Offense Returning Production

[besserheimerphat]

Here was my super condensed, elementary view of the offense last year:

1) First 3 games - we went run heavy, TE sets with the majority of plays in the first half and most of games. Going run heavy and tipping our hand to the other team, our offense sucked.

2) Big 12 Conference games last year (excludes bowl game) - we were unpredictable, dynamic, and we THREW THE BALL FIRST TO OPEN THE RUN. When we have a weaker O line, this just has to be what we do.. and this isn't rocket science.

The St Louis Rams of '99 to '01 threw the ball a ton because they had stud receivers and a great quarterback. In a similar way, we have two bona fide NFL receivers on this roster (Higgins and Noel) and a future NFL guy in Rocco Becht (you can debate it, but I feel he is). With the talent at WR and QB, we should be throwing more early to open the run. Campbell sometimes coaches in the non conference like he is still in the MAC with a superior OL. Yes i'm thankful for Campbell, yes he's the best coach in ISU history, but I want to see a different philosophy in the non conference. Iowa's game planning against us for scouting our offense has been way too easy the last several years. We need to play Iowa with the same balls and unpredictability we have historically played OU and Texas with. I cannot be convinced those bozos have better talent than OU and TX, and our record is much better against OU and TX than Iowa.

In the non conference - let's use some short passes to the TE, bubble screens to Noel / Higgins, short passes in general to spread them out. Then it's Abu Sama time..

We started the year on our typical zone run scheme, but the line just didn't gel for whatever reason. So they were leaving guys unblocked or got stuck in a bad angle, which shouldn't happen in zone. But they were successful when they were in position.

We switched to more man blocking and running to specific holes and the run game got better. Late in the year I think we tried to add the zone stuff back in and it worked better too. But passing more helped a lot too.

I suspect we'll see more zone run again now that Clanton has had a full year to work on it and all the OL are returning.

 

[cymonw1980]

As usual, OL is the first need in order for the team to take the next step. Aside from that, I'd like to see one more consistent WR threat emerge. Higgins and Noel are known quantities and provide a deep threat and an explosive threat, but each of them had games where they disappeared. If we can find a way to fill those gaps - either with them being more consistent, or other guys stepping up - the offense could be really exciting next year.

And again as usual we'll need to find a way to consistently move the ball when the defense is stacking 7+ in the box. Too many times in Campbell's tenure teams could just stack the box, take away our zone run game and we just stalled.

I blame the playcalling and complete lack of originality. Yes; Texas was dominant up front, but Memphis knew the play before the ball was snapped. Sure- they had some insight into our playbook, but we had a month to prepare.

I think the OL will be key this season... if we can improve up front, we can have a really special season imho.

maybe it's the play calling? not really sure... my only point was, I don't blame the backs.

Last season, ISU was 54th in yds per attempt (out of 69 "power" teams). When you break down yds prior to contact vs. yds after contact, ISU was 13th nationally with 3.7 yds/att after contact, but last nationally (69th) with only 1.2 yds/att before contact.

(list sorted on yds/att before contact)

 

[madguy30]

I'm just going to stop looking to the trenches as the most important piece to how the football season goes (even though it is and is for most sustainable football success for about any team ever) so I don't have to wonder about it.

What should I rely on as a fan?

Backup QB? Kick return team? Right Edge blocker on PATs? Hands team?

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I'm just going to stop looking to the trenches as the most important piece to how the football season goes (even though it is and is for most sustainable football success for about any team ever) so I don't have to wonder about it.

What should I rely on as a fan?

Backup QB? Kick return team? Right Edge blocker on PATs? Hands team?

Wat?

 

[madguy30]

Wat?

Was in jest.

 

[clonedude]

Here was my super condensed, elementary view of the offense last year:

1) First 3 games - we went run heavy, TE sets with the majority of plays in the first half and most of games. Going run heavy and tipping our hand to the other team, our offense sucked.

