Giving myself the last few days to settle down, I've finally decided to share my thoughts for whatever they're worth.
First of all, a certain few of you need to settle down. The only 'loser' who needs to 'pull their head out of their ass' is a 'wannabe' internet e-thug. Try arguing your perspective like an grown adult. The incessant name calling and attempts at wit are prepubescent at best.
On to the game, I've always been a staunch supporter of Coach Weis but Saturday was the first time I have ever started seriously questioned his in game coaching ability, particularly the ability to make timely and appropriate adjustments. The biggest disappointment for me wasn't that we didn't score a touchdown, that our offense came out flat and unproductive, or that our defense, left out to dry, gave up huge chunks of rushing yards, it was that Coach tried to be something he wasn't and in turn, our team, our offense never found an identity to field. I came away actually impressed with the play of our athletes, particularly the younger crew. And with a few adjustments, I see the Irish fielding a competitive team this year sooner than later if they can form and rally around an identity.
Home Team Disadvantage ?
Weis said at the Pep Rally that our one real advantage was playing at home. I felt the other way after Saturday. Our young team took field knowing that eyes were watching them, expecting them to win, knowing that the second they made a mistake the crowd would be chanting for the next guy to come in and there would be another guy putting on his helmet on the sidelines. Our crowd was impatient and unforgiving. Many students, especially those new to the program felt abandoned, and in turn they began to abandon their team: some leaving long before the clock read 00:00, some booing at the playcalls, some booing at the players. And in a situation where you have pressure from your own side to overachieve, younger inexperienced athletes are bound overthink, hesitate, and be distracted. Call me crazy, but when this team takes the field at Happy Valley, I expect it to be much easier for them to rally together and play as a unit because when you're out there on enemy territory with everyone gunning against you hoping you do terribly, that's when you start sticking your neck out for each other more than ever before. Also, I heard some crazy rumors that our fan base is racist and bigoted booing not only the team at halftime but Jones as well. We have our bad apples just like everyone else. That's what you get for attracting such a large fan base. I heard my fair share of stupid remarks but they quickly shut their traps when they had an entire section of older students looking their way with disgust and contempt. The team was not booed off the field at halftime, Georgia Tech hit the locker rooms first and they were greeted by boos and taunting, while our team left the field to a standing ovation. Jones and Thomas were not booed off the field after failing to convert on third and goal, the boos were in reaction to the decision to go for a field goal when the game was already way out of hand. Just wanted to make that clear for everyone. The freshman will learn soon enough that we are representatives, and must act accordingly, of Our Lady of the Lake.
Faux Spread Offense
It was a bold and gutsy move to utilize a quasi spread offense to try and neutralize an aggressive defense. But the offense never seemed to click around this playcalling. Demetrius, albeit being Wheeled down on every snap, never looked comfortable finding the right timing to hit the hole or to make a play downfield. The offensive line was constantly left looking for a clue. And our backs and receivers suffered due to these shortcomings, never having a chance to showcase their ability as the plays were broken the second Tech's defense neutered the offensive line and Demetrius. I don't get paid the big bucks and my coaching prowess is limited to the EA Sport's NCAA Football franchise but it's a little troubling to me that we installed an entirely different offensive package for a single game. While every coach must see their season through game by game, the team will suffer is they cannot find an identity to identify with throughout the season. It was exposed on Saturday that Coach Weis is not a spread coordinator nor did we recruit these last three cycles for a spread offense. The only production we saw from last week was when Sharpley and Clausen took the field and ran a quasi Brady Quinn offense.
Quarterbacks
Demetrius did what he was told to do to the best of his abilities and cannot be blamed for being put into a situation where neither he nor his teammates looked comfortable. That said, I do not foresee Jones being given as big of a load as he was on Saturday again in the near future. What looked like hesitation and discomfort running the plays, although not entirely his fault, does not exude leadership and thus, making it difficult for a young team struggling to find an identity to rally around him. Sharpley came in a little too late to rally an already deflating offense. Saturday, he showed that he could consistently put the ball where it needed to be on most downs but whether it was the playcalling or his inability to do so, Sharpley could not make the big plays that we have been spoiled by in the past few years with Quinn at the helm. Given his performance, Sharpley seems the safe choice to be a starter, but by nature looks like the solid backup quarterback he has always been. Clausen took the field midway through the fourth quarter, the final signal that Coach Weis had raised the white flag and wanted to give the freshman a chance to pick up some playing time. Although playing against the second string defense and a relatively less aggressive playcalling by Tenuta, Jimmy faced man to man and press coverages early and often. His accuracy and release was impressive on all but one attempt where he overthrew Kamara on an out route. Even more impressive than his ability to throw the ball, a skill which Coach's comments about manifested on Saturday, was his ability to read the play and make smart decisions. Also, while we were down by 30 and considered to be well into mop up duty time, the team seemed to work a little bit harder and seemed to get into and out of plays with a bit more enthusiasm with the young quarterback at the helm. While the results are a bit skewed because they each faced different defensive playcalling and were running different offensive playcalling, Clausen threw the ball better and escaped the rush to make plays the best of the group. Given a huge readjustment from Saturday's offensive tragedy, we have in these three the talent and ability to stay competitive.
