Musings From Today's Scrimmage

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

I am going to go on record and say the best defense our offense will see this season will be the one they go against before the 1st game.

You'd better hope so, otherwise it could be a very long season.

Your defense gave up a combined 85 points and 737 yards ON THE GROUND in its games against UM and SHSU last year, while scoring only 23 points. :shock: You had better hope yours has improved DRASTICALLY just to compete, let alone win games in the playoffs, assuming you make it that far.

 

[wbtfg]

I am going to go on record and say the best defense our offense will see this season will be the one they go against before the 1st game.

You'd better hope so, otherwise it could be a very long season.

Your defense gave up a combined 85 points and 737 yards ON THE GROUND in its games against UM and SHSU last year, while scoring only 23 points. :shock: You had better hope yours has improved DRASTICALLY just to compete, let alone win games in the playoffs, assuming you make it that far.

UM's defense will once again be very good...no doubt about that.

My comment was more a question of the ability of the offense, rather than the ability of the defense. I thought that was pretty obvious.

Also, not my intent to turn this thread into one comparing MSU vs UM defenses, but if that's your fancy I'd be more than happy to engage in some discussion.

 

[ilovethecats]

My comment was more a question of the ability of the offense, rather than the ability of the defense. I thought that was pretty obvious.

man....we've GOT to stop making this same mistake over and over.....

:msugrad:

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

My comment was more a question of the ability of the offense, rather than the ability of the defense. I thought that was pretty obvious.

man....we've GOT to stop making this same mistake over and over.....

:msugrad:

Our offense is no-doubt a question mark with the absence of an experienced QB, and from G1's post it sounds as though the OL may not be strenth many of us had hoped it would. We have a lot of talent at the skill postions, however, so if our OL can get it together I think we'l be fine on offense. Sorry, im a bit edgy today, and involving myself in smack I usually ignore. My apologies.

 

[Umista]

Musings indeed! Many of you can not remember the past so hold on a minute. Last year at the start of the season many were moaning about our offense until the Weber game. Then Jordy and our offense got going. Defense kept us in the early games!

McKnight had issues with the snap, hold and timing issues (also in the past) early in the season, remember?

Lots were bitching about Robin Pflugrad our head coach. Our offense was crap many stated.

REMINDER* Our defense year in and year out has been the strength of our team during our early season games.

This year our defense is lights out. I am saying right now this could be our best defense in years!

Give our offense some time and more practice and they will come around, I can see it. Growing pains yes but we look like we can have a great team. Other teams think we are fat dumb and lazy and at #3 they believe we are rated way to high! This will work in our favor, we will look fair to bad at the start of the season but our team will improve quickly.

Why? #1 We have two great new coaches that in my opinion are better than last year. Offensive and Defensive coaches for sure. Special teams coach already looks better than last years by 10 fold. Old Mick is much better than I dreamed. I like him a ton. We are way better of in the coaching department than I could have asked for after the firing debacle etc. The coaches are focused, really focused and that spills over on to the entire team. Laugh but I am not so sure these are not the best bunch of coaches we have had since Don Read. Accident? Probably, but I am saying these guys are good!

Next is simple. We have some fantastic players, quick, fast, big, smart and plain good. They (offense) need some time but it is coming together slow and steady. Do not judge the scrum from what we just watched. The coaching staff did not put on a show for us, they wanted to see difficult situations and how the players re-acted. They watched for kids putting their head down, anger, mistakes made by others and how they took it.....on and on.

Finally, the staff is pleased with the team at this point. Good sign in my view.

Growler has a good point about the defense cheating up to the line but this is all by design for a deep ball throw when it becomes obvious they are filling the box. With the quick signal count the other team will be caught sleeping and we hit for six points down the field.

 

[bingo]

Musings indeed! Many of you can not remember the past so hold on a minute. Last year at the start of the season many were moaning about our offense until the Weber game. Then Jordy and our offense got going. Defense kept us in the early games!

McKnight had issues with the snap, hold and timing issues (also in the past) early in the season, remember?

Lots were bitching about Robin Pflugrad our head coach. Our offense was crap many stated.

REMINDER* Our defense year in and year out has been the strength of our team during our early season games.

This year our defense is lights out. I am saying right now this could be our best defense in years!

Give our offense some time and more practice and they will come around, I can see it. Growing pains yes but we look like we can have a great team. Other teams think we are fat dumb and lazy and at #3 they believe we are rated way to high! This will work in our favor, we will look fair to bad at the start of the season but our team will improve quickly.

