Play Selection by Down Against Kent St

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matt

matt

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1st Down: 23 runs, 3 passes (1 pass was play action)
2nd Down: 14 runs, 11 passes
3rd Down: 4 runs, 16 passes (1 run was a QB sneak on 3rd and 1 and the other 3 runs came on the last 3 3rd downs of the game when they were nursing the lead)

Every run was designed to go between the tackles and there was no read option. It's easy to play defense when you are confident you can put 8 or 9 in the box every 1st down and put 2 extra defensive backs on the field on 3rd down. I think it was a conscious decision to use such a vanilla game plan and the coaching staff probably thought they'd be able to cruise to an easy win without any creativity. I also think that was a big mistake. They should definitely consider using more play action on 1st and 2nd down. There's no point to running play action on 3rd down though unless you have less than 3 yards to go.

There were very few positives from the offense today. QB play, the O-line, and ball security were all disappointing. I think by far the number one issue today was play calling though. And while disappointing, I'm not going to hold the O-line completely responsible for failing to open holes against 9 people in the box.
 

Yup. Play selection was a huge issue....and while I understand that the staff thought that they could cruise to a win....once it was actually still a game into the second half.....they've got to open up the playbook. A loss right there would have been devastating.
 


matt said:
1st Down: 23 runs, 3 passes (1 pass was play action)
2nd Down: 14 runs, 11 passes
3rd Down: 4 runs, 16 passes (1 run was a QB sneak on 3rd and 1 and the other 3 runs came on the last 3 3rd downs of the game when they were nursing the lead)

Every run was designed to go between the tackles and there was no read option. It's easy to play defense when you are confident you can put 8 or 9 in the box every 1st down and put 2 extra defensive backs on the field on 3rd down. I think it was a conscious decision to use such a vanilla game plan and the coaching staff probably thought they'd be able to cruise to an easy win without any creativity. I also think that was a big mistake. They should definitely consider using more play action on 1st and 2nd down. There's no point to running play action on 3rd down though unless you have less than 3 yards to go.

There were very few positives from the offense today. QB play, the O-line, and ball security were all disappointing. I think by far the number one issue today was play calling though. And while disappointing, I'm not going to hold the O-line completely responsible for failing to open holes against 9 people in the box.
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt. Nice post.
 

Does anyone know if Coach Kill allows or encourages the QB to check at the line of scrimmage and change the play? Get out of a run and go to a pass or vice versa?
 



Limegrover runs on first down about 85 percent of the time. A little less on second. Thre is no mystery to defending it. It's a matter of who has the best guys.

I suggest Limegrover and or kill:

Turn on the Stanford game and watch a primarily run-based team use creative passing in synergy with the run calls. This is a varied offense that varies with the opponent.
 

PLay Selection

great post

Has anyone from the staff stated why they have not run a jet sweep? The stubbornness of the play calling is unbelievable. We have had hardly any screen passes however several pass completions today of negative yards.
 

husker70 said:
Does anyone know if Coach Kill allows or encourages the QB to check at the line of scrimmage and change the play? Get out of a run and go to a pass or vice versa?
Click to expand...

Apparently not because at one point KS left a WR completely uncovered until just before the snap and only after we had run down the play clock. If we had recognized the WR was not being accounted for by the D and changed the play, it would have been an easy six. But I'm guessing we decided to stick to the game plan and run it between the tackles.
 



Good post.

Clearly the game plan, especially as the game went along & after the Still fumble, was to not take any chances. I understand the want to be vanilla. What frustrates me is that you can still be vanilla and do some things to make things easier. Bubble screens and quick outs to Woli seem to be pretty low risk plays and aren't anything that opposing coaches don't know about. Seems like that would help kind of open up the middle a tad so the runs up the middle would have a bit more opportunity to succeed.

I really think the Still fumble gave them pause. They knew the O-Line wasn't effective and didn't want to have another critical mistake. On to Ohio!
 

No read option is what drove me nuts. It was there for Leidner to keep it.
 

Nice post! I've been wondering the same thing about the read option, has been such a huge part of the offense the last 4 years. They are protecting Mitch instead of running it, or allowing the QB to run it. There was a 2nd and 2 or 3 at midfield yesterday and I was thinking perfect time for play action. Mitch got to the line and the whole D was creeping to the line, I was begging for an audible (if play action wasn't called in huddle) but he just took the snap and handed off and we lost 2 or 3 yards. There just seems to be no continuity in the play calling. I think they need to get back to the read option more, it's there bread and butter. Can't worry about the QB run when that's your offense.


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