The Toledo Rockets?

With Arkansas winning at ole miss and moving into the top half of the sec does anyone else have a a better win than UT at Arkansas?

Glad we played them early, can't imagine us winning that game now. Still PO'd about the game on Tuesday I guess..

Frustrating that we don't ever seem to get better as season progresses... Ely looked so sharp throwing the ball against ISU early in the year. There were so many dropped passes in that game, I was thinking if only improve in that area we were going to be very tough to beat... Instead, passing accuracy has regressed, secondary has started to give up big plays over the top of defense, and the stone hands of our receivers has continued. All these factors are really difficult to understand since we run the ball so well. The passing game should be wide open, as teams put more players in the box to stop the run and on the defensive side of ball we stop the run really well yet for some reason are not disciplined in the secondary to keep the play in font of you..

If we play the way we did on Tuesday, we will lose the next three. The next three teams on are schedule are all peaking and getting better each game, like your supposed too...

(11-08-2015 09:23 AM)BDV27 Wrote:  Frustrating that we don't ever seem to get better as season progresses... Ely looked so sharp throwing the ball against ISU early in the year. There were so many dropped passes in that game, I was thinking if only improve in that area we were going to be very tough to beat... Instead, passing accuracy has regressed, secondary has started to give up big plays over the top of defense, and the stone hands of our receivers has continued. All these factors are really difficult to understand since we run the ball so well....

I'm going to go back to it, same things I said early on that others finally jumping on that bandwagon, he was not sharp in that game or early on. Most of those what you call drops were difficult catches because receivers had to jump, reach back or try to pick up low passes thrown through the line, if they made it past the line. It's the drops of quality passes that is the anecdote and I don't see how it can be said otherwise by anyone that won't also put blame on the receiver's coach.

Somewhere along the way during game when a poster was "blaming" receivers I went back and itemized the pass locations in a thread. The problem was the passes. They were behind, off the finger tips of leaping or diving receivers, tipped at the line or sailing into the first row. Instead of ball control hitting receivers in stride and getting yards after catch, the QB was going for hard to hit homeruns.

There's been this love-fest with the idea that we got a 4 star transfer that I wonder if fans are actually evaluating the plays or just the final result and placing "blame" there and refusing to consider that the problem could lie with the "superior" recruit. There WILL be drops, but the problem has primarily been pass choice and pass quality. Ely has many strong qualities. Passing isn't one of them IMO.

(11-08-2015 09:52 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 09:23 AM)BDV27 Wrote:  Frustrating that we don't ever seem to get better as season progresses... Ely looked so sharp throwing the ball against ISU early in the year. There were so many dropped passes in that game, I was thinking if only improve in that area we were going to be very tough to beat... Instead, passing accuracy has regressed, secondary has started to give up big plays over the top of defense, and the stone hands of our receivers has continued. All these factors are really difficult to understand since we run the ball so well....

I'm going to go back to it, same things I said early on that others finally jumping on that bandwagon, he was not sharp in that game or early on. Most of those what you call drops were difficult catches because receivers had to jump, reach back or try to pick up low passes thrown through the line, if they made it past the line. It's the drops of quality passes that is the anecdote and I don't see how it can be said otherwise by anyone that won't also put blame on the receiver's coach.

Somewhere along the way during game when a poster was "blaming" receivers I went back and itemized the pass locations in a thread. The problem was the passes. They were behind, off the finger tips of leaping or diving receivers, tipped at the line or sailing into the first row. Instead of ball control hitting receivers in stride and getting yards after catch, the QB was going for hard to hit homeruns.

There's been this love-fest with the idea that we got a 4 star transfer that I wonder if fans are actually evaluating the plays or just the final result and placing "blame" there and refusing to consider that the problem could lie with the "superior" recruit. There WILL be drops, but the problem has primarily been pass choice and pass quality. Ely has many strong qualities. Passing isn't one of them IMO.

Got news for you Ely's quick release and decision making makes the OL better than it it would be with someone else at QB. And far as handling low snaps, Ely's done a good job. You haven't seen the big running lanes between the tackles like season. Since UT is not as effective up the gut,
they try to go wide to open up the inside run game. Teams are jamming the box then play the tendency-immediately play the outside. Play calling needs not to be so predictable. Need a better performance from the OL.

