It's time for Gachette

[NAM37]

I hate to say it, but it boils down to coaching.

Bad coaching put us into a position where we NEVER have enough time outs at the end of a game.

Bad coaching builds an O-scheme based on a great passing game and little running game when we have 2 great RBs and no passing game.

Bad coaching doesn't find us a QB for 4 years during MB.

I love crazy Leavitt, but somethings wrong in Tampa right now...

NAM37

[NAM37]

BINGO!

They gave up on the run too soon.  Andre Hall is USF's best player.  He must touch the ball at least 25 times a game.  The toss sweep and the 2 back set were successful, but they never went back to them in the 2nd half.  Committing to the run won the TCU game, but I guess the lesson didn't stick with Hobbie and Smith.

The first thing out of my mouth Sat was, "As long as Hall touches the ball 30 times tonight, I don't mind if we lose."

It didn't happen....

NAM37

[BullDoug]

SBien, I agree about PJ not making the plays.  USF is QB challenged and that was the difference Saturday nite - Almond vs Julmiste.  You can't have 4 INT's and win vs a Top 35 ball club.  However, Hobbie is a liability too.  Not the main reason the Bulls lost Sat. but he's a contributer.

IMO, Hobbie's offense is gimmicky and is to quick to abandon the run.  If Hobbie knew USM was gonna stack the box vs Hall (anyone w/any type of FB knowledge knew this), why not use Hall as a decoy, oh let's see, every other series.  Decoy would be as in play action pass, option running which PJ can run, or miss direction like Denver did to Tampa on that 3rd down late in the fourth quarter Sunday.

Another thing about the OC & Andre, Andre did get going on that 1st touchdown drive in the third quarter.  I believe he carried the ball on the last 4 plays of the drive.  After that Andre went back to lite duty.  One carry between Hall's TD and USM's last TD.  At 20-10 and over a quarter to play, its not time to abandon the run especially in hot Florida and your team has a "take charge" type runner.

Until USF finds a QB w/a decent arm and a smidgen of mobility, Hall hasta be the man.  There should be no questions about it.  Hobbie, Franks and any other offensive coach should know this.  When watching film, it should be how do we get Hall the ball, what are the best formations vs this week's D and best blocking packages for him to spring free.  And yes everyone CUSA DC & the Pitt DC is gonna put 8 in the box now and dare PJ to beat them.

Unless PJ improves every game, 7-4 is gonna be a tuff road to tow for the Bulls.  They will need 3 wins outa 4 @UAB, @UC, vsMemphis and vsPitt to make a bowl.  I'm penciling in UL as a L and Army & ECU as W's.  Hopefully, the QB will get his head & arm on straight, the DBs will tighten up and one of the DEs will make his presence known during past plays so the Bulls will finally get a trip to a bowl (Mobile or New Orleans preferably).

[smazza]

sbien- your optimsim is comforting

[dabull80]

Well I'm glad to see Bien and I were watching the same game.  USM had 8 in the box the whole night and I don't care who you got in the backfield they weren't going anywhere.  Almond had enough time in the pocket to read the defense and a short story in Sports Illustrated.  There was no pass rush(Loved Kobels sack when he came in unblocked).  USM is a very good defensive team and I don't think we will see anyone this good except for Louisville(maybe).  I like the future for the rest of the season and like our chances at a bowl game.

[bulls96go]

Forget Gachette, PJ or Ronnie Banks.  They're not the big problem.  Neither is a lack of talent.  We have plenty of talent and athleticism.  Our biggest problems are Mike Hobbie and Rod Smith.

Regarding Hobbie:

Southern Miss gives up an average of 169 rushing yards per game (that includes our pathetic 55 yards last night).  They only allow 148 yards passing (also including last night).  Common sense would say establish the run to open up the pass (like we did vs. TCU).  Did we do that?  No, of course not.  We went right back to the same old garbage offense which requires our weaknesses (Young QB and Receivers) to win the game.

What happened? 4 INTS.  USM controlling the ball for most of the game and us playing from behind.

Examples?

1st and goal from the 2 and we run a single back, 3 wide receiver set for THREE PLAYS and lose TWO yards at a point in the game where a TD really puts the pressure on USM.  Result a Field Goal.

Once again we pass downfield on 3rd and 2! And end up punting.

Most times that Andre Hall ran the ball, he was alone in the backfield. Even so, he still was 14 for 56 yards (4.0 yards per carry).

Regarding Rod Smith:

How good a QB coach can he be when the development of both Julmiste and Banks has been slow at best?