2) Big 12 Conference games last year (excludes bowl game) - we were unpredictable, dynamic, and we THREW THE BALL FIRST TO OPEN THE RUN. When we have a weaker O line, this just has to be what we do.. and this isn't rocket science.

The St Louis Rams of '99 to '01 threw the ball a ton because they had stud receivers and a great quarterback. In a similar way, we have two bona fide NFL receivers on this roster (Higgins and Noel) and a future NFL guy in Rocco Becht (you can debate it, but I feel he is). With the talent at WR and QB, we should be throwing more early to open the run. Campbell sometimes coaches in the non conference like he is still in the MAC with a superior OL. Yes i'm thankful for Campbell, yes he's the best coach in ISU history, but I want to see a different philosophy in the non conference. Iowa's game planning against us for scouting our offense has been way too easy the last several years. We need to play Iowa with the same balls and unpredictability we have historically played OU and Texas with. I cannot be convinced those bozos have better talent than OU and TX, and our record is much better against OU and TX than Iowa.

In the non conference - let's use some short passes to the TE, bubble screens to Noel / Higgins, short passes in general to spread them out. Then it's Abu Sama time..

Agree.

One of CMC's biggest faults IMO is that he seems to go into every season with the mindset.... "we are going to impose our will physically upfront on these teams and run the ball down their throats." That is the kind of football CMC loves... and so he wants to come out and establish that mindset right away from game one. And unfortunately he's extremely stubborn about it.

And to some extent... I agree with CMC on that. He wants to be a physical football team, that's his style. He does not want to be some kind of "finesse" team. I get that. But you can't stubbornly do that if it costs you possible wins. You will never win more than 7 or 8 games tops if you don't do everything in your power to win every game.

Last year IMO... we could have won the Iowa and Ohio games had we opened up the offense, but we chose not to even try. That would have gotten us 9 wins on the season instead of 7... that's huge.

You can't just give games away because you refuse to do whatever it takes to win them. I will say... at least CMC fully admitted last season after the first 3 or 4 games that he regretted not giving the players more chances to win the game... and then made a big change in philosophy and actually used the pass more to set up the run... and that made a big difference.

 

[bozclone]

Agree.

One of CMC's biggest faults IMO is that he seems to go into every season with the mindset.... "we are going to impose our will physically upfront on these teams and run the ball down their throats." That is the kind of football CMC loves... and so he wants to come out and establish that mindset right away from game one. And unfortunately he's extremely stubborn about it.

And to some extent... I agree with CMC on that. He wants to be a physical football team, that's his style. He does not want to be some kind of "finesse" team. I get that. But you can't stubbornly do that if it costs you possible wins. You will never win more than 7 or 8 games tops if you don't do everything in your power to win every game.

Last year IMO... we could have won the Iowa and Ohio games had we opened up the offense, but we chose not to even try. That would have gotten us 9 wins on the season instead of 7... that's huge.

You can't just give games away because you refuse to do whatever it takes to win them. I will say... at least CMC fully admitted last season after the first 3 or 4 games that he regretted not giving the players more chances to win the game... and then made a big change in philosophy and actually used the pass more to set up the run... and that made a big difference.

Last year CMC had a freshman starting QB with zero real experience. We all know he was ultra conservative with Rocco to start. Looking back it is easy to say we should have opened things up knowing how Rocco progressed, but CMC likely didn’t think he was ready to carry the team early. CMC will always side on protecting the kid first.

 

[Aclone]

Problem with that is it becomes very obvious where you're running when you always follow the same tendencies.

This is true.

However, I didn’t say that Burkle was only a monster blocker. Nor did I mean to imply he was the only one who would be good at it.

Stevo Klotz is the designated blocker—and he can still catch and run with the ball damn well.

If the OL kicks it up another notch, it takes care of that whole “predictable” notch.

 

[Aclone]

Last year CMC had a freshman starting QB with zero real experience. We all know he was ultra conservative with Rocco to start. Looking back it is easy to say we should have opened things up knowing how Rocco progressed, but CMC likely didn’t think he was ready to carry the team early. CMC will always side on protecting the kid first.

