UteBeliever aka Port
09-15-2013, 02:30 PM
Take it or leave it...
1) Utah receivers are blocking MUCH, MUCH better this year than in the past. Best since Urban was here, IMO. I am very encouraged by this. A ton of Wilson's yards were almost solely the result of receivers and even linemen getting downfield and blocking. It's a thing of beauty and it's really helping this offense move the ball down the field.
2) Route design and running is setting up receivers for lots of YAC. This wasn't case the past few years. Receivers were left to make a move on own. I complained past few years that routes/pass were leaving receivers at dead stop while defenders were at speed. Not seeing that this year. Routes are designed such that Wilson can hit them in stride with room to run. A big reason that so many of our plays are "chunk plays."
3) This Poole kid looks like he's going to be a weapon. Doesn't shy from delivering a blow while running but has moves, quickness, speed. You get the sense watching him that he's a threat to break a big one on a large portion of his runs.
4) Travis Wilson is not a run first QB, but can run. Reminds me in some respects of Alex Smith. He is a threat with legs. This is important. Also, he is very good at selling the handoff on the option. He looks to possibly be the biggest threat in the read option since Alex. Nobody else has really been effective since then. Partly because they couldn't sell it and partly because they never run. Wilson sells it and can run. Nice.
5) Don't think all 3 INTs are on Wilson. I think the route/effort from receiver *might* have been partially responsible for at least 2. (That receiver is a very good receiver that shows flashes of brilliance. He was responsible for some of that fantastic downfield blocking on at least one Wilson running TD. However, he is not yet "elite." He needs to fight for the ball both to catch it and to prevent INTs. One of the passes long down the sideline hit him in the chest. Have to catch that to be elite. OrSU's receivers made several of those catches.)
6) Defensive schemes need retooling. Last year we put Star and 3 DBs in NFL. Star is tearing it up already in the NFL. We should have been best in PAC12. Palepoi may well be Star 2.0. We aren't maximizing talent with our schemes. We are running far too much talent through this defense to be so bad so consistently on 3rd/4th and forever. I don't personally think the CBs/Shah are the problem right now. I think the problem is higher up the chain of command. Which lead me to 7...
7) McCain, Smith, Burton, Stanford, etc ALL played with same technique and philosophy as current our CBs. Get over it. It prevents long TDs. It allows you to live for another play. Mannion & Cooks are fantastic. Generally, our DBs were in good position. Except when we go to zone.... to #8.
8)Unsure that rushing 3 and dropping 8 into a poorly executed soft zone is the answer on 3rd/4th and long. See it repeatedly, not working. We aren't a good zone team.
9) We HAVE to get the tight ends more involved. HAVE to.For success now and to show Dalton Shultz/others they can have great career at Utah. That being said, the offense is putting up very impressive numbers without using the tight ends...
10) It looks like we might have a kicker. Andy Phillips looks pretty good.
Now, in terms of coverage, I sometimes wonder what kind of coverage we are playing. At times, I don't know if we are playing a really, really bad zone in the backfield or if we are playing a really, really bad man. At some point, it's hard to know which is which when guys are so open right in the middle of the field. OrSU's pass down to the 5 or so in OT as an example of that. 5 defenders within 5 yards of the reception.
If we are going to play zone, then we need to commit to being good at it. We are NOT good at it right now. We are terrible. Perhaps it would be wise to take a look at how BYU plays zone. They actually do it very well. They cover up a plethora of problems in their d backfield with the way they play. Our zones seem to EXPOSE the problems in our D backfield.
One final thing: I was THOROUGHLY impressed with the team. The offense didn't quit when things were rough. Wilson didn't quit when he made mistakes. Even the players on defense fought and scrapped. (I blame coaching and schemes).
Wilson shrugged off the INTs and went to work doing his damndest to win the game with his arm and legs and body. He played an inspired, albeit imperfect, game. Very impressive.
This was a game that Utah would have lost 55 to 13 last season. A loss is a loss. No changing that, but it is encouraging to see Wilson never say die. To see the team keep fighting for 60 minutes to try to win this game. There deserves to be some praise to the team for that.
