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I am about to become optimistic about our offense.

First, the defense and special teams have taken weight off the offense so they do not have to feel like the offense has to try to put the team on their backs to win. This goes for the players and coaches.

Second, it looks like AR is getting back to full speed. We really missed him. That will take pressure off ES and the extra attention he got in the ECU game for example.

Third, is DJ really about to come back next week? That would add more explosion to the lineup.

Fourth, Bo had an efficiency of 158 vs. ECU, his best since last season by more than 20 points.

One caveat is the number of sacks allowed and the yards lost that way.

Want to improve the offense then improve 3rd down conversions. I know I am preaching but this has been the offense's Achilles heel all season. And it has hurt us in the games we lost and in the UAB game. Not to mention we were 2-10 against ESU. Convert a few more of those 3rd downs and ECU may not be a close game.

We really need to improve 3rd down conversions against Navy. We do need to keep the ball away so our defense can rest and Navy doesn't have as much time with the ball.

Continue solid defense, continue solid special teams and improve 3rd down conversions and We beat Navy.

Most of our 3rd downs last night were over 10 yards. To show improvement they need fewer penalties and positive yardage on 1st and 2nd downs. But in previous games they have had difficulty even with 3rd and short.

We need to be able to run the ball. The running play at the end of the UAB game, which I believe was the same that was moderately successful last night but negated by a holding call on AR, needs to be executed with similar effectiveness earlier in the game.

I don't think many defenses on our remaining schedule, if any, will have the run defense ECU had. Not really surprised we had difficulty running the ball.

Stallion wrote:I don't think many defenses on our remaining schedule, if any, will have the run defense ECU had. Not really surprised we had difficulty running the ball.

Good. Doesnt change the fact that we need to be able to run the ball, which will decrease the third and long situations we face.

Pony!Poni!Pone'! wrote:

Stallion wrote:I don't think many defenses on our remaining schedule, if any, will have the run defense ECU had. Not really surprised we had difficulty running the ball.

Good. Doesnt change the fact that we need to be able to run the ball, which will decrease the third and long situations we face.

or complete more passes on 1st and 2nd down

expony18 wrote:

Pony!Poni!Pone'! wrote:

Stallion wrote:I don't think many defenses on our remaining schedule, if any, will have the run defense ECU had. Not really surprised we had difficulty running the ball.

Good. Doesnt change the fact that we need to be able to run the ball, which will decrease the third and long situations we face.

or complete more passes on 1st and 2nd down

sure as hell would be nice.

Take away the 96 yard pass to AR and look at his QB stats again.

The offense will not improve much this season.

We are not running a real Run 'n Shoot. It is clear to JJ that BLM cannot handle it. That is why it was toned back down for the ECU game, so BLM will not throw INTs. Look at our stats and tell me if those are the stats of a Run 'n Shoot team.

BLM will not start next year. He will be tasked with limping the offense along this year, and trying to do decent game management and not commit mistakes. If he plays like he did at ECU, we have a chance at a bowl, but we will not see any huge numbers unless the opponent is just plain bad like Rice.

If Bo improves his passing efficiency the running lanes open up, including the shovel pass. Bo's production is poor, abysmal, so the D can play the run without worrying about the pass. Navy runs well, that opens the occasional passing that Navy completes, just the opposite of the RNS. Most of Bo's yardage came on the 96 yd pass and catch TD, SMU was under 300 total yards for the game. Win 3 more, coach Reinebold, Jones, Suan and McKnight want to get to the Hawaii Bowl, and 3 wins is doable if Bo doesn't throw it away like he did at Wazzou.

Actually ECU is more pourous than we think as the Opposition stats below are for the season against ECU
Average Per Rush....... 4.8
Average Per Game....... 217.6
TDs Rushing............ 26

Whereas TCU only gives up an average of 2.8 yards per rush and 83 yards a game for the season.. the toughest run defense SMU will face was for certain TCU. We didn't expect much against TCU but we need some more running success against all of our upcoming opponents just to keep them honest and throwing long with AR should also help with opening up the underneath routes....hopefully this last game will give BLM and JJ more confidence to mix it up.

couch 'em wrote:BLM will not start next year. He will be tasked with limping the offense along this year, and trying to do decent game management and not commit mistakes.

I would tend to agree more with this statement if there was a legitimate QB waiting in the wings.

I am assuming you think Pardon will be our QB next year, but really, who the Hoof knows???

trick plays>

The urgent is still the enemy of the important.

The bottom line is that the offense needs to a) put up TDs, b) not turn the ball over, and if it can't do that because of the opposing team,then they should c) consume the clock as much as possible, and d) pin the opposing teams back at their own 20 or less.

Offense does just fine as long as BLM (or whoever plays QB) doesn't throw picks or becomes fatigued. However, Coach Jones gets him there...game manager or gunslinger...I simply don't care. Get him healthy and coach the hell out of him. He'll get it, or somebody else will. It's that simple. (not knocking BLM at all...see 1st sentence...it's all-consuming) Personally, I think the running game can do more...hopefully McNeal/Line can do some good work vs. more CUSA teams.

Stallion wrote:I don't think many defenses on our remaining schedule, if any, will have the run defense ECU had. Not really surprised we had difficulty running the ball.

Actually, from a YPG standpoint, Navy and especially Tulsa have very good to excellent run defenses, better than a solid ECU, the rest of the teams on our schedule are dismal.

Three teams have a slightly better than average pass eff. D: UH, Tulsa, and Marshall which appears solid if not great.

We need to be able to pass on Navy.