Does The Stitt Offense Handicap UM Football? b

[Stop_HammerTime69]

You make it sound like the sky is falling and the Griz finished dead last with an 0-11 record.

I don't "make it sound" like anything. Those are newspaper quotes.

The fact is, we had a 3-5 conference record this most recent year; arguably the worst year since Larry Donovan, and one of those losses was to a team that only won two games all season, and they won at Missoula. How does that "sound" to you?

You're pulling up examples of typical "coachspeak" to make him sound like an idiot and a hypocrite. Every coach goes into the season saying optimistic things, and when they've only been working with their players the last 8 months, its easy to see why. EVERY coach says things like that. Even David Beaty at Kansas says stuff like that. So what do you want Stitt to say to the press? "Oh, yeah, I can look into the future and see this year will be disappointing. Hurr Durr, The offense I successfully ran for 15+ seasons had one bad year."

And I never said 2016 was a good season. It was absolutely frustrating. I never like losing to the cats. But you are trying to say, after two years, that the typical stepback that EVERY program experiences under a new coach (and something Montana, somehow avoided for two new coaches, which is absolutely miraculous) is evidence that Montana is doomed to suck under Stitt. It's been two seasons. Two. You can't say something's a trend with only two data points. One could very well be a fluke. And the smart and realistic money is on 2016 being a fluke.

 

[Copper Griz]

You make it sound like the sky is falling and the Griz finished dead last with an 0-11 record.

I don't "make it sound" like anything. Those are newspaper quotes.

The fact is, we had a 3-5 conference record this most recent year; arguably the worst year since Larry Donovan, and one of those losses was to a team that only won two games all season, and they won at Missoula. How does that "sound" to you?

You're pulling up examples of typical "coachspeak" to make him sound like an idiot and a hypocrite. Every coach goes into the season saying optimistic things, and when they've only been working with their players the last 8 months, its easy to see why. EVERY coach says things like that. Even David Beaty at Kansas says stuff like that. So what do you want Stitt to say to the press? "Oh, yeah, I can look into the future and see this year will be disappointing. Hurr Durr, The offense I successfully ran for 15+ seasons had one bad year."

And I never said 2016 was a good season. It was absolutely frustrating. I never like losing to the cats. But you are trying to say, after two years, that the typical stepback that EVERY program experiences under a new coach (and something Montana, somehow avoided for two new coaches, which is absolutely miraculous) is evidence that Montana is doomed to suck under Stitt. It's been two seasons. Two. You can't say something's a trend with only two data points. One could very well be a fluke. And the smart and realistic money is on 2016 being a fluke.

Stop talking rationally. Some on this board have an agenda. They are fixated on Stitt failing. They refuse to look at the reality of the situation and the fact that the program was in shambles prior to Stitt's arrival.

 

[UMGriz75]

You're pulling up examples of typical "coachspeak" to make him sound like an idiot and a hypocrite. Every coach goes into the season saying optimistic things, and when they've only been working with their players the last 8 months, its easy to see why. EVERY coach says things like that.

You're delusional.

October 31, 2016

Stitt is his own offensive coordinator, and his spread offensive scheme is lethal. The simplicity of the playbook’s nature allows for his players to focus on the little things.

The spread offense is one of college football’s most popular schemes, and it’s one Stitt and Montana adhere to more religiously than any other Big Sky team. The idea is simple: stretch the defense horizontally and vertically with deep outside routes to open short, easy passing lanes for the quarterback. Short passes can open up giant holes in the defense for monster gains.

http://www.montanakaimin.com/sports/this-is-how-we-re-going-to-run-things-now/article_8c509bee-9f9d-11e6-b86c-6fa5db3a6c02.html

Then, Stitt started blaming players.

At NAU, the loss was due to an "undisciplined" team.

"We felt really good (at halftime), but they come out with the big return right out of the chute," Stitt said. "Defense holds and we get the ball out of it and we fumble it. And on top of the fumble we get a personal foul. Just a really undisciplined football game."

http://billingsgazette.com/sports/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/football/nau-knocks-off-no-montana/article_34b750f3-9a21-52e9-89dd-36997b88e19e.html

Three losses later, including the loss to the Cats at Missoula, where a lackluster team seemed to show up to get extra credit for something, it was obvious something was wrong, and Stitt could no longer get away with blame-seeking. Stitt finally took the blame.

