but I think we at least have a puncher's chance against USC with # 17 under center. Did anyone else notice that WR's Johnson & Johnson (Robert & Malcolm) got more PT yesterday with Russell in the game?Malcolm looked good on his td catch yesterday. He actually has SEC size and hands to boot. He definitely passed the eye testas far as I'm concerned.Where has he been all year? We've been suffering with WR drops all year long and he comes in showing perfect pass-catching form like there's nothing to it. Griffin looked to melike a quality SEC running back in his limited touches also. All of these guys need to see the field more next Saturday.
Well, call me a sheep if you wish,
- Thread starter Griffdawg
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don't necessarily count on TR being under center at least not until we are already a couple of scores behind. And by that time, with SC's defense, it may be too late to worry about it.
On the one hand, Dan seems stubborn enough to run Chris back out there again, despite what we've been seeing for the last three weeks.<div>
</div><div>On the other hand, Dan also seems like the kind of guy who would read/hear what Chris said after the game yesterday and not let him see the field for 3 weeks after that.</div><div>
</div><div>Needless to say, we will be over-analyzing Dan's comments all week and won't know anything until next Saturday between the time the starting lineups go up on the jumbotron and the time we run our first offensive play.</div>
</div><div>On the other hand, Dan also seems like the kind of guy who would read/hear what Chris said after the game yesterday and not let him see the field for 3 weeks after that.</div><div>
</div><div>Needless to say, we will be over-analyzing Dan's comments all week and won't know anything until next Saturday between the time the starting lineups go up on the jumbotron and the time we run our first offensive play.</div>
after what has transpired over the last 3 games. Relf struggled, Russell played well. But it wouldn't shock me if Mullen started Relf with a short leash tied to his neck. I would start Russell and play Relf in special situations. You have got to believe the rest of the team would be more fired up with Tyler starting at this point.
Everyone could see it. Even the ****** announcers commented on it. I'm sure the team had to be thinking "Finally, Dan!! It's about damn time!!". I applaud Relf for his contributions to the team (especially at the end of '10), but holy crap he has been atrocious over the past 3 weeks. I've been to our games at Auburn and at UGA. Against Auburn, Relf kept the ball himself on the option at least 10 times on plays where nobody was even covering Ballard. I'm saying nobody within 10 yards was in position to tackle the pitch man. Also at Auburn, he missed a wide open WR (can't remember if it was Sanders or Clark) who was open by at least 10-15 yards. I mean he was wide-*** open!! At UGA, he looked slow to make a decision and would not go through his progressions at all. At one point, he threw the ball away and was called for grounding with Marcus Green wide open literally waving his hands at him. He's just not an SEC quality qb, has no pocket awareness,and most of all no field vision. It's time for youth to be served or at least given a fair chance.
If we are going to throw it all over the field, then TR needs to play. If CR is in the game, we need to do what we did last year. Pound it, run the option and go to play action occassionally not every 17ing time we gain positive yardage.
But thanks for showing back up and bringing your expertise back to the board now that Tyler Russell is playing again.</p>
But thanks for showing back up and bringing your expertise back to the board now that Tyler Russell is playing again.</p>
Ralphmissed by a good20 yards against Auburn. Yes, Carr adjusted and even dove for the ball to make that horrible looking throw appear to be at least thrown to the correct side of the field, but Carr had to bust off of his route and dive. Ralphstill ended up being off target by 8- to 10 yards.
Stuck with Chris Leak for the most part, and brought in Tebow in short-yardage situations. That worked out pretty well for them and I think it could work for us as well.
but Relf has regressed as a runner as well. I actually thought Tyler ran the ball better than Relf against UAB. There's something that I never thought I would ever type with a straight face. And I was one of the few saying that Tyler could run a little bit.
The biggest problem with running the spread option in the SEC - and there are several problems - is asking your QB to take so many hits . Tebow could handle it, Cam Newton was the kind of guy who could handle it, but there's not many out there who can. Relf can take a hit very well, but a lot of people have speculated he is hurt this year, and there were certainly times last season where the pounding seemed to affect him.
I'm worried about Russell taking those hits, and about his tendency to throw interceptions. But, hey, with Relf we can't pass and we can't run. At least with Russell we may have a shot at something working.
