When a team actually beats PSU, that is fine with me.

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

...but when they lose because of unforced errors..... It' in there like a locust thorn 2 inches deep and stays there for a long time.

The dropped passes and disappearing act by our veteran receivers is bugging the shit out of me. Miles (whom I love like a son) putting it on the carpet when touched by a gnat. Rahne's last call would have never been of any consequence to the outcome of the game. Furthermore, the D would not have been gassed if those drive killing drops had not occurred.

Time for the starting wideouts to focus, luckily there is time.

One note for Mr Limegrover. How long does it take for 5 4 star OL to learn to run block? I remember guys named Munchak, Romano, Farrell etc that could do it as freshmen and sophomores.

That is it for the past for me.... Bring on MSU and the rest of the season and as for the elder wide outs and OL, act like you have been on the field before and PSU will be just fine.

 

[N&B4PSU]

Before I forget... do people consider Johnson's inability to twist his 6'4" frame around to catch a TM pass behind him as a drop?

I hope not. The announcers talked like it was some kind of ez grab and I'm watching the play 10 times and Johnson is wide open but the pass is clearly behind him. So I'm hoping this wasn't in the "dropped" category.

 

[mcgunns]

Before I forget... do people consider Johnson's inability to twist his 6'4" frame around to catch a TM pass behind him as a drop?

I hope not. The announcers talked like it was some kind of ez grab and I'm watching the play 10 times and Johnson is wide open but the pass is clearly behind him. So I'm hoping this wasn't in the "dropped" category.

You mean like this?

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

Before I forget... do people consider Johnson's inability to twist his 6'4" frame around to catch a TM pass behind him as a drop?

I hope not. The announcers talked like it was some kind of ez grab and I'm watching the play 10 times and Johnson is wide open but the pass is clearly behind him. So I'm hoping this wasn't in the "dropped" category.

Johnson has had some costly drops, but Brandon Polk has no business being on the field. He is averaging 1 reception for every 2.5 catchable balls thrown to him. Wholly unaccceptable.

 

[mcgunns]

That Victor catch was incredible. I don't think Scott is even wrong to assume that ball was coming right to him. Perfect game of inches example. A well thrown ball and that's just a short gain instead of a 47 yd TD.

 

[kijanacat]

I guess what sticks in our collective paw is that we didn't so much get out-coached as we out-coached ourselves. The Tommy Stevens plays, no field goal attempt on 4th down, no defense on the screens, piss-poor tackling (lay that on coaching) and the last play call although there is at least an argument for it.

CJF has to learn to play power football and be able to jam it down someone's throat every once in a while. That amounts to a CEO decision to play a slightly different brand of ball. There are times you need those 8-minute drives to wear the clock down.

 

[Vermilion]

Agree with the original subject of the email. This one sticks with me due to it was our's to win and we just melted down. Much easier (for me at least) to deal with a 24-7 beat down by a far superior team.....

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

Before I forget... do people consider Johnson's inability to twist his 6'4" frame around to catch a TM pass behind him as a drop?

I hope not. The announcers talked like it was some kind of ez grab and I'm watching the play 10 times and Johnson is wide open but the pass is clearly behind him. So I'm hoping this wasn't in the "dropped" category.

Not me.... but the 3 others.... weren't like that one.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

You mean like this?

View embedded media

Gotta give credit where it is due. The coverage was not bad, the receiver just made one hell of a set of adjustments to make the catch.....

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

CJF has to learn to play power football and be able to jam it down someone's throat every once in a while. That amounts to a CEO decision to play a slightly different brand of ball. There are times you need those 8-minute drives to wear the clock down.

Sorry. That isn't going to happen with Moorhead's playbook and OL run blocking schemes. I think it's a passing system for undersized linemen with a bit of quickness, but that's not what we have.

It's probably going to take a while for Rahne to adapt it to look like something else. I just hope he sees the need and doesn't blame it on execution when we come up short. What we're asking some of these OL to do is tough.

In the meantime most teams that can match up with our receiver speed tend to play us the same way. They can stop our running game. It's the teams that don't have the same athletes that need to dedicate more to stopping the pass, hence it then looks like we have a running game.

The question is, will we beat playoff teams without a more prolific running game? I doubt it. There doesn't appear to be much variation in our running plays, to my eye. It doesn't seem that hard to stop when the defense has comparable athletes.

 

[PSU87]

Agree with the original subject of the email. This one sticks with me due to it was our's to win and we just melted down. Much easier (for me at least) to deal with a 24-7 beat down by a far superior team.....

Not sure if serious.
If serious, not sure if sane.

So you'd rather be Rutgres?

