Conservative play-calling? Really?

#1
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Scott-to-Trot

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#1
Seem like there are always several fans that blame "conservative" play-calling for losses. We've heard that for years. I have some real questions about that theory.

Doing some research throughout the year (i.e. recorded each game and watched objectively after already knowing result, I've found some of our biggest turnovers happened on passes on first down. Generally during some of our best and most important drives.

vs. Oklahoma..goal line late third or early 4th qtr and pass on first down--int--pick six....killer

vs. Fla... our defense intercepts. First play= pass (going for the throat) worley rushed, throws off back foot....int....killer

vs. Fla...driving with time running out...down one point. I believe we made 2-3 first downs, pass deep middle...int...ballgame

vs. Ole Miss....first down (I believe)worley rolls left has Malone deeper than DB...underthrows....int....killer

vs. MIZZ....first down and driving (one of our only good drives to that point, down 3 and pass to Malone...bounces off shoulder and int....killer.

There may be other examples, and one of these may not have been first down int., but I am pretty sure they were.

It seems that we've had a lot of negative things happen-int and sacks- on first down.

Maybe we need to be a little "more conservative"
Bet no one has said that in a while.

thoughts?
 
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#2
#2
That poor play by Malone was definitely a key play in the game, as was the fumble by Dobbs. We do no have the luxury of turning the ball over against good teams. I thought Dobbs threw the ball well for the most part, there were a lot of dropped passes.
 
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#3
#3
I don't think the play calling has been too conservative. I think they've tried to "hide" the offensive line's weaknesses, and that is dern near impossible.
 
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#4
#4
Well Dobbs could have turned it over at the end of the half or maybe he could have scored. I'd rather Butch try and score than just eat 3 timeouts because he's scared something bad might happen. Jmo though
 
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#5
#5
agree with both. Turnovers always hurt, but there is a difference if it's third or fourth down vs. first down. First down turnovers are extra-killer.
 
#7
#7
butchball13 said:
I don't think the play calling has been too conservative. I think they've tried to "hide" the offensive line's weaknesses, and that is dern near impossible.
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Bingo. It's hard to call much of anything exotic when the defense can consistently stop the run with only 6 or 7 and only needs 4 to get a pass rush.
 
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#8
#8
landscapingvol said:
That poor play by Malone was definitely a key play in the game, as was the fumble by Dobbs. We do no have the luxury of turning the ball over against good teams. I thought Dobbs threw the ball well for the most part, there were a lot of dropped passes.
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I'm sure that Malone and Dobbs tried to lose the ball. Throw these guys under a bus.
 
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#10
#10
volpreacher said:
I'm sure that Malone and Dobbs tried to lose the ball. Throw these guys under a bus.
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That's not throwing them under the bus. It's just the facts. This team's margin for error is almost nil. Turnovers - especially in the red zone - are devastating.
 
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#11
#11
I'm not throwing players under the bus either. They are doing much better than any of us could do.
The point of this thread was to simply acknowledge that often it's lack of execution, or just better play by the opposition than just being too conservative.
 
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#14
#14
UT-Rex said:
Turnovers are worth noting, but will happen and can be overcome and are not really our problem --
]
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The Josh Malone turnover at a minimum took the tying points off the board in a game where we struggled all night. It definitely was a problem.
 
#17
#17
GAVol said:
Bingo. It's hard to call much of anything exotic when the defense can consistently stop the run with only 6 or 7 and only needs 4 to get a pass rush.
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I'm disappointed with the play calling. we should have known where we was as an O Line, and had more rollouts, and more of moving the pocket outside. It is the coaches job to come up with a game plan that gives us our best chance to win. at the end of the first half, I understand being conservative, But Dobbs is at his best running true 2 min. hurry up.
 
#18
#18
Scott-to-Trot said:
Seem like there are always several fans that blame "conservative" play-calling for losses. We've heard that for years. I have some real questions about that theory.

Doing some research throughout the year (i.e. recorded each game and watched objectively after already knowing result, I've found some of our biggest turnovers happened on passes on first down. Generally during some of our best and most important drives.

vs. Oklahoma..goal line late third or early 4th qtr and pass on first down--int--pick six....killer

vs. Fla... our defense intercepts. First play= pass (going for the throat) worley rushed, throws off back foot....int....killer

vs. Fla...driving with time running out...down one point. I believe we made 2-3 first downs, pass deep middle...int...ballgame

vs. Ole Miss....first down (I believe)worley rolls left has Malone deeper than DB...underthrows....int....killer

vs. MIZZ....first down and driving (one of our only good drives to that point, down 3 and pass to Malone...bounces off shoulder and int....killer.

