Texas Tech’s Coordinators are too slow in game time management

The thing is we are slow on the coordinators sideline. Our agility has suffered despite running more plays. Remember we used to get quickly to the line of scrimmage. Then observe and call a play  and or check to apply to  take what was offered by the defense. I am keeping a mental stopwatch on the sideline with the wig wag. Folks it’s not about time used. We aren’t getting much in the way of delay of game penalties. But we are letting the defensive coordinator get aligned. Actually that’s giving them too much credit. What is happening is they are guessing right 50 percent of the time. Meaning they are press covering or run blitzing to the right hole about half the time.  It appears Coach Brown /Tech -  has decided to run one of 3 x plays before we know the outcome of the current play. One is dive left or right, one is throw to the sideline trips receiver and one is the slant. In fact it looks like that is the essence of NASCAR i.e. if I, Coach N. Brown don’t get the play in just go on hard 2 count, dive in behind the left or right tackle.  After the assistant coaches wig wag the play in - then the QB approaches the line of scrimmage, reset the linemen, either run it or we observe the defensive alignment, reassess and call a new play based on what the defense is showing. The net result appears to this fan is that it’s settling the QB in on 2 x receivers only and all others are decoys. I.e. Potts is going to launch to number one or two - as opposed to just throw it to the open guy. The running back can be thrown to if nothing opens up i.e. the defense guessed right and they have the number 1 and 2 receivers covered up. So instead of confidence we get the last second panic as we scramble to throw to an outlet receiver usually a running back and about  one third of the time we – i.e. Potts throws a  bad one, a  bullet and under,over or off target , just launch one. Batch and Stephens are short and don’t jump too well.  So it’s worse when it floats over their heads. In this event all things being equal on the miss the back had yards to run. Remember he is the most productive offensive guy on the field. Even in the NASCAR.

This from Dedfischer:

"This offense is more of a power-oriented option passing team, if there is such a thing, than they are a wide-open passing attack. Both Leach and Brown have publicly stated the lack of explosiveness on the outside. They seem to find our personnel niche at times running hitch screens (load option to the pitch man) and handoffs (dive man). When they start building deceptive plays off of that, then our receivers are perfectly fine at finding open space and sustaining drives. However, they’ve been brainwashed to a degree by Mumme/Franklin into feeling a need to go back and throw the ball or they can’t be who they want to be. That works when you have guys that create coverage mismatches in the passing game like Welker, Amendola and Crabtree. Without those guys, they need to utilize the size and strength of Detron, Swindall and Torres to physically beatdown smaller, faster DBs on hitch screens to try and force DCs to place another LB on the field."

So is it reps?

Is it practice?

Is it hands?

Is it scheme?

 Is it a/some combination of all the above?

Maybe.  Just maybe it’s a combo of complexity versus practice time versus hesitation.

Execution:  We needs some . I jump in it.

Defense coordinator wants to jump on it. But we are running press man coverage with B. Duncan dropping back to the middle for contain. When I say contain it’s to prevent a QB or RB draw or try and take away the middle of the field by standing in the middle screen lane. We have not had much success there either based on the gashing for yardage we have taken over the course of the first 6 games.

"Defensively, the injuries and bad recruiting strategy has surrounded a bunch of solid, experienced players with young guys lacking experience and still learning how to play. There is a big difference between what Ruff could do schematically with Wall and Sharpe versus what Willis can do with Johnson and Duncan. We’re playing them out of position due to voids in our depth chart and they’re doing the best they can. As Tim pointed out, there were some coaching strategies that I’m sure Willis would like to have back against OSU. I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised that you don’t see us getting blown of the ball on the DL. We can make tremendous strides quickly on defense with just a couple of players as shown by Ford and Smith in the lineup." By Dedfischer

http://tortillaretort.fantake.com/2010/10/17/osu-post-mortem-hello-walls/

The opposing offensive coordinators are doing us a favor, they are showing the current Tech coaches what they must beat in 2011. It’s really that simple. IMO.  A former Linbeacker coach Willis and a High school down linemen coach Prunty are being welcomed to the Big 12. In defense it’s all about disruption. This current crew of front 7 is not real proficient at that task. Doesn’t mean they can’t get better but today its band aid time. Much has been made of the loss of Scott Smith and Will Ford, ie that theCoaches are just not able to get the game changers onto the field. Injuries plays into that quotient. The current Tech defensive Coaches can dominate but they have been guessing wrong.  Wrong blitz.  Wrong coverage. Surrender the big play. Coach Ruffin McNeil played absorb what they do best  and don’t blow it. Our guys meaning the Coaches are rolling the dice.

This from London Raider: 2010 Week 7 Report Card

http://www.doubletnation.com/2010/10/18/1759439/2010-week-7-report-card#storyjump

DEFENSE

Texas Tech is ranked 102 in Total Defense.   

We are surrendering significant yardage to teams regardless of whether those teams are good offenses or bad offenses.

1.       Tech surrendered 581 yards against Oklahoma State which is ranked 2nd in Total Offense

2.       Tech surrendered 507 yards against Baylor which is ranked 8th in Total Offense

3.       Tech surrendered 441 yards against Iowa State which is ranked  104th in Total Offense

4.       Tech surrendered 443 yards against New Mexico which is ranked 117th  in Total Offense

We are giving up an average of 435 yards per game. 

Texas Tech is ranked 99th in Scoring Defense.

Texas Tech's Passing Defense is ranked 117.

Texas Tech's rushing defense is ranked 53rd after surrendering 225 yards on the ground against Oklahoma State.

So is it reps?

Is it practice? The method of tackling practice? We keep hearing about missed tackles.  From Coach Willis. We had at least 3 x slip downs i.e. failure to wrap up and bring the runner down versus OSU.

Is it hands?

Is it scheme? According to Dedfischer and London and Seth it’s going to continue to be a bumpy ride as the team adjusts its defensive disruptiveness capacity to its talent level.

 Is it a /some combination of all the above? Oh yes remember this fellow fans. The enemy always has a vote. They now have 6 x games worth of film to aid and abet their screwing with this current crew of Tech defenders to review. If you didn’t enjoy the OSU fight, well we are going to get more of the same from Colorado and Mizzou. Because they have competent coaching staffs who can create mismatches.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/427408/2010_Animated_Drive_Chart_Page.html?sURLToGet=2010_OCT_16_Oklahoma_St._Texas_Tech.xml

Doesn’t mean the Tech defenders can’t get the all important 3 x plus 3 and outs just means they will have trouble reaching that plateau.

The Ralphie Report