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

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

Status
Not open for further replies.

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
I have read all the other posts and links - is there a simple 1 line answer to this question?
 

SubbaBub

Your stupidity is ruining my country.
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
32,093
Reaction Score
24,542
BD thought on balance it wasn't a good idea. So in order to protect the football, his probably lone available QB, and prevent another 10-17 pts off turnovers he decided to run almost exclusively an hope for enough miracles to win.

Some of us think he went a tad overboard. Though in thinking about it, it fits his personality.

Facts are he did get his miracles in a TD in return to close the first half and an under two minute TD drive through the air and it still wasn't enough.

When your in a skid it's more prudent to ease off the gas than mash the brake.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
86,934
Reaction Score
323,079
Dead Cow.gif
 

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
Playing advocate here - not shooting the messenger.

I get the point about not losing lone QB - that would make sense - then pass with 5 minutes left saying F*(( it if he get hurts. That makes some sense. But then again he threw in the fourth - what if CW broke his leg? I am just not really understanding what the thinking is...

Prevent another 10-17 off turnovers - I cant blame CW on that one - someone with more football knowledge will correct me but that fumble is on the OL - I have seen Pro's lose the ball on sacks like that often.

The issue I am having is if we didnt get the pick 6 we arent in the game in the fourth - would he have been passing in the 3rd? How about a slant - 3 step drop? How about a WR Screen? Passes with higher % of being completed?

USF had no issue throwing 18 times - with the lead.

And who is the 3rd QB today - anyone? Bueller?
 

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
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
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
22,836
Reaction Score
9,462
I have read all the other posts and links - is there a simple 1 line answer to this question?

Because we have a teamwide blocking problem, and have a fumbling problem on backs getting hit clean by unblocked defenders, or a strip sack fumble from an unblocked player are killer plays for your chances to win games, and we had one again, on the first possession of the game, for the 4th time in a row. They chose to go to a page or two, at most of the playbook, that they felt confident would not generate another of such plays, and they were successful in choosing to do that.

The problem, isn't the coaching decisions in game, if you're concerned about coaching decisions, it's the decisions they're making in practices and development of players, because we suck at blocking - team wide.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
4,162
Reaction Score
10,579
According to many on this board it was because our HC gave up and isn't a very good coach to begin with.

I watched the game and saw the same thing our Diaco saw. The OL had not a prayer of protecting CW on that wet field and it was only a matter of time before he was decapitated or threw multiple interceptions.
 

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
Because we have a teamwide blocking problem, and have a fumbling problem on backs getting hit clean by unblocked defenders, or a strip sack fumble from an unblocked player are killer plays for your chances to win games, and we had one again, on the first possession of the game, for the 4th time in a row. They chose to go to a page or two, at most of the playbook, that they felt confident would not generate another of such plays, and they were successful in choosing to do that.

The problem, isn't the coaching decisions in game, if you're concerned about coaching decisions, it's the decisions they're making in practices and development of players, because we suck at blocking - team wide.

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?
 

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
According to many on this board it was because our HC gave up and isn't a very good coach to begin with.

I watched the game and saw the same thing our Diaco saw. The OL had not a prayer of protecting CW on that wet field and it was only a matter of time before he was decapitated or threw multiple interceptions.
then adjust the passing game - 3 step drops. Screens? WR screens? Slants?

Stop calling 7 step drop pass plays...
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
1,542
Reaction Score
4,814
Like others have said - if he was that concerned and still wanted to win - why not go wildcat? You get an extra blocker.
 
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
26,914
Reaction Score
65,041
The weather was a problem but the offensive line was a much bigger problem. Diaco should have gone to max protect and run two man patterns. Receivers have an advantage in bad weather because they know where they are going and the DBs don't. Instead, he just shut it down and hoped he could get 15 points on defense and special teams. That is a long, long shot, a prescription for losing.
 

