The Good...and the Not So Good

[ru-baby]

The GOOD

1. Powell's return. Hard to overstate.
2. Bailey's return. Difference maker in safety showed, amongst others. Seemed to line up way too wide on occasion though. Did I miss him or was he out last series?
3. AK--Better than advertised. Bona fide B10qb. Made plays when run wasnt working and appears to mean RU doesnt need to be one dimensionsal.
4. D. Miller is nice.
5. Strong--Good game and not just the long screen.
6. Fletcher--good pass option. So much better than anticipated in first year at position in college.
7. Longerbeam is for real.
8. Punter solid.
9. Left side of the line solid.
10. Djabome a solid lb.
11. Sam brown in beast mode.
12. KM getting the first down when it was needed even on a less than stellar day.

NOT so Good:

1. Right side of the OL in particular at guard. Beaten pretty badly a number of times yesterday.
2. Fletcher has been great but his missed blocks have blown up a few plays.
3. Pass rush. Starting out way too wide to get there in time or not getting a push has been an issue. A pass rush would make such a difference.
4. LB play other than Poweel and Djabome. Real noticable drop off. A concern if Powell or Djabome goes down.
5. Kick and punt returns. Yes Dremel has sure hands and there are times for that. BUT there were at least a ko and punt where there was no one for yards and positive gains could have occurred. Situationally you can't just forefeit ANY yards all the time. Sure there will be an all out punt block when you will fair catch, but not always and can't forefeit any yards always.
6. Decision making. The long fg and not going for it on 4th and half yard with Brown and KM. Instilled the fight in the tram but not GS best day.

 

[ru-baby]

One more good:
Angoy has been more than a pleasant surpise with some nice stops.

 

[MrsScrew]

#5 & #6 for sure. I just don't understand why we never run the ball back.

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

Good:

Screen pass!
Triple option
Poise from all facets at end of the game - offense, defense and ST, especially after momentum changed

 

[Shelby65]

#5 & #6 for sure. I just don't understand why we never run the ball back.

Exactly. Utter philosophy fail.

 

[ru-baby]

One more good

Watched Strong screen Dremel sprung it with a block lasting long ernough.

(Fletcher and Asamoah fanned and Feltchers block caught Strong. Fletcher learns to block better and he will be a helluva TE)

 

[BossNJ]

I’ll throw a not so good in:

Kirk’s run game calls-

Need to force the other team to defend the entire field, not just between the tackles. -No sweeps, no outside tosses, no outside zone. WR’s all stacked close to the ball. Spread the WR’s wide and u spread the corners and safeties.

Need some variety as we (clearly, as evidenced yesterday) are not always going to be able to overpower the other defense.

 

[BeantownKnight]

I have a season-long "not so good". The Bush Push (or whatever you call it) is an example of a problem with our OLine that I did not see last season. Last season (with, mostly, these same guys), the OLine pushed DLines back just about every time. Need 1 yard? They would push them back 3. This season, it seems like an effort to get 6 inches. Am I wrong? And, I have seen this in every game, even against sub par competition (which really has me worried, as we start conference play).

 

[RUbacker]

The GOOD

1. Powell's return. Hard to overstate.
2. Bailey's return. Difference maker in safety showed, amongst others. Seemed to line up way too wide on occasion though. Did I miss him or was he out last series?
3. AK--Better than advertised. Bona fide B10qb. Made plays when run wasnt working and appears to mean RU doesnt need to be one dimensionsal.
4. D. Miller is nice.
5. Strong--Good game and not just the long screen.
6. Fletcher--good pass option. So much better than anticipated in first year at position in college.
7. Longerbeam is for real.
8. Punter solid.
9. Left side of the line solid.
10. Djabome a solid lb.
11. Sam brown in beast mode.
12. KM getting the first down when it was needed even on a less than stellar day.

NOT so Good:

1. Right side of the OL in particular at guard. Beaten pretty badly a number of times yesterday.
2. Fletcher has been great but his missed blocks have blown up a few plays.
3. Pass rush. Starting out way too wide to get there in time or not getting a push has been an issue. A pass rush would make such a difference.
4. LB play other than Poweel and Djabome. Real noticable drop off. A concern if Powell or Djabome goes down.
5. Kick and punt returns. Yes Dremel has sure hands and there are times for that. BUT there were at least a ko and punt where there was no one for yards and positive gains could have occurred. Situationally you can't just forefeit ANY yards all the time. Sure there will be an all out punt block when you will fair catch, but not always and can't forefeit any yards always.
6. Decision making. The long fg and not going for it on 4th and half yard with Brown and KM. Instilled the fight in the tram but not GS best day.

not so good you forgot to add critical fumble on fletcher . the ball is the program and he forgot that.

