We are improving.

Discussion in 'On The Field' started by Hoop, Nov 18, 2017.

  1. Hoop

    Hoop 500+ Posts

    I still can't figure this team out, but Conner Williams's impact was certainly felt today. The defense played well. We had a few silly mistakes, but the O had 420 yards and we owned the time of possession. We only had one turnover (which should have never happened), but we still had 6 penalties.

    Check this out:

    Daniel Young 12 85 7.1 1 36
    Sam Ehlinger 9 68 7.6 0 17
    Kyle Porter 7 53 7.6 1 16
    Toneil Carter 10 27 2.7 0 8

    Not bad. We're back to bowl eligibility and I'm looking forward to the Tech game.
     
    • Like Like x 5
  2. LonghornCatholic

    LonghornCatholic Deo Gratias

    Nice to see our RBs bust some runs.

    Reminded me of a lil fella, believe his name is........Jude. :hookem:
     
    • Like Like x 2
  3. Pomspoms

    Pomspoms 5,000+ Posts

    I believe this team feels like they are a winner. Some recent changes have helped.
    1 getting Williams back
    2 moving Warren -allowing the rooks to run which I was saying all season.
    3 playing Sam (don't try to be a hero every play)
    4 Beck has upped his game- maybe that was due to good o-line play today. I feel better about him though I am still leery. I love that throw back pass to Sam.
     
  4. rick mueller

    rick mueller Burnt Orange Bleeder

    We played a weak defensive and a team's second string qb. That said we beat a team we should beat! We have not always done that. To say this was a much needed makes one sound like Captain obvious. But damn, I am going to enjoy this one and go into next week feeling pretty good about the tceh game.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  5. Hoop

    Hoop 500+ Posts

    I agree. Winning at WVa is not easy. The weather wasn't great either. This was no easy task for the Longhorns, but I feel like it was the most complete game they've played so far.

    Obviously getting Williams back helped in loads. Moving Warren seems to be working. Sam obviously has some growing to do, but is doing well. Beck seems to have changed some things up the last two games - pretty visible changes, honestly. I don't know if that's due to comfort with the personnel, desperation, or ditching the binder. Either way, it seems to be working. That's easy to say when we win, but today's game felt more complete than anything I've witnessed this year.

    When WVa lost Grier, the game changed for them. You can't replace a guy like that. All in all, it was a good win and I'm happy the seniors are going bowling.
     
    • Like Like x 5
  6. moondog_LFZ

    moondog_LFZ 5,000+ Posts

    Yea, I feel kinda like the Game Day crew.
    If Greer doesn't go out what does this game look like.
    But it was much more enjoyable watching a win and making it to a bowl.
    TTech should be a W if they play like they did today.
    But they will be playing for a bowl game.
    I sort of feel bad for Shane.
    We finally get pass protection and he doesn't get to play.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. stevedallas

    stevedallas 500+ Posts

    I do not feel bad about Greer going out. Would we have won against USC if Conner had not gone out? Or how about OSU or OU if not playing behind a third=string line? How about the fact we have injuries of our own in the QB position? Folks can what-if all day. Injuries happen.
     
    • Like Like x 9
  8. LAGA4

    LAGA4 500+ Posts

    Love the counter plays that are being called. I've said it before, play calling can't cure a bad O'line, but it can help it out.

    Don't know if that is Herman or Beck, but they really help the run game.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  9. wadster

    wadster 5,000+ Posts

    And if the refs don't stop our 1st 2 drives with penalties? And if they call the face mask on the targeting that goes back to 3rd and 10 and maybe that TD drive never happens. We can what if all day long. I can tell you when one team has 3 players with over 50 yds rushing all average over 7 ypc they usually win. And that stat has nothing to do with the opposing QB. Without the stupid pic 6, this game's a blowout regardless of who plays QB for them.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  10. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    Agree 100%. If Colt had not hurt his shoulder ... he did. Play on.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  11. rick mueller

    rick mueller Burnt Orange Bleeder

    Some of the drops by WVU receivers looked they looking to see who was going to hit them. The announcers said more than once that they were looking to run. I'm not so sure, I think they were hearing footsteps.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  12. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    We definitely hit much harder on D now, and that creates a lot of opportunities during the game that aren't noticed all the time.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  13. caryhorn

    caryhorn 5,000+ Posts

    I'm glad that Greer went out. Not glad that he got hurt. I never root for anyone to get hurt. Never. No one has any control over injuries. They are a part of football. We have lost plenty of games this year due to injuries.

