Did any coach do a good job? Perhaps the RBs, but EVERY group underperformed. This is a huge disappointment and a bad indicator for Wilcox when you consider:
- this is HIS program
- this is his staff
- his players, who have bulked up
- it was a home game
- to what should be an inferior program
- over a year to improve
There’s not much more he could have asked for, and yet, we shit the bed!
I thought the DL played a good game. The four man fronts didn't get much pressure on the QB but did a nice job defending the run. So RB & DL got good marks, IMO.
One thing I noticed about Garbers in those clips and other plays is he doesn’t seem to step into his throws or step up into the pocket. It almost seems like he is just throwing off his back foot and just using his arm strength and not using his hips to help generate velocity on his throws.
Gawd that play in #1 & 2 is weak, weak, weak. By dragging out the RB the LB crosses right in front of both receivers thereby taking away any hope of a quick slant completion. More likely it will be an INT. To keep those windows open don't drag out the RB. If you don't believe me go look at the tape. So this play effectively rules out one side of the field.
Also, when I reviewed the game it was appalling how many times we run routes where the receiver turns and faces the QB. Hard to get YACs when your back is to the defense!!
The design of the play is to focus on the y-hook side. It really is a 1 read quick hitter. I don't really worry the conflict of windows on the double slant side.
with all due respect Piotr, I played and coached the game for many years and know a bad play when I see it. If the defense comes up to play bump coverage and takes away the route and timing the QB will look elsewhere. In this instant case it would be to the 2 slant routes that are conveniently both covered by a single LB. Frankly given it was the first game of the year I suspect they wanted to show it on film knowing they have different route concepts/trees to use later in the season. Or at least I can wish that to have been the case. Even when they went for y-hook it has to be quick and accurate. CG overthrew (as in too fast and too hard, not too high) the ball causing poor placement. Given how poorly this play worked, perhaps we won't see as often in future games.
Patriots ran this exact concept in 2014 to perfection so yes the concept is from the 80s, nearly everything is that old (McVay was cribbing from the single wing playbook in 2018).
This is useful as I don't track these patterns during the game. Clearly, Garbers missed a lot of throws, but we also had poor receiver play. My biggest question was the seeming total absence of balls to the Tight Ends. After all we heard about TE's, and the studs we have, why can't we do what Reno did and use them in the middle of the field all day?
PFF had Tonges on passing patterns throughout the game (35 as many as Nikko had during the game). I think it has to do with the fact that most of those routes were in the short area where the LBs had him covered throughout the game.
Yup. There was a mishap. 100% me. Well try to get to one this week but if not it’ll be there next week. But of course that’ll be part of our paid content.
In attempt #2, it looks to me like Nikko has possesion but the ball is knocked loose, hence a fumble. Since the ball went out of bounds, I would have thought Cal maintains possession.
Ironically, when I saw the play live I instantly thought of the Oregon fumble that went our way last year. Catch, turn & go, fumble. I guess it's truly one of those 50-50 calls.
1) The passing attack had to adapt to the poor level of OL pass protection, especially when dealing with speed rushes on the edges and tackle stunts in the middle. Can't go deep when you're on your back. This screwed with Chase's clock a bit as well.
2) Yeah, there were moments when a combination on the backside of Chase's 1st read had a possibility of being open (double post with slot receiver drawing the safety his way).
Rushing attack in retrospect depended highly on power runs with 2 TEs or Aiden Lee at WR/TE spot. There were a handful of great zone runs but most of the big or consistent gains were on man blocks/power runs
There was a sequence where we ran power with 1 TE, it was out of shotgun with Tonges attached to the line but off the LOS. The line blocks forward with Tonges stepping inside and acting like a fullback to take on a LB for a big Moore run.
Otherwise in Q4 the offense lined up in singleback pair twins with two TEs next to each other on the LOS blocking down.
Did any coach do a good job? Perhaps the RBs, but EVERY group underperformed. This is a huge disappointment and a bad indicator for Wilcox when you consider:
- this is HIS program
- this is his staff
- his players, who have bulked up
- it was a home game
- to what should be an inferior program
- over a year to improve
There’s not much more he could have asked for, and yet, we shit the bed!
I thought the DL played a good game. The four man fronts didn't get much pressure on the QB but did a nice job defending the run. So RB & DL got good marks, IMO.
