OPTIMISM/COOLER HEADS NEEDED

[lotsofbull99]

The sky is falling, lets drop football and save money!

[NAM37]

scbull-i knew you would come around

we would have been off letting lou g play 3 games ago

At this point I don't see how we have anything to lose by playing Lou.

If he DOESN'T I think we can assume that either A) The OC is a moron or G is VERY bad.

NAM37

[Bullpride08]

We have a ton to lose since Lou doesn't even know the **** offense yet- although that maybe a good thing. :-[

On a serious note, and let's not get onto tangents about QB's.  There is alot of talent, and potential on this team.  

I think Bull96go summed it up best about the staff.  He has zero problem with defense because after all the losses they will find the answers, the problem is on offense.

This team has the potential, and we'll get where we need to be.  I do agree that at a minimum Rod Smith needs to be searching for a job in December.  Two QB's with good skills, and talent, and yet after 4 and three years in the program respectively I haven't seen either Banks or Julmiste make one modicum of improvement, in fact quite the opposite both their games appear to have deteriorated.  A good QB coach should be able to detect throwing hitches, tendencies, and mental fatigue in his QB's.  If not then he's not a good QB coach.  I am sorry but with some just decent QB play this team should be 4-2!

Next year we'll have Johnny Jones, Time Jones, to compliment a maturing defense.  Things will steadily improve on that side of the ball, in fact I saw quite a bit of improvement on that side of the ball in the UL game-  the defense actually looked better in the UL then they did all year against 1-A opponents.  The tackling was better, the technique was better, but the opponent was that much better AND the offense was so horrific that the defense was just continually forced to face one of the top 5 offenses in the entire nation!  

Defense will improve and dominate again soon, now the question is whether the offense can get to that level.  We'll never be great if our offense can't step up to the defense's level.  Unfortunately, as 96 said, we've seen too much inconsistency on that side of the ball.  It's probably time to show Hobbie the door as well, definitely keep Franks (he's done absolute wonders with the way Crossley's improved his technique and running, and how he's got Hall on board so quickly is also amazing), and Dawsey (I know the drops are glaring, but our WR's are finally running good patterns, and actually blocking down field when Pajic was coach they looked like all the WR's were playing a sand lot flag game).

A lot of potential we just need to harnass it properly.

[Apis Bull]

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I realize that now is not the time to turn it over to Gachette.  Mathematically, we still have a shot at a bowl, and if we started Gachette now, it would be signal that the coaches have given up on the season.

[BullDoug]

In regards to Dawsey's coaching, the WRs gotta start catching.  Willing to give him a yr.  Johnny Peyton needs to and should be a superstar in '05-'07.

One thing about the OC, firing him immediately after the season would make perfect sense considering that a new system will put all the QBs at ground zero.  The real cream of the crop will rise to the Top (Julmiste or Denson) in th spring.  True freshmen will not be far behind in the learning process in the fall to steal the QB job if they are the real deal (Grothe or Hill).

Defensively, I agree w/Sbien.  The D is Jones-ing.  Johnny & Tim will go a long way to bringing this D back to respectibility.  It does sound like the LBs really need to mature for them to be world beaters again though (per the Trib today).  If you think about it the D has had two good LBs the previous three yrs (Williams/Mitchel, Mitchel/Jones, & Jones/Nicholas).

[Bullpride08]

In regards to Dawsey's coaching, the WRs gotta start catching.  Willing to give him a yr.  Johnny Peyton needs to and should be a superstar in '05-'07.

One thing about the OC, firing him immediately after the season would make perfect sense considering that a new system will put all the QBs at ground zero.  The real cream of the crop will rise to the Top (Julmiste or Denson) in th spring.  True freshmen will not be far behind in the learning process in the fall to steal the QB job if they are the real deal (Grothe or Hill).

Defensively, I agree w/Sbien.  The D is Jones-ing.  Johnny & Tim will go a long way to bringing this D back to respectibility.  It does sound like the LBs really need to mature for them to be world beaters again though (per the Trib today).  If you think about it the D has had two good LBs the previous three yrs (Williams/Mitchel, Mitchel/Jones, & Jones/Nicholas).

Bulldoug,

Listen, I am going to fight you or anyone on any turn when it comes to Dawsey.  Those drops in the UL game were primarily centered around Bain, and frankly last year we had drop problems as bad or worse then this year.  For those that actually watch the WR's, seriously watch their play, they can tell that suddenly for the first time in forever, well since Pajic has had full reign, these WR's are breaking off the line, causing separation, running crisper routes, and most of all their down field blocking is exceptional.

The drops will be corrected, and part of it is a problem with such a major inconsistency at QB that also leads to tendency and uncertainty at WR- these guys don't know when, or if, or at what angle a pass is going to come to them at.  However, once the QB position gets rectified, and Dawsey gets guys on the field that will catch the ball you'll see things take off rather quickly.  The route running has been just superb- at least compared to anything ever experienced at USF before- the past few years looked like a bunch of freelanced,  unchoreographed crap.  Also, we never blocked worth a darn, and our receivers timing usually sucked because they couldn't learn proper technique to escape DB hand checking.

