Blitz overload no helpy
I don't believe I saw one screen pass of any sort, nor any adjustments in game plan to compensate for this. Did Gorgeous just brain freeze or what? I was screaming at my tv "THROW A SCREEN FERGODSAKES!" or anything but to no avail.
Thoughts....concerns. Is this the blueprint to beat us?
GO BLUE!
October 15th, 2011 at 7:08 PM ^
I was thinking the same thing all game long. It seems like a WR screen of some sort is the obvious response to being blitzed up the middle.
October 16th, 2011 at 10:43 AM ^
With all of the guys that MSU had inside the hashes (9 most of the time) in order to stop Denard and the run game, I think this is why the bubble screens are a vital component in order to stop the other team from doing what MSU did.
RR understood that bubble screens are a vital component in keeping opposing teams honest and from doing what MSU did. I hope that Borges realizes it now, or we are in for another long finish to the season.
October 16th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
The bubble screen isn't really designed to combat press coverage, which is what MSU was frequently playing. It's designed to counteract defenses that are in zone coverage, which is the standard defense against a running QB. In press coverage, the timing of the play can be screwed up by the jam at the line of scrimmage.
The best way to attack press coverage is to throw over the top. That requires giving the QB time. I know Brian doesn't like rollouts, but I think rolling the pocket could have helped Denard yesterday.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
Disclaimer: I don't know a ton about this. That being said I'm not sure you can just call screens without knowing or anticipating where the blitz is coming from. I think at some level that is on Denard to recognize and audible.
With that out there, its ultimately on the coaches to not prepare their players to properly do that. They had to know MSU was going to blitz all day, and they needed a better game plan than what was shown today.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^
has the power to audible into a different plays. It's on the coaches.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
ND did it all game and nearly beat us with it. Denard can check out of plays but never does. Whether or not borges gives him the green light for that or not I have no idea. Also doesn't help we're bleeding the play clock constantly.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:24 PM ^
out of plays this season on a few occasions.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
Incorrect. My 10 year old son has audibles he can call. Still shouldve been called a run first.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
Do you really need to let us know you have an iPhone? this is 2011 almost 2012, millions of folks have iPhones these day.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:53 PM ^
I agree, but I'm pretty sure the MgoBlog iOS app does that automatically
October 15th, 2011 at 7:54 PM ^
The MGoBlog app uses "posted from iPhone" as the default subject when making a post.
October 15th, 2011 at 8:08 PM ^
Sorry, folks. I did not know that.
Also, I'm just really pissed off and in a crabby mood. I didn't mean to sound like an asshole. Losing four straight to those assholes is really hard to swallow.
October 16th, 2011 at 6:56 AM ^
he mad
October 15th, 2011 at 7:39 PM ^
Every college team has audibles. Hell, you have audibles in youth football. Completely wrong.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:50 PM ^
checked into the plays but it's not necessarily on the QBs to call for it. QBs don't have that much freedom to do it.
For example, at UGA under Richt, even with the all-time winningest QB in the country(at the time), David Greene, he never has freedom to call for audibles at the LOS. However, Matt Stafford was the first and only QB under Richt to have complete freedom to audibles at LOS. There are some degree of control, but never a complete control. I doubt the coaches would give Denard complete freedom to call for audibles at anytime he wants to. Usually, it's limited to two plays to check into pass or run.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
Redundant
October 15th, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^
We spent the bulk of the day in shotgun/spread-ish formations and ran the inside zone read (rarely) as the only non-Denard rushing option. You can't do that and not take any steps to keep the defense honest horizontally. If you don't throw the bubble screen or run a toss play or do anything else to keep guys out of the box, a team like MSU can tee off on the QB and blitz those guys in the middle of the field thinking they can get to Denard before he finds somebody on a route over the middle.
The QB Oh Noes and other big play opportunities came about because teams feared Denard's legs AND had to be agressive on the edge to avoid getting bubbled to death. This year only one of those threats is there but we are still running a watered down version of the Rodriguez offense rather than relying on what Borges knows and is comfortable with.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
We really don't try to establish anything. We abandoned the run early. A few screens keep those corners home or go the play goes to the house.. Offensive adjustments were seriously lacking. Denard hasn't looked comfortable since last year..
