Kevin Garnett talks.

[Carl Spackler]

Watch from 6:50 on.


Here's to keeping the foot on the gas this week, as this team continues to try to learn how to win regularly.

I hope our guys have a great week of practice, spend a lot of time in the ice tubs, to get those bodies right after 5 consecutive weeks of games, and learn from what's happened in our two road games this year, and bring the energy to Exit 9, and kick the out of University of New Jersey.

Consistent motivation, focus, energy, attention to detail, every minute, in everything, is the reason we're 3-2 and not 5-0. Not play calling. Physical limitations, are there, but can be overcome. When a guy like smallwood is down field and lays a shoulder into a wide receiver that just ping pongs off and keeps running, instead of wrapping up?

Focus, attention to detail. Every play. Keep your foot on the gas.

 

[Adios]

Consistent motivation, focus, energy, attention to detail, every minute, in everything, is the reason we're 3-2 and not 5-0. Not play calling.

You might be right to some extent, but calling for a rushing play up the middle on almost on every first down or rushing when the opponents stack the box is not bad play calling?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Funny - when the same play calling, and running into stacked boxes was happening b/w 2007-2010, and we did it against Oklahoma in the Fiesta bowl, people called it our identity, and that play calling was a challenge to the players, that even though the defense knew what was coming, we were going to grind out the yards we needed. It was ok then.

These coaches have come in, and they've made a point, repeatedly, of saying that we are not going to change our identity, that we are going to be a power football team.

Well, you can't be a power football team, if you don't run power plays.

This is year 1, of players that these coaches have stocked, and they were left with a completely bare cupboard on offense in 2011.

THe fact is that there is a vocal group of fans that do not like Pasqualoni and Deleone, and will find anything they can to knock them, and the vast majority of sheep, will follow along and Baa in line, becaus we're not 5-0.


I've got my problems with the coaching staff, and we'll see if things change this week, because they've got a HUGE challenge in front of us - to go on the road, against a top 25 team, and try to get that first back to back wins in LONG time.

BUt it's not play calling, what all of you see as a problem I see the coaches challenging these players, to go out and smashmouth on offense, and they'll be able to recruit, the bigger, stronger players to do it in the future.

I guess it all depends if you're glass half full, or half empty kind of person.

I'm looking forward to seeing these players learn from what happened Saturday, and start keeping tha gas pedal floored.

 

[noeynox]

Funny - when the same play calling, and running into stacked boxes was happening b/w 2007-2010, and we did it against Oklahoma in the Fiesta bowl, people called it our identity, and that play calling was a challenge to the players, that even though the defense knew what was coming, we were going to grind out the yards we needed. It was ok then.

These coaches have come in, and they've made a point, repeatedly, of saying that we are not going to change our identity, that we are going to be a power football team.

Well, you can't be a power football team, if you don't run power plays.

This is year 1, of players that these coaches have stocked, and they were left with a completely bare cupboard on offense in 2011.

THe fact is that there is a vocal group of fans that do not like Pasqualoni and Deleone, and will find anything they can to knock them, and the vast majority of sheep, will follow along and Baa in line, becaus we're not 5-0.


I've got my problems with the coaching staff, and we'll see if things change this week, because they've got a HUGE challenge in front of us - to go on the road, against a top 25 team, and try to get that first back to back wins in LONG time.

BUt it's not play calling, what all of you see as a problem I see the coaches challenging these players, to go out and smashmouth on offense, and they'll be able to recruit, the bigger, stronger players to do it in the future.

I guess it all depends if you're glass half full, or half empty kind of person.

I'm looking forward to seeing these players learn from what happened Saturday, and start keeping tha gas pedal floored.

This is a very good post and I agree. What you are seeing however, is the uncertainty of conference realignment combined with what is a perceived uninspired, unimaginative offensive system, and you get a real sense of urgency. BUT, you have to admit that trying to run McCombs up the gut repeatedly just doesn't make sense. He is not built for it. AND P talked about running an explosive offense that gains huge chunks of yardage on first and second down.

 

[Carl Spackler]

If you go and chart plays, you'll find that first down's that weren't runs, have gone for some pretty big plays. You can't do it on every down.

The problem we've got on offense, to me - if pretty simple. Our offensive line just isnt' playing mean enough, and strong enough yet. I don't know if it's personalities, or what, but I think the time of not nowing assignements is long past. The offensive line, needs to be the unit, that puts a game away la in the third quarter, and into the fourth quarter, like we played on Saturday.

THey were challenged to do so.

As for running McCombs between the tackles - well - Ole Miss has a 5-7 170lb back running the ball.

While I prefer a bigger back, you can win without one, it starts up front, and the problem we're all seeing is that when you don't have an OL clearing big enough lanes for a little guy to have field vision, youget a little guy running into a pile, or a defender, and getting stopped cold, rather than moving them forward another yard or two to go from 2 yard gain to a 4 yards gain.

2nd and 5 or 6 is a lot different than 2nd and 8.

 

[ruskin]

Let me ask you this Spack. Edsall successfully went for it on fourth-and-1 at our own 20 to win a huge game. First, do you think DeLeone/PP would have the balls to do that? Two, could we successfully execute it - I mean starting with getting the play in from above and the sideline in plenty of time?

I disagree that the "cupboard was bare". Maybe the line isn't as strong as previous years and Lyle for all his upside is not Jim Brown. We are NOT a power football team on offense and for GD/PP to run plays as if we are, at a minimum, is unfair to the players who DO have skills to succeed with a different, slightly more innovative playbook and mindset. And I GUARANTEE Edsall, for all his offensive faults, would not be running McCombs up the middle on first and second down almost every freakin single time.

