Mike Stoops Post-game
- Thread starter veritas59
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In this game it's all on the Linebackers. The front did a decent job. Overall we actually held them to close to 100 yards below their total O average. They basically ran the Kansas State O.
HOWEVER, (and isn't there ALWAYS a However?) IMO, it is Not ACCEPTABLE, when gunning for a National Title...
I'm not making excuses for Mike with this post. How many times had West Virginia shown the wildcat formation before this game? If this formation hadn't been shown by West Virginia I'm not going to have anything in the game plan for that formation. I coach the defense for a high school football team, there just isn't enough time in the day to prepare for everything. I prepare for the formations that the opponent has shown on film and we practice against their favorite 20 running plays and their favorite 20 passing plays. His comment about West Virginia running stuff that OU didn't prepare for isn't uncommon. When this happens you just have to run your base type stuff.
A couple of comments about other posts on this subject.
runningback43 - The comment about the defense not expecting what the offense did is a comment that Mike makes regularly. At some time, wouldn't he expect the offense to do something he hasn't seen yet? A good DC would be able to make the adjustments to that quickly.
Linebacker comments - I am of the understanding and belief that our LB corps is handcuffed by trying to play their position AND trying to help cover extreme weaknesses in the DB group. That makes them look confused or out of place a lot. That is on the coaches and recruiting, but not necessarily bad LB play. Just the best they are able to do with dual responsibilities.
runningback43 - The comment about the defense not expecting what the offense did is a comment that Mike makes regularly. At some time, wouldn't he expect the offense to do something he hasn't seen yet? A good DC would be able to make the adjustments to that quickly.
Linebacker comments - I am of the understanding and belief that our LB corps is handcuffed by trying to play their position AND trying to help cover extreme weaknesses in the DB group. That makes them look confused or out of place a lot. That is on the coaches and recruiting, but not necessarily bad LB play. Just the best they are able to do with dual responsibilities.
Is Riley so fixated on offense that he is clueless when it comes to defense? I keep reading and seeing how terrible our defense is and how unprepared they are. Yet, all I hear from our HC is how much better the defense played and how they are constantly improving. If our defense is as bad as we all think it is why doesn't Riley do something about it? Make Ruffin the DC and demote Mike Stoops at least until the end of this season and then go get a good DC.
Granted, this is not the defense that beat aTm 77-0 in 2003, but it does seem to be a big improvement over the D that played "ping-pong" with Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State and LoSuR earlier this year.
WVU had about 10 minutes more in ToP. I would imagine that going "3 and score" on multiple possessions takes as big a toll on the D as going "3 and out." Hence, a high score for the losing team but a 4 TD spread nevertheless.
Actually, the "high score" for WVU was due to second and third string defenders playing a significant amount of time in the second half.
OU had a 45-10 halftime lead and a 52-17 lead when Lincoln took his foot off the pedal. WVU won 14-7 from there on.
Ever seen Saban's reaction to a td given up by his D in garbage time?
If you are out there even in "garbage time" you should still be giving it your all and if you are not inspired to be playing and not playing at a certain level even in "garbage time" get back on the bench. Even in "garbage time" players still need to make plays and learn, as long as there is time on the clock it is still a time to teach and help players get better otherwise what is the point of putting backups in?
If you are out there even in "garbage time" you should still be giving it your all and if you are not inspired to be playing and not playing at a certain level even in "garbage time" get back on the bench. Even in "garbage time" players still need to make plays and learn, as long as there is time on the clock it is still a time to teach and help players get better otherwise what is the point of putting backups in?
I do not disagree with this at all. Just saying that you don't have enough time in the day to prepare for and practice against everything the opponent could possibly run. I've been through it more than once when an opponent scraps what they've done for the previous 3 or 4 weeks and run something completely different. At that time you have to rely on your base defense principles and hold on. It's also different for me because all of my kids play both ways or at least the majority of them do.[/QUOTE]
You're absolutely right. But, there is a reason these guys are second and third teamers. Barry used to have the first and second best defenses in the Big 8. But he didn't have scholarship limitations, either. I'd react just like Saban, but that doesn't mean my mop up guys will be as proficient as my starters.
Nothing irritates me more than when my first team defense is shutting out an opponent, and then when it becomes mop up time the JV team gives up a score. I've chewed out several freshmen and sophomore kids during a varsity football game and we were ahead 56 to 6 at the time.
A great point, which I was not in a position to make (didn't see the game) since I was tailgating in Baton Rouge during the game, and every last TV we found was tuned to Bummer-Allbarn.
Also, have players perhaps become more injury conscious in recent years, resulting in less intensive play when the outcome of the game is no longer in doubt? If memory serves, Adrian Peterson's Heisman run was ended diving into the end zone against Iowa State (?) when the Sooners were up by 3-4 scores.