Article on State's offense: Be optimistic

[Podgy]

"State won its New Year’s Day bowl game against Illinois, Zach Arnett’s first game as HC. It had more to do with how they did it, coming from behind and scoring 16 unanswered points in the final quarter."

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Of course we should be optimistic. Even if Arnett messes it up, it won't show up until next season. We are going from passing to running, not the other way around. Our ability to pass should still be there, and THAT is why we came from behind in those games last year. People forget this.

I agree with Bo Bounds - in this day age, to win anything of significance, you have to be able to throw the ball. And we will be able to do that in 2023.....one offseason and fall won't erase Mike Leach's 3 years of hard work, assuming that Arnett/Barbay aren't total idiots. I guess we'll see early against LSU and Bama. If we go out there looking to run to set up the pass.........eh

Going forward I'd really like to see something at MSU that resembles Rich Rod's or Malzahn's offense, with a little more emphasis on the pass. Rather than Mullen's power game. I really think we need to evolve that mobile QB to one that can go side to side rather than up the middle. We won't produce the NFL guys as much, but we'll succeed at the college level.

 

[retire the banner]

Of course we should be optimistic. Even if Arnett messes it up, it won't show up until next season. We are going from passing to running, not the other way around. Our ability to pass should still be there, and THAT is why we came from behind in those games last year. People forget this.

I agree with Bo Bounds - in this day age, to win anything of significance, you have to be able to throw the ball. And we will be able to do that in 2023.....one offseason and fall won't erase Mike Leach's 3 years of hard work, assuming that Arnett/Barbay aren't total idiots. I guess we'll see early against LSU and Bama. If we go out there looking to run to set up the pass.........eh

Going forward I'd really like to see something at MSU that resembles Rich Rod's or Malzahn's offense, with a little more emphasis on the pass. Rather than Mullen's power game. I really think we need to evolve that mobile QB to one that can go side to side rather than up the middle. We won't produce the NFL guys as much, but we'll succeed at the college level.

An effective offense is not really about how many times you throw it or pass it, but explosiveness. We were dead last in the country in explosive plays of 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, OM was a more run-heavy team and they were in the top 5 in the country. Barbay is known to create explosive plays which is what I’m most excited about. The biggest surprise during the Leach tenure was how boring and ineffective our offense was.

 

[RockyDog]

In this age of football, the bare minimum should be 4500 yards of offense. Whether thats 3k passing and 1500 rushing or the numbers are a bit higher rushing wise, we should not expect anything less. The days of not being able to field a passing game with 2000 yards are over, even for poor ol em State.

Hell there were 62 teams last year that had over 5,000 yards INCLUDING us. Even "terrible" teams like Florida, Louisville, Kansas, and Memphis were on that list.

With SEC resources, there is just no excuse to live in the offensive dark ages like we did during most of the 80s, 90s and mid 2000s.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

An effective offense is not really about how many times you throw it or pass it, but explosiveness. We were dead lass in the country in explosive plays of 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, OM was a more run-heavy team and they were in the top 5 in the country. Barbay is known to create explosive plays which is what I’m most excited about. The biggest surprise during the Leach tenure was how boring and ineffective our offense was.

I'm with you. And yeah, whatever it takes to hit the big plays is what we need to do. I just don't want to see us just start running into a brick wall against LSU and Bama like we did with Mullen. The passing actually opens that up and gives us a chance.

To me, what Leach's offense did was give us the ability to somewhat do that from time to time, due to the fact that we passed so much and repped that into everything we did. I'm certainly not saying it was the best way, but we did hit a few. Did we sacrifice elsewhere? Maybe, but at the end of the day we still hit the same marks that our best coaches in history had hit, which was being in the 8-4 neighborhood.

 

[johnson86-1]

An effective offense is not really about how many times you throw it or pass it, but explosiveness. We were dead lass in the country in explosive plays of 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, OM was a more run-heavy team and they were in the top 5 in the country. Barbay is known to create explosive plays which is what I’m most excited about. The biggest surprise during the Leach tenure was how boring and ineffective our offense was.

