Im still confused why UConn FB didnt pass the ball Friday night?

[Bonehead]

Maybe if you start another thread you'll get the magic answer you're looking for.

No magic answer just a straight answer. Can't get one.

 

[junglehusky]

No magic answer just a straight answer. Can't get one.

maybe you're asking the wrong question.

 

[Bonehead]

maybe you're asking the wrong question.

Must be

 

[Husky25]

Like others have said - if he was that concerned and still wanted to win - why not go wildcat? You get an extra blocker.

Because it's a gimmick and doesn't work. It was not practiced and is not a focus of this offense.

 

[HistoryMajor]

Bonehead's next question - and maybe Whaler and just maybe Pal - "Why don't we bring back Coach PP ?"

 

[whaler11]

Bonehead's next question - and maybe Whaler and just maybe Pal - "Why don't we bring back Coach PP ?"

Another one who is strong with the reading comprehension.

Can we get a list of the topics that can be addressed about the coach making $2 million for the season please?

How many games need to be played before any decisions can be questioned or commented on?

What's the shelf life of blind faith? How many years do we shut of our brains before we can react to what we see?

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

What's the shelf life of blind faith? How many years do we shut of our brains before we can react to what we see?

Gotta figure it has to be more than 1/3 of ONE !!!

 

[SubbaBub]

Another one who is strong with the reading comprehension.

Can we get a list of the topics that can be addressed about the coach making $2 million for the season please?

How many games need to be played before any decisions can be questioned or commented on?

What's the shelf life of blind faith? How many years do we shut of our brains before we can react to what we see?

The record is 28 games, before blind faith can be completely exterminated.

 

[whaler11]

Gotta figure it has to be more than 1/3 of ONE !!!

I still don't get why you can't question decisions. Contrary to the coach's stance the games actually count.

 

[Bonehead]

Bonehead's next question - and maybe Whaler and just maybe Pal - "Why don't we bring back Coach PP ?"

You obviously don't know me. Randy yes.

PP no - never.

Low blow dude!!! So what's the answer to the question instead of throwing a dart??

 

[pj]

I shutdown the passing. I believe in that,” Diaco said Sunday. “I am watching the special teams, I am watching the defense play, and got a chance to watch our first four passes. If I didn’t intervene, I was concerned the game would be 35-0, 28-0. I’m more inclined to play ping pong and win the game on special teams than just continue to call plays on offense just to call plays on offense.

So he was concerned the game would be 35-0 if he kept calling pass play - due to what?
Bad QB play?
Bad OL play?
Weather Conditions?

I should have asked the question differently I guess - sorry

He was apparently anticipating 5 pick 6s if he kept throwing. Not sure why, a few weeks ago Cummings said that in practice the number of INTs was quite low; and most of the turnovers have been fumbles, more by running backs on running plays than by the QB on passing plays.

Diaco seems to be emotional and goes to extremes. Then he starts to regret it when he calms down. In the 4th quarter, with the game slipping away, he started to regret not being more aggressive offensively, so he became willing to put his quarterback at risk.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Diaco seems to be emotional and goes to extremes. Then he starts to regret it when he calms down. In the 4th quarter, with the game slipping away, he started to regret not being more aggressive offensively, so he became willing to put his quarterback at risk.

Or he saw that the defense was backing off the rush, and playing a prevent, and knew (like most of us knew) that CW would have time to throw without getting killed, and we could move the ball.

 

[Husky68]

Or he saw that the defense was backing off the rush, and playing a prevent, and knew (like most of us knew) that CW would have time to throw without getting killed, and we could move the ball.

So, if USF did not go to prevent defense HCBD would have rushed the ball rather than throw the ball? I looked at 4th qtr. plays and it changed my perception a bit. HCBD was not as conservative in 4th qtr. as my perception and biggest "not playing to win" came on defense.

14:45 to go UConn gets ball on own 3 and run 3 rushes for little gain and put to USF net 34 yards to UConn 41. Maybe UConn thinking is lot of possession yet to be played.
12:43 and USF keeps ball for 6 minutes and get field goal for 10 point lead. Deciding play of game was 4th play @ 3rd and 16 where they run for 1st down. This defensive call was where I see game lost. 3 man rush and then big drops by LB's and DB's so lot of running room. This is where you bring up the heat and do what USF had been doing to UConn all night.
6:03 UConn gets ball and 3 and out. All pass attempts.
1:57 After 1 1st down and several time outs USF punts to UConn and we drive 75 yards for touchdown.

