It's Friday afternoon and most Baylor fans are getting antsy. Why do we have to wait until 6pm? The fact that it's a night game means I won't be making it to the game, which means I'm in a bad mood.
I hope that the team is in a bad mood. They should be.
Offense -
Pitiful efforts against their D1 opponents. Pitiful. Worse than last year. Somewhere Pease is laughing his way out of his chair looking at ya'll. And he's got good reason to. There's so much room for improvement here, it's been making Baylor fans sick the last three weeks.
Defense -
Played great games against our D1 opponents, but you gave up two long drives, and you gave up an 84-yard TD that were the difference. Morriss told you you were going to have to carry the team at the beginning of the year, and despite a great job, you haven't been good enough to carry the team. You still have a lot left to prove.
Special Teams -
Not quite as bad as the offense, but far from as good as the defense. Fumbles, missed kicks, penalties, poor coverage, etc. There's a lot of room for improvement here.
Here's the kicker, Army is at least as good as Washington State. They might not be as talented, but they play great structured, disciplined football. That's something I haven't seen much of from my own Baylor Bears. If Baylor played with half the discipline that this Army team has, we'd be 3-0 in three dominating, dominating performances.
So what happens when these forces meet? I'll go with my head first and then with my heart.
HEAD:
Baylor's offense is going to continue to struggle as Hays forgets about the running game and Bell refuses to take a chance with the ball going downfield. The defense shuts down the Army rushing game, but gives up a long touchdown pass, and then a long drive for a score at the beginning of the 3rd Quarter (if they don't allow an early 3rd quarter score it will be the first time this year). Let's hope it's only a FG.
Final Score: Baylor 14, Army 10
HEART: (You heard of this, offense?)
Baylor's offense gets a clue, and keeps up the success they've seen early in games. They score a couple TDs and kick a FG in the first half. The defense scores a TD and in the second half they put the game away with at least two more scores.
Final Score: Baylor 31, Army 6
Now, which do I trust more, head or heart? I'm a sucker, so I'm going to choose to believe in the offense. They have the talent, and I have to believe they feel like they have to prove something (ya'll have a LOT to prove, so this shouldn't be too hard).
I'll go with my heart:
PREDICTION:
Baylor 31
Army 6
Friday, September 22, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Two Receivers Suspended for the First Half
It looks like the Bears will be without Trey Payne and Mikhail Baker for the first half, at least, this coming week against Army. For whatever reason, they were not able to make it to the 6AM receivers extra work this morning, and so will be disciplined.
I, for one, am not all that upset about losing Payne. The kid caught two TD passes against NSU, and other than that game, he's got 1 catch for 2 yards. And about half a dozen drops. I'd let him sit out the entire game.
Baker has 6 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD. He didn't catch a single pass against NSU, so all of his production counts.
This is a big disappointment to me, because something like this leads me to wonder about their work ethic. I hate that. I was, admittedly, a great apologist for Terrance Parks. That guy proved me wrong, so I'm a bit gun-shy. I want to believe this was a one-time thing that just happened at the wrong time, but they'll have to prove it to me.
Being promoted from scout team is Andrew Heard. He's a walk-on, but has great speed and should do a great job of running a 4-yard hitch route. But at least we don't have to worry about him blocking in the running game. [Yes, that's two jabs out our offense in one paragraph]
The main thing that this move shows me is that Hays is serious about getting the drops and the discipline fixed. Penalties, drops, blown routes all point to a lack of focus, a lack of concentration and a lack of discipline. I'm glad to see him doing something about it.
I, for one, am not all that upset about losing Payne. The kid caught two TD passes against NSU, and other than that game, he's got 1 catch for 2 yards. And about half a dozen drops. I'd let him sit out the entire game.
Baker has 6 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD. He didn't catch a single pass against NSU, so all of his production counts.
This is a big disappointment to me, because something like this leads me to wonder about their work ethic. I hate that. I was, admittedly, a great apologist for Terrance Parks. That guy proved me wrong, so I'm a bit gun-shy. I want to believe this was a one-time thing that just happened at the wrong time, but they'll have to prove it to me.
Being promoted from scout team is Andrew Heard. He's a walk-on, but has great speed and should do a great job of running a 4-yard hitch route. But at least we don't have to worry about him blocking in the running game. [Yes, that's two jabs out our offense in one paragraph]
The main thing that this move shows me is that Hays is serious about getting the drops and the discipline fixed. Penalties, drops, blown routes all point to a lack of focus, a lack of concentration and a lack of discipline. I'm glad to see him doing something about it.