Runningbacks and Fullbacks
Travis Thomas was neutralized against Tech's attack in the backfield. Blame it on the playcalling, the offensive line, and Thomas' inability to make plays. Like Jones, Thomas was put into bad situations time after time. Against a front 7 that consistently spent enough time in the offensive backfield to be required to pay rent, there is no need to be calling sweeps on a 3rd and 1 at the goal line. Thomas will likely receive another shot as the feature back but considering the performance against Tech and the talent behind him on the depth chart, his days are numbered unless he rids himself of the hesitation to hit the holes and his inability to break away from the slightest touch. Allen, though limited in carries due to his lack of experience in pass blocking, showed great flashes of brilliance on Saturday. His speed, downfield vision, and hands make him an viable option for change of pace, homerun, and dump route action. Aldridge showed he has the ability to shed tackles and earn his keep, particularly in off tackle plays where he was able to run over rushing linebackers to gain a few extra yards. A lack of confidence in the offensive line to get a push and the lack of confidence in the fullbacks to boom a few yards lead to a very quiet showing for Asaph and Luke, neither of which could help with the porous offensive line either. Given a return to a more pro styled offense and some more game experience, both Aldridge and Allen look to be good options for a thunder and lightning package.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Robby Parris showed up wanting the ball. We've all heard by now the comparisons, a tall white possession receiver, but one thing you might not have noticed was the way Robby walks. It's the same way Jeff walks on and off the field, and it was a welcoming sight in an otherwise emotionally draining game. All creepy observation aside, Robby made a nice big target with sure hands for his quarterback and I expect him to play a clutch role in breaking in a new quarterback. Kamara and Clausen exuded a bit of chemistry connecting a few times on possession routes. If Kamara continues to make strides in practice, his size and possession ability will earn him considerable playing time. George West got a bit of work done on Saturday showing that, given a bit of room to move, he could churn out a few extra yards after the catch. Carlson made every play he could make when the ball was thrown in his direction. He's the perfect match for a young quarterback and should be a crucial part of this struggling offense. Yeatman showed that with some coaching and experience, can become a viable pass catching tight end. Generally, these guys were never given the ball enough. Had we countered Tech's loading up the box with quick passes or screens, we might have moved the ball more effectively. Coach Weis was right in praising the ability of this corp and given a change in offensive playcalling to utilize this talent, we may see a bit more offensive production akin to Coach's usual pro style passing attack.
Offensive Line
It takes three years of apprenticeship for the average NFL lineman to pass block and run block adequately enough to earn playing time. We've got quite a bit of inexperience on our offensive line and it reared it's ugly head screaming, 'Look at me!' on Saturday. The blame goes three ways here. Albeit young, these guys look like they just signed up for the team a week ago. There is no excuse for inviting the defensive line and the linebackers into your backfield like that. We have big strong guys on our line but it doesn't matter how big or strong you are if you aren't going to show up and play. That said, this is the first showing for the linemen as a group and with a bit of decent coaching and a bit more experience, we have the right talent to form a workable line. This brings me to my next point: coaching. Our lines have been underachieving for the last two years. We have had talent on the team as evident by those we've sent off to the NFL, but as a corp we have not been able to dominate against an active defense. This starts to raise a few eyebrows as to how effective Coach Latina actually is. But the buck stops at Coach Weis. Undoubtedly, with Coach's knack for the passing game, he brought in guys that were useful in a passing situation. As previously mentioned, it takes years for an NFL linemen to learn his keep and in college ball, it is a rarity to find a lineman who can pass block and run block well simultaneously. With a good lineman coming out of high school, you can either coach him to pass block exceptionally, run block exceptionally, or do both with mediocre success. The gameplan for Georgia Tech may have been too much for a inexperienced offensive line to handle. If Coach Weis can decide on a foundational offensive identity, Coach Latina may have a better shot at teaching this offensive line, and we might be able to actually stop a few defenders from blowing up every play.
Identity a recurring theme
To sum it all up. My amateur analysis is that Coach Weis stepped out of the box and tried something he evidently hasn't mastered, nor, according to his explanation of the package, something he will consistently try to install. So while a young team attempted to practice a new style of offense that they were not necessarily recruited for, knowing that it would be installed specifically for just one game, they lost out a bit on rallying together and identifying with a solid offensive identity. As a result, we suffered a loss due primarily to a flat offensive showing. With Coach Weis acknowledging that he needs to pick a quarterback to build an offense around, I don't expect it will be long before we see a team play as a unit with a bit more passion and a bit more identity.
And with a wrap of my views on the offense. I'm heading to LaFortune to dine with the King. For anyone who cares, Sbarros, to my complete disgust and disappointment, is no longer serving hot wings. As a restaurant, they should have stayed with the wings as that is a part of their endearing identity and without it I think the establishment will suffer until it can restore it.
EDIT: Breaking news: After much anticipation, Sbarros finally named the wings back on the roster.
