The offensive problems and bright spots

[ibeattetris]

Wasn't sure of a good place to post this, so hopefully this is a good place.

Could someone familiar with RPO help explain this play for me? Couple questions are, who are we reading? Who was the WR supposed to block?

My assumption was we should be blocking the corner there, but we don't really have numbers to that side of the field, so if the corner sets the edge, the slot should be getting turned inside to an unblocked lb who will have safety help as well.

I also thought most RPO's were based on reading lb's, but this one seems to be leaving the defensive end unblocked like in a typical read option. Are we reading the defensive end and the linebacker here?

I assumed this type of play is going to be a staple moving forward, so I would love to understand it better. I remember yelling at the screen at the time due to lack of blocking on the edge.

 

[steebu]

Weird, the link shows up with "video unavailable", but when you click "Watch in Youtube" it goes to the very beginning. So I have no idea what you're looking at. Do you have a time reference?

 

[ibeattetris]

Weird, the link shows up with "video unavailable", but when you click "Watch in Youtube" it goes to the very beginning. So I have no idea what you're looking at. Do you have a time reference?

That's disappointing, sorry.
1:47:33
Here is a link to copy paste

https://youtu.be/wmB94CgUUrg?t=6453

 

[swarmer]

Wasn't sure of a good place to post this, so hopefully this is a good place.

Could someone familiar with RPO help explain this play for me? Couple questions are, who are we reading? Who was the WR supposed to block?

My assumption was we should be blocking the corner there, but we don't really have numbers to that side of the field, so if the corner sets the edge, the slot should be getting turned inside to an unblocked lb who will have safety help as well.

I also thought most RPO's were based on reading lb's, but this one seems to be leaving the defensive end unblocked like in a typical read option. Are we reading the defensive end and the linebacker here?

I assumed this type of play is going to be a staple moving forward, so I would love to understand it better. I remember yelling at the screen at the time due to lack of blocking on the edge.

I haven’t seen us run any true RPO. We ran a play or two where it’s a traditional option and we’ve thrown to the WR who is still behind the LOS— I don’t really consider that RPO though like nfl teams and the big factories are running

 

[steebu]

I actually guessed that this might be the play you were going to reference. It doesn't look like RPO at all to me. It just looks like TE screen with play action to freeze the LB.

I mean:

1. you can't tell me that our TE on their LB is a mismatch. It's not like we're getting Alvin Kamara in space. Sub in Tobias or any of our RB's instead of the TE
2. The WR missed the block on the corner - must've been thinking about his dance moves because he was way late
3. No matchup problem for the defense, no numbers advantage for us. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS PLAY?

Their LB's were pretty smart - there's a horrible sequence earlier that I'm too lazy to point to but Patenoob ran a counter from a split-back gun formation. The OL stepped left as if running outside zone and the QB handed to the left back to run to the right. The back on the right was the lead blocker. Well ... guess what? Their LB's weren't flowing with the direction of the pulling OL the whole game ... so they didn't flow this time either ... and we ended up with a 2-v-3 and got dumped for a loss. It's *this* kind of playcalling that has me pulling what little hair I have left out.

 

[DieselTeeth]

Steebu.... It's gonna be a long year. Buckle up

 

[ibeattetris]

I haven’t seen us run any true RPO. We ran a play or two where it’s a traditional option and we’ve thrown to the WR who is still behind the LOS— I don’t really consider that RPO though like nfl teams and the big factories are running

I just assumed any option play that included a run and pass was RPO. I know there are RPO's that attack more vertically than laterally, but I figured this still counted.

he WR missed the block on the corner

The blocker was looking at that linebacker which is why I was confused about who is assignment was supposed to be. The corner definitely *seems* to be the correct assignment since I assume we'd be trying to beat the LB to the edge (I agree though it's not really a mismatch).

No matchup problem for the defense, no numbers advantage for us. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS PLAY?

This is actually why I assumed this had to be an RPO and not a called play action screen. It doesn't make sense why we wouldn't check out of this play unless it was an option since we don't have numbers (but since I don't fully grasp things yet, I am probably not understanding things yet). I put the play in slo mo and TO's eye looked to be on the defensive end, but I don't know.

must've been thinking about his dance moves because he was way late

This made me actually laugh out loud.

 

[steebu]

I'm very hopeful we can get this turned around. These guys are getting paid the big bucks to coach and make adjustments. I don't have a problem with guys getting physically dominated or out-athlete'd, especially given the train wreck of injuries at OL. I don't even have a problem with guys making mental mistakes if those disappear over the course of the season. But if our coaches aren't putting our guys in a position to succeed then I'm gonna get pretty mad, like Jim Harbaugh here:

 

[Lotta Booze]

Interesting stat pulled from Twitter:

Highest % of throws 20+ yds downfield, P5
1 Kentucky, 23.2%
2 GT, 23.1%
3 Clemson, 22.7%
4 K-State, 20.3%
5 Penn St, 20.2%
-
61 Oregon St, 8.3%
62 NWestern, 7.9%
63 Utah, 7.7%
64 NC State, 7.1%
65 Mich St, 5.7%

Connect on more of them and I'm sure our offense would look a lot different

 

[tsrich]

Interesting stat pulled from Twitter:

Highest % of throws 20+ yds downfield, P5
1 Kentucky, 23.2%
2 GT, 23.1%
3 Clemson, 22.7%
4 K-State, 20.3%
5 Penn St, 20.2%
-
61 Oregon St, 8.3%
62 NWestern, 7.9%
63 Utah, 7.7%
64 NC State, 7.1%
65 Mich St, 5.7%

Connect on more of them and I'm sure our offense would look a lot different

Maybe that's the problem. Why are we doing downfield so much when our O-line can't block? Where are the screens and short crossing patterns that get the ball out quickly?

