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CanesFan20 said:


Nah that deep ball was a dime, that's a NFL big boy throw right there, 60 yards on the money.
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The wind wasn’t ripping at 30mph the entire game.

Maybe it was dialed down that play and he got lucky.

On the flip side, Beck’s passes looked better on that opening drive coming out of the half. Maybe it was only at 10mph or something that drive. Who knows?
 
PhenomCane said:
I think Marty was hurt, which is why we never saw him.
My working hypothesis is that these mid-tier ACC teams know they can't match up in the trenches, so they have to sell out to not get bullied in the run game, especially on those duo runs and inside zone runs. That's why we had to be creative in the pass game and RPO game. Dawson repeatedly made FSU pay for selling out to stop the inside runs.

Teams with more talented fronts trust their guys to win the battle in the trenches vs us. In that case you have to force them to sell out first to open up the creative pass game, which Dawson didn't do until the final drive, despite our line opening up holes bigger than Abella Danger's.

Elko even said after the game they lost the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Either way, you have to force the D out of their initial game plan.
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Everyone should read this post. 100% on point with his analysis.
 
Trafficante said:
He's simply never been an elite OC at any pt in his career. He's only benefiting from a top 10 offensive line, the most expensive portal QBs, and solid to good skill position players. If u take that away, he's nothing more than a middle of the road, journeymen OC.

He lacks any kind of feel for calling plays, and his gameplans have been questionable on numerous occasions throughout his tenure. Coming up with that gameplan & script of plays despite having over 2 weeks to prepare, is just inexcusable. An overreliance on trick plays is never a sign of creativity; its a sign of desperation. Regardless, they're more or less ineffective against fundamentally sound defenses like that of TAMU, OSU, UGA, IU, & TT anyway. This man literally called a fake reverse, without even running a reverse prior to it🤦‍♂️

There's simply no justification for choosing not to establish the running game in the 1st half while playing in a hostile environment, with windy conditions, & against a team with a porous run defense. This team would've fared better offensively even if the gameplan was to predictably run inside zone, & gap runs the entire 1st half. Ultimately, he made it more difficult for his own QB & defense, & in normal circumstances should have costed this team a win.

If this team does not win a NC this yr, Dawson is going to be the primary reason for why it didn't happen. Yes, MC's game management is absolutely horrendous, & reared its ugly head again yesterday right before the half & on the final drive of the game, but if Dawson's playcalling was better this game could've been a convincing win & his game management woes wouldn't have even come in question.
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I whole-heartedly agree. I've never been a fan of Shannon Dawson as an offensive coordinator. I've wanted us to upgrade for a couple years now. He rarely schemes guys open and relies too heavily on trickeration.

I recommend reading @PhenomCane's post #158 below. Dawson's gimmicky **** works against mid-level ACC defenses but is worthless against top caliber teams.
 
SFbayCane said:
I whole-heartedly agree. I've never been a fan of Shannon Dawson as an offensive coordinator. I've wanted us to upgrade for a couple years now. He rarely schemes guys open and relies too heavily on trickeration.

I recommend reading @PhenomCane's post #158 below. Dawson's gimmicky **** works against mid-level ACC defenses but is worthless against top caliber teams.
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I did hear something today that made me think. Showing the gimmicky **** and all the window dressing gives teams more to prepare for. Texas A&M was ready for the wide open spread gimmicky plays, but couldn't stop the caveman offense running the ball down their throats. Maybe we need to be able to play both styles depending on how defenses approach what they try to take away.
 
SFbayCane said:
I wanted way more running plays.

But to the greater point, we did not play Brown and Pringle only got one carry and one play in the game. Is that Mario's plan for the rest of the playoff? Use Fletcher only? If he was too conservative to allow Pringle to play today, is he going to use him next game against Ohio State?

This didnt make sense to me. Brown's skillset was perfect for today's game. Both he and Pringle should have gotten some touches.
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Brown doesn't do that on Miamis last drive what fletcher did. That's why mark got the snaps
 
Sugarcane521 said:
It's hard to run sideline to sideline on that defense but it does set up for other play action stuff. Just seemed like it was being called too much or at the wrong times. They call on the touchdown was set up perfectly bc we gashed them between the tackles to get down there
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Do we agree with this list of Successful NCAA football OC qualities?


