TouchMoney26
Presidente del U
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2018
- Messages
- 2,725
Tonight Was Unacceptable. Period.
Toure and Chase Smith are average, and at this point, I don't see the coaches making a change. These guys are six and seven-year seniors, and it feels like the staff would rather ride with them than give someone else an opportunity.
Wiley looked like our best linebacker through the first two games, and tonight he gets ZERO snaps? Make that make sense.
I genuinely believe this season could come down to Chase Smith and Toure.
Look at national championship defenses. They typically have linebackers with first or second-round NFL talent, but more importantly, they have SMART linebackers. Guys who can dissect plays, recognize formations, communicate, and be the general of the defense.
Let's face it. I don't think anybody is looking at Chase or Toure and seeing a first-round pick. I'm not even sure either of them plays on Sundays. But what disappoints me even more than their physical limitations is what we're seeing from them mentally on the field.
They consistently let guys get behind them, struggle to locate the football, and don't seem to recognize plays before they develop. They're not getting guys lined up correctly, and I don't see either one taking command of this defense.
At some point, that falls on Heatherman, too. I just don't see this combination working.
And here's what I think is the biggest problem with Chase Smith and Toure.
I genuinely don't see the coaches benching either one of them, simply because of where they are in their careers. These guys are six and seven-year seniors. This is their last shot. Benching them at this point is essentially pulling the plug on their football careers, and I think the staff knows that.
But that's exactly where tough decisions have to be made.
You cannot let loyalty to veteran players dictate the direction of a team with national championship aspirations. At some point, the coaching staff has to put the program and the other 100 guys in that locker room ahead of two players whose time is running out.
I'm not saying it's an easy decision. I'm saying it's a decision that HAS to be made if what we're seeing continues.
You cannot sacrifice an entire team's championship aspirations because you're afraid to end two players' careers.
And yes, Wiley might have better instincts, more speed, and a higher ceiling, but he's going to need coaching. He's going to need film study. He's going to make mistakes. That's part of developing young talent. But we need to find out what we have behind these guys because what we're currently putting on the field isn't good enough.
We need a GENERAL on this defense.
Somebody who lives in the film room, recognizes what's coming, gets everyone lined up, and takes ownership when something goes wrong.
JJ is phenomenal for a freshman. Bryce is probably the closest thing we have to that type of leader, and I love Bryce. But we desperately need that leadership at the linebacker level. That's where everything starts, and right now, it's sloppy.
I don't know what's happening in the film room, but whatever they're doing isn't translating to the field. Nobody is stepping up, diagnosing plays, getting guys lined up correctly, or making adjustments.
And Heatherman? Extremely disappointing. The same issues keep showing up, yet nothing changes. Guys out of position, not locating the football, getting exposed in zone coverage. At some point, you have to make adjustments.
Yeah, we got the INT in the red zone when it mattered. Cool. But if we're talking about winning a national championship, that defensive performance is NOT acceptable.
Offensively, I Have No Idea What Happened After We Crossed 30 Points.
It was almost like Dawson was going to lose a family member if we scored another touchdown. Just a really strange night offensively.
And I'll keep saying it until I'm blue in the face:
GET OUR RUNNING BACKS MOVING BEFORE THEY TOUCH THE FOOTBALL.
Run the pistol. Get under center. Use a fullback. Loften should be locked into that role. Give our backs some momentum, let them read their blocks, and stop handing them the ball from a standstill in shotgun.
It's something I've been saying for years. When you give a running back momentum before he touches the football, you're giving him an opportunity to read the defense, find a hole, and attack it with speed. Instead, we're constantly asking these guys to create something from nothing.
And that brings me to the offensive line.
I think we all expected Mario to have this unit on the same page, and so far, it's been a disappointing start to the year.
Maybe this offensive line is good enough for other programs, but the standard at Miami, especially under Mario Cristobal, should be much higher.
They need to play together. They need to be more physical, more violent at the point of attack, push the pile, and create some **** holes for our running backs. Right now, we're not consistently seeing that.
But again, how much of that falls on Dawson and his play calling?
If Dawson continues doing what was working in the first half, are we even talking about the offensive line this much?
I don't think so.
The play calling needs to put these guys in a position to succeed, but the offensive line also needs to hold up its end of the bargain.
Hopefully, we see some personnel changes, get SIA out of there, and find a combination that can actually move people off the football.
My Biggest Takeaway Is Still the Defense.
We have the talent. We have the expectations. We have national championship aspirations. Yet we're watching the same mistakes, the same personnel, and the same lack of adjustments.
I'm not saying Wiley or another young linebacker is going to magically fix everything. They need coaching, development, and serious time in the film room. But somebody needs to step up and take ownership of this defense.
Championship defenses have leaders who recognize plays before they develop, communicate, and get everyone in the right position.
Right now, I don't see that guy on our defense.
And I don't see this current game plan working for an entire season.
We need a linebacker who can read a play before it happens, communicate, get everyone in the right position, and command that side of the football.
I don't see that happening with Chase and Toure, and I don't see Heatherman making the adjustments necessary to put this defense in a position to succeed.
At some point, the coaches have to make the difficult decisions. It doesn't matter how long you've been here, how old you are, or whether this is your last opportunity to play football. The standard has to be the standard.
We have too much talent and too much riding on this season to keep making the same mistakes and expecting different results.
Something has to change.