I'm tired . . .
Let me introduce you to me: Cynical Jeff. I guess I earned that name somewhere along the line even though I have accurately been picking how bad the Bears have been the past few years. This year, I predicted 4-7 and no bowl. It’s looking accurate, at least the no bowl part. I’m not so sure about the 4 win level right now. Note I never count bullcrap wins against Division 1-AA opponents in my predictions. Baylor is currently 0-2 in my book.
But let me get to my message this week. After the TCU game, Coach Morriss came out per usual and talked about how tired he is of losing games like this. No kidding, coach. Me, too. I’m tired of a lot of things when it comes to Baylor football – and in no particular order . . . here you go.
(1) Pre-season hype. I’m tired of Baylor fans running down the schedule and figuring out how many games we will win using crazy metrics like we almost beat them in Norman last year and they lost their starting QB.
(2) Over-hyped players and stupid nicknames. My first experience with this was Odell James. Then Greg Cicero, Ben Gay, Terrance Parks, Mosley, Whitaker, etc. There was the Great White hope – which I don’t even know who that was . . . was it Jeff Watson, Cicero or Guy Tomcheck. There was Derek ‘The Trolley’ Lagway. Not very threatening. And then of course Thunder and Lightning which have a combined 97 yards on the ground this year. I’m sure I have missed a few in there, but the new over-hyped player is Mr. Gettis. I’ve heard someone call him a “young Randy Moss.” I’ve heard about his 40 time. But all I know is we run 5 receiver sets and the dude is not on the field while a 275-pound converted QB sits in the slot. Something’s wrong. He’s overhyped.
(3) This new offense. Sure, it takes time for the offense to get integrated but it doesn’t fit our current personnel. You need a QB that can make throws to the outside where the real weapons of Ziegler and Shelton exist. Bell cannot make those throws. He can make some decent throws over the middle. However that is where we stick our average slot receivers (no more Fatty Parks jokes . . . whoops) who cannot make plays with the ball. We have a supposedly decent running back tandem of Thunder and Lightning which doesn’t get used correctly. Lightning gets thrown swing passes with no blockers in front. I could go on, but let me move on.
(4) Shawn Bell. I appreciate what Shawn Bell did last year. I wasn’t one of those screaming for the backup QB now TE (insert your own joke here) last year. But, if we are committed to running this offense, why is he the QB? First, it generally takes time for this type of offense to jell together, right? So let’s put in the hands of a senior QB who is gone next year . . . makes no sense. Secondly, if you are going to put your playmakers on the outside then you have to have a QB who can throw a strike 15 yards across the field and hit the receivers on the move. Not Shawn Bell’s strength.
(5) Losing close games. Hey it could be worse. I remember the Steele era where the games weren’t even close. Hats off to Morriss for fielding a competitive team and getting some decent recruits but it isn’t translating into any bowl games. In baseball, they say that coaches make a difference in 1-run or 2-run ballgames. The same can be said for football if you change it to 3 to 7 point games. Again, I can forgive last year a little bit as our players “were still learning how to win.” As much as I hate that line in sports, I see some truth in it. Well, it’s next year and we have already let two games slip away. You can blame the players or the coach. I choose to blame the million dollar coach. He should know how to win and it is his job to teach those ways to the players.
There will be more things I’m tired of that come out next week but I must end this column for now.
Very disappointing start to the season. We needed three non-conference wins and will now be fortunate to get two, with a scrappy Army team up next. My prediction stands: no bowl for Baylor.
But let me get to my message this week. After the TCU game, Coach Morriss came out per usual and talked about how tired he is of losing games like this. No kidding, coach. Me, too. I’m tired of a lot of things when it comes to Baylor football – and in no particular order . . . here you go.
(1) Pre-season hype. I’m tired of Baylor fans running down the schedule and figuring out how many games we will win using crazy metrics like we almost beat them in Norman last year and they lost their starting QB.
(2) Over-hyped players and stupid nicknames. My first experience with this was Odell James. Then Greg Cicero, Ben Gay, Terrance Parks, Mosley, Whitaker, etc. There was the Great White hope – which I don’t even know who that was . . . was it Jeff Watson, Cicero or Guy Tomcheck. There was Derek ‘The Trolley’ Lagway. Not very threatening. And then of course Thunder and Lightning which have a combined 97 yards on the ground this year. I’m sure I have missed a few in there, but the new over-hyped player is Mr. Gettis. I’ve heard someone call him a “young Randy Moss.” I’ve heard about his 40 time. But all I know is we run 5 receiver sets and the dude is not on the field while a 275-pound converted QB sits in the slot. Something’s wrong. He’s overhyped.
