CW killed it with this one. Hope y'all enjoy.
https://cyclonefanatic.com/podcasts/off-the-record-matt-campbell-2/
https://cyclonefanatic.com/podcasts/off-the-record-matt-campbell-2/
Off the Record: Matt Campbell
- Thread starter JStanz51
- Start date
Great listen. Love how Chris said a couple of things that some coaches would not have appreciated. I laughed hard during the kickoff conversation. Willimas drops this "the first two games of the season you guys were down right awful on returns." or something similar and Campbell say "yup we were".
Just fired it up to listen on my iPhone. Works fine to start. CW talking about eye care sponsor
"Duuuuude, I know why you're having headaches."
Damn it, that made me ready for football to start again... only 7 and a half more months to wait 
I understand Campbell’s reasoning on kick returns, but I’d love to hear his thoughts on punt returns and why we seemingly don’t try to block for a return or try and block the punt.
Based off what he said I’d be shocked if we didn’t have an under center short yardage package next year. When he said that we had a good amount of plays under center last year WTF was he talking about? I don’t remember any.
I understand Campbell’s reasoning on kick returns, but I’d love to hear his thoughts on punt returns and why we seemingly don’t try to block for a return or try and block the punt.
Based off what he said I’d be shocked if we didn’t have an under center short yardage package next year. When he said that we had a good amount of plays under center last year WTF was he talking about? I don’t remember any.
Damn it, that made me ready for football to start again... only 7 and a half more months to wait
I understand Campbell’s reasoning on kick returns, but I’d love to hear his thoughts on punt returns and why we seemingly don’t try to block for a return or try and block the punt.
Based off what he said I’d be shocked if we didn’t have an under center short yardage package next year. When he said that we had a good amount of plays under center last year WTF was he talking about? I don’t remember any.
Don’t worry, your excitement will be curbed a bit when you have to pay for those tickets in a month.
Damn it, that made me ready for football to start again... only 7 and a half more months to wait
I understand Campbell’s reasoning on kick returns, but I’d love to hear his thoughts on punt returns and why we seemingly don’t try to block for a return or try and block the punt.
Based off what he said I’d be shocked if we didn’t have an under center short yardage package next year. When he said that we had a good amount of plays under center last year WTF was he talking about? I don’t remember any.
We did earlier in the season before Purdy got banged up.
Damn it, that made me ready for football to start again... only 7 and a half more months to wait
I understand Campbell’s reasoning on kick returns, but I’d love to hear his thoughts on punt returns and why we seemingly don’t try to block for a return or try and block the punt.
Based off what he said I’d be shocked if we didn’t have an under center short yardage package next year. When he said that we had a good amount of plays under center last year WTF was he talking about? I don’t remember any.
Agree on both points. CW, thanks much for doing these interviews. Always interesting and great to have CMC as head of our program. A few quick thoughts, including one aspect I think you really missed:
- Returns - Was glad to hear you ask this, but the real issue was on punt returns, not k/o returns. No idea where we got our "wave white flag and fair catch" approach. Yes, I realize Milton fumbled the first punt against ND and we had that unfortunate collision at the end of the IA game, but, heck, those could have been from lack of practice on anything other "ole-ing" the gunners and fair-catching. We rarely got close to blocking a punt and didn't appear to be trying to, and there seemed to be half of the opponent running free to cover every punt. Were we simply trying to avoid an injury or holding penalty, or something? Crazy. Need to give a playmaker the opportunity to create a positive play, as a punt can be by nature an open-field play. Sure, sometimes will need to fair catch, but other times there is the potential to break one - esp. helpful when down in a game or seeming to have lost momentum. (I can buy his explanation on k/o's, though, like with the OU 2-pt attempt, would think we'd open it up a few times when a momentum change is needed, unless the kick is perfect by the opponent.)
- Short yardage, under center - was glad to hear him acknowledge this argument and hope we see the sneak back in the playbook for next year, as well as the potential for bootlegs that can come from under center.
I feel like we would get a roughing the kicker penalty about once every other game, which would lead to them scoring a touchdown.Damn it, that made me ready for football to start again... only 7 and a half more months to wait
I understand Campbell’s reasoning on kick returns, but I’d love to hear his thoughts on punt returns and why we seemingly don’t try to block for a return or try and block the punt.
Based off what he said I’d be shocked if we didn’t have an under center short yardage package next year. When he said that we had a good amount of plays under center last year WTF was he talking about? I don’t remember any.
Yeah, kickoff I really had no problem with. Lang made a bad decision in the iowa game that was compounded with a penalty. That pretty much gave them a TD and lost the game for us. Other than that, I though that Nwangwu did a decent job. I totally agree that if you are getting it at the 25, if it's not the perfect situation, you just fair catch.
PR I have no idea what they're doing. If you are going to fair catch it every time, then at least go for the block. If you are going to return, then try to hold the guys up just a little. Seemed like we were returning when there was no room and fair catching a lot of times when Milton had room to run. Returning punts should not be that hard. I guess Milton didn't really drop any when he wasn't interfered with, so that's a plus. But, if the decision is his whether to fair catch or not, maybe someone else should be back there. Obviously, we do not know what kind of leeway he had there, but something needs to change.
Short yardage was a cluster. It definitely hurt not having Soehner in there vs ND. But you have to have an under center play for downs when you only need a few inches. That Lanning package was almost unstoppable. No idea why Campbell wasn't recruiting a replacement for him. Maybe Dekkers is that guy. Either way, it's worth a scholarship for a big QB that can run and is hard to bring down just to pick up first downs and goal line.
By the way, CW, that was the best podcast with CMC that you've done. Good work.
That's a totally different philosophy. I could see him being a good fit on first and five in the redzone. Fourth and inches, not so much. He's not very big.
I was surprised to see how short Re-al is.
I had wondered why he wasn't playing.
I had wondered why he wasn't playing.
Why do you have to be big for 4th and inches? Run to the outside instead of into a brick wall up the middle. Or, since Re-Al is faster than any "big" QB, he can still run up the middle quicker than anyone else. Or, throw in an extra blocker and go wildcat with Breece.
I think there are better options under center, including a former QB that is now a TE in Dean.
Maybe you don't have to be big, but running to the outside presents a whole new issue of being tackled for a loss by DBs (if your WR blocking isn't good). Personally, I don't like the wildcat with someone who can't throw. It pretty much tells the defense not to worry about the pass.
I feel like they had the perfect package for short yardage with Lanning. It almost always worked. I would try to get back to that.
