Just need a few improvements on O to be dominant

[PA college fan]

Through 5 games. it’s crazy how dominant our D is!!! No 4 in defensive stat for points allowed at 9/game, 20 sacks, lots of 3 and outs, 12 turnovers caused.

Although offense has been hot and cold, defense has given Offense no 1 time of possession at about 37 min out of 60 and many favorable field positions. Despite squandering some, O is no 15 In points at over 40. W Virginia is 4-1 and so is Iowa. Defense is great all over and depth is unreal.

Next three weeks, shore up right side of O line- get Cephas to learn playbook, get more passing plays to Warren and tight ends, get more plays to KLS, hopefully get Tre back and run to strengths— Singleton outside to left side than up the gut or right.

Next three weeks will be most important for coaching staff. Sept has been better than any of us would have imagined preseason. Allar is great for first yr starter, 9 TDs and 0 INTs and dealing with some adversity without losing will make him better.

 

[LandoComando]

It's difficult to justify Cephas playing and improving the right side of the line isn't an easy task. The offense isn't going to be dominant and that's okay...we just need them to be above average instead of mid which they are right now. Allar has played very smart football but we need more explosive plays against better teams. I still think that needs to come from the run game but it's nonexistent currently.

Improvement is 100% possible maybe even significant improvement but dominant is a fantasy this year.

 

[Obliviax]

Agreed. Allar wasn’t in synch with the WR so it is a good time for the bye week.

I doing think it’s ‘the playbook’. Many plays have options based on how the defender defends. You have to read and react but both WR and QB have to make the same reads. They weren’t, and it happened with other WRs s as well.

Also, WVa is now 3-1 with wins against Pitt (convincingly) and TCU. They certainly won’t end up last in their conference. Iowa beat Sparty after their starting QB got hurt early

 

[bourbon n blues]

O is D and D is O. Both set each other up. A 1994 O puts pressure on the other offense making your D better. If you recall in 1994, every single timer defense need to stop they came through. In my recollection, they only needed two or three stops that season, but they stepped up when it was absolutely necessary.

The opposing team knew that our team average, the scoring drive every two minutes or so so they had to take risks offensively that maybe they weren’t comfortable with.

Or win last night to me was more reminiscent of a late 70s paternal team. Or maybe late 60s. The defensiveness up and great field position. I know Northwestern went for it deep in your own territory twice but they did that because they were desperately trying to make a drive to stay in the game.

It’s my opinion they thought that they could get a half a yard to yard and potentially continue to drive and stay in striking distance of the game. Maybe we would make a mistake and give them an easy touchdown or something? However we stopped him that led to two easy touchdowns of broke the game open.

Again, great defense is offensive, great office is defensive. It’s all about changing the field position and putting pressure on the other team.

 

[tboyer]

Agreed. Allar wasn’t in synch with the WR so it is a good time for the bye week.

I doing think it’s ‘the playbook’. Many plays have options based on how the defender defends. You have to read and react but both WR and QB have to make the same reads. They weren’t, and it happened with other WRs s as well.

Also, WVa is now 3-1 with wins against Pitt (convincingly) and TCU. They certainly won’t end up last in their conference. Iowa beat Sparty after their starting QB got hurt early

it's a good point. A lot of the offense's problems are QB/receiver communication and just a lack of variety in the offense available to Allar at this point (which Franklin referred to in his postgame interview). Both of those things should really benefit from a bye week and then an easier opponent.

The more ominous thing is losing JB Nelson, assuming that's a long-term loss. The O-line is starting to not resemble the O-line that started the season. They are probably at the end of their depth on that unit.

 

[Obliviax]

it's a good point. A lot of the offense's problems are QB/receiver communication and just a lack of variety in the offense available to Allar at this point (which Franklin referred to in his postgame interview). Both of those things should really benefit from a bye week and then an easier opponent.

The more ominous thing is losing JB Nelson, assuming that's a long-term loss. The O-line is starting to not resemble the O-line that started the season. They are probably at the end of their depth on that unit.