I think that’s especially what people are talking about wanting out of passing. We’re not going to have extended drives against top tier defenses with the type of offensive talent we can get. Leach’s offense might have eventually worked with some talent upgrades we could have had prior to NIL, but there is no other offense where we could feasibly play ball control and get small chunks consistently enough to score against top sec defenses.
Without leach and with NIL, we’ve got to have some explosive plays, and hopefully explosive scoring plays. Realistically those are likely going to be passing plays, but that doesn’t mean we have to be a pass heavy offense.

 

[retire the banner]

I'm with you. And yeah, whatever it takes to hit the big plays is what we need to do. I just don't want to see us just start running into a brick wall against LSU and Bama like we did with Mullen. The passing actually opens that up and gives us a chance.

To me, what Leach's offense did was give us the ability to somewhat do that from time to time, due to the fact that we passed so much and repped that into everything we did. I'm certainly not saying it was the best way, but we did hit a few. Did we sacrifice elsewhere? Maybe, but at the end of the day we still hit the same marks that our best coaches in history had hit, which was being in the 8-4 neighborhood.

I agree but 8-4 last year was not due to our offense. In fact, there were a couple wins last year that were in spite of it.

Joe Moorhead is living proof you can have a bad to mediocre offense, a good defense, and win 8 regular season games.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I agree but 8-4 last year was not due to our offense. In fact, there were a couple wins last year that were in spite of it.

Joe Moorhead is living proof you can have a bad to mediocre offense, a good defense, and win 8 regular season games.

Nah Moorhead doesn't get credit for that 8-4, because that was an 10-11 win team. That was total failure. That team had big time potential, just like say 1980, 1999 or 2000, and 2014.

8-4 last year was much more difficult to come by. And I agree the defense played a big part.

 

[retire the banner]

Nah Moorhead doesn't get credit for that 8-4, because that was an 11-1 team. That was total failure. That team had the potential of 1999/2000/2014 as far as talent (and yes, Jackie failed in 2000 too even though we had some nice wins that year, it was a harbinger of things to come).

8-4 last year was much more difficult to come by. And I agree the defense played a big part.

I agree 2018 was probably the biggest waste in recent memory.

I disagree that 8-4 was difficult to come by last year. I’m my opinion, 2022 was the most winnable the SEC West has been in quite some time. It’s not often Arkansas, Auburn, and A&M are a combined 17-20. You factor that with OM being mediocre, Bama looking vulnerable, and we caught LSU at the perfect time but laid an egg offensively.

The Alabama game last season was probably the biggest indicator for me that Leach’s air raid wouldn’t be successful in the SEC. Catching them off giving up 52 points in a loss and we couldn’t score a single point until the last play of the game.

 

[Podgy]

An effective offense is not really about how many times you throw it or pass it, but explosiveness. We were dead last in the country in explosive plays of 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, OM was a more run-heavy team and they were in the top 5 in the country. Barbay is known to create explosive plays which is what I’m most excited about. The biggest surprise during the Leach tenure was how boring and ineffective our offense was.

Yet we won 9 games last year and beat teams we expected to beat except for KY. That's a damn good season. It's rare for State to beat the big boys although we didn't always get blown out either. Rogers knows how to run an Air Raid offense. I hope he's coached up enough to run whatever Barbay has in mind and our o-line and running backs bring it. The Moorhead system really screwed up a good team that had Fitz, those runing backs and that defense

 

[Chesusdog]

The biggest surprise during the Leach tenure was how boring and ineffective our offense was.

Well, almost every run play was the same and we didn't really throw far downfield, so any explosive play on our part required a defensive breakdown or our guys to beat multiple defenders.

