Too many biased opinions?

[Dougie_D]

The more I think about it, I feel like our coaches are really eager to push out the ones they DID NOT RECRUIT.

Also, I feel like 1st year coaches should adapt to the current roster instead of forcing their scheme/philosophy right at the front.

Am I the only one who thinks they are forcing something on our roster that just doesn't fit quite yet? Instead of working around the roster?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

No, Dougie.

They're working with this roster, adjusting our scheme to fit what we have.

We just have to get to the point where the lads have the knowledge (that's challenge one) as well as the determination and discipline (challenge two) to execute their roles faithfully.

Once all eleven on the field are moving together like a well-oiled machine, we'll be fine. Just gotta get them there. That's the coaching and leadership challenge.

 

[bigdaddy]

Some of these guys wouldn’t work in any scheme. It’s not like we only ran 3-4. We ran more nickel and dime packages from what I saw. Which any of the returning guys should be familiar. Poor execution and lack of speed is what I noticed, not trying to fit square pegs into round holes

 

[Carlitovol]

I think you have to play your scheme (and the players who give you the best chance to win with that scheme) and take the lumps that come with it.

At some point CJP would have to transition to his playing style and Xs/Os - and there would be a learning curve then too - along with the corresponding growing pains. Might as well go ahead and move toward that with the players you have and try to compensate where you can.

The reality is that with a “spread” zone read system and 4-3 base D, this team went 4-8 and winless on the SEC. IMO the primary issues we have are NOT related to scheme but the jimmies and Joes.

We have glaring issues on both OL and DL - and those were obviously our Achilles heel on Saturday....and they will continue to prevent us from winning big games until we get some players in the program who actually live up to their recruiting rankings.

My 2 cents...

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Some of these guys wouldn’t work in any scheme. It’s not like we only ran 3-4. We ran more nickel and dime packages from what I saw. Which any of the returning guys should be familiar. Poor execution and lack of speed is what I noticed, not trying to fit square pegs into round holes

I didn't notice a systemic lack of speed as an issue in Saturday's game, Daddy.

A frequent complaint on this board since Saturday evening has been that our lads aren't talented enough. I don't know if that's true or not. But I'm pretty confident the talent shortfall, if it exists, is less physical than mental and character-based.

It was not a lack of fast-twitch muscle fiber or reflexes that lost us Saturday's game, by and large. It was mental errors, being in the wrong place, trying to make the wrong block, not seeing the gap in time to take advantage of it, not making the extra effort to get two hands on the ball for an INT. It was mostly about knowing the playbook, knowing their roles, and communicating, and discipline, and determination, and confidence. Not speed or strength.

At least, that's what I've been seeing.

 

[joevol33]

Are you saying Pruitt is a bama plant to sink our program?!

 

[SmokyRiverDog]

Every move Pruitt has made since arriving seems to have been focused on winning immediately. I think Pruitt knows he has to win to get the future recruits he needs to win at an elite level. I cannot see him sacrificing older players for newer unless there is negligible difference. A losing season prolongs his turnaround time.

 

[bigdaddy]

Abernathy doesn’t have the speed to keep up with sec WRs and we have no speed on the d line or LB to catch the QB. That’s what I noticed. WG scrambling and running away from our guys. Call it lack of talent or whatever but we looked slow on defense. This Saturday will tell us because we should beat this team like a drum. I expect about 5-7 sacks at least and no more than 10 points allowed by the defense. If not, we might only win one maybe two SEC games

 

[Volsfaninva917]

The more I think about it, I feel like our coaches are really eager to push out the ones they DID NOT RECRUIT.

Also, I feel like 1st year coaches should adapt to the current roster instead of forcing their scheme/philosophy right at the front.

Am I the only one who thinks they are forcing something on our roster that just doesn't fit quite yet? Instead of working around the roster?

It's hard to work around a roster that had no rhyme or reason behind half of the recruits. Butch recruited stars not players to fit a system

 

[VFL-82-JP]

...we have no speed on the d line or LB to catch the QB. That’s what I noticed. WG scrambling and running away from our guys....

You're right, I'd forgotten about that play.

