Improvement 2017 vs 2016

[needmorecowbell]

Is anyone denying that this team is improved since last year? Throw out the OSU (as they killed their last 3 opponents), RU has been in every game, playing very good defense and implemented a ball control offense that is giving them a chance to win every game. Yesterday RU won because they didn't turn the ball over, played with great field position due to special teams and the defense got big stops. Most important, Ash has shown the ability to make adjustments which win games. To take a big step forward next year, Ash and Kill will again need to make an adjustment by opening up the offense a bit. I expect the offense to take the off season and reinvent the offense/open up the playbook. Improvement is definitely visible and things a looking brighter in Piscataway!

 

[nikoru09]

Is anyone denying that this team is improved since last year? Throw out the OSU (as they killed their last 3 opponents), RU has been in every game, playing very good defense and implemented a ball control offense that is giving them a chance to win every game. Yesterday RU won because they didn't turn the ball over, played with great field position due to special teams and the defense got big stops. Most important, Ash has shown the ability to make adjustments which win games. To take a big step forward next year, Ash and Kill will again need to make an adjustment by opening up the offense a bit. I expect the offense to take the off season and reinvent the offense/open up the playbook. Improvement is definitely visible and things a looking brighter in Piscataway!

finally, somebody gets it...great post....if we played speedball like we did last year we might have just one win. sometimes you have to evaluate your roster. and do what ever you can to win games coaches ash,and kill are doing just that. do you really think we can throw the ball all over the field, and expect
positive results. i thought i saw first down throws, a trick play,and other little
niches i have'nt seen, just think, if we didnt lay an egg against E.M we'd have 4 wins.4 wins is still a possibility . michigan will be mad next week, and hardballs will wanna take it out on lowly us...but, lowly us will give them a game.

 

[Duff366]

I never understand this Michigan "or insert team here" will be mad rationale. Rutgers football should come out "madder" than any opponent.

They were absolutely humiliated by Harbaugh's bunch last year and should have a giant chip on their shoulder.. they will lose but they should not be outworked.

 

[billhilf]

I generally agree with this. However, there are still three potential blowout games left for us: Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State (less likely to be a blowout but still could be).

Now say we win 1 more game (very doable) and get blown out in all three, would we still consider it to be great improvement? Improvement yes, but to achieve significant improvement I think we need to compete in two of those games (lose by less than 14 let's say).

 

[BlockR]

need to find a passing game to produce over 150 yards passing,even over 100 would be nice,to beat Maryland.Better linebacker play on defense would help alot also and cut down on over 450 yards given up.play calling was bad yesterday.
Nice to see Tyshon Fogg playing more.

 

[madchuck]

We are definitely improved.

 

[NickRU714]

Is anyone denying that this team is improved since last year? Throw out the OSU (as they killed their last 3 opponents), RU has been in every game, playing very good defense and implemented a ball control offense that is giving them a chance to win every game. Yesterday RU won because they didn't turn the ball over, played with great field position due to special teams and the defense got big stops. Most important, Ash has shown the ability to make adjustments which win games. To take a big step forward next year, Ash and Kill will again need to make an adjustment by opening up the offense a bit. I expect the offense to take the off season and reinvent the offense/open up the playbook. Improvement is definitely visible and things a looking brighter in Piscataway!

Is this a reasonable expectation?
Everyone keeps saying this is the Kill offense. Run run run and "attempt" to control the clock.

I used quotes because we actually have lost TOP battle in our last two wins.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Is this a reasonable expectation?
Everyone keeps saying this is the Kill offense. Run run run and "attempt" to control the clock.

I used quotes because we actually have lost TOP battle in our last two wins.

I made a similar post as the OP yesterday in that since deleted "worst conference" win thread.

I'm okay with this as a "now" strategy but as a "future" strategy I'm less certain if we continue to be very conservative.

I saw that comment about the TOP battle being lost but I'd say with our current personnel would it have even been worse or more lopsided if we weren't very conservative?

I do think eventually we have to transition out of this very conservative offensive mindset if we want to move forward and upward. Will we? Well that's a question I can't answer.

I mentioned in another thread it might not be a bad idea if we have the budget to hire an offensive "consultant." That seems to be all the rage these days. An ex-HC who's been fired (say a Kliff Kinsbury type) or a good ex OC from a fired HC's staff. Some of them will still be getting "leftover" pay so it might not cost as much, I guess maybe 400K on the high end. Sonny Dykes joined the TCU staff as a consultant after being fired from Cal. Something along those lines.