I think that this is the key that keeps slipping by most folks. Rocco was so good later in the year that people forget how green he was early on.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

This is true.

However, I didn’t say that Burkle was only a monster blocker. Nor did I mean to imply he was the only one who would be good at it.

Stevo Klotz is the designated blocker—and he can still catch and run with the ball damn well.

If the OL kicks it up another notch, it takes care of that whole “predictable” notch.

It solves most of it but hopefully we see some creativity out of Mouser. Scheelhaus was pretty good at it last year even with suspect blocking. This team could be the real deal if they improve in the right areas. So exciting.

 

[SolarGarlic]

I'd like to see more short passes to the RBs. Sama is at his best in the open field, and he showed last season he can catch the ball. We know that's one of Hansen's strengths. I just get tired of sending Sama up the middle when it doesn't play to his greatest strength. We ran a few swings or or short outs to Sama last year, and it worked every time with the edge rusher getting baited into rushing the QB while Rocco made an easy pass over them.

I'm excited to see Hansen in a bigger role. I like his size and running style.

 

[CascadeClone]

I'd like to see more short passes to the RBs. Sama is at his best in the open field, and he showed last season he can catch the ball. We know that's one of Hansen's strengths. I just get tired of sending Sama up the middle when it doesn't play to his greatest strength. We ran a few swings or or short outs to Sama last year, and it worked every time with the edge rusher getting baited into rushing the QB while Rocco made an easy pass over them.

I'm excited to see Hansen in a bigger role. I like his size and running style.

All the different weapons are there. RBs who can catch. Home run threat w Sama running. Fast physical receivers. Accurate QB.

Still, have to use them creatively and intelligently based on the opponent, the game situation, etc. And as noted for the millionth time, the O-line has to succeed to enable it all.

But is Mouser is clever and the O-line is good... watch tf out.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I'd like to see more short passes to the RBs. Sama is at his best in the open field, and he showed last season he can catch the ball. We know that's one of Hansen's strengths. I just get tired of sending Sama up the middle when it doesn't play to his greatest strength. We ran a few swings or or short outs to Sama last year, and it worked every time with the edge rusher getting baited into rushing the QB while Rocco made an easy pass over them.

I'm excited to see Hansen in a bigger role. I like his size and running style.

Hansen gets a lot of hype and I hope he is everything and more we all want but he looked kind of slow to me last year.

 

[besserheimerphat]

I think that this is the key that keeps slipping by most folks. Rocco was so good later in the year that people forget how green he was early on.

And as much as people want to harp on the Ohio game, the team was sick. One of the podcasts said that Rocco was so sick he didn't even go to the locker room at halftime - just stayed on the sideline so he didn't have to walk. And Ohio won 10 games last year. Even in the MAC, winning 10 games is tough.

 

[Aclone]

Hansen gets a lot of hype and I hope he is everything and more we all want but he looked kind of slow to me last year.

I dunno, he seemed to get more catches then carries.

And he ran a 10.85 100m and a 21.90 200m last spring, so I’m not sure about how slow he is. Uncertain about the holes, maybe?

Carson Hansen

Carson Hansen - MN Track and Field results and photos on Athletic.net

www.athletic.net

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I dunno, he seemed to get more catches then carries.

And he ran a 10.85 100m and a 21.90 200m last spring, so I’m not sure about how slow he is. Uncertain about the holes, maybe?

Carson Hansen

Carson Hansen - MN Track and Field results and photos on Athletic.net

www.athletic.net

Ya maybe just not confident enough to go full speed yet.

 

[madguy30]

Last year CMC had a freshman starting QB with zero real experience. We all know he was ultra conservative with Rocco to start. Looking back it is easy to say we should have opened things up knowing how Rocco progressed, but CMC likely didn’t think he was ready to carry the team early. CMC will always side on protecting the kid first.

Nope, the team should just perform as they did at their best from the first snap of the year and in no way does sports have an ebb and flow to it that needs some things to happen before other things.