not tipping our hand

[Dannyboy Ayers]

I have been hearing that the offense was very vanillia against GT. I think it was because CW didn't want to tip his hand for PSU. and was also trying to still figure out players and how they will perform and trying some new packages.

 

[solo]

That would be a pretty silly strategy. Do you really think that he would hold back against a solid opponent and risk losing the first game out of the blocks? You can hold back against Navy or a MAC team. But I can't see Weis risking the GT game.

When you only get 12 games to prove that you are best team, you better try your best to win them all. Becuse almost every year, at least one team does. I can't see risking our NC and BCS hopes just so that we can "surprise" PSU, Michigan and USC.

 

[scooper]

I have been hearing that the offense was very vanillia against GT. I think it was because CW didn't want to tip his hand for PSU. and was also trying to still figure out players and how they will perform and trying some new packages.

The offense was a bit more vanilla than it was at times last year. I don't think that had anything to do with surprise for UPS. I think it was more to do with keeping it simple on the road in front of a hostile crowd and against a stunting, attacking defense where protection would be crucial.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

I can buy that but i dont think he was going to show all the goods when he knew that the vanillia would and was working. Its kind of like a toppless bar instead of the full nude. no need to show you everything when it gets the same results.

 

[irishnd31]

I can buy that but i dont think he was going to show all the goods when he knew that the vanillia would and was working. Its kind of like a toppless bar instead of the full nude. no need to show you everything when it gets the same results.

Nice analogy. Well done.

 

[solo]

I can buy that but i dont think he was going to show all the goods when he knew that the vanillia would and was working. Its kind of like a toppless bar instead of the full nude. no need to show you everything when it gets the same results.

But the vanilla thing wasn't working. We scored 14 points. We were losing at halftime. We could never get more thn a 4 point lead. GT was always within one Calvin Johnson jump ball of taking the lead. We never had control of that game. The outcome of the game was in question until we made a first down on 4th and 1 with a minute to go.

Do you really think that he made a conscious decision to keep it vanilla under those circumstances? I personally think he was doing everything short of "trick plays" to pull that one out.

 

[Madknute]

The thing that I thought was reassuring (somewhat) that Weis made good adjustments at the half. The offense looked better in the second half even with Quinn not having a great (but solid) game. Previous teams seemed incapable of doing that.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

i am not saying that they made a choice of keeping it vanillia i just think they knew that they could keep doing what they were doing (keeping it simple) and it would get the job done. I was telling a friend at the beggining of the game that it looked like the game plan was to just wear them down buy using small plays I.E running it up the gut and short passes so that they would tire out and not be as fast defensivly. the longer they are on the feild the slower they get.

 

[BigIrish]

But the vanilla thing wasn't working. We scored 14 points. We were losing at halftime. We could never get more thn a 4 point lead. GT was always within one Calvin Johnson jump ball of taking the lead. We never had control of that game. The outcome of the game was in question until we made a first down on 4th and 1 with a minute to go.

true, we failed to pound a nail in the coffin when we needed to, but that wasn't really a lack of offense as much as it was mental mistakes that stalled drives. penalties killed our scoring efforts.

weis made adjustments, however, well before halftime, and even though it felt like GT was right on our heels, they really weren't after those adjustments were made. after going down 10-0, we outmuscled the jackets to the tune of about 290 to 65 yards of offensive production. there's a difference between playing vanilla and conservatively when you appear to be in control of the game.

 

[jiggafini19]

Weis mentioned that because of the way the defense played, he was able to "nickel and dime" Ga Tech. I think he'll open things up a bit more, but the last three games each defense has brought the house on Quinn. Expect more of the same until they prove they can adjust.

This PSU unit is revamped in a big way and this time THEIR QB will be on the road in a hostile environment. I think this game is going to be a big one for ND.

Good sign that the line is staying steady at 8 points.

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

look I've been mad all week because I lost a 20.00 bet that notre dame would not drop in the polls to a dumbazz who knows nothing about college football,then realizing afterwards that texas was only a few votes away from notre dame in the ap to start with.
I guess i didn't see auburn coming either,nor john david booty.
It's not the money,but the fact that I have to face him now

but if anyone really thinks that weis really got his offense to play vanilla,then well...that's like saying bobby bowden lays down for terry.Doesn't happen no matter what anyone thinks,this is a team sport and anything can happen in this fast paced game.lay down once,the games over in a close game like this one.

look dannyboy you seem to be a very optomistic guy.It's gonna be alright.
trust me weis took care of the situation this week.
That whole game tempo was pretty much set on one play.
The penalty on... i think ryan harris... that negated samardzija's first down.

I'm pretty sure the whole offensive line upchucked their dinner several times this week too.

the guys in my opinion read into the hype,they are as good as the hype,but they have to be mental about it.
i really think for the most part the team thought it was gonna walk all over georgia tech.
georgia tech kept pounding and pounding the blitz,that's what jon tenuta planned the whole time.He probably had the attitude "we either beat quinn or he beats us,we will go for broke"
they broke,they got tired before they could do too much damage
we won and that's all that matters
penn state might very well come out to do defensive battle and go for broke themselves.
notre dame will find a way to win this game too.At least if it's a low scoring game they won't be dropping in the polls next week

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

I wasn't saying they played vanillia I was thinking that the game plan was to be conservative and wear their Defense down buy keeping them on the field. i think it was also secondary to the fact that we could play conservative and not show anything special to the teams that are scouting our offense to find out how to defend BQ and the Shark. i feel that this weeks game is going to display a much more open offense.