I'm not worried about the players learning from the last two weeks. Im more worried about the coaches.

And please, quit blithely dismissing those who criticize the playcalling as a small group or uninformed and those who agree as "sheep". Thankfully, I believe the guy who signs PP/GD paychecks is more inclined to be on our side than the other.

 

[gars44]

Funny - when the same play calling, and running into stacked boxes was happening b/w 2007-2010, and we did it against Oklahoma in the Fiesta bowl, people called it our identity, and that play calling was a challenge to the players, that even though the defense knew what was coming, we were going to grind out the yards we needed. It was ok then.

These coaches have come in, and they've made a point, repeatedly, of saying that we are not going to change our identity, that we are going to be a power football team.

Well, you can't be a power football team, if you don't run power plays.

This is year 1, of players that these coaches have stocked, and they were left with a completely bare cupboard on offense in 2011.

THe fact is that there is a vocal group of fans that do not like Pasqualoni and Deleone, and will find anything they can to knock them, and the vast majority of sheep, will follow along and Baa in line, becaus we're not 5-0.


I've got my problems with the coaching staff, and we'll see if things change this week, because they've got a HUGE challenge in front of us - to go on the road, against a top 25 team, and try to get that first back to back wins in LONG time.

BUt it's not play calling, what all of you see as a problem I see the coaches challenging these players, to go out and smashmouth on offense, and they'll be able to recruit, the bigger, stronger players to do it in the future.

I guess it all depends if you're glass half full, or half empty kind of person.

I'm looking forward to seeing these players learn from what happened Saturday, and start keeping tha gas pedal floored.

First, I get that you're a "glass half full" guy. I was also, with RE, and gave him every break. I was an apologist, but, and here's a big but: Randy's play calling was not ok back then. Not, not, not. We, and I think that applies to most of us, hated his play calling. It was bland, vanilla, unimaginative. I gave him a pass because he had such a hard time recruiting quarterbacks and wide receivers to Uconn - not without good reason mind you, but he made the most of what he had. It was not ok, however.

Now, as Nelson pointed out on another thread, the spread offense is the modern theory, and it looks like it's working at many, many programs. For you to applaud our coaches for remaining with an outdated offense, manned by players who are not physically superior even to MAC defensive lines, and with a running back who weighs 170 lbs., is well --- hey, I like your passion, we're all on the same side here, but you're just mistaken. I'll leave it at that. It is the play calling.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The spread offense in college is ruining offenses in the NFL. The goal of most diivision 1-A players is to make the NFL. THe best way to make the NFL, is to play in an NFL style system in college.

I hate the spread offense. It's essentially the wishbone, except it's spread out across the field.

Did anybody watch the clip? you're looking at two of the most intensely competitive, and self motivated professional athletes in the world right there, that admitted they got complacent with a big lead - in the NBA finals no less, against a team like the lakers.

You think that if it can happen to them, it can't happen to a bunch of 18-20 year olds that fully expected to beat this Buffalo team on Saturday?

That's all that happened on Saturday, all of the rest of this belly-aching is exactly that - people belly aching.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Let me ask you this Spack. Edsall successfully went for it on fourth-and-1 at our own 20 to win a huge game. First, do you think DeLeone/PP would have the balls to do that? Two, could we successfully execute it - I mean starting with getting the play in from above and the sideline in plenty of time?

I disagree that the "cupboard was bare". Maybe the line isn't as strong as previous years and Lyle for all his upside is not Jim Brown. We are NOT a power football team on offense and for GD/PP to run plays as if we are, at a minimum, is unfair to the players who DO have skills to succeed with a different, slightly more innovative playbook and mindset. And I GUARANTEE Edsall, for all his offensive faults, would not be running McCombs up the middle on first and second down almost every freakin single time.

I'm not worried about the players learning from the last two weeks. Im more worried about the coaches.

And please, quit blithely dismissing those who criticize the playcalling as a small group or uninformed and those who agree as "sheep". Thankfully, I believe the guy who signs PP/GD paychecks is more inclined to be on our side than the other.

Edsall trusted his players to get that first down, do you think these players have earned the coaches trust yet? Do you think they've repeatedly been given opportunity to earn that trust?

I don't know what players you are talking about that aren't being given a chance to succeed.

 

[ZooCougar]

Randy had a hard time recruiting WRs and QBs because of the 1980s offense and the bad playcalling. I am with you 100%, but you old apologists seem awful funny to me right now because a lot of the nonsense we see with P and D was the same exact awfulness that we saw with Rangoon.

Personally, I give Rangoon credit for modernizing the program, P doesn't have deal with that.

First, I get that you're a "glass half full" guy. I was also, with RE, and gave him every break. I was an apologist, but, and here's a big but: Randy's play calling was not ok back then. Not, not, not. We, and I think that applies to most of us, hated his play calling. It was bland, vanilla, unimaginative. I gave him a pass because he had such a hard time recruiting quarterbacks and wide receivers to Uconn - not without good reason mind you, but he made the most of what he had. It was not ok, however.

Now, as Nelson pointed out on another thread, the spread offense is the modern theory, and it looks like it's working at many, many programs. For you to applaud our coaches for remaining with an outdated offense, manned by players who are not physically superior even to MAC defensive lines, and with a running back who weighs 170 lbs., is well --- hey, I like your passion, we're all on the same side here, but you're just mistaken. I'll leave it at that. It is the play calling.