I just posted a lot of this in another thread, but wanted to make it a stand alone.
The offense is very similar, and that's the problem. Monken ran that offense because it highlighted the strengths of our team (TE and RB). We are still running tons of 2 TE sets with average TE's that don't block or catch particularly well. The same fake WR screen with a TE wheel route where Bowers made millions with acrobatic catches are bouncing off the face masks of our current TE's. The same running plays where Washington would maul his man and create huge holes are being stuffed for a loss because our TE's are getting destroyed. We may never have another TE like Bowers or Washington and we had them both at the same time. We need to stop acting like we still have both of those guys. You have to adapt the play calling to your personal. Hell, look what Ole Miss did with no WR 1 , no RB 1, and an average OL. They played to their strength, QB, by setting favorable matchups with quick passes off play action on early downs.
I don't understand why our "bread and butter" run play is the zone read with a QB who may pull one a season. Run the pistol, line up under center, motion a WR for a fake quick pitch, or anything that isn't brutally obvious to opposing defenses. Monken had tons of different plays off that set, but the biggest difference was Stetson would keep two or three per game which occupied the DE and made for favorable numbers on the give.
Our RB's are elite this year when ETN is healthy. Get him and Frazier the ball in space. I saw Monken fake the WR screen, look at the wheel route, and then come back to McIntosh for a back side screen with blockers out front. That's building off previous plays and keeping defenses off balance by attacking the entire field off the same look.
Our WR's are not elite, but they are very fast. Use their strength, their speed, to stretch out the defense. I know they aren't Waddle and Devonte Smith from Alabama, but Arian and Evans may be as fast. Jet those guys deep on go and post routes with Lovett, Luckie, and Humphries underneath on mid range crossing routes and out routes with an RB check down. Stretch the amount of field the defense has to defend. On 3rd and short we seem to generally run all curls or crossers. Those aren't bad plays for that down and distance, but stretch it out every once and a while. You can have the same result with one crosser or curl if you stretch the field.
We are so predictable, and I keep yelling at Bobo through the TV or in the stands to run play action on 1st down. For some reason Bobo feels like he has to set it up by not doing it on first down for the first quarter or half. Use it early and it will actually help set up the run. Use it to keep Beck in rhythm (as the Film Don't Lie guys have stated numerous times).
The offense is very similar, and that's the problem. Monken ran that offense because it highlighted the strengths of our team (TE and RB). We are still running tons of 2 TE sets with average TE's that don't block or catch particularly well. The same fake WR screen with a TE wheel route where Bowers made millions with acrobatic catches are bouncing off the face masks of our current TE's. The same running plays where Washington would maul his man and create huge holes are being stuffed for a loss because our TE's are getting destroyed. We may never have another TE like Bowers or Washington and we had them both at the same time. We need to stop acting like we still have both of those guys. You have to adapt the play calling to your personal. Hell, look what Ole Miss did with no WR 1 , no RB 1, and an average OL. They played to their strength, QB, by setting favorable matchups with quick passes off play action on early downs.
I don't understand why our "bread and butter" run play is the zone read with a QB who may pull one a season. Run the pistol, line up under center, motion a WR for a fake quick pitch, or anything that isn't brutally obvious to opposing defenses. Monken had tons of different plays off that set, but the biggest difference was Stetson would keep two or three per game which occupied the DE and made for favorable numbers on the give.
Our RB's are elite this year when ETN is healthy. Get him and Frazier the ball in space. I saw Monken fake the WR screen, look at the wheel route, and then come back to McIntosh for a back side screen with blockers out front. That's building off previous plays and keeping defenses off balance by attacking the entire field off the same look.
Our WR's are not elite, but they are very fast. Use their strength, their speed, to stretch out the defense. I know they aren't Waddle and Devonte Smith from Alabama, but Arian and Evans may be as fast. Jet those guys deep on go and post routes with Lovett, Luckie, and Humphries underneath on mid range crossing routes and out routes with an RB check down. Stretch the amount of field the defense has to defend. On 3rd and short we seem to generally run all curls or crossers. Those aren't bad plays for that down and distance, but stretch it out every once and a while. You can have the same result with one crosser or curl if you stretch the field.
We are so predictable, and I keep yelling at Bobo through the TV or in the stands to run play action on 1st down. For some reason Bobo feels like he has to set it up by not doing it on first down for the first quarter or half. Use it early and it will actually help set up the run. Use it to keep Beck in rhythm (as the Film Don't Lie guys have stated numerous times).