So, in final qtr. HCBD had 3 opportunities to run offense and on 1st with almost full qtr. to go and very bad field position he ran only. Both other possessions he passes or tried to pass on all 7 offensive attempts.

Relooking at 4th qtr. my biggest question is why not bring the heat on 3rd and 16, that's how you change a game where you are trying to win ugly. Stopping the 6 plus minute drive by USF and making them punt when 3rd and 16 was biggest missed opportunity to "play to win". Rewatched play and USF had 3 wide outs. UConn had 3 man rush, 3 guys on wide receivers, 1 middle backer about 8 yards deep and 1 DB shading to the single wide side. Other 3 defenders were so far back were not anywhere to be seen and that means at least 10 yards back. As soon as play started 3 lineman rushed, 4 DB's took off with receivers and left only #32 to cover the entire middle of field for run. Back had 17 yards before anyone could react. That's where "playing to win" did not occur.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I still don't get why you can't question decisions. Contrary to the coach's stance the games actually count.

It's a fair question...I think there are two reasons why people (including me) get frustrated with the whaler..nelson....freescooter....jimmy type posters. First....it's too soon to have a STRONG opinion on what the coaching staff is doing. They need to time to get their legs under them and turning this ship around isn't going to happen in 4 games. Second....the opinions of the above posters are always very strong and filled with dramatic statements. Statements like "coaches quit on the team"...."diaco isn't playing to win"...."diaco decisions are insane"... Being a logical and rational person, I find these comments to be annoying only 4 games into the season. I don't focue on one or two soundbites from Diaco, I think about the longer term impact and worry more about where this team will be by the end of the year and where they will be next year.

Of course we all wonder about some of the decisions...but I try and realize that I don't know everything about the team and Diaco's plan, and I won't say he is "insane" or "quit" 4 games into his tenure.

It's just a difference in approach really versus a difference in opinion.

 

[businesslawyer]

It's a fair question...I think there are two reasons why people (including me) get frustrated with the whaler..nelson....freescooter....jimmy type posters. First....it's too soon to have a STRONG opinion on what the coaching staff is doing. They need to time to get their legs under them and turning this ship around isn't going to happen in 4 games. Second....the opinions of the above posters are always very strong and filled with dramatic statements. Statements like "coaches quit on the team"...."diaco isn't playing to win"...."diaco decisions are insane"... Being a logical and rational person, I find these comments to be annoying only 4 games into the season. I don't focue on one or two soundbites from Diaco, I think about the longer term impact and worry more about where this team will be by the end of the year and where they will be next year.

Of course we all wonder about some of the decisions...but I try and realize that I don't know everything about the team and Diaco's plan, and I won't say he is "insane" or "quit" 4 games into his tenure.

It's just a difference in approach really versus a difference in opinion.

THIS. FWIW (and it's not worth much), I think we made a mistake by only throwing once in the first half. But coaches make mistakes all the time, and on Monday it's always the fans who are armed with knowing what happened. Questioning tactics is fine. Criticizing tactics is fine (although there is way too much criticizing here for things that just don't work when the decision when made was perfectly rational). But the kind of over the top BS that many on here put us through all the time makes the board a less fun place and, frankly, does our program no good.

 

[whaler11]

It's a fair question...I think there are two reasons why people (including me) get frustrated with the whaler..nelson....freescooter....jimmy type posters. First....it's too soon to have a STRONG opinion on what the coaching staff is doing. They need to time to get their legs under them and turning this ship around isn't going to happen in 4 games. Second....the opinions of the above posters are always very strong and filled with dramatic statements. Statements like "coaches quit on the team"...."diaco isn't playing to win"...."diaco decisions are insane"... Being a logical and rational person, I find these comments to be annoying only 4 games into the season. I don't focue on one or two soundbites from Diaco, I think about the longer term impact and worry more about where this team will be by the end of the year and where they will be next year.

Of course we all wonder about some of the decisions...but I try and realize that I don't know everything about the team and Diaco's plan, and I won't say he is "insane" or "quit" 4 games into his tenure.

It's just a difference in approach really versus a difference in opinion.

I guess I thought everyone on a message board works under the assumption that everything everyone says is based on incomplete information. I didn't think we needed disclaimers about not being at practice and not knowing about what information they might not be sharing publicly.

