Things on O that really just make you say....WTF are they doing?

[LaJolla Lion]

• Third down play calling? Just no words there.
  
• Cain torches Pitt on the long TD drive....not to be heard from again.
• RPO means once in a while the QB actually has to keep the ball.
• How many horribly thrown deep balls did we need to see today? I lost count...was it 6 or 7?
• #87 is a problem for teams....you can use him a bit more when you are struggling to move the chains.
  
• Does Rahne and Limegrover realize that teams simply stunt our OL to death and they are awful at picking it up.
  
• This team cannot drive the ball consistently and just prays to hit a big play. You're not Jo Mo....figure out how to move the sticks and the big plays will come. Last year was a learning year for a new OC.....not sure what he learned.
• Why in the hell are the two best playmakers on O running the same GD route? That is coaching.....they don't know this offense IMO as it's not the first time we have seen it with this offense. It's like a weekly event now.

 

[LionDeNittany]

They do not even try to drive ball consistently. Heaving for 30 yds once or 2x a series means the lack of consistency.

Run on 1st

 

[psualt]

Let’s just say these guys hate three yards and a cloud of dust.

 

[LaJolla Lion]

One other thing....Sean Clifford....talking about being a leader is different than picking up a first down by simply diving face forward. People want to compare him to Trace....no GD way does Trace not pick up that first down with his feet....no way. Leaders lead, that was soft as hell.

 

[I am Ironman]

I thought the 1st down play calling sucked. Put us behind the sticks for most of the game. We probably could have run the ball all game and wore the Pitt defense out if we committed to it.

Rahne is terrible.

 

[martypsu]

• Third down play calling? Just no words there.
  
• Cain torches Pitt on the long TD drive....not to be heard from again.
• RPO means once in a while the QB actually has to keep the ball.
• How many horribly thrown deep balls did we need to see today? I lost count...was it 6 or 7?
• #87 is a problem for teams....you can use him a bit more when you are struggling to move the chains.
  
• Does Rahne and Limegrover realize that teams simply stunt our OL to death and they are awful at picking it up.
  
• This team cannot drive the ball consistently and just prays to hit a big play. You're not Jo Mo....figure out how to move the sticks and the big plays will come. Last year was a learning year for a new OC.....not sure what he learned.

Exactly

 

[LaJolla Lion]

I thought the 1st down play calling sucked. Put us behind the sticks for most of the game. We probably could have run the ball all game and wore the Pitt defense out if we committed to it.

Rahne is terrible.

Agree. It's early, but Clifford needs to step up his game. The R in the RPO isn't great right now. His deep balls were horrible.

 

[LionDeNittany]

Let’s just say these guys hate three yards and a cloud of dust.

They seem to love 2 yards and dust on 2nd and 10.

LdN

 

[BGJeff]

Agree on all points. Right now the only real weapon thing this O has is speed, so I can't figure out why we go up the gut as often as we do, plus why our passing game isn't 5 counts faster.

 

[LaJolla Lion]

1st down...Bomb
2nd down....2-3 yards
3rd down...QB runs for life and incomplete pass.

That was much of today.....one drive we pounded it down their throat and from some reason stopped right after that.

 

[Tri-Power65]

Agree. It's early, but Clifford needs to step up his game. The R in the RPO isn't great right now. His deep balls were horrible.

If Clifford isn't going to run, then we should just abandon the RPO. Maybe Limejuicer and our OL can figure out how to block a pro-set O...

 

[LaJolla Lion]

Agree on all points. Right now the only real weapon thing this O has is speed, so I can't figure out why we go up the gut as often as we do, plus why our passing game isn't 5 counts faster.

Did you notice the total lack of separation. Pitt knew Rahne like he was telling him what he going to do.

 

[BGJeff]

Did you notice the total lack of separation. Pitt knew Rahne like he was telling him what he going to do.

Ah, he was just holding back the real play book for the Maryland game.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

Agree on most of the points. A few more observations:

Either the OL problem is the scheme or the coach? Both need to go. Practically every team in the country is running this offense, and we’re the only program struggling to block? It’s got to be fixed.

Rahne doesn’t have the playcalling gene. It’s been a year and a half and he’s regressing. The guy has to go. Like you mentioned, the third down call at the 50? Terrible. We needed 6 yards.

One thing I will disagree about is the use of 87 - I don’t think it was a lack of use, looked like Pitt was going to completely take him out of it. Hamlin/Ford are a very talented combo at safety and it showed. Pitt also ran a LB underneath all of this routes too.

 

[I am Ironman]

These little league type rotations are a joke. We had a 3rd and long in the first half with no Hamle, Friermuth, or Dotson on the field. That's a little disturbing.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

[QUOTE="LaJolla Lion, post: 4319071, member: 428"..no GD way does Trace not pick up that first down with his feet....no way. Leaders lead, that was soft as hell.

