I think the play calling is more tailored to the tools he has at his disposal. His quarterback is more of an athlete playing quarterback than a QB who is athletic. It's not a knock on King, it's just what it is. The wide receivers are at best average. They've got some ability but they all have inconsistent hands and struggle against physical corners. The offensive line is below average. When asked to straight pass block with no run/pass threat, the interior got destroyed by VT. The best recipe for success with the current roster is to force the defense to respect the run, even if it means a ton of runs for 1 or 2 yards. If they can force a defense to commit to stopping the run game both running backs and QBs, it makes the passing game work better. He called the plays at SMU with a more traditional, throw first quarterback and a more competitive offensive line and the offense didn't look like this one. I'm curious to see how he plays it if/when TVD takes over at QB.
I think if we're giving out grades to Lashlee, we need to consider the team he inherited and the production they put up last season. They got an upgrade at the QB spot but lost the two leading receivers and leading rusher. The offensive line, which was the worst in FBS last year, returned intact besides an upgrade at RT. He's working with one hand tied behind his back but has still done an admirable job. He's not without criticism though. His insistence on operating at a hyper fast pace can lead to some lazy play-calls that seem rushed. They've become really good in short yardage (can't remember the last time they were even average in that area) but he'll still call a simple running play on second and 1 instead of using what's essentially a free down try something more aggressive. I mean they're converting at a high rate on short yardage, why not take a shot on second knowing you can easily convert third and 1? They can still get clunky and some of the conservative play calls in certain situations can be questionable but generally he's done a really nice job of fielding a productive and fun offense. Especially considering what he has to work with on the offensive line and at wide receiver. I'm curious as to how the offense will look next season even if King does return. At the very least, you're getting an influx of help at OL with Donaldson returning and quality recruits like Rivers and Walker pushing for playing time. I still think we're just scratching the surface with what he wants to do vs what the team make-up can realistically do.