 

[retire the banner]

Yet we won 9 games last year and beat teams we expected to beat except for KY. That's a damn good season. It's rare for State to beat the big boys although we didn't always get blown out either. Rogers knows how to run an Air Raid offense. I hope he's coached up enough to run whatever Barbay has in mind and our o-line and running backs bring it. The Moorhead system really screwed up a good team that had Fitz, those runing backs and that defense

Last year was a good year. I’m just making the point that 2022 was gettable with our schedule. I’m sure the lazy posters will point at the tired narrative that we drew UGA, but the SEC West was down more than any year in the last 15+ seasons.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The Alabama game last season was probably the biggest indicator for me that Leach’s air raid wouldn’t be successful in the SEC. Catching them off giving up 52 points in a loss and we couldn’t score a single point until the last play of the game.

Same thing Mullen always did though. Was like running into a brick wall.

Problem is, we never really saw a true 'up' year from Leach, like he had in 2008 at Texas Tech and 2018 at Wazzou. Maybe it would have been 2023? Maybe it still is?

 

[retire the banner]

Same thing Mullen always did though. Was like running into a brick wall.

Problem is, we never really saw a true 'up' year from Leach, like he had in 2008 at Texas Tech and 2018 at Wazzou. Maybe it would have been 2023? Maybe it still is?

Good point.

Maybe the best way to define the 2022 team: a good year! State fans are pleased. But when you rank the 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2022 9+ win teams I’d rank 2022 last.

To be honest, the 2018 team would probably beat 2022 just because how filthy that defense was.

 

[Podgy]

I'm optimistic we can win 7 this year. 8 would be great especially if one of those is a win over Ole Miss.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Be optimistic

Don't tell me what to do!*

 

[OG Goat Holder]

While we're being optimistic, let's look at the offensive line. Three 23-year old 6th year guys and two 22-year old 5th year guys, with just an incredible amount of starts between them. And let's look at the backups, you have Grant Jackson (4th year guy), Albert Reese (3rd year guy) and Percy Jackson (4th year guy). These guys are generally starters by this time, and the fact that they are the backups?

This could be the best OL we've ever had (thanks COVID).

 

[The Peeper]

I really think we need to evolve that mobile QB to one that can go side to side rather than up the middle

You must be counting on Wright to play a lot this year then because that ain't happening w/ Will

 

[OG Goat Holder]

You must be counting on Wright to play a lot this year then because that ain't happening w/ Will

Going forward I'd really like to see something at MSU that resembles Rich Rod's or Malzahn's offense, with a little more emphasis on the pass. Rather than Mullen's power game. I really think we need to evolve that mobile QB to one that can go side to side rather than up the middle. We won't produce the NFL guys as much, but we'll succeed at the college level.

As in, in future years and future coaches.....

 

[Mobile Bay]

Nah Moorhead doesn't get credit for that 8-4, because that was an 10-11 win team. That was total failure. That team had big time potential, just like say 1980, 1999 or 2000, and 2014.

8-4 last year was much more difficult to come by. And I agree the defense played a big part.

Yeah, that defense Mullen left behind under Morehead turned out to be the #1 defense in the nation. Clemson was #2 and won a natty that year. That's how bad he was coaching our offense.

 

[The Peeper]

As in, in future years and future coaches.....

Then why not say after this season, going forward means from here on as in from game 1 this year. And "future coaches", anticipating post Arnett already before he starts?

 

[Maroon Eagle]

@aTotal360 must be busy. He's not responded to the topic in his inimitable manner.

 

[aTotal360]

@aTotal360 must be busy. He's not responded to the topic in his inimitable manner.

We already know how this ends...

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

I won’t pretend to be an expert on the Barbay offense, but what I have seen from just watching App State tape tells me it can be effective without requiring us to reinvent the wheel. At least I think that’s the case.

I am sure this will be an adjustment for Rogers. But I also don’t think it’s going to be a 2018 Fitz situation where the poor guy looked like he was having to do advanced calculus every snap and every read.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

Well, almost every run play was the same and we didn't really throw far downfield, so any explosive play on our part required a defensive breakdown or our guys to beat multiple defenders.

This. Our run plays were simple pee wee level plays. Zero effort put into developing a real running game.