Have you forgotten when Trace did the same exact thing (actually, much more blatantly) in a big situation last year???


BTW: Whatcha’ been drinking today? [/QUOTE]
it's not like the yellow line we see on tv is out there on the field

 

[psu2016]

I’m sure the usual suspects will show up to explain how our offense is actually awesome and nobody can question Rahne because he’s a coach and you’re not.

 

[massimoManca II]

• Third down play calling? Just no words there.
  
• Cain torches Pitt on the long TD drive....not to be heard from again.
• RPO means once in a while the QB actually has to keep the ball.
• How many horribly thrown deep balls did we need to see today? I lost count...was it 6 or 7?
• #87 is a problem for teams....you can use him a bit more when you are struggling to move the chains.
  
• Does Rahne and Limegrover realize that teams simply stunt our OL to death and they are awful at picking it up.
  
• This team cannot drive the ball consistently and just prays to hit a big play. You're not Jo Mo....figure out how to move the sticks and the big plays will come. Last year was a learning year for a new OC.....not sure what he learned.
• Why in the hell are the two best playmakers on O running the same GD route? That is coaching.....they don't know this offense IMO as it's not the first time we have seen it with this offense. It's like a weekly event now.

LaJolla Lion goes 8-for-8*

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

Rahne will get canned or downgraded at season’s end unless some kind of miracle occurs. Since Franklin’s staff took over at PSU, what has Rahne added to the program? One good year of Gesicki? The TE position has been strong since he moved on from being positional coach of that group anyway.

Let’s not forget he came up with John Donovan and was Hack’s QB coach during one of the worst career trajectories I can remember at PSU. He’s not cut out for this.

 

[NittanyIllinois]

Let’s just say these guys hate three yards and a cloud of dust.

Apparently they hate milking valuable clock late in games to preserve victory, too.

That bomb on 3rd and short was so typical.

 

[rmem]

Rahne needs to go. Said it last year, will continue to say it this year.

Clifford first year starting, surprised to see the innacuracy. He looks like McSorley in that regard on shorter passes, but his inaccuracy on long passes really surprises me. I think it is the offensive PSU Panic that we have seen for many years now, just no confidence and the players simply panic. Not all of them but too many of them.

Rahne needs to go.

There were some obvious adjustments on offense and defense that for some reason were not made until after half. This is coaching. Not just offense, it was on defense too. See what the other team is doing yet do nothing about it until after half.

I am very concerned about this program with the current crop of coaches.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Rahne will get canned or downgraded at season’s end unless some kind of miracle occurs. Since Franklin’s staff took over at PSU, what has Rahne added to the program? One good year of Gesicki? The TE position has been strong since he moved on from being positional coach of that group anyway.

Let’s not forget he came up with John Donovan and was Hack’s QB coach during one of the worst career trajectories I can remember at PSU. He’s not cut out for this.

"I am fiercely loyal to my coaches".... good luck getting rid of Rahne.

 

[HazletonLion]

Establish the run game, we have the horses. Cliff needs to work on the short game for confidence, the long ball are horrible. For 2 weeks in a row the qb were playing well above their level, our coverage was good.

 

[djr4rebs]

Remember the preseason line:

"Defense will be good; offense is going to need time."

It's holding true.

 

[Art]

"I am fiercely loyal to my coaches".... good luck getting rid of Rahne.

Of no solace to John Donovan, but explains why Rahne is the OC.

 

[broey1]

So every team we play can run screens from a spread..... not us????

 

[danvillenit]

Establish the run game, we have the horses. Cliff needs to work on the short game for confidence, the long ball are horrible. For 2 weeks in a row the qb were playing well above their level, our coverage was good.

I’m guessing Cliffords accuracy is suffering the more of a beating he takes. He was getting pounded in the first half.

 

[SLion]

Remember the preseason line:

"Defense will be good; offense is going to need time."

It's holding true.

Our defense was good? Pickett looked like Marino, no pass rush, poor tackling, abused by Pitt WRs, completely tricked on 4th down, and gave up 3rd and 12s all day..we won bc of Jordan Stout and a boneheaded Nardouchey on other side..nothing else

 

[jmorovich]

With regards to Clifford sliding early and not keeping it at all, I would bet that he was told all week to not keep it as much as he has and to be careful in the open field. I’m sure the coaching staff showed him a bunch of video of him keeping it at the wrong time the last two games and maybe taking unnecessary hits.

As a young QB he went too far the other way and got down early and didn’t keep it at all. He’s got to find that happy middle ground like Trace did. It took Trace a couple games as well. I feel like the 4th or 5th game his first season was when it started clicking (but I’m sure I’m wrong with the timing).

