Article on the Eagles today in the Philly papers points out something I thought was relevant to PSU as well.
The Eagles would like to run the ball, but the defenses they've faced have stacked against the run -- because other teams didn't initially respect the Eagles receivers and rookie QB.
So they have consistently thrown the ball on 1st down to get to a 2nd and short. It has allowed them to avoid third-and longs so they have been able to sustain drives and eat up the clock and keep their D off the field.
Then by the 2nd half, when they've had leads in games, THEN they run the ball against a defense that is in pass-defense mode, and the running game works.
That is EXACTLY what PSU needs to do. They need sustained drives to keep their D fresh as much as possible. So they should throw on 1st down, high percentage passes, aiming at 5-15 yards.
1st down is the key. The option on 1st down should very rarely be handoff to Barkley or fake and then decide what to do. The 1st down should be Barkley pass-blocks, Trace either throws right away or looks for running lanes and then continues to look at the field while he runs. Trace's mobility and ability to throw accurately while running is a tremendous weapon and it should be used on 1st and 10, not saved for 3rd and 18 in the 4th quarter.
I don't have the data, I may be wrong, but my impression is that PSU has blown too many 1st downs either running against a stacked line (low percentage of success) or throwing very long, 30 yards or more (also, low percentage of success). Then they end up in 2nd and 10 (or too often, 2nd and 12 or 2nd and 14) and the advantage has switched to the defense. I'm sorry, if Barkley is being tackled in the backfield, that is Moorhead's mistake at least 75% of the time. That is a stinky stubborn play call. This is not the Yankee conference and it is not going to work like it did at Fordham. Defenses are MUCH faster. It is bad for a running back to put him in an impossible position and it is bad for the confidence of the O-line -- gets them blamed when it's not their fault.
I just think a lot of the criticism of the run-blocking has been really off base, because run-blocking comes down to a numbers game. Since PSU usually has no FB and no run-blocking TE on the field (unless you count Gesicki, which I don't), they are going to lose the numbers game most of the time. It doesn't even matter if the OL plays perfectly, there is going to be a linebacker or safety left over to tackle Barkley.
It's a spread offense, and Moorhead's idea is to run out of the spread. Which is a great idea, but you have to throw first and force the D to defend the pass. You have to get safeties to move 3 yards back and you have to get linebackers to backpedal and think coverage instead of attacking the backfield every play. If you do that, Barkley will have room.
The final play on Saturday was exactly what is supposed to happen in Moorhead's offense -- Minnesota D was spread out all over the field in zone coverage, worried about the pass. That should have been happening long before overtime. If Moorhead's offense works right, it should be happening in the 1st Quarter.
This offense has an excellent QB, a pretty solid pass-blocking line, and the best group of receivers in the Big Ten. If Maryland doesn't come in scared to death of the pass, then Moorhead isn't doing his job very well.
The problems running are partly inexperience at guard, for sure. But at least 50% of it is scheme and asking a scheme to do what it cannot do. You cannot do power running out of the spread. It is simply not designed for that. You want to do old fashioned smashmouth running against a defense that is stacked against the run, then you HAVE to have a 245-pound fullback and one or two 260-pound TEs who don't whiff on 75% of their blocks. And those players no longer exist on PSU's roster that I'm aware of.
The Eagles would like to run the ball, but the defenses they've faced have stacked against the run -- because other teams didn't initially respect the Eagles receivers and rookie QB.
So they have consistently thrown the ball on 1st down to get to a 2nd and short. It has allowed them to avoid third-and longs so they have been able to sustain drives and eat up the clock and keep their D off the field.
Then by the 2nd half, when they've had leads in games, THEN they run the ball against a defense that is in pass-defense mode, and the running game works.
That is EXACTLY what PSU needs to do. They need sustained drives to keep their D fresh as much as possible. So they should throw on 1st down, high percentage passes, aiming at 5-15 yards.
1st down is the key. The option on 1st down should very rarely be handoff to Barkley or fake and then decide what to do. The 1st down should be Barkley pass-blocks, Trace either throws right away or looks for running lanes and then continues to look at the field while he runs. Trace's mobility and ability to throw accurately while running is a tremendous weapon and it should be used on 1st and 10, not saved for 3rd and 18 in the 4th quarter.
I don't have the data, I may be wrong, but my impression is that PSU has blown too many 1st downs either running against a stacked line (low percentage of success) or throwing very long, 30 yards or more (also, low percentage of success). Then they end up in 2nd and 10 (or too often, 2nd and 12 or 2nd and 14) and the advantage has switched to the defense. I'm sorry, if Barkley is being tackled in the backfield, that is Moorhead's mistake at least 75% of the time. That is a stinky stubborn play call. This is not the Yankee conference and it is not going to work like it did at Fordham. Defenses are MUCH faster. It is bad for a running back to put him in an impossible position and it is bad for the confidence of the O-line -- gets them blamed when it's not their fault.
I just think a lot of the criticism of the run-blocking has been really off base, because run-blocking comes down to a numbers game. Since PSU usually has no FB and no run-blocking TE on the field (unless you count Gesicki, which I don't), they are going to lose the numbers game most of the time. It doesn't even matter if the OL plays perfectly, there is going to be a linebacker or safety left over to tackle Barkley.
It's a spread offense, and Moorhead's idea is to run out of the spread. Which is a great idea, but you have to throw first and force the D to defend the pass. You have to get safeties to move 3 yards back and you have to get linebackers to backpedal and think coverage instead of attacking the backfield every play. If you do that, Barkley will have room.
The final play on Saturday was exactly what is supposed to happen in Moorhead's offense -- Minnesota D was spread out all over the field in zone coverage, worried about the pass. That should have been happening long before overtime. If Moorhead's offense works right, it should be happening in the 1st Quarter.
This offense has an excellent QB, a pretty solid pass-blocking line, and the best group of receivers in the Big Ten. If Maryland doesn't come in scared to death of the pass, then Moorhead isn't doing his job very well.
The problems running are partly inexperience at guard, for sure. But at least 50% of it is scheme and asking a scheme to do what it cannot do. You cannot do power running out of the spread. It is simply not designed for that. You want to do old fashioned smashmouth running against a defense that is stacked against the run, then you HAVE to have a 245-pound fullback and one or two 260-pound TEs who don't whiff on 75% of their blocks. And those players no longer exist on PSU's roster that I'm aware of.
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