(11-20-2013 11:57 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  Another thing - ENOUGH WITH WASTING TIMEOUTS BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET A PLAY CALLED IN TIME!!!!!!! EVERY. SINGLE. GAME. We waste timeouts because the coaches can't get a play called on offense. Then there are times when the defense is not set, or they are rotating players, and the DL isn't looking the the O, or the DL isn't even close to being set, and our O has no urgency to snap the ball. If they would snap the ball, they would easily gain 10+ yds.

Quote: ENOUGH WITH WASTING TIMEOUTS BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET A PLAY CALLED IN TIME!!!!!!! EVERY. SINGLE. GAME.

AMEN!
NIU runs tons of complex formations/plays and last night they had two subs filling in for starting WRs. They never burned a TO to get the play right.

(11-21-2013 10:40 AM)emanoh Wrote:  One thing that is being overlooked on NIU's side of the ball was how well their WR's blocked once Lynch got past the line of scrimage. Those guys would lock down the inside like the great wall of china and allow Lynch to pop outside. They might not have put up huge numbers, but Lynch wouldn't be as successful with our his guys on the outside.

Someone mentioned Ref's earlier and I'm glad they stayed out of the game. If there was any non-called-calls, it might have been holding on the NIU wr's, but I really don't have any complaints. Can't blame officiating on the one, they didn't fumble, rush plays and give up in the second half.

THE thing being overlooked was LYNCH'S downfield blocking. On Stingley's long run to the one yard line Lynch handed off, stepped away yo the right, saw the play and raced downfield to block, ending up AHEAD of Stingley thirty yards downfield. Never threw a block but that told me all I need to know about Lynch as a competitor and leader. His WRs dam well better block for him. Between Jordan Lauf's game Monday and Lynch's last night I've seen two of the toughest mental and physical competitors I've seen in a long time.

(11-21-2013 10:50 AM)toledo1 Wrote:  The issue: Campbell is a players coach, this is good for recruiting and player retention. This works when your assistants really get after it (Tressel at OSU, his assistants were in charge of toughness). Ours seemingly are not. While we have some individual toughness we do not have team toughness.
Having said this coaches that have equity can coach tougher (meyer, saban etc). NIU's coach is more agressive and tougher clearly (pulling players, raising his voice) ... he had to decide which coaching style to adopt, usually its built in. Its working.
Campbell consciously chooses to be calm, player comfort is important to him, player friendly, and hopes he wins on athleticsm and morale.
I understand the risk coaches take when choosing to be tough, it could lead to more confrontation and attrition. Campbell does need to look at his program... also it is fair for us to criticize a coaching staff that gets paid well and ask why toughness is not being coached or cultivated. Otherwise we are apathetic and football is meaningless.

I think being organized and structured go with that as well. That seems to help. I think can be developed to a point, but there are some traits you either have or don't. Saban, Meyer, and Pinkel all run a very organized, structured and attention to detail operation. Bill Snyder at Kansas St was able to win with JUCOs and BIG 12 scraps. Look at USC post Lane Kiffin. I think Campbell still has time to develop, but I really think next season is a do or die season. Can he run a championship program or just a pretty good one?

My comments are that Owens was never going to lead us to a championship. He has not performed we'll in big, must win games. The BG comeback was kind of a fluke. He could do much better if we had any semblance of an offensive scheme that would work. We run, run, run all game and still turn it over without a RB fumbling.

The OC is not ready to be where he is at. I've not seen enough improvement in the QB position to be optimistic about next year.

Btw I left the game with about 6 minutes left after 3 horrid pass attempts and then forced to punt down 11. That, and because the guy sitting in front and to right of me started puking from beer allowed in the stands.... Won't be long before that is discontinued.

Toledo Rockets Football is still waiting to replace Bruce Gradkowski and maybe even Gary Pinkel. Campbell needs to fire his OC and get a guy that has some experience on his staff.

Let us see where NIU and BSU are when Lynch and Wenning are gone. Both of those guys are special

Owens did not develop because for too many years the coaching staff could not see that he had more upside than Dantin and they kept splitting time. That being said, I expected alot more from Owens this year with the job his.

On the plus side, the Rockets are going to a bowl game somewhere. Those two weeks of practice need to focus on who are quarter back is next year

(11-21-2013 08:55 AM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(11-21-2013 08:40 AM)emanoh Wrote:  In the MAC the superior teams usually have the best QB on the field. NIU had this last night and all season. Lynch was the best player on the field last night. I think we all had high expectations for our senior QB to really take off this season and I don't think he's matched the success he had as a sophomore. Owens just didn't get any better and in our losses this season I think you can draw a direct line to mediocre play under center. This game was no different than our other loses, except Florida. We make too many mistakes, kill drives with turnovers and are just sloppy. We're sloppy getting the plays into the game. Our coaches look like they are drawing plays up in the dirt, while other teams have solid game plans. Really, Sr. QB, Sr. TB and we have our freshman running back throw a pass to a tightend?