Respectfully, I thought they held the line well, but not nearly enough pressure on the QB for a Pac-12 team against Nevada.
One thing I noticed about Garbers in those clips and other plays is he doesn’t seem to step into his throws or step up into the pocket. It almost seems like he is just throwing off his back foot and just using his arm strength and not using his hips to help generate velocity on his throws.
Rough game for Garbers yikes
Gawd that play in #1 & 2 is weak, weak, weak. By dragging out the RB the LB crosses right in front of both receivers thereby taking away any hope of a quick slant completion. More likely it will be an INT. To keep those windows open don't drag out the RB. If you don't believe me go look at the tape. So this play effectively rules out one side of the field.
Also, when I reviewed the game it was appalling how many times we run routes where the receiver turns and faces the QB. Hard to get YACs when your back is to the defense!!
Houston we have a problem.
The design of the play is to focus on the y-hook side. It really is a 1 read quick hitter. I don't really worry the conflict of windows on the double slant side.
with all due respect Piotr, I played and coached the game for many years and know a bad play when I see it. If the defense comes up to play bump coverage and takes away the route and timing the QB will look elsewhere. In this instant case it would be to the 2 slant routes that are conveniently both covered by a single LB. Frankly given it was the first game of the year I suspect they wanted to show it on film knowing they have different route concepts/trees to use later in the season. Or at least I can wish that to have been the case. Even when they went for y-hook it has to be quick and accurate. CG overthrew (as in too fast and too hard, not too high) the ball causing poor placement. Given how poorly this play worked, perhaps we won't see as often in future games.
It’s like we are running a pro style offense with the passing game from the 80s.
Patriots ran this exact concept in 2014 to perfection so yes the concept is from the 80s, nearly everything is that old (McVay was cribbing from the single wing playbook in 2018).
https://blogs.usafootball.com/blog/6416/how-tom-brady-and-the-new-england-patriots-found-completions-using-the-y-hook-tosser-concept
So Cal is not the Patriots yet but soon will be. Note this diagram does not have an RB at all thereby allowing the option for the 2 slants, if needed.
Combination of easy-to-predict plays on 3rd down and lack of execution by both QB and receivers. Gotta change this by Saturday.
All three of those incompletions were really painful. Poor execution can snowball on you.
This is useful as I don't track these patterns during the game. Clearly, Garbers missed a lot of throws, but we also had poor receiver play. My biggest question was the seeming total absence of balls to the Tight Ends. After all we heard about TE's, and the studs we have, why can't we do what Reno did and use them in the middle of the field all day?
PFF had Tonges on passing patterns throughout the game (35 as many as Nikko had during the game). I think it has to do with the fact that most of those routes were in the short area where the LBs had him covered throughout the game.
Speaking of PFF, will that be a weekly report here?
Yup. There was a mishap. 100% me. Well try to get to one this week but if not it’ll be there next week. But of course that’ll be part of our paid content.
In attempt #2, it looks to me like Nikko has possesion but the ball is knocked loose, hence a fumble. Since the ball went out of bounds, I would have thought Cal maintains possession.
From the looks of it, per officials he didn't complete "a football move" so he never had full possession of the ball to make it a fumble.
Ironically, when I saw the play live I instantly thought of the Oregon fumble that went our way last year. Catch, turn & go, fumble. I guess it's truly one of those 50-50 calls.
What I thought as well.
1) The passing attack had to adapt to the poor level of OL pass protection, especially when dealing with speed rushes on the edges and tackle stunts in the middle. Can't go deep when you're on your back. This screwed with Chase's clock a bit as well.
2) Yeah, there were moments when a combination on the backside of Chase's 1st read had a possibility of being open (double post with slot receiver drawing the safety his way).
Rushing attack in retrospect depended highly on power runs with 2 TEs or Aiden Lee at WR/TE spot. There were a handful of great zone runs but most of the big or consistent gains were on man blocks/power runs
There was a sequence where we ran power with 1 TE, it was out of shotgun with Tonges attached to the line but off the LOS. The line blocks forward with Tonges stepping inside and acting like a fullback to take on a LB for a big Moore run.
Otherwise in Q4 the offense lined up in singleback pair twins with two TEs next to each other on the LOS blocking down.