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So, in order for us to survive deep into the CFP we have 2 things that must be fixed...

filmcane

filmcane

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... pass pro and defending the pass.

Unlike 2024', we actually have the horses and coaches to get this done, so I still have hope. The question is - will they figure out the Chinese puzzle that is our OL and as our players get healthy in the secondary, will the returning players get their sea legs and communicate better?

Anyone hearing or believing that these two things will happen or will we just not get that figured out for the CFP?
 
Which 2 units take the most communication on either side of the ball? OL and Secondary. Which teams have lost most players on our team? OL and Secondary. As long as we improve over the course of the season like we did last season, we will be fine imo. The OL just need reps, and the Secondary need health.
 
filmcane said:
... pass pro and defending the pass.

Unlike 2024', we actually have the horses and coaches to get this done, so I still have hope. The question is - will they figure out the Chinese puzzle that is our OL and as our players get healthy in the secondary, will the returning players get their sea legs and communicate better?

Anyone hearing or believing that these two things will happen or will we just not get that figured out for the CFP?
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No way to tell. For now we’re one of the few remaining unbeaten, I’m doing my best to just enjoy that.
 
On the OL, all 5 guys are first year starters at their positions, hopefully they improve with more reps. Mensah isn't a statue and was under much more duress at Duke last year (he got sacked at more than twice the rate he has here) and he still played really well, so I think it'll be manageable.

Wake and FSU had the best pass rush of the teams we have played, and Mensah had his struggles but he didn't turn into Beck against UL last year. Pitt, ND, and UNC all have good pass rushes.

I do think Mensah will always be under more pressure than we have been used to seeing the last couple of years at QB. Hopefully we don't have a game in which we simply can't block multiple guys and Mensah gets sacked 4+ times.

I think the secondary will play much better the more we can play a 5 of Lucas/Poyser/Fitz/JJ/EOC
 
Our Secondary issues seem to be more scheme issues than talent. We dont do zone match concepts and we like to keep everything in front of us. Problem is we are allowing catches but not tackling well right now.
 
O-Line performance improved as the game went on. Secondary is being hamstrung by the DC making weird calls.

Kind of surprised we didn't go more vanilla on defense after Poyser was out. He communicates everything back there.
 
The secondary is atrocious for the level of talent we have.

Yes, we have had injuries, but we still have more talent than most teams around the country. And yet, we make every QB we play look like Tom Brady. It’s unacceptable. It’s not simply lapses in communication, it’s also poor technique, fundamentals, and eye discipline.

I think we had similar issues last year, but the DL bailed the secondary out a lot by creating havoc almost every play. That dynamic doesn’t exist this year. And you know it doesn’t because Heatherman feels like he has to blitz almost every play to generate pressure.

Can we get better? Sure. But I have a feeling that this team will only go as far as the offense takes them. This isn’t 2024, but it sure as **** ain’t 2025 either. Time for this staff to earn their paychecks and either fix the problem or do a better job of hiding it.
 
In pass coverage it feels like we are nickel blitzing 75% of the time and against better teams we just are not getting home. I’d love to see the backers a gap blitzing a little more with big safties like Dunnigan or Bobby Pruitt (I know he’s a LBer but he’s more of a tweener) sliding down providing more speed to chase down running qbs or playing late developing TE/Rb screens. Norvell called a good game and just let us run 5+ defenders up field out of the play repeatedly and screened us to death behind it.
 
TexasCane90 said:
If it clicks for Cantwell… he’s your RT. McCoy to RG

Pancake, Cogdon, RR, McCoy, Cantwell

That’s a quality playoff oline
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Mccoy has been better at tackle than samson. Why do we keep wanting mccoy to move and not samson? And samson was looking like he could be great at guard

I think best case scenario is Cantwell/ben/ryan/samson/mccoy

But that’s just hoping for a miracle that cantwell becomes starter ready in mid season
 
When is OJ projected back?

Also, we have to stop blitzing from 10-12 yards off the ball. It's so ineffective, and it creates visible islands.
 
flips said:
On the OL, all 5 guys are first year starters at their positions, hopefully they improve with more reps. Mensah isn't a statue and was under much more duress at Duke last year (he got sacked at more than twice the rate he has here) and he still played really well, so I think it'll be manageable.

Wake and FSU had the best pass rush of the teams we have played, and Mensah had his struggles but he didn't turn into Beck against UL last year. Pitt, ND, and UNC all have good pass rushes.

I do think Mensah will always be under more pressure than we have been used to seeing the last couple of years at QB. Hopefully we don't have a game in which we simply can't block multiple guys and Mensah gets sacked 4+ times.

I think the secondary will play much better the more we can play a 5 of Lucas/Poyser/Fitz/JJ/EOC
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Pitt is 38th in sacks and UNC is 57th. Either they are getting home and not bringing the QB down or they don’t have a good pass rush.
 
dirtyred786 said:
Our Secondary issues seem to be more scheme issues than talent. We dont do zone match concepts and we like to keep everything in front of us. Problem is we are allowing catches but not tackling well right now.
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Talent and health is a major issue. Thornton has been a huge bust, and not being able to play Fitz and Poyser together at safety essentially all season has hurt.
 
filmcane said:
... pass pro and defending the pass.

Unlike 2024', we actually have the horses and coaches to get this done, so I still have hope. The question is - will they figure out the Chinese puzzle that is our OL and as our players get healthy in the secondary, will the returning players get their sea legs and communicate better?

Anyone hearing or believing that these two things will happen or will we just not get that figured out for the CFP?
Click to expand...
Facts! These are the two things that have to happen. Number one thank goodness Buchanan is not done for the season, hopefully we can get him back towards the middle of November. Till then, just have to progress on the offensive line till we get him back. Also, thank God OJ is not done for the season and hopefully we can get him back right around ACC title game and Jabori is coming back soon. Like you said, we have the horses and we have the coaching to get it done, let’s see if we can make it happen.
 
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