(3) This new offense. Sure, it takes time for the offense to get integrated but it doesn’t fit our current personnel. You need a QB that can make throws to the outside where the real weapons of Ziegler and Shelton exist. Bell cannot make those throws. He can make some decent throws over the middle. However that is where we stick our average slot receivers (no more Fatty Parks jokes . . . whoops) who cannot make plays with the ball. We have a supposedly decent running back tandem of Thunder and Lightning which doesn’t get used correctly. Lightning gets thrown swing passes with no blockers in front. I could go on, but let me move on.
(4) Shawn Bell. I appreciate what Shawn Bell did last year. I wasn’t one of those screaming for the backup QB now TE (insert your own joke here) last year. But, if we are committed to running this offense, why is he the QB? First, it generally takes time for this type of offense to jell together, right? So let’s put in the hands of a senior QB who is gone next year . . . makes no sense. Secondly, if you are going to put your playmakers on the outside then you have to have a QB who can throw a strike 15 yards across the field and hit the receivers on the move. Not Shawn Bell’s strength.
(5) Losing close games. Hey it could be worse. I remember the Steele era where the games weren’t even close. Hats off to Morriss for fielding a competitive team and getting some decent recruits but it isn’t translating into any bowl games. In baseball, they say that coaches make a difference in 1-run or 2-run ballgames. The same can be said for football if you change it to 3 to 7 point games. Again, I can forgive last year a little bit as our players “were still learning how to win.” As much as I hate that line in sports, I see some truth in it. Well, it’s next year and we have already let two games slip away. You can blame the players or the coach. I choose to blame the million dollar coach. He should know how to win and it is his job to teach those ways to the players.
There will be more things I’m tired of that come out next week but I must end this column for now.
Very disappointing start to the season. We needed three non-conference wins and will now be fortunate to get two, with a scrappy Army team up next. My prediction stands: no bowl for Baylor.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Army Preview
Let's take a look at our upcoming opponent, the Army Black Knights.
Quarterback
David Pevoto is a Texas native growing up in Colleyville, TX and is in his junior year at Army. He's been backing up for three years, and is just now getting his shot to succeed. It hasn't started out all that well so far. He has yet to throw a touchdown in his career, and he's thrown 7 interceptions this year. He is averaging 112 yards passing per game on just 14 completions per game.
Going up against our secondary, I almost feel sorry for the kid. He can count on one of two things:
1. Not throwing more than a couple passes, OR
2. Throwing multiple interceptions.
Let me put it this way, if A&M can pick this guy off three times, Baylor's secondary is just going to send him to a mental hospital. If he throws the ball more than 30 times, count on Baylor getting at least 3 and probably more than that.
Running Backs
In their last two game, Army is averaging over 175 yards rushing and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. But that's A&M and Kent State, two schools not exactly known for their defense. In their game against Arkansas State (a defense FAR better than either of those other teams), they only managed 69 yards on 2.6 yards per carry.
In their two games against D1 opponents, Baylor has allowed 98 yards rushing. Total. On 54 carries. That's 1.8 yards per carry. That is outstanding rush defense, and it is coming against teams that have very potent rushing attacks. Our linebackers are playing better and better every game. And Army is going to face this defense ready to make sure that the offense only has to score their average of 1 TD against a D1 opponent in order to win. Look for less than 60 yards rushing on the day.
Wide Receivers
Trimble is a talent, but he's not NFL caliber. He'll be matched up against one of two NFL caliber cornerbacks in Wilson and Arline, and he won't have anyone to take any attention away. Throw in the fact that Pevoto isn't doing a good job of getting the ball to his receivers and these guys are going to have to struggle with the fact that they are not going to be put in a good position to make plays, as well as the fact that they are going to be smothered by one of the better defenses in the nation.
Offensive Line
Army has done an exceptional job protecting Pevoto as far as minimizing sacks. They have only given up two sacks on the year, and they have the fortune of the fact that Baylor has a couple defensive ends sitting out of practice with injuries. I'm not sure if Foreman or Hill will be playing this weekend, but if they are not able to, we will have a practice squad player in the DE rotation.
