USF Postgame #USFvsGT

[forensicbuzz]

I don’t buy this. Prior regime converted a TE to an OL and used a walk on center. And this was under the guidance of Sewak, who everyone seems to think was terrible. Yet here we have supposedly the best OL coach in the business and he can’t work with OL enough to get us time to throw against the likes of USF????

You're not following my point. I'm saying the OL transition is more difficult than the QB transition. NOT that the OL transition is impossible. I agree. I think our players are football players and should be able to adjust to a different scheme without too much consternation. Now, the technique for OL is much different, so they have more to learn, but they should still be able to do it. They'll make mistakes, but they'll get there. My point was about the QB's and that if there was going to be a problem, I'd expect it more on the OL than at QB.

 

[forensicbuzz]

It usually doesn't.

On short yards you go with quick hitters. Same on the goal line. I remember a story from Bill Curry. Coach Dodd was giving him coaching lessons on Monday about each game. After his second game, the following ensued:

Dodd: "What did I tell you you should do when the team got to the 5 yard line?"

Curry: "You said we should run the ball."

Dodd: "And what did you do?"

Curry: "I called a pass."

Dodd: "And what happened?"

Curry: "Well, we didn't complete it."

Dodd: "And then what happened?"

Curry: "We didn't score."

Dodd: "So. Who was right?"

Curry: "(Deep sigh) You were, coach."

Yep. If you are on the 5, forget passing the ball. If it's third and 1, forget passing the ball. The other side will get the tendency, but so what? Their problem is stopping it. The remarkable thing is how hard it is to get coaches to quit overthinking short yardage situations.

Actually, I know a QB from Dodd's era that was told to run it and he passed it. The play went for a touchdown and the freshman QB never played another down as a QB for Dodd. True story.

 

[684Bee]

Actually, I know a QB from Dodd's era that was told to run it and he passed it. The play went for a touchdown and the freshman QB never played another down as a QB for Dodd. True story.

That’s called being a man of principle. Now we have the likes of Antonio Brown, because there’s really no consequence.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I'm saying the OL transition is more difficult than the QB transition.

I think this is probably where I disagree the most. The OL transition is difficult, although a lot of posters here presented it in the preseason as minimal difficulty, but the functions of the QB, as well as the defensive read keys and coverage checks, are light years apart. From a mechanics standpoint, you are probably correct, from a mental aspect, I'd say the QB transition is the single most difficult by a wide margin.

 

[gt02]

Yes. That should tell you what you need to know about the OL left behind and it's fit for any offense that isn't the triple option.

Lol. Not really addressing my point but whatever.

Look, I get that we are going to go through a transition. No one expects us to win 10 games. We do want an identity and something to suggest the coaches know what they are doing. Calling the swinging play when you need a big play is not that.

 

[Animal02]

Lol. Not really addressing my point but whatever.

Look, I get that we are going to go through a transition. No one expects us to win 10 games. We do want an identity and something to suggest the coaches know what they are doing. Calling the swinging play when you need a big play is not that.

Running 3qbs and three different play books is not either.

 

[Vespidae]

I still don't view the 7 year contract as a smart thing.....especially since the average college football coach job is 5 years. IMO, there was no up side to such a lengthy contract to someone with little head coaching experience and who had self described this has his "dream job"

I also do not accept the viewpoint that it is acceptable to throw away seasons for a program wins 6+ games a year. I think it is a disservice to the fans as well as the players on the team.

Take a good look at Tennessee. Pruitt got six because the talent pool for SEC play is almost non existent. He’s got 3 years to upgrade players and 3 years to show what he can do with them.

I actually think GT is in a better place.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Running 3qbs and three different play books is not either.

How about 3 different QB's running different aspects of the same playbook. Receivers, backs and linemen all learning the whole playbook and the QBs running the aspects of the playbook that they are best suited for as we transition? I'm not saying this is what is happening, but this is something that I would be okay with. Eventually, one QB would be able to execute the whole playbook and become the everyday starter.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

Actually, I know a QB from Dodd's era that was told to run it and he passed it. The play went for a touchdown and the freshman QB never played another down as a QB for Dodd. True story.

It is not that I doubt the veracity of your post (I could see that as happening), and assuming I understand you correctly, but I do not remember Frosh as being eligible to play when Dodd coached.

 

[forensicbuzz]

It is not that I doubt the veracity of your post (I could see that as happening), and assuming I understand you correctly, but I do not remember Frosh as being eligible to play when Dodd coached.

1st year player maybe? Freshman team? Don't know. But it was 1961. Story he himself told me.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

EVERY coach at every university in existence has been liked / disliked by some of their players.

Being liked is not the main job of the HC.

We had an assistant coach at GT that played at bama and said he loved Bryant despite some harsh treatment. In the late 70’s I did business with a former GT All American that could not stand Dodd.

This crap happens and too many are reading too much into it.

