Answer me this

[Dawgfan77]

For the second week in a row we average over 4 yds per carry yet we abondon the run.... Why does Dan not play to this teams strength?

[civildawg]

Because we are down by 30

[ShotgunDawg]

This is a great question.

I honestly thought we ran the ball fairly well last night when we tried, which is part of why I'm terribly frustrated by last night.

My only answer is I think Mullen demands that we take what the defense gives us. That means if we have numbers on the LOS, then we run & if we don't, we pass.

The answer may be that simple. Problem with that philosophy is that the defense is allowed to dictate how we play.

[ShotgunDawg]

Because we are down by 30

Not early in the game.

We were down by 4 at one point with the ball, got a first down running, & then threw it 3 times in a row.

[DownwardDawg]

QB whisperer.

[TrapGame]

Because we are down by 30

Not in the second quarter when AW was pushing piles and actually looked like a good power back. AU's front had problems stopping AW at the LOS. And as soon as we show we can slow the game down and force our run game on AU we go away from it.

[BoomBoom]

This is a great question.

I honestly thought we ran the ball fairly well last night when we tried, which is part of why I'm terribly frustrated by last night.

My only answer is I think Mullen demands that we take what the defense gives us. That means if we have numbers on the LOS, then we run & if we don't, we pass.

The answer may be that simple. Problem with that philosophy is that the defense is allowed to dictate how we play.

I think that's the answer too. And it's just bad strategy. When you are much weaker throwing than running, your flowchart, if you will, should be "can they stop you from running it with X men on the line?", if no, then RUN THE F'ING BALL MORON. running the ball will open up the play action pass. if we can't run it, we ain't winning, because we're NEVER going to open up the run by throwing the ball.

oh well. Mullen's strategy will work against our next several opponents, and then we'll get to repeat this after Bammer laughs at it.

[Dawgfan77]

This is a great question.

I honestly thought we ran the ball fairly well last night when we tried, which is part of why I'm terribly frustrated by last night.

My only answer is I think Mullen demands that we take what the defense gives us. That means if we have numbers on the LOS, then we run & if we don't, we pass.

The answer may be that simple. Problem with that philosophy is that the defense is allowed to dictate how we play.

I can see that however and I have mentioned this before. Fitz is closer to relph than dak, therefore play to your QB strengths. Nick is never gonna be a great thrower and we don't have the WR, our OL is built to run the ball. I'm not saying we should never throw it but twice last night after a defensive stop we come out slinging it.... why? We could have run it and moved the chains

And another note NEVER go UNDER CENTER again. Throws our entire offense off

[shoeless joe]

This is my major frustration with dan. Really like him as our HC but really like when we have someone else calling plays. If we run the ball and play the clock last nite I feel we are in the game well into the second half. Prolly still lose because they're just better it we give ourselves a chance.

[MaroonFlounder]

I'm looking forward to the Keyton and Kylin show. It can't get here soon enough.

[Commercecomet24]

That's the frustrating part. We just ran for 190 and 200 yards at 4 ypc against 2 of the best defenses in the country. Yet we got impatient in both games and started chunking it in the first half. I would be happy with no more than 15 passed a game. Our run game can work but we have to let it.

[Leeshouldveflanked]

The most puzzling playcalling was after Auburn's first punt...we had the ball at our own 13 or so and instead of trying to establish run... 3 straight passing plays and a punt.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Dan Mullen's ego as the QB whisperer

[Commercecomet24]

Dan Mullen's ego as the QB whisperer

I like Dan a lot but it looks like he's trying to force Fitz to become Tom Brady. Fitz is a great runner, we got a stable of backs, our ol is doing a great job run blocking. RUN THE FOOTBALL, Dan!

[StatesboroBlues]

The most puzzling playcalling was after Auburn's first punt...we had the ball at our own 13 or so and instead of trying to establish run... 3 straight passing plays and a punt.

This...

[NCDawg]

I'm looking forward to the Keyton and Kylin show. It can't get here soon enough.

They won't be any better than Fitz and Williams if the OL doesn't improve.