I'm expecting Baylor to win the battle in the trenches, but we'll have to count on Pevoto to beat himself, because I'm not foreseeing us getting a ton of pressure from our front four. We might see a few more blitzes in this game.
Defensive Line
They are undersized, but they play structured, disciplined football. They don't have the athletes to get pressure on Bell and the size difference should give us our best opportunity to run the ball successfully. They are giving up more then 220 yards per game, and if Baylor ever needed a defense that will give up a ton of rushing yards, this is a great one to face.
Linebackers
There's nothing truly special here, and they are going to struggle to cover both the running game (if we decide to pack it), and the short crossing routes that Parks killed TCU with and Fenty did a good job of exploiting this same problem last week.
Look for the Army linebackers to be a little bit off balance by the confusion of what to focus on, and struggle in both areas.
Secondary
By far the strength of the entire Army defense. Their best player is Campbell, a big, fast, hard-hitting safety. But they haven't faced a team that is really interested in throwing the ball. Their opponents have passed for 291 yards on 27 of 40 passing (67.5%), 1 TD, and 0 INTs. That means their average game is:
9/13 for 97 yards
Army is ready for a serious, serious wake-up call. Baylor is going to double the number of passes Army has seen this year in one game. They aren't used to the quantity, they aren't used to the scheming and they aren't used to the quality of the receivers that they are going to see in this game. It's going to be a mind-job.
Bell should (read: better) have his best game, possibly of his career, at least stat-wise.
Special Teams
Sepulveda is booming kicks, and we out-athlete Army on the coverage units. Throw in the fact that special teams have something to prove this week after some gaffs last week and we should expect a good effort this week from them. I hope that Havens gets the chance to kick a lot of extra points, and isn't forced to kick a lot of long field goals, not because he can't, but because it would mean that our offense is moving well.
Quarterback
David Pevoto is a Texas native growing up in Colleyville, TX and is in his junior year at Army. He's been backing up for three years, and is just now getting his shot to succeed. It hasn't started out all that well so far. He has yet to throw a touchdown in his career, and he's thrown 7 interceptions this year. He is averaging 112 yards passing per game on just 14 completions per game.
Going up against our secondary, I almost feel sorry for the kid. He can count on one of two things:
1. Not throwing more than a couple passes, OR
2. Throwing multiple interceptions.
Let me put it this way, if A&M can pick this guy off three times, Baylor's secondary is just going to send him to a mental hospital. If he throws the ball more than 30 times, count on Baylor getting at least 3 and probably more than that.
Running Backs
In their last two game, Army is averaging over 175 yards rushing and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. But that's A&M and Kent State, two schools not exactly known for their defense. In their game against Arkansas State (a defense FAR better than either of those other teams), they only managed 69 yards on 2.6 yards per carry.
In their two games against D1 opponents, Baylor has allowed 98 yards rushing. Total. On 54 carries. That's 1.8 yards per carry. That is outstanding rush defense, and it is coming against teams that have very potent rushing attacks. Our linebackers are playing better and better every game. And Army is going to face this defense ready to make sure that the offense only has to score their average of 1 TD against a D1 opponent in order to win. Look for less than 60 yards rushing on the day.
Wide Receivers
Trimble is a talent, but he's not NFL caliber. He'll be matched up against one of two NFL caliber cornerbacks in Wilson and Arline, and he won't have anyone to take any attention away. Throw in the fact that Pevoto isn't doing a good job of getting the ball to his receivers and these guys are going to have to struggle with the fact that they are not going to be put in a good position to make plays, as well as the fact that they are going to be smothered by one of the better defenses in the nation.
Offensive Line
Army has done an exceptional job protecting Pevoto as far as minimizing sacks. They have only given up two sacks on the year, and they have the fortune of the fact that Baylor has a couple defensive ends sitting out of practice with injuries. I'm not sure if Foreman or Hill will be playing this weekend, but if they are not able to, we will have a practice squad player in the DE rotation.
I'm expecting Baylor to win the battle in the trenches, but we'll have to count on Pevoto to beat himself, because I'm not foreseeing us getting a ton of pressure from our front four. We might see a few more blitzes in this game.
Defensive Line
They are undersized, but they play structured, disciplined football. They don't have the athletes to get pressure on Bell and the size difference should give us our best opportunity to run the ball successfully. They are giving up more then 220 yards per game, and if Baylor ever needed a defense that will give up a ton of rushing yards, this is a great one to face.