With a crushing loss to the rival Bobcats still weighing him down, Bob Stitt settled behind a lone microphone to address the eager media for his post-season press conference Monday. With a half-dozen cameras rolling and a horde of reporters and nearly the entire Montana athletic department front office present, Stitt began trying to explain Montana's disappointing football season.

Stitt faced the firing squad for a half hour and accepted blame for the Grizzlies' eighth-place finish in the Big Sky Conference – a 6-5 campaign that stalled after a promising 5-1 start – and the team's exclusion from the FCS playoffs.

"There's a lot of reasons why things don't go right but ultimately it's me," said Stitt, the Grizzlies' second-year head coach. "It's me. I've got to get it done."

Stitt discussed his plans for a rebound season in 2017. Between now and Sept. 2, 2017, when the Griz kick off against Valparaiso at home, Stitt said he and his staff will reassess everything about the program.

From the coaching staff and how they coach, to the schemes they run and their personnel.

"I've done a lot of thinking and soul searching and we're going to look at every little aspect of what we do," Stitt said. "Me as a manager managing them and every aspect of the program.

"... Internally it eats at me and eats at me and eats at me. I cannot sleep at night and I cannot enjoy anything unless our players are successful. That's what drives me, is helping these guys be successful. Winning is something you expect. Losing is something that's just so much harder and we can't do it anymore. We can't fail and we've got to work harder because you're terrified to not succeed."

http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/stitt-takes-blame-for-disappointing-griz-football-season/article_5d8a80ec-4656-5b31-8a68-5fa2bd7831de.html

Unlike some of his "fans," he stopped making excuses.

 

[EverettGriz]

I will never understand why the same posters on this board who rip on Stitt for a poor season also trumpet Pflugrad as the greatest coach since Vince Lombardi, giving him a full pass on a completely shitty season with far, far better inherited talent.

 

[PlayerRep]

I will never understand why the same posters on this board who rip on Stitt for a poor season also trumpet Pflugrad as the greatest coach since Vince Lombardi, giving him a full pass on a completely shitty season with far, far better inherited talent.

Pflu's first season is completely explainable by losing JJ at the start of pre-season practice, and not having a single qb on the roster who had completed a pass in college. Had JJ been the qb, UM would have had 5 more wins. Had it been known earlier that JJ would not be available for the season, Montana would not have transferred.

With JJ back, UM went to the semis the next year, and almost rallied to comeback in the semifinal game.

There is no excuse for the collapse at the end of the 2016 season. And, it was Sttt's second season, not his first, at UM.

People from Seattle who don't have a clue about football should think twice before saying stupid things about football.

 

[UMGriz75]

I will never understand why the same posters on this board who rip on Stitt for a poor season also trumpet Pflugrad as the greatest coach since Vince Lombardi, giving him a full pass on a completely shitty season with far, far better inherited talent.

As a fervent Engstrom advocate, you no doubt have great sensitivity to "the same posters" ripping on Stitt, but "praising Pflugrad."

Up until you fabricated the point, who?

 

[Stop_HammerTime69]

People who don't have a clue about football should think twice before saying stupid things about football.

I don't know why you and UMGriz75 are still talking then

 

[EverettGriz]

I will never understand why the same posters on this board who rip on Stitt for a poor season also trumpet Pflugrad as the greatest coach since Vince Lombardi, giving him a full pass on a completely shitty season with far, far better inherited talent.

Pflu's first season is completely explainable by losing JJ at the start of pre-season practice, and not having a single qb on the roster who had completed a pass in college. Had JJ been the qb, UM would have had 5 more wins. Had it been known earlier that JJ would not be available for the season, Montana would not have transferred.

With JJ back, UM went to the semis the next year, and almost rallied to comeback in the semifinal game.

There is no excuse for the collapse at the end of the 2016 season. And, it was Sttt's second season, not his first, at UM.

People from Seattle who don't have a clue about football should think twice before saying stupid things about football.

So, the Griz didn't suffer any injuries last season? Or the season before when they played 4 QBs?

Yes, Pflu went to the semis his second season. But he had considerably more talent than Stitt. I just have a difficult time understanding the praise for one, and the condemnation of the other. But then I'm just a reasonable, objective poster from Seattle, so....

 

[UMGriz75]

So, the Griz didn't suffer any injuries last season? Or the season before when they played 4 QBs?

Yes, Pflu went to the semis his second season. But he had considerably more talent than Stitt. I just have a difficult time understanding the praise for one, and the condemnation of the other. But then I'm just a reasonable, objective poster from Seattle, so....

Is Coach Stitt now blaming "injuries?"

