MSU Snowflakes Thread: Coaching

Submitted by LSAClassOf2000 on

This will be your thread for snowflakes and hot takes about the overall coaching for this game against MSU.

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ThirdVanGundy

October 17th, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^

Didn't tell him to just fall on it? They aren't excused from this. It's their fault also. Think of all the times UM should have beaten UM and they blew it. Full fucking circle.

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robpollard

October 17th, 2015 at 8:41 PM ^

We'll see what he says, but whether he "knows" or not, I am sure he was focused on "catch ball, kick ball quickly" and when he screwed up the "catch ball" part (perhaps b/c he went to the "kick ball" part to early), he panicked and tried to kick it to salvage the play. I'm sure his mind was going a million miles an hour.

I am guessing the coaches didn't even cover "Ok, if you drop the ball, just fall on it..." b/c they don't even want him thinking about that. They want him focused on success. Again, we'll see what they say.

I'd love for college football players to be rational, but they're not -- they make stupid mistakes all the time, particularly ones without a lot of game experience.

Hell, we just watched this week Elvis Andrus botch *two* easy grounders in a deciding game, and he's a professional. It happens. I wish to the heavens it didn't happen, but it did.

Joined: 06/03/2009

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killerseafood3

October 17th, 2015 at 10:29 PM ^

I know it happens, and it sucks..

but to say the coaches didn't cover a botched snap? You lost me there. Baxter has been touted as this special teams genius. You have to drill it into their heads - this is what happens when things go right, wrong, in the middle. 

incredibly shitty way to lose a game, no doubt. It'll bring the defense back down to earth as our pass defense is not where it needs to be, but after everything is said and done, that game was ours and it slipped through by a horrible play. Silver lining to a gray cloud. 

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robpollard

October 17th, 2015 at 11:19 PM ^

I know it makes 100% sense, now, to say "why didn't you drill into his head, multiple times on the sideline, that if you drop the snap, just fall on it" but I'll be interested to learn if Baxter actually did that.

My guess (and it's only a guess) is he didn't b/c of the reason I said -- he doesn't want to plant failure in his mind. Coaches handle kickers (and I assume punters) psychology in a weird way.

Regardless, I still think the biggest failure of coaching was our formation. We should have done whatever is the punt formation equivalent of the victory formation - maximum blocking, with a fail-safe player in case something gets botched.

 

Joined: 06/03/2009

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turtleboy

October 17th, 2015 at 7:34 PM ^

No special teams thread? Seems like the elephant in the room. 6 years running State has played an obvious defense that lives or dies by its aggression. We finally got a good coaching staff and they played right into the defenses strengths. Again. Entire second half we called plays that favored our opponent and gave us 3rd and long.

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BlueCube

October 17th, 2015 at 7:40 PM ^

is simply trying to not make a mistake. There were plenty of open receivers to hit. I think they call a different game with more confidence in the QB which hopefully we have next year.

State stepped up. I give them credit for that but we lost the game with some help from the refs. MSU didn't win.

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KingRJ

October 17th, 2015 at 7:34 PM ^

I can't believe the stupidity of the punter. Fumbles happen but not to fall on it is unacceptable. UNBELIEVABLE!! I am sick to my stomach.

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Yeoman

October 18th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^

But it's the right play. When the ball's on the ground and there are bad guys around, falling on it is pretty much always the right thing to do.

Under pressure you don't always do the right thing. That's life. These games wouldn't be nearly as much fun to watch or play if everyone was perfect all the time.

Joined: 06/08/2011

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UMProud

October 17th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^

We killed ourselves in that game. The only positive I can take away is we had many areas of weakness exposed that the coaches can address before OSU rolls into town

Joined: 12/18/2014

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GoBlueBill

October 17th, 2015 at 7:44 PM ^

Seems to me they tried to run the ball too much . Did they try to pass even one time on a first down? Correct me if im wrong but I dont think they did. 

I am numb to this loss, but I take heart in knowing this.  MSU did not beat Michigan today . Michigan beat Michigan today

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ppudge

October 17th, 2015 at 7:49 PM ^

Coaching gets a fail today. Offense was inept and special teams - though they were great for most of the game - needed to make sure that O'Neill knew to fall on it there instead of trying to fucking kick it.

Joined: 10/19/2008

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maizenbluenc

October 17th, 2015 at 9:04 PM ^

This game is what I expected. I told a UGA friend, we were going to hit a game against a good run defense that was going to force us to pass to open the run, and that is where our lack of a developed QB was going to challenge us. They (the offense, including Rudock) actually put enough points on the board to win.

If anything the defense underwhelmed against a beat up MSU OL, but held on, and came through in the last series.

