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Open Letter to Coach Cristobal

Canegrad89 said:
Dear Coach Cristobal,

Like many Canes fans, I'm really encouraged by the tremendous infusion of talent at crucial positions such as OL, DL & LB and the progress made on the field so far this yr. The future looks bright if we continue to stack talent in recruiting & have a really strong yr this yr on the field. With Clemson looking to be down a notch, this yr could be truly special if we win the A&M game & get on a magical run like we had in 2017.

Hopefully expressing the views of most Canes fans when I say that win or lose, I'd love to see us:

(i) throw everything we've got at A&M; and

(ii) put on a great show for recruits (particularly players like Jeremiah Smith) with a really dynamic offense. That will result in major benefits to the program whether we win or lose. Recruits can then come away from the game seeing that the direction of the program is clearly trending upwards and we're only 1-2 missing pieces away from reaching that next level.

With this in mind, things I'd love to see in the game against the Aggies:

1) Take their Big 3 WR out of the game. Yes, their QB is mobile & can hurt us with his legs & they have solid RBs but in my view this game will ultimately come down to our ability to take their Big 3 WR out of the game (especially Stewart & Thomas). Given the length, speed & athleticism of their WR (and the accuracy of Weigman in their opener), this is where they can hurt us the most & quickly. They have a major height advantage over our DBs (except over James Williams) and I believe that could really be problematic. Would love to see some 3-1-7 (similar to what Auburn did in 2019 to beat Joe Burrow & the prolific LSU passing game) or 4-1-6. Yes, you need absolute dogs on the DL to be truly effective in that scheme but we have that (we have guys that can put pressure on the QB whether it's a 3-man or 4-man line). Leonard Taylor will need to channel Jerome Brown & Warren Sapp and have a monster game against the Aggies. This is where he can become a household name, if he brings it for all four quarters. We cannot let Weigman sit back there comfortably & pick us apart. Having watched the opener, I'm also not convinced certain of our DBs can hang with their WRs one-on-one. I think that's asking for trouble. If we have 6-7 DBs back there, we can neutralize by far their biggest offensive weapons & slow down their scoring. It might also allow us to get some INTs without taking risks & giving up big plays. This could really limit the effectiveness of their passing game which looks light years improved under Petrino's guidance.

2) We put serious pressure on them in every phase of the game (starting with special teams). Would love to see our guys with elite speed returning punts & kicks in this game (even if they have to be paired with a dependable set of hands back there). We're leaving a ton of yards out there by not utilizing our blazers back there. That puts a ton of pressure on the offense as even 10 yards gained on returns gives the offense a lot more space to operate. Would also love to see one of our dynamic guys return a kick to the house. Not going to name names here but we've got 3-4 absolute blazers on the roster so let's "unleash the hounds"!! Would also love to see Campbell & some of our other really tall players trying to block FGs with some of our fastest guys coming off the edges. Lastly, loved seeing James Williams making a big play on Special Teams. Let's get more of our starters & young dawgs in on Special Teams so we can suffocate them in every phase of the game.

3) Play to Win. Go for TDs instead of FGs as they will score a lot of points. FGs aren't going to cut it against this year's version of A&M. Go for it on 4th down every time we're on their side of the field (and even on our side of the field if we're down by two scores or more with only a few minutes remaining). With our impressive OL & RBs, the odds of converting those 4th downs will be heavily in our favor. We need to get back to refusing to lose. You need to set the tone & make calls that show your team that losing is totally unacceptable. Nothing says that quite like taking calculated risks in an attempt to win. Many expect us to lose this game (most of our realistic fans & certainly Vegas oddsmakers). So, we should absolutely use every arrow in our quiver in an attempt to pull off the victory. If we fail, most expected that anyway but we can put on one heck of a show doing it (one that fans & recruits alike will greatly appreciate).

4) Go Big. I'd love to see us go big often throughout the season (anywhere on the field but even more so in the red zone). We have a TE room that some NFL teams would be jealous of. We can be an unstoppable force if Arroyo leads the team in targets while frequently playing in sets with Skinner & Williams (split out with Colbie). That would be an incredible match-up nightmare for opponents. I think it would be unstoppable & give TVD four massive targets with huge catch radiuses. I'd also love to see us stretch the field with Harrell & Colbie getting some early deep balls to open up the running game.