1. System Adaptability (Players > Playbook)

The best OCs don’t force “their” offense—they fit the scheme to the roster.


Can run spread, tempo, pro-style, RPO, or option concepts as needed

Willing to change week-to-week and even drive-to-drive

Adjusts to injuries without the offense collapsing


Red flag: “This is my system—players have to adapt.”

2. Quarterback Development

In college football, this is everything.

A great OC:
  • Simplifies reads early, layers complexity later
  • Builds confidence, not paralysis
  • Develops backup QBs so the season doesn’t end with one injury

If your QB is better in November than September, the OC is doing their job.

3. Teaching & Communication

You can have elite concepts—but if players don’t understand them, it’s useless.

Top OCs:
  • Explain why a play works, not just what to do
  • Teach protections clearly (huge at the college level)
  • Can coach freshmen and transfers equally well
College ≠ NFL — teaching matters more than genius.

4. Game Planning & Weekly Adjustments

Saturday success is earned Monday–Friday.

A strong OC:
  • Builds a clear weekly identity (what we will hang our hat on this game)
  • Attacks defensive weaknesses, not reputations
  • Has scripted plays and counters ready

Great OCs win chess matches before kickoff.

5. In-Game Feel (Play-Calling Instincts)

This is the separator between “good” and “elite.”

They:
  • Sense defensive panic or fatigue
  • Know when to slow down vs. step on the gas
  • Call plays that protect momentum and field position

Not just creative—situationally ruthless.

6. Recruiting Alignment

In college, your scheme must recruit itself.

Elite OCs:
  • Know what traits they need at each position
  • Can sell their offense to high school coaches and recruits
  • Develop 3-stars into NFL guys (or portal wins)

An OC whose offense produces numbers and draft picks is gold.

7. Collaboration & Ego Control

The best offenses are staff-wide efforts.

They:
  • Work with the head coach’s vision
  • Coordinate protection with OL coach
  • Adjust philosophy based on defensive needs
Big ego = short tenure.

8. Analytics + Old-School Feel

The modern OC blends both.
  • Uses analytics for 4th downs, tempo, tendencies
  • Still trusts feel, rhythm, and player confidence
  • Understands when numbers help—and when they don’t
9. Discipline & Efficiency

Flash is nice. Efficiency wins.

Strong offenses:
  • Avoid procedural penalties
  • Finish drives (red zone efficiency)
  • Protect the football

Explosive and dependable beats explosive-only every time.

10. Leadership & Accountability

Players should believe in the OC.

That means:
  • Taking blame publicly
  • Demanding execution privately
  • Holding stars and backups to the same standard
Players run harder for coaches they respect.
 
What's disappointing is not running the same play, 100 times with the variations it could've had.

First drive. Bauman lines up in front of Beck. Then does this subtle motion left but stay behind T/G.
Post snap, Bauman goes right, Beck hands it to Fletcher going left.

12 yards. First down.

Dawson could've ran this play over and over and over again with changing what Bauman and Fletcher were doing post snap. And it would've worked every time.
 
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PhenomCane said:
I did hear something today that made me think. Showing the gimmicky **** and all the window dressing gives teams more to prepare for. Texas A&M was ready for the wide open spread gimmicky plays, but couldn't stop the caveman offense running the ball down their throats. Maybe we need to be able to play both styles depending on how defenses approach what they try to take away.
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As you noted, having those two styles are needed for the different calibers of defenses we face. That said, it would be good for Dawson to be able to incorporate something in-between caveman and super tricky stuff. We rarely see a nice wrinkle or a nicely schemed series of plays. I wonder if Dawson ever does any continuing Ed stuff in the offseason; Going and visiting with NFL OC's, etc.

For me, good DC's always want to take away your best weapon. We knew Elko mentioned Toney several times in the week leading up. I would have thought Dawson would have used Toney as a decoy early on then saved the Mali-Cat package for later on. Instead, he used it in the first two series with zero production.
 
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