Tonight was unacceptable, and if we truly want to win a Natty, this defense needs to figure out who its general is.
Toure and Chase Smith are average, and at this point, I don't see the coaches making a change. These guys are six and seven-year seniors, and it feels like the staff would rather ride with them than give someone else an opportunity.
Wiley looked like our best linebacker through the first two games, and tonight he gets ZERO snaps? Make that make sense.
I genuinely believe this season could come down to Chase Smith and Toure.
Look at national championship defenses. They typically have linebackers with first or second-round NFL talent, but more importantly, they have SMART linebackers. Guys who can dissect plays, recognize formations, communicate, and be the general of the defense.
Let's face it. I don't think anybody is looking at Chase or Toure and seeing a first-round pick. I'm not even sure either of them plays on Sundays. But what disappoints me even more than their physical limitations is what we're seeing from them mentally on the field.
They consistently let guys get behind them, struggle to locate the football, and don't seem to recognize plays before they develop. They're not getting guys lined up correctly, and I don't see either one taking command of this defense.
At some point, that falls on Heatherman, too. I just don't see this combination working.
And here's what I think is the biggest problem with Chase Smith and Toure.
I genuinely don't see the coaches benching either one of them, simply because of where they are in their careers. These guys are six and seven-year seniors. This is their last shot. Benching them at this point is essentially pulling the plug on their football careers, and I think the staff knows that.
But that's exactly where tough decisions have to be made.
You cannot let loyalty to veteran players dictate the direction of a team with national championship aspirations. At some point, the coaching staff has to put the program and the other 100 guys in that locker room ahead of two players whose time is running out.
I'm not saying it's an easy decision. I'm saying it's a decision that HAS to be made if what we're seeing continues.
You cannot sacrifice an entire team's championship aspirations because you're afraid to end two players' careers.
And yes, Wiley might have better instincts, more speed, and a higher ceiling, but he's going to need coaching. He's going to need film study. He's going to make mistakes. That's part of developing young talent. But we need to find out what we have behind these guys because what we're currently putting on the field isn't good enough.
We need a GENERAL on this defense.
Somebody who lives in the film room, recognizes what's coming, gets everyone lined up, and takes ownership when something goes wrong.
JJ is phenomenal for a freshman. Bryce is probably the closest thing we have to that type of leader, and I love Bryce. But we desperately need that leadership at the linebacker level. That's where everything starts, and right now, it's sloppy.
I don't know what's happening in the film room, but whatever they're doing isn't translating to the field. Nobody is stepping up, diagnosing plays, getting guys lined up correctly, or making adjustments.
And Heatherman? Extremely disappointing. The same issues keep showing up, yet nothing changes. Guys out of position, not locating the football, getting exposed in zone coverage. At some point, you have to make adjustments.
Yeah, we got the INT in the red zone when it mattered. Cool. But if we're talking about winning a national championship, that defensive performance is NOT acceptable.
Offensively, I Have No Idea What Happened After We Crossed 30 Points.
It was almost like Dawson was going to lose a family member if we scored another touchdown. Just a really strange night offensively.
And I'll keep saying it until I'm blue in the face:
GET OUR RUNNING BACKS MOVING BEFORE THEY TOUCH THE FOOTBALL.
Run the pistol. Get under center. Use a fullback. Loften should be locked into that role. Give our backs some momentum, let them read their blocks, and stop handing them the ball from a standstill in shotgun.
It's something I've been saying for years. When you give a running back momentum before he touches the football, you're giving him an opportunity to read the defense, find a hole, and attack it with speed. Instead, we're constantly asking these guys to create something from nothing.
And that brings me to the offensive line.
I think we all expected Mario to have this unit on the same page, and so far, it's been a disappointing start to the year.
Maybe this offensive line is good enough for other programs, but the standard at Miami, especially under Mario Cristobal, should be much higher.
They need to play together. They need to be more physical, more violent at the point of attack, push the pile, and create some **** holes for our running backs. Right now, we're not consistently seeing that.
But again, how much of that falls on Dawson and his play calling?
If Dawson continues doing what was working in the first half, are we even talking about the offensive line this much?
I don't think so.
The play calling needs to put these guys in a position to succeed, but the offensive line also needs to hold up its end of the bargain.
Hopefully, we see some personnel changes, get SIA out of there, and find a combination that can actually move people off the football.
My Biggest Takeaway Is Still the Defense.
We have the talent. We have the expectations. We have national championship aspirations. Yet we're watching the same mistakes, the same personnel, and the same lack of adjustments.
I'm not saying Wiley or another young linebacker is going to magically fix everything. They need coaching, development, and serious time in the film room. But somebody needs to step up and take ownership of this defense.
Championship defenses have leaders who recognize plays before they develop, communicate, and get everyone in the right position.
Right now, I don't see that guy on our defense.
And I don't see this current game plan working for an entire season.
We need a linebacker who can read a play before it happens, communicate, get everyone in the right position, and command that side of the football.
I don't see that happening with Chase and Toure, and I don't see Heatherman making the adjustments necessary to put this defense in a position to succeed.
At some point, the coaches have to make the difficult decisions. It doesn't matter how long you've been here, how old you are, or whether this is your last opportunity to play football. The standard has to be the standard.
We have too much talent and too much riding on this season to keep making the same mistakes and expecting different results.
Something has to change.
Tonight was unacceptable, and if we truly want to win a Natty, this defense needs to figure out who its general is.
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