Were the USC receivers that good or were our DBs that bad?
- Thread starter PennSt8er
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Lots of empty space in zone coverage. If you do not make a good QB move, he'll kill you all day and those USC WR's made some fantastic catches.
I remember when Sanchez played the game of his life in the 09 RB, and he turned into a pathetic NFL qb.
I think this USC qb, is the real deal, he is no fluke.
This game had at least a half of dozen plays( by both teams) that were all time highlight reel material for Rose Bowl history'
I think this USC qb, is the real deal, he is no fluke.
This game had at least a half of dozen plays( by both teams) that were all time highlight reel material for Rose Bowl history'
USC's passing game is well oiled machine with Darnold on his game. That WR corps is the best we saw all year.
I actually don't think our corners played all that bad. It was a very physical game on the edge and they contested just about every ball. Bigger issue in our D was:
- Pass rush really struggled (although credit USC OL here too)
- LBs and safeties in pass coverage really struggled to take away middle of field
I actually don't think our corners played all that bad. It was a very physical game on the edge and they contested just about every ball. Bigger issue in our D was:
- Pass rush really struggled (although credit USC OL here too)
- LBs and safeties in pass coverage really struggled to take away middle of field
Those USC receivers made some fantastic catches with our DBs pretty well blanketing them.
Against many QB/WR combinations (especially in the B1G), you can get away with some plays where the WRs get a step or two. Against Darnold(sp?) and those WRs, you don't get the same luxury.
I also think, while legit calls, those back-to-back PI calls on Haley were pretty ticky-tack. Not complaining that they were called -- because the calls were correct -- but man, in both cases, that coverage was about as close to perfect as it could be without actuall being perfect.
All Haley had to do was turn his head around. That was pretty basic stuff.
There were times early where USC receivers were wide open. Then the DBs tightened up considerably. They broke up and/or contested many passes. USC's QB was pinpoint accurate (and had to be) on many completions -- and the pass rush was virtually nonexistent. 52 points hurts, but much of the blame goes to the DL for never figuring out that Darnold LIKES TO ROLL TO HIS RIGHT!!
Yeah, agree. I kept saying that we need to blitz his right side, and force him left.
No they were not. They made plays even with tough coverage. Plus, the lack of pressure exacerbated the situation.
That's right. What QB did we face that even approached Darnold's ability? We faced some pretty anemic passing games. The teams with talent that we played, UM and tOSU, weren't great passing teams. Perhaps the best passer, Legow, doesn't have the talent around him.
They have pretty consistently misapplied that rule. Yes you must turn your head, but you must also make contact and impede the WR. Haley barely touched the WR on the second PI and the contact was only initiated when the WR changed his route to follow the ball.
I think the turf affected both defenses as well...part of the reason each team scored so much. It's harder for the defense to keep their footing because the offensive player knows which direction he's going.
Despite all of the mostly justified optimism for next year, until we develop a dominating defense we're not going to win a national championship. I'm not a big fan of these pinball scoring contests. It's rare that you see an offense only team win it all. I'll take the Alabama style any day over a high scoring team that also gives up a lot of points.
I think it was a combination of some really talented and athletic WR's but QB that was playing out of this world.
I really thought our DB's had decent coverage. Except for the last 2 PI's on Haley.
Those are NFL wide receivers. USC really wasn't running the ball at will and their TEs never really hurt us. That means those WRs got themselves open or made tough catches against planned pass defenses. I think Darnold, while very good, is getting Hackenberg type hype this morning thanks to the guys he is throwing to (ala Allan Robinson) and the incredible pass protection that o-line gave him. Very similar to Hack in his first year.
Problem was the pass rush. We never touched the USC QB. Darnold was fantastic. He will be the next great NFL QB in my opinion. He has a canon for an arm and puts the ball on a dime. Tremendous.
I wonder if we play USC for the national championship next year???
I agree with this. Yes there were times when their Wrs were open but in the 2nd half I thought we were covering them pretty darn well. Their QB was outstanding and put it where it needed to be every time and their WRs made some spectacular catches (as did ours). But let's give some credit where credit is due...that QB was amazing.
Did you watch the same game? 75% of the catches USC made were with our DB's all over them. The touchdown pass that Darnold made to tie the game was a great pass. Sometimes you have to give the other guy credit. The pass rush was certainly lacking and that makes it difficult on the back end.
We're not an offense-only team. We have a decent defense. We're just vey thin at LB (though we were able to develop a little depth on the fly while our injured recovered), and our DL is very young (for the most part). We played a very good offense last night, and while we got close a few times, we just weren't able to get to their QB.
Our defense will be better next year with a more experienced DL, and the addition of some high-end youth.
You're not giving Darnold enough credit. His receivers certainly made some great catches but he was putting the ball in places that were almost impossible to defend. There are absolutely no similarities between Darnold and Hack. Darnold's presence in the pocket is incredible. As much as we are bemoaning the lack of a pass rush there were times we did get some pressure and he was not bothered in the least.
Yea, people need to watch the game again. Our secondary was in position with pretty good coverage most of the night. Darnold threw some ropes right where they needed to be.
Kid is very good and could be very, very good going forward. But, go back just three years ago and you'll hear the same stuff being said about Hack after year one: big, cannon arm, winner, throws hard, young, good accuracy for a young kid, enough mobility to make him a threat to run, poise, and only going to get better. Then everyone saw that it's hard to be good when you are running for your life because your o-line graduates/leaves early/doesn't develop or your NFL wide receiver isn't making highlight catches or creating separation to get open to bail you out when you chuck the ball in the air. Obviously there will be some differences: no new head coach/system; no sanctions; and no lack of incoming 5 star talent to get behind. It will be interesting to see his progress over the next year or two.
Agree 100%, although we only had 1 sack Darnold was under pressure quite a bit and he did a great job of escaping, similar to McSorley. Our pass rush was not "non-existent" as some have said.
USC OL - 4 star players and in the system for 3 years or more. THAT was the difference PLUS a really good QB. Reminded me of Hack his Freshman year 
Actually, of their 5 starting OL, 4 are juniors and 1 senior. So they will be REALLY good next year.
Actually, of their 5 starting OL, 4 are juniors and 1 senior. So they will be REALLY good next year.As much as we liked "Hack" and as much as we respect Hack for staying the USC kid has greater mobility and maybe even a stronger arm.
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