I never said he quit in the USF gane. I do believe he took a sub-optimal approach to winning. I am hardly alone in that sentiment if you read the opinions of people who get paid to share them.

I never called him insane only some decisions he has made and a few things he has said. If you and others think the word is too harsh I get that.

I do worry what decisions mean for the future. What's the best way to predict the quality of future decisions? Current decisions. I actually look at the running back rotation and begin to wonder if he is adverse to even making decisions. Now is he new at this level and can his decision making improve? Certainly.

I don't deal in blind faith and I have a very negative visceral reaction when someone is peddling BS. And on a few occasions to date - he has already broken my BS meter. That being said he was more direct this week and that's a step in the right direction.

 

[whaler11]

THIS. FWIW (and it's not worth much), I think we made a mistake by only throwing once in the first half. But coaches make mistakes all the time, and on Monday it's always the fans who are armed with knowing what happened. Questioning tactics is fine. Criticizing tactics is fine (although there is way too much criticizing here for things that just don't work when the decision when made was perfectly rational). But the kind of over the top BS that many on here put us through all the time makes the board a less fun place and, frankly, does our program no good.

Which is fair but let's not act like the criticism started on Monday (or in this case Saturday). It was during the game.

You also have to understand that some of what you perceive as 'over the top' isn't directed at Diaco but is actually a reaction to posters.

 

[Carl Spackler]

There is an old saying that once you look at the film, and the emotions clear, it's never as good as it seemed, and it's never as bad as it seemed. It's pretty much accurate, I think.

That 3rd and 16 conversion, was the last of many plays I"ve seen through 4 games, that set me off into that fundamentals thing I've been harping about. Reuben Frank took the correct angle/leverage on his blocker out of a very deep linebacking position, but was incredibly weak on driving through it. Andrew Adams, while he's been very solid most of the time, through 4 games, when he needed his fundamentals most, made the worst arm tackle effort/miss, that would have stopped the play 4-5 yards short, with Frank, at least managing to keep the runner inside. It was a critical moment in the game, in the 4th quarter, and I'm sure everyone was fatigued, but that's - THAT is when you need your fundamentals to be rote muscle memory. If Adams simply keeps his head up, keeps a solid base tackling position running toward the ball carrier, and at least makes solid contact (Hopefully you can wrap your arms and lock too) but if he at least makes solid contact, there are other players closing in. Ball carrier broke through the arm tackle, got the first down, and we another set of downs to stop them, and with field position, after the short field, on the long punt, they kick the field goal.

I was kind of torn with myself after I harped on all that tackling business after the game on Saturday, because the reality is that our defense has been good, and improving. They've kept us in games, for the most part. I didn't want, and hope, people didn't get the wrong impressions. THis diefensive system is working. Even with Obi back there.

It's just a symptom of the poor level of fundamentals we have that pervades this team - and it's more than evident on the offensive side of the ball, when it comes to blocking.

THis is all expected, with a roster full of freshmen, and sophomores, and may recruits that were dual sport athletes in the high school, or may not have played much football at al, yadda yadda - that's the recruiting profile we need to have for UCONN - and we need coaches to coach them up.

I just worry, that our coaches are biting off more than they can handle, by trying to coach up and train, rotations of 3 or 4 or more raw players at multiple positions all over the field, especially on offense, by dividing reps as they are, almost equally, rather than favoring reps heavily for a starting lineup, and putting backups into a more traditional limited reps role, with lots and lots of film study and mental practice/reps.

Way back, after the BYU game, I remarked that I understand the plan, I don't agree with it, but that doesn't mean it can't work, but I would really be wondering about things if we are still rotating players like that through 4 games. I am wondering.

http://uconnhuskygames.com/2014-football-game-replays/

the 3rd and 16 play is at 1:36:50

 

[Bonehead]

There is an old saying that once you look at the film, and the emotions clear, it's never as good as it seemed, and it's never as bad as it seemed. It's pretty much accurate, I think.