Basically we are wasting the talent we are recruiting.

I am sick of seeing our offense look pathetic and our defense getting worn out as the game progresses.  

Get rid of both Hobbie and Smith and Hobbie's gimmick offense too.

MONEY!

[Bullpride08]

I hate to say it, but it boils down to coaching.

Bad coaching put us into a position where we NEVER have enough time outs at the end of a game.

Bad coaching builds an O-scheme based on a great passing game and little running game when we have 2 great RBs and no passing game.

Bad coaching doesn't find us a QB for 4 years during MB.

I love crazy Leavitt, but somethings wrong in Tampa right now...

NAM37

THAT'S HORSE SH**.  I am sorry but its time to start calling guys out about comments.  I have questioned offensive play calling in the past, but there is absolutely no way you can fault Hobbie or Smith the past two years because we don't have the QB.

The fact is unless we go to a 100% option team, which I refuse to do because its a different mind set, and it would destroy recruiting, we can not become a 100% run team.  Hobbie tried to get Hall going, he tried to get Crossley going but USM stacked 8-9 in the box and begged PJ to beat them.  The opportunities were there, PJ made the reads, but he didn't make the throws.

It isn't a case of not giving Hall the ball enough, if you gave it to him 30 times instead of 16 it just means he would have gotten 95 instead of 55 yards, most of it meaningless 2-4 yard pick-ups because USM sold out on the run!  There was absolutely nothing the coaching staff could do other than hope and pray PJ made his passes.  Hell they gave him short stuff and he messed them up, they have him intermediate routes and he missed them, they gave him deep routes and he missed them.  If PJ throws for 50% we win this game.

Hobbies a **** scapegoat.  ARE ALL OF YOU FRICKIN BLIND, WE STARTED THE GAME WITH TWO TIGHTENDS AND IN AN I-FORMATION.  HOW GIMMICKY IS THAT?  WE TRIED TO GET THE RUNNING GAME GOING BUT USM STACKED 9 IN THE BOX....ITS CALLED SIMPLE MATHEMATICS AND IF SOME LEARNED A LITTLE BIT THEY'D UNDERSTAND ITS REAL HARD TO RUN WHEN WE'VE GOT 7 GUYS TRYING TO BLOCK 9!!!!!!!

Nope, Hobbie isn't the greatest OC around, but he deserved zero blame Saturday Night.  In fact the only bad call, or shall I say questionable call he made all night was, on 2nd and goal from the 4, after the muffed punt, he was running PJ on a sprint option to the short-side of the field.  USM snuffed it out quickly.  It's hard to fault him too much because if PJ hits a wide ass open Lipp on 3rd down we score a TD!!!!  There's not gimmick in that, its called hitting wide open receivers.   In our offense we must make some passes to win.  We'll never be an option team and those are the only teams than can get away with running the ball 75-85% of the plays.

Players are not playing plays on either side of the ball this year.  Until they start stepping up and doing what they're told no coach can be blamed!

[Bullpride08]

sbien- your optimsim is comforting

Steve the optimism is for the future- 2005 and beyond talent wise.  The fact still remains players must execute and make plays.  Saturday Night we had more athleticism on the field than USM but players didn't step up and make plays!

You can have all the talent in the world but if players don't make plays and coaching staffs don't respond properly then there is a problem.  I see progress on our team because they are not afraid to shuttle in players to find the right players willing to make a contribution.  I would be worried if Leavitt just stuck with starters but when I see guys like Royals getting benched, Devon Davis for McCollough, Balloon for St. Louis, Drametrice Smith for Verpaele, Gipson for Williams....conversely on the offensive side you see Hall ahead of Crossley, Garris and Chambers ahead of upperclassmen....

Those things show me promise because the staff is willing to put the best men in, or work to find the right combinations.  It will force players to make plays and make themselves better players- but it will take time!

[bulls96go]

s.bien the central point.

do you think hobbie will lead us to BE/ D1a dominance?

i bullieve CJL can do this i bullive the defensive staff is up to the task, but many have real questions about the OC and QB coaches

[beastiebull]

The OC is not the reason we lost Sat.  He actually mixed it up pretty well. Our players, besides Hall and Bain, have not stepped up.  Our O rarely comes out to make that big play to punch the other team in the mouth early.  Our secondary rarely makes that open field tackle to reduce YAC.  Our LB's rarely step up and turn that 4 yard run into a 2 yard run.  Combine this with pathetic QB play and pathetic discipline and you get what we have.  A 2-2 team who IS NOT going to a bowl this year.