First Drive

**cayin** · 12-30-2011, 06:07 PM

We were gashing them with the run. Why on first down did we get cute and try and pass? Why? You take what the D gives and when they are forced to cheat up to stop you, then you pass. No reason to pass there, they were on the heels. Had we scored a TD on that drive, this is a whole different ball IMO.

**Knownothing** · 12-30-2011, 06:16 PM

I said the same thing. Run 3 great runs followed by 3 incomplete passes. I was like wtf

**isufbcurt** · 12-30-2011, 06:26 PM

Go back and re-watch the game. Rutgers started in base defense and then switched to blitzing the gaps and slanting the dlmen to gaps which took away running lanes and evidenced by White/Hloois getting stuffed every running play after the first 2 drives.

Also, keep in mind that OC's usually ****** the first 10-15 plays in order to guage what the defense is going to in certain formations.

**herbicide** · 12-30-2011, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by isufbcurt

Go back and re-watch the game. Rutgers started in base defense and then switched to blitzing the gaps and slanting the dlmen to gaps which took away running lanes and evidenced by White/Hloois getting stuffed every running play after the first 2 drives.

Also, keep in mind that OC's usually ****** the first 10-15 plays in order to guage what the defense is going to in certain formations.

In simple (negative) terms, they successfully made adjustments, we didn't.

Sorry, but in my simpleton terms, when you are running the ball like that you keep doing it until the can stop you...

**ISUonthemove** · 12-30-2011, 07:58 PM

I was calling for the TE over the middle after the second series. I think they finally did it close to half for a big gain. WHY DID WE NOT ATTACK THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD? Good grief.

**Wesley** · 12-30-2011, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by isufbcurt

Go back and re-watch the game. Rutgers started in base defense and then switched to blitzing the gaps and slanting the dlmen to gaps which took away running lanes and evidenced by White/Hloois getting stuffed every running play after the first 2 drives.

Also, keep in mind that OC's usually ****** the first 10-15 plays in order to gauge what the defense is going to in certain formations.

And what adjustments did mensa then make? Put Jantz in and let him back peddle for his life. I remember when Jantz use to be an escape artist.

**tee1up** · 12-30-2011, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by isufbcurt

Go back and re-watch the game. Rutgers started in base defense and then switched to blitzing the gaps and slanting the dlmen to gaps which took away running lanes and evidenced by White/Hloois getting stuffed every running play after the first 2 drives.

Also, keep in mind that OC's usually ****** the first 10-15 plays in order to guage what the defense is going to in certain formations.

Get to the line, and run the play before they had a chance to adjust. The only time we actually showed any urgency we moved down the field in 4 plays, then back to the "look to the sideline", use the whole clock and the next thing you know it is 4th and 34.

**psychlone99** · 12-30-2011, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by cayin

We were gashing them with the run. Why on first down did we get cute and try and pass? Why? You take what the D gives and when they are forced to cheat up to stop you, then you pass. No reason to pass there, they were on the heels. Had we scored a TD on that drive, this is a whole different ball IMO.

Because some OCs just get impatient. I don't care if Rutgers was adjusting. The fact of the matter is they hadn't yet stopped the run. Period.

What was worse, in my opinion, was that we passed again (incomplete) on 2nd down. Leaving us at 3rd and long after we had rammed it down their throats all the way down the field. We had them on their heals and we stall out due to Herman's "creativity". Frustrating.

This isn't was lost the game, but it was a microcosm of what we've seen from Herman over 3 years: no identity, little patience, and what occasionally appeared to be a tendency to over think things.

**tee1up** · 12-30-2011, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by psychlone99

Because some OCs just get impatient. I don't care if Rutgers was adjusting. The fact of the matter is they hadn't yet stopped the run. Period.

What was worse, in my opinion, was that we passed again (incomplete) on 2nd down. Leaving us at 3rd and long after we had rammed it down their throats all the way down the field. We had them on their heals and we stall out due to Herman's "creativity". Frustrating.

This isn't was lost the game, but it was a microcosm of what we've seen from Herman over 3 years: no identity, little patience, and what occasionally appeared to be a tendency to over think things.

Tom Herman = Greg McDermott. Too smart for their own good, overthinking, players always looking to the bench, absolute rally killing play calls.

**ISUFan22** · 12-30-2011, 09:17 PM

We tried to get cute. The reverses and WR passes were not needed. The biggest mistake of the game, IMO, was going away from what was working near the end of those drives and causing us to settle for FGs. Should have been 2 TDs there and a 14-0 early lead.

However, Rutgers did a great job adjusting after our first two drives.

**Wesley** · 12-30-2011, 10:31 PM

Rutgers probably had it planned to make the adjustment all the way. They just baited us.

**cyclones500** · 12-30-2011, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by cayin

We were gashing them with the run. Why on first down did we get cute and try and pass? Why? You take what the D gives and when they are forced to cheat up to stop you, then you pass. No reason to pass there, they were on the heels. Had we scored a TD on that drive, this is a whole different ball IMO.

I agree. I made a similar comment in a different thread, and I might do it again.

Maybe the drive would have stalled — maybe RU's run defense stiffens. But why not stay with it for one more play, see what happens? Then, do it again?

Momentum was there with two decent drives surrounding a 3-and-out. And it resulted in only 6 points.

I honestly couldn't see Rutgers winning that game after starting in a 14-0 hole. Much like the KU game, the door was left open, but Rutgers is good enough to walk through

**besserheimerphat** · 12-30-2011, 11:24 PM

Like Curt said, OC's will s-c-r-i-p-t the first 12 - 15 plays of the game, strictly to see how the defense will play against certain looks. Then they need to make the adjustments. The middle of the field was open all game long with the blitzes, and we couldn't/didn't take advantage.

And while everone wants to jump on Herman on his way out the door (and rightly so), Wally didn't call a very good game either. We couldn't stop the run and couldn't generate any pressure. They were blowing us off the line AND getting blockers to the second level.

**psychlone99** · 12-30-2011, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by besserheimerphat

Like Curt said, OC's will s-c-r-i-p-t the first 12 - 15 plays of the game, strictly to see how the defense will play against certain looks.

So if we were operating on a scripted set of plays, explain to me how that works. Did we s-c-r-i-p-t run-run-run (by the way, for 23, 8, and 10 yards) followed by pass-pass-pass? That seems silly. Or is it situational? In which case, the play-calling following the yard-gobbling runs is even more mind-boggling.

**besserheimerphat** · 12-30-2011, 11:52 PM

As far as I know, it's not typically situational (like if this happens, then change to this list). The point it to see how the defense is going to align and how they will react to certain calls - usually fairly basic stuff - so you can get a feel for how to make adjustments on the 2nd/3rd/4th drives.

Rutgers got out of their base defense after the second drive and got super blitz happy. We never adjusted. We also missed open receivers, and receivers dropped balls. There were some GOOD calls made today that weren't properly executed (Lenz over the middle early with the ball thrown behind, and a couple of WR screens were open but the ball was thrown in the dirt, and bad throws to RB out of the backfield who had room to run).