Will the quick strike offense work against Utah?

[Riddickulous]

Or will Rees have to work on throwing downfield in these next two weeks?

It worked pretty well against Tulsa, but Utah definitely has a better defense and I question whether we can move the ball effectively on them using dink-and-dunk passing.

 

[mick2]

well hopefully your namesake will be back from the injury and he can breaks some db's ankles and destroy the utah defense!

haha seriously though, i think it is gonna be hella tough to do much of anything with the freshman QB, i think the biggest factor in moving this offense is gonna be the backs, if they can form some sort of running threat, maybe we can get the safeties to creep slightly and floyd will be able to take advantage.

i see a lot of short routes in the future, slants, outs etc. if we can get the playmakers in space they could do some damage.

 

[phgreek]

Or will Rees have to work on throwing downfield in these next two weeks?

It worked pretty well against Tulsa, but Utah definitely has a better defense and I question whether we can move the ball effectively on them using dink-and-dunk passing.

Air Force exposed their D a little...They can get beat over the top, and they WAAAAY over pursue...I think they are susceptible to throw backs, play fakes, reverses, etc. if you can establish something...anything on the ground. Maybe they just had a flat game...but they had like 5 takeaways from Air Force and they still damn near got beat. (the few takeaways I saw were the AF QB throwing it when he shouldn't have...pretty easy INTs.)

Utah's QB will kill us if our dbacks do not start seeing the ball...the guy is fearless and will thread it in there all day long...Their running backs are good...can't wait to see Asiata collide with Teo...BOOM!

Anyway, I want to see them against TCU this weekend

 

[IrishinSyria]

...They can get beat over the top,

Can Rees get it over the top? I think that's the original question.

 

[CanadianIrish]

Utah gives up 165 yard per game through the air. Air Force threw for about 200, but I credit that mostly to the fact that they ran for over 200 and were beating up on Utah's run D (which is statistically very good too, 14th in the nation) and Utah sold out on the run.

Tommy can't throw long from what I've seen (both long throws to Floyd were terrible, and even the long out to Floyd on the last drive was terrible) but he's very accurate with shorter throws. We're going to have to stick with that for now and get he kid in the weight room - he's only 18 years old after all.

 

[phgreek]

Utah gives up 165 yard per game through the air. Air Force threw for about 200, but I credit that mostly to the fact that they ran for over 200 and were beating up on Utah's run D (which is statistically very good too, 14th in the nation) and Utah sold out on the run.

Tommy can't throw long from what I've seen (both long throws to Floyd were terrible, and even the long out to Floyd on the last drive was terrible) but he's very accurate with shorter throws. We're going to have to stick with that for now and get he kid in the weight room - he's only 18 years old after all.

agree..we need to get some run going...if we can. I don't know what rees can do over the top...but its there if he can...and I can't believe I'm going to say this...but here we go...Utah has not played a tough schedule...we'll see something this weekend (TCU)...therefore I question their stats a little...that said the people they clobbered are probably as good as Navy and Tulsa...

I put all our eggs in the Utah/Army basket if we are going to make a Bowl...I think SC is still too much.

 

[phgreek]

Can Rees get it over the top? I think that's the original question.

Don't know...just saw what was there when Air Force was playing Utah...I hope so?

 

[IrishinSyria]

Don't know...just saw what was there when Air Force was playing Utah...I hope so?

I hope so too... thanks for putting up your observations on Utah's D, I didn't get a chance to watch the game.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Look, we can't stretch the field. We havent done it all year, and won't do it next game.

Tyler Eiffert, Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood/Armando Allen, Mike Floyd, and TJ Jones are all athletes that can take it to the house whenever the balls in there hands. All can be exploited mismatches. The key is getting away from the philosophy of the offense, and drawing up plays to get these guys in open field to set up a big play. We aren't consistent enough to go down the field methodically for 80 yard drives 5 x a game. Having quick slants to mike floyd over the middle, or 15 yard out routes are nice if you can move the ball consistantly. They catch the ball around defenders, and don't get any YAC yards.

There is enough talent to create mismatches, and have one of these guys wide open every play with a chance to break one.

ND needs to go for the homerun in order to win, they are too inconsistant to be efficient, but they do have the guns to do damage if used to exploit the defense.

 

[CanadianIrish]

agree..we need to get some run going...if we can. I don't know what rees can do over the top...but its there if he can...and I can't believe I'm going to say this...but here we go...Utah has not played a tough schedule...we'll see something this weekend (TCU)...therefore I question their stats a little...that said the people they clobbered are probably as good as Navy and Tulsa...

I put all our eggs in the Utah/Army basket if we are going to make a Bowl...I think SC is still too much.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but by yards per game Utah isn't as potent offensively as Tulsa, so maybe there is some hope. They actually average significantly fewer yards per game through the air than us (288 to 258), they are stronger on the ground (191 per game). So I agree, I think we have a better shot against them because they are less likely to expose our secondary like USC will.

As for their schedule, the best passing attack they've faced was Colorado St., and they held them under their season average and just thumped them. Pitt would be the next best passing team they faced, and again they held them under their season average.

I'm trying to be as much of a pollyanna as I can, but I just don't see this going well for us unless we get a lot of lucky breaks on short routes (as in the long ROTC on the Floyd pass on the last series).

 

[phgreek]

Look, we can't stretch the field. We havent done it all year, and won't do it next game.

