I don't think Sam liked the Play Call

[zoogs]

Right, but is Sam really going to say that every time the Huskers come out in 2TE or do something "pro style"? If not, I don't understand it. Armchair playcaller is a tacky game.

[Savage Husker]

 

 

 

 

 

In this week's Nyatawa-McKewon podcast, Sam mentioned that he thinks that part of the reason that NU/Langsdorf/Riley struggled with that play call in OT is the helter-skelter way they played most of the 4th quarter. Sam said that NU was basically playing playground football, letting TA drop back and chuck it all over the field. There was nothing to lose with that type of offense, as it was the only way to get back in the game. Then when OT started, NU tried to go back to an offense based on actual play-calling with plays designed to trick the defense. He likened it to a basketball team trying to come back from a big deficit, and they are pressing, running up and down, shooting a bunch of 3's. Then when the team actually does come back, and they struggle to design a play/get off a good shot when the score is tied with 20 seconds left in the game. I thought the analogy was pretty interesting, but I actually like Sam's work, unlike most people on this board.

 

Another thing Sam commented is that today's spread offenses are less about designing great plays, they are more about tiring out the defense. Then that mental and physical fatigue causes a mistake by the defense, and a WR is left wide open or a defender misses a one-on-one tackle, allowing for a big play. Sam said that is why a lot of spread teams can struggle to close out games in the 4th quarter and hold onto leads. The offense isn't used to creating a play by themselves or by design, so if the defense is focused to make "one stop", it can happen. Sam pointed out that Mississippi has often struggled to close out games with Hugh Freeze, and I also thought of the TCU-Baylor and Baylor-Michigan State games last year.

Interesting I might have to watch that pod cast. Actually I think most people on this board like his writnig. I do.

Sam & Jon do weekly podcasts during the football season. I usually download them on I-tunes and listen to them from my phone. They are pretty good, and not too long (40-50 minutes). They cover "6 topics" as it's called the Pick 6 Podcast. They usually talk about the previous game, another Husker topic, preview the next game, big games in college football coming up, and a couple other topics. I like both Sam and Jon, so I think it's worth a listen each week.

"Trick" the defense is the essentially the same thing Tim Beck tried to do and it frustrated me. I just don't understand deviating from what worked, especially with all the momentum we had. Was it a good play call? In that situation, I disagreed with it when I saw them lineup. It's a slow developing play, Tommy is antsy, and the OL had a terrible time sustaining blocks.

 

Yeah, it could have been a good play call if it worked the way Langsdorf thought, but it didn't.

Hindsight is 20/20, so I can see why people think Langsdorf should have kept it simple the first play into OT. I can see why Langsdorf called what he did, too. He tried to pick on a 3rd string safety, and it might have worked. TA made a poor decision. I think Sam is saying Langsdorf shouldn't have put TA in the position to make that decision.

your last sentence, I agree with that assessment.

[NUinID]

 

 

In this week's Nyatawa-McKewon podcast, Sam mentioned that he thinks that part of the reason that NU/Langsdorf/Riley struggled with that play call in OT is the helter-skelter way they played most of the 4th quarter. Sam said that NU was basically playing playground football, letting TA drop back and chuck it all over the field. There was nothing to lose with that type of offense, as it was the only way to get back in the game. Then when OT started, NU tried to go back to an offense based on actual play-calling with plays designed to trick the defense. He likened it to a basketball team trying to come back from a big deficit, and they are pressing, running up and down, shooting a bunch of 3's. Then when the team actually does come back, and they struggle to design a play/get off a good shot when the score is tied with 20 seconds left in the game. I thought the analogy was pretty interesting, but I actually like Sam's work, unlike most people on this board.

 

Another thing Sam commented is that today's spread offenses are less about designing great plays, they are more about tiring out the defense. Then that mental and physical fatigue causes a mistake by the defense, and a WR is left wide open or a defender misses a one-on-one tackle, allowing for a big play. Sam said that is why a lot of spread teams can struggle to close out games in the 4th quarter and hold onto leads. The offense isn't used to creating a play by themselves or by design, so if the defense is focused to make "one stop", it can happen. Sam pointed out that Mississippi has often struggled to close out games with Hugh Freeze, and I also thought of the TCU-Baylor and Baylor-Michigan State games last year.

Interesting I might have to watch that pod cast. Actually I think most people on this board like his writnig. I do.

 

Sam & Jon do weekly podcasts during the football season. I usually download them on I-tunes and listen to them from my phone. They are pretty good, and not too long (40-50 minutes). They cover "6 topics" as it's called the Pick 6 Podcast. They usually talk about the previous game, another Husker topic, preview the next game, big games in college football coming up, and a couple other topics. I like both Sam and Jon, so I think it's worth a listen each week.

 

Oh, I know I listen/watch them on occasion. Just nothing regular. I also like his stuff he does with Micheal Se'vere.

[Savage Husker]

Right, but is Sam really going to say that every time the Huskers come out in 2TE or do something "pro style"? If not, I don't understand it. Armchair playcaller is a tacky game.

how comfortable is Tommy under center and dropping back? How successful is he and/or how many correct reads does he make? Those are a few things I'll look out for tomorrow and going forward.

[MasterPulverizer]

If he said he didn't like the throw, then I'd agree with him. Allen was open in the end zone. It's like it was designed that the out was Tommy throws it high and wide and its incomplete. Obviously he didn't and here we are talking about it.