Well, a quick release to an incompletion, interception, poor pass or tipped ball doesn't mean a whole lot. It's something a QB of any leverl could do. Maybe hanging in there a bit would be more effective and the better decision? Risking a sack to give a receiver a bit more time to open or maybe for a running lane to open for a draw?

Other than quickly passing, I wouldn't be clear on which decisions are his and which are the play call. Right now the general consensus has been they're not playing to potential or making smart choices so does the QB position get a pass on that? There have been several delay of game penalties while the count was in the QB's hands. Blame that on the receivers? The O-line?

What better performance are you looking for from a line that hasn't permitted a sack? Or does that again, only go into the QB column for ditching the ball? Or an o-line that has made 4 rbs look good? The snap problems, I recall that mostly just one game. Am I remembering wrong? Kicking has been fairly solid as I recall, so doesn't seem to be a snap problem there. There have been a rash of off-side, usually in critical situations. Same as in previous years, usually come after a check-off at the line, long delay in running the play after the line is set, instead of just running a play. NIU was very good at that, just lining up and running the play.

I don't follow your reasoning at all.

Not really sure what game you were watching or even what credibility you have for your statements. I will just respectively disagree.

Sorry , I read your message wrong

(11-08-2015 10:30 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 09:52 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 09:23 AM)BDV27 Wrote:  Frustrating that we don't ever seem to get better as season progresses... Ely looked so sharp throwing the ball against ISU early in the year. There were so many dropped passes in that game, I was thinking if only improve in that area we were going to be very tough to beat... Instead, passing accuracy has regressed, secondary has started to give up big plays over the top of defense, and the stone hands of our receivers has continued. All these factors are really difficult to understand since we run the ball so well....

I'm going to go back to it, same things I said early on that others finally jumping on that bandwagon, he was not sharp in that game or early on. Most of those what you call drops were difficult catches because receivers had to jump, reach back or try to pick up low passes thrown through the line, if they made it past the line. It's the drops of quality passes that is the anecdote and I don't see how it can be said otherwise by anyone that won't also put blame on the receiver's coach.

Somewhere along the way during game when a poster was "blaming" receivers I went back and itemized the pass locations in a thread. The problem was the passes. They were behind, off the finger tips of leaping or diving receivers, tipped at the line or sailing into the first row. Instead of ball control hitting receivers in stride and getting yards after catch, the QB was going for hard to hit homeruns.

There's been this love-fest with the idea that we got a 4 star transfer that I wonder if fans are actually evaluating the plays or just the final result and placing "blame" there and refusing to consider that the problem could lie with the "superior" recruit. There WILL be drops, but the problem has primarily been pass choice and pass quality. Ely has many strong qualities. Passing isn't one of them IMO.

Got news for you Ely's quick release and decision making makes the OL better than it it would be with someone else at QB. And far as handling low snaps, Ely's done a good job. You haven't seen the big running lanes between the tackles like season. Since UT is not as effective up the gut,
they try to go wide to open up the inside run game. Teams are jamming the box then play the tendency-immediately play the outside. Play calling needs not to be so predictable. Need a better performance from the OL.

Agree about Ely. He has the quickest release of any UT QB I can recall in my time being a Rockets fan. He also makes very quick reads, and from what I have seen almost all his reads have been spot on. Both of those things have helped the OL tremendously as they don't have to hold blocks for very long on passing plays.

Many of the UT QBs in the last 5-10 years have been roundly criticized for taking too long to pick a target, or for locking in on a receiver but not getting the throw away quick enough before the D could read the play.

Granted, his accuracy has not been good in some games, including the NIU game, but that was the first game he got hit really at all. He does need to get some help from his receivers though. Hopefully, he will have learned from that and come out better against CMU.

i think the receivers have improved. it's college football so a couple drops a game is expected, 5-7 is not. against niu i think we had 4 drops. only one was bad, russell dropping what could have been a first down grab in the late drive to clinch the game, leading to the missed long fg. a lot of receivers made tough catches.

ely is who he is. a guy with confidence who can stand in the pocket and make the right pre snap call and run the offense well. he throws it pretty well down the middle, when he misses deep it's usually an overthrow-not an under thrown ball that gets picked-, and he is decent in the short game. he's also a bit inconsistent, especially early in games. against NIU he made some bad throws. he also got more pressure than usual, something to expect the rest of the year as we face better d lines and coaches who have more tape on us and our schemes and tendencies. we'll see how he adapts to the stretch run.

remember bruce's first year. the team started out lousy, improved, got on a roll and then lost a a tough close big mac game in their 5th or 6th mac contest. we sucked it up and won the clutch late season games and the mac title (scooter was the star). let's hope this team uses this loss to learn that thy got to get better.

also, one forgotten thing is the loss of jaylen coleman. he was a beast on kickoff coverage and against the run. we have lost a little of our edge in those 2 areas since his injury and I feel like it has been a big loss.

