Brutal article from Hali Varsity

I have to assume at this point that what's happening is that we aren't even really practicing downfield passes during the week. It seems like they've basically been written out of the game plan.

If things got any "simpler," the only next step down to take would basically be a 1930s "three yards and a cloud of dust" triple tight end, run the RB up the middle each play sort of thing.

The fact that it is so simple is precisely the problem; there is no play design to strike downfield, so defenses just crowd the line of scrimmage.

2017 UCF's opponents were so scared of getting thrown on deep down the field that the rushing game loosened up a ton for them. 

The situation we have has no allowance for "run to set up the pass." 

 
Undone said:
I have to assume at this point that what's happening is that we aren't even really practicing downfield passes during the week. It seems like they've basically been written out of the game plan.

If things got any "simpler," the only next step down to take would basically be a 1930s "three yards and a cloud of dust" triple tight end, run the RB up the middle each play sort of thing.

The fact that it is so simple is precisely the problem; there is no play design to strike downfield, so defenses just crowd the line of scrimmage.

2017 UCF's opponents were so scared of getting thrown on deep down the field that the rushing game loosened up a ton for them. 

The situation we have has no allowance for "run to set up the pass." 
Click to expand...


Perhaps they are practicing this but its against some weak a$$ 10 yard cushion coverage that we also see on full display every Saturday from this defense.  While independent from one another and having their own concerns, I really dont think its a stretch to say that this weak coverage philosophy is promoting an aura of false confidence offensively that simply doesnt translate on the field when defenses actually press and cover, unlike the philosophy we seem to buy into defensively.   

 
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Undone said:
I have to assume at this point that what's happening is that we aren't even really practicing downfield passes during the week. It seems like they've basically been written out of the game plan.

If things got any "simpler," the only next step down to take would basically be a 1930s "three yards and a cloud of dust" triple tight end, run the RB up the middle each play sort of thing.

The fact that it is so simple is precisely the problem; there is no play design to strike downfield, so defenses just crowd the line of scrimmage.

2017 UCF's opponents were so scared of getting thrown on deep down the field that the rushing game loosened up a ton for them. 

The situation we have has no allowance for "run to set up the pass." 
Click to expand...
Agreed on all points. Scott had McKenzie Milton to scare those defenses with deep, accurate throws to quick receivers. I like Luke - he seems like a kid that every coach would love to have. But he's not a quarterback. I think he'd be great in the slot, or even taking pitches and hand-offs. Heck, he has our best run of the season so far - taking a hand-off on a counter play where Adrian was under center. 

We don't have the quarterback to run the spread. The receivers are getting open, but not getting the ball. To me, the solution is simple: Run the I. You can still get a wide-out and a flanker on the field. Have the linemen drive block for all their worth - they're BIG kids! Give them one job, block one guy, hat-for-hat. Right now, they're looking around in the middle of the play, wondering who the hell they're supposed to be blocking, while Wandale and Luke are getting their crap rocked. Establish the run. Run the clock. Move the chains. Keep our porous defense off the field. Hit them with play-action when they stack the box. 

It CAN'T be any worse than some of the playground stuff what we're seeing now.

 
What I see is, we don't recruit QB's.  We recruit running backs that can throw the ball.  Not pass the ball.  I watch Division two QB's that hit receivers on the numbers on crossing routes, lead them on deep routes.  I see our QB's throwing passes that the receiver has to stop and turn around and wait in the route.  Or so under thrown.   This is not development, this is failure to recruit true QB talent.   Still say it and have for many years, this is not  just a coaching problem, it is a talent problem caused by poor recruiting, or evaluation.

I am beginning to think that this is going to continue from now on.  We are just not a destination team for the talent in the country.  We need to possibly lower our sites and evaluate the kids that end up at division 2 and make it into the pros.  It happens.  We do not develop pro level QB's and haven't for many years.

Go back to basics, and if it is running the ball with monsters on the line, and it works, so be it.  This is not working and it does not seem to be changing much. 

 
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gossamorharpy said:
Perhaps they are practicing this but its against some weak a$$ 10 yard cushion coverage that we also see on full display every Saturday from this defense.  While independent from one another and having their own concerns, I really dont think its a stretch to say that this weak coverage philosophy is promoting an aura of false confidence offensively that simply doesnt translate on the field when defenses actually press and cover, unlike the philosophy we seem to buy into defensively.   
Click to expand...


I definitely think that's a possibility.

 
skersfan said:
What I see is, we don't recruit QB's.  We recruit running backs that can throw the ball.  Not pass the ball.  I watch Division two QB's that hit receivers on the numbers on crossing routes, lead them on deep routes.  I see our QB's throwing passes that the receiver has to stop and turn around and wait in the route.  Or so under thrown.   This is not development, this is failure to recruit true QB talent.
Click to expand...


