First of all, I want to start out by saying our offensive line has played like horse ****, so this thread isn't meant to rip on the coaching staff. It's more of an observation than anything.
Over the last three years now, I've noticed a trend by Cole. I really have nothing concrete in terms of stats to back this up, but I'm fairly confident it is true.
It seems as if in out of conference play, our offense is way more pro style or "tight" for a lack of a better term.
I know a huge deal was made (semi sarcastically) about us throwing to the tight ends in the first two games, but I really think our offense runs way more in tight out of conference.
Some of you may remember my infamous "more spread formations with Lynch runs" to Cole before the CMU game two years ago. I'm in no way at all saying I deserve credit for that, but I said that because they hardly ran it the first 5 games of that year.
Then we all remember my infamous Maddie post after the Kent game last season. I sent that because NIU simply wasn't running the offense it usually does. Then the Miami game happened, and I saw the QB power which has been hugely effective for NIU since Lynch was the QB.
Now to the coaches credit, they did try straight QB runs with Hare in the 2nd half of the BC game and they didn't work either. However, I don't think we ran QB power one time this season before the 2nd half of the BC game.
I am hoping, and I expect, you will see NIU run a way more spread out attack against CMU. Get 4 and 5 WRs out there and spread the field. I understand that may work against conventional thinking with how bad the offensive line has struggled, but I'm forcing teams not to stack the box. If you've got Tommy, Kenny, Turner, and Beebe/Canada out there, you force teams not to be able to spread the box.
Get numbers in your favor, forget using 2 TEs, and use Hare's legs to your advantage. If they still stack the box, throw some bubbles, and let Turner and Tommy do the work with their legs. This is what the offense has been built around since DD arrived. I'm not sure if they call plays like they do OOC to try to save hits on the QB or because they feel they need to have extra blockers. However, I hope and expect them to go back to what they usually do in the MAC this week.
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2015 04:37 PM by 7.)
(09-28-2015 04:35 PM)7 Wrote: First of all, I want to start out by saying our offensive line has played like horse ****, so this thread isn't meant to rip on the coaching staff. It's more of an observation than anything.
Over the last three years now, I've noticed a trend by Cole. I really have nothing concrete in terms of stats to back this up, but I'm fairly confident it is true.
It seems as if in out of conference play, our offense is way more pro style or "tight" for a lack of a better term.
I know a huge deal was made (semi sarcastically) about us throwing to the tight ends in the first two games, but I really think our offense runs way more in tight out of conference.
Some of you may remember my infamous "more spread formations with Lynch runs" to Cole before the CMU game two years ago. I'm in no way at all saying I deserve credit for that, but I said that because they hardly ran it the first 5 games of that year.
Then we all remember my infamous Maddie post after the Kent game last season. I sent that because NIU simply wasn't running the offense it usually does. Then the Miami game happened, and I saw the QB power which has been hugely effective for NIU since Lynch was the QB.
Now to the coaches credit, they did try straight QB runs with Hare in the 2nd half of the BC game and they didn't work either. However, I don't think we ran QB power one time this season before the 2nd half of the BC game.
I am hoping, and I expect, you will see NIU run a way more spread out attack against CMU. Get 4 and 5 WRs out there and spread the field. I understand that may work against conventional thinking with how bad the offensive line has struggled, but I'm forcing teams not to stack the box. If you've got Tommy, Kenny, Turner, and Beebe/Canada out there, you force teams not to be able to spread the box.
Get numbers in your favor, forget using 2 TEs, and use Hare's legs to your advantage. If they still stack the box, throw some bubbles, and let Turner and Tommy do the work with their legs. This is what the offense has been built around since DD arrived. I'm not sure if they call plays like they do OOC to try to save hits on the QB or because they feel they need to have extra blockers. However, I hope and expect them to go back to what they usually do in the MAC this week.
And if Tommy (one of my favorite players) continues to drop the ball begin throwing it to Bebee more frequently.
I am hoping, and I expect, you will see NIU run a way more spread out attack against CMU. Get 4 and 5 WRs out there and spread the field. I understand that may work against conventional thinking with how bad the offensive line has struggled, but I'm forcing teams not to stack the box. If you've got Tommy, Kenny, Turner, and Beebe/Canada out there, you force teams not to be able to spread the box.
Get numbers in your favor, forget using 2 TEs, and use Hare's legs to your advantage. If they still stack the box, throw some bubbles, and let Turner and Tommy do the work with their legs. This is what the offense has been built around since DD arrived. I'm not sure if they call plays like they do OOC to try to save hits on the QB or because they feel they need to have extra blockers. However, I hope and expect them to go back to what they usually do in the MAC this week.
