Question for Experts

[Mulligan]

For someone who likes to think he sees the "bigger picture" in life, I spend way too much time pondering the Gophers and being on GopherHole. But, hey, I'm retired, it's November and I don't hunt so it's a fairly harmless activity.

I would like people with coaching experience, high school or college, or playing experience in college to tell me what they think are the basic reasons for ineptitude at times this year. How could we be so bad against such a weak opponent so late in the season Saturday? What do you see as the primary cause: preparation, discipline, talent, philosophy, experience, fundamentals, game decisions, scheme, motivation, etc.? Maybe too much to ask for on this board, but I'd hope the snarky GHers don't post.

I don't want Brewster fired and still support him because I still think he's our best hope instead of starting over. But I'd like to know if someone with some expertise can give me an explanation of what we saw. There have been all sorts of opinions given about Brewster, but most of us have a football knowledge gotten from playing in high school and/or remembering bits of information we get from reporters and announcers.

Some critics disparage them, but this staff has been involved in football all of their adult lives. They know a whole lot more about football than the average person giving opinions on this board will ever know. There's not a doubt in my mind that they work extremely hard at their jobs. So why are we not having more success? I'd like the whys of our poor offensive line play or Weber's erratic play or lack of running attack or blown assignments or penalties. Maybe asking the impossible since I would bet this coaching staff is trying to figure out the whys also. A little actual discussion instead of the same opinions over and over would be a good way to start the week.

 

[monk10]

My major concern is the co-ordinator revolving door. The kids aren't running the basic plays for 4 years to fall back on while working on the specific plays for this weeks game plan. We once again are starting fresh with a new DC (who was hopefully trying to reuse the foundation of last year's defense), a new OC with a new O-Line coach. If you will notice the thing that is struggling the most is the group that isn't reusing things from last year's team, the offense. There have been a lot of people complaining that we haven't used that "reuse" concept with the offense. We had a pretty good finense o-line blocking scheme that relied on 5-7 blockers who would pull and cut. We are trying to become a more stay on your feet and drive your man. That concept is counter to the type of linemen we had. So what you get is basically the concept of trying to reteach everything that you would hope have been in the pipeline for the kid's first 2-3years.

For example, in high school you have your the younger kids learn the terminology, the fundamentals along with your core package. By the time they are seniors they have been running ISO for 4+ years. It has been taught the same way, it is called the same way, and hopefully the kid just knows how to react to the play as it is developing during game time. Some districts even have the plays handed down to the youth leagues. So they are entering jr. high with the concepts started, and then are enforced over 6 years before their senior year of playing. That kind of foundation allows you to switch your ISO to specific blocking changes ISO-G, ISO-J etc given the defense. You only need to focus on the wrinkle and not the whole play. In addition anyone knew to your team can be buffered by the other 9-10people who should know what they are doing.

If you watch any given play on offense you can see that we struggle at every position. The one thing that we seem to be decent at is running the zone-read (the offense we had been running for about 2 years), which of course makes sense.

I expect to see more consistency in the offense next year, and even more so the year after (of course that is assuming the boo birds or money holders don't have us start this process over again).

 

[SunGopher]

With the new offense, I believe Weber is calling the blocking scheme for the line. In the past, I know it was the lineman who decided what they were going to do. Add that to complex playbook that Fisch has and I believe Weber's head is spinning at times. At the very least he is thinking too much and not reacting like he would be able to do had he been in the same system for 2-4 years. The equivalent of 2 more spring balls before next season will help the offense immensely and I expect much better production from them as a whole.

I for one think our defense had played well all year, yeah we may have statistically the worst defense in the big ten but with all the extra time on the field the yards pile up skewing the stats. And with the younger guys that have been getting experience, we'll be good on defense next year as well.

 

[Gophers09]

Agree

I pretty much agree with what everyone has said here. The coaches we have definitely understand the game as Mulligan says (is it a little better or a little worse than another given staff - who knows but I would think its similar). I agree that the biggest problem has been the revolving coordinators and the drastic changes in system (especially on offense). From what I can tell, Fisch's offense is a complicated one for college (especially for the quarterback with the number of reads and calls he is responsible for) as well as very different than what we practiced for two years. Hopefully next year the offense will come much more naturally for the players and certain things will be simplified if necessary to create better execution.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I agree that the offense is putting too much on the QB. Case in point when the Gophers had to use back to back time outs on Saturday. Weber was not able to get what he needed to get done in the 25 play clock.

The illegal formations also show that they are doing too much and need to simplify. I am an official and always look at formations. Gophers have way too many blunders in lining up correctly. Last year the Gophers simplified their defense and it showed as they players did much better executing and that has continued. Hope the offense can have the same result.

 

[monk10]

In the beginning of the year we spent a lot of time trying to get Decker in different positions. We could probably simplify our formations at this point, however I have always been a fan of some pre-movement. It can tip the hand of a defense, so I guess at this point I would rather continue to keep using it so the players get more practice. You can see in the last couple of weeks a lot more deliberate requests by receivers to see if they are lined up correctly.

 

[goldfan24]

I agree with everything above. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet and dealt with by the O-Coodinator is the excess time taken to get the play into the QB. If you DVR the games, you will notice the confused look on Weber's face throughout each series as the play gets relayed to him. Usually he has less than 10-12 seconds to get the team to the line and call signals and whoever calls the blocking scheme has about 3-5 seconds. This accounts for most of the errors in blocking and mis-reads by the RB's and WR's. When you add to this the fact that the WR's, RB's, TE's are running on and off the field between plays there is no wonder the confusion and chaos that we see takes place constantly throughout each series. There were several plays Saturday when the WR's thought a running play was called and stayed on the line to block only to find out a pass play was called. Weber was sacked or threw it away each time leading to a 2nd or 3rd and long.

The fact that JF has an entire different offense than the past 2 years plus the complicated method of getting the plays into the QB has lead to what we have watched this season. This has to be fixed after the Iowa game so the Gophers are not embarressed in their bowl game next month.

Saturday, watch how quickly Iowa's FRESHMAN QB gets to the line compared to Weber. This will be his 2nd start compared to Weber's 37th. JF has to simplify the signals and end the play to play substitution to give the offense a chance to move the ball. Everyone in my section (213) has noticed all the above since the Air Force game and it has only gotten worse as more of the play-book has been implemented. This style of offense takes 2 years to learn not 3-4 months. Everyone here know Weber has had to learn 3 systems in his 4 years. The rest of the Juniors and Seniors are in the same boat.

If the young offensive players are to be successful in the next 2-5 years, this offense needs to be simplified for everyone so everybody is on the same page each play....

 

[husker70]

Add to all that

The seeming disconnect from Coach Brewster's intent, the hire of Coach Davis, the mural at the end of the Tunnel, and Coach Fisch's 1000 page playbook. Add to that flashing the signs to Weber. It raises questions of whether the play call is actually and exactly called in the huddle. And then there are audibles. And possible protection changes. Having the QB call the protection is just too much. Adam Weber is not Payton Manning. Whose to say its not the line, but it is the protection call? When Weber gets the snap and has to duck, someting isn't right.

 

[Maximus]

You have a head coach who's never been a coordinator hiring someone who's never been a coordinator.

 

[Mulligan]

A sincere thank you, folks. I knew what things weren't working, but you have given some insight as to why they're not working.