Canegrad89
Recruit
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2017
- Messages
- 1,149
We lost to FSU for many reasons but lack of discipline, poor tackling & a ton of dumb penalties in the 1st half really dug us a huge hole. Handing a 17-0 lead to FSU (on the road) shows a total lack of discipline & a culture that needs to be fixed. This issue has plagued us for far too long & the coaches need to re-assess the repercussions for dumb penalties & poor tackling or we'll stay mired in this sub-standard state.
Harley has played hard after the 1st half of last year, but c'mon man fight for the ball in a big rivalry game. FSU is a shell of its former self (dumpster fire at times) but they came to play. Unlike the past (where we always had the mental edge & found ways to win when both teams were stout), we handed them this win.
The team fought hard to come back from a large deficit & deserves props for that but then...
Some key decisions:
4th & 1 on our penultimate offensive possession. Put in Thad Franklin (tell him to unleash the beast) & go for it. Studies have shown repeatedly that the odds are in your favor. I can accept that we punted in this situation but you likely cement the win if you go for it here.
4th & 14: play man not zone. We don't have highly experienced DBs (and 1-2 of them may not have the highest football IQs) so put them in man instead of zone. Simplify things & take thinking out of the equation & let them win or lose based on athletic ability & desire. One of our DBs was caught flat-footed, moved slowly & left their WR wide open trying to play a zone coverage concept that he likely doesn't understand. If that's the case, just try to blanket their WR one-on-one & let their athletic ability take over. Simplify things so thinking & communication don't dictate the outcome.
4th & 1 on their last possession. Take 1 TO & let them score quickly. Unrealistic to think our DL was going to stop them 4 times from 1 yard out. This DL is average at best. How could they possibly think that was going to work? Leave some time on the clock for your offense to score a TD or a game-tying FG....mind-numbing decision (which was discussed by the coaches according to Manny).
Fixing the Program:
1) Change the Admin in the Hecht Pronto: It's amazing to me that this mediocrity has been accepted for so long. BJ & JS have no idea what elite Miami sports (especially football) look like. They are better suited to small D2 or D3 type schools. It's amazing that these super mediocre results have been accepted for this long. It's totally unacceptable and change needs to start at the top. Football's record under BJ & JS has been really poor. Bring in a new AD (like Alonzo) & let's get serious about restoring one of the most special teams in all of sports.
2) Hire a New Head Coach: I really wanted Manny to succeed but I'm concerned about the current recruiting class & the impact that will have for years to come. If you can hire someone like Mario, do it fast & finish this recruiting cycle strong. Every day that passes makes salvaging recruiting that much less likely.
3) Recruiting: can't remember the last time we had a DL that can't apply any pressure. We also desperately need a serious infusion of talent at LB. OL & CB recruiting needs to be stout too. Nothing is more important than recruiting in CFB due to the limited time coaches have to work with players. We're feeling the impact now of Manny not hiring enough ace recruiters on his staff from the outset. His initial coaching hires were woefully deficient at recruiting. Except for a few highly talented young guys, the cupboard is pretty bare at DL and LB. With other top schools having vacancies, we'll likely suffer a hit in recruiting this year unless a splash hire is made fast. Wait & we may have fairly slim HC options available to us. Under any scenario, got to find a way to salvage this recruiting class or it will set us back again. Admin needs to make a bold & prudent decision fast so we can pair quality DL, LB & CB talent with Leonard Taylor, #33 and our talented young safeties.
4) Practice (Complete Overhaul): no more Country Club atmosphere. Manny needs to sit with Tyrique & learn what UGA is doing differently in practice. Yes, there are NCAA rules limiting contact etc but Rique has said that there was way more hitting at UGA. You can see it in the way he plays. He plays tough, hard-nosed football & is not afraid of contact. Let's get back to practice being seriously hard. When you watch videos of WR going through drills now, it doesn't seem to matter if they drop the ball etc. Just laugh it off & go to the back of the line. That's got to change. The toughest bosses out there (like Nick Satan) are often the most successful. It's unfortunate but the most successful bosses are often highly demanding a@@holes (but in a fairly stealth way). Manny is probably too "nice" of a guy. What I'd like to see is:
(A) Tackling becoming a staple of practice. Real, live tackling. Give them mats & Mypillows if you have to, but let's learn to form tackle (rugby style like Pete Carroll teaches in the NFL) and make this a point of emphasis in this program. Incorporate the "Oklahoma Drill" or "Middle Drill". Watch video of great tacklers. Discuss technique in meetings. Do whatever you need to do (within the bounds of current NCAA rules) to drastically improve tackling.
(B) Drastically Reduce Penalties. Been an issue for far too long. Crazy to continuously shoot yourself in the foot. There have to be more serious consequences for players that incur dumb penalties. Reducing PT for players that repeatedly incur penalties would likely be the biggest deterrent but that's tough when your 2nd team guys are likely quite a bit less talented. Making entire units run hard after penalties might be an answer & help keep players accountable. Tracking penalties by player & posting the results might be a "tough love" approach. We've got to do something to rid this program of this blight because it costs us so many games every year. Make it a source of team pride to play smart & limit penalties. Suggestions?
