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15 good minutes out of 60...

L

LDopaPDX

Active member
We simply can't beat the top teams left on our schedule playing like we did today. Yes, a road win over UNC is still a road win in the Big Sky, but today's effort just wasn't very good at all.

Defensively, we missed a lot of tackles at the first point of contact--- this is a problem we really haven't had all season thus far. Offensively, we just don't have any cohesion and little coherent philosophy of what we want to do.

The very first drive we start with two runs of more than 10 yards and set up a 2nd and 2 (one 13 yard gain came after a 5 yard penalty). so what do we do? Throw two long incompletions and punt, and let our opponent jump to a TD lead.

The offense we ran on our final two drives was brilliant, lot of runs mixed with underneath throws for high completion rate. Why do we wait until the game is on the line to get with this gameplan? Clearly this is the one we turn to when we need a score--- why not run it all day long? Enough of this *stretch the field* on the outside crap that yileds nothing but incompletions and turnovers....

Again, this game still eaves us with a msytery... we are very good when we play well, but we never seem to compete hard for the length of a game. If we play all 60 minutes today like we did the last 5, we probably win 48-14.
 
LDopaPDX said:
We simply can't beat the top teams left on our schedule playing like we did today. Yes, a road win over UNC is still a road win in the Big Sky, but today's effort just wasn't very good at all.

Defensively, we missed a lot of tackles at the first point of contact--- this is a problem we really haven't had all season thus far. Offensively, we just don't have any cohesion and little coherent philosophy of what we want to do.

The very first drive we start with two runs of more than 10 yards and set up a 2nd and 2 (one 13 yard gain came after a 5 yard penalty). so what do we do? Throw two long incompletions and punt, and let our opponent jump to a TD lead.

The offense we ran on our final two drives was brilliant, lot of runs mixed with underneath throws for high completion rate. Why do we wait until the game is on the line to get with this gameplan? Clearly this is the one we turn to when we need a score--- why not run it all day long? Enough of this *stretch the field* on the outside crap that yileds nothing but incompletions and turnovers....

Again, this game still eaves us with a msytery... we are very good when we play well, but we never seem to compete hard for the length of a game. If we play all 60 minutes today like we did the last 5, we probably win 48-14.
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Spot on Dopa!! We keep waiting for this team to put it "ALL" together and smoke someone but it's becoming evident that at THIS point in time we are not able to play 4 quarters of football on the SAME day !!!! Agreed the possession passing game mixed with the running game has been there all year and has proven itself! WHY we go out and blow them off the ball like you say, then turn around an try to stretch the field, even on a 3rd and 2 is unexplainable! I have heard it said that those aren't plays called but Mitchell's choice when he thinks he 's got single coverage, if thats the case the Baldwin needs to get in his face and have him MANAGE the game rather than change the game plan !! Mitchell had an ok game but still seemed to be out of synch with some of the routes ran. For reasons unknown to all, I can't figure out why we don't stay with what's working and drill somebody rather than sputter our way to a "W". Maybe that's just the way it's gonna be this year but it sure would be nice to relax in the fourth quarter!! Maybe the Sac ST game, at home on the rug this team will show it's true colors and put it all together ! 4 and 1 at this point of the season ain't bad but mercy we need to clean it up !!! GOEAGS!
 
The short passing game we had on the second to last TD drive was brilliant. Mitchell absolutely picked them apart.........I agree, why don't we do some more of that, I don't understand why we have to try to stretch the field on short down and distance plays.

But yeah, we shoulda lost that one, folks. But good teams find ways to win games, and that's what we did. Having TJ out there didn't hurt, either. ;)
 
I stayed off the board last week in hopes that what everyone else was saying would come to fruition - and that is that BLM seemed to FINALLY be gettin it down and we should run the table on th UNC contest. But how many balls were thrown into the ground yesterday? I swear, on tv, he looks AFRAID of getting hit. He's mostly painful to watch. His seam routes and short 10/15 yard passes are really what work best for him and our offense - couple that with Taiwan being in the game and healthy. I think everyone (but the defense), breathed a sigh of relief when Hoffman ran that one back yesterday to start us off.

I think we try those long passes to appease BLM or perhaps Baldwin is just wishing on a shooting star that it's FINALLY going to happen and he's going to get a Nichols or Meyer out of BLM. Heck, it ain't gonna happen at this point. If you recall, all that was talked about all spring and summer was how much of a "gunslinger" he is. His arm strength, his experience in games. I tell you what - if he went down here like he did at SMU, I think we'd find we have just as capable, if not better QB - who perhaps actually knows the plays, waiting to get in on the sidelines.

Has anyone else noticed the change on the sidelines with regards to plays called in? Alex Smart signaled them in to Nichols, last year Minnerly did the same. This year we have 3 QB's on the sidelines and NO ONE signals plays into BLM. Not one of them is signaling plays. Why the change up? And if it's because BLM needs to be TOLD exactly what the play is, because he can't understand or learn the signals - that baffles me. He's had the playbooks and film since last January. Or and this might be the scarier situation - is it because our backups don't know the signals/plays? How detrimental is that if BLM gets hurt? Good gravy.