[dawgday166]

I'm looking forward to the Keyton and Kylin show. It can't get here soon enough.

You'll get the same thing with different players. For nine years we've been waiting for the next "player A and player B show". Then when we get it, it turns out the same way.

ETA: We did get a little different with Dak and JRob for most of 2014. There's a slim chance that Keyton & Kylin will be different. Still will probably lose a couple of games tho that we shouldn't.

[BulldogBear]

The most puzzling playcalling was after Auburn's first punt...we had the ball at our own 13 or so and instead of trying to establish run... 3 straight passing plays and a punt.

Crappy officiating aside, I thought that was the real turning point in the game, even mumbling so to myself at the time.

That's the frustrating part. We just ran for 190 and 200 yards at 4 ypc against 2 of the best defenses in the country. Yet we got impatient in both games and started chunking it in the first half. I would be happy with no more than 15 passed a game. Our run game can work but we have to let it.

Exactly. About 20m into the game, Auburn's defense had actually been on the field for most of the game. Everything turned in the rest of the half, even though we did a score. I wish we had just pounded the ball and kept them on the field 21-23 minutes of the first half. We were on track to do it. Worn them out, stayed in the game and won it in the second half when they were too tired to stop the run. But QB whisperer and stuff.

[Todd4State]

You'll get the same thing with different players. For nine years we've been waiting for the next "player A and player B show". Then when we get it, it turns out the same way.

ETA: We did get a little different with Dak and JRob for most of 2014. There's a slim chance that Keyton & Kylin will be different. Still will probably lose a couple of games tho that we shouldn't.

2014 was close to a complete team- that's what we have to have to get that level.

By 2019 we should again be close to a complete team as well. Key is unlike Fitz in that he played in a spread system and he won't have as big of a learning curve. Hill is potentially special. Heath is also potentially special at WR and is much further along than Bear Wilson was at the same stage in their careers. Couch will be a senior and Todd will be a redshirt junior. Dear may be around assuming we don't play him this year which is looking more and more likely to be the case. He would be a fifth year senior athlete and hopefully we can get Jerrion Ealy who could have a major impact as a freshman. Deddrick Thomas will be a senior and there are some good slot WR's in the 2019 class. Farrod Green will be a senior as well. That's a lot of weapons. The o-line should have Daryl Williams, Story, Reese, Champion, and Phillips plus I think Dolla Bill will contend for some playing time as well. That's four seniors, a junior, and then an UA AA.

Defensively we should be pretty good as well. Adams and Kobe Jones will be juniors or seniors at DE and Rivers may still be around then too. Charles Moore is a potential five star DT in the 2019 class and I could see us starting Williams from Callaway or Josh Jackson at DT as well as possibly Lee Autry. Leo and Gay will be a senior and junior respectively. Marquiss Spencer will be a senior and Aaron Odom and maybe DiMonte Russell a 2019 4 star from Provine will be our OLB's. Cam Dantzler is going to be a very good CB and he'll be a junior and we'll see who the other corner is- I know we're going after a JUCO CB who would be a senior but I could also see it being Tyler Williams. We'll know a little more in February. Diwun Black could play the JT Gray position as a freshman potentially or just start at safety. Marcus Murphy and maybe 2019 Brandon Turnage could start at safety or Landon Guidry and CJ Morgan Walker. Murphy might be on the offensive side of the ball, so we'll see.

Christmann will still be the kicker in 2019 probably and then we have Day who will be a junior at punter probably. Mixon, Dear, and Deddrick Thomas are all guys that can return kicks pretty well. We'll probably be solid on special teams as well.

[Todd4State]

As far as running the ball- that's where playing Kylin more could really help us out. Because in theory it would keep Fitz and Aeris fresher. Georgia and Auburn both use multiple backs for the same reason- Alabama as well. He has gotten 7 and 8 carries against Georgia and Auburn respectively. Compared to Aeris getting 11 and 15 the past two games respectively. We should keep Aeris touches the same and bump Hill up to around 13 or so and take away some of the targets from the WR's.