Tyler Eiffert, Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood/Armando Allen, Mike Floyd, and TJ Jones are all athletes that can take it to the house whenever the balls in there hands. All can be exploited mismatches. The key is getting away from the philosophy of the offense, and drawing up plays to get these guys in open field to set up a big play. We aren't consistent enough to go down the field methodically for 80 yard drives 5 x a game. Having quick slants to mike floyd over the middle, or 15 yard out routes are nice if you can move the ball consistantly. They catch the ball around defenders, and don't get any YAC yards.

There is enough talent to create mismatches, and have one of these guys wide open every play with a chance to break one.

ND needs to go for the homerun in order to win, they are too inconsistant to be efficient, but they do have the guns to do damage if used to exploit the defense.

can't argue the historical perspective here...am hoping for some semblance of a run game because Utah is Waaay aggressive and thats how Air Force gouged them a couple times...but reality is...no matter how they come...we need some home runs.

 

[phgreek]

I know this sounds ridiculous, but by yards per game Utah isn't as potent offensively as Tulsa, so maybe there is some hope. They actually average significantly fewer yards per game through the air than us (288 to 258), they are stronger on the ground (191 per game). So I agree, I think we have a better shot against them because they are less likely to expose our secondary like USC will.

As for their schedule, the best passing attack they've faced was Colorado St., and they held them under their season average and just thumped them. Pitt would be the next best passing team they faced, and again they held them under their season average.

I'm trying to be as much of a pollyanna as I can, but I just don't see this going well for us unless we get a lot of lucky breaks on short routes (as in the long ROTC on the Floyd pass on the last series).

Yup...Utah W or bust is where we are...

 

[phork]

Prepare to be rolled. That is all.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

We need more "individual designed plays" for our best players (like i mentioned above-Floyd, Riddick, Allen, Wood, Eiffert, TJ) to get them into space. It really should not be that difficult. There is literally dozens of mismatches and combinations. It's not like we only have 1 or 2 threats on offense on the field at once.

Floyd- 5 plays designed to get him the ball in space.

TJ- 5 plays designed to get him the ball in space.

Tyler- He should be open 85% of the time anyway. Get him 1-1 with anyone and its a gimme.

Armando- Jail break screen to him 3/4 times a game.

Riddick- 5 plays designed for him to get the ball in space.

Cierre- He is having trouble reading the defense off the line, but when he gets in space he's awesome. Motion him out to the slot with plays (5 plays) designed to get him the ball, and hell be deadly. He won't have to think about blocking..etc he'll know to get to "spot X" on the field, catch the ball, and run north.

That play against Pitt I believe where Riddick got called for the illegal pick and negated that 40 yard play by Floyd. That play was designed to get Mike the ball, thats what we need more off. It will simplify the offense for the players, and give us the best chance to win. Just let them go play football, we really have nothing to lose at this point.

I'd like to see Cierre and Armando in the game at once, that'd gice a defense fits.

 

[NankerPhelge]

I'd like to see Cierre and Armando in the game at once, that'd gice a defense fits.[/QUOTE]


Was I dreaming, or did I read earlier that Armando is done?

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I'd like to see Cierre and Armando in the game at once, that'd gice a defense fits.

Was I dreaming, or did I read earlier that Armando is done?[/QUOTE]


What??? Where did you read that?!?!

 

[phork]

He suited up to be able to run on to the field one last time. He has torn cartilage in both hips and will have surgery, effectively ending his ND career.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

He suited up to be able to run on to the field one last time. He has torn cartilage in both hips and will have surgery, effectively ending his ND career.

Oh my god. that's horrible, I feel terrible for him. He was the most improved from day 1- to now. He was all heart this last 2 seasons.

 

[DCirishfan]

Can Rees get it over the top? I think that's the original question.

The answer to that question is no.

 

[LongRun]

I think if we had Rodolph in and Theo we could win this game. Utah didn't look that impressive and I have a feeling TCU is going to beat them by 20 or more points again this year.

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

If the Tulsa Defense Stopped us, we are going to get rolled by Utah.

And no Rees absolutely doesn't have the arm strength to get it down the field. He had a hard time with zip on anything even remotely long. The kid isn't strong at all. I like his fire, and how he did overall in a cold call. Our real QB is on the bench in my opinion. Actually both of them. Dayne, and I am still a Dayne Believer. But, Hendrix has a very strong arm and can run. I like Rees, but his arm is really weak. Just watching him he makes Graham Harrell from Texas Tech look like an absolute cannon for an arm. So, if the short routes and quick release are all we are going to do, Rees is great. But, soon enough teams are going to stop that.

Just my opinion, but I am very, very scared from hear on out. And watching Oregon/USC game, and Utah we are going to win 5 games at best. And the way we stop the option, maybe it is a 4-8 year now. We really needed 1 of the Michigan games and the Tulsa Game. Now we are in a hole. And without Ian and Rudolph??? Come on.

Time to play the kids and get ready for next year. A bowl game is out of the question right now. We have to keep fighting and showing the passion to help get us the recruits for us to turn this around.

Go Irish, we can still get back to where we need to go. It is just going to take longer than I thought.

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

Long run, I agree. If we had Kyle, Ian, Theo, and Dayne I think we could. And If they were all healthy I think we would have beaten Tulsa.

If Kyle was healthy all year, our Red Zone would have been a whole different beast.

Go Irish!! I still support you. But, have be a realist though.

 

[LongRun]

It depends on what you mean by work. If you mean scoring points I say yes we will score. If you mean win I say no we wont score enough points.