Linebackers
There's nothing truly special here, and they are going to struggle to cover both the running game (if we decide to pack it), and the short crossing routes that Parks killed TCU with and Fenty did a good job of exploiting this same problem last week.
Look for the Army linebackers to be a little bit off balance by the confusion of what to focus on, and struggle in both areas.
Secondary
By far the strength of the entire Army defense. Their best player is Campbell, a big, fast, hard-hitting safety. But they haven't faced a team that is really interested in throwing the ball. Their opponents have passed for 291 yards on 27 of 40 passing (67.5%), 1 TD, and 0 INTs. That means their average game is:
9/13 for 97 yards
Army is ready for a serious, serious wake-up call. Baylor is going to double the number of passes Army has seen this year in one game. They aren't used to the quantity, they aren't used to the scheming and they aren't used to the quality of the receivers that they are going to see in this game. It's going to be a mind-job.
Bell should (read: better) have his best game, possibly of his career, at least stat-wise.
Special Teams
Sepulveda is booming kicks, and we out-athlete Army on the coverage units. Throw in the fact that special teams have something to prove this week after some gaffs last week and we should expect a good effort this week from them. I hope that Havens gets the chance to kick a lot of extra points, and isn't forced to kick a lot of long field goals, not because he can't, but because it would mean that our offense is moving well.
New Writer Joins Baylor Sports Unlimited
For those of you that feel that I am too sunshiney, a new writer will be joining the fray.
Offering commentary from a different perspective, please welcome Cynical_Jeff. A long-time Baylor fan and a good friend of mine, C_J certainly has a different take on the team and the program than I do, and I hope it will add a bit more flavor to the blog.
Welcome, Jeff.
[And yes, he is a real human person. He is not an alternate persona of mine.]
Offering commentary from a different perspective, please welcome Cynical_Jeff. A long-time Baylor fan and a good friend of mine, C_J certainly has a different take on the team and the program than I do, and I hope it will add a bit more flavor to the blog.
Welcome, Jeff.
[And yes, he is a real human person. He is not an alternate persona of mine.]
Monday, September 18, 2006
Time to Move Forward, Again?
TAKE TWO!!
It seems like we were just here, what, two weeks ago..? Another game we should have won, another special defensive effort, and another pathetic showing on offense in the second half.
Let's ignore the fumble on the kickoff return at the end of the Washington State game, it was meaningless. But against TCU and WSU, we turned the ball over three times combined on the opponents end of the field, twice inside the redzone. Not to mention that against WSU we grabbed a whopping 43 yards of offense.
OK, so now let's let it go.
The fact of the matter is that we are 1-2. We have a chance to get back to .500 against Army, and then it's into the conference schedule. What do we have to do to get back to our hopes for a bowl game this year?
1. Running Game
2. Passing Game
Yeah, so the offense.
And YES, I know that this is a pass-oriented scheme, but that doesn't "pass-oriented" doesn't mean "pass-only". Texas Tech rushed over 300 times in their first year in the system. They averaged 66.4 yards per game. That's not an overwhelming total, and they did only average 2.6 yards per carry, but the attempts themselves made the opposing defense make even an small effort at remembering that there is a rushing attack. This year Texas Tech is averaging 93 yards per game on 19 rushes per game. 12 of those rushes each game are by the starting running back.
And we have good running backs. It isn't showing up as much, but when you are only giving Mosley and Whitaker have combined to average 8.33 carries per game you can't exactly expect them to be setting the world on fire. If Mosley/Whitaker were getting an extra 3.66 carries per game, that equates to an extra 13.5 yards per game, and 39.5 yards overall. That might not sound like much, but each of those extra attempts is also another opportunity for Whitaker or Mosley to take it for a longer gain than their average of 3.6 yards per attempt.
And what about the passing attack?
Looking only at our D1-A opponents, the leading receiver is Zeigler with 50.5 yards per game on 4.5 catches. Brandon Whitaker is second, averaging 45 yards per game on 6 catches. Shelton comes in third with 43 yards per game on 5 catches. So what? That means that our three most productive receivers are combining for just 133.5 yards per game. Well, Texas Tech is averaging only 25 yards more than Baylor through the air, but their top three receivers are averaging 221.4 yards per game. And it's been a down year for them with a new QB (RSSO, not a senior).
