WR Coaching, etc.

Frequently, Sam will have time to throw, but nobody is open. Many times, our WR run their routes, then keep running or just sort of hang around in one spot. This is rather frustrating from this fan's standpoint.

- The WR should be coached to come back to the QB or run to an open spot in the direction of the QB if they don't get the pass on their initial route (approx. 4 seconds). For the most part, we're not doing this.

- Work on the basketball style "box out"--especially the bigger WR. We've got some big, strong WRs, but they don't seem to use their bodies and box out the DBs. Johnson does a decent job of this, the others not so much.

- Sharper cuts would also help.

- The buttonhook / come back routes have been pretty successful this year, do more of that.

- The refs often allow some minor, or even mid-level, contact, jersey grabbing, and holding by the DBs on the WRs. Teach our guys how to shed the DBs, free themselves from contact, and get open better.

- Oh yeah, don't run the WR screens so often.

This is WR coaching, and to some extent OC territory. IMHO, it needs improvement.

 

That is all you needed to say Chop. True in the Strong years and hasn't gotten measurably better in the Herman years.

 

Totally agree. We have run that play 6 times, at least, in the last 2 games and do not have 10 yards in total.

 

Virtually our only successful pass plays are "make a guy miss" style fades and the quick screen to Duvernay for short yardage. I don't think the coaches trust the OL or Sam enough to run crossing patterns. They definitely don't trust the slot guys or TEs to run drags.

I noticed that we tried to have Ingram run deep patterns out of the flats, but TCU picked him up every time. When that happens, that means there has to be space in the middle of the field. I don't think Sam has free rein to use the middle of the field. Maybe it's because of Sam's limitations or maybe it's because the coaches don't have anyone who can go over the middle. It seems like Jake Smith was the guy that we used near the middle for the first couple games of the season, but his recent blunders mean that everyone lost confidence in those routes. I don't know.

 

I believe he caught a pass in the 2ns qtr and scored, so not every time.

 

The RB wheel routes have had some success (and some failure), but an important point is that you can't telegraph it to the opposition so they see it coming. Predictability, in general, is killing us on both sides of the ball.

Generally, TCU's DBs knew our game well and they sat back and jumped our routes for picks and PBUs. Great job coaching by Patterson's defensive staff. TCU's coaches and defensive backs clearly watched a lot of our film, readily predicted what was coming, and knew exactly what to do. To counter this, we have to "show" the typical stuff we've done in the recent past, but run variations off of it that tricks the DBs and takes advantage of their DB play. We might (just might...) see some pump fakes and breaking off the typical routes we've run, so we can take advantage of the opposition's DBs jumping our standard routes. The OL has to perform just good enough to allow this sort of play to develop. It all goes together. Some might say it's 'synergy'--I grew to hate that overused term, but you know what I mean.

 

A lot of the teams are giving some of our WR big cushions. Buttonhooks / comeback routes by the speedier WR who are given big cushions can (and have) worked pretty well. When the man-on-man DBs erase the cushion and come up to play tighter on the speedier WRs, then you burn them deep with an out-and-up, etc. We've got to start getting better shed-the-DB releases though. That's coaching and man-on-man performance.

 

Chip, that buttonhook is very good for Collin this year. We’ve marched right down with it on several drives. But that blasted WR out sucks, not for other teams but certainly for us. Works once out of 10. Not good odds.

 

The (very) bright spot for our WR unit as this season progresses—sideline work. Collin Johnson has long been good at this. Now we have guys like Eagles and Duvernay making outstanding acrobatic sideline grabs with one foot (barely) in. Our WR’s spacial awareness on the sidelines and in-air body control is pushing a 10 out of 10. Our WRs excel at this aspect of the game as well as any team I’ve seen. So many kudos to our WR squad for that part of their game.

 

In this department I think there is lots of blame to be shared.

1. Our OC/passing coordinator doesn't do his job in creating plays that get our WRs open. I don't know how many times I talked about how it seems the only pass patterns CJ runs are a straight line. Texas needs to do a better job of freeing up our play makers to make plays. Our receivers also need to learn how to use their size and strength as well.

2. I tend to agree on the coaching aspect, there is something missing.

3. I'm going to also lay some of the blame on Sam. I think he has peaked out as a passer. He is a great leader and a gamer, but as far as a passer goes, I'm not sure your going to see him get much better. I would like to see what Thompson has. He deserves a shot.

 

This is just maddening. How do you get to D1 college football and not already know this in the first place? Thankfully Eagles has started coming back to the ball more lately, which helps, but then he did a lot of standing around again vs ISU. Like that play where he was called for offensive pass interference - he runs an out route, stands there for a bit, shoves the defender, then stand there a bit more, while Sam is running towards his side looking right to him hoping for him to move somewhere, then finally had to just toss it over his head.

 

Sort of an aside:

I liked the part of the often-mocked Houston (Gamblers, Cougars, and then Oilers) run-and-shoot philosophy that basically said to the WR: just get open; take what they give you; run to an open spot. It was like an option offense in the air. It took a flexible quick-thinking QB to make it work.

I'm not suggesting we install a run-and-shoot, certainly not with the QBs we have recruited and developed for something much different. Of course, there's a place for well-defined pre-determined routes. I also prefer to have a credible running game. But, this sort of backyard-football* mindset and philosophy for the WRs may have something valuable to lend us--at least for some plays with some WRs.


*surely some of you remember the old classic backyard football plays like "everybody go deep", "just get open", etc. (Of course, there was also the old backyard football dirty trick play: "Don't block Johnny, I'll throw it at his nuts.")

 

Herman is not going to deviate from what he is doing. Make no mistake what we are doing is what Herman wants, not Beck. He always uses the " Jack of all trades, master of none " line of thinking....Unfortunately what he is trying to master doing isn't mastering anything that produces for us.