Who were the two-three fellas chasing Grier on that play? Were they all DLinemen? Or was one a LB? Because I could understand a big DL not being able to chase Grier down from behind, but an SEC LB ought to be able to.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

JMO, but OP you may be on to something. I honestly believe when Pruitt first got a look at the team, he immediately saw we were not built to win championships. We all know he was surprised at how small we were. Now I believe that after the spring, he noticed how inadequate these players he inherited truly are. He sees the weaknesses. Unfortunately its going to take time to fix all the problems on this team.

Botch left him with chicken **** and he is trying to make chicken salad.

 

[bigdaddy]

You're right, I'd forgotten about that play.

Who were the two-three fellas chasing Grier on that play? Were they all DLinemen? Or was one a LB? Because I could understand a big DL not being able to chase Grier down from behind, but an SEC LB ought to be able to.

I haven’t had the heart or the time to go back and watch. Let’s just hope we get much better by the time we play UF. I might watch the game again tonight if I can’t sleep

 

[JCHateSteve]

We seem to have an inordinate number of busts in the past ten years. Some of that has got to be not coaching them up. Given how bad Butch was at that, it's hard to fix it all in one offseason. If Puitt is the guy we should get better as the year goes on. Hopefully we see a much improved team come Florida with two cupcakes to work out some kinks. If not we can probably expect it to be year after next before we can expect to be decent again. Jesus I'm tired of rebuilding.

 

[UtahVol]

To some extent they are adapting to the roster they have. Any coach's dream is to have an offensive line that can run block like a road grader and open giant holes for the receivers, and then also pass block so the receivers can get 40 yards down field for a long pass. But our offensive line does neither particularly well right now, so we are forced to a more limited passing game which emphasizes the short pass and shorter runs.

Same on defense, we don't particularly stop the run well so we have to bring up safeties to stop the run. Which would be awesome if we got pressure on the quarterback, but we don't, so we have to bring in nickel backs and the QB has more time.

So right now, we appear to have capable skill players on offense, but little chance to use them due to a weaker offensive line. On defense, we are weak across the board and so picking an emphasis in one area merely weakens the other area. Against an experienced QB that is bad news.

Pruitt probably has little choice but to either bring in more talented kids or coach up what he's got and the latter is gonna take more than 15 fall practices. (Recall that Pruitt said something like 35 players were unavailable in the spring. He'll either get there, or he won't, but game 1 told me little about where the schemes are and how strong a coach he is. Other than to say the overall discipline was improved.

 

[VolTexas]

All systems do not work equally well. He is asking players to run the one that he knows works. No bias.

 

[PineyBluff Vol]

The more I think about it, I feel like our coaches are really eager to push out the ones they DID NOT RECRUIT.

Also, I feel like 1st year coaches should adapt to the current roster instead of forcing their scheme/philosophy right at the front.

Am I the only one who thinks they are forcing something on our roster that just doesn't fit quite yet? Instead of working around the roster?

Yes, you are completely wrong...Why would you stick with something that went 0-8 in conference play. Especially if you just came from a National Championship Team. Best thing you can do is keep quite and let the Men who get paid to do their job, do their job.

 

[rusty11]

The more I think about it, I feel like our coaches are really eager to push out the ones they DID NOT RECRUIT.

Also, I feel like 1st year coaches should adapt to the current roster instead of forcing their scheme/philosophy right at the front.

Am I the only one who thinks they are forcing something on our roster that just doesn't fit quite yet? Instead of working around the roster?

I thought they played a little bit of everything on offense. I loved one poster in another thread saying we don't have the players for the pro set. LOL! We obviously didn't have the players for the zone read either! Having a good O-line is paramount for any offense to be successful. Once you have that, the pro set is much easier to coach and sure as hell easier to recruit a great QB into since it is what the NFL runs! Zone read offenses are much too dependent on the QB making the right decision or just getting lucky and using his speed to cover up his other weaknesses. That's hard to "coach". Look what happened to Auburn after 2013. Marshall was slick and they've been wandering in the wilderness until last year. Same offense, just bad QB play. In the pro set, a play is dependent on everybody doing their job. The receivers are a critical component as they must know their routes. Zone read is just an ad-lib offense that requires an exceptional athlete at QB. What coaching can make a QB a great zone read QB? It's just an inconsistent offense that was hard to defend at it's inception, but defenses have figured out that it's basically just plays drawn in the dirt and a QB playing pick-up football on the sandlot! Cover the receivers, have a fast player or 2 to keep the QB locked down and provide run support, and contain on the edges. It can be frustrating to defend, exciting to watch a good QB on his best day, but those days are few and far between now.