 

[nittanyfan333]

It’s almost as if this coaching staff has an inability to stick with the identity of the team, if they even know what that is. To me, it’s put the ball in #9’s hands for read options. Seems pretty easy. This is not a power running team. When I look at Alabama, Clemson, tOSU, Georgia.... etc. it seems like they know what their game is and they stick with it. You don’t see Alabama running end arounds or flea flickers. Likewise, you don’t see Clemson running a power running game. We are what we are, and #9 is damn good at what he does. There’s no shame in that. Line up, and dance with who brung ya.

 

[YorkLion]

PSU had tons of yards in the first half and not much to show for it. Might have to give some credit to OSU.

 

[N&B4PSU]

PSU had tons of yards in the first half and not much to show for it. Might have to give some credit to OSU.

We did have a lot of yards, but 93 of it came on one play and 51 on another. We moved it well enough but lacked real consistency, the kind that gets it into the EZ.

 

[Cosmos]

I guess what sticks in our collective paw is that we didn't so much get out-coached as we out-coached ourselves. The Tommy Stevens plays, no field goal attempt on 4th down, no defense on the screens, piss-poor tackling (lay that on coaching) and the last play call although there is at least an argument for it.

CJF has to learn to play power football and be able to jam it down someone's throat every once in a while. That amounts to a CEO decision to play a slightly different brand of ball. There are times you need those 8-minute drives to wear the clock down.

You mean to say, 'stuck in your craw'. But I get it. Ball control begins and ends with the offensive line. But hey, the model is out there to emulate. Find out what Wisconsin is doing and copy it. Furthermore, I'm tired of the excuse that unit blocking is somehow a choreographed dance. If that's the case then hire go hire Len Goodman away from DWTS. It's gotten old.

 

[IANit]

...but when they lose because of unforced errors..... It' in there like a locust thorn 2 inches deep and stays there for a long time.

The dropped passes and disappearing act by our veteran receivers is bugging the shit out of me. Miles (whom I love like a son) putting it on the carpet when touched by a gnat. Rahne's last call would have never been of any consequence to the outcome of the game. Furthermore, the D would not have been gassed if those drive killing drops had not occurred.

Time for the starting wideouts to focus, luckily there is time.

One note for Mr Limegrover. How long does it take for 5 4 star OL to learn to run block? I remember guys named Munchak, Romano, Farrell etc that could do it as freshmen and sophomores.

That is it for the past for me.... Bring on MSU and the rest of the season and as for the elder wide outs and OL, act like you have been on the field before and PSU will be just fine.

What is going on with Shorter and Dotson? Shorter was injured earlier and maybe still is slowed a bit, but I thought Dotson was lighting it up in practice. Are they not getting it done off the field or something? Not as good as advertised? Were the comments about Dotson an Irv Charles type of thing Franklin says to build a guy up? We can't expect KJ to carry the team.

 

[Cosmos]

Sorry. That isn't going to happen with Moorhead's playbook and OL run blocking schemes. I think it's a passing system for undersized linemen with a bit of quickness, but that's not what we have.

It's probably going to take a while for Rahne to adapt it to look like something else. I just hope he sees the need and doesn't blame it on execution when we come up short. What we're asking some of these OL to do is tough.

In the meantime most teams that can match up with our receiver speed tend to play us the same way. They can stop our running game. It's the teams that don't have the same athletes that need to dedicate more to stopping the pass, hence it then looks like we have a running game.

The question is, will we beat playoff teams without a more prolific running game? I doubt it. There doesn't appear to be much variation in our running plays, to my eye. It doesn't seem that hard to stop when the defense has comparable athletes.

Hmmm.
See attached. Out OL isn't undersized. It's tied for 10th largest in FBS. Only slightly smaller than that paragon of ball control, Wisconsin's OL. Furthermore, Oklahoma and Washington State are larger than ours (Louisville is tied) and yet they play wide-open offenses.

https://crescentcitysports.com/college-football-biggest-offensive-linemen-of-2017/

So back to my original premise. What is it about Wisconsin's OL that works? Why aren't we trying to find out?

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

What is going on with Shorter and Dotson? Shorter was injured earlier and maybe still is slowed a bit, but I thought Dotson was lighting it up in practice. Are they not getting it done off the field or something? Not as good as advertised? Were the comments about Dotson an Irv Charles type of thing Franklin says to build a guy up? We can't expect KJ to carry the team.

Relax, they are fine.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

Hmmm.
See attached. Out OL isn't undersized. It's tied for 10th largest in FBS. Only slightly smaller than that paragon of ball control, Wisconsin's OL. Furthermore, Oklahoma and Washington State are larger than ours (Louisville is tied) and yet they play wide-open offenses.

https://crescentcitysports.com/college-football-biggest-offensive-linemen-of-2017/

So back to my original premise. What is it about Wisconsin's OL that works? Why aren't we trying to find out?

