Why our Bbacks bang their heads against a wall

MWBATL

Helluva Engineer
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6,536
There are three plays I hope CPJ tosses from his playbook for a while, because by now, everyone in the stadium knows they are coming:
(1) The QB follow on the goal line-we haven't been good at getting push off the LOS and we have been stuffed repeatedly up the middle, and it is simply SO predictable
(2) the QB Draw-this play is a delight, when it is a surprise. It is a disaster when it's not. We run it SO often, that the defense has to be expecting it on any "passing down", and judging by the way they defend it, they are. We need to throw 90% of the time when we drop back, not run a draw 1/3 of the time
(3) the counter option (?)- not sure I have the right name for this, but this is when the whole backfield takes a step in one direction, stops, turns around then heads the other direction to run the option. The problem is that this play is SO slow in developing that only very slow defenses have trouble with it. Most defenses have no problem reacting to it as soon as they see the backs all stop, and it has bene singularly unsuccessful this year.

Please PLEASE CPJ stop running these three play except on RARE occasions, not the norm like it is today!
 

bke1984

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3,447
I wish we would add back the rocket toss counter...remember the play that scored against Kansas on the first play from scrimmage for like 95 yards? I'm not sure I've seen that play run in a couple seasons, but I could be wrong.

We beat Georgia in 2013 with that play from the goal line instead of the rocket toss we'd been running all game.
 

Boomergump

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Featured Member
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Personally, even with JT's limitations, I say we score there, if we go straight QB sneak 2 plays in a row, over QB follow. At least that way he isn't running horizontally or back first. What do I know? A quick BB dive is hard to stop twice too. We have a lot of options.

Please, no suggestions for read option of pistol snap!
 

eetech

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
198
Well, it is pretty easy after watching the replay to say what play would have worked. Hindsight, you know.

I guess my question is if there was any reason to believe that the play down the middle would work any differently than it did on 3rd down (or the rest of the game for that matter). I'm genuinely curious. Was there something we saw in the way UNC defended on 3rd down that we thought we could exploit? Did we think that we should normally get the yards with that play and that the 3rd down stop was an aberration? Or did we believe that UNC would not expect it and give us an advantage down the middle?
 

bke1984

Helluva Engineer
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3,447
Neither Skov, Byerly or Earl Campbell were going to score in that series with that level of blocking(?)

Yeah, I just watched it...no one on our team (or any team) scores on fourth down up the middle. If we hand to Skov on 3rd down he scores.

Side note...how was there not a personal foul called for the body slam on Thomas at like the 10 yard line after the whistle was blown?
 

Ash

Ramblin' Wreck
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779
Personally, even with JT's limitations, I say we score there, if we go straight QB sneak 2 plays in a row, over QB follow. At least that way he isn't running horizontally or back first. What do I know? A quick BB dive is hard to stop twice too. We have a lot of options.

Please, no suggestions for read option of pistol snap!

Give us credit...we are not Clemson.
 

danny daniel

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2,613
Personally, even with JT's limitations, I say we score there, if we go straight QB sneak 2 plays in a row, over QB follow. At least that way he isn't running horizontally or back first. What do I know? A quick BB dive is hard to stop twice too. We have a lot of options.

Please, no suggestions for read option of pistol snap!

It seems JT ducks inside the BB's dive, more behind the G, whereas Byerly and TW seemed to run horizontally past the BB and hit a wider off tackle hole.
 

Skeptic

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6,372
Got curious so I spent some time counting, as best I could, the number of different plays posters wanted in that situation. There are 11, give or take, and I counted "anything else" as a preference. So after six days of cogitation, reflection, study, freeze frame, replay, and at best a fleeting notion of abilities and skills on the field and the defense facing them, everybody wants something else but aren't sure what would work. Johnson had 30 seconds and a scholarly knowledge of the offense and skill sets available. Yet the conclusion is that we all know better, and what does Johnson know about his offense and when did he know it?

It really in hindsight rivals the overheated fight song cookoff for humor.
 

bke1984

Helluva Engineer
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3,447
Got curious so I spent some time counting, as best I could, the number of different plays posters wanted in that situation. There are 11, give or take, and I counted "anything else" as a preference. So after six days of cogitation, reflection, study, freeze frame, replay, and at best a fleeting notion of abilities and skills on the field and the defense facing them, everybody wants something else but aren't sure what would work. Johnson had 30 seconds and a scholarly knowledge of the offense and skill sets available. Yet the conclusion is that we all know better, and what does Johnson know about his offense and when did he know it?

It really in hindsight rivals the overheated fight song cookoff for humor.

So I get it. Tough in the moment. However, what I'm saying is we should NEVER run the follow at the goal line with Thomas. One, he's too small...two, he doesn't execute it well.

Even if it works, there's always a better play given our current team.
 

Skeptic

Helluva Engineer
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6,372
So I get it. Tough in the moment. However, what I'm saying is we should NEVER run the follow at the goal line with Thomas. One, he's too small...two, he doesn't execute it well.

Even if it works, there's always a better play given our current team.
If it works, there ain't no play better than a TD.
 
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