The leading receivers, even in this offense, are what drives the consistency. And that might very well be one of the reasons we are having trouble moving the ball throughout the game. It IS important to spread the ball around, but we also need to get the ball to those that are producing the best for us, or who can produce the best for us.
Apparently the offensive captains called a team meeting on the off-day and they spent time watching film. That's fantastic news. It shows that they are willing to put some effort in off the field. Let's hope that translates into something on the field.
We desperately need something. The fan base is tearing itself apart (read: chicken little), we are quickly losing the grasp on what should be a very special season for us (and still can be), and we need to put the first three games behind us (don't pretend that NSU was all that pretty, either) and move forward.
The best way to do that is to simply dominate Army. I'm not talking a repeat of the NSU game. That won't make anyone feel any better. And I'm not saying it should be a perfect game. It's ok if Bell throws an interception. It's ok if he gets sacked. It's ok if the defense gives up a big play. But those need to be the exceptions to a great game.
We've got a Parent's Weekend crowd coming, meaning that it will likely be north of 40,000 people (I know I'll be there), and that's a lot of people to impress. In order for the game to be a full success, we need to:
I also want to make something clear here:
I believe that Shawn Bell is our best option at QB. I in no way am calling for him to be replaced. I do think he needs to step up his game, and I'm glad he took responsibility for the Washington State game, whether or not it was his fault. He wasn't alone in responsibility, that's for sure, but it's a good sign of leadership for him to step up like that.
Tonight or tomorrow I will take a look at Army. I'm still trying to do an in-depth look at the running game, but I don't know when or if I'll be able to get to that this week.
It seems like we were just here, what, two weeks ago..? Another game we should have won, another special defensive effort, and another pathetic showing on offense in the second half.
Let's ignore the fumble on the kickoff return at the end of the Washington State game, it was meaningless. But against TCU and WSU, we turned the ball over three times combined on the opponents end of the field, twice inside the redzone. Not to mention that against WSU we grabbed a whopping 43 yards of offense.
OK, so now let's let it go.
The fact of the matter is that we are 1-2. We have a chance to get back to .500 against Army, and then it's into the conference schedule. What do we have to do to get back to our hopes for a bowl game this year?
1. Running Game
2. Passing Game
Yeah, so the offense.
And YES, I know that this is a pass-oriented scheme, but that doesn't "pass-oriented" doesn't mean "pass-only". Texas Tech rushed over 300 times in their first year in the system. They averaged 66.4 yards per game. That's not an overwhelming total, and they did only average 2.6 yards per carry, but the attempts themselves made the opposing defense make even an small effort at remembering that there is a rushing attack. This year Texas Tech is averaging 93 yards per game on 19 rushes per game. 12 of those rushes each game are by the starting running back.
And we have good running backs. It isn't showing up as much, but when you are only giving Mosley and Whitaker have combined to average 8.33 carries per game you can't exactly expect them to be setting the world on fire. If Mosley/Whitaker were getting an extra 3.66 carries per game, that equates to an extra 13.5 yards per game, and 39.5 yards overall. That might not sound like much, but each of those extra attempts is also another opportunity for Whitaker or Mosley to take it for a longer gain than their average of 3.6 yards per attempt.
And what about the passing attack?
Looking only at our D1-A opponents, the leading receiver is Zeigler with 50.5 yards per game on 4.5 catches. Brandon Whitaker is second, averaging 45 yards per game on 6 catches. Shelton comes in third with 43 yards per game on 5 catches. So what? That means that our three most productive receivers are combining for just 133.5 yards per game. Well, Texas Tech is averaging only 25 yards more than Baylor through the air, but their top three receivers are averaging 221.4 yards per game. And it's been a down year for them with a new QB (RSSO, not a senior).
The leading receivers, even in this offense, are what drives the consistency. And that might very well be one of the reasons we are having trouble moving the ball throughout the game. It IS important to spread the ball around, but we also need to get the ball to those that are producing the best for us, or who can produce the best for us.
Apparently the offensive captains called a team meeting on the off-day and they spent time watching film. That's fantastic news. It shows that they are willing to put some effort in off the field. Let's hope that translates into something on the field.
We desperately need something. The fan base is tearing itself apart (read: chicken little), we are quickly losing the grasp on what should be a very special season for us (and still can be), and we need to put the first three games behind us (don't pretend that NSU was all that pretty, either) and move forward.
