I get we have a blocking problem -
These are now my new follow up questions -
1. If we have a team wide blocking problem, schmetically want is/will be done to help these blockers? Simplified assignments? Different Play calling? Never passing again?
2. Im not sure how you blame the 1st 3 game RB fumbles on the poorous OL and then declare I am only going to run so the game doesnt turn into 35-0 - that is sort of the same as not being able to pass block, if both scenarios are not working.?
3. Will we NOT see Boyle behind this OL or will he kill his confidence more?
#1. THat's for the coaching staff to decide. I've written my opinions in detail elsewhere in the 48 hours post game. I think we have terrible fundamentals of body position, and simple leverage and movement. The basics, basics of football. I actually spent some time last night going through all my photos I"ve personally taken at Rentshcler over the years, to compare offensive lines, and offensive formations. Just to look at basic body position and alignments pre-snap, in the set position. The only thing I can say is that I believe 100% that the way you practice, is the way you play, and the way you play is the way you practice and our alignments, and body positioning, line splits, backfield, TE's, the straight line distance between the OL's and the ground. I didn't change my mind on what I think after looking. It makes sense to me, because if we're practicing during the week, to be able to split reps between three different tailbacks, two different fullbacks, three different TE's, and I don't know how many OL's, stands to reason that you're not going to be able to get every alignment the way it should be, from the most basic of fundmentals of football, individual body positioning, and team positioning.
On top of that, comes the actual matchup with the defensive formation, that lines up against your formation. I can't even begin to get there, without the first step. We're trying to have all those players that are rotating in and out, as mostly freshmen and sophs, to be able to get themselves lined up properly first, AND be able to match up with the defense.
My suggestion, would be to settle on a damn starting lineup that's going to get the majority of your reps, and train them.
#2. It's about preventing turnovers. For the running game, what it looked like to me, is they basically went to handful of plays, that they were confident they could get blocked, at least to the point wehre they are not result in letting potential tacklers run free through the formation. As I've noted elsewhere as well, even when we are in position, and have the assignments right, we still get beat way too much, and that goes back to #1 - individual and team position and leverage. Preventing turnovers, obviously as well, a QB that is rushed and under pressure, can't throw interceptions, if he's not actually throwing the ball.
FWIW: Right now, let me get this clear, I don't buy this crap about players not buying into Diaco, or questioning. I didn't see it, I don't see it. When everything is breaking down around you, got to trust your leaders, and more importantly, trust your teammates around you, that they know what they're doing, and that's exactly what we went to. The most painful plays to watch, were the false starts, because you know that those young players were trying their best to make sure their teammates could trust them by firing off the line of scrimmage and getting into their blocks, but it's just practice execution lacking, translating into game execution lacking. There was one false start by Knappe, that had he simply gone off on the snap, he would have blown a huge hole in the USF DL, he was like a madman, but you got to get the execution right, and a young, inexperienced player gets tentative after something like that. GOt to shake it off. It's not like 6th year seniors blowing offsided/false start on a goal line run for a potential TD. We've seen enough of that. Just need to get better, from the young players. My worry is if they are practicing in such a way, that they can get better - NOW, not later.
#3. Boyle's play on the game field has not impressed me at all, last year, or the few snaps he's gotten this year. If we go to Boyle at QB, for any significant amount of time, the only reason would be because Whitmer goes down IMO, but with this rotation of offensive players we are using, who knows.
Long enough response?