BanjoBongo wrote:Excuses stink and nobody wants to hear it. If you actually played sports in your life you understand that. So our QB doesn't scamble enough? Our O line is great and JJD should be able to move the ball with a 5 step drop back all day. June didn't know what do against the Mid Shipman, when are you all going to agree when me about our coach. Great at turning a program around but a one trick pony (no pun intended) with a program
He never scrambles! Yes our O line is usually pretty good, but you cant deny the fact we are running an offense with a turncoat QB. He literally hands the ball to the other team. I mean no coach controls that other than kicking him out, which he doesnt want to play our young QB...
he was great 6 weeks ago, either our wide outs aren't running hard or we're predictable. I think we showed our hands after the UCF game
I think the WR have been saving JJ from game 1 under McD, its being predictable. All you have to do most of the time is double coverage. I mean just put the clown on a treadmill or switch him out with a runner to change it up so they cant assume always pass from us.
All the comments about players "star caliber" in my opinion should be thrown out the window...I mean rivals rates players...granted there are by far some elite athletes that they give their 5 stars or 6 stars or however many stars it is and deservedly so ...but i wouldnt read too much into this IMHO. I don't think the stars take into account, the kids work ethic, etc...Who cares what a bunch of nobodies behind a computer think about how good you are...Garrett Gilbert was rated the top QB in the country for that class, How'd that turnout? Not a knock on the kid, I am just saying, I wouldnt read too much into what the kids are rated.
Now that thats been said...After reading a few posts at the start...Yes teams still run versions of the R&S...but I would also like for you to take into account the tempo in which they run it...quickly! IMHO June takes to long, doesn't have opportunity to change play.
The problem goes far beyond McD. Yes he is not mobile, OLine needs to block better...Yes he is not accurate, I am not a QB but maybe it is mechanical? I dont know...but I have posted before, I thought the switch from KP to McD was not justified. And I think we are starting to see this. McD supporters say what you want, but the stats will prove you otherwise.
The schedule this year...Yes A&M was better than Tech last year. BUT, UCF wasn't as good this year, nor TCU, NOR NWST VS. Washington St....I tihnk our schedule this year, has been caked accept for USM and Houston. Tulsa was the same in my opinion.
I am just pissed about June not handing the dang ball off down near the endzone, trying to get cute, by throwing a ball up to a DE. Granted, an athletic monster, but i would trust Zack four times than I would JJMcD or Thompson with the ball in that position on the field.
My opinions dont mean crap, but I am annoyed with everyone on here bashing the kids...I am guilty of it too...BUT...can our coaches please figure something out....June already F'd up by switching the QB's
And for the Defense....the best defense for the option offense in which Navy and Army run is.......HAVING AN OFFENSE THAT CAN PUT UP POINTS...it takes them out of their game plan, how many times did they complete a pass today? (They being Navy) Not a single pass was completed today in my recollection...and only 2 were attempted...poor effort defensively. Yes it was only 24 points, yes we held them below their average...but it wasn't good enough. Are we going to be satisfied with holding opponents under their average? WE shouldnt be...if we still Lose.
"Star" ranking go out the window when playing service academies. We got out played by lesser athletes. Out of my mind frustrated that we threw +10 yards less than 3 times all game.
The star system is certainly subjective but, generally speaking, a 4 star is far more talented than a 2 star. Of course, I'd take a team of hungry 2 and 3 stars that have great chemistry than a team of 4 stars all day long. The POINT, however, I'm trying to make is that talent almost always wins out on this level. We don't have it to be a 8+ win team ... YET ... getting there, though.
I don't see your point about Garrett Gilbert. Some guys "peak" in HS, no doubt, but I'll take him over ANY 2 star level type guy out there ... unless you know someone else better that wants to come to SMU (maybe Burcham and/or Printz end up being better than him ... either way, the talent level is better with those 3 than any I can think of in 20+ years on the Hilltop).
Not bashing the kids, just telling it like it is. I'm sure they are all great kids deserving of their scholarships and most will go on and do well in life, etc. They've definitely shown they have the work ethic and discipline ... I couldn't imagine having their schedule ... if I had to get up before noon while I was there, I couldn't function
My post about Garret Gilbert is that...the kid was rated the top QB in the country, and he lead a prominent program to.........fill in the blank, but it wasnt a bowl game. Finished 5-7 with a ton of 5 star recruits on that team, and he threw 22 Interceptions. I dont know the TD/INT ratio...but he threw more picks than TD's. He was rated the top QB in the country....now he transfers down to a program where, we have a 2 star QB in KP....KP stats out do that of Gilberts. There in lies my point. You can't read too much into these kids ratings at age 17 or 18. They enter college as boys, and come out 22-23 year old men. Who can tell at age 17 that this kid is a 2 star recruit....who is to say that kid wont grow 5 more inches, gain 50 pounds of muscle, and run a 4.4......yes i know that is drastic, but my point is, no one knows the type of athletes these kids are going to turn into. So looking a ranking system DOES help recruiters, but it is up to those coaches/recruiters to decide on their own if this kid can produce at a high level or not.