1) Utah receivers are blocking MUCH, MUCH better this year than in the past. Best since Urban was here, IMO. I am very encouraged by this. A ton of Wilson's yards were almost solely the result of receivers and even linemen getting downfield and blocking. It's a thing of beauty and it's really helping this offense move the ball down the field.
2) Route design and running is setting up receivers for lots of YAC. This wasn't case the past few years. Receivers were left to make a move on own. I complained past few years that routes/pass were leaving receivers at dead stop while defenders were at speed. Not seeing that this year. Routes are designed such that Wilson can hit them in stride with room to run. A big reason that so many of our plays are "chunk plays."
3) This Poole kid looks like he's going to be a weapon. Doesn't shy from delivering a blow while running but has moves, quickness, speed. You get the sense watching him that he's a threat to break a big one on a large portion of his runs.
4) Travis Wilson is not a run first QB, but can run. Reminds me in some respects of Alex Smith. He is a threat with legs. This is important. Also, he is very good at selling the handoff on the option. He looks to possibly be the biggest threat in the read option since Alex. Nobody else has really been effective since then. Partly because they couldn't sell it and partly because they never run. Wilson sells it and can run. Nice.
5) Don't think all 3 INTs are on Wilson. I think the route/effort from receiver *might* have been partially responsible for at least 2. (That receiver is a very good receiver that shows flashes of brilliance. He was responsible for some of that fantastic downfield blocking on at least one Wilson running TD. However, he is not yet "elite." He needs to fight for the ball both to catch it and to prevent INTs. One of the passes long down the sideline hit him in the chest. Have to catch that to be elite. OrSU's receivers made several of those catches.)
6) Defensive schemes need retooling. Last year we put Star and 3 DBs in NFL. Star is tearing it up already in the NFL. We should have been best in PAC12. Palepoi may well be Star 2.0. We aren't maximizing talent with our schemes. We are running far too much talent through this defense to be so bad so consistently on 3rd/4th and forever. I don't personally think the CBs/Shah are the problem right now. I think the problem is higher up the chain of command. Which lead me to 7...
7) McCain, Smith, Burton, Stanford, etc ALL played with same technique and philosophy as current our CBs. Get over it. It prevents long TDs. It allows you to live for another play. Mannion & Cooks are fantastic. Generally, our DBs were in good position. Except when we go to zone.... to #8.
8)Unsure that rushing 3 and dropping 8 into a poorly executed soft zone is the answer on 3rd/4th and long. See it repeatedly, not working. We aren't a good zone team.
9) We HAVE to get the tight ends more involved. HAVE to.For success now and to show Dalton Shultz/others they can have great career at Utah. That being said, the offense is putting up very impressive numbers without using the tight ends...
10) It looks like we might have a kicker. Andy Phillips looks pretty good.
Now, in terms of coverage, I sometimes wonder what kind of coverage we are playing. At times, I don't know if we are playing a really, really bad zone in the backfield or if we are playing a really, really bad man. At some point, it's hard to know which is which when guys are so open right in the middle of the field. OrSU's pass down to the 5 or so in OT as an example of that. 5 defenders within 5 yards of the reception.
If we are going to play zone, then we need to commit to being good at it. We are NOT good at it right now. We are terrible. Perhaps it would be wise to take a look at how BYU plays zone. They actually do it very well. They cover up a plethora of problems in their d backfield with the way they play. Our zones seem to EXPOSE the problems in our D backfield.
One final thing: I was THOROUGHLY impressed with the team. The offense didn't quit when things were rough. Wilson didn't quit when he made mistakes. Even the players on defense fought and scrapped. (I blame coaching and schemes).
Wilson shrugged off the INTs and went to work doing his damndest to win the game with his arm and legs and body. He played an inspired, albeit imperfect, game. Very impressive.
This was a game that Utah would have lost 55 to 13 last season. A loss is a loss. No changing that, but it is encouraging to see Wilson never say die. To see the team keep fighting for 60 minutes to try to win this game. There deserves to be some praise to the team for that.