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
The weather was a problem but the offensive line was a much bigger problem. Diaco should have gone to max protect and run two man patterns. Receivers have an advantage in bad weather because they know where they are going and the DBs don't. Instead, he just shut it down and hoped he could get 15 points on defense and special teams. That is a long, long shot, a prescription for losing.
Agreed - that weather was an advantage for offense.
Agreed - max protect (or slants/screens/three step drops.
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
22,836
Reaction Score
9,462
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?
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
12,298
Reaction Score
19,587
BD thought on balance it wasn't a good idea. So in order to protect the football, his probably lone available QB, and prevent another 10-17 pts off turnovers he decided to run almost exclusively an hope for enough miracles to win.

Some of us think he went a tad overboard. Though in thinking about it, it fits his personality.

Facts are he did get his miracles in a TD in return to close the first half and an under two minute TD drive through the air and it still wasn't enough.

When your in a skid it's more prudent to ease off the gas than mash the brake.
Good thing no backs fumbled, eh? What would the plan be then, just send out the punter after every change of possession? Good grief, his "strategy" was the most conservative game plan I've ever seen including when Edsall used to play not to get beat too badly by Big name teams in the early 1 A era. But at least he did it against Miami, VaTech, BC, not South Friggin' Florida!
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
22,836
Reaction Score
9,462
Good thing no backs fumbled, eh? What would the plan be then, just send out the punter after every change of possession? Good grief, his "strategy" was the most conservative game plan I've ever seen including when Edsall used to play not to get beat too badly by Big name teams in the early 1 A era. But at least he did it against Miami, VaTech, BC, not South Friggin' Florida!

Take it easy. It's not the most conservative game plan ever. It wasn't the game plan at all. You do what you feel you have to do, to have a chance to win. You make decisions and go with them.

Had we not false started several times, and gone backwards from that, things are a lot different in this game. That's what really frustrates, because that kind of thing, seemed to be the only thing that they were really focused on with practicing through the first few weeks. There are so many things that can happen during a game, and every game is different, and the most important thing Diaco did, in his learning curve as a coach, IMNSHO, is that he demonstrated clearly, the ability to scrap and deviate from a plan, when he feels it's necessary. We are going to go through growing pains both the players and the coach, and this game was an exposition. Diaco, has no reason to question his decision making, and rightly so, because the team was in position to compete and win. Things went down during the game, decisions were made, players were eventually in position to make game changing, and potentially winning plays, and we didn't get it done.

Coaching can surely be better, and needs to improve, but it's got everything to do with practice, and not game time - for the coaching improvement.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
194
Reaction Score
416
I have read all the other posts and links - is there a simple 1 line answer to this question?

You asked for a one line answer. Now I am NOT asking you to agree that his reason was correct but here it is. "He felt that gave us the best chance to win - especialy given our consistently poor field position."

Consider we were within one score up until the late FG. So he felt he could depend on our defense to hang around. With that approach, he needed a break, such as a fumble, etc., or a sustained offensive drive. We all know it didn't work and we all know it was a miserable game. Right or wrong isn't the issue in my mind. The issue is that HCBD wants to win and he felt this was the best way to do it. Those who claim he doesn't want to win are just firing off for effect. Find fault with the play calling, substitution patterns, etc but anyone that claims HCBD doesn't want to win is full of it.
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
12,298
Reaction Score
19,587
Not saying he doesn't want to win...Sure, he wants to win. But it isn't a priority right now. Other things are.
 

Bonehead

'Ollie North of the Cesspool'
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
9,360
Reaction Score
8,261
Yes. He wanted to win the game and he thought that gave us our best chance.

Due to:
OL
Weather
Non confidence in QB
Other?

Does he feel that way this week too?
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
22,196
Reaction Score
4,333
Due to:
OL
Weather
Non confidence in QB
Other?

Does he feel that way this week too?

You asked for a one line answer. You expected depth and subtlety?

The answer is I doubt it. I think the length of time it took before we threw our second pass was a combination of not just our inability to block but also the weather, the fact that Boyle wasn't really available, and USF's inability to put the game away without us moving the ball.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Online statistics

Members online
567
Guests online
3,651
Total visitors
4,218

Forum statistics

Threads
155,770
Messages
4,030,940
Members
9,863
Latest member
leepaul


Top Bottom