    That being said I think if Greer would have played the entire game we have less than a 50/50 chance of winning. His being out helped us win more than anything. They were moving the ball well with him. He is a top 5 QB in the country. Him leaving limited them significantly. I would bet my house that wvu would have put up two more td's with Greer playing the whole game.

    But we lost our top DB 10 days ago. No one at wvu was feeling sorry for us losing Hill. You can bet they were glad he was out. Don't blame them.

    You have to play with who can play. We won the game. On to next week. And I sure hope Vahe can play. You can bet the ttu nation is hoping he does not play.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  14. moondog_LFZ

    moondog_LFZ 5,000+ Posts

    I don't feel bad about Greer going out.
    Feel bad about his injury but that was a great play by Jones to cause the fumble.
    It just makes it harder to gauge the team improvement when WVU loses one of the top QBs in the country.
    At the same time, in recent history, backup QBs have come in and kicked our ***.
    Believe me, I enjoyed the win.
    Great to see a running game.

    I would like to have seen Shane get more playing time with the O-line pass protecting better.
    I really fear he will transfer and next year we still have a soph QB with a freshman back up.
    But, that's for Herman to figure out.
     
    • Like Like x 7
  15. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    This season we have, except for the first game mulligan against Maryland, when the team looked like Charlie was still on the sideline.
     
  16. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Two players made the difference, in my opinion.
    Williams for us +++
    Grier for them ---

    Keep Grier and drop Williams and the score probably would have been reversed.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    It does not make it harder to gauge the improvement in the offense.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  18. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    The secondary is still very suspect. Greer did not have a problem throwing and making 3rd downs (the real test of an elite secondary) and neither did his replacement by the end of the game.
     
  19. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Losing that dumbass Hill hurts a lot.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  20. moondog_LFZ

    moondog_LFZ 5,000+ Posts

    Oh, I think it does.
    If the D can't stop Grier then the offensive play calling is much different and we may need to score almost twice as many points.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  21. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Sorry, but the improvement in the offense was (my guesstimation) 75% based on getting Williams back, which allowed the run game to be effective. Had they still had Grier, we would have been even more focused on the run to keep the ball out of his hands.

    The other portion of the improvement (again, my guesstimation) was having Sam back under center thus giving an added dimension of another legitimate run threat, plus the element of unpredictability he brings with his scrambling.
     
  22. moondog_LFZ

    moondog_LFZ 5,000+ Posts

    (sun)(coffee)(L)

    I certainly will not argue the fact that Williams improved the offense.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  23. Run Pincher

    Run Pincher 2,500+ Posts

    As others said we can play what if's all day long. What if we had an OC with a brain that would have run it in for a TD instead of letting Sam throw 1st and goal from the 5? That was a 14 pt swing. We woulda won even with Greer playing.
     
  24. eastexhorn

    eastexhorn 250+ Posts

    Not so much a bad play call as it was a terrble QB decision.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  25. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Some people just can't get off the blame the coaches train.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  26. ShAArk92

    ShAArk92 1,000+ Posts

    Well, this and the fact he had pressure when the ball got to him. How'd THAT happen?
     
  27. BabHorn

    BabHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Pretty much what I was thinking as the game went on.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  28. Run Pincher

    Run Pincher 2,500+ Posts

    No, a good OC does not put a freshman QB prone to making bad decisions in that situation, especially when you have 3 tries to run it in against a defense that hasn't slowed down the running game yet.

    Our RB ball security has been great all season, our freshman QB decision making has not.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  29. Phil Elliott

    Phil Elliott 2,500+ Posts

    Gee, it's amazing how much better Tim Beck is at calling plays when we have just a modicum of blocking.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  30. caryhorn

    caryhorn 5,000+ Posts

    If you can't call a play action pass from the five yard line and trust that your QB will not throw up a dying quail when he is wrapped up and going down then you have the wrong QB, not the wrong coach. That is the perfect place to go play action. We've had many td's there this year. We had two passing td's inside the 20 in that game (Moore inside 10 and Warren from about the 18.) If Sam cannot be trusted not to make unconscionable decisions that led to the pick six then he is not the man.

    Its really too deep into the season to blame passes like that on being a true freshman.

    And then when Sam stopped chasing the DB at about our 35 yard line, and literally waved at him that was not good. That is not a good role model. It is what it is. No excuse for that.

    He needs to mature a lot. He has to earn trust. He has great potential, but I promise you these kinds of plays will be in the back of his mind, his team mates minds, the coaches minds and our minds until he shows that they are a thing of the past. The distant past. Maybe I said this before, "Trust is earned."
     
    • Like Like x 5

Share This Page