I Can't Figure Out our OL

[ShotgunDawg]

This is the part of our team that I'm having trouble wrapping my head around from Saturday.

Our OL looks like one of the best OLs in the country the first two weeks only look like absolute trash last Saturday. For whatever reason, we can't even seem to snap the ball correctly. Through the 1st quarter Saturday, the entire offense was thrown off rhythm because every snap was over Stevens' head.

We have talent & experience. We have size & we have aggressiveness. Yet here we are with 7 sacks through 3 games & we haven't even hit SEC play yet.

I can completely understand how the suspensions have effected our special teams & defense & I can completely understand the youth on the DL being exposed at time, but I can't understand our OL.

This is two years in a row where our OL looks like gang busters in the first few games only to completely fall a part when play a DL with a pulse.

What gives?

[Jack Lambert]

When Stevens went out we became one dimensional and they loaded the box. They did not have to respect the pass but Hill still had 111 yards rushing. I think they did an ok job Saturday. We had the ball 33 plus minutes. So we had ball control and we did have more total yards then them. I am disappointed in the 353 total yards but if Stevens had been able to go the entire game we win and we have a lot more yardage.

[ShotgunDawg]

When Stevens went out we became one dimensional and they loaded the box. They did not have to respect the pass but Hill still had 111 yards rushing. I think they did an ok job Saturday. We had the ball 33 plus minutes. So we had ball control and we did have more total yards then them. I am disappointed in the 353 total yards but if Stevens had been able to go the entire game we win and we have a lot more yardage.

But the OL wasn't any good with Stevens in there. We couldn't get 3 yards on first down

[Jack Lambert]

But the OL wasn't any good with Stevens in there. We couldn't get 3 yards on first down

They got better as the game went on. If stevens had stayed the total yardage would have been way higher. The heat was starting to play in our favor at one point and then the TD off the kick change the entire game.

[basedog]

We have 2 guys who didn't play, one isn't 100%, the depth is hurting a little while playing in the heat. Like Jack stated, they are jamming the line and daring us to throw which we couldn't complete passes last weekend. It's not hard to see what is happening, injuries happen and this year it's taken a toll on this team somewhat.

Ksu isn't a bad team either, their front on both sides are senior laden and they have talent. Very physical, they will give teams fits in there conference with their run game, and they have a awesome puner who kept us in poor field postion many times!

[BulldogBear]

They got better as the game went on. If stevens had stayed the total yardage would have been way higher. The heat was starting to play in our favor at one point and then the TD off the kick change the entire game.

This and add that Stevens had 6-7 Game Changing (Intercepted, 3rd Down conversion failure, and those that should've been 6 points) bad throws that were probably due to injury. Again, that's GAME CHANGING. Was not please with OL but we really would've won in spite of that fact if Stevens had been healthy. Probably would've won going away also.

[Pollodawg]

When Stevens went out we became one dimensional and they loaded the box. They did not have to respect the pass but Hill still had 111 yards rushing. I think they did an ok job Saturday. We had the ball 33 plus minutes. So we had ball control and we did have more total yards then them. I am disappointed in the 353 total yards but if Stevens had been able to go the entire game we win and we have a lot more yardage.

Bro, their D line was whipping our O line from snap number one.

[Pollodawg]

This and add that Stevens had 6-7 Game Changing (Intercepted, 3rd Down conversion failure, and those that should've been 6 points) bad throws that were probably due to injury. Again, that's GAME CHANGING. Was not please with OL but we really would've won in spite of that fact if Stevens had been healthy. Probably would've won going away also.


I?m so sick of hearing about Steven?s injury. It was USM. He didn?t get hit that hard. Did the big, bad DIII Eagles hurt our QB?

[msstate7]

I?m so sick of hearing about Steven?s injury. It was USM. He didn?t get hit that hard. Did the big, bad DIII Eagles hurt our QB?

Better get used to. His injury, Mullen, and I'm sure fitz will get some blame too.

[RiverCityDawg]

I?m so sick of hearing about Steven?s injury. It was USM. He didn?t get hit that hard. Did the big, bad DIII Eagles hurt our QB?

Is this for real? You don't think injuries can happen against bad teams? You can be tired of hearing about it, but that doesn't make it any less true or any less of a factor as to why we lost on Saturday. We needed to be better in a lot of different areas, but Tommy not being 100% and having to eventually come out was THE single biggest factor in the outcome of the game. QB is the most important position in sports, you have a drop off there and the game changes.