That's a new one to me. You should write his press releases.

What's the sudden fixation with Robin Pflugrad?

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Just curious, does 75 have any thing he personally wants to share or post or add, for example his predictions or something football related, or does he just want to continue quoting others to contradict posters that actually are trying to share and talk football?

 

[SoldierGriz]

On the actual question, I don't think so. It's a matter of talent not matching a system he worked with and developed for 15 years. He's had one bad year. If you're Stitt, what do you trust? 15 years worth of success and experience, or one year that went pretty badly (but still ended with a >.500 record)? And some people are saying he made the choice to buck UM's traditional coaching style, but the administration brought him on to do exactly that. Look how that coaching style turned out for the two coaches who came before Stitt and you'll see why.

One year under a new coach does not mean the sky is falling and his offense cant work with Montana. Chill out and quit calling for Stitt's head.

But, he had his "best" season without "his" talent. Hmmmm.

 

[Ursa Major]

So, the Griz didn't suffer any injuries last season? Or the season before when they played 4 QBs?

Yes, Pflu went to the semis his second season. But he had considerably more talent than Stitt. I just have a difficult time understanding the praise for one, and the condemnation of the other. But then I'm just a reasonable, objective poster from Seattle, so....

Is Coach Stitt now blaming "injuries?"

That's a new one to me. You should write his press releases.

What's the sudden fixation with Robin Pflugrad?

You might want to ask PR.

 

[griz5700]

Funny that people say he has to get his guys in his system, when the most success his system had was with Gustafson, Nguyen, Jones, and Henderson.

We will see what it looks like with the 3qbs he recruited. Spring ended with more questions than answers.

 

[UMGriz75]

Just curious, does 75 have any thing he personally wants to share or post or add, for example his predictions or something football related, or does he just want to continue quoting others to contradict posters that actually are trying to share and talk football?

See that thread topic title? If you don't like it, then butt out.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Just curious, does 75 have any thing he personally wants to share or post or add, for example his predictions or something football related, or does he just want to continue quoting others to contradict posters that actually are trying to share and talk football?

See that thread topic title? If you don't like it, then butt out.

Were you going to add something other than dredged up quotes from others?

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Funny that people say he has to get his guys in his system, when the most success his system had was with Gustafson, Nguyen, Jones, and Henderson.

We will see what it looks like with the 3qbs he recruited. Spring ended with more questions than answers.

I will give you Jones and Henderson.

 

[UMcheer2000]

I think this year will be a better indicator whether the Stitt offense can work at this level or not. Without getting into the Gustafson debate for the 8000th time, having a QB with some mobility who doesn't panic and check out of 30% of the plays called might actually create the time and space to make his offense click. On the other hand, none of the QB's are proven and the O-line looks scary, so it could get even worse before it gets better.

I don't really buy the "offense is too complicated" theory, they only ran about 5 f***[*] plays over and over the whole year.

A bigger question I have is how you get beat by a bad team that comes in and says "Hey, we can't pass the ball at all, so we're going to run it every time, just so you know" and you can't stop them anyway? I've thought about that for 7 months and still have no answer.

^^ This.

I would have put my ears down and crashed the line on the QB/RB...

 

[griz5700]

Funny that people say he has to get his guys in his system, when the most success his system had was with Gustafson, Nguyen, Jones, and Henderson.

We will see what it looks like with the 3qbs he recruited. Spring ended with more questions than answers.

I will give you Jones and Henderson.

Get back to me when a qb runs this offense better than Gustafson. Or when a rb picks up pass protections better than Nguyen.

 

[uofmman1122]

Just curious, does 75 have any thing he personally wants to share or post or add, for example his predictions or something football related, or does he just want to continue quoting others to contradict posters that actually are trying to share and talk football?

See that thread topic title? If you don't like it, then butt out.

Were you going to add something other than dredged up quotes from others?

He has yet to say a single thing about the actual offense, probably because he doesn't understand it well enough to offer meaningful comment.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Funny that people say he has to get his guys in his system, when the most success his system had was with Gustafson, Nguyen, Jones, and Henderson.

We will see what it looks like with the 3qbs he recruited. Spring ended with more questions than answers.

I will give you Jones and Henderson.

Get back to me when a qb runs this offense better than Gustafson.

Gus was just as instrumental in its struggles as anyone. And to be honest, how other QB's play in this offense will say more about Stitt's system than Gus. The success Gus had in year one had more to do with Jones, Henderson and Roberts than him. The drop in WR play magnified Gus's shortcomings.