5) Kill "Em With Speed. In addition to Special Teams, let's work in some slip screens, reverses, double reverses, or wheel routes to CJ, Harrell, Ray Ray & others. These can be simple plays that get them in space & allow them to blaze at full speed. We didn't really use any of our blazing fast players in the opener. We need to pour it on in every phase of this game.

6) Don't Waste a Down. One down could make the difference between winning & losing this game. Only play the most dependable players. If we're nitpicking, there were some wasted downs on offense in the opener (including from some very promising young players). There will be other games coming up soon where those young talents can cut their teeth & improve their situational awareness. This isn't the game for that. The best players should play regardless of seniority. We need to pull out all the stops to win this game as it could set the program on such a great trajectory.

We will be rooting hard for you on 9/9. Go Canes!!
Click to expand...
Is that all?

Go Canes!
 
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Just thinking about how much an open letter to Billy or Mike would get roasted in a tears thread. This the lamest **** on this website in at least 5 days
 
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jhtheking said:
Actually pretty good points.. Hope someone sends this to coach so he knows to play to win. There are 12 games this year. This is one of those games. I hope Mario is aware.
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If he doesn’t know to play to win by now, we better start garnishing some of that $80 million back.
 
We were very conservative against A&M last yr. I think we were too conservative & played to keep it close…which likely cost us any chance of a win. That’s a big part of why we ended up with three FG & only 9 points despite playing fairly well. I’d love to see us pull out all the stops to actually win…not keep it close.

Yes, Jeremiah Smith is currently committed to OSU but if we put together a really solid or great yr then there’s potential to flip him before signing day. Miami will certainly continue to recruit him hard until he signs. Some people that watch recruiting closely have said there’s still potential for a flip but we need to show a compelling product on the field. It will resonate much better with all of our recruits than an overly conservative game plan.

Many posters on here have said we need to use our TEs more. Yes, some of them are relatively young but they are very talented, big targets & present matchup nightmares for opponents. It would be great to see some of them split out & paired with Colbie in the red zone much more often. That would be very hard for shorter DBs to defend. Didn’t see it in the first game (although I recognize that they didn’t want to rush Arroyo back for that first game). Would love to see it going forward. Very few teams could stop that (if Skinner really asserts himself & becomes more consistent — which I think he will). We have some freak athletes like him so we need to use them heavily.

Lastly, a 3-1-7 like Auburn used to beat Joe Burrow & that prolific LSU passing attack may be needed to take A&Ms tall & athletic WRs out of the game. Not sure we can stop them with in a more typical scheme. This could make a huge difference & give us a real chance to win as their WRs appear to be by far the best weapons on their offense (which came out of the gates firing in their opener).
 
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Hi, this is Mario. I appreciate you taking the time to send these words. We are going to review them during our staff meeting after practice today.

Please note how kind I was to you in my response, and take me off your kill list for when you snap
 
Canegrad89 said:
Dear Coach Cristobal,

Like many Canes fans, I'm really encouraged by the tremendous infusion of talent at crucial positions such as OL, DL & LB and the progress made on the field so far this yr. The future looks bright if we continue to stack talent in recruiting & have a really strong yr this yr on the field. With Clemson looking to be down a notch, this yr could be truly special if we win the A&M game & get on a magical run like we had in 2017.

Hopefully expressing the views of most Canes fans when I say that win or lose, I'd love to see us:

(i) throw everything we've got at A&M; and

(ii) put on a great show for recruits (particularly players like Jeremiah Smith) with a really dynamic offense. That will result in major benefits to the program whether we win or lose. Recruits can then come away from the game seeing that the direction of the program is clearly trending upwards and we're only 1-2 missing pieces away from reaching that next level.