 

[Extra Point]

The good
Ian Strong is starting to look like Kenny Britt. Him and Duff are large targets with good hands, they are going to be great. Don't even have to talk about Miller, he is a play maker.
The coaches play calling. The 'fake' tush push KM came out of nowhere and waltzed into the EZ. And exploiting VT's all out run stop defense by tossing the ball to the outside of the mess over and over again. Calling up some plays to get receives covered by linebackers. And drawing VT off sides knowing they were trying to anticipate the snap.
The bad was AK taking some big hits. He makes this offense go and has to stay healthy. Another 'good' is seeing all the positive energy coming from AK on the sideline, the guys gotta love him. It's no wonder he was voted a captain.

 

[RU#1fan]

Great analysis.
The positives are very encouraging. Particularly the extreme vast improvement of all Offensive Skill positions. Can be the difference between a 6 win and 9 win season.
One the negatives #1 is a real concern. #72 got burned several times which is shocking. Not sure but hope it was the beast VT DE APR (?) and just a one game anomaly.

 

[beaced]

The GOOD

1. Powell's return. Hard to overstate.
2. Bailey's return. Difference maker in safety showed, amongst others. Seemed to line up way too wide on occasion though. Did I miss him or was he out last series?
3. AK--Better than advertised. Bona fide B10qb. Made plays when run wasnt working and appears to mean RU doesnt need to be one dimensionsal.
4. D. Miller is nice.
5. Strong--Good game and not just the long screen.
6. Fletcher--good pass option. So much better than anticipated in first year at position in college.
7. Longerbeam is for real.
8. Punter solid.
9. Left side of the line solid.
10. Djabome a solid lb.
11. Sam brown in beast mode.
12. KM getting the first down when it was needed even on a less than stellar day.

NOT so Good:

1. Right side of the OL in particular at guard. Beaten pretty badly a number of times yesterday.
2. Fletcher has been great but his missed blocks have blown up a few plays.
3. Pass rush. Starting out way too wide to get there in time or not getting a push has been an issue. A pass rush would make such a difference.
4. LB play other than Poweel and Djabome. Real noticable drop off. A concern if Powell or Djabome goes down.
5. Kick and punt returns. Yes Dremel has sure hands and there are times for that. BUT there were at least a ko and punt where there was no one for yards and positive gains could have occurred. Situationally you can't just forefeit ANY yards all the time. Sure there will be an all out punt block when you will fair catch, but not always and can't forefeit any yards always.
6. Decision making. The long fg and not going for it on 4th and half yard with Brown and KM. Instilled the fight in the tram but not GS best day.

Let us not forget the bad and the ugly..we need to get past them too

 

[Shelby65]

I’ll throw a not so good in:

Kirk’s run game calls-

Need to force the other team to defend the entire field, not just between the tackles. -No sweeps, no outside tosses, no outside zone. WR’s all stacked close to the ball. Spread the WR’s wide and u spread the corners and safeties.

Need some variety as we (clearly, as evidenced yesterday) are not always going to be able to overpower the other defense.

I’ll defend only running between the tackles because the two RBs aren’t fast enough for running wide. They are power runners and JM cuts well inside. VT’s RB is faster and the RB easily beat our D to the edge.

Different skill sets.

 

[Scarlet16E]

We utterly dominated a good P4 team in their house for 2.5 quarters. Then we were faced with adversity.
In the end, we overcame that adversity (kept chopping) and won.
This played out in a way that will carry forward into other games. Having faced adversity and overcome it will inspire confidence when we face adversity in other games.
Really a great result!

 

[AM ClocksPF]

The GOOD

1. Powell's return. Hard to overstate.
2. Bailey's return. Difference maker in safety showed, amongst others. Seemed to line up way too wide on occasion though. Did I miss him or was he out last series?
3. AK--Better than advertised. Bona fide B10qb. Made plays when run wasnt working and appears to mean RU doesnt need to be one dimensionsal.
4. D. Miller is nice.
5. Strong--Good game and not just the long screen.
6. Fletcher--good pass option. So much better than anticipated in first year at position in college.
7. Longerbeam is for real.
8. Punter solid.
9. Left side of the line solid.
10. Djabome a solid lb.
11. Sam brown in beast mode.
12. KM getting the first down when it was needed even on a less than stellar day.

