We've still got a ways to go, fellas. Completely out-classed on all levels tonight. Embarrassed on the big stage once again, after a bye week, after "earning" a top-10 ranking.
*Lashlee
RUNNING GAME - I don't know WTF I watched tonight. It's like he went back to his UAB playbook. We saw ONE running play tonight, Inside Zone. Clemson employed an "Odd Tite" front during most running downs, which has the DE's line-up just inside the Offensive Tackles, making it almost impossible to run Inside Zone. There was very little effort from Lashlee to employ different running concepts. (maybe some Outside Zone, Counter or Speed Option?)WR
PASSNIG GAME - Hardly saw any Air Raid concepts tonight, everything was vertical and outside, which as I eluded to all week, are the lower percentage throws. Where were the crossing routes? Hitches? Slants? Venerables just left his CB's one-on-one with our WR's and dared us to throw deep. And we did. Over and over and over again with zero success. By the way, our WR corps is the product of poor recruiting and evaluations. We might have the worst WR talent I've seen at Miami in all my years of watching Cane's football. Even during the previous regime, we at least had ONE guy who could take the top off of a defense. (i.e. Phillip Dorsett or Travis Benjamin) We don't have anybody out there right now that scares opposing DC's, which is probably why any defense that plays press-man coverage versus us has success, even the FIU's and Dukes of the world. A guy like Tutu would've been nice to have tonight.
*Baker
I actually thought Baker called a decent game for the most part. He kept things pretty simple, we didn't see too much gimmicky stuff, did a good job spying Lawrence at times. There were still some fundamental/alignment issues that led to big plays. On Etienne's long TD run, we had no "overhang" player to the weak side. We were short-numbered. Of course Clemson was gonna pull Guards and run that way! People were giving McCloud **** for that play, but that was too much to ask of him. At the end of the day we still need better players. It's no coincidence that our only players on defense who flash are the 4/5 star guys. We're gonna need more of those because I don't know how well our staff can actually DEVELOP lower ranked guys.
It also doesn't help that we shot ourselves in the foot plenty times via timely penalties. Carter is a fvckin' crash dummy.
*Recruiting
I know a lot of yall love the underdog 3-star "developmental" types but for the most part the only players that looked like they belonged on the same field as Clemson were our 4/5 star guys. Sorry, it is what it is. That doesn't mean 3-star kids can't be good and help your team, cause lord knows I've lobbied for a few local ones, but WE HAVEN'T RECRUITED THE RIGHT ONES AT ALL. I thought the game plans on both offense and defense were very simple tonight. When the game plans are simple, you're relying on talent. And when it doesn't work, it's a lot easier to notice the talent deficiencies. Watching our outside WR's fail over and over again to exploit man coverage makes it very easy to see. There's no scheme involved there, it's just talent versus talent. I mean, they couldn't even adjust to the football while it was in the air and the CB's backs were turned. None of our upperclassmen WR's will even see an NFL try-out IMO. Then watching Blades get beat on slants, drop a pick-6 and give up a man-to-man deep ball on 3rd & long makes us realize that it would be nice to have at least ONE of those elite local CB's that we've missed on over the last few years.
*Culture
Poorly coached teams with questionable culture always act like we do during adversity and/or losses. Trash talking while you're getting blown out, tons of unnecessary unsportsmanlike penalties, bone-headed plays during money downs that prevent your defense from getting off the field, etc etc etc. I mean, we've already had 39 unsportsmanlike penalties and our DE is trying to smack the ball out of Lawrence's hands while he's laying on the ground. Just dumb immature ****.
Don't forget, this is the same staff that threw a champagne party in the locker room after winning a close game to Western Michigan (or whoever it was) and allowed dancing on the sidelines during losses to GT and FIU.
No way around it, we are a corny bunch. We've come a long way since the days of "I AIN'T SCARED OF YOU *****" during the coin toss.
Maybe there needs to be less gimmicks and more substance going forward, cause right now we're that bully that likes to flex on inferior dudes but folds when the big dawg walks into the room. And that causes outsiders to thoroughly enjoy our losses.
WE SIMPLY DON'T LOOK LIKE A TEAM WITH A LOT OF CONTROL AT THE TOP. Just my opinion.
To sum it up, I think there's a talent difference between the rosters AND coaching staffs and tonight's blow-out loss is evidence of that.
A loss like this can't be blamed on just one thing.
A lot of good points being made in here. Good posts guys.