Serves as a reminder that when a play is called, it's not exactly as if the QB is told where to throw it. Heck, that route could just be there to clear out some safeties from the underneath stuff. And in fairness, a 1-vs-1 deep shot for a touchdown is a pretty reasonable shot to take when you identify the matchup ... WHEN IT'S NOT FOURTH DOWN AND ONE. Awareness. That's what it comes down to.
Seriously. Tommy will fix this when he is forced to. And Nebraska will replace him at the first opportunity when they are able to, if he can't. But for all our sake, we have to acknowledge that Tommy fixing it is the best scenario. Players improve. Root for that outcome.
Awareness is right. Two wide open first down receivers right there. WIDE OPEN! And Tommy is already locked onto the guy in tight coverage in the endzone. How could he not see that?
I'm hoping Tommy improves. You'd think that he would be spending a lot of time in the film room and with Langsdorf so that he'd get better at seeing stuff like this on the field. But I have my doubts that this will happen.
People keep saying these guys were wide open, but there were defenders just off the screen, the coverage was rolled over there and if the QBs eyes are there, the DBs are jumping those routes. It's not clear to me that the DE or a DB couldn't have made a play on those supposedly wide open options.
Armstrong made the correct read in a WCO play. Go to the single, press covered WR. That's the correct read.
You can argue that he made the wrong decision in that situation, but read it correctly.
That sums up why the WCO is so difficult on college QBs.
My issue is that the coaches called a play where Armstrong could make the right read but that correct read would still dictate a wrong decision.
He most definitely did not make the right read. If you look at that picture, there isn't a defender within at least five yards of either of the receivers. That's a pass a high school QB could make. I am not blaming it all on Armstrong because I believe they should have ran the ball up the middle, but still come-on. Look at those wide open receivers.....