That 3rd and 16 conversion, was the last of many plays I"ve seen through 4 games, that set me off into that fundamentals thing I've been harping about. Reuben Frank took the correct angle/leverage on his blocker out of a very deep linebacking position, but was incredibly weak on driving through it. Andrew Adams, while he's been very solid most of the time, through 4 games, when he needed his fundamentals most, made the worst arm tackle effort/miss, that would have stopped the play 4-5 yards short, with Frank, at least managing to keep the runner inside. It was a critical moment in the game, in the 4th quarter, and I'm sure everyone was fatigued, but that's - THAT is when you need your fundamentals to be rote muscle memory. If Adams simply keeps his head up, keeps a solid base tackling position running toward the ball carrier, and at least makes solid contact (Hopefully you can wrap your arms and lock too) but if he at least makes solid contact, there are other players closing in. Ball carrier broke through the arm tackle, got the first down, and we another set of downs to stop them, and with field position, after the short field, on the long punt, they kick the field goal.

I was kind of torn with myself after I harped on all that tackling business after the game on Saturday, because the reality is that our defense has been good, and improving. They've kept us in games, for the most part. I didn't want, and hope, people didn't get the wrong impressions. THis diefensive system is working. Even with Obi back there.

It's just a symptom of the poor level of fundamentals we have that pervades this team - and it's more than evident on the offensive side of the ball, when it comes to blocking.

THis is all expected, with a roster full of freshmen, and sophomores, and may recruits that were dual sport athletes in the high school, or may not have played much football at al, yadda yadda - that's the recruiting profile we need to have for UCONN - and we need coaches to coach them up.

I just worry, that our coaches are biting off more than they can handle, by trying to coach up and train, rotations of 3 or 4 or more raw players at multiple positions all over the field, especially on offense, by dividing reps as they are, almost equally, rather than favoring reps heavily for a starting lineup, and putting backups into a more traditional limited reps role, with lots and lots of film study and mental practice/reps.

Way back, after the BYU game, I remarked that I understand the plan, I don't agree with it, but that doesn't mean it can't work, but I would really be wondering about things if we are still rotating players like that through 4 games. I am wondering.

http://uconnhuskygames.com/2014-football-game-replays/

the 3rd and 16 play is at 1:36:50

Are you trying to hijack my thread or is that your answer to "Im still confused why we didnt pass the ball Friday Night??"

 

[Carl Spackler]

Are you trying to hijack my thread or is that your answer to "Im still confused why we didnt pass the ball Friday Night??"

I'm responding to a post, that brought up a critical moment of the game, where we failed, and we failed not because of scheme, or play calling, or weather, or anything else but two players executing their roles poorly - due to simply fundamentals. Reuben Frank stopped moving his legs to drive his blocker, and got blown up by a TE win good blocking position, fundamentally, and Andrew Adams, unblocked, stopped moving his legs, and made a reach for an arm tackle, with his head down, and ended up with air, and then grass, on his stomach watching the ball carrier go by.

There was nothing wrong with the defensive design or play call. It was fundamentals. We need to get back to basics of football at UCONN. It's been far too sloppy, and undisciplined for far too long. THe Fiesta Bowl is very far behind us now.

If you watched that grainy black and white coaching film from ancient history I put up on Saturday night, or whenever it was, on tackling, it's pretty much all right there. This isn't new, and it's not rocket science or 400 level football we need to be at.

Edit: and fwiw - yes the players failed, but it is also the coaches fault that the players lacked the fundamentals at that moment, that would have put them in position to succeed.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm responding to a post, that brought up a critical moment of the game, where we failed, and we failed not because of scheme, or play calling, or weather, or anything else but two players executing their roles poorly - due to simply fundamentals. Reuben Frank stopped moving his legs to drive his blocker, and got blown up by a TE win good blocking position, fundamentally, and Andrew Adams, unblocked, stopped moving his legs, and made a reach for an arm tackle, with his head down, and ended up with air, and then grass, on his stomach watching the ball carrier go by.

There was nothing wrong with the defensive design or play call. It was fundamentals. We need to get back to basics of football at UCONN. It's been far too sloppy, and undisciplined for far too long. THe Fiesta Bowl is very far behind us now.

If you watched that grainy black and white coaching film from ancient history I put up on Saturday night, or whenever it was, on tackling, it's pretty much all right there. This isn't new, and it's not rocket science or 400 level football we need to be at.

Edit: and fwiw - yes the players failed, but it is also the coaches fault that the players lacked the fundamentals at that moment, that would have put them in position to succeed.