And you kind of made my point for me....youre taking him based off of what? His rivals ranking? You think UT would have replaced with him with a 3 star recruit in Ash and McCoy....if Gilbert was really that talented? The stars do not matter! A lot more intangibles that these kids bring to the game other that just passing yards and TD's...the star system does not take these into account
Haha and your last paragraph sums it up perfectly! NO WAY in HELL i could do what these kids do everyday...I know you werent bashing anyone, I hope no one thinks I am...I just expressing it like I see it.
Two steps forward one step back I think we will fine next year.For all you hatters out there just think if JJ wasnt here what would or record be then huh
No, Cali has the most talent BY FAR ... have you been to any of these HS games? Westlake Christian, CalPoly, Sierra, etc? ... like watching college teams. Florida is next. Texas is a distant third. (doesn't Cali usually beat TX when they play that CA vs TX high school game?).
and CA has the most population by far among the states you mention; actually, I think MS and LA have put more guys in the NFL (per capita) than any of the big population states
I do agree with much of what you say; JJ is still building this program and if we go to our 3rd bowl game in his 1st 4 years here, I'd say we are still making progress.
I very purposefully watched our sideline yesterday (even though I was fairly certain what I would see). There is no doubt in my mind that our coaching staff adheres to an NFL type approach to their craft. Teach, teach, teach. Maybe adjust occasionally. Scout the opponent, put in game plan, roll out the ball, play the game, perform at the level you are expected to/paid to, shower, go home, repeat again next week.
Only problem is these are not pro athletes and they do not respond the way most pro's would. JJ may be coaching SMU, but he is and has long been a pro coach. Sometimes pro coaches transition well to the college game, sometimes not and vice-versa. Bottom line, you would have to look long and hard to find a sideline on Saturday as flat dead as ours (consistently). This coaching staff has not a clue, or has not shown any indication of one, regarding how to get the players fired up. They fall so very short in being able to motivate. I say we have hit our stride with this bunch and +/- .500 ball is what you can expect now and in the future.
78pony, that's sad to hear indeed. That is the most frustrating part of all this for me. At this level, the attitude of the players tend to match that of the coaches (if they like the coaches). I thought Ganz was a motivator but I don't know anything about the inner workings and, unfortunately, haven't gotten to a game yet to witness it firsthand although I made some presumptions that match what you're saying. If your talent is average, you have to REALLY want it to compete with talent better than yours (that's what made Michael Jordan/Jerry Rice so amazing ... they had the talent AND the fire - scary combination). This team seems to have average to good talent and average fire which is why we are a .500 team (which is best in past 20 years, but it can't keep going that way moving forward) ... I'm a little concerned also that some of this talent that's coming seem to be motivated because the coaches are telling them they don't have to work that hard (saw it on a Levingston FB post) ... something to the effect of "coaches are laid back teachers vs hard nosed firebrand types" ... oy vey ...
Esandersfan, I hear you and agree with you about the subjectivity and the snapshot of the star system and how 17-18 year olds change over the college years. It is definitely up to the coaches to develop that talent (plenty of 2 stars play in the NFL after all) ... there definitely are exceptions. BUT, in CUSA, a team with several 4 stars beats the snot out of a team with 2 star and no stars (UH vs. UAB, Tulsa vs Tulane, etc etc). A top SEC team can win or lose against another mid level SEC team because they ALL have a bunch 3 and 4 stars and the line between the competition is pretty fine (coaching and mental strength wins out typicall).
Its called motivating their team...and you HAVE to get the juices flowing with these college kids. The college game is all about emotions and having the coaches properly channeling those emotions. You have to 'sell' them on it...
We wandered around for 20 PLUS years with our nuts dragging on the ground, we SUCKED!!, along comes an innovator, gives us recruits that can compete, winning records, bowl games, HOPE!! and you guys want to run him off...oh, man........
I think after a heart breaking loss members are upset. However, I think Coach Jones has done a marvelous job considering everything he has had to put up with. We don't know all of the problems he has faced. And, quite frankly, I wasn't sure he could continue forward at the pace he's been moving. He must be an incredible coach to play for. In fact, that is the comments we get from both prospects, recruits and players. And, I don't think these comments help him or any of the team. The recruits (and transfers) seem to be getting better and better. That's what counts most. I'll bet you if I had a player like Eric Dickerson in his prime that I could run the single wing and go to a bowl game (unless the qb fumbled the ball before the hand-off LOL). Put a Roger Staubach (at the level he was at Navy) and put in ANY offense and he would win. Anyway, I think it is too early to panic and the book is still out on Coach Jones. I support him and all of his assistants.
As I see it one problem is the lack of leadership on the field and on the sideline. JJ is very disengaged with the team and is usually 15 or more yards away from the center of the bench. I seldom see him talking or encouraging the players. Stark contrast to what was happining accross the field on the Navy side. In so many ways the team becomes the personnality of the coach. JJ is laid back and disengaged and that is the way the team plays for the most part. I may be missing something but that is what it looks from the stands and I think other fans see the same thing...maybe that is why it is often not fun to attend an SMU game.