Dawsey has made this WR'ing crew into a true 1-A bunch.  There's still a ton of work to be done, but with guys like Chambers, Peyton, Edwards, Garris, and Green the nucleus is there to take this group to unimaginable levels.

[BullDoug]

Think you miss-understood me.  Everything Dawsey has done has been good but WRs gotta catch.  If the "dropsey" virus is not cleared up by the end of 2005 then ya gotta go in another direction IMO.  This should be his No. 1 priority and it probably is.  He even mentioned it in the preseason camp which is a sign of a coach that recognizes his players issues.   I also agree, to date, u r correct on the other WR stuff.  He's not nor has he ever been on my radar as a "get rid of ASAP" to improve this team.  

[Bullpride08]

Think you miss-understood me.  Everything Dawsey has done has been good but WRs gotta catch.  If the "dropsey" virus is not cleared up by the end of 2005 then ya gotta go in another direction IMO.  This should be his No. 1 priority and it probably is.  He even mentioned it in the preseason camp which is a sign of a coach that recognizes his players issues.   I also agree, to date, u r correct on the other WR stuff.  He's not nor has he ever been on my radar as a "get rid of ASAP" to improve this team.  

I get ya.  If Dawsey's WR corp could get a good QB, and QB coach we would see a ton more big plays.  I've probably counted at least a half dozen times where PJ just absolutely miss fired on a wide open WR streaking across the middle on a crossing pattern- twice against UL- those WR's get their hands on those balls and make the catch and they run a LONG WAY!

[Jim Johnson]

Think you miss-understood me.  Everything Dawsey has done has been good but WRs gotta catch.  If the "dropsey" virus is not cleared up by the end of 2005 then ya gotta go in another direction IMO.  This should be his No. 1 priority and it probably is.  He even mentioned it in the preseason camp which is a sign of a coach that recognizes his players issues.   I also agree, to date, u r correct on the other WR stuff.  He's not nor has he ever been on my radar as a "get rid of ASAP" to improve this team.  

I think most of the dropped passes are because of the inaccuracy of PJ.

For example, in the UofL game - MH called a WR screen - and it looked like it was set up well.  PJ took the snap from the shotgun, took one step, and fired towards Chambers.  Chambers was not moving - he stood at the snap waiting for the throw.  PJ gunned the ball about an arm's length away from Chambers -- which would have worked had Chamber's actually been running.  Thus, Chambers "dropped" the pass - even though it was not his fault.  If a QB is going to put some pep on the ball, it needs to be an accurate pass.

Also during the UofL game Bain tipped one into the air that was intercepted.  The replay showed that the ball was behind and above Bain, who tried to spin around and catch it.  Unfortuantely, although Bain was wide open, he was two steps in front of the throw - which was also at a high rate of speed.  Thus, Bain tipped it and the LB intercepted it.

I would say that the majority of dropped passes are similar to these -- inaccurate passes that the WR's try desperately to catch, only to watch drop them or tip them.

[Bullpride08]

I think most of the dropped passes are because of the inaccuracy of PJ.

For example, in the UofL game - MH called a WR screen - and it looked like it was set up well.  PJ took the snap from the shotgun, took one step, and fired towards Chambers.  Chambers was not moving - he stood at the snap waiting for the throw.  PJ gunned the ball about an arm's length away from Chambers -- which would have worked had Chamber's actually been running.  Thus, Chambers "dropped" the pass - even though it was not his fault.  If a QB is going to put some pep on the ball, it needs to be an accurate pass.

Also during the UofL game Bain tipped one into the air that was intercepted.  The replay showed that the ball was behind and above Bain, who tried to spin around and catch it.  Unfortuantely, although Bain was wide open, he was two steps in front of the throw - which was also at a high rate of speed.  Thus, Bain tipped it and the LB intercepted it.

I would say that the majority of dropped passes are similar to these -- inaccurate passes that the WR's try desperately to catch, only to watch drop them or tip them.

Jim,

That's been my point about this season.  They say football is a game of inches, and for USF those inches have seemed like miles.  USF has been just a passing game away from having a good team.

Granted our defense still has a lot of work ahead of it, however this side of the ball would have been greatly enhanced if our offense could have had any consistency.  A young defense, that's smallish like ours needed opportunities to rest and learn.

Our offense has been off primarily in the passing game, and much of it has been by a few inches, but those inches have made WR's look bad, been the cause of about six INT's, and generally sputtered the offense.

Last Friday, I witnessed WR's running crossing routes, wide open, PJ saw them, but he was continually off by just a little, even on easy throws.  You cited the Chambers one, Chambers is a young stud WR, this kid could end up being the best of the three -Peyton, and Edwards.  Great speed, great hands, but he should have been tossed a swing pass.  PJ threw a dart.   How many times were the guys wide open, PJ hits half of those throws, or 55% of the ones he missed (he could have because the players were open), and suddenly the offense starts to move.  The defense drops 9 out of the box then suddenly Hall goes OFF!

It's just a few inches, but those few inches effect the entire team.