re: After reflection and simmering down: reality

Miles needs to make the kinds of changes he did with Malveto only to the offense this time. The problem is, it is Miles' offense itself that is to blame IMO. This "lets not worry about what the defense is doing, lets just make them stop us" attitude on O is flat out not working at all. The O line coaching has been terrible every year Ben Wilkerson hasn't been here. I mentioned this last night, but how is going 3 and out every play any easier on our defense then running a quick strike offense? I guarantee our O would be on the field longer then it is right now.

I agree the injuries have hurt us this year, but what about last year and the year before that and the one before that. Injuries are an excuse to get him by this year but there will not be an changes with Miles scheme year after year.

Good Post Charles.
There is no quick fix for this team. The OL is beat up and YOUNG. Because of this there is a whole lot of safe playcalling (be it good or bad).

Then you add to it that the WR's simply aren't helping at all with drop after drop. When a struggling offense has a chance to convert a first down, the WR must make the catch. At this point it really seems to be a total lack of confidence and probably trying to do to much. One bright spot was Jacobs, we need to do that more.

Mett wasn't ready. Not behind this line anyways. I think he'll slowly improve but nothing earthshattering.

This defense is good, but they need a little help. By the end of the Fla game they were beat up and worn out. Minter is an animal. once he got slowed down and Kwon got hurt we were in trouble. Perfect example, late in the game it was 3rd down Driskel is scrambling, Deon Jones has the outside covered and L.Louis overran the play from inside to out. Just a young guy overpursuing when he didn't need to. That's what happens with inexperience. Also, Reid has been a disappointment for me in the standpoint that he was supposed to be All-American. Elam from Fla looked like an All-American not Reid.

I do agree that now Miles MUST change his mentality. Until Sat. it's been let the defense win it. But you can't do that, you must get something from the offense. You don't win games going 1-13 on 3rd downs. No way. Then when you get opportunities such as the long pass to OBJ and the turnover we got deep in Fla territory you must take advantage. Clearly the OBJ turnover was probably the biggest play in that game. Score there, different ball game.
The question is, does Les have the "chest" to change? If he doesn't, we'll lose a few more this year.

quote:

---

Off season conditioning was NOT the same as last year.

---

I agree with most of your post. But what makes you say this?

Not so fast. We all begged for Mett to play last year even in the NC game. It seems that the coaches know about his level of development and it would have been even more disastrous for Mett and his future. This team may turn it around but you are seeing a young team with a first year QB play against elite talent. Like or not their will be growing pains. That does not mean to give up on this season. That is why they play the games.

Agreed on all points. It would also help if our WR's would stop dropping passes that they CAN catch. Every team from here on out is going to stack the box and make Mett beat them. It's not like we don't have the WR's to make some plays.

That really does put everything into perspective.
Good post

another thing that has not been mentioned is that that with a roster of 75-85 scholarship player, we are having to put too many freshman on the field. we started 3 true freshman and every time a lb went down we put in a true freshman. we should have backup juniors ready to play. recruiting over the last 2 years has produced great talent at the top but lesser talent in the middle of these classes. no way we should have to keep playing freshman. we only signed about 20 guys this year and it looks like over half of them are now on the 2 deep. that killed the defense in the second half.

Great Post. Exactly where I am at this point this year. This is the most injuries to key players I can remember in a long time. Add in the guys that are not there for other reasons and even with all of our talent, we are getting kind of thin at some really key spots.

The conservative play calling is sometimes painful to watch but if we start trying to play gunslinger, we may need morphine to make the pain go away.

quote:

---

Anybody with a brain can see it is the same issues as we always have. Penalties, turnovers and lack of offensive production.

---

Last year, before the first Alabama game, with JL leading the offense, was the exception. And *CLM was out of his element. But once JJ came back, was re-installed at the helm and took the lion's share of playing time for last few games, things began to slide back into the above erratic pattern again. And *CLM was at peace. And then came 1/9. And then came '12 and UF. SoCarolina, with aTm and Alabama to follow.