The best way to do that is to simply dominate Army. I'm not talking a repeat of the NSU game. That won't make anyone feel any better. And I'm not saying it should be a perfect game. It's ok if Bell throws an interception. It's ok if he gets sacked. It's ok if the defense gives up a big play. But those need to be the exceptions to a great game.
We've got a Parent's Weekend crowd coming, meaning that it will likely be north of 40,000 people (I know I'll be there), and that's a lot of people to impress. In order for the game to be a full success, we need to:
- Win
- Be able to move the ball consistently and explosively
- Score 35+ points
- Pass for 300+ yards
- Run for 100+ yards
- Hold Army to less than 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing
- Three or more turnovers
I also want to make something clear here:
I believe that Shawn Bell is our best option at QB. I in no way am calling for him to be replaced. I do think he needs to step up his game, and I'm glad he took responsibility for the Washington State game, whether or not it was his fault. He wasn't alone in responsibility, that's for sure, but it's a good sign of leadership for him to step up like that.
Tonight or tomorrow I will take a look at Army. I'm still trying to do an in-depth look at the running game, but I don't know when or if I'll be able to get to that this week.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Top 5
I'm going to alternate between Positive and Negative this week, because otherwise by the time I reach Negative #3 I'll have slit my wrists and you'll never see this post.
Negative #5 - Heart On Offense?
What's one of the least worst things that happened this week? I have to say Heart on offense. Where is it? I know it's not at QB. Where's the passion? Where's the intensity? I don't need any players talking like CJ (Love ya, baby!), I don't need them mouthing off because they've done nothing to show even the potential for backing it up. But how about acting like you are something when you are on the field? How about even APPEARING that you believe in yourself? I haven't seen that once this year.
Positive #5 - Coaching
I'm probably going to get torn apart for this, but I really think the coaches did a great job getting a game plan together. We held WSU to 17 points, in a very hostile stadium, which if you recall is only 3 points more than Auburn allowed AT HOME. The scheme sounded solid, but the players weren't executing. Dropped passes killed plays that would have been big. Penalties before the snap put us in very difficult positions to move down the field. If the players execute a little better, (and yes I said this after the TCU game, too) we win this game going away.
Negative #4 - Drops
Where are our receivers? I was one of the many that thought that we would have one of the best receiving corps in the conference. Oops. I couldn't have been more wrong. These guys will be lucky to average 10 yards per catch as a corps, and I would be shocked if we had anyone gain more than 800 yards this season (that's only an average of 67 yards per game).
Positive #4 - Kickoff Returns
Yeah, I might be reaching for some of these. But really, Teasley and Baker did do a good job on the kickoff returns. 4 returns for a total of 116 yards is an average of 29 yards per return. We are pickup up at least 10 yards more than a touchback would give us, assuming that every kick lands at the goalline. That's very important for how very, very poor our offense has performed.
Negative #3 - Turnovers
Two interceptions, two fumbles. Jerry Hill noted that half of Bells interceptions have been by defensive linemen. This is the problem with having a 5'11" QB. The turnovers came at the WSU 16 (RED ZONE!!! ARRGH!!), the BU 34, the WSU 48 and the WSU 49.
Positive #3 - Daniel Sepulveda
Great day on Saturday. 8 punts, 47.8 yards per punt. Daniel got the defense out of some of the messes the offense seemed to try to put them in.
Negative #2 - Offensive Line
You better be glad for Shawn Bell, or you would have run away with the #1 position. Illegal procedures, holding, false starts... Do ya'll not care that you are costing this team wins? Baylor should be 3-0, knocking on the door of the Top 25, but instead we are 1-2 and about to lose our dream of a bowl game because we can't stand still before the ball is snapped. We can't protect the QB for an entire game. We can open some holes for the running attack. This wasn't a great or even good defense we were facing. Pitiful effort.
Positive #2 - Linebackers
I was really worried about the WSU running game. But Nick Moore, Antonio Jones, and Joe Pawelek really showed up yesterday. Combining for 19 tackles, including 11 solo stops, 1 FF and 1 FR. And while tackle stats are nice, the most important stat is this: 1.5 yards per rush. Woolridge only gained 54 yards rushing, which is about 60% of what he did to Auburn in ONE HALF of football.
Negative #1 - Shawn Bell
Sorry, Shawn. The QB is what makes this offense go. Yes, there were drops, but our inability to go down field, 12-play 30-yard drives, 5.33 yards per attempt... I mean, IDAHO passed for 220 yards. 256 is nothing. No less than 300 yards should have been acceptable, unless it came with a win.
