Thoughts after watching the replay

[wilbury]

• Screen passes killed us in the first half. PSU routinely sells out to create pressure. USC was expecting it led to way too many explosive plays.
• The low block on Carter saved us before halftime. USC had 1st and goal but that penalty forced USC to accept a FG. 6-24 at halftime might have been insurmountable.
• Passes to Singleton were nice. He had 4 catches with a TD.
• I thought (hoped?) PSU would take control of the game after tying it 20-20 with 4:40 left in Q3. No such luck. Carter dropped a likely pick 6 that might have sealed the game.
• PSU kept getting beat when they blitzed. We only got 1 sack and 1 turnover. The turnover was the pass intercepted by Reed at the end of regulation. Moss just missed it. It wasn't created by our pressure. I continue to think we pressure/blitz too much. The reward vs risk hasn't been in our favor. We're 9th/10th in the BiG with 14 sacks but 7 of those came late vs Illinois. We simply haven't had a good consistent pass rush. a lot of that is because we bring the heat so often that opponents have countered with screens and quick release passes.
• PSU's last drive with 5:30 remaining was an adventure. Some great runs and passes but Allar was almost intercepted again. We relied on two 4th down conversions to Fleming (4th and 7, 4th and 10). It was good to finally see Fleming make some plays.
• Warren was incredible but how was he allowed to be so wide open on several catches?
• PSU got lucky in OT. Tracy definitely grabbled jersey. It wasn't horrible but it was enough to call. Miller definitely arrived early but announcers didn't mention that Carter was held by #79 on that play.

I have few complaints.

I did see that twice, Allar was so focused on Warren that he missed opportunities. In the 4th quarter when he threw to Warren short of the endzone, he had a guy wide open in the back of the endzone. Another time he has a wide open deep post but didn't see it and threw to Warren.

I also don't agree with the offensive pass interference on the first drive. All Fleming did was run a fly into the endzone. He wasn't blocking the guy.

 

[Waltwam]

No doubt re: USC RT - he repeatedly got an early start stepping back with his right leg just before the snap (makes me wonder if USC QB was calling a compound snap-count - i.e., calling a number or word that indicates to snap ball on next count. This gives your OL an advantage as they are getting set to go on next noise from QB - regardless of what it is; kinda similar to the "set" in "ready-set-go"). In any event, the USC RT seemed to know exactly when the snap was coming before it came and repeatedly took a head-start by stepping his right leg back into pass-pro including on USC's last play of regulation (INT play).

We have had so many bad calls thru the years that I don't feel bad if the calls!!!! Maybe the refs are trying to make up for the past!

 

[PSUSignore]

My immediate concern is first half defense. There are games where it appears PSU has no clue what the opposition wants to do early in the games, resulting in big plays or points.
On the flip side, Allen’s halftime adjustments have been excellent and second-half defense has been very good.
Fixing those slow starts defensively would be my primary bye week goal. Probably easier said than done. Can’t count on playing from behind as the season gets late and the games get tough.

Agree. This is my top concern at this point. IDK what's going on with our first half defense but it's been a consistent issue. It almost burned us this against USC but we gutted it out. I'm very impressed at the 2nd half improvements so Allen clearly knows what he's doing, the big question is why can't we do it in the first half?

 

[Woodpecker]

Can someone explain why what USC #6 does on this play is OK

 

[PSUSignore]

I have few complaints.

I did see that twice, Allar was so focused on Warren that he missed opportunities. In the 4th quarter when he threw to Warren short of the endzone, he had a guy wide open in the back of the endzone. Another time he has a wide open deep post but didn't see it and threw to Warren.

I also don't agree with the offensive pass interference on the first drive. All Fleming did was run a fly into the endzone. He wasn't blocking the guy.

That was Wallace wide open near the goalpost in the center of the endzone on the first play. I noticed that immediately. Wallace looked frustrated that Drew didn't see him.

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

I have few complaints.

I did see that twice, Allar was so focused on Warren that he missed opportunities. In the 4th quarter when he threw to Warren short of the endzone, he had a guy wide open in the back of the endzone. Another time he has a wide open deep post but didn't see it and threw to Warren.

I also don't agree with the offensive pass interference on the first drive. All Fleming did was run a fly into the endzone. He wasn't blocking the guy.

It was also an inside screen pass which allows blocking downfield.

 

[lazydave841]

Can someone explain why what USC #6 does on this play is OK

View embedded media

Pass was thrown behind the LoS. You can block on this without it being a pick/offensive pass interference.

 

[GregInPitt]

I have few complaints.

I did see that twice, Allar was so focused on Warren that he missed opportunities. In the 4th quarter when he threw to Warren short of the endzone, he had a guy wide open in the back of the endzone. Another time he has a wide open deep post but didn't see it and threw to Warren.

I also don't agree with the offensive pass interference on the first drive. All Fleming did was run a fly into the endzone. He wasn't blocking the guy.

If Flemming doesn't extend his arms, which wasn't at all necessary, it doesn't get called. It would seem that Flemming being a 4th year player should know that, but he knows it now.....

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

If Flemming doesn't extend his arms, which wasn't at all necessary, it doesn't get called. It would seem that Flemming being a 4th year player should know that, but he knows it now.....

Wrong, it was an inside screen - doesn't matter a lick if Fleming extends his arms.

 

[bdgan]

Yeah, he also could have called PI on Warren's TD catch in endzone, but didn't -- and the contract on Warren was far more blatant and severe (the USC DB never even attempted to play the ball

If that PI penalty was called we would have declined it anyway. It didn't matter.

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

If that PI penalty was called we would have declined it anyway. It didn't matter.

So it wasn't DPI??? LMAO

 

[PSUALREADYKNOW]

• Screen passes killed us in the first half. PSU routinely sells out to create pressure. USC was expecting it led to way too many explosive plays.
• The low block on Carter saved us before halftime. USC had 1st and goal but that penalty forced USC to accept a FG. 6-24 at halftime might have been insurmountable.
• Passes to Singleton were nice. He had 4 catches with a TD.
• I thought (hoped?) PSU would take control of the game after tying it 20-20 with 4:40 left in Q3. No such luck. Carter dropped a likely pick 6 that might have sealed the game.
• PSU kept getting beat when they blitzed. We only got 1 sack and 1 turnover. The turnover was the pass intercepted by Reed at the end of regulation. Moss just missed it. It wasn't created by our pressure. I continue to think we pressure/blitz too much. The reward vs risk hasn't been in our favor. We're 9th/10th in the BiG with 14 sacks but 7 of those came late vs Illinois. We simply haven't had a good consistent pass rush. a lot of that is because we bring the heat so often that opponents have countered with screens and quick release passes.
• PSU's last drive with 5:30 remaining was an adventure. Some great runs and passes but Allar was almost intercepted again. We relied on two 4th down conversions to Fleming (4th and 7, 4th and 10). It was good to finally see Fleming make some plays.
• Warren was incredible but how was he allowed to be so wide open on several catches?
• PSU got lucky in OT. Tracy definitely grabbled jersey. It wasn't horrible but it was enough to call. Miller definitely arrived early but announcers didn't mention that Carter was held by #79 on that play.

Tracy seemed to have been picked on...was he the weakest player in the secondary yesterday? I think he's one of the least experienced?

 

[JWB389]

Pass was thrown behind the LoS. You can block on this without it being a pick/offensive pass interference.

Watching it live, it looked to me like a block from behind though. I think that’s what Woodpecker was seeing. Difficult to see on my phone.

 

[Obliviax]

USC announcers were very gracious.