Great research by CL Beat writer...

[dawgstudent]

[TWEET]1440319308274356224[/TWEET]

 

[Ralph Cramden]

I keep thinking this offense is about to break out. I think as soon as Will starts stretching the field regularly it will open up. Make the defense cover more field. It kills me when they play from behind like that 2 play drive. You can't convince me that isn't there all game

 

[MSUDC11]

Short throws are fine if you are getting solid yards after catch. I don't think YAC is maintained as an official stat for college football, but I would imagine our numbers in that regard are not very good.

It's simply time to force the issue more. Leach has acknowledged that multiple times since the game on Saturday so hopefully that is an adjustment that gets made, and fast.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I'd love to see the stat lines for Washington State and Texas Tech when Leach was coaching them.

I don't like that there are so many passes behind the line of scrimmage but an over 4 yard average gain per attempt isn't bad.

Obviously, I wouldn't mind seeing some more deep passes if there are open receivers.

 

[Cooterpoot]

Something like 75-80% of our passes are less than 10 yards. That's horrific!

 

[patdog]

What that tells me is the defenses are absolutely giving us anything deep.

 

[thatsbaseball]

With our SOS....that's pretty bad.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

What ever do you mean? Rogers threw for 416 yards and 4TD's against the Tigers last week. Memphis held the previous two quarterbacks they played to 276 yards and 1 TD and 306 yards and 4 TD's respectively...

Of course they both played in the same game for Arkansas State who hung 50 on em'.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

We have more total yards on our 9 attempts of 20+ yards than we do on our 46 attempts behind the line of scrimmage. Throw the 17ing ball down the field. The plays are right there to be made, as evidenced by the fact that we complete the pass just about every time we actually try.

Right now defenses have zero respect for the deep ball, so they only have to defend 10-15 yards in front of the LOS… Which is why our backs get lit up as soon as they catch it and our receivers get no YAC.

Stretch the field and everything else starts to open up.

 

[Go Budaw]

Numbers back up what our eyes are clearly seeing.

Throws of 10+ yards are being completed at a 66% clip (25 / 38)8 for 496 yards). 13.05 YPA

Throws of less than 10 yards are being completed at an 83% clip (97 / 117 for only 587 yards). 5.02 YPA.

Almost the same yardage on 10+ yard attempts as < 10 yard attempts, on one third of the attempts.

If the QB simply recognizes the open guys down field more often, everyone feels differently about this whole situation. I think we should start tracking if the aDOT changes for Rogers going forward.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I keep thinking this offense is about to break out. I think as soon as Will starts stretching the field regularly it will open up. Make the defense cover more field. It kills me when they play from behind like that 2 play drive. You can't convince me that isn't there all game

Been waiting a while on this, I'm beginning to think Will is a his ceiling.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

Not likely

he hasn't even played a full season of college football as of this week. Most SEC QB's need three years of development.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I categorize passes behind the line of scrimmage = our running game. For those that say we don't have one, this is it. Not saying it's healthy, just that is what it is, I believe.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

So we weren't seeing things in the LA Tech and Memphis games - when he lets his hands go he's deadly with the long ball. I have real hope things are going to slow down for him and he'll get more willing to let those fly. My sense is that was his progression last year but I haven't looked at any data to back that up.

 

[Misfit]

Unlike last year, there have been open receivers this season. Will is a freshman who is still learning how to stand in the pocket and go through the progressions. Fans are seeing open receivers across the field when Will checks down to the RB and screaming he is afraid to make that throw, or worse, lacks the arm strength to make that throw, when the fact is, he never saw that open receiver.

 

[archdog]

Short throws are fine if you are getting solid yards after catch. I don't think YAC is maintained as an official stat for college football, but I would imagine our numbers in that regard are not very good.

It's simply time to force the issue more. Leach has acknowledged that multiple times since the game on Saturday so hopefully that is an adjustment that gets made, and fast.

YAC is great when the deeper defensive guys have to respect 45 yards from the line of scrimmage. When 95% of your throws is within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, those RBs and WR screens get 17n blown up.

We need the run and gun style, not the small little 5 yard Air Raid.

 

[8dog]

A back out in the flat doesnt bring extra people into the box or get LBs and Safeties trying to jump the run to open up routes or force teams into man coverage or wear down the opponents DLine. Its just nothing like a run game. Its just a 5th receiver that none of the 8 guys have to really cover because they have speed to react to the throw.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I categorize passes behind the line of scrimmage = our running game. For those that say we don't have one, this is it. Not saying it's healthy, just that is what it is, I believe.

I think I agree with you. This is the response to folks who say “Run the 17ing Ball!”

The weird thing about this is that with so many people hating the passes behind the line of scrimmage and saying that there should be more deep passes then it oddly means that more and more folks don’t want State to run the football…

 

[FreeDawg]

Been waiting a while on this, I'm beginning to think Will is a his ceiling.

9 starts. 9

 

[047Dog]

It was evident this was coming if you watched the spring game and everybody just blew it off.

While Abraham was throwing downfield to our new receivers Will was holding the ball for 5 seconds in the pocket and dumping it off to Marks.

If he’s still doing the same thing thru spring, fall practice and 3 games into the season what gives people confidence that all of a sudden he’s going to change? I see an alarming trend that shows no sign of getting better.

 

[Smoked Toag]

It was evident this was coming if you watched the spring game and everybody just blew it off.

While Abraham was throwing downfield to our new receivers Will was holding the ball for 5 seconds in the pocket and dumping it off to Marks.

If he’s still doing the same thing thru spring, fall practice and 3 games into the season what gives people confidence that all of a sudden he’s going to change? I see an alarming trend that shows no sign of getting better.

I wasn't there but heard others with the same opinion of the spring game. I tend to think it's something that can be corrected, myself. Likely with age and maturity, and confidence.

 

[8dog]

I didnt see most of it and I know Spring Games can be different but Abrahams stat line form that game is pretty brutal. I did see some of Rogers and it was about what we see now.

 

[PirateDawg]

My favorite play against Memphis even though it didn't net major yards was the pump fake to the right receiver which freed up another receiver down field that Rogers hit for a first down. I'm fine with the line of scrimmage throws as long as he starts pump faking them and then goes down field. If freezes the LBs and CBs just long enough to open up another receiver. If you do it enough the scrimmage receiver will gain more yards.

 

[Seinfeld]

Not trying to pile on to the kid, but pocket presence is an issue too. There are multiple times each game when alarm bells should be ringing in his head, but they’re just not. Holding the ball too long combined with this lack of awareness is a dangerous thing.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

need to up the tempo. That's when the offense moves. That'ss how the Briles made this offense sing. They also ran it a little more and got more creative with it. Leach's same slow 10 plays over and over again is like Croom just throwing it.

 

[8dog]

Not going fast at times- especially when you are generally at a talent disadvantage- is one of the worst things a team can do