It all starts up front with the O-line. We have to get better next season pass and run blocking to have a successful 2018 season. CMA and staff got to coach up better and get better talent for us to compete.
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We need guards who can consistently create running lanes in the defense front. Tall is great if they can stay low, otherwise we are where we are now.
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I would love to see an OL with a mean streak. Not dirty, but a mentality that we are going to physically dominate the opposing DL and LB on every play. Would not hurt for our WR to have the same mentality when they are not the ones catching the ball.
I wonder if our linemen have the agility and strength to maintain their blocks.
I am not sure, but If not, I certainly think they can get better in both areas. Coaching and consistently hard work on the players part is what it takes. I just hope we have the coaching available in this area. Otherwise…
I re-watched the game. And our OLinemen who had the responsibility of blocking their LBs did horribly on run blocking. Watch how many were whiffs.
Maybe the scheme just put them in bad position. But I saw many time where the LB closed the LOS quickly and the guards never touched them.
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Been happening all year
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This is the one area that I thought we were going to improve especially with all the good responses about our O-line coach from ex NFL players.
So what’s the problem? Talent? Coaching? Both?
Talent.
Pass blocking was actually pretty good this year.
Run blocking was atrocious or inconsistent at best. Lack of depth (Eloph and Fontana hurt) contributed to that. Having 3 OL coaches in 4 years hurt as well. I’m also thinking Warehime wasn’t a good coach and am glad he’s in Austin.
I think Scelfo can turn it around, but the OC needs to do a better job of putting these guys in position to succeed.
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Would echo pretty much what PRay said.
We went from being an awful Pass Blocking OL to a good one. But Run Blocking went from awful to only sometimes better than awful.
Warehime just turned an Offensive Line with an all-american OT and multiple all-conf caliber guys into a below average one in Austin. Scelfo is the only area on the new staff where we MASSIVELY upgraded over Herman’s staff. He did about as much as you can in 1/2 an offseason with these guys.
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Let’s hope. The skill set for tackles and guards is very different. Tackles need to be very agile to move with quick DEs and LBs blitzing.
All our linemen need to get more agressive. For starters, when the defense pile-drives one of ours don’t just stand there. Get in their face, push them, start a fight. I could live with the penalty that comes with establishing that we don’t take that.
Same thing on defense. Ed or anyone else gets held, chopped, or whatever, strike back. Nothing that gets you tossed, but a little extra curricular to “send a message” is a good tactic. Like a pitcher brushing back a hitter. It’s how you take control.
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When we can’t run, this offensive scheme not worketh. Our run blocking was inconsistent at best, really lacking at worst.
With our personnel we should flip the script.
Agreed. Need to see much more aggressive playing by the OL
Also, agree that if we can’t run to set up the pass, we need to be flexible and pass to set up the run. That is one of the things that is so frustrating about our offense. There just was no recognition of how to exploit the others teams D. Unless your team is simply overpowering the opposition, football is a game of constant adjustments. We don’t grasp that concept.
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Expect Wooten to get some action next year?
Unfortunately both and both affect the other.
shrug
Academics was an issue last year and he wasn’t able to break into the depth chart this year. He’s lost some weight from what I’ve heard, which is good, but he’s also been passed up by Bardwell. Hopefully, this spring, he shows something and can at least be a backup on the depth chart. Be nice if he kicks butt and takes over the RG spot.
This is exactly right. I have been watching the offensive line play all year. Some would have you believe we can’t recruit offensive linemen good enough to run block. You see Catalon getting hit a half-second after he gets the ball, and you assume we must be getting whipped up front. But that’s not the problem. If you watch our blocking schemes, we’re zone blocking most all the time. Sometimes it works beautifully, but a lot of times it results in whiffs, and the runner gets stuffed. Braylon Jones is a hoss at LG. I think that we’ll be in good shape at center and on the left side. As for the right, we’ll have plenty of competition. Jarrid Williams started at RT at USF and played pretty well. He’s a huge guy–maybe not as quick as he could be. Dennis Bardwell has a lot of potential, and we signed a JC OL, Bo Alexander. Not sure if he’ll play tackle or guard. At guard, there’s Denley, Eloph, Murphy, Wooten, Deshotel, and maybe Fontana. Hopefully one of those guys will step up.
We miss guys like Bend Dew and Carter Wall in run game. Wall is a key reason the 2015 QB run game was so effective as he was aggressive getting to blocks in the 2nd level.
At some point you have to respect the laws of physics. You cannot expect someone to consistently block someone else that has bigger muscles, more height, better quickness, and weighs more. There is a reason Yeoman installed the veer. There is a reason we never EVER gained crap up the middle. There is a reason 90% (or better) of our yards came from the perimeter.
It may be a little bit talent. It may be a little bit coaching. It may be a lot about what plays are called.