NOT so Good:

1. Right side of the OL in particular at guard. Beaten pretty badly a number of times yesterday.
2. Fletcher has been great but his missed blocks have blown up a few plays.
3. Pass rush. Starting out way too wide to get there in time or not getting a push has been an issue. A pass rush would make such a difference.
4. LB play other than Poweel and Djabome. Real noticable drop off. A concern if Powell or Djabome goes down.
5. Kick and punt returns. Yes Dremel has sure hands and there are times for that. BUT there were at least a ko and punt where there was no one for yards and positive gains could have occurred. Situationally you can't just forefeit ANY yards all the time. Sure there will be an all out punt block when you will fair catch, but not always and can't forefeit any yards always.
6. Decision making. The long fg and not going for it on 4th and half yard with Brown and KM. Instilled the fight in the tram but not GS best day.

#4 LB play. Moses Walker has all the tools, size and speed but I question his vision/knowledge. On the VT 3 yd TD run, Walker didn't even look in the backfield. the VT TE blocked down and Walker went with the TE down the line and left a huge hole where the RB walked in untouched.

 

[ru-baby]

Yep Walker both last year and this has been given ample opportunities. Hope things change but maybe portal position next year.

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

#5 & #6 for sure. I just don't understand why we never run the ball back.

Simple, there isn't a legit returner on the team since Cruikshank graduated. Also, they are probably still having PTSD from the failed Rochelle experiment last year.

The jury is still out on Ben Black as a kick returner, only two chances thus far and we apparently have no one better than Dremel on punts. Hopefully they address this in the transfer portal after the season.

 

[Shelby65]

Simple, there isn't a legit returner on the team since Cruikshank graduated. Also, they are probably still having PTSD from the failed Rochelle experiment last year.

The jury is still out on Ben Black as a kick returner, only two chances thus far and we apparently have no one better than Dremel on punts. Hopefully they address this in the transfer portal after the season.

baloney. Dremel can’t run a few yards with the ball and maybe occasionally have a nice return ?

The HC as you know is extremely risk averse and I am sure the objective is to avoid any possible penalty on a punt return as well as a fumble. Does the return team ever even bother to block ?

 

[Unionst]

The screen pass call won the game. I didn’t even know we had that in the playbook. VT a was all amped up, had the momentum and a couple recent sacks. It was a perfect time to use that energy against them. Great call.

 

[-RUFAN4LIFE-]

baloney. Dremel can’t run a few yards with the ball and maybe occasionally have a nice return ?

The HC as you know is extremely risk averse and I am sure the objective is to avoid any possible penalty on a punt return as well as a fumble. Does the return team ever even bother to block ?

That doesn't match up with his history of having strong returners. There is no blocking on punt returns because their goal is to block the kick each time which is more risky than setting up for a punt return.

It's on the actual returner to make the call. Cruikshank had no issues returning punts with little blocking when he had room to run. He was one of the elite returners in college football before his knee injury and still a pretty good one after.

Last year I can understand Dremel fair catching most balls because of the lack of depth at WR meant we couldn't afford an injury to him. This year it's clearly on him as his primary role is punt returner with Miller taking his slot receiver role.

 

[Shelby65]

That doesn't match up with his history of having strong returners. There is no blocking on punt returns because their goal is to block the kick each time which is more risky than setting up for a punt return.

It's on the actual returner to make the call. Cruikshank had no issues returning punts with little blocking when he had room to run. He was one of the elite returners in college football before his knee injury and still a pretty good one after.

Last year I can understand Dremel fair catching most balls because of the lack of depth at WR meant we couldn't afford an injury to him. This year it's clearly on him as his primary role is punt returner with Miller taking his slot receiver role.

He doesn’t fc most. It’s every single one even if no one else is around. We don’t attempt punt returns. This is the philosophy going on two years.

 

[Postman_1]

From what I saw of the punter he wasn’t very good. Kicking line drives with barely any hang time

 

[willisneverrana43]

The screen pass call won the game. I didn’t even know we had that in the playbook. VT a was all amped up, had the momentum and a couple recent sacks. It was a perfect time to use that energy against them. Great call.

Great play.

We did, also, get a little lucky, as #80 started blocking the DB covering Strong before Strong caught the ball. It could easily have been called a pick play/pass interference.

But it wasn't. Great play.

 

[BossNJ]

I’ll defend only running between the tackles because the two RBs aren’t fast enough for running wide. They are power runners and JM cuts well inside. VT’s RB is faster and the RB easily beat our D to the edge.

Different skill sets.

Fair point but you can also scheme edge rushes. On both of Tuten’s touchdowns (IIRC) they split him out wide and ran a sweep. So the reason he beat our D to the edge is because he had a head start..