With about 8ish minutes to go in the game we still had a chance to score, make a stop and get the ball back. Bad play calls and bad play, left us with 3rd and 10. There was no sense of urgency, the play we ended up running was doomed from the snap and Owens tosses the ball out of bounds - ball game and everyone started streaming to the gates with 8 min to go because they saw the writing on the wall.

I think we had a decent game plan and tried to run the ball to keep lynch off the filed, but just couldn't pick up the 3rd and long's when we need them. Our top RB is still banged up and NIU made the adjustments needed in the second half. You knew NIU would eventually take over the game. They play with confidence, they play exceptionally mistake free and deserved to be ranked.

Plain and simple we got beat by a better team.

I guess I agree with almost all of this. Please don't think I'm happy with the product we've seen in the second halves of recent games. I'm not. But I do think the coaching will get better and I firmly believe that NIU will be a 4-8 team in a few years because that's what happens in the MAC. Teams rise to the top and fade over the years. We'll be good next year but as you say, emanoh, our QB will play a large role in determining HOW good.

I doubt NIU goes to 4-8 in a few years.

Since 2002, NIU has two losing seasons. One of which was an injury filled season, the other they lost a bowl game to finish 6-7.

They've built the program up by building great offensive lines, key in the MAC.

I've enjoyed the comments you've made outside of this one. I strongly disagree.

Dantin could run the offense, Owens could throw the ball downfield. Thus the saying, "If you say you have 2 quarterbacks you don't have any."

(11-21-2013 12:36 AM)Redwingtom Wrote:  

(11-21-2013 12:33 AM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Sorry, but this sounds like AZZ after we thumped BG. All of a sudden Clawson, their program building coach, is a loser who can only beat weak teams and can't win championships. Next week he was a genius. Campbell is fine, NIU is hugely good and Fluellen just wasn't Fluellen. I'm as disappointed as anyone at our second half collapses but we're better than mediocre and recruiting championships don't mean squat. The team that has recruited the best for the last several years is NIU. They were better in nearly every phase (JD being the obvious exception). Campbell is 17-8. Pretty sure that doesn't qualify as mediocre- if wrre in the East we'd be preparing to play NIU for the MACC ?

SPOILER ALERT: We'd lose.

Thumped? You needed a last minute pair of great plays by Owens to eek out a win!

Key word here is WIN... four in a row if I'm not mistaken. Unfortunately, UT collapsed in the 2nd half of the bgsucks game... like they have in just about every game this season. As for the last minute plays by TO, those were one of the few time this year that he's looked like a D1 QB.

Let me ask this question as you were sitting in the stands or watching at home (though not as easy) was anyone wondering what we were going to run after seeing how we set up? There were very few plays we ran where I did not know if it was going to be a run - or even to which side of the field.

We are predictable. We have success because the O-line has dominated most DL's and because we have Flu and Hunt- and we can occasionally hit the home run. LoJack and Macon are seldom used and its like we have not dressed a TE in over 4 years. Where is Rob Spence at?

(11-21-2013 02:12 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  Let me ask this question as you were sitting in the stands or watching at home (though not as easy) was anyone wondering what we were going to run after seeing how we set up? There were very few plays we ran where I did not know if it was going to be a run - or even to which side of the field.

We are predictable. We have success because the O-line has dominated most DL's and because we have Flu and Hunt- and we can occasionally hit the home run. LoJack and Macon are seldom used and its like we have not dressed a TE in over 4 years. Where is Rob Spence at?

According to the link he is currently the QB Coach for Rutgers. Can we hire him back, please....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Spence_..._football)

Everyone and I mean all their opponents new Lynch would be taking over and running a lot more in the third and especially the fourth quarter of competitive games. Obviously, no one has been able to stop him. """""That extra blocker makes a big difference"""""". We all sat their last night knowing where they would be running.....what a predictable offense......and we like all others before us including two big ten schools couldn't stop it. On offense, we spent alot of time preseason and early season preparing to make Flu [Lynch like..kind of] our go to guy. Injuries in the backfield have been very costly. Where would NIU be right now if he had a leg injury. I suggest not ranked and no Detoit ticket!! I know the frosh backs played well, but they took a beating and are also banged up. Hell, our blocking FB even missed the two games after Navy. TO is a good player, but a championship QB has to be like Wenning[arm, decision making] or Lynch [running, bad ass]. He is neither. I look forward to us playing well in 8 days and earning a nice bowl. Very important, so our young pups on offense can prepare for next year. Will help D mature more also. If not known, that is what teams do... mostly work the youth hard and practice the regulars just enough to hopefully be ready for the bowl..... Therefore, I don't care if its the "**** Bowl", we need it for next year.