I think he just needs things to slow down for him from a game speed thing and only reps will help that. Luckily he’s only a sophomore.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

I’m guessing Cliffords accuracy is suffering the more of a beating he takes. He was getting pounded in the first half.

Solution is in the works. Sean will do more weight training during the bye.

 

[Nitwit97]

I agree on the Noah Cain point. He was running well and strong in the TD drive. How you don’t go back to him again is lost on me


Let’s hope we are out of our “pre-season” phase. They really need to stop messing around with these underling teams. It is ridiculous and will lead to unnecessary losses.

 

[blion72]

If Clifford isn't going to run, then we should just abandon the RPO. Maybe Limejuicer and our OL can figure out how to block a pro-set O...

that is it in a nutshell. the PSU RPO offense is predicated on the QB being a serious run threat. if you look at games were Trace was not 100% this offense scheme struggled. the DEF so far is ignoring SC as a run threat out of RPO. most of SCs runs are improv off of a pass play = scramble. not sure if this is intentional or are they just figuring things out.

if we are going to depend on the bomb, then we need to be able to get it there. on some plays the WR was open but ball just missed.

every team we are playing will be doing the same thing 7-8 in the box with man press pass def (aka holding)

 

[djr4rebs]

Our defense was good? Pickett looked like Marino, no pass rush, poor tackling, abused by Pitt WRs, completely tricked on 4th down, and gave up 3rd and 12s all day..we won bc of Jordan Stout and a boneheaded Nardouchey on other side..nothing else

Pry tends to keep our DBs off WRs. We adjusted to that in the 3rd and most of the 4th with tighter coverage.

Kenny looked good. Pass rush was terrible. Tackling was good.

Our OCs play calling, our refusal to truly install anything beyond what JoMO left us, and the refusal to go with Cain after he got hot kept our defense on the field too much.

 

[Lyons212]

You say that as if you think that is what that play was designed to do.

Burp!

Poor coaching or poor execution, worse case Clifford should run for as much as he can and slide. This keeps the clock moving or forces Pitt to burn their last time out. Instead throws the ball deep hoping for the best and receiver was not in the same zip code.

 

[NC2017]

Pitt knew Rahne like he was telling him what he going to do.

Could they have stolen our offensive signals along with the defensive ones??????????

 

[PaJules]

One other thing....Sean Clifford....talking about being a leader is different than picking up a first down by simply diving face forward. People want to compare him to Trace....no GD way does Trace not pick up that first down with his feet....no way. Leaders lead, that was soft as hell.

Yes sir.... Trace picks up the first down and Michael Robinson would have lowered a shoulder and picked up the first down plus 10 more yards.

 

[LaJolla Lion]

Of no solace to John Donovan, but explains why Rahne is the OC.

Or Corley.....but people need to make up this loyalty thing and run with it. He's already shown he will make a move and Rahne has to show he can make an offense improve...stage is all his.

 

[WestSideLion]

Agree on most of the points. A few more observations:

Either the OL problem is the scheme or the coach? Both need to go. Practically every team in the country is running this offense, and we’re the only program struggling to block? It’s got to be fixed.

Rahne doesn’t have the playcalling gene. It’s been a year and a half and he’s regressing. The guy has to go. Like you mentioned, the third down call at the 50? Terrible. We needed 6 yards.

One thing I will disagree about is the use of 87 - I don’t think it was a lack of use, looked like Pitt was going to completely take him out of it. Hamlin/Ford are a very talented combo at safety and it showed. Pitt also ran a LB underneath all of this routes too.

There is A LOT to like about Coach Franklin. He’s a very good recruiter, a role model that I would put forward for my own son, and he seems to relate to his players.

One tradeoff, IMO, is that he has many personal connections with his staff and he can be loyal too long when changes are needed. I suspect he has a special bond with Limegrover and Rahne. That could be why things have been slow to be addressed.

If you look at his offenses at Penn State, consistency has been lacking, even in the 2016-2017 great years. Things were masked some because of Moorhead’s success in using generational talent at RB, WR and TE.

Outside of the Moorhead and generational talent combo, Penn State offenses have been lean. Significant changes are warranted. Will Coach Franklin make them in a way that yields desired results?

 

[Art]

Or Corley.....but people need to make up this loyalty thing and run with it. He's already shown he will make a move and Rahne has to show he can make an offense improve...stage is all his.

Rahne was the wrong move and I think loyalty had a lot to do with it. Corley wasn't around long enough to get his head a sufficient distance up Franklin's ass.

 

[djr4rebs]

Look at our conference "brothers":

Sparty up 7-3 in the 4th.

Minnesota getting all they can handle vs GA Southern, losing by 4 under 4 minutes in the 4th.

Iowa losing, but they are in storm delay #2.

Maryland and Illinois lost.

Northwestern won.

Michigan and Wisconsin on a bye. And OSU looking strong.

Struggles abound. It's not just us.