Major issues with O.C. McDaniel's play calling!!!!!

[MoobyCow]

Agreed. What happened to the tight ends and fullback in the flat?
RU did try a bubble screen on the first offensive series but Laviano threw an inaccurate pass and it screwed up the timing (not sure if it was to Grant) thus the result was little or no gain. That play has to be executed very crisply to be effective. Another problem with our passing game is the "broken play" drill. Our receivers absolutely suck at getting open when the plan breaks down. Receivers running vertical routes are supposed to cut across the field and vice versa as soon as the QB starts to scramble. Also receivers are supposed to move in the direction of the QB's scramble. We almost never complete passes on these types of plays which is a shame since Laviano is pretty good at scrambling. It seems like our receivers don't know what to do to get open and/or Laviano has trouble locating them and getting it to the open receivers.

Our competent TE and FB graduated and we're left with pretty poor walk-on replacements.

 

[realhoops2]

I cannot take it with Ben McDaniel's.

To go from the beautiful, creative, and fresh play calling of the Fridge last year to McDaniel's stiff play calling makes watching even more difficult to take because the Fridge was such a master of taking enough shots during the game to keep the defense on it toes and guessing.

This season there are too many issues with McDaniel's play calling for one thread so I am only going to discuss 3 "holes" that have really bother me.

First, what happened to using our TE's in our passing game? In the first couple of games we were constantly running 5 yard curls or 5 yards out patterns and hitting the TE's for some nice, safe gainers. We even scored some TD's using these plays... so what is going on?! Why are we no longer targeting the TE's like we did in the beginning of the season?

Second, this point has been brought up before but needs to be brought up again. We need to continue to be creative to get the ball into Janarion Grant's hands! Why not throw a quick little bubble screen ON 1ST DOWN for once? This would solve 2 problems at once because it would get Grant the ball AND it would do something other than just run for 2 yards on first down. And this will keep the defenses from just stacking the dang box! So yes we need Jet Sweeps, we need Bubble Screens, we need Trips formation with Grant running a quick slant underneath the trips, and any other strategy a Division 1 Offensive Coordinator should know about to get the ball in his playmaker's hands!!!

Third, why do we seem to RARELY pass to our RB's? I feel like we either hand it off to them or we keep them in to block. I can't remember the last time I saw a play action to Hicks where he then runs a quick little 3 yard out and we hit him and he tries to make some moves after the catch. I feel like ALL 4 of our RB's would be excellent at this because they all seem to be able to make that first tackler miss when they are running and when you are receiver.... if you can make that first person miss that usually means you now have a big play ahead of you.

So please I must be missing something as to why we have these GAPING holes in our playcalling. Please somebody explain to me why we do not ever check down to our RB's, or why we don't use our TE's anymore in the pass game, or why we literally can't seem to get the ball into Grant's hands unless it is being kicked to him. I need answers and I need them ASAP because I literally cannot watch another game with this kind of play calling !!!!!!

As for the TE's being used...don't you understand that it didn't take opposing defensive coordinators long to recognize that Laviano rarely threw downfield to wide receivers and leaned heavily or short or intermediate throws to TE's? Even Grant's early success was on underneath throws where he was able to run after the catch. Again, by deploying their entire defense within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage the underneath throws are taken away. Why do you think most are saying give Rettig a shot? He obviously has more of a push the ball downfield mentality as a QB that could very well force the defense to defend a larger area of the field and make the underneath throws an option again. Not to mention the benefit it would bring to the running game, including jet sweeps to Grant.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

The OL is finally good enough but we have galing holes at TE and FB.

It is? At what exactly?

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

All these clowns that say fridge would have come back if he was given complete control . How come you clowns didn't say anything like this when fridge decided to step down ? Gotta love these message boards

When things go a little bad....all kind of crazy stories come out...makes you say, hmmmmm.

I actually believed it when it was first posted here.....then I thought, if this were true....the NJ Dot Com site would have been all over it.

 

[kupuna133]

When things go a little bad....all kind of crazy stories come out...makes you say, hmmmmm.

I actually believed it when it was first posted here.....then I thought, if this were true....the NJ Dot Com site would have been all over it.

They ran a couple pieces on how his role changed. I posted one in a previous post. Fridge original consultant role was to be mostly spring ball and summer camp. He was not at spring practice and only at 3 summer camp practices. That was the absolute minimum to honor his contract.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

It is? At what exactly?

They looked good against MSU. Now teams are stacking the box and they still try to run the same plays up the middle.

 

[brookdale-soda]

Friedgens comments after the Maryland game in response to a question on his future at RU was that he loves to be back coaching the kids but that he didnt like being on the wrong side of these blowout losses. Never truly understood what he was trying to say but I thought at the time he was trying to say something.

Regardless that comment wasn't a ringing endorsement of 2015 or the future......