This is what I wrote:

" .... I think it's a passing system for undersized linemen with a bit of quickness, but that's not what we have."

I know our linemen are not undersized. I think they might be oversized for what the Moorhead system requires of them athletically. I certainly think that's true of freshman and sophomores playing over 300 lbs. Fortunately, most of our line has been in the program a few years, but I still think what we do is not the best match for them.

I can't speak for the other programs you've listed, though I do know that Oklahoma plays in a conference that does not play good defense. Is their playbook the same, with the same run blocking schemes, and are they as successful or struggling? Are they heavy but young? I'd be impressed if that were true. What's going on at Mississippi State this year?

I think the Moorhead system has worked because we've had the skill players:

• Generational running back, and a great one to replace him
• Quick, scrappy quarterback
• Receivers who could make the catch when covered and/or who could run past the defensive backs of lesser programs

Without these guys in the Moorhead system I think the ground game is easily contained. It seems all about passing. When Moorhead tried to run out the clock last year in Columbus we saw what happened. Now it's not enough to be ahead by two scores.

I've been consistent on this board in my distaste for a ground game that depends on the QB carrying the ball. I think QBs ultimately get beat up and that impacts their accuracy. Beat up enough and they're out. Then you're dependent on the backup, who probably was not developed with enough quality playing time.

Even at a program like OSU, where they can get their pick of just about anyone, I have yet to see a running QB who was also a prolific passer. Colleges have gone to RPO offenses because there are not enough great passers. So now we have offensive systems migrating that way.

 

[scrivener]

...but when they lose because of unforced errors..... It' in there like a locust thorn 2 inches deep and stays there for a long time.

The dropped passes and disappearing act by our veteran receivers is bugging the shit out of me. Miles (whom I love like a son) putting it on the carpet when touched by a gnat. Rahne's last call would have never been of any consequence to the outcome of the game. Furthermore, the D would not have been gassed if those drive killing drops had not occurred.

Time for the starting wideouts to focus, luckily there is time.

One note for Mr Limegrover. How long does it take for 5 4 star OL to learn to run block? I remember guys named Munchak, Romano, Farrell etc that could do it as freshmen and sophomores.

That is it for the past for me.... Bring on MSU and the rest of the season and as for the elder wide outs and OL, act like you have been on the field before and PSU will be just fine.

100% agree...easier to take a loss when u know the other team is better on that night...as for the OL...u couldn't have said it better...a bunch of solid, ok guys...not one u can run behind and feel confident...really disappointing because they have seemingly recruited well there

 

[harjeff]

Sorry. That isn't going to happen with Moorhead's playbook and OL run blocking schemes. I think it's a passing system for undersized linemen with a bit of quickness, but that's not what we have.

It's probably going to take a while for Rahne to adapt it to look like something else. I just hope he sees the need and doesn't blame it on execution when we come up short. What we're asking some of these OL to do is tough.

In the meantime most teams that can match up with our receiver speed tend to play us the same way. They can stop our running game. It's the teams that don't have the same athletes that need to dedicate more to stopping the pass, hence it then looks like we have a running game.

The question is, will we beat playoff teams without a more prolific running game? I doubt it. There doesn't appear to be much variation in our running plays, to my eye. It doesn't seem that hard to stop when the defense has comparable athletes.

I think this PSU team can beat anyone using this scheme...its not like they are not out playing opponents for most of the game or have been blown out in any game the last 3 years since the scum debacle when the LB were all walkons! At this level of football its just about execution and finishing drives....if they could have added another TD or FG against tOSU the last 2 years would have been wins, so I don't see a big need for a great change. Tweak the little things and many of these close losses will turn into W's

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

100% agree...easier to take a loss when u know the other team is better on that night...as for the OL...u couldn't have said it better...a bunch of solid, ok guys...not one u can run behind and feel confident...really disappointing because they have seemingly recruited well there

Ya, for all those that love stars, we are wall to wall 4 stars on the OL. I think they could have been helped by passing until OSU took 7 and 8 out of the box....not easy for anyone to run when most of your guys have 2 guys to block. That said, the did not do the job when the box was not stacked.

 

[wilbury]

Wisconsin does what they do because they have a terrible recruiting base to draw from. They recruit low level talent and develop them so that when they are juniors and seniors, they are big and can block. This works fine in the Big Ten West where they don't have any competition. They struggle when they play anyone that requires them to be even a little bit creative with their offense. They simply don't have the skills players to match up with top level talent.