[1bigdawg]

We have 2 guys who didn't play, one isn't 100%, the depth is hurting a little while playing in the heat. Like Jack stated, they are jamming the line and daring us to throw which we couldn't complete passes last weekend. It's not hard to see what is happening, injuries happen and this year it's taken a toll on this team somewhat.

Ksu isn't a bad team either, their front on both sides are senior laden and they have talent. Very physical, they will give teams fits in there conference with their run game, and they have a awesome puner who kept us in poor field postion many times!

It also did not help that we got the ball to KYlin on EVERY first down in the first half until the last drive with 43 seconds on the clock.

[msugolf]

Is this for real? You don't think injuries can happen against bad teams? You can be tired of hearing about it, but that doesn't make it any less true or any less of a factor as to why we lost on Saturday. We needed to be better in a lot of different areas, but Tommy not being 100% and having to eventually come out was THE single biggest factor in the outcome of the game. QB is the most important position in sports, you have a drop off there and the game changes.

None of this takes away from the fact that we hired a supposedly offensive guru that can't put up yards and points against any team with a pulse on defense. There's zero creativity and you can tell our players are thinking rather than playing.

Only at MissSt do we make the forward pass the most complicated thing on the planet.

[Pollodawg]

Is this for real? You don't think injuries can happen against bad teams? You can be tired of hearing about it, but that doesn't make it any less true or any less of a factor as to why we lost on Saturday. We needed to be better in a lot of different areas, but Tommy not being 100% and having to eventually come out was THE single biggest factor in the outcome of the game. QB is the most important position in sports, you have a drop off there and the game changes.


Dude, the hit he took that got him hurt wasn’t that bad. You think Dak or Nick folds there?

[Pollodawg]

The offense is slow, unimaginative, and boring. We do that stupid “check-with-me-thing” before every snap.

[Bubb Rubb]

When Stevens went out we became one dimensional and they loaded the box. They did not have to respect the pass but Hill still had 111 yards rushing. I think they did an ok job Saturday. We had the ball 33 plus minutes. So we had ball control and we did have more total yards then them. I am disappointed in the 353 total yards but if Stevens had been able to go the entire game we win and we have a lot more yardage.

The OL was embarrassingly bad Saturday. They got whipped.

[Fader21]

Dude, the hit he took that got him hurt wasn?t that bad. You think Dak or Nick folds there?

Apparently you played little to no football at all.

Sometimes the hits that look the worst don't hurt at all. Sometimes the hits that look minor can knock a player out of a game. I admire Stevens for giving it a go on Saturday but everyone could see within 2 series he didn't have it.

[Rayburn8]

Darryl Williams also got hurt recovering a fumble, the reality is we are really banged up on the Oline rn between injuries and suspensions.

[ShotgunDawg]

Darryl Williams also got hurt recovering a fumble, the reality is we are really banged up on the Oline rn between injuries and suspensions.

Team Charmin

[Five-tool Poster]

I?m so sick of hearing about Steven?s injury. It was USM. He didn?t get hit that hard. Did the big, bad DIII Eagles hurt our QB?

this must be your first time watching sports.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

How many linemen did we play this week? Was it 9 or 10? I know we have injuries, but is any other team in the county still this unsure about their starting O-Line?

[Pollodawg]

this must be your first time watching sports.

Well, our former players played little either since they openly questioned effort and called Sat’s effort level embarrassing.

[parabrave]

The offense is slow, unimaginative, and boring. We do that stupid “check-with-me-thing” before every snap.

This all day. And don't forget to add in snap the ball with 2 seconds left, still not giving the tackles any help on the outside rush.

[RiverCityDawg]

Dude, the hit he took that got him hurt wasn?t that bad. You think Dak or Nick folds there?

It just doesn't work that way. You can't tell by how it looks. Prior to this Tommy had one injury going back all the way to high school. He hasn't been some soft player that's always getting hurt. This one clearly impacted his ability to throw. What don't you get about that?

By the way, Dak got hurt as a sophomore on a hit that didn't look bad at all and it made him miss a couple games. Nick twisted his ankle play beach freakin volleyball and he missed all of preseason with the Buccaneers because of it. Fluky injuries happen in sports, especially football. You want to bury your head in the sand about it not mattering or somehow the player or coach are to blame, but that's not reality.

[NCDawg]

The offense is slow, unimaginative, and boring. We do that stupid “check-with-me-thing” before every snap.

