This photo of OL play is just comical
- Thread starter RTRMR
- Start date
Are you saying this was not a designed screen to #53, standing around doing nothing?
I think this is the play where Clifford tried to dump it off to #53...he was wide open!
Where is "Dez Holmes"? Another one JF touted over a year ago saying, "once he gets his hands on you it's all over." Yet, he can't even replace Wilson???
Their really turnstile operators just picking up dropped tokens.
Well if he's going to just watch the game at least he's got the best seat in the house.
Would have been fun to see him haul it in and go for an ALL run to the EZ! Sure it comes back, but good fun!
Another question, they have been practicing against our DL for years. DL was pretty good until Shelton transferred, Mustipher got hurt. Oweh in pros and doing very well. Why is every Saturday like 5 guys just lined up together for first time and never pushed someone in their life? The only answer appears that too much time spent on pass blocking and little on run blocking. Now, CJF tries to balance O with runs and they are clueless on assignments and who to push upfield. Mind boggling
We’ll I’ll agree on part of your post. They obviously can’t push anyone in front of them out of the way on running plays. But it appears that Clifford is attempting a pass. So the time spent on pass blocking appears to have been also wasted.
It is clear that something was figured out by opposing DCs. The pass blocking was sufficient until Cliff's injury. I think eight sacks given up on QBs first 5 games and now 19 last 5. Does not even take into account big hits like one that knocked Cliff out at IA. Reality is that OL has been very inconsistent but wheels fell off lately. I can only surmise that this commitment to run and plays inserted have them completely confused, particularly when talent level on other side went up.
Shelton was addition by subtraction.
Also, dont forget losing Beamon and Isaac to injuries before the season even started.
this to me is the question for the 2021 season....
How bad must Roberson be that JF would rather put a Cliff out there at 10%??
How bad are the OL back-ups that you would rather have this picture most of the day?
I wish that is what would be asked on Tuesdays instead of asking about James' favorite creamery floavor.
"James, your OL play has been horrible at best this year. Does it say anything to the ability to develop that position when the back-ups can't see any meaningful snaps?"
I mean for shits sake, all we heard about how Tengwell was as close to being ready as they have had in years.....and we see how much he plays.
How is that the only answer? Are you at practices and team meetings to know how much time is spent on each? Yes the OL has been a consistent issue under CJF, it's probably the single biggest thing I'm critical of him about since I consider the OL to be the most important unit on the field, with the possible exception of the quarterback in today's modern offensive style. But the root cause of not spending enough time on run blocking is hardly the known cause.
Too bad CJ Thorpe portaled/retired. He at least had a mean streak and blocked the run effectively.
Maybe it was a screen and the intended receiver botched it so bad he’s not even in the picture?
Maybe but it sure looked bad. Kind of hard to block on a screen play when Walker is standing there like a spectator and 3 of the other 4 linemen are on the ground or just getting up after being on the ground.
FWIW there were some lineup changes in the 2nd half. 70 Scruggs moved to Center, 72 Effner came in at RG and 73 Miranda out.
So I had to go back and see what this was. No clearer to me after watching it. Parker, Jahan and Meiga at bottom and meiga goes in motion to top of screen. No back in backfield. Lovett and strange up top and block half heartedly to sell a quick throw to Meiga. Parker and Jahan run in routes and Clifford looks for Parker who is covered.
OL all just cut blocking. Miranda falls to ground without touching DT who is engaged by Scruggs. Rasheed whiffs on DE and stands around. The photo is taken after all DL have regained their feet and everyone is just looking around (other than the DL and Clifford).
OL all just cut blocking. Miranda falls to ground without touching DT who is engaged by Scruggs. Rasheed whiffs on DE and stands around. The photo is taken after all DL have regained their feet and everyone is just looking around (other than the DL and Clifford).
You are exactly right. SC getting hurt eliminated his run threat. Michigan didn't even have to scheme pressure at times bc our tackles didn't block the DEs at all. Others, they bet on SC not burning them.
Bowl season SC might be 100%. Otherwise, we see more of the same. It's not getting corrected this year. We are who we are.