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Well said! Implement there 2 paragraphs as the offensive game plan for every game the rest of the season + players execute + defense continues = Win the MAC and bowl game and top 25 ranking IMO!
The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
Not for eternity though. NIU's receivers are not getting open which is a problem too. This offense has gone so vanilla with everything, I just don't think the offensive line needs to be protected as much as people think.
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2015 07:25 PM by MaddDawgz02.)
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
Not for eternity though. NIU's receivers are not getting open which is a problem too. This offense has gone so vanilla with everything, I just don't think the offensive line needs to be protected as much as people think.
2nd down play on the last series of the game when BC drops a pick is a walk in touchdown if Hare isn't getting hit. Tommy had burned his guy on a post. The blocking sucks.
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
Not for eternity though. NIU's receivers are not getting open which is a problem too. This offense has gone so vanilla with everything, I just don't think the offensive line needs to be protected as much as people think.
2nd down play on the last series of the game when BC drops a pick is a walk in touchdown if Hare isn't getting hit. Tommy had burned his guy on a post. The blocking sucks.
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
Not for eternity though. NIU's receivers are not getting open which is a problem too. This offense has gone so vanilla with everything, I just don't think the offensive line needs to be protected as much as people think.
2nd down play on the last series of the game when BC drops a pick is a walk in touchdown if Hare isn't getting hit. Tommy had burned his guy on a post. The blocking sucks.
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
Not for eternity though. NIU's receivers are not getting open which is a problem too. This offense has gone so vanilla with everything, I just don't think the offensive line needs to be protected as much as people think.
2nd down play on the last series of the game when BC drops a pick is a walk in touchdown if Hare isn't getting hit. Tommy had burned his guy on a post. The blocking sucks.
When BC can pin its ears back on predictable passing situations, yes its over, no chance against that defense, that is a given. You will never and I mean never have enough time to through a post-type route in that situation, and heck the DBs know that too.
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2015 08:02 PM by MaddDawgz02.)
(09-28-2015 06:58 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote: The offensive line has become the new global warming. Every one of life's pains are being attributed to it. It has not been up to par, but it has not been NEARLY as bad as everyone is making it out to be. NIU has fundamentally transformed who it is and what it does on offense, that to me is by far far far far and away a bigger factor
Surely our offensive line should be expected to pass protect a typical passing play?
Not for eternity though. NIU's receivers are not getting open which is a problem too. This offense has gone so vanilla with everything, I just don't think the offensive line needs to be protected as much as people think.
2nd down play on the last series of the game when BC drops a pick is a walk in touchdown if Hare isn't getting hit. Tommy had burned his guy on a post. The blocking sucks.
When BC can pin its ears back on predictable passing situations, yes its over, no chance against that defense, that is a given.
Amazing how you can twist things to fit your view.
Oh goodness, ok first of all the Ohio defense is nothing like the BC defense, their DBs are all conference (in a P5 conference). Second, while I think the offensive line is getting way too much blame, you are never going to sustain a pocket long enough in that situation to have an open post route against the best defense in the nation. I don't blame NIU for not being able to move the ball on the last drive, no team in the country is going to be able to move it on BC when in a predictable passing down with a minute left. My problem is with the other 59 minutes of the game.
There are a lot of problems right now and they include a scared coaching staff that has no faith in the players that are on the field right now, a team trying to adjust to something it is not, receivers which are running routes that anyone on this board could defend, and a QB which has no confidence right now and 80% of the time does not make decisions throwing the ball quick enough. It is a mess, and I do not know how NIU is going to dig itself out of this.
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2015 08:14 PM by MaddDawgz02.)
Pretty sure Iowa had a Top 20 defense in 2013 and Lynch had a full 4 seconds to throw without being touched in an obvious passing situation.
If you don't think NIU can block 4 guys long enough for Tommy to run a 15 yard post, that should tell you all you need to know about the play of the offensive line.
(09-28-2015 08:15 PM)7 Wrote: Pretty sure Iowa had a Top 20 defense in 2013 and Lynch had a full 4 seconds to throw without being touched in an obvious passing situation.
If you don't think NIU can block 4 guys long enough for Tommy to run a 15 yard post, that should tell you all you need to know about the play of the offensive line.
There are just so many things wrong right now, its fruitless to try and isolate one as a cure-all, all the problems are compounding the other problems. I think it might take EMU to get this thing back on track.
No Maddawgz, the #1 and biggest problem is they can't block. That's compounding everything else. Hare was sacked 12 times all of last year. Lynch was sacked 11 times in 2013. He's already been sacked 9 times in 4 games this year.
That is the 100% problem. You don't think the playcalling has been effected because NIU can't block anyone? You think Cole woke up the day of the Ohio State game and just forgot how to coach offense? Seriously?