning where to be.

This year our plug and play members with the most experience are rFr such as Lynch and Searcy and it took them a bit longer to figure out where to go. Our true Freshmen god help them they're trying their best.

I think this is pretty accurate.

Sure the offense can be plug and play......IF you are plugging in guys who've been around, have their ball security down (fumbles have killed us), and have both blocking technique and assignments down. Then for BB add making the pre-snap read and finding the crease.

 

[AE 87]

I think we're trying to find a logical answer for an illogical problem. If the experienced offensive line was making its blocks and the problems were just from the perimeter blocking, this thread would have a logical basis. If the QB were making his reads reliably while the OL made its blocks, this thread would have a logical basis.

However, when the experienced OL and experienced QB aren't playing as well as last year, then coming to any conclusion about whether the skill positions are plug and play is not rational, imo.

carry on

 

[stingyoa$$]

I think this is pretty accurate.

Sure the offense can be plug and play......IF you are plugging in guys who've been around, have their ball security down (fumbles have killed us), and have both blocking technique and assignments down. Then for BB add making the pre-snap read and finding the crease.

I think this is true with the exception of 2012. Laskey was a sophomore who was in his first year at BB and actually led the team in rushing. I can't remember but I don't think he lost any fumbles either.

 

[takethepoints]

It is. The problem is that the plugs are all hurt and sitting on the bench. What if we had the skill position lineup we expected in the backfield when fall practice started? Our 2 deep ABs = Snoddy and Andrews + Searcy and Willis. Our 2 deep BBs = Leggett + Quaid. Our 2 deep QBs = JT + Byerley. Our 2 deep WRs = Summers and Jeune + Stewart and Messick.

Only the WRs survived the giant rash of injuries this year. And most of those injuries were season-ending. I thought when we were in fall practice that we would probably go 8 - 4, largely due to inexperience early in the year. If we had our injured players on the field, I think I would be right.

 

[JorgeJonas]

It is. The problem is that the plugs are all hurt and sitting on the bench. What if we had the skill position lineup we expected in the backfield when fall practice started? Our 2 deep ABs = Snoddy and Andrews + Searcy and Willis. Our 2 deep BBs = Leggett + Quaid. Our 2 deep QBs = JT + Byerley. Our 2 deep WRs = Summers and Jeune + Stewart and Messick.

Only the WRs survived the giant rash of injuries this year. And most of those injuries were season-ending. I thought when we were in fall practice that we would probably go 8 - 4, largely due to inexperience early in the year. If we had our injured players on the field, I think I would be right.

This is along the lines of the point I have been making. Essentially, the practice reps we gave out in the Spring have been entirely lost to injury or dismissal. Then, many of the reps we gave out in the Summer were similarly wiped out by injury. If you look at it from that perspective, our skill position players have been receiving training during the season. That's impossible to overcome. It still doesn't explain the offensive line, though, and that's been killing this team, too. But you're right - even with the poor offensive line (which no one saw coming) we could have probably found four more points against Pitt, one more score against Duke and Carolina and UVA, and a FG against VT. Hell, we might have beaten Notre Dame. It's so frustrating because as bad as it has been, we've been a hair away.

 

[Boomergump]

I don't really like the "plug and play" metaphor. The advantage of our offense is that it can be VERY successful, even without elite athletes that are required for other systems. In that sense "plug and play" has a little meaning. However, the disadvantage of our offense is that it is more complicated than most, requiring a great deal of precision and quick decision making in real time. In that sense "plug and play" doesn't really fit. If we are plugging third year players, who may not be all-conference material, but have experience, one may be correct in using the metaphor.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I was warning all summer long that we were gonna miss the experience lost in all those 5th yr skill guys but very few wanted to hear it. Even w/o the injuries it was an uphill battle. Just rewatch the ND game if you don't believe me.

Now I never expected that losing Shaq was gonna reduce the OL to keystone cops, but I suspect the ripple effect from the diminished skill play has contributed to their mess quite a bit as well.

 

[stingyoa$$]

I don't really like the "plug and play" metaphor. The advantage of our offense is that it can be VERY successful, even without elite athletes that are required for other systems. In that sense "plug and play" has a little meaning. However, the disadvantage of our offense is that it is more complicated than most, requiring a great deal of precision and quick decision making in real time. In that sense "plug and play" doesn't really fit. If we are plugging third year players, who may not be all-conference material, but have experience, one may be correct in using the metaphor.

