50/50 balls and open deep passes...

MedDawg

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
5,568
1,128
113
Moorhead's offense at Penn State took advantage of 50/50 passes, but we didn't last year. Was it because of our receivers, or Fitz? I think it was Fitz, as he didn't seem to put enough air under the ball to allow for 50/50. He even threw deep balls hard with a lower trajectory. A higher softer ball will allow an open receiver to run under it, too. If the WRs were open deep, Fitz often threw it hard and over their heads. He did throw some accurate deep passes, but they were still hard and low and two important ones were dropped.

I don't remember how KT threw deep balls, but I think he put more air under them. I know that Tommy Stevens throws up a soft deep ball, perfect for 50/50 or allowing an open deep receiver to run under it..

I think Guidry specifically would be excellent at going up and taking a 50/50 ball from a DB. We have a couple other tall receivers who also might be able to, but they'r pretty skinny, so I don't know if they have the strength to fight off a DB.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
61,150
32,738
113
Our receivers would have about a 20% chance of catching a 50-50 ball. And not buying that Guidry would be excellent at anything.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
Moorhead's offense at Penn State took advantage of 50/50 passes, but we didn't last year. Was it because of our receivers, or Fitz? I think it was Fitz, as he didn't seem to put enough air under the ball to allow for 50/50. He even threw deep balls hard with a lower trajectory. A higher softer ball will allow an open receiver to run under it, too. If the WRs were open deep, Fitz often threw it hard and over their heads. He did throw some accurate deep passes, but they were still hard and low and two important ones were dropped.

I don't remember how KT threw deep balls, but I think he put more air under them. I know that Tommy Stevens throws up a soft deep ball, perfect for 50/50 or allowing an open deep receiver to run under it..

I think Guidry specifically would be excellent at going up and taking a 50/50 ball from a DB. We have a couple other tall receivers who also might be able to, but they'r pretty skinny, so I don't know if they have the strength to fight off a DB.

It’s not an either / or. They both sucked on those types of plays, as well as several other routine routes.
 

Tall Dawg

Junior
Apr 11, 2016
1,036
323
83
Moorhead's offense at Penn State took advantage of 50/50 passes, but we didn't last year. Was it because of our receivers, or Fitz? I think it was Fitz, as he didn't seem to put enough air under the ball to allow for 50/50. He even threw deep balls hard with a lower trajectory. A higher softer ball will allow an open receiver to run under it, too. If the WRs were open deep, Fitz often threw it hard and over their heads. He did throw some accurate deep passes, but they were still hard and low and two important ones were dropped.

I don't remember how KT threw deep balls, but I think he put more air under them. I know that Tommy Stevens throws up a soft deep ball, perfect for 50/50 or allowing an open deep receiver to run under it..

I think Guidry specifically would be excellent at going up and taking a 50/50 ball from a DB. We have a couple other tall receivers who also might be able to, but they'r pretty skinny, so I don't know if they have the strength to fight off a DB.

Guidry would be “excellent” at getting 50/50 balls? That’s a Bold Statement there Cotton...🤔
 

johnson86-1

All-American
Aug 22, 2012
15,262
5,801
113
Guidry would be “excellent” at getting 50/50 balls? That’s a Bold Statement there Cotton...🤔

Maybe the problem is being wide open allowed him to think about dropping it, so he needs a 50/50 ball to have a better than 50:50 chance of catching it.**

I guess might as well be optimistic at this point.
 

Dawgzilla

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
5,406
0
0
KT threw a great arching pass to Hill for a TD against Arkansas. All of his completions in the opener went for big yards (one was a screen pass to Hill).

Not sure what he would do under pressure, though. Fitz actually put air under the ball in the Louisiana game, but that was a rare night.

Mayden can th r ow a pretty deep ball as well from what I've seen. Wasn't there a video of him at a QB camp impressing Cam Newton by nailing some tires with a deep ball?
 

o_dawgnabit

All-American
Oct 13, 2016
5,062
8,188
113
I say we focus on completing slants and curls first. We couldn't even do that last year
 

boatsandhoes

Junior
Sep 6, 2012
2,151
208
63
fitz doesn’t throw the deep ball well often. Maybe 2/10.

The corner/safety talent in the SEC exceeds the B1G where the ball must be placed well, and the WR has to be able to outtalent the CB/safety for it. Unlikely for us against Bama/LSU/AUB/FLA, and apparently Iowa**. That last part in half jest.

I suspect Moorhead’s deep balls ask the QB to look off the Safety....something fitz really couldn’t do with his eyes. Dak became excellent at it later in his tenure.
 

Joe Schmedlap

Redshirt
Aug 11, 2010
1,334
33
48
Guidry is 50-50 on every pass, even the ones that hit him perfectly in the hands when he is wide *** open.

