Sunday Snowflakes Thread
Now that we've had a night to sleep it off and, if you're a glutton for punishment like me, maybe even watched the game again, have your feelings about the game changed at all?
I guess the thing that totally escaped me immediately after the loss was that we were able to come in after the half, down 11 points and play pretty well to go up 10 by midway through the 4th. That's pretty decent for a team averaging 1 YPC on the ground. Gardner looked genuinely good, with some nice throws deep and good decision making, especially on when to scramble. Nice to see him bounce back after a bad start, unlike the implosion at UConn. We also ran a lot more read option than I remember too, to good effect.
On the other hand, watching it again, it's almost more infuriating we took our foot off the gas. In the moment, I was too petrified to appreciate that we were actually having some success on offense throwing it around. Even the ground game started to loosen up a little as PSU adjusted. Why go back in the predictable pattern that got you destroyed in the first quarter? I can sorta understand not throwing it, but to abandon the veer and other read option plays that worked to go back to I-forming it into a 9 man box is just stupid.
Once we were in OT, I'm no longer too upset about the play calling. You stopped the guys and a FG from the 25 wins it. Given Gibbon's record recently, it's hard to predict we'd miss twice. In OT2 and 4 where we were on offense first, I thought play calling was ok given our deficiencies and not totally trusting Gardner.
Our O-line was attrocious all night. Bryant and Kalis were both getting put on skates. Terrible, high technique just asking to have Penn State's guys to put them on their heals. I wouldn't be surprised to hear Bryant was playing hurt, because that was not the same guy we saw last week. Bryant actually got benched for Burzinyski, who was probably worse so I'm guessing it wasn't just performance related. A somewhat brighter note. Magnuson played a whole half at tackle and Gardner didn't get killed. I went to bed wanting Funk to get fired right away, and I can't say a night's sleep to calm down has really changed my mind. It may not be all on him, but we need a total re-boot at this point.
TL:DR: After calming down and a night's sleep, I realized we played better than I remembered the second half, right up until we pissed it away by going back to I-form. O Line is still a huge problem, bad night for Kalis and Bryant. Fire Funk.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:40 PM ^
All my snowflakes have melted :(
October 13th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
No they have not changed. Fire Funk. Fire Borges.
October 13th, 2013 at 6:00 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 9:12 PM ^
I find this kind of picture stupid, amateurish, and moronic.
It has him wearing a headset.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 3:45 PM ^
On the drive PSU kicked a FG to be down seven, they got aided by a shady (non-existent) pass interference call. I refuse to watch the game again, but it was maybe 3rd and 8 so Penn State would have had to punt the ball with about 7-8 minutes left. Just wanted to post this in case anyone else remembered this call.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
Yes, on Morgan. Even Millen said it was a weak call. I think you see that called sometimes, and by the letter of the rule it is a penalty, but they were letting other stuff go (like Oline holding on both sides, and only calling the more egregious penalties.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
When number 43 made that "great play" on the ball when it was thrown to Butt near the end zone, it was hardcore pass interference on PSU. Not that I think the refs won or lost the game, but it certainly sucks seeing no call there. Not to mention all the blatant holding stuff, even though Michigan held some too.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 3:53 PM ^
I actually feel better about Borges. He made adjustments that got us going in the 2nd half that I forgot about. The end of regulation play calling should be on Hoke. He needs to be more involved and if he feels we need to stay agressive, he needs to tell Borges that. Obviously, he wanted to run out the clock as well.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:26 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:32 PM ^
It's a two-way street though. Gardner has turned it over on some perfectly good playcalls by Borges. On his second INT, Gallon was wide open on the sideline but Gardner telegraphed it and threw it too low.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
I guess I should have framed that as "I was REALLY pissed about the play calling last night, I am slightly less so after seeing some signs of life I forgot about after a re-watch."
October 13th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
Will re watch this game...
October 13th, 2013 at 3:56 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:02 PM ^
If Gardner was still playing QB last year, I think we win that game. The other games I totally agree that our offensive gameplan was the blame for us losing.
Hoke's not firing anyone in midseason. So the best you can hope for is Borges calling the same game he called the first 3 1/2 quarters and not to abandon the read option.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:33 PM ^
behinds than we have lost, and nothing like the epic losses under RR and Lloyd, both of whom I supported. People who ONLY want to jawbone minus facts should take a second powder; you're contributing zero at this stage.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:41 PM ^
You can't lay this game all on Borges. It was a teamwide loss. The D stunk in the redzone most of the night (I believe PSU went 4-4 on redzone TDs in regulation) and gave up an 80-yard drive in 25 seconds, while the FG unit somehow managed to miss three game-winning field goal attempts, which I don't think I've ever seen happen in a football game before.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^
i agree that hoke (even all the coaches) should probably have headsets; if only to know what play is being called and you can focus on individual responsibilities as the play develops. i would think the gametime analysis would be easier if you can picture what the play should look like before it is actually run. he also could could suggest plays on either side of the ball, if he feels strongly enough about a certain play/scheme.
October 13th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
I don't like Hoke's "let's give this guy another chance" over and over again strategy. I get it when a receiver drops the ball one time and you throw it to him again....but like against Akron Gardner should have been sitting for one series after coughing the ball up a bunch of times.