The D looked asleep the first two series of the game. Missed tackles for long yards, just didn't appear to be the defense we've become accustomed to for nearly the entire season. I gotta say though, they gotta be getting mentally drained knowing that game in and game out, they have to keep our team in the games. But mostly, kudos to them. J.C. Sherritt is a beast and never seems to have a bad game.

I don't think I can say at this point that any game is a gimme, and we just have to hope Renard, MJ, and our defense stay healthy. Kauffman is a beast and appears to be BLM's favorite target because he is the only 6'6 guy whose arms can catch those long balls - so he must stay healthy. Would be nice if we could utilize more of our offense than just TJ, Kauff and an occasional ball to Edwards. Seems that in the playoffs, the good teams could pick us apart pretty easily. And... playoffs? Sure we make them, but we won't go far because of our decision making on play calling or BLM's inability to see the field. The defense can't win every game for us. Or can they?
 
Vitto calls in the plays at away games and Burgett on some of the home games. The backups know the playbook.

The bottom line once again is this.. YOU CAN"T CONSISTANTLY HAVE TURNOVERS. You will never win a playoff game. Hopefully, the coaches are going to figure something out. They are fortunate for the few that have kept them above water. The defense is causing turnovers and saving the games.
 
Freebird -

Actually I do believe you to be correct in that the backups know the playbook. I was just trying to be P.C.

It struck me early on in the season that no one was calling in plays - and if they are now, they aren't doing it every single play like Smart did/Minnerly did these past years. So what's changed that? What do you think has changed that?
 
Sitting on a hill at 4000 feet waitin' for some deer to walk by. Pretty slow out here but my Blackberry has a signal and it's now warm enough to take off my gloves!

Didn't get to see the game for obvious reasons but by reading these posts iit seems we must have lost.

Geez folks! We're in sole possession of first place and all you continually do is bitch and moan, week in, week out. Football isn't supposed to be an easy game. The other team is supposed to make it hard on you.

You sound like a bunch of old men with nothing to do but complain...

Have a beer and enjoy the good parts. That's what Ima gonna do when I get off this cold-ass hill!
 
I agree with, if he (BLM) went down here like he did at SMU, I think we'd find we have just as capable backups. That is a very good thing.

However, we are entering week 8 of the season. This is BLM's team. I haven't noticed a difference in how the plays get sent into the game. I don't doubt your observations, I just hadn't noticed. Whatever mechanism works best for BLM, works for me.

Go Eags!

The playoffs start this week.
 
The two best drives of the season were the game winners yesterday and against the Griz.

Regardless of who's playing QB, Beau's offense seems to do better the tempo is increased. Not just a no-huddle, but a true "hurry up".

BTW, the short passing game can be used to set up both the run and the long ball.
 
kalm said:
The two best drives of the season were the game winners yesterday and against the Griz.
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Both of which were expertly managed by Mitchell. With all the criticism he gets on here, some people seem to forget this fact.
 
EWURanger said:
kalm said:
The two best drives of the season were the game winners yesterday and against the Griz.
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Both of which were expertly managed by Mitchell. With all the criticism he gets on here, some people seem to forget this fact.
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Kinda CRAZY that we can sit here and armchair the game when in reality we are in first place and in the home stretch ! my how expectations have changed ! To be the MAN you gotta BEAT the MAN !!! GOEAGS!
 
The thing is, we won't win the conference and possibly even miss the playoffs if we play like we did yesterday. We're probably only capable of beating one of the last 4 teams on our schedule with yesterday's effort.

Some people think any effort is acceptable so long as it results in wins... I don't agree. We made so many mistakes against UNC and NAU that we almost choked our way to a loss. That isn't playing like champions. We had a LOT more talent than either of those two teams and should have won going away. Great teams play great, end of story.
 
LDopaPDX said:
The thing is, we won't win the conference and possibly even miss the playoffs if we play like we did yesterday. We're probably only capable of beating one of the last 4 teams on our schedule with yesterday's effort.

Some people think any effort is acceptable so long as it results in wins... I don't agree. We made so many mistakes against UNC and NAU that we almost choked our way to a loss. That isn't playing like champions. We had a LOT more talent than either of those two teams and should have won going away. Great teams play great, end of story.
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SO TRUE DOPA!!! however, this "MAY" be that team that only give gives enough to "WIN" and doesn't yet know how to put anybody away !! One thing for sure, We've been enough tight games that when push comes to shove, we still get er done !! Yep, it drives me CRAZY,but IT IS WHAT IT IS!!! I can only imagine what could happen "IF" we put 4 quarters together in the same game, Hope that happens this weekend !! GOEAGS!!!
 
LDopaPDX said:
Some people think any effort is acceptable so long as it results in wins... I don't agree. We made so many mistakes against UNC and NAU that we almost choked our way to a loss. That isn't playing like champions. We had a LOT more talent than either of those two teams and should have won going away. Great teams play great, end of story.
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I agree 100% the mistakes and turnovers are not isn't acceptable so long as it results in a win. You need consistancy to win a championship. The talent is there. We will only go so far playing like this.
 
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