Watching the full video of the play, the linemen performed what is called a bite block we you aim for the defenders family jewels to get their hands down and take out their legs. This is usually done for a short pass over the middle just behind where the DL\LBs would be. However, it seems as if the player that was supposed to get the ball was covered and Clifford has to pull it down and try to improvise. However, due to the poor scheme/play that it was, there was no outlet receiver(like the RB in the flat) to dump it to and Clifford just saw the blue shirt and tossed it instead of taking the sack,
What about the last 8 seasons?
Serious question...what was Miranda doing? I assume you can’t hit them low when already engaged but do they really want him to flop on the ground?
Not sure who exactly Miranda is on that play, but the idea of the bite block is to get the defensive lineman on the ground by taking their legs out and getting their hands down so they can't bat the ball down. You can only hit them that low in the tackle box and when you fire off the ball like that. For example, you can't fire off and hit the LB low like that or an OLB low like that.
Is this better, worse or no different than the photo a few years ago of the PSU OL-man blocking another PSU OL-man with his eyes closed?
That said, the dropping down of the OL in unison trying to cut the DL-men is downright pathetic coaching.
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This is a good point, Penn State recruits a stud 4* OL out of Pittsburgh and he plays mediocre football for a couple seasons and then jets. Then we have a junior college transfer, and Ivy League transfer, and an injured Salem wormley to fill that void at guard. Transfers will happen and not every stud recruit will pan out for one reason or another, but it still stings.
Was curious so I looked it up. Here are the wash-outs from 2014-2019 classes. I didn’t include most 3*/lower guys
Michael Oconner 4*
Troy reeder, stud LB who we really needed, NFL player
juwan Johnson 4*, NFL
sterling jenkins 5*
manny Bowen 4*
kamonte carter 4*
Andre Robinson 4*
Irvin Charles 4* (played some, role diminished, at IUP now)
Brandon Poll 4* (played some, role diminished, at James Madison now)
Tommy Stevens 3* qb we needed for depth
Shane Simmons very high 4*, great kid who stuck around but never developed
Ellison Jordan 4*
Zech McPhearson 4*, NFL player now
CJ Thorpe mentioned above, high 4*
Fred Hansard 4* still w team but never really developed
Damion Barber 4*
Donovan Johnson 4*
justin shorter 5*
Ricky spade 5*
Nana asiedu 4* (heart condition I believe)
Zack Kuntz 4*
Daniel George 4* played some, role diminished, still with team but didn’t develop
Jordan miner 4* (medical condition I believe)
Judge culpepper 4*
Trent Gordon 4*
Isaiah Humphries high3*
Isheem Young 4* robbed a convenience store, now a stud at Iowa State
Will Levis 3* qb we needed for depth
Devyn Ford 5*, great kid, slight contributor (really hopeful we see more out of him)
John Dunmore 4*
Lance Dixon 4*
Michael Johnson jr 4*
That’s 32 guys over 6 classes (so far). All very highly recruited players, where I was stoked when they signed with Penn State…that didn’t contribute much on the football field. If that continues you’re looking at 5-6 of the highest rated recruits in EVERY YEAR’S CLASS that wash out. No wonder we have depth issues and transfer/juco starters at 5 positions.
Didn’t take the time to compare this to other schools. BUT GOOD GOD doesn’t it look like a lot of Penn State’s higher end recruits don’t contribute much or at all?
Not meant to be critical of the staff or these kids, just to initiate discussion.
Someone posted an analysis video of this play earlier (may have been on another site). The problem was that Walker completely whiffed on his bite block (in the video I saw they described it as a cut block). The goal of those blocks is to knock down the lineman to clear the passing lane for a quick slant. Because Walker whiffed, Hutchinson was quickly in Clifford's face, right in his passing lane to Washington. If Walker makes his block Clifford can hit Washington on the short slant across the middle.
The picture posted is after all the lineman have regained their feet.
But the root cause of not spending enough time on run blocking is hardly the known cause.
I disagree. We run a RPO probably 75% of the time the others are snaps are mostly straight pro pass. How can the OL "work" on run blocking when they have no idea if it is a run or pass in the RPO scheme until after the snap??? To make matters worse, officials are calling illegal man down field a lot more these days so you really can't "drive" block your man downfield since you might get flagged for being downfield.
Is this better, worse or no different than the photo a few years ago of the PSU OL-man blocking another PSU OL-man with his eyes closed?
Another classic Penn St O line moment.
I’d give Andre Robinson a pass. He was a contributor when needed and more or less was held back by a guy named Saquon Barkley,..