Luck was not with us.

 

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cbs650

October 17th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^

Gotta play to win on last drive and I feel coaches got complacent. I know you know want the big mistake but MSU had no timeout and you needed a first down to ice the game and every run was up the middle while MSU is stacking the box. Also I'm shocked Johnson didn't get carries it seems.

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Danwillhor

October 17th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^

play the hindsight game as I literally pointed out that the long punt snap is scary before our last timeout. I want to think a quick snap fake there seals it or simply implimenting a full on protection (I think we split 2 guys wide) or whatever but it came down to snapping a punt, catching it and kicking it - period. They'd try for a return that would waste much or all of the clock and have nothing but guys coming back to block in backs. If the punt gets off there is a VERY little chance we lose. Almost 0%. Yet, we could have won by gaining 3 yards, guys. The 2nd down play had msu LBs damn near take the ball from Rudock. Run a FB or PA rollout, etc. Anything. Yet, all you have to do is snap, catch and nick. Game over. So, I can't 2nd guess any of that but my biggest concern came true in that Rudock isn't a guy that can read a field. It sounds arrogant but we win comfortably if he (hits Chesson but not my point) sees/hits all the wide open receivers he didn't even look at. Yet, we had the game won! Despite a QB that's average at his best and refs handing it to msu. Snap the ball, catch the snap and kick - game over 99% likelihood. I wanted to throw up for the first 10 mins after. Legit throw up but now I'm just......I can only question how willing we seemingly were to let the defense win it. As I thought we would we played into their strengths as an offense. I don't want to wait a year.....it was time to play osu for a B1G Title spot. I can't believe I called it and that's making me sick but MD was mouthing to get ready for the block on 1st down. I don't know why we'd do anything but absolute max protect.

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AmayzNblue

October 17th, 2015 at 8:12 PM ^

I didn't write anything on this board, but I was shouting in my house not to punt. Punts at critical junctures in games are the easiest way to make major mistakes. A long snap and catch has a million ways to go wrong. All we had to do was run one running play or a play action roll out to burn as much clock as possible and likely get a first down. Play to win, don't play not to lose.



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Danwillhor

October 17th, 2015 at 9:20 PM ^

the staff played the overwhelming odds despite my literally saying how scary a punt snap is if we didn't get those 3 yards. You punt, we did and everything that could have gone wrong did. I was worried about a high snap or bad snap but not a kinda low snap, bobbled, picked up, knocked out of punter's hands directly into a sprinting defender to a TD. Literally worse than I'd imagined as I imagined a bad snap and FG attempt/hail mary. The was.....lol....I'm at the stage of laughing acceptance despite the pain. Anyway, you kick there every time. I just wonder if the bobble was due to a potential fake pass up top. I doubt it but that's a gimme. I think he just bobbled it but I don't hate the guy. You have to let him know every possible outcome before that play as you had 3 TOs before the play. Still, gain 10 and it's over. That play lost the game but we shouldn't have been in that position. Anyway, you punt every time there because even if he gets off a 20 yard shank or whatever, the odds they win are extremely small. We can play Captain Hindsight all night but the freakiest play of our lives just happened at the end lol. Can't coach that out of anyone other than to fall on it. It's all the bashing I have wrt that last play. Oh, and not using MAX protect. I'm lost there, too.

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Year of Revenge II

October 17th, 2015 at 9:54 PM ^

I will agree in hindsight Max Protect makes more sense, but I was not even thinking about it, just telling myself, "Catch the ball", and then,...

It was like the Gods on Olympus made him drop it, and everything else was surreal as if Garo Yepremian (old Lions play) had returned from the dead.

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Danwillhor

October 17th, 2015 at 10:16 PM ^

Exactly. It didn't feel real and it was like a self fulfilled prophecy. I (many here) were thinking or saying how scary that long snap is and then it not only happens but a checklist of what not to do/have happen ensued. Craziest play of my lifetime in context. I can't be mad. I was thinking I was going to puke for a solid minute (genuinely puke lol) but you can't get angry there. Incredulous? Sure. Go insane? Yup. Anger? I can't. It was THAT crazy. I'm WAY more upset/bothered by the lack of setup. They came with all 11, correct? They even have a guy back? I assumed they did but I'm hearing they rushed 10. If so, why do we have 2 split wide when one has nobody across from him? Should he have scooted in to block? Also, I think the line all cutblocked to disaster so msu had at least 8-10 guys damn near back there at the time of the dropped snap. Even if they had a man back, you don't send anyone knowing that they'd be blocking from your back if it's in bounds. First real major coach snafu, IMO. Still, it's a lot of hindsight for sure.

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