If you want the TL;DR on the offense it is basically what we discussed prior to the release of this video. Success in the first half based on well executed running plays paired with UT choosing to not stack the box. Basically playing into the hands of what UF does every game. Well managed game by Mertz with some very good throws and no terrible mistakes. Terrible passing scheme replete with sloppy routes and too many receivers in the same window. Second half UT does stack the box for most of the game and UF just unimaginatively runs right into it in an effort to bleed out the clock. Obviously a good win but not the recipe for future success that we need. I have not watched the defensive one but I think the story will be much improved gap and edge control in the running game. Younger defense giving up some stuff but that is college ball.
James admits to not knowing the assignments and roles sometimes and I think any video can be framed to look good or bad but I have to admit I don't see any benefit to running defenders into route windows of fellow recieving routes. I wish I could understand why we do some of those things in particular. The rest is just philosophical differences about types of offense to run because I think any type of offense works with the right personnel and proper execution. If we just tweaked the passing game our offense would be great and might even have an advantage in scheme since so many other programs run more spreads
Agree on James and he often admits this as he did in this video. He can only see what he sees. I slightly disagree with your comment on the offense working. Sure great personnel and execution will work but you hugely disadvantage yourself if you choose to run into the teeth of an eight or even nine man box. Scheme and play calling certainly matters. I think "tweak" is an understatement on the passing game. There is zero long ball threat right now and again, as you point out, the routes are bizarrely bad. Prior to the video dropping I have commented on this issue, the fact that they will run two wideouts (only) right into cover four, and in this game ran two receivers in man cover one right into the same window. To be fair I could not see that during the game because of the camera angle so I am not claiming that. However, I think this does come down to Napier just being a run oriented guy who is out of his depth when designing some of these plays. They cannot work consistently they way they are designed.
Feathers were ruffled at the suggestion that, owing to the conservative (dare I say pointless ?) offensive strategy in the second half, we weren’t in control of that game down the stretch. Thankfully, our defense made some plays we needed and Tenn made some mistakes we needed.
I'm not sure where we disagree. Any offense is predicated on having some balance. I mean the air raid isn't balanced and it usually doesn't hold up against real defenses. I don't disagree that running into the teeth isn't a good scheme. I was happy with the first half but while I'm OK with going conservative at some point I don't agree with doing it to start the 3rd nor do I think that means just running into the teeth of a stacked box. They have to find a way to adapt and I've been openly critical of our lack of adjustments coming out of half time. Seems to me like cleaning up the route trees a little among other things with the passing game could go a long way for keeping defenses off balance enough that we could still go run heavy when we need to and not necessarily go 3 and out over and over like we did saturday.
You can pay for a subscription. He used to include that in his videos but got a cease and desist as apparently that violates user agreement. Only time he will include that now (all 22) in his videos if he takes/scrapes it from the tv broadcast.
Verdad. I do not think you will see another team outside of Charlotte (maybe) who does not play to shut down our run game and force us to throw. There is a sense of urgency here. If we cannot pull the passing game together we could potentially lose anywhere from 6-8 of our remaining games. I am not saying we will - just that it vastly increases the odds of this happening. Obviously we should beat Vandy and USC but the rest of those eight games? UGA, Arkansas, Mizzou, FSU, LSU, and UK... I do not see us winning any of those games without us being able to at least threaten them with Mertz and the receivers. Good news is that we can do this. The bad news is that I see no movement in this direction. I really think the UK game will be an inflection point for this team and Napier in general. A well played game with some passing yardage that establishes us as a balanced team has to happen. If it does not, and we lose that game in the way we did to Utah (and how I think we would have lost had UT played smarter in the first half) is going to have a lot folks on that team and in the stands wondering about the Billy Napier experiment. Recruits as well. I am very curious to see how CBN adjusts or if he even tries to. EDIT: I note we scored a total of 14 points against Utah and UT when they played to shut down our run game. If that is not sobering I do not know what is.
If he ever does a review of our special teams it would be appropriate to include music from Benny Hill in the background.
I said before the game that Tennessee would sell out on the run to force us to beat them over the top. Who is the coach that needs to check his game-plan at the door. It doesn’t take a football genius to come up with that approach obviously but calling football coaches genius may be a stretch to begin with. These coaches probably aren’t the great minds of the world in the first place. Hurple didn’t do the obvious until the game was pretty much over at half and Tenn needed a historic comeback to win. I’ve also said before that at some point, we will have to come back from multiple scores to win. Again, completely obvious. Napier has to know all of this right? Does he have no aggressive downfield playcalling in him? That’s hard to believe but I guess it’s possible. We will see if Kentucky is successful at doing what should be obvious and Napier has an answer. I’d hope Napiers game-plan for Tennessee was exactly that but with the first half blowout and Hurple making it so easy, why play his hand. We have some decent receivers for throwing up those deep 50/50 balls and hopefully Mertz is good at putting them where the receivers have a decided advantage but we haven’t seen that yet. Napier hasn’t had Mertz throw risky oases but other than the first game he hasn’t needed to. He isn’t scared to go on fourth, why should he be scared of interceptions on the other side of tge field, often just as good as a punt other than momentum shift. There’s a lot of unanswered questions of course. We all want to see Napier be more aggressive downfield when need be. The need will come.
Russ Callaway - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks - Staff Directory - Samford University Athletics Seems like this guy knows a thing about the passing game. But I'm sure he doesn't say anything in the UF staff meetings about ways to get the ball downfield. He probably sits in silence and keeps his experiences to himself. Keep an eye on his TE group this year. Ranked close to the bottom in talent in the SEC (as a unit) but they are making a solid contribution to the O this season. That MF'r found a way to get Odom (3rd on the team in receptions) and Hansen involved in the passing game!!! Probably the least athletic non-OL players on the team. Russ could be our Joe Brady or Austin Armstrong. Maybe his role will get elevated over the course of the year? Maybe he is the heir to the OC throne? Maybe he leaves at the end of the season to join GFNP? Regardless, this is not the final version of the O. A few tweaks here and there are needed but that can be said about every team.
I give Napier credit actually, he didn't come out in 12 personnel and bang his head against a wall. He had a plan with Trey and the Jet Sweeps which was working wonders till he got hurt. Yes, he went back to it and still will put inferior talent on the field for the sake of a formation, but hey, baby steps. He showed some willingness to change and admitted he was too conservative in the second half. Again, that's progress.
I'll ask next time I see him. Boardingham, Livingston and Hansen all have one reception on the year. Odom has eight. I think Livingston is banged up but I have no idea what's up with Boardingham. Based on the number of freshman/Sophomores that play, I have to believe Boardingham is lacking in some area. Maybe he doesn't have a firm grasp of the playbook? He excels in drills but if he doesn't know what to do on each play, he stays on the sidelines. I'm sure one of our insiders could get this answer.
We are a work in progress. IMO, what we're seeing now is a young team/staff still on the training wheels. FTR, I agree that a really good OC (if one comes available) seems like a good idea for multiple reasons. But I like BN's overall offensive approach (power run game with an efficient passing game) and I don't want to see any wholesale changes based on some WTF route trees. Improve the passing game where appropriate/necessary. But throwing the baby out with the bath water is not the answer. But for now, I'll leave it to Billy to figure it out on the OC deal, and anything else for that matter. After Saturday night, he deserves that much, at least for now.