I totally agree. He should get rid of that "check with me thing" before every snap. It doesn't do any good and hurts the rhythm of the offense in my opinion. Another thing, I saw Kentucky and several teams score on QB sneaks over the week-end. I have no doubt we would have scored on a QB sneak in the bowl game against Iowa last year after Guidry's catch on the one yard line. Yet, we ran Fitz 4 times from 5 yards deep and he was stopped every time. I'm wondering what is Moorhead's reasoning about not using a QB sneak.

[R2Dawg]

But the OL wasn't any good with Stevens in there. We couldn't get 3 yards on first down

Agree, however, they were keying on Hill and stacking the box. Their D is pretty decent too. At the end of the game, we still averaged 4.6 yds per rush. That is pretty good when you haven't had a major pass threat and the starting QB goes out. We did get beat in spots but overall day wasn't terrible. High snaps were a problem for some reason for an all SEC all American level center??

[smootness]

It also did not help that we got the ball to KYlin on EVERY first down in the first half until the last drive with 43 seconds on the clock.

We have an offense that allows the defense to dictate what you do. If the defense wants you to hand off on every first down, they can make you do that.

And this offense, which has multiple reads for every play that allows the defense to dictate what you do, still requires our coaches to give instruction to every player before every play.

[Cooterpoot]

We?re big, slow, and soft. I told you we had some issues before the season and folks tried to make out like this was some great OL. It?s not. Williams is it. Others are simply serviceable. Tackles are really, really slow.

[dawgday166]

We?re big, slow, and soft. I told you we had some issues before the season and folks tried to make out like this was some great OL. It?s not. Williams is it. Others are simply serviceable. Tackles are really, really slow.

I saw that in ULL & USM games. Eiland gets blown past way too often and Hill won't pick that up. That's gonna kill us against Ds like KState and above.

[Pollodawg]

If some of these folks questioning football acumen had a hair on their ass, they’d go engage Ben Beckeith and Anthony Dixon on Twitter about this team’s toughness and leadership.

[Pollodawg]

I’d give ten k for an hour of Nicko Whitley (who played with a torn knee ligament but our QB can’t go with a tweaked shoulder) and Dylan Day.

[NCDawg]

We?re big, slow, and soft. I told you we had some issues before the season and folks tried to make out like this was some great OL. It?s not. Williams is it. Others are simply serviceable. Tackles are really, really slow.

You're correct about our tackles being really, really, slow. I remember the Kentucky DE blowing past Eiland last year and knocking the hell out of our QB. Thankfully, that DE is no longer there. Stoops isn't a dummy though-he'll put in another good DE and we will probably experience the same thing this year.

[Percho]

I believe the stats show we won in the trenches. We lost in the kicking game.


Team Totals KS MS
FIRST DOWNS 17 21
Rushing 8 9
Passing 7 8
Penalty 2 4
NET YARDS RUSHING 146 201
Rushing Attempts 35 44
Average Per Rush 4.2 4.6
Rushing Touchdowns 2 2
Yards Gained Rushing 161 220
Yards Lost Rushing 15 19
NET YARDS PASSING 123 151
Completions-Attempts-Int 10-18-0 11-27-2
Average Per Attempt 6.8 5.6
Average Per Completion 12.3 13.7
Passing Touchdowns 1 1
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 269 352
Total offense plays 53 71
Average Gain Per Play 5.1 5.0
Fumbles: Number-Lost 4-3 2-1
Penalties: Number-Yards 7-59 7-83
PUNTS-YARDS 5-253 6-242
Average Yards Per Punt 50.6 40.3
Net Yards Per Punt 42.4 33.0
Inside 20 1 0
50+ Yards 3 1
Touchbacks 2 0
Fair catch 2 1
KICKOFFS-YARDS 6-357 5-310
Average Yards Per Kickoff 59.5 62.0
Net Yards Per Kickoff 39.3 27.2
Touchbacks 2 2
Fair Catch Yards 0 0
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD 4-44-0 1-1-0
Average Per Return 11.0 1.0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 3-124-1 4-71-0
Average Per Return 41.3 17.8
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 2-39-0 0-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 1-9-0 1-4-0
Miscellaneous Yards 0 0
Possession Time 26:55 33:05
1st Quarter 9:04 5:56
2nd Quarter 5:35 9:25
3rd Quarter 3:36 11:24
4th Quarter 8:40 6:20
Third-Down Conversions 3 of 10 4 of 14
Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 1 0 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 4-5 2-2
Touchdowns 3-5 2-2
Field goals 1-5 0-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards 2-13 1-10
PAT Kicks 4-4 3-3
Field Goals 1-1 1-1
Points off turnovers 10 17

[BrunswickDawg]

If some of these folks questioning football acumen had a hair on their ass, they’d go engage Ben Beckeith and Anthony Dixon on Twitter about this team’s toughness and leadership.

