How Do You Explain Crowton's Demise?

I think he's drinking before the games.

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How Do You Explain Crowton's Demise?

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Ryan Perrilloux

Well, maybe he's better at teaching it than Crowton is. I'm just saying that Crowton's mix is way out of balance.

What should be absolutely crystal clear, is (1) that the actual plays he runs aren't complicated at all; (2) that he can't seem to effectively manage a system for getting in plays within a reasonable time frame; and (3) that he's inflexible in that he can't tailor plays to his players' strengths.

1) He doesn't work with the personnel he has. The O-line is struggling, yet we have run very few misdirection plays, screens, slants, etc...If you have trouble blocking, you have to get the D-line off balance by using the speed of the D-line against them.

2) His pass plays are for QB's with strong arms and great timing followed by an ability to read defenses. On top of this, his line must be able to protect. Stretch the field vertically a few times a game, but this 20 yard sideline curl is too much for JJ or JL, hell too much for most QB's. Where is the quick slant that we threw to Doucet time and time again? Where is the quick go to Dickson or other tight ends? Those plays negate a pass rush. We have abandoned them.

3) Failure to recognize what is working and what is not. Someone please run stats on the option play with JJ in. Check that. Do we really want to know? Last Saturday, Keiland kills them on the first play of the game. Immediately he comes out and doesn't touch the ball much for a few plays or till the next possession. Meanwhile, later on, 6 straight pass plays when it was obviously not going to work. I think he outsmarts himself sometimes.

4) Redzone Predictability. Actually, get within 4-5 yards of the redzone and here comes the two tight end set, I formation. How many drives get killed when you take your play makers out of the play. You got 6-4 Lafell against 5-11 Dbacks. Exploit that all day long. You are going to win more times than not.

5) The most important item I believe is that GC's system is best at a school like La Tech when he was there. The conference does not have the talent of the SEC obviously. He had one hell of a QB and WR. Gimmicks and multiple formations will confuse lesser talented players. Bring that to the SEC and you will get by with it for a little while. I encourage everyone to try and guess the general direction that a play is going this Saturday based on our formation. As an earlier poster commented, we have tons of formations, but only a handful of plays from each one.

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Well, maybe he's better at teaching it than Crowton is. I'm just saying that Crowton's mix is way out of balance.

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Dennis Dixon seemed to think so, he said the light came on for him once Kelly arrived. The funny thing is he was very succesful his first year at Oregon and didn't do as well the next year. He did have a young qb that year too but it is some of the same stuff we are seeing now. Not quite to this dismal extent but it was head scratching.

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getting in plays within a reasonable time frame

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I have no idea what is going on here. He never had that issue while at Oregon. Oregon has always believed in playing fairly fast, Kelly has them playing really fast now. I wonder how much of this has to do with what Les wants.

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he's inflexible in that he can't tailor plays to his players' strengths.

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He seems like he is hard headed to me. There were some of those same issues while at Oregon. It is like if he doesn't have his players he can't be succesful. He doesn't seem to be the type that can adapt.

Someone mentioned that we don't use the quick slants or screens anymore. I have no idea why this is. That is a big part of the spread. Crowton didn't abandon this while at Oregon. This makes me wonder how much of this is about what les wants. Belottis offense utilized the screens from every position and was still utilized when crowton was there. Does Les not want this? Who is actually in charge of the offense?

yeah, i'm sure Miles is calling 6 consecutive passes by JL(2, 3 and out series).

Trends. He goes dumb after year 2.

double post

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Well, maybe he's better at teaching it than Crowton is

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A lingering question I've had over the course of the season is how Crowton teaches. Especially considering the large number of variations of personnel and packages, this could have a huge impact on the apparent disorganization the offense shows.

Is there a lot of verbal/visual explanation while the players are in a classroom or on the field taking a knee, but then less reps actually practicing lining up? Or is there a quick explanation, followed by quick, repeated reps of the players hustling to get into formation and executing the plays?

Without knowing (and being far from an expert), I would suspect there is more reliance on verbal instruction and there ends up being less actual reps in practice. I think this approach would result in more people lining up incorrectly, etc.

I think Miles, talking about one of the young players, maybe Shepard, maybe somebody else, said something about them having to pick up everything in the 'classroom' to learn their role better. While I agree that verbal/visual instruction are important, I simply wonder if a greater emphasis on this could be taking away from time actually executing it. I personally think I would learn better if I could hear it once, do it ten times and receive some feedback along the way, as opposed to hearing a lot about how to run a play, then only getting to run it twice.

Please note that I'm not saying Crowton/Miles do this. I would have no way of verifying that. And perhaps some players learn better one way over another. I just wonder how Crowton teaches. And I am speculating based on miscues during games that it would likely be from more talking/less reps.