Moorhead has one job - score points.

[Bulldogg31]

I was a big Moorhead supporter at the beginning of the season but he lost me after that Tennessee game. I can’t believe that with two weeks to prepare against a bad defense that this is what we got:

146 yards passing with 1 TD & 3 INT’s.

13 yards rushing on 11 carries from the SEC’s leading rusher.

267 total yards against the same defense that gave up over 350 to both Georgia State and BYU a few weeks earlier. We 30 more yards on them than UT Chat’nooga.

Totally totally totally unacceptable.

I know Joe is coming back and that’s fine but he’s gotta figure out a way to move the ball and score against the top half of our schedule. I’m not even as concerned with W/L record as I am with at least showing we deserve to be on the field with better teams.

Too many times this year you could leave the game in the first quarter and not have to wonder about the outcome because we just couldn’t score.

Score points, Joe. That’s what you were brought here to do.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

i've got news for him. unless he scraps 90 percent of his playbook he won't score points here. he needs to go back to the drawing board as an offense play designer and look how teams are running offenses that have talent disadvantages. you can't keep trotting these slow developing plays out there and expect good results. you have to to keep defenses guessing and keep them on their heels with quick hits, quick runs, misdirections, and quick passes. you can run the rpo but it has to be quick. the deep down field should be occasional to hopefully catch the defense crept up. stop letting the defense force you in to plays that you can't run. stop using the same formations and same personnel. use different formations and personnel to run the same plays to hide what you are doing and scheme to your advantages of what you do well which is run the dam football. open up the running lanes with your formations. spread teams out. run hook screens.

i know i'm basically asking Moorhead to do something he isn't going to do. that's why i want him gone. he might do a few of those things a game and that's it. the rest is qb run left, qb run right. deep pass attempt. running back run left. running back run right. that's his offense based off a read in the secondary.

 

[Seinfeld]

Only thing I’ll add is that to be an offensive savant, we sure have one of the most unimaginative offenses in the conference. I honestly said during the egg bowl that I was convinced that Joe must have known he was gone because that was the blandest playcalling I’d seen all season.

We basically run 3 plays

1) QB draw
2) HB run between the tackles and hope Kylin makes a play
3) Drop back and sling it 15 yards to a covered receiver

 

[BlueRidgeMtns]

For his offense to be successful, State needs WRs that can get separation against SEC DBs. Otherwise, you may as well count out any of the reads other than what you said (QB left/right, RB left/right).

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

that's what i'm saying. he needs to scrap 90% of his offense because it relies to heavily on having highly talented receivers, intelligent and talented qb, and really good offensive linemen across the board that can read the block and pass block for 5 seconds. good luck recruiting at 10 or higher ranking every year to do that.

he needs to be focusing on what i said of creating running lanes and quick passes. misdirection. he needs to be looking at what malzan and napier are doing to create running lanes and mismatches.

 

[vandaldawg]

I have no idea why anybody would downvote this.

 

[tatedog]

At Penn State he had better skill position players than his opponents did. At Mississippi State we will almost never have the skill position players over any but the bottom half of the conference (at WR it's more like the bottom 10% of the conference).

It's not some magical force working against him in the SEC. It's talent difference, and he's done nothing to show me he can close that talent gap or overcome it by wizardry.

 

[campshelbydog842003]

He does not have to have an elite offensive line. He did not have one at Penn State. It was the worst part of their offense actually. He has to have wide receivers. The biggest part of his offense is wide receivers making explosive plays and coming down with the 50/50 ball and I honestly can’t remember us having one of those caught against a real SEC defense. He better hope Heath and Tulu work our really fast because if they don’t he is finished.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I have no idea why anybody would downvote this.

I have a fan apparently. Very active thumbs

 

[philduckworth]

You can scheme receivers open. Zuber, Dedrick Thomas, Mitchell, Farrod Green, Kylin out of the backfield, even Guidry should have been enough against the competition we faced to be in the Top 75 in the country. We finished 112th in passing offense. That's more than just receiver talent.

I agree that our system needs an overhaul, but I don't have faith that Joe will do it. He's more of an excuse maker than a guy who points the thumb not the finger.

