Let's face it, it is not all AA's fault, BUT we're not that great yet and thus need our QB to be better-than-average. So far, he hasn't done that.
Penalties, not AA killed us against K-State
- Thread starter shawn_200m
- Start date
Here is my question for the AA apologists....
With a young and overmatched defense like ISU has.... How many games are you going to win in a BCS Conference (the Big XII in particular) with a QB that throws for 122 yards in a game?
YEAR
CMPATTYDSCMP%YPALNGTDINTSACKRAT2007203726754.17.2251012109.262008247401279261.66.9654151017127.442009178303201558.76.6554141312121.2720106210758457.95.4634255100.61Projected248428233657.95.463482020100.61
I do agree that penalties, lack of good line play, and dropped balls have all played a part in the lack of our success this year.
However, I want you to look at the chart above. Do you see the difference in numbers from when AA was a sophomore to this year? His QB rating was 127 compared to this year's 100 (only 2 BCS schools have had their starting QB with a lower rating in 2010, MS. St. and UCLA). By comparison, the starting QB for Utah, our opponent next week, has a QB rating of 204. AA has thrown 5 picks in 3 games (easily should be more if Iowa D-Linemen could catch a ball), and has fumbled once. AA has been sacked 5 times this year as well. His completion % is down 4%, and yards per attempt is down about 1.5 yards, as compared to 2 years ago.
What does all that data tell us? Our QB has been EXTREMELY inefficient, and so far this year he is playing much worse as a senior than when he was a sophomore. He has not placed us in a position to win in our last 2 games, IMO. So go ahead and call me a "hater" if you choose, but the stats tell me that if AA continues to play like this the rest of the year, we are staring at 3-9 right in the face.
CMPATTYDSCMP%YPALNGTDINTSACKRAT2007203726754.17.2251012109.262008247401279261.66.9654151017127.442009178303201558.76.6554141312121.2720106210758457.95.4634255100.61Projected248428233657.95.463482020100.61
I do agree that penalties, lack of good line play, and dropped balls have all played a part in the lack of our success this year.
However, I want you to look at the chart above. Do you see the difference in numbers from when AA was a sophomore to this year? His QB rating was 127 compared to this year's 100 (only 2 BCS schools have had their starting QB with a lower rating in 2010, MS. St. and UCLA). By comparison, the starting QB for Utah, our opponent next week, has a QB rating of 204. AA has thrown 5 picks in 3 games (easily should be more if Iowa D-Linemen could catch a ball), and has fumbled once. AA has been sacked 5 times this year as well. His completion % is down 4%, and yards per attempt is down about 1.5 yards, as compared to 2 years ago.
What does all that data tell us? Our QB has been EXTREMELY inefficient, and so far this year he is playing much worse as a senior than when he was a sophomore. He has not placed us in a position to win in our last 2 games, IMO. So go ahead and call me a "hater" if you choose, but the stats tell me that if AA continues to play like this the rest of the year, we are staring at 3-9 right in the face.
Exactly. The sad reality is if he continues his poor play we will get absolutely massacred in the Big XII. Let's keep in mind for all the folks that think we should have won that game against K-State if it wasn't for our penalties and mental miscues.... K-State gave us a free 7 points on the pick 6 and they shot themselves in the foot on multiple chances in the redzone when they were forced to kick field goals. We were absolutely lucky to be in that game considering our offensive production. We won't be as fortunate against the likes of Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, Nebraska, Texas Tech, and Mizzou. If our offense can't keep up then we are roadkill in the Big XII. The key to an effective spread offense is the play of the QB and right now people are wondering why our offense is sputtering? Really?
I posted this yesterday but no one cared except those that already understood it.
"Red Zone
9 trips....5 penalties
55% of our trips
Inside the 35 (these include the red zone trips)
15 trips- 9 penalties
60% of our trips.
Results of drives with penalties in these areas.
Inside 35 (these include red zone numbers and we had multiple penalties on some drives so that is the reason for the disparity from above)
FG-3
TD-1
no points-4 trips (two were turnovers) two lost on downs
Red zone
FG-3
TD-1
No points- 2 (both were turnovers)"
And you are right. Penalties kill us. Even in the iowa game the only time we got in socring position in the first half, we got moved back because of a penalty. Arnaud's 3rd INT was on 4thand 12 because of a red zone penalty. Arnaud's second INT agaisnt NIU...it was 2nd and 21 in scoring position. See a trend?
Penalties kill us.
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- Do you have stats for drops? defensive break ups? Throw aways? all of those affect that efficiency rating.
- Hoe does his completion % look by quarter/ Does he get worse as the game goes on and if so, is it because he cracks under pressure or because he is tired from running the ball?
- How many of his INTs are on third and long?
- Different offenses = different stats.
- His sophmore numbers tell us his potential. What the stats don't tell us is why he isn't reaching that potential?
Is that on AA or is that on the offense we run and the plays that are called? A little of both IMO
IMO- if you people are going to rip players, they need to rewatch the game. It is amazing how differnt things look when you actually have a chance to watch the game and really look at what is going on.
