AirGibson
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- Jun 20, 2007
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By no means am I defending the coaches here, as I especially disliked how we seemed to insist on passing too much and calling soft off-the-line defenses when they are obviously running quick slants for the entire second half, but there are many of these things you simply cannot blame the coaches for:
- Foster running into Crompton
- Foster fumbling at a critical moment
- Idiotic blocking choices on the punt block
- Rodgers continuing to drop multiple catches (including a 40 yarder that would have been a tough grab, but do-able).
- Lincoln missing 3 FGs (granted, 51 and 55 is hard, but the missed OT FG was awful).
- Crompton, the QB, false starting. Has been awhile since I saw the QB called for that.
- Crompton and the center fumbling the snap exchange.
- Crompton getting very rattled under pressure.
- Absolutely horrific officiating
- 9 penalties for 55 yards, many coming from a veteran O-line.
Barring the officials, these are all things that the opposition had nothing to do with (and arguably, the coaches had little to do with as well). The players simply beat themselves with these constant miscues that would turn a 1st and 10 into a 3rd and 9. The good news is that this is all very much "fixable" by the players themselves. The coaches can (and do) make Foster run constant drills to prevent fumbles, but what can you do when the player simply forgets what he learned and does otherwise in the game? Long story short, I think these bone-headed plays where we beat ourselves cost us far more than any of the strategic play calls by the coaching.
Bottom line: A bye week and a game against UAB should help resolve a lot of this which does not have a lot to do with coaching. Sometimes the stars just aren't aligned. I think the Florida game will be a different beast and that the coaches will help settle down an overly-nervous offense.
- Foster running into Crompton
- Foster fumbling at a critical moment
- Idiotic blocking choices on the punt block
- Rodgers continuing to drop multiple catches (including a 40 yarder that would have been a tough grab, but do-able).
- Lincoln missing 3 FGs (granted, 51 and 55 is hard, but the missed OT FG was awful).
- Crompton, the QB, false starting. Has been awhile since I saw the QB called for that.
- Crompton and the center fumbling the snap exchange.
- Crompton getting very rattled under pressure.
- Absolutely horrific officiating
- 9 penalties for 55 yards, many coming from a veteran O-line.
Barring the officials, these are all things that the opposition had nothing to do with (and arguably, the coaches had little to do with as well). The players simply beat themselves with these constant miscues that would turn a 1st and 10 into a 3rd and 9. The good news is that this is all very much "fixable" by the players themselves. The coaches can (and do) make Foster run constant drills to prevent fumbles, but what can you do when the player simply forgets what he learned and does otherwise in the game? Long story short, I think these bone-headed plays where we beat ourselves cost us far more than any of the strategic play calls by the coaching.
Bottom line: A bye week and a game against UAB should help resolve a lot of this which does not have a lot to do with coaching. Sometimes the stars just aren't aligned. I think the Florida game will be a different beast and that the coaches will help settle down an overly-nervous offense.