I was in Dallas this weekend for my wife's 20 yr class reunion...only saw half of LSU game but was lucky enough to watch the first 3 quarters of our game...
1. I can put into words how miserable I thought this weekend was going to be. They had get-together's planned for Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night. And I was expected to go to all of them. Since I only have 3 friends, you can imagine how much I hate being around a bunch of people I don't give a **** about.
2. We arrive in Dallas that afternoon, and the wife looks over at me and says- "you're not too excited about tonight are ya?". I replied in my best sarcastic tone- "no babyyyy, it's going to be wonderfullllllll"...she laughs and then looks at me and says "would you rather go to the Rangers-Yankees game tonight by yourself? Because I have this ticket for ya and all...." She set me up in RF, 15 rows up...I have to give my little band geek her props, I didnt see that one coming. Seeing the Rangers clinch a trip to the World Series over the Yankees was awesome. That place was most electric I've seen a baseball game.
3. We were flat. I can't understand why so many of you can't grasp that. We didnt block well, Ralph struggled throwing, Ballard was out. The defense didnt have the same intensity- it was obvious. These things happen every week, in all levels of football. How did Texas handle their big win over Nebraska? How did SC fare the next week after Bama? Even the Mississippi Bears followed up their big road win over Tulane this season by losing at home to Vandy. We got a win when we weren't at full strength and were tired from traveling the last 2 weeks and the emotion of beating Fla. Be happy and enjoy the good times.
4. With that said, you can still analyze what happened without going overboard. You people saying "we won't win another game playing like that" kill me. Well, no **** Doctor. Why don't you follow that quote up with- "if our guys dont drink fluids on the sidelines, they will get dehydrated"....We didnt intend on playing like that Saturday night, but sometimes your body just doesnt respond the way you want it to. Football is physically and emotionally draining. Certain people being hurt and out of the line-up hurt more than others- especially on offense. Offense requires 11 people being in sync to be effective- one 17-up can kill a play even when the other 10 people have done their jobs perfectly. Also, why isn't Heavens more involved? He is a weapon
5. LSU is doing exactly what we were doing to start the season. Trying to play 2 different QB's with 2 different skill sets. It doesnt work unless one is a specialty player like Leak/Tebow. Tebow wasnt coming in to take over entire series- he was short yardage and goalline. That makes it work. Trying to incorporate entire playlists for each QB is not going to work. Your offense has no identity. If Les doesnt settle on an identity in these 2 weeks- they have no chance to beat Bama in my opinion. I talked about this after our loss to LSU- and what do you know? We scrapped it after LSU, have stuck with Ralph, and we are undefeated ever since.
6. It's still funny to me that a few people on here didnt want us to bring in Cam Newton because we already had Russell.
ok, now for the main event- Ralph and Russell
Ralph is our QB. Get over it folks. There will be no Tyler Russell starting at QB for us unless Ralph gets hurt. I want Ralph to throw the ball better too, but what he gives us in the run-game is what helps make us hard to deal with. Ask Urban Meyer- he even mentioned it after their game. We have to live with what he gives us and hope for the best. Russell isn't going to be the guy right now. It's not going to happen in 2010. Why you ask? We would have to change up the offense and change the way we practice to insert Tyler Russell at QB. Tyler Russell is not a Spread-<span style="text-decoration:underline">option</span> QB. He is a Spread QB. There is a difference:
A spread-option QB can run the ball 8-10 times a game at a minimum and more if needed.
A spread-option QB can take the pounding of carrying the ball that much.
A spread-option QB spends at least 60% of practice time working on the <span style="text-decoration:underline">run</span> game.
You guys wanting Russell to be the QB- ask yourself- does that sound like I'm describing Tyler? If you think the answer is yes, you don't know **** about football.
A Spread QB runs when he has to and that is mostly when having to scramble. He may also run when he sees an open running lane due the D playing man and stuck in coverage.
You really dont want to see your Spread QB getting hit very much.
A Spread QB works at least <span style="text-decoration:underline">60% of practice on the passing game</span>- working on timing, WR's getting plenty of work catching the ball, route adjustments, hot routes, blitz pick-ups, and the constant quick slant to beat man coverage.
Now then, if you think this describes Russell, we are in complete agreement.
At Miss State right now, we run a Spread-option offense. And until we decide to make that change, and change the way we practice, Ralph is going to be the starting QB. We are going to have to make that change at some point because of the personnel we have and what we are recruiting. Will it be this Spring? I don't know. I, myself, dont see us starting Ralph this entire season only to see us put him on the bench next season in favor of Russell. I think Ralph should be the starter next season, with Russell coming in 2-3 series a game next year with a hurry-up, 2 min type package to give the defense another look to prepare for. And that's all Russell does- that would be his role. But who knows at this point.
