It's not the coach

[NVGator]

This is another play that some might characterize as a bad play call.

This play has five wide receivers and an empty back field. Most of the wide receivers run out of the frame so you can't see it, but there are receivers open downfield. The four receivers running downfield pull the defense with them and Powell is left all alone on a short route. There is literally no one anywhere near Powell. The offensive line does a good job of protecting the pocket. Appleby has a lot of time to find a receiver and deliver the ball. Appleby holds the ball way too long and gets happy feet. The result is a fumble that leads to points for FSU.

The play was drawn up well and it worked at getting a speedy receiver open in space. That play probably would have picked up a good chunk of yardage if the quarterback sees the open receiver and completes the pass. Once again, it wasn't poor play calling, it was poor execution.

When Mac gets a QB this offense will definitely put up points.

Good stuff with most of these but I think this is a poor example of holding onto the ball too long. As you said, they were all running deep routes, which take time, and just as he was about to set and throw, it was too late.

On another note, where are all the gifs of the receivers dropping g the balls that were thrown well and should have been caught?

 

[gatorkev85]

Like previous poster have said before it's on the coach to ensure that the players execute the plays properly and if they can't he put someone in that can. I think all the penalties is a good indicator that it's coaching that's the problem. Poor execution before the snap and during the play is more on a coach than a player.

Kudos to OP for all the work he put in. He made some great points as well.

 

[oxking]

I'll bite, let's just say everything you just posted is 100% correct.

Do you think this staff is going to fix all this crap and have they put a kid on the roster that will make all those throws? Are they fixing the talent and depth issue by recruiting good players?

I have no faith in this staffs ability to develop and none in their ability to bring in quality talent. NONE.

Really. Let's compare this staff to SOL. He would have at least gone through every QB on the squad, hoping to find one that could play the game. All we've seen Mac do is start both Clarabells and stick with them. Appleby is not only skittish. He can't see the field and even when he does he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a Howitzer. I'll say it again. When Luke went down he should have gone with a freshman.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

One of the coaching gurus, i forget who at the moment, used to say if a player is messing up, replace the player, if a whole position group is messing up, replace the coach.

 

[diehardg8r]

I agree with the execution of plays totally but I would also be willing to bet that you'll find that on every team that is struggling offensively and not winning. I am sure UGA fans could break down their O the same way or that LSU has seen this as well. The problem is that it's been going on for freaking 6 years now. No QB and no offensive execution for 6 years ain't just all on the kids, it's a lack of accountability somewhere in this system and it's a sign of POOR coaching when one team is out executing another, every fycking game and they come out with the same lame **** every week. Nuss should have been in the box upstairs along time ago so he could witness this **** first hand. Scarlett should have been benched in the second half for all the fking up he was doing. BTW, what happened to the Ole Miss D coord? Yeah...........Nuss has to go.

 

[Floridagator]

I have heard a lot of people criticize the offensive play calling. However, I think that maybe some people simply look at a play that didn't work and think it was a bad play call.

If a pass play is called and the receiver is open but the QB doesn't get him the ball, is that a bad play call?
There's a difference between poor play calling and poor execution.

I've made a few gifs to help point out the difference.

For example, this is a pass play from the first drive of the FSU game.

The Gators line up in a tight formation with two tight ends both on the left side of the line. Goolsby runs a quick route across the middle and takes a linebacker with him. Lewis runs straight downfield and takes the safety with him. Right guard Fred Johnson gets beaten badly and the FSU rush gets to Appleby pretty quickly. Somehow Appleby manages to get off a perfect pass and hits Perine in stride. The linebacker has to come back across the field to push Perine out of bounds after a big gain.

That was a beautifully drawn up play and it was executed perfectly. The misdirection made FSU think run, the routes cleared out room for Perine, the blocks held just long enough and the QB delivered a perfect pass.

Everyone can agree that was a great play call.

Then we have a play that didn't work.

Here's the same play from a different angle

This is the 4th down play that failed to get a TD. Goolsby lines up on the line of scrimmage split out on the right side. The two receivers lined up behind him both run short routes and pull the defense up towards the line of scrimmage. This gives Goolsby a one on one matchup. Goolsby gets by the defender and is open if the ball is thrown in front of him. However, Scarlett's assignment was to block in pass protection. He gives up on his assignment too soon and runs out as a receiver. Scarlett never notices the blitzing DB. Appleby has to get rid of the ball under pressure and throws a bad pass.