Is it fundamentals or is it execution Carl? If the D was in the right place, and the player took the right line, as he's coached to do...tacking is then on him in my opinion. The coaches can't tackle. Or do you really think these coaches aren't stressing fundamentals like proper tackling? That just doesn't seem likely to me.

Increasingly, I think HCBD is doing something he hinted at, but we didn't really understand. He's using this entire season as a massive year long intensive practice session. The rotations, the "lets see if we can just run and still move the chains", these are indeed things you do in "pre-season" in the NFL. What I hope he recognizes, is that the Program (capital P) needs fans, energy, excitement and Ws. I am giving him a partial pass because I think the monsoon in FL changed everything against USF, but at some point he has to flip the switch and say that the future is now. Temple game is a good place to start.

 

[Palatine]

Is it fundamentals or is it execution Carl? If the D was in the right place, and the player took the right line, as he's coached to do...tacking is then on him in my opinion. The coaches can't tackle. Or do you really think these coaches aren't stressing fundamentals like proper tackling? That just doesn't seem likely to me.

Increasingly, I think HCBD is doing something he hinted at, but we didn't really understand. He's using this entire season as a massive year long intensive practice session. The rotations, the "lets see if we can just run and still move the chains", these are indeed things you do in "pre-season" in the NFL. What I hope he recognizes, is that the Program (capital P) needs fans, energy, excitement and Ws. I am giving him a partial pass because I think the monsoon in FL changed everything against USF, but at some point he has to flip the switch and say that the future is now. Temple game is a good place to start.

I'm positive that Diaco didn't interview with Warde declaring he would use his entire first season as an extented practice session and not worry about winning a game.

You can win and teach. Sitting your best players on critical down is just nonsense.

 

[Carl Spackler]

So did anybody watch? Our defensive stand got them to 4th and goal, after that 3rd and 16 conversion, and they chose to kick a field goal. Smart decision the way the game was going. We also had a penalty from a young DB wearing #6 that extended that drive. Fundamentals of coverage, he broke down, and grabbed the receiver, and most likely prevented a TD.

One single breakdown in the most basic of fundamentals, that doesn't happen, in those two players, and that possession is potentially much different.

I'm nitpicking on defense here, because the players have been improving, and the system is working,and they have been doing their job as successfully as they can, improving, but when you break down in fundamentals? That's bad. It's much different to get beat, when you are doing everything you can possibly do the best you can, because it happens, but when you don't do the fundamentals right - that hurts, no matter what.

Randy Edsall's secret to success in building a successful football program isn't some magic elixir. The guy ran a program that did nothing, but perfect the nuances and skills, and techniques of blocking and tackling. He was an expert at 100 level football.

The offense? All you really need to do is pick any number on the field, and watch the film, and you will see them all over the place with.

THis concept that the coaching staff are idiots, or insane, or are not coaching to win, or made decisions that are made based on not caring about winning - it's just dumb and wrong.

maybe it's dangerous ? LOL.

The problem is that they have a young team, that is very poor in basic fundamentals of football. That needs to be improved. the only question, is the methods you choose to go about doing that in practices. That's where I have my problems. They have an incredible amount of faith, both in their own players, and themselves, to get this job done, doing it the way they are doing, IMNSHO, because they are doing it the hard way, by dividing reps and trying to train up every single player.

They have to coach them up, and they know it. The players got to know it too, and I don't believe for a second that they aren't 10 toes in, and want to improve when it comes to specifically, like say something like getting a freshmen TB trained up and conditioned to be able to pick up an edge pressure,, or a FB trained up to pick up an interior pressure, out of an I formation on a pass play call out the huddle, or on a run blitz, by using the rotations they are using, because that is valid, there is only so many reps you can get in during a week, and limited practice time,

But don't try to tell people they aren't trying to win, or are making stupid decisions that cost us the opportunity to win games, when they clearly aren't. That's only happened once, when we lined up a kick for practice during a game. That, I'm sure, won't happen again for this young coach.

How do go about making sure that a junior strong safety, does not lose his basic fundamentals of open field tackling, or how a freshman/soph/junior Guard and TAcklethat don't have many reps together at all, either as a starting lineup, or a backup lineup in practices, can develop the timing and chemistry to deal with stunting moving defensive fronts, or the G-C-G interior combination can get their spacing and timing right to be able to acutally pull and trap with effectiveness when it comes to what they're doing in practices with rotations, because that makes sense.