 

[WutheringDawg]

There is no argument against this. There is no identity. Auburn 2018 is 1 of 1 at this point in his tenure. All other games just feel like calling plays to be calling plays without any rhyme or reason.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

In this conference you do. The only defensive line he faced closed to a sec dline in big 10 was Ohio state. The front 7’s here are bigger faster and stronger. Corners can also man cover a lot better. The reason LSU and bama can run this style offense is they have 5 stars all over the field at every position. We have to scrap the majority of his offense to be successful

 

[NWADawg]

Here's a little stat for you

This last weekend's numbers:

Team # Plays (offense) W/L

Bama 77 W
Auburn 65 L

LSU 75 W
ATM 60 L

State 58 W
OM 73 L (but did outgain us easily)

I know these numbers reflect way more than just how quickly teams get the play called but it is definitely a big part of it. Running 10-15 more plays a game could be huge. Every play is an opportunity for an explosive play and... every play wears a little more on the defense. D-Lines wear down much faster when they don't get maximum rest time between each play. Big men recovery time is different than at skill positions.

 

[philduckworth]

I've posted this before, but we are 109th in the country in plays per game. You would think an offensive minded coach/guru who want to "attack" would want to run more plays per game. We are a slow, plodding offense that's not very entertaining.

 

[VegasDawg13]

Here's a little stat for you

This last weekend's numbers:

Team # Plays (offense) W/L

Bama 77 W
Auburn 65 L

LSU 75 W
ATM 60 L

State 58 W
OM 73 L (but did outgain us easily)

I know these numbers reflect way more than just how quickly teams get the play called but it is definitely a big part of it. Running 10-15 more plays a game could be huge. Every play is an opportunity for an explosive play and... every play wears a little more on the defense. D-Lines wear down much faster when they don't get maximum rest time between each play. Big men recovery time is different than at skill positions.

So 2 of the 3 teams that ran more plays lost, and you think this proves we should run more plays?

 

[campshelbydog842003]

In this conference you do. The only defensive line he faced closed to a sec dline in big 10 was Ohio state. The front 7’s here are bigger faster and stronger. Corners can also man cover a lot better. The reason LSU and bama can run this style offense is they have 5 stars all over the field at every position. We have to scrap the majority of his offense to be successful

This is a complete myth. He faced 3 elite defenses all year. He was awful on offense against many pedestrian SEC defenses this year. The reason we suck on offense is because our wide receivers are complete trash and we had subpar qb play for most of the year no matter who was in the game (Shrader will be good but he's not there yet). Ole Miss, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Arkansas and our 4 non conference teams are nothing more than he saw in the Big 10. He still sucked on offense in a lot of those games. We can't throw the football because we have G5 receivers. I mean we could not even throw the ball against Abilene.

 

[BigWorm.sixpack]

For his offense to be successful, State needs WRs that can get separation against SEC DBs. Otherwise, you may as well count out any of the reads other than what you said (QB left/right, RB left/right).

First off, let me say that i got off the Moorhead bus after this year's Auburn game (I know i was late to come around) where we looked unprepared and intimidated from the kickoff. But other than Hill, we don't have any weapons that bring concern to the opponent. We have no speed guys in the slot. We don't have guys that can first, get separation, and second, hold onto balls that are contested in any way. So to say his offense won't work is both correct and incorrect. It won't work against the SEC with what we are running out there, that's for damn sure. We don't have DeRunnya, or a sure handed receiver like Ross, who by the way weren't good enough to make an NFL roster. Those facts cannot be ignored!

 

[philduckworth]

Worth repeating: Joe Moorhead at Penn State

2016 Offense

QB: Trace McSorley, 3rd team with Ravens
RB: Saquon Barkley, starter with the Giants
RB: Miles Sanders, starter with Eagles
WR: Chris Godwin, starter with Tampa Bay
WR: DaeSean Hamilton, 2 starts this year with Denver
TE: Mike Gesicki, starter with the Dolphin

I mean, Holy ****. This is more talent than what we had on defense last year. Any scheme is working with this crew. All of these guys returned for 2017 except for Godwin. That's what Joe had for his 2 years of big time football as a coordinator.

 

[NWADawg]

So 2 of the 3 teams that ran more plays lost, and you think this proves we should run more plays?

I guess I would rather score points, have a chance to win, and maybe lose by 3 than lose by 30 plus with no chance to win from the opening kickoff.

 

[stateu1]

Here's a little stat for you

This last weekend's numbers:

Team # Plays (offense) W/L

Bama 77 W
Auburn 65 L

LSU 75 W
ATM 60 L

State 58 W
OM 73 L (but did outgain us easily)

I know these numbers reflect way more than just how quickly teams get the play called but it is definitely a big part of it. Running 10-15 more plays a game could be huge. Every play is an opportunity for an explosive play and... every play wears a little more on the defense. D-Lines wear down much faster when they don't get maximum rest time between each play. Big men recovery time is different than at skill positions.