And I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Sometimes, teams struggle with those things. It's not as automatic as a lot people want to think it it. You don't just have someone say "I'm the leader" and everything is good.

I think we need to listen to Boobie about this too:

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[parabrave]

one thing about the snap the ball with 5 seconds that also hurt us is you give the defensive line time to catch their breath. This takes away one big advantage that playing in 95 degree weather that you have which is to wear the opposing linemen out.

[basedog]

We?re big, slow, and soft. I told you we had some issues before the season and folks tried to make out like this was some great OL. It?s not. Williams is it. Others are simply serviceable. Tackles are really, really slow.

Recruiting is a problem from the past as we can see from what you are saying. DM never had much speed, always seemed to lack OL and wideout issues. Maybe in a year or so this will be resolved.

Say it ain't so, LOL. Btw I do think Joe's game plan was bad Saturday.

[dawgday166]

Btw I do think Joe's game plan was bad Saturday.

Joe's game plan is the same every Sat with exception of AU last year. Against mediocre Ds it works, against physical, good Ds it hasn't yet. I'm anxiously waiting for it to start working against the good Ds.

[Bubb Rubb]

I believe the stats show we won in the trenches. We lost in the kicking game.


Team Totals KS MS
FIRST DOWNS 17 21
Rushing 8 9
Passing 7 8
Penalty 2 4
NET YARDS RUSHING 146 201
Rushing Attempts 35 44
Average Per Rush 4.2 4.6
Rushing Touchdowns 2 2
Yards Gained Rushing 161 220
Yards Lost Rushing 15 19
NET YARDS PASSING 123 151
Completions-Attempts-Int 10-18-0 11-27-2
Average Per Attempt 6.8 5.6
Average Per Completion 12.3 13.7
Passing Touchdowns 1 1
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 269 352
Total offense plays 53 71
Average Gain Per Play 5.1 5.0
Fumbles: Number-Lost 4-3 2-1
Penalties: Number-Yards 7-59 7-83
PUNTS-YARDS 5-253 6-242
Average Yards Per Punt 50.6 40.3
Net Yards Per Punt 42.4 33.0
Inside 20 1 0
50+ Yards 3 1
Touchbacks 2 0
Fair catch 2 1
KICKOFFS-YARDS 6-357 5-310
Average Yards Per Kickoff 59.5 62.0
Net Yards Per Kickoff 39.3 27.2
Touchbacks 2 2
Fair Catch Yards 0 0
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD 4-44-0 1-1-0
Average Per Return 11.0 1.0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 3-124-1 4-71-0
Average Per Return 41.3 17.8
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 2-39-0 0-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 1-9-0 1-4-0
Miscellaneous Yards 0 0
Possession Time 26:55 33:05
1st Quarter 9:04 5:56
2nd Quarter 5:35 9:25
3rd Quarter 3:36 11:24
4th Quarter 8:40 6:20
Third-Down Conversions 3 of 10 4 of 14
Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 1 0 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 4-5 2-2
Touchdowns 3-5 2-2
Field goals 1-5 0-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards 2-13 1-10
PAT Kicks 4-4 3-3
Field Goals 1-1 1-1
Points off turnovers 10 17

Looking at stats are incredibly misleading. They had three turnovers on possession plays and a kickoff return, so that's four less offensive drives than us.

If you want to see how our offensive line played, look at yards per play on first down, rushing yards per play on first down, and third down conversion percentage. That will paint a better picture of how bad we were up front.

[Homedawg]

I believe the stats show we won in the trenches. We lost in the kicking game.


