WMD's Armchair QB: Mustard Buzzard Edition

[War Machine Dawg]

Gents, the Mustard Buzzard Edition of Armchair QB is available at FWTCT (http://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com/2015/9/6/9268379/wmd-armchair-qb-mustard-buzzard-edition-mississippi-state-bulldogs-dak-prescott-dan-mullen). It's funny, I had written and published my article before I read C34's SMQB. I intentionally try to avoid any postgame analysis until my article is done so y'all get my original, unbiased thought. After reading SMQB, C34 and I made several of the same points, as is usually the case. You guys all know the drill by now. Let's talk USM!

[War Machine Dawg]

And allow me to add an addendum to the article for your discussion: The more I think about our defensive performance, the more I’m ok with it. I think we intentionally made the decision to sit in a vanilla cover 2, play the safeties deep, and keep everything in front of us. Give USM what they want in the middle of the field but eliminate the threat of the big play. It’s ugly and gives up a lot of yards with WRs running free between the numbers, but they aren’t running free behind you, which would be way worse. I highly doubt that is the D we will see in a week.

[TheRef]

I agree. Both sides of the ball were vanilla last night. Don't give them anything on film for them to work on, then you pull out all the stops during that LSU game.

[Treemydawg]

I hope both of y'all are right but isn't this the same things that were being said last year about our secondary against lesser talented teams. I hope Diaz and crew change my perception with the LSU game but until I see our secondary man up and actually challenge the receivers I believe it's going to be a long year for us against the pass.

[ShotgunDawg]

Good stuff WMD
A few additional thoughts to add:

1. Bear has to run better routes. I saw him round off his cuts on multiple slant routes. I'm curious if this was a lack of focus due to the competition.

2. Was it just me that thought it looked like we were playing on an ice rink last night? It rained for 30 minutes before the game, the turf was shiny, and guys were sliding when tackled. Not to make any excuses, but I'm curious if things like Shumperts balance, Dak consistently being high, and Bear running poor routes were affected by this. A slick field will take most offenses out of rhythm.

[MetEdDawg]

Good stuff WMD
A few additional thoughts to add:

1. Bear has to run better routes. I saw him round off his cuts on multiple slant routes. I'm curious if this was a lack of focus due to the competition.

2. Was it just me that thought it looked like we were playing on an ice rink last night? It rained for 30 minutes before the game, the turf was shiny, and guys were sliding when tackled. Not to make any excuses, but I'm curious if things like Shumperts balance, Dak consistently being high, and Bear running poor routes were affected by this. A slick field will take most offenses out of rhythm.

Everyone hammered me for this last night but I firmly believe it negatively affected us last night. Shump was slipping, Richie slipped quite a few times trying to reposition himself for a tackle, and it happened to the CBs trying to come in and make plays on some balls. I think it definitely affected us.

[DanDority]

I agree with your article WMD. I can't begin to describe how dreadful Richie brown looked in his missed tackles last night. Shumpert was bad as well. I really wanted to see Lee early, he in my opinion needs more carries.

[DanDority]

Everyone hammered me for this last night but I firmly believe it negatively affected us last night. Shump was slipping, Richie slipped quite a few times trying to reposition himself for a tackle, and it happened to the CBs trying to come in and make plays on some balls. I think it definitely affected us.

Not trying to disagree with what you say, but I hope it doesn't rain during any of our other games

[aerodawg]

I feel like nobody watched what we did with our secondary last night and think its the same thing happening as last year. It was definitely not the same. Watch the game, we did not have guys getting torched man to man. Even their trick plays we had guys there but one misjudged the ball and the other slipped. We played a "keep em in front of us" style last night. There was obviously some bad play and confusion in the zone coverage at times but most of their yards came from what we gave them with the holes in the zone coverage. When the going got tough and USM started threatening the endzone our defense buckled down and quit giving them those easy completions.

If you remember how pissed Mullen was after those games last year toward the defensive play and how he just let it roll off last night is telling to me.

[War Machine Dawg]

Shameless Sunday night FWTCT promotion bump.