 

[chuckb1448]

It's simple: our Line on both sides. Minus a talented player here or a Hoss there, our offensive and defensive lines have not done their jobs. That's been for the last Several years. Toss in a secondary doing the same.

 

[81Orange]

The secondary can be no better than the pressure you put on the QB. Greier was tough to chase down and our rush was not good. Give the coaches time and the results will improve. I little better pressure, a little better coverage, things improve.
With as few practices as they have had it is a wonder they can line up.
Remember even though we have some good players, they are starting from scratch with nw systems. They will improve by leaps and bounds the first half of the season.
Same for the offense.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I didn't notice a systemic lack of speed as an issue in Saturday's game, Daddy.

A frequent complaint on this board since Saturday evening has been that our lads aren't talented enough. I don't know if that's true or not. But I'm pretty confident the talent shortfall, if it exists, is less physical than mental and character-based.

It was not a lack of fast-twitch muscle fiber or reflexes that lost us Saturday's game, by and large. It was mental errors, being in the wrong place, trying to make the wrong block, not seeing the gap in time to take advantage of it, not making the extra effort to get two hands on the ball for an INT. It was mostly about knowing the playbook, knowing their roles, and communicating, and discipline, and determination, and confidence. Not speed or strength.

At least, that's what I've been seeing.

That's what I've been thinking for some time. Recruiting services miss on a player from time to time. That's to be expected. But they don't miss on an entire class. And certainly not 3-4 classes in a row. We seem to be the only team in the country that nearly every 5* and high 4* ends up being a bust. Why is that? When I look at guys like KMac, Blair, Kongbo, Phillips, Richmond, Byrd, ECT. Every one of those guys have all of the physical tools they need to b dominant at their positions. It has to be something mental. I'm not sure what's going on there, but hopefully CJP can figure it out and get it fixed.

 

[SaintLouisVol]

. . .We seem to be the only team in the country that nearly every 5* and high 4* ends up being a bust. Why is that? . . .

Stars simply represent potential. These 4 and 5 guys play 99% of their HS football against players who barely represent enough competition for a scout to gain an honest evaluation. You can never be fully sure how they'll react when they're in a fair fight.

VERY few players, no matter the number of stars beside their name, can just roll out of bed and play high-quality SEC football. They have to be developed, both physically and mentally. CBJ and his staff did not develop well, if at all. Why else did he get worse as more and more of his recruits were on the roster? He had better teams with guys that had at least a year or two under Dooley.

Personally, I thought Pruitt and his staff should have been farther along than they obviously were after 40+ practices, but it is what it is. I do think he has assembled a staff that is capable of developing players, but it's going to take some time.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Stars simply represent potential. These 4 and 5 guys play 99% of their HS football against players who barely represent enough competition for a scout to gain an honest evaluation. You can never be fully sure how they'll react when they're in a fair fight.

VERY few players, no matter the number of stars beside their name, can just roll out of bed and play high-quality SEC football. They have to be developed, both physically and mentally. CBJ and his staff did not develop well, if at all. Why else did he get worse as more and more of his recruits were on the roster? He had better teams with guys that had at least a year or two under Dooley.

Personally, I thought Pruitt and his staff should have been farther along than they obviously were after 40+ practices, but it is what it is. I do think he has assembled a staff that is capable of developing players, but it's going to take some time.

Exactly my point. Other teams that recruit at that level have coaching staffs that can take that potential and turn it into production. The players under Jones's tutelage got worse the longer they were here.

The situation is worse than I thought it would be. I didn't realize until Saturday just how much CJP and staff would have to overcome.

 

[OHvol40]

The football players have to play football better. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[SaintLouisVol]

The football players have to play football better. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'll forward this to CJP right away. I'm sure it will be the epiphany he's been so desperately seeking.