Positive #1 - CJ Wilson
He is still tied for 1st in interceptions with 4. There are only two players with 4 interceptions at this point. There are 6 players with 3 interceptions at this point. He grabbed an interception against WSU, did a great job of defense, grabbed 6 tackles, and while I'm not sure how much he was lined up against Jason Hill, I do know that he wasn't against him on the TD pass, but Hill only had 72 yards on 6 catches, which is well below his regular average.
Well, I don't want to slit my wrists, but I do want to throw up. I gotta take a break.
Negative #5 - Heart On Offense?
What's one of the least worst things that happened this week? I have to say Heart on offense. Where is it? I know it's not at QB. Where's the passion? Where's the intensity? I don't need any players talking like CJ (Love ya, baby!), I don't need them mouthing off because they've done nothing to show even the potential for backing it up. But how about acting like you are something when you are on the field? How about even APPEARING that you believe in yourself? I haven't seen that once this year.
Positive #5 - Coaching
I'm probably going to get torn apart for this, but I really think the coaches did a great job getting a game plan together. We held WSU to 17 points, in a very hostile stadium, which if you recall is only 3 points more than Auburn allowed AT HOME. The scheme sounded solid, but the players weren't executing. Dropped passes killed plays that would have been big. Penalties before the snap put us in very difficult positions to move down the field. If the players execute a little better, (and yes I said this after the TCU game, too) we win this game going away.
Negative #4 - Drops
Where are our receivers? I was one of the many that thought that we would have one of the best receiving corps in the conference. Oops. I couldn't have been more wrong. These guys will be lucky to average 10 yards per catch as a corps, and I would be shocked if we had anyone gain more than 800 yards this season (that's only an average of 67 yards per game).
Positive #4 - Kickoff Returns
Yeah, I might be reaching for some of these. But really, Teasley and Baker did do a good job on the kickoff returns. 4 returns for a total of 116 yards is an average of 29 yards per return. We are pickup up at least 10 yards more than a touchback would give us, assuming that every kick lands at the goalline. That's very important for how very, very poor our offense has performed.
Negative #3 - Turnovers
Two interceptions, two fumbles. Jerry Hill noted that half of Bells interceptions have been by defensive linemen. This is the problem with having a 5'11" QB. The turnovers came at the WSU 16 (RED ZONE!!! ARRGH!!), the BU 34, the WSU 48 and the WSU 49.
Positive #3 - Daniel Sepulveda
Great day on Saturday. 8 punts, 47.8 yards per punt. Daniel got the defense out of some of the messes the offense seemed to try to put them in.
Negative #2 - Offensive Line
You better be glad for Shawn Bell, or you would have run away with the #1 position. Illegal procedures, holding, false starts... Do ya'll not care that you are costing this team wins? Baylor should be 3-0, knocking on the door of the Top 25, but instead we are 1-2 and about to lose our dream of a bowl game because we can't stand still before the ball is snapped. We can't protect the QB for an entire game. We can open some holes for the running attack. This wasn't a great or even good defense we were facing. Pitiful effort.
Positive #2 - Linebackers
I was really worried about the WSU running game. But Nick Moore, Antonio Jones, and Joe Pawelek really showed up yesterday. Combining for 19 tackles, including 11 solo stops, 1 FF and 1 FR. And while tackle stats are nice, the most important stat is this: 1.5 yards per rush. Woolridge only gained 54 yards rushing, which is about 60% of what he did to Auburn in ONE HALF of football.
Negative #1 - Shawn Bell
Sorry, Shawn. The QB is what makes this offense go. Yes, there were drops, but our inability to go down field, 12-play 30-yard drives, 5.33 yards per attempt... I mean, IDAHO passed for 220 yards. 256 is nothing. No less than 300 yards should have been acceptable, unless it came with a win.
Positive #1 - CJ Wilson
He is still tied for 1st in interceptions with 4. There are only two players with 4 interceptions at this point. There are 6 players with 3 interceptions at this point. He grabbed an interception against WSU, did a great job of defense, grabbed 6 tackles, and while I'm not sure how much he was lined up against Jason Hill, I do know that he wasn't against him on the TD pass, but Hill only had 72 yards on 6 catches, which is well below his regular average.
Well, I don't want to slit my wrists, but I do want to throw up. I gotta take a break.
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