1) QB situation. I thought Demry Croft performed in fall camp like a legit, above average Big 10 QB. My W/L predictions were made under the assumption he would win the job. Connor Rhoda is serviceable, but Fleck refuses to run him and he doesn't scare anybody with his arm. Also, he often fails to target wide open WRs/TEs because he can't go through his progressions.
*Croft excelled at going through progressions during fall camp.
2) Team was flat as a pancake in the first half Saturday. I thought, coming off a bye week, conference opener, I figured the Gophers would come out breathing fire. Instead, they looked anemic.
3) We could survive a little attrition in the secondary. Nope. If we don't have Antoine Winfield, we're not good. Period. Also, Fleck's decision to suspend Duke McGhee probably cost us that game. Enormous drop off after our top 3 safeties: Winfield, McGhee, and Huff.
4) The rush end position would be a weapon. It's not. We haven't gotten any consistent pressure on the QB. Robb Smith was badly out coached Saturday. Also, why isn't he doing more to move Stephen Richardson around pre-snap so it's tougher to double and triple team him all the time? Crazy to me how quiet Richardson has been. Guy is a star. I'm putting his lack of production squarely on the coaches.
5) Coach Ciarocca would be more creative in the running game. The passing game is improved, but the running game has regressed. Rock calls inside zone every bit as often as the past few years, only now our QB isn't a threat to run.
Where are the counters, powers reverses, fly sweeps? They tried to run outside zone a couple times but couldn't execute. If Paul Johnson can run the option 100 different ways, we oughta be able to execute at least 3 running plays.
7) The coaching staff would immediately be ready to gameplan at this level. It's way too early to judge whether they can adjust, but that was an unbelievably poorly coached game Saturday.
There is NO LEGIT EXCUSE to lose to a rebuilding Maryland team featuring a 3rd string QB. NONE. The coaches and players should be ashamed of themselves. That was embarrassing.
8) We would win at least 9 games this year. Starting conference play with Maryland, Purdue, Sparty, and Illinois should have led to a 6-1 or 7-0 start. Instead we are 0-1 in conference play, and we didn't even lose to a decent team. PATHETIC
*Croft excelled at going through progressions during fall camp.
2) Team was flat as a pancake in the first half Saturday. I thought, coming off a bye week, conference opener, I figured the Gophers would come out breathing fire. Instead, they looked anemic.
3) We could survive a little attrition in the secondary. Nope. If we don't have Antoine Winfield, we're not good. Period. Also, Fleck's decision to suspend Duke McGhee probably cost us that game. Enormous drop off after our top 3 safeties: Winfield, McGhee, and Huff.
4) The rush end position would be a weapon. It's not. We haven't gotten any consistent pressure on the QB. Robb Smith was badly out coached Saturday. Also, why isn't he doing more to move Stephen Richardson around pre-snap so it's tougher to double and triple team him all the time? Crazy to me how quiet Richardson has been. Guy is a star. I'm putting his lack of production squarely on the coaches.
5) Coach Ciarocca would be more creative in the running game. The passing game is improved, but the running game has regressed. Rock calls inside zone every bit as often as the past few years, only now our QB isn't a threat to run.
Where are the counters, powers reverses, fly sweeps? They tried to run outside zone a couple times but couldn't execute. If Paul Johnson can run the option 100 different ways, we oughta be able to execute at least 3 running plays.
7) The coaching staff would immediately be ready to gameplan at this level. It's way too early to judge whether they can adjust, but that was an unbelievably poorly coached game Saturday.
There is NO LEGIT EXCUSE to lose to a rebuilding Maryland team featuring a 3rd string QB. NONE. The coaches and players should be ashamed of themselves. That was embarrassing.
8) We would win at least 9 games this year. Starting conference play with Maryland, Purdue, Sparty, and Illinois should have led to a 6-1 or 7-0 start. Instead we are 0-1 in conference play, and we didn't even lose to a decent team. PATHETIC
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