Why? #1 We have two great new coaches that in my opinion are better than last year. Offensive and Defensive coaches for sure. Special teams coach already looks better than last years by 10 fold. Old Mick is much better than I dreamed. I like him a ton. We are way better of in the coaching department than I could have asked for after the firing debacle etc. The coaches are focused, really focused and that spills over on to the entire team. Laugh but I am not so sure these are not the best bunch of coaches we have had since Don Read. Accident? Probably, but I am saying these guys are good!

Next is simple. We have some fantastic players, quick, fast, big, smart and plain good. They (offense) need some time but it is coming together slow and steady. Do not judge the scrum from what we just watched. The coaching staff did not put on a show for us, they wanted to see difficult situations and how the players re-acted. They watched for kids putting their head down, anger, mistakes made by others and how they took it.....on and on.

Finally, the staff is pleased with the team at this point. Good sign in my view.

Growler has a good point about the defense cheating up to the line but this is all by design for a deep ball throw when it becomes obvious they are filling the box. With the quick signal count the other team will be caught sleeping and we hit for six points down the field.

And you know that this defense is so great because they are scrimmaging against a bunch of inexperienced QB's that cant throw farther than 15 yards.

 

[Umista]

Come on over Bing. I know this defense is good and getting better because of the players and coaches.

Do you watch games in a sports bar blind drunk? What are your brilliant thoughts?

In any event U got my opinion and reason for it.

 

[bingo]

Come on over Bing. I know this defense is good and getting better because of the players and coaches.

Do you watch games in a sports bar blind drunk? What are your brilliant thoughts?

In any event U got my opinion and reason for it.

Just basing my thoughts on the reports of the QB play so far. Maybe they will come around but I haven't heard it yet.

 

[Umista]

Come on over Bing. I know this defense is good and getting better because of the players and coaches.

Do you watch games in a sports bar blind drunk? What are your brilliant thoughts?

In any event U got my opinion and reason for it.

Just basing my thoughts on the reports of the QB play so far. Maybe they will come around but I haven't heard it yet.

Bing, U heard it. OK. Perhaps we can visit again after the third game. :thumb:

 

[BigPawzSharpClawz]

Let's hope that our offensive line can stay healthy, sounds like if they aren't we are in for a down year with how the 2nd string has been performing. Has TM been taking many shots down the field or is this offense going to rely on the 4-7 yard quick out, swing and screen pass? Seems like we could be in for a world of hurt in long yardage situations.

There were two passes thrown by McKinney longer than 15 yards. One was on a broken play, and Ellis Henderson dropped a sure TD (except the play would have been negated by a holding penalty). The other should have been intercepted by Nate Harris. Not too impressive!

Looks like things are shaping up to be a two QB system early and the better guy will take command prior to BSC play. Henderson is still my guy that will be a special player for us...his last competitive days on the field took place in December of 2010. NOT making excuses for any of the dropped balls that i have seen by our WRs but I think Henderson is still trying to adjust to playing at his highest level after such a long lay off. He has huge upside still in my eyes.

 

[granitegriz]

So TM should have been 1 for 2 on long passes with a TD. How is that bad on TM? Judging too early especially with Umista reminding us of last year?

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

Henderson is still my guy that will be a special player for us...his last competitive days on the field took place in December of 2010. NOT making excuses for any of the dropped balls that i have seen by our WRs but I think Henderson is still trying to adjust to playing at his highest level after such a long lay off. He has huge upside still in my eyes.

In such a way that I wouldn't mind seeing him returning on kickoff and Punt returns. On kickoffs I'd see him back with Josh Dennard; be an interesting twosome when both returners can carry it all the way back to the house when they have the opportunity. Too bad for either of them that opportunity most likely will happen only once per game; either to begin the game or at the beginning of the second half when it comes to kickoffs.

 

[Grizzoola]

Krammer, you are on the money about Gus and his limitations running the current Griz offense. His slower foot speed basically takes away the QB run option which is such an important element of this offense. If I were the coach in two years, when Gus would be ready to start as QB, I would change the offense to suit his drop-back skills.

Makes me wonder why this kid was recruited, since the Griz O is not his style. Maybe Pflu was going to incorporate elements of the pro-style when Brady was to start. But, with the difficulties switching between spread & pro styles, as revealed in 2010, I doubt this was the plan. So, maybe someone on this board has more inside knowledge of how/why Brady was recruited.