With this in mind, things I'd love to see in the game against the Aggies:

1) Take their Big 3 WR out of the game. Yes, their QB is mobile & can hurt us with his legs & they have solid RBs but in my view this game will ultimately come down to our ability to take their Big 3 WR out of the game (especially Stewart & Thomas). Given the length, speed & athleticism of their WR (and the accuracy of Weigman in their opener), this is where they can hurt us the most & quickly. They have a major height advantage over our DBs (except over James Williams) and I believe that could really be problematic. Would love to see some 3-1-7 (similar to what Auburn did in 2019 to beat Joe Burrow & the prolific LSU passing game) or 4-1-6. Yes, you need absolute dogs on the DL to be truly effective in that scheme but we have that (we have guys that can put pressure on the QB whether it's a 3-man or 4-man line). Leonard Taylor will need to channel Jerome Brown & Warren Sapp and have a monster game against the Aggies. This is where he can become a household name, if he brings it for all four quarters. We cannot let Weigman sit back there comfortably & pick us apart. Having watched the opener, I'm also not convinced certain of our DBs can hang with their WRs one-on-one. I think that's asking for trouble. If we have 6-7 DBs back there, we can neutralize by far their biggest offensive weapons & slow down their scoring. It might also allow us to get some INTs without taking risks & giving up big plays. This could really limit the effectiveness of their passing game which looks light years improved under Petrino's guidance.

2) We put serious pressure on them in every phase of the game (starting with special teams). Would love to see our guys with elite speed returning punts & kicks in this game (even if they have to be paired with a dependable set of hands back there). We're leaving a ton of yards out there by not utilizing our blazers back there. That puts a ton of pressure on the offense as even 10 yards gained on returns gives the offense a lot more space to operate. Would also love to see one of our dynamic guys return a kick to the house. Not going to name names here but we've got 3-4 absolute blazers on the roster so let's "unleash the hounds"!! Would also love to see Campbell & some of our other really tall players trying to block FGs with some of our fastest guys coming off the edges. Lastly, loved seeing James Williams making a big play on Special Teams. Let's get more of our starters & young dawgs in on Special Teams so we can suffocate them in every phase of the game.

3) Play to Win. Go for TDs instead of FGs as they will score a lot of points. FGs aren't going to cut it against this year's version of A&M. Go for it on 4th down every time we're on their side of the field (and even on our side of the field if we're down by two scores or more with only a few minutes remaining). With our impressive OL & RBs, the odds of converting those 4th downs will be heavily in our favor. We need to get back to refusing to lose. You need to set the tone & make calls that show your team that losing is totally unacceptable. Nothing says that quite like taking calculated risks in an attempt to win. Many expect us to lose this game (most of our realistic fans & certainly Vegas oddsmakers). So, we should absolutely use every arrow in our quiver in an attempt to pull off the victory. If we fail, most expected that anyway but we can put on one heck of a show doing it (one that fans & recruits alike will greatly appreciate).

4) Go Big. I'd love to see us go big often throughout the season (anywhere on the field but even more so in the red zone). We have a TE room that some NFL teams would be jealous of. We can be an unstoppable force if Arroyo leads the team in targets while frequently playing in sets with Skinner & Williams (split out with Colbie). That would be an incredible match-up nightmare for opponents. I think it would be unstoppable & give TVD four massive targets with huge catch radiuses. I'd also love to see us stretch the field with Harrell & Colbie getting some early deep balls to open up the running game.

5) Kill "Em With Speed. In addition to Special Teams, let's work in some slip screens, reverses, double reverses, or wheel routes to CJ, Harrell, Ray Ray & others. These can be simple plays that get them in space & allow them to blaze at full speed. We didn't really use any of our blazing fast players in the opener. We need to pour it on in every phase of this game.

6) Don't Waste a Down. One down could make the difference between winning & losing this game. Only play the most dependable players. If we're nitpicking, there were some wasted downs on offense in the opener (including from some very promising young players). There will be other games coming up soon where those young talents can cut their teeth & improve their situational awareness. This isn't the game for that. The best players should play regardless of seniority. We need to pull out all the stops to win this game as it could set the program on such a great trajectory.

We will be rooting hard for you on 9/9. Go Canes!!
Click to expand...
Should've went with "Dearest"
 
Seriously need some TE seam routes. I'd throw that skinny butted Skinner or Jackson Carver in there and run them up the seam and sling it. Noboody gon be lookin for dat.
aint nobody got time for that GIF
 
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