All I do know, is that ever since we stopped playing Russell- we are 5-0. That is a fact that cannot be disputed. And that's the bottom line.
1. I can put into words how miserable I thought this weekend was going to be. They had get-together's planned for Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night. And I was expected to go to all of them. Since I only have 3 friends, you can imagine how much I hate being around a bunch of people I don't give a **** about.
2. We arrive in Dallas that afternoon, and the wife looks over at me and says- "you're not too excited about tonight are ya?". I replied in my best sarcastic tone- "no babyyyy, it's going to be wonderfullllllll"...she laughs and then looks at me and says "would you rather go to the Rangers-Yankees game tonight by yourself? Because I have this ticket for ya and all...." She set me up in RF, 15 rows up...I have to give my little band geek her props, I didnt see that one coming. Seeing the Rangers clinch a trip to the World Series over the Yankees was awesome. That place was most electric I've seen a baseball game.
3. We were flat. I can't understand why so many of you can't grasp that. We didnt block well, Ralph struggled throwing, Ballard was out. The defense didnt have the same intensity- it was obvious. These things happen every week, in all levels of football. How did Texas handle their big win over Nebraska? How did SC fare the next week after Bama? Even the Mississippi Bears followed up their big road win over Tulane this season by losing at home to Vandy. We got a win when we weren't at full strength and were tired from traveling the last 2 weeks and the emotion of beating Fla. Be happy and enjoy the good times.
4. With that said, you can still analyze what happened without going overboard. You people saying "we won't win another game playing like that" kill me. Well, no **** Doctor. Why don't you follow that quote up with- "if our guys dont drink fluids on the sidelines, they will get dehydrated"....We didnt intend on playing like that Saturday night, but sometimes your body just doesnt respond the way you want it to. Football is physically and emotionally draining. Certain people being hurt and out of the line-up hurt more than others- especially on offense. Offense requires 11 people being in sync to be effective- one 17-up can kill a play even when the other 10 people have done their jobs perfectly. Also, why isn't Heavens more involved? He is a weapon
5. LSU is doing exactly what we were doing to start the season. Trying to play 2 different QB's with 2 different skill sets. It doesnt work unless one is a specialty player like Leak/Tebow. Tebow wasnt coming in to take over entire series- he was short yardage and goalline. That makes it work. Trying to incorporate entire playlists for each QB is not going to work. Your offense has no identity. If Les doesnt settle on an identity in these 2 weeks- they have no chance to beat Bama in my opinion. I talked about this after our loss to LSU- and what do you know? We scrapped it after LSU, have stuck with Ralph, and we are undefeated ever since.
6. It's still funny to me that a few people on here didnt want us to bring in Cam Newton because we already had Russell.
ok, now for the main event- Ralph and Russell
Ralph is our QB. Get over it folks. There will be no Tyler Russell starting at QB for us unless Ralph gets hurt. I want Ralph to throw the ball better too, but what he gives us in the run-game is what helps make us hard to deal with. Ask Urban Meyer- he even mentioned it after their game. We have to live with what he gives us and hope for the best. Russell isn't going to be the guy right now. It's not going to happen in 2010. Why you ask? We would have to change up the offense and change the way we practice to insert Tyler Russell at QB. Tyler Russell is not a Spread-<span style="text-decoration:underline">option</span> QB. He is a Spread QB. There is a difference:
A spread-option QB can run the ball 8-10 times a game at a minimum and more if needed.
A spread-option QB can take the pounding of carrying the ball that much.
A spread-option QB spends at least 60% of practice time working on the <span style="text-decoration:underline">run</span> game.
You guys wanting Russell to be the QB- ask yourself- does that sound like I'm describing Tyler? If you think the answer is yes, you don't know **** about football.
A Spread QB runs when he has to and that is mostly when having to scramble. He may also run when he sees an open running lane due the D playing man and stuck in coverage.
You really dont want to see your Spread QB getting hit very much.
A Spread QB works at least <span style="text-decoration:underline">60% of practice on the passing game</span>- working on timing, WR's getting plenty of work catching the ball, route adjustments, hot routes, blitz pick-ups, and the constant quick slant to beat man coverage.
Now then, if you think this describes Russell, we are in complete agreement.
At Miss State right now, we run a Spread-option offense. And until we decide to make that change, and change the way we practice, Ralph is going to be the starting QB. We are going to have to make that change at some point because of the personnel we have and what we are recruiting. Will it be this Spring? I don't know. I, myself, dont see us starting Ralph this entire season only to see us put him on the bench next season in favor of Russell. I think Ralph should be the starter next season, with Russell coming in 2-3 series a game next year with a hurry-up, 2 min type package to give the defense another look to prepare for. And that's all Russell does- that would be his role. But who knows at this point.
All I do know, is that ever since we stopped playing Russell- we are 5-0. That is a fact that cannot be disputed. And that's the bottom line.