I'd agree with anybody that is arguing that as a problem with our coaching staff approach right now, that may be hampering our ability to win - NOW - not later. Not the game decision making against USF.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Is it fundamentals or is it execution Carl? If the D was in the right place, and the player took the right line, as he's coached to do...tacking is then on him in my opinion. The coaches can't tackle. Or do you really think these coaches aren't stressing fundamentals like proper tackling? That just doesn't seem likely to me.

Increasingly, I think HCBD is doing something he hinted at, but we didn't really understand. He's using this entire season as a massive year long intensive practice session. The rotations, the "lets see if we can just run and still move the chains", these are indeed things you do in "pre-season" in the NFL. What I hope he recognizes, is that the Program (capital P) needs fans, energy, excitement and Ws. I am giving him a partial pass because I think the monsoon in FL changed everything against USF, but at some point he has to flip the switch and say that the future is now. Temple game is a good place to start.

Did you watch it? Execution of fundamentals? What are you talking about? The players were in position to defend the play, and stop for going for a first down. That's the coaches job, to put them in position to succeed on game day. They were only partly complete with that job, on this single play - because the players failed. They failed, not because they weren't in position to succeed to stop that play, meaning it was a bad defensive scheme or call, it was because they failed, because two players broke down in the basic fundamentals of football. Leverage and tackling.

If Frank takes a better angle and makes better contact on the TE that released strong side, which was his primary responsibility, and was actually in a very sound fundamental blockgin position in the open field, the play has a different outcome. As it was, he did just enough before ending up on his back, to maintain the runner in an inside gap, that pushed him right into the unblocked Adams, who did everything that you're not supposed to do, on that basic grainy black and white film I posted from an old Texas U coach decades and decades ago.

The coaches failure, was not in the play call or design of the defense, or scheme, or any of this happy horsesmanure about coaching to win, - the failure is that we are now 1 full spring camp, 1 full fall camp, and 1/4 of a regular season into this, and we are NOT fundamentally sound and consistent in the basic fundamentals of blocking and tackling.

That's where we are. I have posted over and over again, this week, my thoughts as to explaining why. Simply put - young players across the board, and a rotation of players that I believe is not giving them enough reps to develop. The choice that has been made, to me, is that they will divide reps to coach up every single young player, at the same time, rather than decide on a starting lineup and weigh reps heavily in practices. that was made clear as to what would be happening early in the season, I disagreed then too, but saw the reasons for doing it. I said then that I'd have a lot of questions about the rotations if we got to this point in the season, and were still rotating players like this.

All I'm doing is being consistent, we've arrived at this time, and we're still rotating and dividing reps, and I don't like it anymore than I did after the BYU game, and now I'm disagreeing with it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

....
I'd agree with anybody that is arguing that as a problem with our coaching staff approach right now, that may be hampering our ability to win - NOW - not later. Not the game decision making against USF.

^^^That is what I'm suggesting. He's balancing the need to get the young guys more coaching than he can in practice, with the goal of winning each game. It's not game management in my mind or a lack of desire to win, and win now. It's how do you balance those competing goals.

 

[Bonehead]

Did you watch it? Execution of fundamentals? What are you talking about? The players were in position to defend the play, and stop for going for a first down. That's the coaches job, to put them in position to succeed on game day. They were only partly complete with that job, on this single play - because the players failed. They failed, not because they weren't in position to succeed to stop that play, meaning it was a bad defensive scheme or call, it was because they failed, because two players broke down in the basic fundamentals of football. Leverage and tackling.

If Frank takes a better angle and makes better contact on the TE that released strong side, which was his primary responsibility, and was actually in a very sound fundamental blockgin position in the open field, the play has a different outcome. As it was, he did just enough before ending up on his back, to maintain the runner in an inside gap, that pushed him right into the unblocked Adams, who did everything that you're not supposed to do, on that basic grainy black and white film I posted from an old Texas U coach decades and decades ago.

The coaches failure, was not in the play call or design of the defense, or scheme, or any of this happy horsesmanure about coaching to win, - the failure is that we are now 1 full spring camp, 1 full fall camp, and 1/4 of a regular season into this, and we are NOT fundamentally sound and consistent in the basic fundamentals of blocking and tackling.