If Scarlett carries out his assignment and blocks the blitzing DB then that play is a touchdown and a great play call. However, Scarlett missing his assignment doesn't make it a bad play call. It was just poorly executed.

That's what happens when you are forced to play freshmen and sophomores. They sometimes miss assignments due to lack of experience. Earlier in the season lots of people were griping that we should be playing Scarlett more. This is exactly why the coaches were giving the other guys opportunities. Scarlett has not been a good pass blocker. I'm sure watching this play in the film room will help him grow and mature as a player, but it comes at the expense of a TD in the FSU game. That is the price of youth and inexperience.

Don't you bring reason around here

 

[Tunaboat]

We're at the end of the year. It's on the coaches at this point, chronic dumb mistakes, missed blocks, out-of-position players should have been worked out of this team on the practice field by now. I understand injuries making subs play, but most of that has been on the D side and they have produced more with backups than the entire O has all year. We are 114th in the nation, almost at the dead bottom nationally. We can look at film and rationalize all we want. It's the job of the coaches to do the same thing, look at film and work the plays to perfection on the practice field. Nearly every team in the country has a better offense than us. That is on the coaches.

 

[Floridagator]

All that is true and thanks for putting in the work to post it all. It's good to see the plays like that.

The problem is execution is perfected in practice. Practice which is led by our coaches and they are paid big bucks because they are supposedly better at preparing our guys to win than everybody else.

In our case we have very poor execution all over the field on just about every play which leads you to believe that our coaches are doing something wrong because lots of teams are able to execute at a higher level than us.

So you can blames the players but it's the coaches that are supposed to be preparing them to be successful and they're not. To be able to execute the plays properly. Which they don't.

Bottom line is we have some bad coaches.

This is not Little League football you're only going to get so much juice out of these oranges. My main concern with this staff is recruiting. We need some balls to The wall on fire recruiters. we get the guys in here we win it all. Nick Sabin sucks donkey balls without five stars.

 

[oxrageous]

Gator2222 has been posting over on the GSMB all these years. I've been trying to get him over here for a while. Glad he finally made it.

2222, you'll find there's actual discussion over here, not a vacant wasteland with Alvin Dork yapping at your feet.

 

[gingerlover]

on the first play i'm trying to figure out why they had powell coming back to the middle instead of going out to the flat toward the pileon. not that it would have mattered much.

 

[Gatorbait25]

Nice gifs and explanation. With regard to the opening drive once we got the to 7 the whole sequence of play calling was poor. 1st and goal we run Perine up the middle. Hasn't worked all year against any decent team. 2nd and goal we run a two yard route with the TE. This is probably the worst call of the sequence. Mainly because 3rd and goal from the 5 does you no good. Then on 3rd down we run a five yard route with BP. Why not have him run the same route into the end zone. All three calls were baffling. Scarlet is probably our best red zone player this season, and he didn't get a single touch in a four play sequence inside the opponents 10 yard line. There is no defending that.

 

[EyeDocGator]

I think this is a good analysis. However, if the play calling is great but not being executed because of inexperienced or untalented personnel, we need to change the play book and call plays our limited team can execute effectively.

 

[Floridagator]

I would like to add the adage,"It's not about the Xs and Os but the Jimmy's and Joes." Percy Tebow, Cunningham Nelson Murphy the list goes on

 

[Since65]

This is great analysis, especially with the video illustrations. I wouldn't necessarily place all the blame only on player execution of what was called.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Being ranked in the lower 100's nationally qualifies for desperation on the offensive side.

Why not send Nussmeier upstairs to the booth and have McElwain call the plays? Could that be worse than what is currently happening?

 

[Gatorbait25]

As terrible as last Saturday evening was for our guys it usually comes down to 4 to 5 plays.
Off the top of my head: Appleby early Q1 fumble (-7) , tabor dropped INT in end zone (-3) ,
Callaway drop on the 1 (-4 since we got a FG) , Not kicking a FG on opening drive (-3). That is 17
-21 points right there depending on how you look at our first drive. On the road you have to make those
plays to give yourself a chance.

 

[MidwestChomp]

Watch the 4th down play again. If Powell runs a route to the pylon it's a TD. He had so much space. Also, the first drive play calling is usually rather good. It's what happens when the defense makes adjustments. This staff can't adjust to the adjustments.

 

[T REX]

I think John McKay said it best when asked...“What do you think of your team’s execution coach?” To which McKay replied, “I’m in favor of it.”

