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I think there are a few things happening here, and to a degree it isn't entirely Deleone's fault exactly.
1.He came in with a program to change to approach to offensive football. You can argue that it was a bad decision, but we have gone from being a smash mouth team to a finesse team, and it hasn't been a smooth transition at all. Both approaches can be effective, for what its worth. But whether we don't have the players or it isn't being taught right or it is just not falling into place yet, it is clear that this switch has had a significant negative effect on the offensive line play. I'm not sure it is entirely DeLeone's fault this isn't working. But at least so far, the new approach isn't coming together. Pitt went through a similar , if reverse, change under Wanstadt and struggled for a couple of years moving from a finesse sytem to a more power oriented approach.
2. We are not overloaded with offensive fire power. To some extent this falls at the feet of the previous staff. Remember, Pasquoloni and co have had exactly 1 recruiting class. The 2011 class was identified and offered by Edsall. We have some good to very good defensive players, but Edsall simply did not recruit many top notch offensive players at skill positions. the sole exception was at running back, and McCombs is at worst adequate, though I'm not sure there is mcuh behind him. I know they have had limited work, but neither of the 2 backups seem much more than role players to me. Beyond him, though, the quality isn't there at any skill position. We'll have to see about Joe Williams as a running back. And its clear that the quarterback situation was a mess and there was little on the bench after Frazer left. Box is a backup in D2, Nebrich is a backup in 1AA. McCumming is what he is. Whitmer has some skills but seems not to make good decisions yet. Though I remember the Nassim really struggling as a freshman. I'd take him today. that is my hope for Whitmer.
3. The one area where I do think the staff,DeLeone in particular has failed is in not making the best use of the guys he has. We appear to have possession type recievers, so why not throw short quick stuff. We have a smallish tailback, so why not try and get him outside a little more or get him the football more as a reciever out of the backfield...more like the Eagles (Philly, not BC)used Westbrook in his prime. On the other hand, the problem with that line of thinking is that if you are determined to put in a pretty dramatically different system, I'm not sure you can do it and play to the strengths of your current roster, recruited by someone else to play a different system. It just may be a square peg round hole problem.
1.He came in with a program to change to approach to offensive football. You can argue that it was a bad decision, but we have gone from being a smash mouth team to a finesse team, and it hasn't been a smooth transition at all. Both approaches can be effective, for what its worth. But whether we don't have the players or it isn't being taught right or it is just not falling into place yet, it is clear that this switch has had a significant negative effect on the offensive line play. I'm not sure it is entirely DeLeone's fault this isn't working. But at least so far, the new approach isn't coming together. Pitt went through a similar , if reverse, change under Wanstadt and struggled for a couple of years moving from a finesse sytem to a more power oriented approach.
2. We are not overloaded with offensive fire power. To some extent this falls at the feet of the previous staff. Remember, Pasquoloni and co have had exactly 1 recruiting class. The 2011 class was identified and offered by Edsall. We have some good to very good defensive players, but Edsall simply did not recruit many top notch offensive players at skill positions. the sole exception was at running back, and McCombs is at worst adequate, though I'm not sure there is mcuh behind him. I know they have had limited work, but neither of the 2 backups seem much more than role players to me. Beyond him, though, the quality isn't there at any skill position. We'll have to see about Joe Williams as a running back. And its clear that the quarterback situation was a mess and there was little on the bench after Frazer left. Box is a backup in D2, Nebrich is a backup in 1AA. McCumming is what he is. Whitmer has some skills but seems not to make good decisions yet. Though I remember the Nassim really struggling as a freshman. I'd take him today. that is my hope for Whitmer.
3. The one area where I do think the staff,DeLeone in particular has failed is in not making the best use of the guys he has. We appear to have possession type recievers, so why not throw short quick stuff. We have a smallish tailback, so why not try and get him outside a little more or get him the football more as a reciever out of the backfield...more like the Eagles (Philly, not BC)used Westbrook in his prime. On the other hand, the problem with that line of thinking is that if you are determined to put in a pretty dramatically different system, I'm not sure you can do it and play to the strengths of your current roster, recruited by someone else to play a different system. It just may be a square peg round hole problem.
