What did we learn-Game 2 Oregon

[Mavric]

As has been noted, Newby hasn't been great.  But I think this is part of the problem.  He gets aligned in no-man's-land a lot.

 

This is generally our alignment so far.  Newby is basically splitting the distance between the OT and the slot.  The problem is, it's a long way to anything from there.  It's kind of like doing too many things and not really being that good at anything vs. doing one thing and doing it well.  We know we've had trouble with bubble screens because we're behind in the numbers game.  Had they run bubble here, we'd appear to be in the same boat.  But they ran zone read to Freeman.  Newby obviously wasn't blocked and, though he got in on the tackle, it wasn't until they had gained almost 10 yards.

 

[Mavric]

As far as making changes to the defense we were playing in the second half, I'm not seeing it.  Still our pretty base alignment and base personnel.  Newby kind of in no-man's land again.

 

Here, Oregon can pretty much pick whatever they want to run.  I guess that's what you get with bend-but-don't-break.  Want to throw a quick pass to the WR at the bottom?  CB is 10 yards off.  Want to throw the bubble screen to the top?  Two blockers for the closest two defenders, next guy is 13 yards away.  Want to run the ball?  We've only got five in the box with five blockers.

 

They chose option C and got an eight yard gain.  However there was a holding penalty because the back bounced it to the outside even though the OT had our DE sealed to the outside.

 

[Mavric]

Incidentally, that holding penalty was the thing that really got their offense out of their conservative mode.

• Prior to that holding call, 7 of their 9 plays in the second half had been running plays.
• Now facing 2nd & 16 they threw a pass and got 38 yards.
• Following that play, they threw four straight times - two short completions and two incompletions, turning it over on downs.
• For the remainder of the game they called 16 runs and 1 pass

So other than one stretch where they threw five straight times after facing 2nd & 16, they called 23 running play and 3 passing plays.

 

To me, that's a pretty conservative game plan.

[Mavric]

Jackson still has a long ways to go at corner.  Way too far off on a simple dig route.  Then whiffs on the tackle.  38 yards later....

 

[Mavric]

Here's where I was looking to see if we were doing anything differently in our coverage.  We actually made him check it down but I don't see anything we did differently.  We don't get to see the entire coverage so it's hard to know but I don't see anything in alignment or the first part of the play.  Perhaps he was just told to take absolutely no chances and not throw it unless someone was wide open.

 

[Xmas32]

Thanks for doing this doing this splicing(?) Mav.  Pretty sobering stuff.  It seems odd saying this but I'm oddly terrified of Purdue.  I made buckets of money betting WKU these past couple years and their offense was a sight to see when it was rolling.  Blough can sling it and Purdue has ok skill guys.  Thankfully Yancey is gone.  They looked pretty good last week beating up on the fighting frankies.