Auburn beat Bama.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

He does not have to have an elite offensive line. He did not have one at Penn State. It was the worst part of their offense actually. He has to have wide receivers. The biggest part of his offense is wide receivers making explosive plays and coming down with the 50/50 ball and I honestly can’t remember us having one of those caught against a real SEC defense. He better hope Heath and Tulu work our really fast because if they don’t he is finished.

Elite? At this point I would settle for decent. I miss Hevesy more than Mullen.

 

[campshelbydog842003]

Elite? At this point I would settle for decent. I miss Hevesy more than Mullen.

I mean we had the league leader in rushing and he is not going in the top half of the draft as a tailback. Our OL is not the problem. I realize that they are better run blockers than pass blockers but still. I think they protect adequately in the pass game. Our qb’s hold on to the ball too long because usually no one is open.

 

[Bulldogg31]

Think about this:

Dan Mullen (and I’m not saying he is the greatest coach ever, just that it IS possible to scheme a successful offense in the SEC with average players) went 9-4 (4-4 in SEC), and finished 15th in the country with these skill players:

QB - Chris Relf
RB - Perkins, Ballard, Elliott
WR- Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Chris Smith, Brandon Heavens, and eight catches from Leon Berry.

That team scored over 30 points 7 times, including 49,49, and 52 against Michigan.

Talent is important, yes, but knowing how to develop players and adapt a scheme is paramount.



One other key member of that team:

Matt Balis. If you don’t believe me, ask Bumphis.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I personally would not rely on a 46-year-old quarterback to score points. **

 

[maroonmania]

Here's a little stat for you

This last weekend's numbers:

Team # Plays (offense) W/L

Bama 77 W
Auburn 65 L

LSU 75 W
ATM 60 L

State 58 W
OM 73 L (but did outgain us easily)

I know these numbers reflect way more than just how quickly teams get the play called but it is definitely a big part of it. Running 10-15 more plays a game could be huge. Every play is an opportunity for an explosive play and... every play wears a little more on the defense. D-Lines wear down much faster when they don't get maximum rest time between each play. Big men recovery time is different than at skill positions.

Even apart from the antics at the end of the game, we still won the Egg Bowl primarily because of the turnover differential, not because we moved the ball better than they did.

 

[philduckworth]

Think about this:

Dan Mullen (and I’m not saying he is the greatest coach ever, just that it IS possible to scheme a successful offense in the SEC with average players) went 9-4 (4-4 in SEC), and finished 15th in the country with these skill players:

QB - Chris Relf
RB - Perkins, Ballard, Elliott
WR- Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Chris Smith, Brandon Heavens, and eight catches from Leon Berry.

That team scored over 30 points 7 times, including 49,49, and 52 against Michigan.

Talent is important, yes, but knowing how to develop players and adapt a scheme is paramount.



One other key member of that team:

Matt Balis. If you don’t believe me, ask Bumphis.

This is such a great post and really drives home how bad Moorehead has been in his 2 years offensively.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Think about this:

Dan Mullen (and I’m not saying he is the greatest coach ever, just that it IS possible to scheme a successful offense in the SEC with average players) went 9-4 (4-4 in SEC), and finished 15th in the country with these skill players:

QB - Chris Relf
RB - Perkins, Ballard, Elliott
WR- Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Chris Smith, Brandon Heavens, and eight catches from Leon Berry.

That team scored over 30 points 7 times, including 49,49, and 52 against Michigan.

Talent is important, yes, but knowing how to develop players and adapt a scheme is paramount.



One other key member of that team:

Matt Balis. If you don’t believe me, ask Bumphis.

precisely. The better coaches do this. Joe is trying to out talent people with the scheme he tries to run. but it just doesn't work. This is why Dan's system worked so well here. He could take the athletes more prominent to our footprint and that we commonly land and get good production out of them. his scheme was based on spreading the field horizontally and scheming to get them open in short yardage and letting the athlete do the rest. it's also the reason he didn't get guys that were 4 star 6 4. he wanted speed and quickness for the ability to allude tacklers on the edge and to get 10 yards after catching the ball on the los or just past it. then he would get a few guys like bear or brown that could catch down field, but it wasn't about a 50/50 ball. It was high percentage passes to nickel and dime down the field to complement the rushing attack that worked well because we spread the field horizontally to create running lanes.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Auburn says . They beat Bama because they have very good line play on both sides. Sure, you have to have a WR, that can get some separation in Man to Man, but if you notice most defenses cover ya man to man while we play an umbrella zone. Opponents wr are running wide open all over the field,

And you have to have RBs that understand that occasionally there isn’t going to be this big hole. They cannot run up against their own linemen and not stay balanced and quick footed. They have to be able to bounce it. Kylin has that ability to some degree, but guys like Najee Harris and Clyde Edwards-Helaire have an ability to read that and adjust quickly.