 

[Josh H]

We moved the ball pretty well at the end of the game vs. Citadel, did we go hurry up?

On the last TD drive, we hit a big pass play, went hurry up, and ran the ball with Mason. It was the only series of the game where it looked like we knew what we were doing on offense.

With that said - the offense got absolutely blown off the ball in overtime.

 

[stech81]

Maybe that's the problem. Why are we doing downfield so much when our O-line can't block? Where are the screens and short crossing patterns that get the ball out quickly?

That would take an average offensive coordinator to figure that out. Wish we had an average offensive coordinator.

 

[FlatsLander]

I haven’t seen us run any true RPO. We ran a play or two where it’s a traditional option and we’ve thrown to the WR who is still behind the LOS— I don’t really consider that RPO though like nfl teams and the big factories are running

Wouldn't that make it a true RPO? If the pass is caught behind the LOS, then the OL is allowed to be as far downfield as they like. This play looks like an RPO to me. The QB was reading the DE on the QB's right for the handoff read. This looked like it should have been a give read since the DE freezes. Then the WR was supposed to block the outside CB and create a natural pick for the OLB to open up room for the TE to hit the sideline and head upfield. I think the WR just missed the assignment, but maybe expected the QB to hand it off since there are only 6 in the box.

 

[FlatsLander]

I actually guessed that this might be the play you were going to reference. It doesn't look like RPO at all to me. It just looks like TE screen with play action to freeze the LB.

I mean:

1. you can't tell me that our TE on their LB is a mismatch. It's not like we're getting Alvin Kamara in space. Sub in Tobias or any of our RB's instead of the TE
2. The WR missed the block on the corner - must've been thinking about his dance moves because he was way late
3. No matchup problem for the defense, no numbers advantage for us. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS PLAY?

Their LB's were pretty smart - there's a horrible sequence earlier that I'm too lazy to point to but Patenoob ran a counter from a split-back gun formation. The OL stepped left as if running outside zone and the QB handed to the left back to run to the right. The back on the right was the lead blocker. Well ... guess what? Their LB's weren't flowing with the direction of the pulling OL the whole game ... so they didn't flow this time either ... and we ended up with a 2-v-3 and got dumped for a loss. It's *this* kind of playcalling that has me pulling what little hair I have left out.

It looks like an actual run option rather than a play action since the RB runs on a track through the line instead of staying in as a blocker. I'm thinking it's 100% RPO.

 

[UgaBlows]

On the last TD drive, we hit a big pass play, went hurry up, and ran the ball with Mason. It was the only series of the game where it looked like we knew what we were doing on offense.

With that said - the offense got absolutely blown off the ball in overtime.

Prevent Defense in effect possibly

 

[tmhunter52]

Things could be worse for Coach Collins; he could be Coach Pastner...

 

[armeck]

Maybe that's the problem. Why are we doing downfield so much when our O-line can't block? Where are the screens and short crossing patterns that get the ball out quickly?

Check out Fromm at UGA: http://www.cfbstats.com/2019/player/257/1086994/passing/situational.html

If I'm reading this correctly, he has only thrown the ball +25 yards 7 times this season? If you watch him play most of his passes are quick slants, short throws, super fast decisions (even though he has the biggest OL in the NCAA). That's play calling to their strengths, not trying to be something they aren't. GT could learn a lot from that philosophy.

I wish I knew where to find how far a pass was PRIOR to the run, I swear he averages 5-8 yards in the air.

 

[White_Gold]

I actually guessed that this might be the play you were going to reference. It doesn't look like RPO at all to me. It just looks like TE screen with play action to freeze the LB.

I mean:

1. you can't tell me that our TE on their LB is a mismatch. It's not like we're getting Alvin Kamara in space. Sub in Tobias or any of our RB's instead of the TE
2. The WR missed the block on the corner - must've been thinking about his dance moves because he was way late
3. No matchup problem for the defense, no numbers advantage for us. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS PLAY?

Their LB's were pretty smart - there's a horrible sequence earlier that I'm too lazy to point to but Patenoob ran a counter from a split-back gun formation. The OL stepped left as if running outside zone and the QB handed to the left back to run to the right. The back on the right was the lead blocker. Well ... guess what? Their LB's weren't flowing with the direction of the pulling OL the whole game ... so they didn't flow this time either ... and we ended up with a 2-v-3 and got dumped for a loss. It's *this* kind of playcalling that has me pulling what little hair I have left out.

I know the exact play you’re talking about. The QB did not motion the player that needed to be to properly run the play.

 

[swarmer]

Wouldn't that make it a true RPO? If the pass is caught behind the LOS, then the OL is allowed to be as far downfield as they like. This play looks like an RPO to me. The QB was reading the DE on the QB's right for the handoff read. This looked like it should have been a give read since the DE freezes. Then the WR was supposed to block the outside CB and create a natural pick for the OLB to open up room for the TE to hit the sideline and head upfield. I think the WR just missed the assignment, but maybe expected the QB to hand it off since there are only 6 in the box.

True RPO has the qb reading a LB or Safety during the mesh.

He either gives or pulls and throws downfield quickly. Usually only 1 WR running a route, everyone else is blocking for a run