Holding- KO has atleast 3 holding calls in scoring position. All have wiped out big plays and all have cost us points.
False starts- I think Burris leads this category and KO runs a close second
Offensive pass interference- I cen think of three Lenz has one, Reynolds has one, and Darks has one. Their might be one more. maybe two on Lenz?
Interesting enough, KO has just killed us with penalties this year and at critical, critical times.
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AA is limited, but there are things he can do very well, and throws he can make. However, we don't seem to be as interested as playing to these strengths as we are implementing a system. Maybe it will pay off long term, but who knows.
Question.... If our qb can't grasp the offense we run or execute the plays that are called should he be our starting QB?
Look... I am not trying to rip AA here. I would love for the guy to be playing great because he is a good kid, he stays out of trouble, takes care of his academics, etc.... but he just isn't performing at the level we need our QB to perform to win games. It is plain and simple. Sure we have made dumb penalties that have made drives tougher then they should have been but you also have to ask yourself why those mistakes are such a killer for ISU. When you watched the replay of the game did you notice Arnaud on those 1st & long or 2nd & long plays? He never even looked downfield. Almost every single time he threw to his outlet who was running a 3 or 4 yard out route. It is as if he is scared to even look down the field unless he absolutely has to. Maybe the kid just doesn't have the confidence he needs to get the job done. I don't know.
I agree when you're talking about individual holding penalties. It's usually only the blantant holds that get caught, and anyone can have a bad play here or there. However, if it's a recurring problem for the duration of the season, I think there needs to be some evaluation of why so much holding is occuring - S&C, technique, etc. If you're flagged for holding it was probably pretty obvious. If you had to obviously hold the guy, you probably got beat pretty bad.
So you're saying that our receivers wouldn't have dropped passes that hit between the numbers or the hands just because it was one of those QBs mentioned? Just saying...
Look - very few are defending Arnaud to the point where we're saying that he's doing this awesome job and the entire problem is with the rest of the offense. What we're saying is that those that keep insisting that benching Arnaud will solve all of our offensive woes refuse to admit that there is a problem anywhere else in the offense when that CLEARLY isn't the case (because, you know, you've GOTTA blame just ONE guy...).
I would say he isn't looking downfield by design and that is the way he is coached. If the play is a 5-7 yard slant/hook/curl/out then a QB doesn't have time to look down field. It isn't physically possible for a receiver to get 15 yards down field in the same time another receiver runs a 5 yard slant/curl. Heck the deep reciever doesn't have time to get more than 7 yards down field.When the play is designed to go down field you see AA make reads and his progressions.
He went downfield 4-5 five times
- Lenz on the Pass interference- Well thrown ball and the reciever was there and Lenz was covered
- Lenz incompletion- Well thrown ball maybe slightly behind and defender was there to make the play
- Darks incompletion- Thrown where only Darks could get to it and the safety made a great play to knock it away. he couldn't have thrownit sooner or put more air under it or the safety would have had a better shot
- 23 yard completion to Darks on 4th and 8 on the second to last drive
- ARob- Ugh
FWIW- None of those were what I consider "deep balls." I see those more like intermediate routes. I actually think Arnaud is not good with the intermediate route 15-20 yards across the middle and has a better touch on the deep ball. Yet, that is where we run those routes every time. We never ever throw the deep ball.
Arnaud was asked this week why they don't go deep to Reynolds more often because the coaches have hinted that he is a deep threat. Arnaud said they had a few plays for Reynolds the last couple of games but each time something happens. Is it coverage? Pass protection? Arnaud's inabillity? I would say all three.
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That terrible pass defense had 6 break ups. Newsflash to you...That measn they had our receivers covered very well. And before you come back with " If AA woudl throw it on target..." Only one of those break ups could be considered a bad throw. And really, it wasn't a bad throw, the defender had Williams blanketed.
I would put some of the blame on the penalties to the no-huddle offense. I just believe that there is a smoother flow and rhythm to a traditional play call in the huddle - mental check on your assignment as you approach the line, take your stance, snap and go. This is easier than cooling your heels as the LOS while looking over to the sideline and then getting back into play mode after a check call at the line. Until it becomes second nature, the checks can end up hurting the offense more than the defense.
I also realize that the spread and no-huddle go hand-in-hand, so it's a hurdle that the team has to face and get over. It's another challenge that requires more focus and discipline, but the teams can and should be able to adapt to it.
How many dropped passes have you seen this year that hit a receiver right in the numbers? Are you kidding me? That would be maybe 3 or 4 so far this year.
Seen plenty of these though...
Overthrown just a tad there....
Sed trying to grab another pass thrown right into his number....
Just another routine catch low and behind him....
Just a bit outside.... Tried the corner and missed....
Not a bad toss straight into double coverage....
Damn it Darks..... You have to keep your head down when fielding grounders. How many times do I have to tell him that?
Time to head for the chiropracter Franklin.... Looks like you tweaked your back swiveling to catch that ball that was high and behind you....
Darious.... you again... I thought Yancy worked with you on your vertical cause it sure doesn't look like you gave a maximum effort for that 14 foot high jump ball....
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