That's where we are. I have posted over and over again, this week, my thoughts as to explaining why. Simply put - young players across the board, and a rotation of players that I believe is not giving them enough reps to develop. The choice that has been made, to me, is that they will divide reps to coach up every single young player, at the same time, rather than decide on a starting lineup and weigh reps heavily in practices. that was made clear as to what would be happening early in the season, I disagreed then too, but saw the reasons for doing it. I said then that I'd have a lot of questions about the rotations if we got to this point in the season, and were still rotating players like this.

All I'm doing is being consistent, we've arrived at this time, and we're still rotating and dividing reps, and I don't like it anymore than I did after the BYU game, and now I'm disagreeing with it.

Was this "Green Right Slot Spider 2 Y Banana"

 

[Carl Spackler]

^^^That is what I'm suggesting. He's balancing the need to get the young guys more coaching than he can in practice, with the goal of winning each game. It's not game management in my mind or a lack of desire to win, and win now. It's how do you balance those competing goals.

I would love to hear an argument opposite to mine, that shows the benefits of the rotations and division of reps we are seeing, as it appears to me, that this is not going to stop this season. What's wrong with my argument?

My position, is that we should have a definite starting lineup by now, that is seeing the majority of reps in practices and games, with limited back up reps, during weeks, with lots of film study, and we should be doing that through the rest of the season. That to me, is the best way to both win now - and later, choosing a lineup that you think can get you to a post season game, and working them to get there. Those extra weeks of practice and extra game, are what accelerate a program toward consistent winning, in my book, not dividing reps to get max player reps while you are in season. This boggles my mind.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Once again, I feel not good, about picking on the D players this way, because nobody is perfect, and mistakes happen, the D is working and improving as a whole, but the breakdowns in fundamentals, are easy to see, when it's 1 or 2 players among 11 on the field. So that's why I picked this play, to talk about in response to the comments that that 3rd and 16, may have been a play call that was made "not to win". That's just crap.

On offense, you've literally got in many cases 5,6,7, or more players that are completely fundamentally out of whack on most plays. It's complete chaos. It's harder to point out what went wrong. That's why I didn't pick a specific offensive play to go off on this rant.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I would love to hear an argument opposite to mine, that shows the benefits of the rotations and division of reps we are seeing, as it appears to me, that this is not going to stop this season. What's wrong with my argument?

My position, is that we should have a definite starting lineup by now, that is seeing the majority of reps in practices and games, with limited back up reps, during weeks, with lots of film study, and we should be doing that through the rest of the season. That to me, is the best way to both win now - and later, choosing a lineup that you think can get you to a post season game, and working them to get there. Those extra weeks of practice and extra game, are what accelerate a program toward consistent winning, in my book, not dividing reps to get max player reps while you are in season. This boggles my mind.

I wish I knew what he was seeing. If he thinks there is a young guy who is "this close" to passing a more experienced guy, and that the current gap is narrow, maybe the rotation works. Aside from that, no, I think it is time to set the roster and let the best guys play. I do understand that he may not have been ready to do that for the BYU game...but come one now, it's time.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I wish I knew what he was seeing. If he thinks there is a young guy who is "this close" to passing a more experienced guy, and that the current gap is narrow, maybe the rotation works. Aside from that, no, I think it is time to set the roster and let the best guys play. I do understand that he may not have been ready to do that for the BYU game...but come one now, it's time.

The ultimate measure of success is wins and losses. We're 1-3, with 8 to go.

The view from my seat, tells me that we have been physically overmatched in only 1 of these 4 games so far. Given that we have one more top 25 program left on the schedule, and lots of other programs that are not top 25, I do not think that we will be overmatched in at least 5 of those 8 left.

5-3 is what Diaco needs to lead this program to where it really needs to be, for success to be undeniable.

That's fact. It's also fact, that after the game on Saturday, we have 3 games, 2 away and then homecoming, spread over 6 full weeks. Some weird weeknight trips, but still that's 3 extra weeks of calendar practice time, in the middle of the season to help us get to that post season. How we makes use of that? Worries me. An approach of max reps, for max players, does not correlate with training specific units to be as close to perfect as possible in their designed tasks,no matter how much practice time you have, eventually you need to divide into units, that are going to train together regularly. That's what I believe.

Winning on Saturday, although it's true every week, this game on Saturday is the most important of the season so far.

If we make it 6-6 or better by December, using the max raps/max player approach the whole way, I will have seen something done in football, I've never personally seen before.