Moorhead's offense at Penn State took advantage of 50/50 passes, but we didn't last year. Was it because of our receivers, or Fitz? I think it was Fitz, as he didn't seem to put enough air under the ball to allow for 50/50. He even threw deep balls hard with a lower trajectory. A higher softer ball will allow an open receiver to run under it, too. If the WRs were open deep, Fitz often threw it hard and over their heads. He did throw some accurate deep passes, but they were still hard and low and two important ones were dropped.

I don't remember how KT threw deep balls, but I think he put more air under them. I know that Tommy Stevens throws up a soft deep ball, perfect for 50/50 or allowing an open deep receiver to run under it..

I think Guidry specifically would be excellent at going up and taking a 50/50 ball from a DB. We have a couple other tall receivers who also might be able to, but they'r pretty skinny, so I don't know if they have the strength to fight off a DB.
 

PBRME

All-American
Feb 12, 2004
11,552
5,722
113
The problem is 50/50. Qb’s struggle with accuracy and receivers struggle with drops.

From what I’ve seen on KT is he throws a nice catchable ball. The problem is he under throws most of his passes.
 

$altyDawg

Senior
Aug 30, 2018
1,337
616
113
For a ball to even be considered as 50/50, the QB has to get the ball in an area where the receiver can make a play. This is where Fitz struggled mightily. His were more like 30/70.
 

Xenomorph

Heisman
Feb 15, 2007
16,244
10,930
113
Are you saying a ball three feet over your head approaching at the speed of Mach Jesus isn't catchable?
 

Dawgzilla

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
5,406
0
0
I don't think 50/50 literally means a 50% completion rate. I think it means a ball that is floated out there so that the receiver has a reasonable chance of making a play on the ball. Moorhead's offense doesn't need a 50% completion rate on those throws; it just needs the play to pose enough of a threat that the DBs are worried about it. If we could just complete 1 early in the game, it could be enough for the threat to be real.
 

Chris Mannix

Redshirt
Dec 29, 2016
797
0
0
I don't think 50/50 literally means a 50% completion rate. I think it means a ball that is floated out there so that the receiver has a reasonable chance of making a play on the ball. Moorhead's offense doesn't need a 50% completion rate on those throws; it just needs the play to pose enough of a threat that the DBs are worried about it. If we could just complete 1 early in the game, it could be enough for the threat to be real.

Hammer meet nail head, perfectly said sir. You are completely right that a 50/50 ball does not mean a 50% completion rate. His offense is, in part, built on the threat of the deep ball. This threat often will dictate defensive alignment and formation. If that threat is not there then the offense sputters. Good defenses made us completely one dimensional and that is not something that any coach can win with.
 

HumpDawgy

All-Conference
Apr 6, 2010
4,899
2,075
113
We were pretty accurate on the 50/50 ball last year. 50 % went to their FS, and the other 50% went to their CB.***
 

Hypnodawg

Redshirt
Mar 14, 2013
109
0
0
A 50/50 ball means from the QB perspective the defender is just as likely to come down with it as the receiver. The receiver or defender can do things that change the odds so the total probability of the play isn't a coin flip, but from the QB perspective, he is throwing the ball up for grabs between two people.
 

SirBarksalot

Junior
May 28, 2007
2,998
285
83
I think Guidry specifically would be excellent at going up and taking a 50/50 ball from a DB. We have a couple other tall receivers who also might be able to, but they'r pretty skinny, so I don't know if they have the strength to fight off a DB.

I think Mitchell was better at 50/50 balls..yeah, I know he had issues too...but for jump balls, wasn’t he superior to anyone else?
 

dannyripms

Redshirt
Sep 3, 2013
847
1
18
I'd like to see some of those back shoulder throws dak used to do with D. Wilson. Those were almost automatic for 7-10 yards. It requires a lot of chemistry between QBs and WR. That medium range throws if done correctly can break for a lot longer if timing is right. Screw it, I just want to see an uptempo offense go up and down the field on a defense with a pulse. Joe PLEASE get it going this year.
 

SirBarksalot

Junior
May 28, 2007
2,998
285
83
Which one jumps better? That would decide it for me.
I’d heard he was a good hoops player in high school. Not sure about Guidry.

”Helmuth is the boys basketball coach at Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, where MSU wide receiver Osirus Mitchell make a name for himself on the basketball court. At one point, Mitchell's chances of playing college basketball might have been better than his chances of playing college football. “
 

Todd4State

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
17,411
1
0
Maybe the problem is being wide open allowed him to think about dropping it, so he needs a 50/50 ball to have a better than 50:50 chance of catching it.**

I guess might as well be optimistic at this point.

If that's true it sounds like the best way to defend Guidry is to just not defend him at all.**
 

Vice

Redshirt
Oct 8, 2013
182
0
0
Changing gears a little but related:

I haven’t heard anything about Malik Heath in a while. Do we still have a chance getting him to campus?
 
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