Wouldn't that make our athletes "elite"?

 

[Squints]

I've always maintained it's plug and play and still do. But only when it comes to replacing a player or two at some positions. Not an entire two deep (at least) at all the skill positions. And absolutely not when the top replacements get hurt so all that's left is a bunch of guys getting their first taste of college action.

 

[CHE90]

I was warning all summer long that we were gonna miss the experience lost in all those 5th yr skill guys but very few wanted to hear it. Even w/o the injuries it was an uphill battle. Just rewatch the ND game if you don't believe me.

Now I never expected that losing Shaq was gonna reduce the OL to keystone cops, but I suspect the ripple effect from the diminished skill play has contributed to their mess quite a bit as well.

I have to admit Cheese was correct. I think I went back and forth with him on this at one point this summer. Agree on Shaq. No one thought his departure would cause the chaos we have seen on the offensive line this year. We knew we would miss him, but we still had a ton of experience returning. I will say Shaq missed the boat on his review of Jabari.

 

[CuseJacket]

God forbid we ever have to plug and play a new center/quarterback combo in the same year like in 2014. We saw how that turned out.

We had plugs this year. Then those plugs left prior to or within a few games of the season. Then we tried to plug with tissue paper because that's all we had left.

Give me Leggett, Quaide, Snoddy, Searcy, Cottrell... maybe Andrews if it's worth going there... all of which were our plugs and likely starters at some time leading up to fall 2015. Then let's test the theory. Geez, Skov wouldn't even be at GT if not for losing our plugs, let alone Allen and Marshall getting PT.

Perhaps it's fair to look at the WRs, but it seems like many have already chosen how much they'll allow injuries and a schizo OL to affect their predetermined opinion of the other position groups' ability to "plug and play".

I don't really know the answer. I personally believe it's somewhere between "yes" and "no" and that this year's uncontrolled control experiment makes it difficult to arrive at a conclusion.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

God forbid we ever have to plug and play a new center/quarterback combo in the same year like in 2014. We saw how that turned out.

Agree.

We had plugs this year. Then those plugs left prior to or within a few games of the season. Then we tried to plug with tissue paper because that's all we had left.

We had guys, if that's what you mean by "plugs."

Give me Leggett, Quaide, Snoddy, Searcy, Cottrell... maybe Andrews if it's worth going there... all of which were our plugs and likely starters at some time leading up to fall 2015. Then let's test the theory. Geez, Skov wouldn't even be at GT if not for losing our plugs, let alone Allen and Marshall getting PT.

Can't go there with Andrews, if he were here, that would have changed my outlook, too. A lot.
The other guys are all unknowns and with little to no actual game experience. Guessing how they might have done is just that, guessing. My guess is not much better than what we have seen from the true frosh. Why? Because they had little to no live game experience in the offense.

Perhaps it's fair to look at the WRs, but it seems like many have already chosen how much they'll allow injuries and a schizo OL to affect their predetermined opinion of the other position groups' ability to "plug and play".

Wr's are a big step down. It's pretty obvious. I still think they'll get better with experience. There's that word again....

I don't really know the answer. I personally believe it's somewhere between "yes" and "no" and that this year's uncontrolled control experiment makes it difficult to arrive at a conclusion.

Agree, for the most part. But deductive reasoning tells me we probably would not have been much better off.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

On the injury front: Byerly, Snoddy (missed most of the season with the hand) and Gotsis were devastating. All the rest, who knows, they were all noobs. Searcy looked good against the cupcakes, but so did Skov. He didn't do much except look like a dear in the headlights vs ND.

 

[CuseJacket]

Cheese, I think you're trivializing spring practice, athleticism, and to a lesser extent redshirt years. I don't think your deductive reasoning is any more sound than the counterarguments.

It all depends on your definition of plug and play. If we're saying guys with little to no practice time combined with guys down on the depth chart who otherwise wouldn't be playing is how you measure "plug and play", then I'll give you that. You couldn't plug and play me into the offense with no spring/summer practice nor with plenty of reps, and I don't think that proves anything.