October 15th, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
I don't understand why the snap count stayed the same the entire game. MSU was clearly able to time their blitzes.
Denard puts his hand down. Ball is snapped. Every. Single. Time.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:16 PM ^
But I know first play of the game they did a hard count and got an offsides. Not sure if they went away from that but yea they sure did seem to time everything perfectly. As if they were listening in on our huddles.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:44 PM ^
We did a hard count the first snap and after that we had some grace time. Unfortunately after that we kept taking way too long in the huddle, so that by the time we got to the line on most plays there was only a few seconds left on the Play Clock. That was part of the reason why the MSU LB's were able to jump the snap, cause they know the ball HAS to be snapped or we'll get a 5 yard penalty
October 15th, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
Wasn't Roundtree's touchdown the direct result of a blitz? Or were the announcers just making that up.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:28 PM ^
I would have liked to have seen more of those responses to what MSU was doing.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
The pass that turned into a pick-six was a hot read. Unfortunately, Smith wasn't on the same page as Denard. The QBs and WRs didn't seem to be communicating well on a few plays today.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:24 PM ^
I have no clue why we haven't thrown one bubble screen all year. Teams kill our D with that and Mich St. was obviously stacking the box. I don't understand why we don't try and get the ball out on the edge and let our guys make plays. I also don't understand why Michael Shaw didn't see anytime today. Again Mich St. was sending guys up the middle all game and it didn't seem like we every tried to run the ball outside. This game was clearly on the coaches. We had no clue on offense...Al was clearly lost out there today.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:34 PM ^
October 15th, 2011 at 7:39 PM ^
Our backs carried the ball 10 times (for 4.5 ypc). 4 of those carries came on the first drive (the only successful one all day).
We never forced MSU to defend the non-Denard run while also doing nothing to keep them off balance in the passing game, and as a result they teed off on Denard all day.
October 15th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^
Stat of the day.
October 16th, 2011 at 9:53 AM ^
We did abandon the run, but Denard is the one that should have had more true carries. Yes, four of the RB carries came on the first drive for about 40 of the 45 yards. That leaves 6 carries for the other 5 yards. Every time the tried to hand off to a back, an MSU player was hitting the running back as soon as the had the ball. How many designed carries did Denard really have. Most of his carries were scrambles. Even the announcers kept yelling for more carries by Denard. And if you want RB carries, where was Fitz?
October 15th, 2011 at 7:36 PM ^
Hoke knew this was going to happen: blitz and make DROB beat you with his arm. Another man in the backfield would have helped protect drob and give him more time to throw. And I don't mean a 170lb V. Smith but more like a FB or TE to add more beef.
October 15th, 2011 at 9:10 PM ^
Just finished seeing a stat on ESPN that in blitzing situtations this season, Denard has thrown the ball 57 times with a 49% completion percentage, and been picked 7 times including 1 today. That's 12% of all blitz passing attempts that have resulted in a pick. Last year he threw only 1 pick on 80 blitz attempts, and completed 66% of his passes while doing so.
He's regressing as a passer, and the coaches need to do a better job of protecting him, and putting him in situations where he can succeed.
October 15th, 2011 at 9:52 PM ^
Bingo.
October 15th, 2011 at 9:36 PM ^
What are his rushing stats in those situations?
October 16th, 2011 at 2:13 AM ^
I dont recall if it was 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 because i was drunk, but the play-action off the goaline-fitz-over-the-top play had to be the dumbest call of the day...particularly in light of all the blitzing. A slow developing play in a short-yardage situation...in a field position game...it makes no sense to put your happy footed qb in a position to get tackled 10 yds behind the LOS before he can scan the field. He's the most dangerous weapon and you handicap him at a crucial moment. 1 or 2 plays decide close games and that play call was case-in-point of being too cute. We couldnt run the ball all day, but that play, and the pick six were the difference in the ball game.
October 16th, 2011 at 9:55 AM ^
Actually, it was 4th down and about 3 inches. But, yes, that was the dumbest call of the day.
October 16th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
Denard has to do a better job reading the blitz.