 

[sct1111]

You can be conservative and still run some creative plays. It's no coincidence that we scored on the most creative plays of the game for us, the wheel route to Blackshear.

 

[gef21]

Our WRs and QBs are not ready to make a lot of the plays we need. As QB and WR play improve the offense will have more and more explosive plays.

 

[mikebal9]

Ash and Kill have been criticized, but I absolutely love what they're doing. There are very few ways to win when your talent level isn't up to snuff. They have figured out a way to play to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses as much as possible.

 

[RUBOB72]

I said it before ... TOP is a stat that people fawn over but actually is useless unless you can put points on the board... I am willing to bet Rutgers in the past 25 years has had more games where it had the TOP advantage ... yardage gained ... but came out on the bottom of the score...Need to score points is the key.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Anybody who can't see the differences - minute as they may be - is just not willing to look and/or can't stand Ash as our HC...IMHO.

 

[Dpgru]

One difference I see is that last year we were not ready to play from the onset. Even in the two games we won IIRC both NM and Howard scored first, they definely scored early. Even several of the none blowout losses were over at half time except for Minny, Iowa and Illinois. This year we come out ready to play and I think it has made a difference. Even OSU we took the kick and drove the field before the turnover. Then ...well. But Mich will have a chip on their shoulder, we should after last year but I don't think Ash plays that kind of card during the week. He may not want them to think about such a negative. I think he will stress the two wins and keep the mo going. Harbough will definitely be on them all week so if we don't come out ready to play it could get ugly early.

 

[LC-88]

Best punting since the Deron Cherry days. Very much needed considering the offense we run.

 

[madchuck]

Saying the time of possession and holding the ball was Kill's strategy is a fiction that's not backed up by facts. Ryan Anderson kept bailing us out. Purdue kept shooting themselves in the foot. Someone actually tried arguing that Purdue didn't drop passes.

 

[MYHATINTHERING]

Just curious, what are all these adjustments ash is making during games?

 

[Sec 127]

I don't know about in game adjustments but on the 2pt conversion attempt Ash said he knew Purdue was going to run one of three plays. The kids said they prepared for it, recognized it, and defended it. Most likely the biggest play of the season. I'll take that type of coaching.
I am convinced last year's team loses this type of game.

 

[RUbacker]

Is anyone denying that this team is improved since last year? Throw out the OSU (as they killed their last 3 opponents), RU has been in every game, playing very good defense and implemented a ball control offense that is giving them a chance to win every game. Yesterday RU won because they didn't turn the ball over, played with great field position due to special teams and the defense got big stops. Most important, Ash has shown the ability to make adjustments which win games. To take a big step forward next year, Ash and Kill will again need to make an adjustment by opening up the offense a bit. I expect the offense to take the off season and reinvent the offense/open up the playbook. Improvement is definitely visible and things a looking brighter in Piscataway!

We are exactly on pace with this 5 year rebuild. The fans that flipped out and threatened to leave are the ones that somehow thought we would beat the big boys in year 2 . There are things happening all around this program . We will probably exceed year 2 expectations when all is said and done . High five to all my fellow hard core fans sticking it out.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Just curious, what are all these adjustments ash is making during games?

In the OP, I was referring to adjustment week to week. The secondary is pieced together with duct tape at this point and just shut down Purdue. The offense was turning the ball over and struggling the first half of the season. The best way to fix it was the QB change to Gio, go conservative and limit turnovers / negative plays. Results, two Big Ten wins in a row.

 

[mildone]

We are definitely improved.

Yes, we're probably going to take another couple beatings (PSU/UM), and people will moan and complain and the Ash-haters will have a field-day. But the staff has found a way to win a couple conference games at a point where our O line is struggling, our LBs are inexperienced and learning on the job, our secondary has been decimated and we're moving WRs over to provide depth.

Hopefully we can find one more conference win at least. Won't be easy.

 

[jvdavy]

You can be conservative and still run some creative plays. It's no coincidence that we scored on the most creative plays of the game for us, the wheel route to Blackshear.

we also ran that play earlier and Gio couldn't execute it - he said he stumbled. Maybe the play calling looks creative when the players execute?

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

The improvement is very clear.

As far as wins. Who knows, Maryland looks beatable. Indiana is way better than their record. MSU might be worse than their record. Both are good but one finds a way to lose late in games and the other to pull out a win late in games.