How Many Yards Does Riley Pass For

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 21, 2009

Counting on defense to save this season? Not a wise approach.

Really? Well, it must be important to some degree. Even Todd Dodge seems to have recognized this by giving Mendoza and Drake the boot following successive seasons with 500+ points given up. And, he replaced them with two very experienced college coaches. I think it does say something.

Now...if Dodge would only look at the shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball and make the appropriate changes. Then, we'd really be cooking with grease.

DeepGreen · August 21, 2009

Now...if Dodge would only look at the shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball and make the appropriate changes. Then, we'd really be cooking with grease.

What shortcomings on offense do you see? I only have practice blogs and writeups to go by, but it seems as if the offensive line should be decent with several wide body backups. If we use the tight end formations more, and some "under center" formations, we should be improved on offense.

What say you?

emmitt01 · August 21, 2009

What shortcomings on offense do you see? I only have practice blogs and writeups to go by, but it seems as if the offensive line should be decent with several wide body backups. If we use the tight end formations more, and some "under center" formations, we should be improved on offense.
What say you?

I say you are correct that we should see improvement if the new formations are utilized. I also say it won't matter much if a deep threat doesn't emerge...dink and dunk passes don't get the safeties off of the line of scrimmage. That was the issue I saw, not so much that we didn't have a good line but that they were overwhelmed by bodies at the snap.

UNT90 · August 21, 2009

Really? Well, it must be important to some degree. Even Todd Dodge seems to have recognized this by giving Mendoza and Drake the boot following successive seasons with 500+ points given up. And, he replaced them with two very experienced college coaches. I think it does say something.
Now...if Dodge would only look at the shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball and make the appropriate changes. Then, we'd really be cooking with grease.

I think you misunderstood. Maybe my post should have read like this:

Counting on this defense to save this season? Not a wise approach.

Edited August 21, 2009 by UNT90

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 21, 2009

What shortcomings on offense do you see? I only have practice blogs and writeups to go by, but it seems as if the offensive line should be decent with several wide body backups. If we use the tight end formations more, and some "under center" formations, we should be improved on offense.
What say you?

I'd say you are reading reports about controlled practice conditions. I'm talking about what has happened at game time against opponents. Opposing defense coaches have run circles around Dodge, Ford and George.

Recall the post-game comments by Howard Schnellenberger last season. He said they didn't do anything different to cover Casey Fitzgerald than they had any other receiver all year.

Why not? Because it's all about scheme, and FAU's defensive staff had ours figured out. What we need is an offensive staff who will figure out what the opposing defense is doing within the first couple of series and then at take the game to them. We don't have that right now.

Whether or not its working, we do what we do. If it doesn't work, we just keep doing it. It's as though Dodge and Ford refuse to do anything other than throw it around, even when it's painfully obviously that it won't work. We need them to try to run the ball more this year. With the experienced line and depth at tailback, they'd be fools to not try to establish the run early.

Censored by Laurie · August 21, 2009

Perhaps not. But it's going to have to if we want to win any games.
In other news, I just got back from the future. Riley threw for 212 with a late TD and a pair if INTs. Also, we only win 4 games however we were close in just as many more so optimism will be high going into 2011. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but such is the heavy burden of life as the sole possessor of a time machine.
Also, methinks being a great HS QB doesn't necessarily translate to being a good College QB any more than being a good College QB translates to being a worthwhile pro.
whaaaaaaaaaat uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

Whoa...blast from the past.

ForneyGreen · August 21, 2009

I think you misunderstood. Maybe my post should have read like this:
Counting on this defense to save this season? Not a wise approach.

I expect that the defense will certainly improve over last year, but I think improvement in the offense will be the key. The defense will look better when the offense can get a couple of first downs and not turn the ball over (and we don't start at our own 10 yard line over and over).

We had 33 turnovers last year according to MGS 2008 stats - and we forced 16 turnovers.

The main thing I want to see from Riley is accuracy and very few interceptions/fumbles. Improving on turnovers and getting better on special teams will make such a huge difference. Riley doesn't need to have Graham Harrell numbers - just make good decisions and deliver the ball to open receivers.

meangreen-mba · August 21, 2009

I think the Kool Aid is starting to take affect. I can see over thenext 4 - 6 a mini-Texas Tech type of offensive firepower. I think it all finally kicks-in, and Dodge will be thenextbest thing in mid-Major College Football. I think he will stick around long enough to build a program that will attract the right replacement....

YOU GOT TO BELIEVE!!!!!

football fan · August 22, 2009

Also, methinks being a great HS QB doesn't necessarily translate to being a good College QB any more than being a good College QB translates to being a worthwhile pro.

Case in point, did anyone watch Vince Young tonight? That poor guy is totally lost in the NFL and is showing no signs of getting a clue. Painful to watch.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 22, 2009

Case in point, did anyone watch Vince Young tonight? That poor guy is totally lost in the NFL and is showing no signs of getting a clue. Painful to watch.

All the could do consistently in college is pull the ball down and run to the right. He chaffed under his college playbook and complained to Mack Brown until Mack decided to just let him run around the last year and a half of his career. He'll never has the discipline or intelligence to learn an NFL playbook.

The guy is 6-5 and still gets his passes batted around the line of scrimmage, just like in college. It's pathetic. The guy is too much of a head case to even work on his mechanics.

The only reason Tennessee took him was the owner wanted him. The coaches and management were against it. He's turned into nothing but a multi-million dollar babysitting job for Jeff Fisher.

emmitt01 · August 22, 2009

All the could do consistently in college is pull the ball down and run to the right. He chaffed under his college playbook and complained to Mack Brown until Mack decided to just let him run around the last year and a half of his career. He'll never has the discipline or intelligence to learn an NFL playbook.
The guy is 6-5 and still gets his passes batted around the line of scrimmage, just like in college. It's pathetic. The guy is too much of a head case to even work on his mechanics.
The only reason Tennessee took him was the owner wanted him. The coaches and management were against it. He's turned into nothing but a multi-million dollar babysitting job for Jeff Fisher.

Bite your tongue!!!! That man is Longhorn royalty and you will treat him as such on the North Texas message board.