So yes, we need good Jimmies and Joes, but we need a staff that drills them on execution until they can block a truck, tackle a gazelle, and catch a grenade and put the pin back into it.

 

[Shamoan]

I would settle for wrs that could catch

 

[was21]

Moorhead has one job...win games

 

[SKYHAWKdawg]

This is pretty simple....<head needs big nasties on both sides of the ball

I was a big Moorhead supporter at the beginning of the season but he lost me after that Tennessee game. I can’t believe that with two weeks to prepare against a bad defense that this is what we got:

146 yards passing with 1 TD & 3 INT’s.

13 yards rushing on 11 carries from the SEC’s leading rusher.

267 total yards against the same defense that gave up over 350 to both Georgia State and BYU a few weeks earlier. We 30 more yards on them than UT Chat’nooga.

Totally totally totally unacceptable.

I know Joe is coming back and that’s fine but he’s gotta figure out a way to move the ball and score against the top half of our schedule. I’m not even as concerned with W/L record as I am with at least showing we deserve to be on the field with better teams.

Too many times this year you could leave the game in the first quarter and not have to wonder about the outcome because we just couldn’t score.

Score points, Joe. That’s what you were brought here to do.

When state dominates the OL again <head's playbook will look worlds better. Plug-in any talented in-state skilled players you want.

We got pushed around wayyyyy too much this year up front. If he's not overhauling the DL/OL he ain't doin nothin.

 

[philduckworth]

Joe had 3 NFL Olinemen last year. And 2 first round dlinemen. He went 8-5.

 

[ColoradoDawg]

The worst part about Joe's offense is the slow tempo. The plays take to long to get in. We always seem to let the defense dictate what plays we run and not the other way around. I am hoping that as we move forward with Schrader, he can run the offense himself without having to spend 20 seconds getting the play call and then calling audibles. There will be no more excuses year.

I am not necessarily a JoMo supporter at this point, but I just don't think that we are as completely 17ed as many people on this board suggest.

 

[maroonmania]

Worth repeating: Joe Moorhead at Penn State

2016 Offense

QB: Trace McSorley, 3rd team with Ravens
RB: Saquon Barkley, starter with the Giants
RB: Miles Sanders, starter with Eagles
WR: Chris Godwin, starter with Tampa Bay
WR: DaeSean Hamilton, 2 starts this year with Denver
TE: Mike Gesicki, starter with the Dolphin

I mean, Holy ****. This is more talent than what we had on defense last year. Any scheme is working with this crew. All of these guys returned for 2017 except for Godwin. That's what Joe had for his 2 years of big time football as a coordinator.

He had talent at PSU for sure, but not other worldly talent. Saquon Barkley was the big difference maker there that he doesn't have here. Yes, their WRs were better but pretty much any set of P5 WRs seem to be better than ours. And speaking of that, what happened to Osiris Mitchell toward the end of the season? First half of the year he looked like the most improved player on the team. Second half of the year I forgot he was even on the team.

 

[philduckworth]

5 NFL starters + Trace Mcsorley an NFL backup at the skill positions. That is other worldly for a college team. He built his rep on being able to talk about RPOs and coaching great players for 2 years.

I promise you Croom would have lit it up at Penn State with that group of juniors then seniors.

 

[paindonthurt_]

Points

Well he is ahead of Mullens first two years and not that far behind Mullens last two years.

 

[HumpDawgy]

#1 thing is to fix our strength and conditioning program. We cannot expect to compete against SEC level talent with soft, out of shape players. No scheme will overcome that.

#2 thing is JoeMo has to know what chess pieces he has during the spring and cater his offense to their strengths. Fall practice should be used to fine tune everything and once the season starts, we should be able to move the football and he should only have to adapt to injuries at that point.

#3 thing is he needs to stop running the clock down to near zero every offensive snap. This gives their defense the advantage off the snap. Give the QB 2 plays to be able to call after a big gain where he can get everybody to the line for a quick snap and possibly catch the defense on their heels. JoeMo's offense allows defenses to dictate way too much on what we run. It needs to be the other way around.

#4 thing is less talk from JoeMo and more coaching and preparation. We don't want to hear any more cutesy coaching cliches, but we do want to see our team come out prepared to compete against all opponents (especially after a bye week).

#5 thing is Shoop needs to ditch the 4-2-5 defense except in 3rd and long situations. 75th in run defense is turrible.