We were lucky to have Rob Spence at UT just at the time he was at his peak as an innovative offensive genius but I am not sure that he continued to remain ahead of the curve in developing cutting edge offenses after he departed. He was fired as OC at Clemson shortly after head coach Tommy Bowden "resigned" and he appears to have been treading water every since as regards his career. What I would like to see hired as OC at UT is not the original Rob Spence rather the "next Rob Spence" , but I suspect that is easier said than done.

(11-21-2013 01:16 PM)indianasniff Wrote:  Toledo Rockets Football is still waiting to replace Bruce Gradkowski and maybe even Gary Pinkel. Campbell needs to fire his OC and get a guy that has some experience on his staff.

Let us see where NIU and BSU are when Lynch and Wenning are gone. Both of those guys are special

Owens did not develop because for too many years the coaching staff could not see that he had more upside than Dantin and they kept splitting time. That being said, I expected alot more from Owens this year with the job his.

On the plus side, the Rockets are going to a bowl game somewhere. Those two weeks of practice need to focus on who are quarter back is next year

Campbell needs to let his OC call the plays. He said on the presser that he called the jump pass. I wonder how many times Campbell trumps Candle. Something is going on where a play is called but its getting held up at the sidelines. And that might be Campbell getting the call and then changing it up.

(11-21-2013 03:36 PM)tampabayrocketfan Wrote:  Campbell needs to let his OC call the plays. He said on the presser that he called the jump pass. I wonder how many times Campbell trumps Candle. Something is going on where a play is called but its getting held up at the sidelines. And that might be Campbell getting the call and then changing it up.

... or did Campbell say that to protect Candle?

I've talked to others and they've mentioned that what they saw was our team virtually 'gave up' in the 2nd half. 'Underperformed' in the 2nd half just like that last few games. The coaching staff, IMO, has to take the blame for this. It's just unacceptable.

Speaking or predictable, I've now figured out one of our audibles. When TO rubs up and down on right arm, it's a qb run. Sass him audible and do that motion 3-4 times last night, and every time it was a qb run.

(11-21-2013 03:36 PM)tampabayrocketfan Wrote:  Campbell needs to let his OC call the plays. He said on the presser that he called the jump pass. I wonder how many times Campbell trumps Candle. Something is going on where a play is called but its getting held up at the sidelines. And that might be Campbell getting the call and then changing it up.

I disagree.

Remember two years ago when the UT offense was a top 20 offense nationally? A young guy named Matt Campbell was the Toledo Offensive Coordinator.

I think Campbell should take over the OC position. Perhaps he could make a phone call and talk to Sean Payton in New Orleans for a few pointers on how to be both Head Coach and the Offensive Coordinator.

(11-21-2013 03:39 PM)RangerRocket Wrote:  

(11-21-2013 03:36 PM)tampabayrocketfan Wrote:  Campbell needs to let his OC call the plays. He said on the presser that he called the jump pass. I wonder how many times Campbell trumps Candle. Something is going on where a play is called but its getting held up at the sidelines. And that might be Campbell getting the call and then changing it up.

... or did Campbell say that to protect Candle?

I bet MC was protecting him. He NEVER days anything negative to the press. I bet if I look at his quotes from the game last night that he said "We battled hard" (lie), "Gave it are all" (another lie), and those type of cliche quotes.

I'm going to be in the vast minority here...but the wildcat jump pass was a good call in my opinion. It was set up with the previous runs with the wildcat and we ran twice in wildcat at the goaline...then the third was the jump pass. It was a great read by the linebacker and a poor pass. It happens.

I would suggest the turning point in the game was when we had the ball in quarter 3 at NIU's 35 yard line 4th and 1. We had just given up a touchdown...we were trailing...we needed a counter punch. We opted to punt. Up to that point we had been able to power for yards when we needed them. It did seem our running backs were a bit beat up though. I would have run the ball to try for the first down. We punted...great punt and coverage...but they responded with a 99 yard drive that put us down 2 scores. That crushed us. Had we scored on our drive rather than punting...who knows?

69 second half points surrenderd in 2 weeks. Nothing more needs to be said.