I'm not saying he's not a good QB, but why recruited for a system not conducive to his talents. I do not know the system he grew up with at Billings West. I do know that most HSs run the spread-option, so maybe Pflu thought he'd fit Pflu's system. Of course the talent to run the S-O in HS may not be adequate to run the S-O at the college level. I'm sure Pflu took that into consideration & thought Brady could run his offense at the college level. Maybe Brady thinks so, too.

 

[indian-outlaw]

I don’t think we will have a bad year at all. I just cannot believe that our o-line will be bad at run blocking, I haven’t seen ‘em in person but that just doesn’t make sense with the size and experience that we have up there. I do see a struggle as far as the coaches’ settling on a QB starter. I think you will see a shuffle in that position for the first few games to see who can establish a rhythm and just to see who has the hot hand, since game situations are hard to simulate in practice. Making good decisions comes with experience. I will not predict who it will be but whoever it is will need to be elusive and be able to stretch the field on occasion. I am confident we have that ability on the staff. Canada and Peter will both need to stay healthy to carry the load at RB and they will need to catch the short passes as well. Dan Moore is not the answer. Relax; the kicking game always looks bad this time of year. It will be just fine.
There is potential for a down year if our QB situation is worse than we think or if we get a rash of injuries but I think we still win the conference and have a deep playoff run this year.

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

...with the difficulties switching between spread & pro styles, as revealed in 2010, I doubt this was the plan.

I would think that it's a lot harder to change from the Pro-Style to the Spread Option than it is to change from the Spread-Option to the Pro-Style. Especially with the continuance of the way the Griz recruit offensive linemen. That's been pretty consistent; along with the WRs and TEs running similar routes and all it shouldn't be that hard of a transition to go back to the pocket-passing routine; a lot easier than going to the spread from a different offensive scheme IMHO

 

[Grizzoola]

...with the difficulties switching between spread & pro styles, as revealed in 2010, I doubt this was the plan.

I would think that it's a lot harder to change from the Pro-Style to the Spread Option than it is to change from the Spread-Option to the Pro-Style. Especially with the continuance of the way the Griz recruit offensive linemen. That's been pretty consistent; along with the WRs and TEs running similar routes and all it shouldn't be that hard of a transition to go back to the pocket-passing routine; a lot easier than going to the spread from a different offensive scheme IMHO

I hear what you're saying, WY. But, now w/ G1's posts & this thread, why is there this disillusionment w/ the S-O offense? When BH left the Griz, there was this big sigh of relief on this board, that now we can get back to Air Read, open up the field, and air out the ball like in the days of DD. What happened to that? I've asked this question in another thread, but no one offers an answer. Why is there this doubt re: the S-O? Or is there the doubt that seems to be coming up on this board?

I have no preference for either style of O, as long as the Griz win w/ it, and except for 2010, the Griz have shown they can win w/ the S-O. I think something not mentioned is the change in the Griz D from the bend-don't-break philosophy to a more aggressive D.

 

[Growler1]

...with the difficulties switching between spread & pro styles, as revealed in 2010, I doubt this was the plan.

I would think that it's a lot harder to change from the Pro-Style to the Spread Option than it is to change from the Spread-Option to the Pro-Style. Especially with the continuance of the way the Griz recruit offensive linemen. That's been pretty consistent; along with the WRs and TEs running similar routes and all it shouldn't be that hard of a transition to go back to the pocket-passing routine; a lot easier than going to the spread from a different offensive scheme IMHO

I hear what you're saying, WY. But, now w/ G1's posts & this thread, why is there this disillusionment w/ the S-O offense? When BH left the Griz, there was this big sigh of relief on this board, that now we can get back to Air Read, open up the field, and air out the ball like in the days of DD. What happened to that? I've asked this question in another thread, but no one offers an answer. Why is there this doubt re: the S-O? Or is there the doubt that seems to be coming up on this board?

I have no preference for either style of O, as long as the Griz win w/ it, and except for 2010, the Griz have shown they can win w/ the S-O. I think something not mentioned is the change in the Griz D from the bend-don't-break philosophy to a more aggressive D.

The answer is that a team should run the offense which suits their personnel the best. I do not think that the spread-option offense is the one that suits are current personnel. If we had JJ, it would. But, we don't. We do have a great blocking fullback named Dan Moore, who could be a beast in the two-back set, as a lead blocker. Then, we could pond the ball all day, and throw the pass when the defense has to cheat-up to stop the run. By effectively running the ball down their throats, you create an easy passing game with wide-open receivers that McKinney could easily throw to.