CJF seemed to imply it wasn’t season ending but we won’t know until he plays again, really. Also, Allar said he wasn’t accurate and felt it was mechanics, correctable. My take is that the weight of expectations was on him for an away game for the first time. Before he could just Wing it in a comfortable setting. Pressure. It direct help when you fumble the opening kickoff and give a wounded opponent hope

 

[bvillebaron]

Agreed. Allar wasn’t in synch with the WR so it is a good time for the bye week.

I doing think it’s ‘the playbook’. Many plays have options based on how the defender defends. You have to read and react but both WR and QB have to make the same reads. They weren’t, and it happened with other WRs s as well.

Also, WVa is now 3-1 with wins against Pitt (convincingly) and TCU. They certainly won’t end up last in their conference. Iowa beat Sparty after their starting QB got hurt early

I think a large part of it has been the PREDICTABLE play calling. It’s okay to be conservative but not okay to be predictable. Perhaps this gets better against OSU and Michigan.

 

[Obliviax]

I think a large part of it has been the PREDICTABLE play calling. It’s okay to be conservative but not okay to be predictable. Perhaps this gets better against OSU and Michigan.

I think the staff has been adamant about running the ball. It seems that is all we do on first down. But we've been getting 3/4 yards so we keep up with the sticks. To me, running the ball is like body blows in boxing. They aren't going to get you a knockout and are not going to get the fans on their feet. But they take a toll on the opponent and set him up for the big blows down the road. the boxer's hands being up in defense are the complete analogy to the defenses Safeties.

 

[bdgan]

CJF seemed to imply it wasn’t season ending but we won’t know until he plays again, really. Also, Allar said he wasn’t accurate and felt it was mechanics, correctable. My take is that the weight of expectations was on him for an away game for the first time. Before he could just Wing it in a comfortable setting. Pressure. It direct help when you fumble the opening kickoff and give a wounded opponent hope

Road games are difficult in the BiG but NW is an easy venue. I think they only had 25,000 fans yesterday. I suspect the 11:00 am start time combined with a post white out letdown were bigger factors.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

Agreed. Allar wasn’t in synch with the WR so it is a good time for the bye week.

I doing think it’s ‘the playbook’. Many plays have options based on how the defender defends. You have to read and react but both WR and QB have to make the same reads. They weren’t, and it happened with other WRs s as well.

Also, WVa is now 3-1 with wins against Pitt (convincingly) and TCU. They certainly won’t end up last in their conference. Iowa beat Sparty after their starting QB got hurt early

This!

 

[RickinDayton]

It's difficult to justify Cephas playing and improving the right side of the line isn't an easy task. The offense isn't going to be dominant and that's okay...we just need them to be above average instead of mid which they are right now. Allar has played very smart football but we need more explosive plays against better teams. I still think that needs to come from the run game but it's nonexistent currently.

Improvement is 100% possible maybe even significant improvement but dominant is a fantasy this year.

Inserting Shelton @ RT might help the right side. If J.B. Nelson doesn't return for OSU, Vega will be slid in there on the left side. Donkah (sp?) needs to be given PT with 1s against UMASS to help get better acclimated. Can Nick Dawkins play guard or exclusively center?

 

[RickinDayton]

CJF seemed to imply it wasn’t season ending but we won’t know until he plays again, really. Also, Allar said he wasn’t accurate and felt it was mechanics, correctable. My take is that the weight of expectations was on him for an away game for the first time. Before he could just Wing it in a comfortable setting. Pressure. It direct help when you fumble the opening kickoff and give a wounded opponent hope

That was Allar's second road start. He started @ Illinois.

 

[Obliviax]

That was Allar's second road start. He started @ Illinois.

Agreed. So no excuses and high expectations

 

[19333lion]

I think a large part of it has been the PREDICTABLE play calling. It’s okay to be conservative but not okay to be predictable. Perhaps this gets better against OSU and Michigan.

It's OK to be predictable when you can run it down an opponent's throat. We haven't been able to do that and I can't see it happening against the two teams on the schedule who haunt us.

 

[Ian]

The one constant in Franklin’s ten seasons is an average OL, at best. It’s the one position he either can’t or doesn’t know how to fix. But he has never had a championship caliber OL.