First down play calling

[TejasCat]

Against Michigan in the first half, we had 12 first down plays, we ran the ball 11 times and threw a screen once. This resulted in 2 plays (of the 12) over 3 yards.

How hard is it to do a play action fake or throw something down field on first down????? Its like the speed option, we just keep trying the same stuff over and over.

 

[Mr. Stupor]

Against Michigan in the first half, we had 12 first down plays, we ran the ball 11 times and threw a screen once. This resulted in 2 plays (of the 12) over 3 yards.

How hard is it to do a play action fake or throw something down field on first down????? Its like the speed option, we just keep trying the same stuff over and over.

And it wasn't just this game. But we particularly needed something different in THIS GAME.

I'd like to hear a lot less of "Justin Jackson the ball carrier" and a lot more of "gain of 7".

Wanna know why Fitz loses every big game? Because he treats them like they're any other random game! We needed a DIFFERENT plan for this game. NOT the same old plan. But we just trotted out the same, tired McCall game plan we always do. And we wonder why it doesn't work and blame it on "execution". Bullshit. The reason it doesn't work is that it's flawed. It's flawed because our receivers can't get open at all, let alone fast enough to allow the passing game to work. So we run. And run. And run.

Why? Because Fitz is scared of turnovers. Because he's a turtle.

 

[Turk]

Against Michigan in the first half, we had 12 first down plays, we ran the ball 11 times and threw a screen once. This resulted in 2 plays (of the 12) over 3 yards.

How hard is it to do a play action fake or throw something down field on first down????? Its like the speed option, we just keep trying the same stuff over and over.

Play action? Very seldon this year. And when u see the sorta veer look in the backfield...its almost certainly the option. Go back to byn2go.com and watch all 11 michigan defenders go to where the ball was before one OL could get out of a 3pt stance. The only deviance from this was when mccall used kidd on a fly pattern but it wasnt like the michigan defender couldnt make up the ten yards on kidd so it was incomplete. Im not saying this as a joke but we honestly could do better drawing plays up in the dirt or subbing in a pop warner o coordinator. Fitz has no control over Totally lost mccall.

 

[villox]

And it wasn't just this game. But we particularly needed something different in THIS GAME.

I'd like to hear a lot less of "Justin Jackson the ball carrier" and a lot more of "gain of 7".

Wanna know why Fitz loses every big game? Because he treats them like they're any other random game! We needed a DIFFERENT plan for this game. NOT the same old plan. But we just trotted out the same, tired McCall game plan we always do. And we wonder why it doesn't work and blame it on "execution". Bullshit. The reason it doesn't work is that it's flawed. It's flawed because our receivers can't get open at all, let alone fast enough to allow the passing game to work. So we run. And run. And run.

Why? Because Fitz is scared of turnovers. Because he's a turtle.

The last really big game I can remember (one on par with this one) was the OSU game, and I seem to recall quite a different offensive plan that actually kept us in the game and in a position to win. Maybe I'm misremembering.

 

[clarificationcat]

The last really big game I can remember (one on par with this one) was the OSU game, and I seem to recall quite a different offensive plan that actually kept us in the game and in a position to win. Maybe I'm misremembering.

I asked before the game what our gameplan should be given how good Michigan's defense is. Several posters said we would "run when we got off the bus" and there would be no change in the gameplan. I didn't think we would be able to run on them. Justin Jackson is great but a great run defense is going to shut him down if they know he's going to run. We needed to pass to set up the run. Harder to execute with a young quarterback, but once we fell behind we needed to adapt and respond. That is not something that this coaching staff does very frequently.

 

[Mr. Stupor]

Play action? Very seldon this year. And when u see the sorta veer look in the backfield...its almost certainly the option. Go back to byn2go.com and watch all 11 michigan defenders go to where the ball was before one OL could get out of a 3pt stance. The only deviance from this was when mccall used kidd on a fly pattern but it wasnt like the michigan defender couldnt make up the ten yards on kidd so it was incomplete. Im not saying this as a joke but we honestly could do better drawing plays up in the dirt or subbing in a pop warner o coordinator. Fitz has no control over Totally lost mccall.

You would think that with a run threat like JJ, play action would work as defenders crash to the middle to stop him.

But Noooo...

We won't do that.

And when you're worried about pass protection, you'd think the OC would call a lot of quick slants and if receivers can't get open on those, at least bubble screens and pick plays - where the ball is out of the QBs hands as soon as he gets it. When the receivers can't get open on their own, you use another receiver to GET them open.

But nooooooo...

We run plays that worked when Colter was our QB.

 

[Turk]

You would think that with a run threat like JJ, play action would work as defenders crash to the middle to stop him.

But Noooo...

We won't do that.

And when you're worried about pass protection, you'd think the OC would call a lot of quick slants and if receivers can't get open on those, at least bubble screens and pick plays - where the ball is out of the QBs hands as soon as he gets it. When the receivers can't get open on their own, you use another receiver to GET them open.

But nooooooo...

We run plays that worked when Colter was our QB.

We can run the same plays with thorson if mccall teaches him how to run this basic play and the philosophy behind it. Thorson may not be as quick as colter or persa was but he is faster than both.
We are once again a mess for the third year in a row.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Turk -

how did your full proof plan go in assessing NU vs. Michigan?

 

[mikewebb68]

We can run the same plays with thorson if mccall teaches him how to run this basic play and the philosophy behind it. Thorson may not be as quick as colter or persa was but he is faster than both.
We are once again a mess for the third year in a row.

We went from great to being a mess after one game? Thinking Nebraska is a mess. Us, at 5-1, not so much....

 

[mybrotha]

We can run the same plays with thorson if mccall teaches him how to run this basic play and the philosophy behind it. Thorson may not be as quick as colter or persa was but he is faster than both.
We are once again a mess for the third year in a row.

Thorson is not faster than either Colter or Persa. Maybe and a real emphasis on maybe he might beat them in a hundred meters but never in a 40 or 55 yard dash.

 

[Turk]

Turk -

how did your full proof plan go in assessing NU vs. Michigan?

The Great and All Powerful Turk has spoken.

 

[Gladeskat]

And it wasn't just this game. But we particularly needed something different in THIS GAME.

I'd like to hear a lot less of "Justin Jackson the ball carrier" and a lot more of "gain of 7".

Wanna know why Fitz loses every big game? Because he treats them like they're any other random game! We needed a DIFFERENT plan for this game. NOT the same old plan. But we just trotted out the same, tired McCall game plan we always do. And we wonder why it doesn't work and blame it on "execution". Bullshit. The reason it doesn't work is that it's flawed. It's flawed because our receivers can't get open at all, let alone fast enough to allow the passing game to work. So we run. And run. And run.

Why? Because Fitz is scared of turnovers. Because he's a turtle.

This post makes no sense. Fitz is a turtle because our receivers are subpar, so he runs the ball to avoid turnovers. It sounds like the smart thing for Fitz to do based upon what you wrote. Do you think he should throw to subpar, covered receivers? I'd be afraid of turnovers, too.

Have another Chivas, Shivas.