Texas Tech Post-Mortem
Fire Shawn Watson. Fire Barney Cotton. Fire Carl Pelini, heck fire Bo Pelini. While we're at it, bench all the starters. Put in every true freshman so that they can get four years of on-field experience. Run the zone read option, spread the field, blitz on every down, put Ndamukong Suh in on offense, have him return kicks, and even play safety. We could try him at quarterback to see if anybody can take him down. Let's switch everyone on offense and defense and see if anything happens.
Now is not the time for this negative thought process. Yes, there were plenty of mistakes to harp on, but a few swings our way, and this is a totally different game.
First of all, let's keep our eye on the prize. The Big 12 North is still a wide open competition, and that needs to be our ultimate goal this year. The Huskers just have to fix a few things if they want to keep up with the Pinkels and the Maginos this year (and the Snyders, apparently, as Kansas State is leading the Big 12 North right now).
So where do we start with what to fix? I say let's start with the penalties. 12 for 95 yards is par for the course. We've all been harping on this for the duration of the year, and this week was no different. Whether it is Bo Pelini's attitude with the referees or whether it is the players' inability to keep their heads when on the field, it needs to be fixed. I know conspiracy theorists are having a great time thinking that Bo's yelling at the officiating is causing issues, but bad calls are part of the game. Play the game and be nice to the refs, drill snap counts into offensive lineman before every practice, or get the rule book out and have everyone memorize what the personal fouls are, whatever it takes.
Offensively, we just can't get anything going against the non-Sunbelt conference teams (except for a quarter against Missouri). Is it a mental thing, an ability problem, or match up against talent issue? My concern is that the complexity of the offense might be hindering the mental aspects of many of the young players on the team. It may be possible there is a lack of repetition during the week due to the sheer number of plays that are having to be run. I'm hoping that Shawn Watson can cut down the number of plays that players have to deal with and increase the number of times a particular play is run to build up a better execution. Receivers coach Ted Gilmore should also be taking his guys out on the practice field and just pitch and catch for the rest of this week and the rest of the year.
I know that we're just a bunch of armchair quarterbacks here, but it doesn't take a football expert to see that there are some issues on the field. Going back to basics should be the name of the game for this team right now.
10/19/2009
Agree 100$% Tom. This game is just like last year’s T. Tech game—we need to evaluate our offense and figure out what we can do well as a team, and who can execute. Barney will certainly earn his pay this week, especially if he decides to cash in a redshirt or two to help shore up the offensive line. Frankly, with the way the right side has been playing, we should have already burned them after the V. Tech game (or during, if the kids were on the travel squad.)
As for defense, they don’t need to touch a dang thing—as bad as the offense was Saturday, the defense was just as good, if not better. Suh and Company did their job admirably, and the secondary (despite the lack of turnovers) played well.
10/19/2009
All the more reason to recruit players with brain as much as talent. NU wasn’t out-talented against Tech. NU lacked the mentality this past weekend. I still like the direction of the program and I like this next class if we can keep them all. Anyone who thinks firing anyone is the answer at this stage in time is absolutely ridiculous. It’s hard to remember sometimes, but this is Bo’s second season and really only one of those seasons is a full recruiting class of his.
10/19/2009
Pelini’s attitude about penalties needs to change. It fine to challenge refs when they are wrong but to act the way Pelini did during the game against TTU (and past games) isn’t really going to help. I’m waiting for one of the refs to send Pelini packing if he keeps up yelling the obscenities. Yes, I could read Bo’s lips just as the rest of the nation.
I like the man but someone needs to challenge him to keep a watchful eye of the garbage that comes out of his mouth. If the players on the field get a 15 yard personal foul for things they say, I don’t see why it is different for the coach.
10/19/2009
The concerns this summer were the right side of the line, WR’s emerging as go-to-guys, and an inexperienced QB. Of course, once Castille was out and Burkhead went down, add RB to that list. When you have that many question marks on offense and you don’t like the “answers” that are emerging, what do you do? Zach Lee is capable, but unless he is given 5 secs to make a decision he looks very uncomfortable. I don’t think his decision making is adjusting to the speed of high caliber defenses. I think Wats is going to have to simplify the game a little more for Zach. I would like to see Wats use heavier sets and pass more off play action. The very thing they moved away from last year, may be the answer this year. We have more developed TE’s and the play action passing game tends to open up receivers and make the reads a lot easier for a decision impaired QB. Only one star RB, no problem, we have LaTravis and Cody. PLEASE, Wats unleash these weapons in a zone read package or the wildcat. Why not try it? Give the opposing D something more to prepare for and think about. Imagine, a QB that is a real running threat in the zone read or speed option!
10/21/2009
All I’m saying is it shouldn’t take 3 quarters before you get to the part in the play book that says you can throw deep, throw over the middle, run right at the defense, or discover that Mike McNeil is still on the roster!
It’s not hard to stop an offense who runs 5 plays. 1) 6 yard pass to the left (regardless of down and distance) 2) 6 yard pass to the right (regardless of down and distance) 3) RB run laterally to the left along the line of scrimmage 4) RB run laterally to the right along the line of scrimmage and 5) QB draw or scramble
When the defense only has to cover half the field it can look pretty good. On every play seems like our point of attack is around the numbers. Not surprisngly the defense swarm a Safety, CB, OLB and DE to either side of the field not to mention backside pursuit.
Hopefully we locate the missing pages in the playbook that include some counter plays, mis direction, or reverse plays.
The problem is simple. There’s not even a hint of an element of surprise!
10/21/2009
All I’m saying is it shouldn’t take 3 quarters before you get to the part in the play book that says you can throw deep, throw over the middle, run right at the defense, or discover that Mike McNeil is still on the roster!
It’s not hard to stop an offense who runs 5 plays. 1) 6 yard pass to the left (regardless of down and distance) 2) 6 yard pass to the right (regardless of down and distance) 3) RB run laterally to the left along the line of scrimmage 4) RB run laterally to the right along the line of scrimmage and 5) QB draw or scramble
When the defense only has to cover half the field it can look pretty good. On every play seems like our point of attack is around the numbers. Not surprisngly the defense swarm a Safety, CB, OLB and DE to either side of the field not to mention backside pursuit.
Hopefully we locate the missing pages in the playbook that include some counter plays, mis direction, or reverse plays.
The problem is simple. There’s not even a hint of an element of surprise!
5/2/2011
Thank God! Seomone with brains speaks!