 

[LighthouseGator]

Great post OP. And yet, Mac himself criticized the play calling as too predictable. Some of us are willing to acknowledge that the scheme appears to work when called and executed properly. So, in that sense, you're right, it's not the coach. But, as others have pointed out, don't call plays that rely on Scarlett to block the blitzing LB'r or corner. We've known he can't yet still go to it. I get you call the roll outs because you have no faith in your o-line's pass pro, but those don't work either and you know it so why run a pass-heavy or even 50/50 run-pass split against a team who's number one strength is sacking the qb? The coaches should have recognized that FSU's run defense has been bad all year and fed Scarlett over and over to wear down FSU's defense. Why change what worked so well against LSU? And why not run more exotic end-arounds/reverses to Callaway or some other gadgets if you can't run a traditional drop-back pitch and catch with the Oline. I think that's what Mac himself questioned vis-a-vis the play calling.

To your larger point which really hasn't been addressed - that these mistakes are expected and correctable due to the youth and inexperience and that better execution lies ahead - I tend to agree and think we will see an improved offense next year. However, the coaches shouldn't be absolved of their failure to put the players in positions to succeed by formulating a sensible game plan, calling plays with the personnel in mind, and staying creative with play calling beyond the scripted plays.

 

[cover2]

Thanks 2222. Your gifs give some good looks at the plays, the designs, and what they hope to accomplish. For the record, several have noticed and commented both this year and last how there are some good play designs that result in open receivers and potential running lanes, but the following quotes pretty much spell it out as to why we suffer...

...execution is shcitty.

There is blame to go around. But I will say the "execution" talk tends to surround programs whose coaches aren't getting it done.

At some point, sooner than later, the guy in charge has got to say that we've got to find a way to execute plays far more consistently than we've been doing and, as a staff, we can't get it done, then we either need to re-tool the adults or get a heckuva lot better at recruiting and developing the guys to make this stuff work.

You mention Scarlett and his problems in pass pro. This has been an issue since last season I believe. The guy runs like a thoroughbred and is pretty strong, so you'd think the pass blocking would be fairly easy. If it is an issue of him either being too dense to pick it up or above that duty to put forth the required effort, then that is a coaching issue. There should have been some sort of correction way before now. Doing or allowing the same thing to happen over and over and expecting a different result is ridiculous at best.

Of the plays you sequenced, the one that I would say that was maybe not the best designed and/or the Nole$ had a great call on was the 4th and goal pass that failed. F$U had an outside blitz that left the CB to the trips squatting while the two inside guys twisted, leaving #20 (I think) an open path to Appleby. Callaway runs the shallow drag and Goolsby gets to the back of the end zone and crosses. Powell stems outside and then hooks up at the LOS. F$U gambled (and won) that their blitz would get to the QB before the primary receiver could get open. Scarlett is set up opposite the blitz and it would have been somewhat improbable for him to get across the formation in time to pick it up, even if he was good in pass pro. I would think the missing or misplaced component on this play was a quick release to the bench by Powell. Truthfully, I've got to go back to the first and goal and wonder why we don't run Scarlett and then why we don't kick the FG and put something on the board. It's easy to second-guess sitting here a couple of days removed, but I think F$U had us scouted pretty good and knew that they could get pressure on Appleby pretty much whenever they wanted.

The Scarlett run that #18 blew up was likely a missed or poorly executed blocking assignment. #18 is unblocked and you had Ivey at LG blocking down and the OT with a base on the DE. That leaves the two TE's (I believe) after a receiver moves up to the play side DB. With Goolsby and Lewis in the blocking scheme, I'm thinking one of them was to chip and seal #18 off of a double team with the OT. It wasn't a zone scheme or we'd have had the left side stepping with the play. No problem with the blocking scheme if I'm reading it correctly, but failure to seal the ILB was a critical error. If it was suppposed to be a zone scheme, then we may as well cancel Christmas!

The pass to Powell, as you said, should have moved the sticks. It was a good play and call. No reason for the pass to be thrown at his feet even with the QB rolling left and throwing across his body a bit. I have to be reminded of John McKay during his stint with the Bucs. Many will recall he was asked by a reporter after a game what he thought about his team's execution. McKay responded "I'm all for it!" History repeats itself I guess, but it's past time for some improvements to show IMHO.

 

[T REX]

. I have to be reminded of John McKay during his stint with the Bucs. Many will recall he was asked by a reporter after a game what he thought about his team's execution. McKay responded "I'm all for it!" History repeats itself I guess, but it's past time for some improvements to show IMHO.

See two posts above you

I think John McKay said it best when asked...“What do you think of your team’s execution coach?” To which McKay replied, “I’m in favor of it.”