Yep. Hell - Illinois' QB would even be able to run Frost's system. He's just fast enough to occasionally run the QB Wrap draw play & things like that occasionally - but he has actual passing skills. 

In Frost's defense, he just took the best kids he could in the first two classes. One of the biggest mind-f***s of this whole situation is looking back at some of the throws Adrian made as a freshman.

I could look up posts I made on this forum saying things like "Adrian Martinez has as much potential as a true freshman QB as anybody who has ever played the position here." And I had actual evidence to back up that statement...but then something happened last year and it's just completely gone.

 
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I'm also still completely convinced that a good sized chunk of our fan base wanted Luke to start after the Northwestern game so badly simply because he's a smashmouth runner and there's this mystical, nostalgic tie to the Osborne Glory Run with that.

I could tell last season that he didn't come into the program with actual blue chip quarterback skills and that the likelihood of him getting up to snuff as a passer was low. As it stands today, those odds still look quite low - but anything could happen.

 
Frost says Luke is the future.  So he is standing firm .... sort of

https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/frost-says-mccaffrey-is-future-around-here-at-quarterback-but-competition-for-spot-continues/article_dc0c2491-6930-536a-9a48-f6edc1ac8500.amp.html

"There's no doubt in my mind Luke McCaffrey's the future around here, but right now to help us win, we've got to play the guy who gives us the best chance. I think Adrian's (Martinez) been playing with a little chip on his shoulder. Luke's playing well, so we're going to evaluate this week and see which one goes out there ... 

"I feel good about both of them," the coach added. "We just need to keep coaching as well as we can, so we get the best that we can out of them."

Frost said he feels both Martinez and McCaffrey possess the sort of talent that would allow them to rise the level of, say, Marcus Mariota, whom Frost coached at Oregon, or McKenzie Milton, whom Frost coached at Central Florida.
Click to expand...

 
Undone said:
Yep. Hell - Illinois' QB would even be able to run Frost's system. He's just fast enough to occasionally run the QB Wrap draw play & things like that occasionally - but he has actual passing skills. 

In Frost's defense, he just took the best kids he could in the first two classes. The number one biggest mind-f***s of this whole deal is looking back at some of the throws Adrian made as a freshman.

I could look up posts I made on this forum saying things like "Adrian Martinez has as much potential as a true freshman QB as anybody who has ever played the position here." And I had actual evidence to back up that statement...but then something happened last year and it's just completely gone.
Click to expand...
I'll throw in a kid like Trey Lance at NDSU.....Plenty of good/great potential QB's who can pass.  Make the reads and more importantly the throws......If we are not running TO's O, we need a QB who can run when needed.  Think Trevor Lawrence.  Not a running threat, but can run....

Reading this article and the Iowa presser, this team and staff seem further behind the curve and more lost than I could ever imagine in year 3....Don't know how many will be here in year 4...

To AM, he was solid Fr year.  The only think I can think of is Verduzco.....

 
Our RBs are avg like 3.6 YPC this year...not enough discussion on this. Add in that our best options for that and WR are Freshmen makes for a tough offense to run. O-line has been atrocious. Play calling and personnel just as bad. 

 
Undone said:
I'm also still completely convinced that a good sized chunk of our fan base wanted Luke to start after the Northwestern game so badly simply because he's a smashmouth runner and there's this mystical, nostalgic tie to the Osborne Glory Run with that.

I could tell last season that he didn't come into the program with actual blue chip quarterback skills and that the likelihood of him getting up to snuff as a passer was low. As it stands today, those odds still look quite low - but anything could happen.
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I was in the Luke bandwagon camp, consider me guilty.

I will say though, it had very little to do with what he brought to the table, and moreso just being so over another bleh performance by martinez for now 2 years... the allure of the unknown, coupled with flashes of luke led me to the start luke train.  To me, I was always concerned with the QB competition comments in the offseason... Unless this is a jalen hurts vs tua competition (which we clearly don't have on our hands), you never have 2 starts in a battle rather 2 guys who probably have some glaring holes that prevent them from being #1 no doubt.  Personally, I felt like AM had been given enough chances to win the job and just did nothing with it, so let's see what we have in Luke.... now I want that 2 AM sauce like no other lol

The issue I have with martinez is he just seems to be a second too late on every single decision.  Feel like he constantly leaves yards on the table by elective to juke his way for a 3 yard gain as opposed to just running and making a 1st and 10 a 2nd and 2 by taking the yards.  Or his throwing decisions... he's definitely more polished going through progressions but I've reached my f'n limit of watching him sit in the pocket, only to dump it to Wan'dale or Warner in the flat 20 yards away for an immediate tackle

 
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