[ColoradoHusk]

 

 

 

In this week's Nyatawa-McKewon podcast, Sam mentioned that he thinks that part of the reason that NU/Langsdorf/Riley struggled with that play call in OT is the helter-skelter way they played most of the 4th quarter. Sam said that NU was basically playing playground football, letting TA drop back and chuck it all over the field. There was nothing to lose with that type of offense, as it was the only way to get back in the game. Then when OT started, NU tried to go back to an offense based on actual play-calling with plays designed to trick the defense. He likened it to a basketball team trying to come back from a big deficit, and they are pressing, running up and down, shooting a bunch of 3's. Then when the team actually does come back, and they struggle to design a play/get off a good shot when the score is tied with 20 seconds left in the game. I thought the analogy was pretty interesting, but I actually like Sam's work, unlike most people on this board.

 

Another thing Sam commented is that today's spread offenses are less about designing great plays, they are more about tiring out the defense. Then that mental and physical fatigue causes a mistake by the defense, and a WR is left wide open or a defender misses a one-on-one tackle, allowing for a big play. Sam said that is why a lot of spread teams can struggle to close out games in the 4th quarter and hold onto leads. The offense isn't used to creating a play by themselves or by design, so if the defense is focused to make "one stop", it can happen. Sam pointed out that Mississippi has often struggled to close out games with Hugh Freeze, and I also thought of the TCU-Baylor and Baylor-Michigan State games last year.

Interesting I might have to watch that pod cast. Actually I think most people on this board like his writnig. I do.

 

Sam & Jon do weekly podcasts during the football season. I usually download them on I-tunes and listen to them from my phone. They are pretty good, and not too long (40-50 minutes). They cover "6 topics" as it's called the Pick 6 Podcast. They usually talk about the previous game, another Husker topic, preview the next game, big games in college football coming up, and a couple other topics. I like both Sam and Jon, so I think it's worth a listen each week.

 

Oh, I know I listen/watch them on occasion. Just nothing regular. I also like his stuff he does with Micheal Se'vere.

 

Cool. I subscribe to the podcast on I-tunes. Some of it rehashes stuff he writes in his columns, but he is able to expand on them in the podcast form. I like him on Severe's show too.

[ColoradoHusk]

If he said he didn't like the throw, then I'd agree with him. Allen was open in the end zone. It's like it was designed that the out was Tommy throws it high and wide and its incomplete. Obviously he didn't and here we are talking about it.

Allen was probably the 3rd read on the play, and then became the only option after TA abandoned the play on the left (where Cethan and Imani were). I think TA was trying to throw it to the back line, but he poorly underthrew it. I don't think Sam disagrees how TA threw the ball. It's impossible to disagree with a physical action, it is possible to disagree with a play call/strategy.

[HuskerShark]

I get what he's saying. At the same time, hindsight is 20/20. Had Tommy thrown the ball 5-7 yards farther, that was a touchdown, a beautiful play, and likely a game that we win in dramatic fashion.

 

The only problem with the play calling is a total lack of commitment to the running game.

[Savage Husker]

I don't know who was the primary read, but Allen was the only receiver that went downfield at snap. He was covered by corner and safety help over the top. Tommy was locked on Allen the entire play. Cethan released late and opposite side of Allen crossing the middle. If Tommy saw cethan, it should have been an easy dump off, depending where the OLB was, but Tommy was being rushed by DL and scrambled away from Cethan. Cethan and Allen were the only two options that play.

[Savage Husker]

Fast forward to 47:45 on this link.

 

 

It'll show the play plus replay from behind Tommy. OLB actually stayed home and would've had Cethan out of the release. Imani took the play action and bubbled out, he's not a pass catching RB though. And Allen was blanketed until Tommy scrambled and Allen continued toward sideline.

 

Sure, it could have been a good broken play, but it was snuffed out and defended pretty well by Miami, thus the result of an INT.

[ScottyIce]

 

Right, but is Sam really going to say that every time the Huskers come out in 2TE or do something "pro style"? If not, I don't understand it. Armchair playcaller is a tacky game.

how comfortable is Tommy under center and dropping back? How successful is he and/or how many correct reads does he make? Those are a few things I'll look out for tomorrow and going forward.

 

 

He rolled out. What does it matter that he was under center?

[ScottyIce]

I 100% disagree with anyone who says it was a "bad" play call. It could've EASILY resulted in a TD with a better pass and it could've been a 5 yard scramble as well. It was poor execution. Not a poor play call.

[ColoradoHusk]

 

 

Right, but is Sam really going to say that every time the Huskers come out in 2TE or do something "pro style"? If not, I don't understand it. Armchair playcaller is a tacky game.

how comfortable is Tommy under center and dropping back? How successful is he and/or how many correct reads does he make? Those are a few things I'll look out for tomorrow and going forward.

 

 

He rolled out. What does it matter that he was under center?

 

Some guys are more comfortable in the shotgun and reading things from there. It can be more difficult reading a defense, and dropping back at the same time. TA seems like someone who is more at ease in the shotgun.

[ColoradoHusk]

I 100% disagree with anyone who says it was a "bad" play call. It could've EASILY resulted in a TD with a better pass and it could've been a 5 yard scramble as well. It was poor execution. Not a poor play call.

TA shouldn't have made that throw. It's very low %. Langsdorf/Riley should have told TA to run the ball and get a few yards if the initial play read wasn't there. Putting TA in a situation where he can fail like that is not the best play call.

[zoogs]

There are ways you can fail on every play. That wasn't the throw he was asked to do.