Dumb Players??

[NeuteredDawg]

Serious question - Moorhead?s system was too complex. Players looked confused and not knowing where to go. Fast forward to leach - no play sheet, simple offense - receivers don?t know how to sit in a zone. Are these players just not capable of running a system? Are they better suited to the Dan Mullen offense at MSU where we went as far as the QB could run? Why is it so difficult here??

[Cooterpoot]

It's been the same everywhere Leach has been. It's not just here. Takes a year or two.
Talent in the upper classes isn't good either.

[The Federalist Engineer]

In 2000 Texas Tech he had a 7-6 season and 2 losses were against the #1 team in the Nation (Huskers and Sooners). Following Season, he was 7-5 losing to 3 National top-5 teams

Kliff Kingsbury threw for 3100 yards that first season, 3500 the next

Wasn’t Spike Dykes a power I team before Leach?

[StateDawg44]

In 2000 Texas Tech he had a 7-6 season and 2 losses were against the #1 team in the Nation (Huskers and Sooners). Following Season, he was 7-5 losing to 3 National top-5 teams

Kliff Kingsbury threw for 3100 yards that first season, 3500 the next

Wasn’t Spike Dykes a power I team before Leach?

It was also 20 years ago. Comparing that landscape to today's college football landscape is pointless. Much less how the air raid was still somewhat new.

[Irondawg]

Well you know I was wondering how OM can do it and we can't as far as implementing an offense and after watching OM it was pretty clear the difference. Kiffin is treating it a lot like Freeze did - a passing play has a primary receiver and if that's not there 90% of the time you immediately dump to RB or tuck and run. You don't see Corral scanning the field for option 2 and 3 very often at all. They follow the play design and it either works or they try to pick up a few yards on a scramble/dump off.

That can really clear a QB's head so long as he can remember who option #1 is. Kiffin has done a great job calling plays for the most part this year as well but that was known to be his strenght.

Now that teams are throwing a 8 man zone against us it's all up to the QB to read that zone and for receivers to pick soft spots. Both groups seem to have really struggled with that. When you know what you are getting on D you should know where you want to go with the throw pre-snap but you can tell there is a lot of indecision out of KJ the last two games. I remember hearing a DC talk one time and he said the number one call of the defense was to make the QB question what he was seeing. That if you could slow down the reads that mistakes go up exponentially and that's exactly what you've seen the past few games.

I don't think our QB is dumb to get it, I just think he's gotten in his own head. WR what you learn is a lot like basketball - some guys have a natural feel for where to be and how to manipulate a zone, others have to learn it through 1,000 reps and some just never get it at all.

[The Federalist Engineer]

It was also 20 years ago. Comparing that landscape to today's college football landscape is pointless. Much less how the air raid was still somewhat new.

Was I comparing anything? But if I were -

The biggest difference from 20 years ago:

(1) Nebraska, Miami, USC, and Ohio State were the Top-4 programs, all Pro-Set except for the Huskers
(2) Stoops was a young genius at OU
(3) Texas was a juggernaut
(4) SEC was pretty good as always - Saban was in LSU
(5) Oklahoma (Stoops) and Oklahoma State (Miles/Gundy) were already Air Raid and in Transition
(6) Kansas State was quite good, BCS good and Power Spread but not really Spread but hard to stop
(7) The new Air Raid teams had to convert QBs that were not AR ready and change the positions of athletes that were DBs, Running Backs, and Safeties in WRs - big time at OU
(8) Slot men with great hands and wiggle like Wes Welker became heros - too small to be a pro-set WR for the Sooners but great for AR at TTU

[TheLostDawg]

Again, ole Miss offense was fairly well coached. The defense wasn't. As a result, offense doing good. Defense sucks.
We're the complete opposite. Defense well coached so they just had to learn the system. Our offense is learning the fundamentals. We will improve. However like the announcers were saying, KJ is learning how to read a new defense which is why he's making the mistakes (along with the o line letting him get killed every third play). He'll learn. Rodgers knows how to play the offense and I imagine somewhat how to read the defense. However the line has to do a better job blocking.

[Maverick91]

This right here hits the nail on the head for me.

[ShotgunDawg]

With all the 7 on 7 these days in HS, how do WRs and QBs not know how to pick apart a zone defense?

[Mobile Bay]

I saw the title and thought this was a Chris Relf thread.

[Offshore Dawg]

When the majority of your players were educated in the Mississippi school system, what do you expect. Their teachers were schooled in the "no child left behind era". Which means they did not learn much as they were passed anyway. Now they are the teachers.

[The Federalist Engineer]

I saw the title and thought this was a Chris Relf thread.

He looked pretty Smart winning 3 Egg Bowls

2009 was special and that was Relf basically punching OM in the face

[Maroonthirteen]

In defense of the players and Mississippi public schools, it's the offensive scheme that is simple and dumb. Coach did neither.

5v8. Pass pass pass pass. Never adjust.

[Todd4State]

When the majority of your players were educated in the Mississippi school system, what do you expect. Their teachers were schooled in the "no child left behind era". Which means they did not learn much as they were passed anyway. Now they are the teachers.

Our "best" receiver is from Florida.

[coachnorm]

With all the 7 on 7 these days in HS, how do WRs and QBs not know how to pick apart a zone defense?


Some programs are built to win 7 on 7 contests. They are not willing to loose 7 on 7 contests to expose their shortcomings. Getting open on time in a regular game is different than 7 on 7? In regular games, receivers do not get as open so they have to win their match-ups? Many high school football programs just run man coverage during 7 on 7s and zone during the real season.

[Offshore Dawg]

Our "best" receiver is from Florida.

Did you miss the word majority ?

[smootness]

(5) Oklahoma (Stoops) and Oklahoma State (Miles/Gundy) were already Air Raid and in Transition

Miles didn't arrive at OSU until 2001....but you think he was running some version of the Air Raid?

[The Federalist Engineer]

Miles didn't arrive at OSU until 2001....but you think he was running some version of the Air Raid?

Gundy was the OC and they used like six different QBs and schemes In the transformation process. By 2003, those TTU vs OSU games were insane shootouts.

They could not matchup with the Sooners so miles just “let her rip”. It was the aggressive OU victories that catapulted him to the LSU job. Entertaining chaos.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Miles didn't arrive at OSU until 2001....but you think he was running some version of the Air Raid?

Probably this topic hinges on what is the difference in these mostly throw or generally throw offenses

Mouse Davis was featured in sports illustrated almost 40 years ago about inventing the Run and Shoot. You had that applied in the NFL of the late 80s and 90s. Is that AR?

Mississippi Valley State was AR in the early 80’s the time of Jerry Rice

Then you have the Northwestern Offense of Kevin Wilson. Balanced run with a mobile QB or with Adrian Peterson on your team. Or nearly all throw with Bradford at QB

[SailingDawg]

When the majority of your players were educated in the Mississippi school system, what do you expect. Their teachers were schooled in the "no child left behind era". Which means they did not learn much as they were passed anyway. Now they are the teachers.

I don't think the 15 year old 7th grader in my class will be a teacher, thanks for your opinion on teacher education and certification, though.