In this game, missing the first kick can hardly be blamed on Gibbons and neither can the second one....but how do you PLAY for the field goal a third time when it went badly twice already? It's understandable that getting a kick blocked and barely missing a 50+ yarder get into your head a little bit. Then you lose five yards on an inexcusable delay of game to make it even harder for him??
Try and punch the damn ball in. Worst case scenario is that you turn the ball over and bring things back to square one with another overtime.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:10 PM ^
We didn't just play for the FG. We threw a pass to Gallon for 10 yards (but the officials ruled it went for 9) and then tried to pick up the first down on the ground but it failed. That set up a 33-yarder that almost any college kicker, and certainly Gibbons, should make.
Overall, I think the coaches made some mistakes, but people here are magnifying them into something more than they were. We went for the high-percentage play again and again (most coaches would have tried to run out the clock in regulation, and most would have set up the FG in OT when the other team didn't score) but were very, very unfortunate to have it never work out. In order for us to lose, PSU had to go 80 yards in 50 seconds and then we had to miss three field goal attempts with a chance to win.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:15 PM ^
I'm still baffled how that pass to Gallon in OT wasn't a first down.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:27 PM ^
When Gallon caught the ball, he was at the marker. All he had to do was go down or give up when the defender was trying to tackle him. Instead he fought for more yardage, which resulted in him getting pushed back during the process and he had to try to regain the line again.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:30 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^
what you said would be correct only if the defender had released him and then re-engaged him to tackle him a yard back. but you can't push a player backwards while he is fighting for yardage unless he himself runs backward to try to evade the defender. it was a terrible spot and ridiculous that the officials did not overturn the spot
October 13th, 2013 at 6:33 PM ^
Forward progress, as others have stated. It was clearly a first down.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:40 PM ^
Unless the officicals saw an angle that we didn't, it's because it was called short and they didn't have a definitive angle to over-turn. It was the classic "Stands as Called," vs "Confirmed."
October 13th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^
Do they ever change the spot of the ball on those plays? I cant remember the last time they changed the spot on a non-scoring play.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^
I agree the pass to Gallon was not playing for the FG, but the run sure as heck was. The way our running game was that play was more than likely going nowhere. Why not either 1) throw a fade and try to score a TD or 2) kick it on 3rd down (in case of bad snap...)?
October 13th, 2013 at 7:08 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:13 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:21 PM ^
It's not that shocking when you consider that in two of the first three OTs, PSU didn't score. In that situation, almost any coach is going to set up the FG attempt. It's not just Hoke. Most coaches don't want to risk a sack or turnover.
In the fourth OT, we went first and tried to get a TD, but the officials swallowed their whistle on what sure looked like interference (only to call it on us in PSU's possession).
October 13th, 2013 at 4:22 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:18 PM ^
I would have complaints about the performance of the team. We have an O-line problem. We have a turnover machine QB. We can't run the ball. This team is SOFT and not technically sound. There are egregious mental mistakes throughout the game. There have been no improvements. We just lost to a team on NCAA sanctions with scholarship reductions.
Fair or not, these coaches make big bucks to do a job and they are not performing well right now, so heavy criticism is warranted.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:15 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 7:22 PM ^
Hoke's post game suggested it was both. He sat a couple plays after the drive where Funchess dropped the pass in the endzone and we settled for a FG, then was back for a couple more, then sat the rest of the way. My guess is he wasn't 100% and wasn't able to play through it well enough to keep on the field. Burzinyski didn't really do too much better, in fact he looked pretty damn bad too.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:16 PM ^
..watch the game again? Seriously?
October 13th, 2013 at 4:22 PM ^
Because the tide has not completely subsided, this will be the daily snowflake thread. Similar guidelines, but less specialized.
If I had one, it would be that I am curious as to what the "Danger - Never Use" portion of the offensive playbook might be at this point. It seems like we've simplified the scheme a bit for the sake of personnel, which is fine, but I wonder if sometimes we're undershooting what these kids might be able to do if we look for some plays that we don't typically run but are perhaps in their wheelhouse. I suppose the question I have is - "Could we innovate with the existing personnel, take a couple risks perhaps?"
October 13th, 2013 at 4:25 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:26 PM ^
Did not participate in any snowflake stuff yesterday. Took my mind off of football until NFL today.
One question I still have. Why was Gallon's catch on their last(?) possession not a first down. I called it live and wondered wtf was happening, they finally actually reviewed it, yet still claimed the spot was correct yet NOT a first down. I know the "yellow" line on tv isn't the actual mark but I still call that a BS call, forcing us to kick the FG.
Moot point. We didn't deserve it last night.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:34 PM ^
It should have been a first down. If it makes you (or anyone else) feel better though, we probably would have just ran the ball three times for a grand total of three yards, so it probably didn't change the outcome. The missed blatant hold on one of PSU's early touchdowns and the weak PI call haunt me more than the lack of a first down there. If those things go our way, maybe we win.
Either way, win or lose, the thing that bothers me most about this game is Fitz stat line. It's absolutely inconceivable how any coach allows that stat line to happen. Oh, the first 20 runs netted us 20 yards? Lets try seven more times!
October 13th, 2013 at 4:26 PM ^
October 13th, 2013 at 4:29 PM ^
I don't think any coach ever chooses to go first. Having the knowledge of what you need is a huge aid when you're calling plays.
October 13th, 2013 at 4:35 PM ^