 

[Steve91562]

Given the stats -- time of possession, total offense, first downs, turnover margin -- this game was more of an anomaly. Most games with those stats and the margin of victory is much wider. A missed block or tackle away from being a 37-14 type of game. I understand the in-game angst and that the only stat that matters is the final score, but the criticism is a lot of post hoc analysis. I'll take these decisions, this execution if it results in these dominating statistics, because most of the time it will result in a blow out. VT not a bad team, they'll get some W's in their in-conference schedule, maybe even a bowl team. We'll see how the year shakes out, but this is the first year in a long time where RU is playing effective, complimentary football. No game on the remaining schedule really scares. Let's hope the team stays injury free.

 

[RUmaz]

Great play.

We did, also, get a little lucky, as #80 started blocking the DB covering Strong before Strong caught the ball. It could easily have been called a pick play/pass interference.

But it wasn't. Great play.

I thought that too but looked at the play again. Think the pass and the block were behind the LOS which I believe is legal in college.

 

[willisneverrana43]

I thought that too but looked at the play again. Think the pass and the block were behind the LOS which I believe is legal in college.

The pass was definitely behind the line of scrimmage and #80 also engaged his block about 1/2 yard behind the line. So if you're right about the rule--and I have no idea--then it was legal. Frankly, if so, the play design is eve more impressive.

 

[Shelby65]

Fair point but you can also scheme edge rushes. On both of Tuten’s touchdowns (IIRC) they split him out wide and ran a sweep. So the reason he beat our D to the edge is because he had a head start..

Tell me you didn’t notice how much faster and quicker Tuten is than our guys. You can’t scheme to make your guys faster or elusive. Coming from someone who complains about a lot of things Schiano screws up, that’s not one of them. We’re a north-south running team with only enough passing to keep defenses honest, or try to.

 

[LeapinLou]

My bad if someone else said it but for the most part, we've been very good at avoiding penalties this season. A relatively low number. That discipline is very important. Contrast that to VT who was very easily drawn offsides.

 

[Shelby65]

My bad if someone else said it but for the most part, we've been very good at avoiding penalties this season. A relatively low number. That discipline is very important. Contrast that to VT who was very easily drawn offsides.

That is a good point. I don’t believe any holding penalties yesterday.

Curious, on tv replay, was the pass interference call on VT late in the game legit ? Looked like a ticky tack bad call on scoreboard replay.

 

[BossNJ]

Tell me you didn’t notice how much faster and quicker Tuten is than our guys. You can’t scheme to make your guys faster or elusive. Coming from someone who complains about a lot of things Schiano screws up, that’s not one of them. We’re a north-south running team with only enough passing to keep defenses honest, or try to.

Disagree, those runs were schemed more than anything.

Plus, we have two other running backs who are faster. Kirk needs to mix up the running attack.

Successful modern offenses force the defense to defend the entire field. We’re trying to be Michigan or Iowa without their OLine talent.

If our guys are really so “slow”, run some jet sweeps with WRs.

 

[RUShea]

That is a good point. I don’t believe any holding penalties yesterday.

Curious, on tv replay, was the pass interference call on VT late in the game legit ? Looked like a ticky tack bad call on scoreboard replay.

Didn't seem like much to me. I think we caught a break on it, but I'll take it.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

NOT so Good:

1. ..
2. Kick and punt returns. Yes Dremel has sure hands and there are times for that. BUT there were at least a ko and punt where there was no one for yards and positive gains could have occurred. Situationally you can't just forefeit ANY yards all the time. Sure there will be an all out punt block when you will fair catch, but not always and can't forefeit any yards always.
3. ..

I have a huge problem with NO PUNT RETURNS. When teams figure out that we ALWAYS FAIR CATCH, they will begin protecting punt block every time. No reason not too.. send one after the returner.

My guess it is about the bad things that can happen. Blocks in the back, blind-side block calls.. even if undeserved.. fumbles.. muffs as you anticipate running before you catch, taking eye off ball.

Someone I know often says, football is a game of aggression.. like the old HS cheer.. BE AGGRRESSIVE.. B E A G G.. you know it.

 

[LeapinLou]

That is a good point. I don’t believe any holding penalties yesterday.

Curious, on tv replay, was the pass interference call on VT late in the game legit ? Looked like a ticky tack bad call on scoreboard replay.

The threw the flag based on the initial contact at the LOS, not when the ball came in.

 

[beaced]

We utterly dominated a good P4 team in their house for 2.5 quarters. Then we were faced with adversity.
In the end, we overcame that adversity (kept chopping) and won.
This played out in a way that will carry forward into other games. Having faced adversity and overcome it will inspire confidence when we face adversity in other games.
Really a great resulI

Is 42-7 considered adversity?