FOOTBALL An Initial Perspective From Yesterday

dcjacket · Sep 20, 2015

I like some of you was extremely frustrated and irritated after the game yesterday for a number of reasons. My frustration even grew after listening to CPJ's comments after the game. I agree with the following which led to the loss:

Kicking game was atrocious mainly punting and field goals; and
Yes, we do not have Smelter/ Waller alternatives as reliable release valves due to youth and inexperience.
Justin did not have a great game for numerous reasons by at times being indecisive or trying to to do much.
On both sides of the ball their were mistakes and missed assignments but very glaring offensively with missed blocks, people slipping etc.
Youth at certain positions certainly showed on the big stage.

What I do not buy into was that ND was the much superior physically or otherwise. I think especially defensively we did a good job of holding our own against a big and physical OL. We did miss tackles and were out of position at times which led to big plays, including the TD run late in the game. Furthermore, our OL held their own against ND defense, when they were not going the wrong way or missing blocks.

With all this being said, in my view while all the above did happen and contributed to the loss, one of the biggest reasons we lost is not being said and the reason is due to ego. CPJ's ego got in his way yesterday with trying to "stick" his offense to BVG because what happened at Ga Southern. CPJ tryed to force feed the base offense against ND which to their credit took it away. CPJ never adjusted until the end of the game.

BVG surely took a look at film from the Orange Bowl game against Iowa, Clemson and VT games where they defended us in the following manner:

Stacked the LOS so their were more bodies at the point of attack then blockers.
Played aggressive short line technique by the DL for the most part where their priority was to push back the LOS and maintained gap control to take away the dive and stretch the play out by keeping their lanes
Secondary and LBs flow to take out Justin and the pitch.
Dare us to pass, not the deep passing game but medium range passes like wheel routs, BB back out in the flats, or 10 yds or less passes. None of this happened to back off the ND back 7-8 to relieve pressure and stacking at the LOS.and create lanes until late in the game.
We also ran very slow developing plays against this "force the issue" aggressive defense and did not adjust until either late in Q2 or even Q3. No jet sweeps, etc.

if you speak to any LB who plays against the TOS, if they are honest, they will tell you that they are kept off balance if you introduce a mid-range passing game where they begin to hesitate which gives us an advantage. We did none of this and/ or enough of it until late in the game. For what, to feed the "big man's" ego which by the way he did not prove his point and what is worse BVG got the best of him and it should not have palyed out in this way. Again, just my perspective but reinforced by other games such as Iowa, etc.

tripr · Sep 20, 2015