I'm worried about Russell taking those hits, and about his tendency to throw interceptions. But, hey, with Relf we can't pass and we can't run. At least with Russell we may have a shot at something working.
belong to Dan Mullen for waiting so long to make a change. Relf has not only been pathetic throwing the ball, he shows no leadership on the field whatsoever. He hangs his head when the going gets tough and looks confused on most other occasions. He blames the coaches for not calling enough deep pass plays,but hedoes not mention or take responsibility for the factthat he has notcompleted a single ONE of those type calls over the middle(or anywhere else on the field that is farther than 12 yards away) since the Memphis game. For the record, Russell even looked better running the option yesterday and he definitely has a better pocket presence than Relf. He actually faked a pitch on one option and then turned up field for an eight yard gain. When has Relf ever faked a pitch and turned up fieldor even tried tofake out the D by actinglike he was going to keep the ball on an outside option play? Our O-line is not talented or experienced enough to try to pound the ball on defenses that are constantly playing 8 men in the box because they know that there is no passing threat(with the exception of a bubble screen or swing pass to a RB) while Relf is under center. The whole team seemed tobecome more energized assoon as Russell entered the game and he responded byshowing good poise and leadership for a qb that has seen only very limited action. I am sure that the receivers were the most excited of the group, they actually have a qb that can hit them while running in stride now. I hate it for a guy that is a senior, but the bottom line is that he has regressed(from a level that wasn't that great to start with) toan unacceptable level.We would have lost the UAB game yesterday ifRelf wouldhave stayed in the entire game and we will not make it to even 6 wins if he remains to be the qb that receives a majority of the snaps.
I think we will pass a lot more with Tyler and just run the option once or twice a quarter to give defenses something to defend and think about. Pretty similar to what we saw in the second half yesterday.
I do agree with you about the pounding that a QB takes running the option in general. But I like the option as a wrinkle in the offense.
I have to wonder if we developed a misconception about Dan wanting to run the option all the time because at UF, it made sense to do so with Tebow. But Tebow threw quite a bit as well- a lot more than we did with Relf. I think they may have used Tebow simply as their "big back" and he just so happened to also be their QB as well. It was a rare combination.
I do agree with you about the pounding that a QB takes running the option in general. But I like the option as a wrinkle in the offense.
I have to wonder if we developed a misconception about Dan wanting to run the option all the time because at UF, it made sense to do so with Tebow. But Tebow threw quite a bit as well- a lot more than we did with Relf. I think they may have used Tebow simply as their "big back" and he just so happened to also be their QB as well. It was a rare combination.
I never said Russell didn't give us a better shot. Thats yet to be determined. Currently I think he does. It doesn't change the fact that Mullen/Koening were not playing to Chris' strong point. Running the damn ball.
Last year, we pounded it on the ground until people were force to stack the box. We then went to play action pass down the middle of the field. Our percentage of success wasn't very high but it kept the defense honest and we got several big plays from it.
This year play calling has Relf throwing the ball 20 or more times a game. Thats not his strength. Every 17ing time we move the ball on the ground we immediately go to play action. Thats not really fooling anyone.
How many times have we ran the triple option this year? Not many. Again (pay attention), if we are going to throw it 20+ times a game, we should play Russell. If we are going to go with a ground attack then we need to play them both most likely.
If Russell can be serviceable with his feet and have the same success as Saturday against SEC teams, it makes us a lot better on offense. That isn't Relf's fault.
Last year, we pounded it on the ground until people were force to stack the box. We then went to play action pass down the middle of the field. Our percentage of success wasn't very high but it kept the defense honest and we got several big plays from it.
This year play calling has Relf throwing the ball 20 or more times a game. Thats not his strength. Every 17ing time we move the ball on the ground we immediately go to play action. Thats not really fooling anyone.
How many times have we ran the triple option this year? Not many. Again (pay attention), if we are going to throw it 20+ times a game, we should play Russell. If we are going to go with a ground attack then we need to play them both most likely.
If Russell can be serviceable with his feet and have the same success as Saturday against SEC teams, it makes us a lot better on offense. That isn't Relf's fault.
needs a week or two of rest. He seems beat down to me. He's slower and not breaking tackles like he used to do when he ran the ball. Go with Tyler as the starter and bring in Relf as our version of the wildcat. With the use of Lewis,Bumphis,Perkins and Ballard on options, reverses etc and the play-action pass the offensive coaches should be able to design a much limited playbook for Relf that would use his strengths to our advantage. He is still a weapon I just think the weapon has been overused and has lost it's effectiveness.