(C) More Scrimmaging/Live Practice. Particularly leading up to the season...but even during the season. Condition the body to hit & be hit. It will adjust & be better prepared for contact in games. Schnelly & JJ never seemed to have too many injuries to field highly competitive teams. Work within NCAA rules for sure but don't let the team become soft as a result. Other programs like Baga & UGA have figured it out. We need toughness back in this program.
Your thoughts?
Harley has played hard after the 1st half of last year, but c'mon man fight for the ball in a big rivalry game. FSU is a shell of its former self (dumpster fire at times) but they came to play. Unlike the past (where we always had the mental edge & found ways to win when both teams were stout), we handed them this win.
The team fought hard to come back from a large deficit & deserves props for that but then...
Some key decisions:
4th & 1 on our penultimate offensive possession. Put in Thad Franklin (tell him to unleash the beast) & go for it. Studies have shown repeatedly that the odds are in your favor. I can accept that we punted in this situation but you likely cement the win if you go for it here.
4th & 14: play man not zone. We don't have highly experienced DBs (and 1-2 of them may not have the highest football IQs) so put them in man instead of zone. Simplify things & take thinking out of the equation & let them win or lose based on athletic ability & desire. One of our DBs was caught flat-footed, moved slowly & left their WR wide open trying to play a zone coverage concept that he likely doesn't understand. If that's the case, just try to blanket their WR one-on-one & let their athletic ability take over. Simplify things so thinking & communication don't dictate the outcome.
4th & 1 on their last possession. Take 1 TO & let them score quickly. Unrealistic to think our DL was going to stop them 4 times from 1 yard out. This DL is average at best. How could they possibly think that was going to work? Leave some time on the clock for your offense to score a TD or a game-tying FG....mind-numbing decision (which was discussed by the coaches according to Manny).
Fixing the Program:
1) Change the Admin in the Hecht Pronto: It's amazing to me that this mediocrity has been accepted for so long. BJ & JS have no idea what elite Miami sports (especially football) look like. They are better suited to small D2 or D3 type schools. It's amazing that these super mediocre results have been accepted for this long. It's totally unacceptable and change needs to start at the top. Football's record under BJ & JS has been really poor. Bring in a new AD (like Alonzo) & let's get serious about restoring one of the most special teams in all of sports.
2) Hire a New Head Coach: I really wanted Manny to succeed but I'm concerned about the current recruiting class & the impact that will have for years to come. If you can hire someone like Mario, do it fast & finish this recruiting cycle strong. Every day that passes makes salvaging recruiting that much less likely.
3) Recruiting: can't remember the last time we had a DL that can't apply any pressure. We also desperately need a serious infusion of talent at LB. OL & CB recruiting needs to be stout too. Nothing is more important than recruiting in CFB due to the limited time coaches have to work with players. We're feeling the impact now of Manny not hiring enough ace recruiters on his staff from the outset. His initial coaching hires were woefully deficient at recruiting. Except for a few highly talented young guys, the cupboard is pretty bare at DL and LB. With other top schools having vacancies, we'll likely suffer a hit in recruiting this year unless a splash hire is made fast. Wait & we may have fairly slim HC options available to us. Under any scenario, got to find a way to salvage this recruiting class or it will set us back again. Admin needs to make a bold & prudent decision fast so we can pair quality DL, LB & CB talent with Leonard Taylor, #33 and our talented young safeties.
4) Practice (Complete Overhaul): no more Country Club atmosphere. Manny needs to sit with Tyrique & learn what UGA is doing differently in practice. Yes, there are NCAA rules limiting contact etc but Rique has said that there was way more hitting at UGA. You can see it in the way he plays. He plays tough, hard-nosed football & is not afraid of contact. Let's get back to practice being seriously hard. When you watch videos of WR going through drills now, it doesn't seem to matter if they drop the ball etc. Just laugh it off & go to the back of the line. That's got to change. The toughest bosses out there (like Nick Satan) are often the most successful. It's unfortunate but the most successful bosses are often highly demanding a@@holes (but in a fairly stealth way). Manny is probably too "nice" of a guy. What I'd like to see is:
(A) Tackling becoming a staple of practice. Real, live tackling. Give them mats & Mypillows if you have to, but let's learn to form tackle (rugby style like Pete Carroll teaches in the NFL) and make this a point of emphasis in this program. Incorporate the "Oklahoma Drill" or "Middle Drill". Watch video of great tacklers. Discuss technique in meetings. Do whatever you need to do (within the bounds of current NCAA rules) to drastically improve tackling.
(B) Drastically Reduce Penalties. Been an issue for far too long. Crazy to continuously shoot yourself in the foot. There have to be more serious consequences for players that incur dumb penalties. Reducing PT for players that repeatedly incur penalties would likely be the biggest deterrent but that's tough when your 2nd team guys are likely quite a bit less talented. Making entire units run hard after penalties might be an answer & help keep players accountable. Tracking penalties by player & posting the results might be a "tough love" approach. We've got to do something to rid this program of this blight because it costs us so many games every year. Make it a source of team pride to play smart & limit penalties. Suggestions?
(C) More Scrimmaging/Live Practice. Particularly leading up to the season...but even during the season. Condition the body to hit & be hit. It will adjust & be better prepared for contact in games. Schnelly & JJ never seemed to have too many injuries to field highly competitive teams. Work within NCAA rules for sure but don't let the team become soft as a result. Other programs like Baga & UGA have figured it out. We need toughness back in this program.
Your thoughts?