There may be other examples, and one of these may not have been first down int., but I am pretty sure they were.

It seems that we've had a lot of negative things happen-int and sacks- on first down.

Maybe we need to be a little "more conservative"
Bet no one has said that in a while.

thoughts?
Click to expand...

Thoughts? Failure to execute is on a previous occasion cannot become a permanent reason not to give your players a chance to make a winning play into the future. They played not to lose on Saturday. I'm sorry if you think that was the way to go... I don't... and it didn't work.
 
#19
#19
The problem with the read option is the QB has to make the right read. This was the first good D Dobbs faced (not counting a comfortably ahead and unprepared Bama) and you could tell this was a learning experience.

Sometimes it's that simple.

Though it would have been nice to see what he could do down 8 with a minute left, but a phantom offsides call got in the way...
 
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#20
#20
Quote:
Originally Posted by UT-Rex View Post
Turnovers are worth noting, but will happen and can be overcome and are not really our problem --
]

GAVol said:
The Josh Malone turnover at a minimum took the tying points off the board in a game where we struggled all night. It definitely was a problem.
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I agree the bobble / any turnover was / is most inopportune, and I'm not downing our D's play at all, but it was really the 3 or 4th play afterwards that was the real problem (unless this was the score after a different interception):

Mauk, M. pass complete to Hunt, J. for 73 yards to the UT0, 1ST DOWN, MU TOUCHDOWN, clock 10:42.

I'm just trying to suggest that an avg of 2 turnovers in a game has not kept FSU, MSU and AL out / they have this similar problem as we've had.
 
#21
#21
sjt18 said:
Thoughts? Failure to execute is on a previous occasion cannot become a permanent reason not to give your players a chance to make a winning play into the future. They played not to lose on Saturday. I'm sorry if you think that was the way to go... I don't... and it didn't work.
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this.... at some point you have to say lets do this... n call the plays.. the same six plays are not fooling anyone...

also not once has this off staff started a game with plays that attack the other teams weakness.. they run the/same plays regardless of who they are playing and hope the talent they have is better than the other...geez that is not going to beat flq bama or ga... vn has forgotten thats who a coach is hired to beat.. not mizz..not sc not kent.. those r given wins..
 
#22
#22
I was fairly critical earlier in the year but this game was pretty clearly on the players even if you didn't like some of the plays. Coleman, Malone, Crowder and AJ being out, plus others. The fake field goal negates a lot of the conservative talk. Additionally the fact we had to use a fake FG to score backs up why we might go in an at the half with timeouts. That's not uncommon.

I agree the challenge was a poor decision. I would have liked to see Dobbs on more rollouts too but if you want to be pissed about coaching be pissed we didn't play Dobbs earlier or fake a FG against UF. This game we just flat lost as a team.
 
#23
#23
92volalum said:
this.... at some point you have to say lets do this... n call the plays.. the same six plays are not fooling anyone...

also not once has this off staff started a game with plays that attack the other teams weakness.. they run the/same plays regardless of who they are playing and hope the talent they have is better than the other...geez that is not going to beat flq bama or ga... vn has forgotten thats who a coach is hired to beat.. not mizz..not sc not kent.. those r given wins..
Click to expand...

For the last 5+ years no wins are givens.
 
#24
#24
On top of the OL issues, the defense allowed a ton of conversions. Mizzo had over 150 yards on something like 6 passes in the 2nd half and then shortened the gamer running the ball. You could pick out 10 things that could have changed the outcome but play calling isn't one of them. Dobbs gets rid of the ball quick or gets sacked by 2 NFL quality DE's.
 
#25
#25
tnvols106 said:
I'm disappointed with the play calling. we should have known where we was as an O Line, and had more rollouts, and more of moving the pocket outside. It is the coaches job to come up with a game plan that gives us our best chance to win. at the end of the first half, I understand being conservative, But Dobbs is at his best running true 2 min. hurry up.
Click to expand...

Can really do rollouts when it was a jailbreak almost every play. Its easy to be a critic when you're sitting on your ass.
 
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