(11-08-2015 06:48 PM)pono Wrote:  i think the receivers have improved. it's college football so a couple drops a game is expected, 5-7 is not.

and what would you say is the common denominator when that many different receivers are "dropping?"

(11-08-2015 07:18 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 06:48 PM)pono Wrote:  i think the receivers have improved. it's college football so a couple drops a game is expected, 5-7 is not.

and what would you say is the common denominator when that many different receivers are "dropping?"

A lot of times it seems they are not focusing on catching the FB, but thinking about the move to get yards after catch.

I think Thompson is an up and comer. Right now Toledo has 0 go-to-guys. Not saying it is all their fault. Ely was not very accurate at all last game. Russell's confidence appears to be shot. At this point in the season though, where is the game plan? It looked like they were working at establishing the tight end and other receivers like Thompson, and last week it looked like they had scrapped that plan. Hopefully they have it together this week. By they, I mean Candle.

(11-09-2015 03:29 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 07:18 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 06:48 PM)pono Wrote:  i think the receivers have improved. it's college football so a couple drops a game is expected, 5-7 is not.

and what would you say is the common denominator when that many different receivers are "dropping?"

A lot of times it seems they are not focusing on catching the FB, but thinking about the move to get yards after catch.

That has clearly been the case on several. Thompson's drop of a potential game winning TD against ISU is a case in point. Russell has had several of that variety. At times Ely does remind me of a second baseman I used to play with- 100 mph to me at first from thirty feet away. Some of those screens to Jones or RBs are getting there awfully quickly making the catch difficult. But, yeah, it seems to be mostly a focus issue

Ely has a good arm.... he can throw the out, deep ball, reads pretty well, all all a good QB. He can make all the throws... however his mobility is an issue. We will need a great effort from OC to win tomorrow night, some thinking outside the box if you will.

(11-09-2015 10:51 AM)UT! Wrote:  Ely has a good arm.... he can throw the out, deep ball, reads pretty well, all all a good QB. He can make all the throws... however his mobility is an issue. We will need a great effort from OC to win tomorrow night, some thinking outside the box if you will.

... and execution from the Rocket Offense and Defense.

(11-09-2015 06:39 AM)falconplucker Wrote:  I think Thompson is an up and comer. Right now Toledo has 0 go-to-guys. Not saying it is all their fault. Ely was not very accurate at all last game. Russell's confidence appears to be shot. At this point in the season though, where is the game plan? It looked like they were working at establishing the tight end and other receivers like Thompson, and last week it looked like they had scrapped that plan. Hopefully they have it together this week. By they, I mean Candle.

Interesting note that Thompson is on pace to have the 8th best season in UT history in yards per reception at 21.3.

It's been more than 20 years since a receiver had a top 10 season for y/catch, as the most recent was Tyrone Brown in 1993. Also, most of the folks in the top 10 had only 10-15 catches for the season, with the most being Al Baker with 21 in 1969. Thompson already has 23 catches.

I think a lot of the drops is focus. Certainly Russell can snatch the ball with his hands, just isn't consistent in his concentration.

(11-09-2015 10:33 PM)northcoastRocket Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 06:39 AM)falconplucker Wrote:  I think Thompson is an up and comer. Right now Toledo has 0 go-to-guys. Not saying it is all their fault. Ely was not very accurate at all last game. Russell's confidence appears to be shot. At this point in the season though, where is the game plan? It looked like they were working at establishing the tight end and other receivers like Thompson, and last week it looked like they had scrapped that plan. Hopefully they have it together this week. By they, I mean Candle.

Interesting note that Thompson is on pace to have the 8th best season in UT history in yards per reception at 21.3.

It's been more than 20 years since a receiver had a top 10 season for y/catch, as the most recent was Tyrone Brown in 1993. Also, most of the folks in the top 10 had only 10-15 catches for the season, with the most being Al Baker with 21 in 1969. Thompson already has 23 catches.

I don't recall him from last year but he gets a lot of yards after catch. I've been very impressed with his skills and speed.