Team Totals KS MS
FIRST DOWNS 17 21
Rushing 8 9
Passing 7 8
Penalty 2 4
NET YARDS RUSHING 146 201
Rushing Attempts 35 44
Average Per Rush 4.2 4.6
Rushing Touchdowns 2 2
Yards Gained Rushing 161 220
Yards Lost Rushing 15 19
NET YARDS PASSING 123 151
Completions-Attempts-Int 10-18-0 11-27-2
Average Per Attempt 6.8 5.6
Average Per Completion 12.3 13.7
Passing Touchdowns 1 1
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 269 352
Total offense plays 53 71
Average Gain Per Play 5.1 5.0
Fumbles: Number-Lost 4-3 2-1
Penalties: Number-Yards 7-59 7-83
PUNTS-YARDS 5-253 6-242
Average Yards Per Punt 50.6 40.3
Net Yards Per Punt 42.4 33.0
Inside 20 1 0
50+ Yards 3 1
Touchbacks 2 0
Fair catch 2 1
KICKOFFS-YARDS 6-357 5-310
Average Yards Per Kickoff 59.5 62.0
Net Yards Per Kickoff 39.3 27.2
Touchbacks 2 2
Fair Catch Yards 0 0
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD 4-44-0 1-1-0
Average Per Return 11.0 1.0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 3-124-1 4-71-0
Average Per Return 41.3 17.8
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 2-39-0 0-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 1-9-0 1-4-0
Miscellaneous Yards 0 0
Possession Time 26:55 33:05
1st Quarter 9:04 5:56
2nd Quarter 5:35 9:25
3rd Quarter 3:36 11:24
4th Quarter 8:40 6:20
Third-Down Conversions 3 of 10 4 of 14
Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 1 0 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 4-5 2-2
Touchdowns 3-5 2-2
Field goals 1-5 0-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards 2-13 1-10
PAT Kicks 4-4 3-3
Field Goals 1-1 1-1
Points off turnovers 10 17

They fumbled two punts that kept their D on the field for basically and entire Q. So the kicking game was a wash really.

[Homedawg]

When the game started, they whipped us up front. When the game was tied and on the line, they whipped us up front. When they took the lead and we had 2 timeouts and a chance to get the ball back we gave up 9 on first down, basically ending the game. We knew they were gonna run and they mashed it down our throat.

[basedog]

We definitely need speed, we don't have a "homerun guy", Mitchell is about our only hope on the outside.

Not sure how many were at the game but not every play was down to 5 seconds on the clock, many had lots of time left.

[I seen it dawg]

I can't figure out some of our posters. Can't wrap my head around it. And I'm glad.

[R2Dawg]

Looking at stats are incredibly misleading. They had three turnovers on possession plays and a kickoff return, so that's four less offensive drives than us.

If you want to see how our offensive line played, look at yards per play on first down, rushing yards per play on first down, and third down conversion percentage. That will paint a better picture of how bad we were up front.

Stats can be misleading but they do tell something over 4 quarters. You cherry picked some stats, you can't have it both ways. We also had 3 TO that cut our drives short so how is that any different? TO were a wash. Ours were unforced by the way too. We gashed them on quite a few plays. Our QB out gained their top RB. Hill did Hill. First down we were too predictable and they keyed on Hill. Not hard when 5 trying to block 7-8. Again after all the dust we out rushed them, it wasn't a fluke, it happened.

Just trying to be real instead of constantly looking at the negative, got to see both.

[BuckyIsAB****]

This is the part of our team that I'm having trouble wrapping my head around from Saturday.

Our OL looks like one of the best OLs in the country the first two weeks only look like absolute trash last Saturday. For whatever reason, we can't even seem to snap the ball correctly. Through the 1st quarter Saturday, the entire offense was thrown off rhythm because every snap was over Stevens' head.

We have talent & experience. We have size & we have aggressiveness. Yet here we are with 7 sacks through 3 games & we haven't even hit SEC play yet.

I can completely understand how the suspensions have effected our special teams & defense & I can completely understand the youth on the DL being exposed at time, but I can't understand our OL.

This is two years in a row where our OL looks like gang busters in the first few games only to completely fall a part when play a DL with a pulse.

What gives?

Its beat up. Wilkerson played the majority of the snaps at Center. KSU knows Stevens is hurt they play harder on the run and no OL in the history of man is going to block 7 or 8 guys idc how good your RB is. Relax. The OL will be fine. Johnson is a good coach he didnt become a shitty one in one game

[timotheus]

Other than the Linemen looking a bit overweight, I'm not sure why they seem slow out of the blocks.

[Scared_Hitless]

The truth is we have a bunch of Maulers currently on our O Line, sometimes you gotta let them hit people and wear them down over the course of a game. I feel if we plugged away with the run all day we would have been more successful against KState. We lack any type of rhythm offensively majority of the time we sit at the line till play clock winds down then the Defense can fire off the ball. We need some tempo desperately and just run it down people's throats. Putting Lineman in their stance for 20 seconds is not helpful get to the line and fire off before the D can adjust.