 

[lv20gt]

Lol. Not really addressing my point but whatever.

Your point acting like we didn't have issues blocking in year 1 when we clearly did.

Look, I get that we are going to go through a transition. No one expects us to win 10 games. We do want an identity and something to suggest the coaches know what they are doing. Calling the swinging play when you need a big play is not that.

So what should we do when we need a big play when we can't get separation, pass block, or throw accurately? You act like the swinging gate is some completely unheard of novelty. It's not. It's not all that different than trying to run a flea flicker or double pass. I seem to recall us passing (maybe backwards) to an offensive linemen in hopes of it catching the other team off guard.

We aren't going to have an offensive identity this year because we don't have the pieces for it. We don't block or pass well enough for the identity to be the offense, and unlike 2008 we don't have the elite talent to have an identity based on that.

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

Besides the namesake in his name threw 13 interceptions on 330 attempts for a rate of 1 in 25 which is worse than Marshalls 1 in 27. Only counting his 2 years as a starter anyway. if I counted his freshmen and sophmore years Strom was 1 in 22 attempts was an INT.

Strom had the longest NFL career of any Tech QB that I'm aware of. It surprised me that he hung on as the Steelers backup for many years.

 

[GTJake]

I think this is probably where I disagree the most. The OL transition is difficult, although a lot of posters here presented it in the preseason as minimal difficulty, but the functions of the QB, as well as the defensive read keys and coverage checks, are light years apart. From a mechanics standpoint, you are probably correct, from a mental aspect, I'd say the QB transition is the single most difficult by a wide margin.

I agree with Augusta's point about QB transition over OL transition, but ... the article in today's AJC contradicts this point. Patenaude states he was planning to have Lucas open it up including down-field stuff until the OL injuries forced him to go more conservative ??

 

[jgtengineer]

Strom had the longest NFL career of any Tech QB that I'm aware of. It surprised me that he hung on as the Steelers backup for many years.

I know, the thing is is that curry's offense was very similaiar in philosophy but not style to CPJ's it was a run first offense with play action downfield passing which means lower completion percentage, higher interception rate and few passes in general if your run game is working. the difference is that in an option system your short passing game is the pitch game, in our 80s offense it was a slant.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I agree with Augusta's point about QB transition over OL transition, but ... the article in today's AJC contradicts this point. Patenaude states he was planning to have Lucas open it up including down-field stuff until the OL injuries forced him to go more conservative ??

I don't know that it contradicts rather than points to how interdependent the two positions are for success...

 

[g0lftime]

Actually, I know a QB from Dodd's era that was told to run it and he passed it. The play went for a touchdown and the freshman QB never played another down as a QB for Dodd. True story.

Probably was a sophomore. Freshmen were never eligible while Dodd coached. His last year was 1969 and freshmen became eligible in 1972 school year.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Probably was a sophomore. Freshmen were never eligible while Dodd coached. His last year was 1969 and freshmen became eligible in 1972 school year.

see later post.

Dodd's last year was 1966.

 

[takethepoints]

How about 3 different QB's running different aspects of the same playbook. Receivers, backs and linemen all learning the whole playbook and the QBs running the aspects of the playbook that they are best suited for as we transition? I'm not saying this is what is happening, but this is something that I would be okay with. Eventually, one QB would be able to execute the whole playbook and become the everyday starter.

Actually, I think this is a huge part of the problem.

I get the idea of requiring players to be flexible from a morale standpoint and it makes good sense in the OL and DL; Paul did it there as well. For the skill positions, I'm much more concerned. In a new O what the skill players need is consistent reps for their position, not a requirement that they know what to do in 2 - 3 of them. The "competition is king" meme makes it even worse; the players think they have to be equally efficient at multiple positions to keep on the field. I hope Coach stops this soon. Not, mind, that he'll say he's stopping it; just stopping it.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Actually, I think this is a huge part of the problem.

I get the idea of requiring players to be flexible from a morale standpoint and it makes good sense in the OL and DL; Paul did it there as well. For the skill positions, I'm much more concerned. In a new O what the skill players need is consistent reps for their position, not a requirement that they know what to do in 2 - 3 of them. The "competition is king" meme makes it even worse; the players think they have to be equally efficient at multiple positions to keep on the field. I hope Coach stops this soon. Not, mind, that he'll say he's stopping it; just stopping it.

I'm not sure I'm following what you're saying. The QBs are all taking reps at QB. The RBs are all taking reps at RB. The line is taking reps on the line. It seems that the QBs are all learning the same playbook, just that 1 is stronger in this section of the playbook right now, this one is stonger in that area, and the third is...well, you get the idea. The OL and RB shouldn't matter who the QB is. HOWEVER, the timing in the passing game does matter. The ability for the receivers and QBs to work in concert IS important. Maybe that's why the passing game is lagging. Don't know. Trust the coaches to figure it out. They could be making a mistake, but they'll figure it out (hopefully before too long).