I think that with reps and time from our strongest players available (i.e., not decimated by injuries), we would have gotten noticeably better. Same thing happened with JT last year. He wasn't a rockstar from the beginning but turned into one. I don't think he could have done that his true frosh year or even without the benefit of spring and summer reps.

Clearly there are variables that some are choosing to ignore and others value more. You could very well be correct. I'm currently stuck with the stance that it hasn't been a clear cut "yes" or "no".

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Cheese, I think you're trivializing spring practice, athleticism, and to a lesser extent redshirt years. I don't think your deductive reasoning is any more sound than the counterarguments.

It all depends on your definition of plug and play. If we're saying guys with little to no practice time combined with guys down on the depth chart who otherwise wouldn't be playing is how you measure "plug and play", then I'll give you that. You couldn't plug and play me into the offense with no spring/summer practice nor with plenty of reps, and I don't think that proves anything.

I think that with reps and time from our strongest players available (i.e., not decimated by injuries), we would have gotten noticeably better. Same thing happened with JT last year. He wasn't a rockstar from the beginning but turned into one. I don't think he could have done that his true frosh year or even without the benefit of spring and summer reps.

Clearly there are variables that some are choosing to ignore and others value more. You could very well be correct. I'm currently stuck with the stance that it hasn't been a clear cut "yes" or "no".

What I mean by "plug and play" is zero drop off from the predecessor, specifically, the 5th yr senior from last year.

During the summer, a prevailing attitude on the board was that we would have no drop off in losing the skill guys from last year because the new guys were "even better athletes." That's hogwash. Even w/o the injuries, it's hogwash.

 

[JorgeJonas]

I was warning all summer long that we were gonna miss the experience lost in all those 5th yr skill guys but very few wanted to hear it. Even w/o the injuries it was an uphill battle. Just rewatch the ND game if you don't believe me.

Now I never expected that losing Shaq was gonna reduce the OL to keystone cops, but I suspect the ripple effect from the diminished skill play has contributed to their mess quite a bit as well.

Are we discussing who's the most right, or who predicted what?

I still think the offense is largely plug and play. If there's anything that we learned, it's probably not when you replace seniors with freshmen. But I remember everyone worrying about losing Orwin Smith only to have Robbie Godhigh fill in the gap. Then when he left, Perkins and Zenon and the rest of the bunch filled in. As I've said before, I actually continue to believe that had we not had the injuries, we could have survived. The problem is that starters tend to get more practice reps, and both starters in the Spring were lost entirely (Andrews) or significantly (Snoddy), which wiped out all that practice time, meaning we started from scratch in August. Then, at least one of their backups got hurt (Searcy). At that point we were down to Austin McClellan playing significant minutes against what would be the number 1 team in the country. That prompted burning the redshirt of a guy who was supposed to be a B-back. This isn't a recipe for success for anyone, let alone a team that relies heavily on developmental prospects. The offensive line still blows my mind. I don't recall anyone warning about that.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

I think squints hit the nail on the head. We didn't have a hole to plug....we had a whole side. In seasons where we only have to replace one or maybe two spots, and the rest of the O has proven guys return....I think we can be plug and play. Four positions is way too much to replace without taking a big step back.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Are we discussing who's the most right, or who predicted what?

I still think the offense is largely plug and play. If there's anything that we learned, it's probably not when you replace seniors with freshmen. But I remember everyone worrying about losing Orwin Smith only to have Robbie Godhigh fill in the gap. Then when he left, Perkins and Zenon and the rest of the bunch filled in. As I've said before, I actually continue to believe that had we not had the injuries, we could have survived. The problem is that starters tend to get more practice reps, and both starters in the Spring were lost entirely (Andrews) or significantly (Snoddy), which wiped out all that practice time, meaning we started from scratch in August. Then, at least one of their backups got hurt (Searcy). At that point we were down to Austin McClellan playing significant minutes against what would be the number 1 team in the country. That prompted burning the redshirt of a guy who was supposed to be a B-back. This isn't a recipe for success for anyone, let alone a team that relies heavily on developmental prospects. The offensive line still blows my mind. I don't recall anyone warning about that.

The Andrews loss was huge. I thought so at the time he left.