 

[jiggafini19]

I think Weis took what the D was giving him. They didn't go down field all that much.

I didn't see PSU bring it on Akron much, so who knows what to expect. I dont' see PSU having nearly as much pressure as Ga Tech did.

Plus, in South Bend, the crowd is *quiet* when ND has the ball. The line shouldn't be jumpy.

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

I wasn't saying they played vanillia I was thinking that the game plan was to be conservative and wear their Defense down buy keeping them on the field. i think it was also secondary to the fact that we could play conservative and not show anything special to the teams that are scouting our offense to find out how to defend BQ and the Shark. i feel that this weeks game is going to display a much more open offense.

okay,i see what you were saying,but our offense was very well scouted from last year and everyone knows who rhema mcknight is also.
I still say the advantage will go to us from here on out because teams just can't focus their whole schedule on us (even tho,I've heard that comment before) because they do play 10-11 other teams as well.
georgia tech just had a lot longer.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

I completly agree about the line and the jumping. I think that the first game jitters will be gone and that CW fixed the problem at practice about the penelties. I don't think the crowd will be much of a factor based on the fact that there is suppossed to be a butt load of PSU fans there.

 

[BGIF]

...that's like saying bobby bowden lays down for terry.Doesn't happen no matter what anyone thinks, ...

No, not for Terry, he's not in coaching anymore. But Bobby's gone face down for Tommy and saved his boy's job.

Remember your "kids" get to pick your retirement home.

 

[BGIF]

The offense was a bit more vanilla than it was at times last year. I don't think that had anything to do with surprise for UPS. I think it was more to do with keeping it simple on the road in front of a hostile crowd and against a stunting, attacking defense where protection would be crucial.

And, the OLine starting a true freshman at one tackle and a rusty veteran that sat out most of preseason camp at the other tackle. The 3 guys in the middle, veterans all, looked like they were playing together for the first time in the first half. The chemistry wasn't there on the stunts and blitz pickups. Throw in the TEs not providing the additional pass blocking for the GT rush and Quinn was pressured like he was as a freshman.

Weis also commented in preseason/pregame interviews that Quinn would have more responsibility in audibiling off his reads. Post game Weis commented on the ratio of run/pass plays that Quinn changed many of the 1st half runs into pass plays at the line. I gathered that Weis didn't necessarily concur in all those changes and read into that comment that "audibiles" were another halftime adjustment.

When the offense is struggling with pass protection, penalties, and cohesiveness do you open up the playbook or do you focus on making your base plays work?

I agree with scooper about the environs and the stunting defense being factors, so was the performance of the entire offensive unit. It improved as the game progressed. ND's drive chart look like this:

7-0
5-15
4-5
9-29 (was anyone impressed with the 9 play drive that averaged 3.2 yds/play?)
3-5
14-80 TD
Halftime
14-64 TD
8-62
5-39
11-48

ND's first TD drive started after GT made it 10-0 around the 25 minute mark of the game. In those first 25 minutes ND had 5 drives that total 28 plays and netted 54 yards. The average of those drives was 5 plays for 10.8 yards or 1.92 yards/play. In the next 35 minutes of the game ND also had 5 drives totaling 52 plays for 293 yards for an average drive of 10 plays for 58.6 yards or 5.63 yards/play.

The penalties, missed blocks, and dropped balls killed drives but as ND's defense shutdown GT's offense after the 25 minute mark the offense started putting it together. "Nickle and diming" as Weis noted in his interview. ND took what GT allowed and what worked, Quinn's long scramble, Quinn's QB draw for the TD. If 6 balls hadn't been dropped, or 9 offensive penalties called, or Quinn hadn't overthrown the receivers on the long passes the offense wouldn't have looked so plain vanilla.

 

[jiggafini19]

Had it not been for penalties and two missed field goals, they'd have scored more. Bottom line.

And they will score more this Saturday. Book it.

Still, if I'm PSU I blitz until ND proves they can handle it. Stanford, OSU and Ga Tech have all shown that ND struggles with it.

 

[NDAlumSon]

Weis also commented in preseason/pregame interviews that Quinn would have more responsibility in audibiling off his reads. Post game Weis commented on the ratio of run/pass plays that Quinn changed many of the 1st half runs into pass plays at the line. I gathered that Weis didn't necessarily concur in all those changes and read into that comment that "audibiles" were another halftime adjustment.

I also gather that Charlie will be telling Brady this week that not every audible has to be a pass to Jeff or Rhema. He missed a lot of checkdown opportunities for possible quick-hit draws to Asaph or three step 'over the middle' pops to Carlson or Freeman and he'll be told that they are just as effective as Z swing passes. More so if your facing a defense that blitzes up the middle or just off the edge.