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True Air Raid Team?

MGNation92

By MGNation92
in Mean Green Football

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MGNation92 Veteran

MGNation92

Posted
Posted (edited)

Growing up in west Texas, I got to watch a lot of Texas Tech football, especially under Mike Leach, one of the founders of the Air Raid offense. The current knock against a lot of Air Raid teams, especially in the big 12, is that they just try and outscore the other team without playing much defense.

With the current results of the season I think we may be approaching critical mass. I have a feeling if we don't score 40+ a game, we're not gonna win. Dear God I hope coach Reffett proves me wrong. 

I love the offense, but if we're gonna do anything this season, our defense has to shore it up, and fast.

Edited by MGNation92
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MeanGreenTexan Grand Master

MeanGreenTexan

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Moobs said:

I agree.  Out defense is awful right now.  I miss Ek

I wouldn't say the ENTIRE defense is awful.   We seem to have problems in coverage.    That is expounded when we only rush 3.   We cannot rush just 3 anymore... ever.  We just don't get enough pressure on the QB that way for our coverage (even though there are 8 back there).

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Moobs Experienced

Moobs

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I wouldn't say the ENTIRE defense is awful.   We seem to have problems in coverage.   

True.

It's hard to watch 3rd & long plays this year.  I may have to start looking away for those plays soon.

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MeanGreenTexan Grand Master

MeanGreenTexan

Posted
Posted
Just now, Moobs said:

True.

It's hard to watch 3rd & long plays this year.  I may have to start looking away for those plays soon.

I'm usually one of the loudest people in my section on defensive 3rd downs.   I've recently started saving my voice.   Too frustrating.

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GrandGreen Grand Master

GrandGreen

Posted
Posted

NT's defense has played primarily to stop the run, so there is a lot of pressure on the db.   Problem was in the AB game, they went to almost a prevent defense late and still couldn't stop giving up the large passing gains.  

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oldguystudent Newbie

oldguystudent

Posted
Posted

Other than the fact that he's got 16% more total wins in only 37% of total games coached, I'd say Saturday's game reminded me a whole lot of a former coaching regime from Southlake.  

I know that everybody loves video game college football where everybody scores five bajillion points every week, but I really, really, really don't like feeling that a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter isn't safe because all the other team has to do is pass the ball downfield a couple times. 

 

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aztecskin Experienced

aztecskin

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Posted

Those early Texas Tech teams were just bad on defense. Leach got in there and turned a bad team into a good offense + bad defense. When he got rid of Lyle Setencich  and promoted Ruffin McNeill they became good.

Setting aside the competing variables of talent-drain in the Big 12, general trend nation-wide toward an increase in offense I think NT is not really in the same boat as the generic stereotype. The WAC teams that were all-offense and no defense had a talent imbalance, mostly. This defense is struggling because our best cover corner is no longer playing like the best cover corner. There is talent in the secondary and on the D-Line, just some really bad mistakes and poor play in specific situations.

I agree that a 21-point lead should not be as precarious as it was last game, but I wouldn't make any broad pronouncements just yet. Those Dodge teams didn't score/move the ball like this outside of WKU / Navy that one time. I cannot recall a 21-point lead with which he could squander (although that Ohio OT loss was just bad game management). 

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TIgreen01 Veteran

TIgreen01

Posted
Posted (edited)
33 minutes ago, oldguystudent said:

Other than the fact that he's got 16% more total wins in only 37% of total games coached, I'd say Saturday's game reminded me a whole lot of a former coaching regime from Southlake.  

I know that everybody loves video game college football where everybody scores five bajillion points every week, but I really, really, really don't like feeling that a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter isn't safe because all the other team has to do is pass the ball downfield a couple times. 

 

I thought that there were similarities before the UAB game...mainly just on special teams.  Dodge would have found a way to lose.  He could manufacture losses in all 3 phases, regardless of how well that unit had been playing up until meltdown.

A Dodge team would NOT have fixed the special teams issues....especially to the point that they arguably WON the game for us.

The secondary was a mess in that second half, but I don't think enough credit is being given to UAB.  They have a tough SOB at QB that would not quit even though he kept getting absolutely crushed.  There were at least 2 hits on him that I thought he wasn't going to get up from.  Not only did he get up, he hit key passes immediately after.  

Edited by TIgreen01
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UNTLifer Grand Master

UNTLifer

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, oldguystudent said:

Other than the fact that he's got 16% more total wins in only 37% of total games coached, I'd say Saturday's game reminded me a whole lot of a former coaching regime from Southlake.  

I know that everybody loves video game college football where everybody scores five bajillion points every week, but I really, really, really don't like feeling that a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter isn't safe because all the other team has to do is pass the ball downfield a couple times. 

 

Right there with you.  I would much rather watch a game with good defense than a Dodge era 72-64 loss to Navy.

I honestly don't believe these issues are not correctable.  Our defensive backfield is primarily the same as last year minus Gray, but I would argue that Muhammad is playing at a higher level than Gray.  I trust Ref to get this straightened out.

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DT 90 Newbie

DT 90

Posted
Posted

Saw them for the first time in person Saturday. I was very impressed with the defense.  The UAB  QB was running for his life most of the game and the UAB running game was nonexistent.  Was sitting with DT 90  and he was impressed with the D-line and how well they ran. He was very impressed with the offense.    On defense, the long shots down field need to be corrected.  He said SMU did the same thing to them.

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tmjerm Veteran

tmjerm

Posted
Posted

Is recommend reading The Perfect Pass by SC Gwynne about the birth of the Air Raid offense...such a great read and so many ties to our team.  Will make you watch the offense in a totally different way. 

aztecskin Experienced

aztecskin

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, tmjerm said:

Is recommend reading The Perfect Pass by SC Gwynne about the birth of the Air Raid offense...such a great read and so many ties to our team.  Will make you watch the offense in a totally different way. 

Yep there are lots of good reading sources. I liked to a few here 

 

http://smartfootball.com/offense/the-air-raid-offense-history-evolution-weirdness-from-mumme-to-leach-to-franklin-to-holgorsen-and-beyond

https://jameslightfootball.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/3115863-wr-techs-leach-1998.pdf

https://jameslightfootball.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/1999-oklahoma-air-raid-mike-leach.pdf

fourvertstexastech.pdf

http://www.cougcenter.com/air-raid-offense-playbook-mike-leach

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983337195/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chrisbrownsfo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0983337195

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