Questions and Answers

They want a NFL offense, and believe the first step is to get a NFL QB.

This is almost certainly true. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, if you ain’t got a quarterback, you ain’t got nothin’.

Thanks for the post, but I have to disagree with installing any offense that involves running the QB more. With the lack of talent at RB, and the glaring failures on the O-line, any QB running in more is going to take a ton of hits, with the likely result being that we have a true freshman quarterbacking at key times. Gilbert may not be setting the world on fire, but I seriously doubt either McCoy or Wood are ready for prime time. Going back to a zone-read/option offense seems to have an air of desperation, IMO.

I’d almost be willing to watch Cody Johnson plop forward for 2-3 yards and then let GG take an occasional shot downfield.

I’ll take the Rice 1st quarter offense over anything we have seen since. At least there is ball security.

From time to time, throughout his tenure, when Mack defends his coaching staff and occasionally lets us peer in to the logic behind GD’s longevity, he returns to his main argument, “GD has seen, been around and coached a lot of different offenses”.

As a relative novice of the x’s and o’x part, this seems to be precisely the problem with GD. Greg Davis has seen, been around and has tried a lot of different offenses — none of which were ever his own. GD dabbles in a little of everything, but hasn’t mastered any one system. His offenses have become a patch quilt of contrasting uneven formations and personnel groupings. GD doesn’t have his own offense, so he incorporates personnel ideas from Boise, trick plays from his days at Georgia, spread offense with Broncos staff, gabs with Shanahan on zone blocking, chit chats with Jim Tressel over some power I plays and then sprinkles in a little something he saw on ESPN Classics late at night.

TTR:

Great piece. Of all the things that have been written in this space over the last 48 hours, the one that baffles me the most may be our lack of receiving talent. Kwame Cavil would look terrific at this point, so would Wane McGarity and Brian White, for that matter.

If you had told me, at the end of 2008:

“OK, here’s the deal. When 2010 starts, Blaine Irby may or may not be back, but the starting wide receivers will be Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll and Brandon Collins, cool?”

I would have said:

“I’ll take it. Malcolm will be borderline All-American, Collins will be all-conference and Kirkendoll will be a completely dependable third receiver who is great after the catch. Plus, other talents will emerge from the following recruiting classes.”

The reality is that:

a. Williams is not ever going to be a game-breaking receiver (even though he has more physical talent than all but a dozen or so D-1 players at his position).

c. Kirkendoll may have already played his best football.

No tight end has replaced Irby—who produced more in two and a half games as a first-time starter than our entire tight end corps has since.

No other receiver has emerged. Goodwin? Maybe. Davis? A work in progress stunted by DISD coaching (although an exciting work in progress to be sure).

And we have taken basically whoever we wanted at the position over the last two years.

Wildcat!

With D.J. Monroe at quarterback!

HornsLaw posted-

“Going back to a zone-read/option offense seems to have an air of desperation, IMO.”

Absolutely. The question was which offense gives us our best chance to win in 2010. I didn’t say that running the QB was a good choice. I said it was the best choice. I am willing to hear others.

If we lose to OU and KSU, and get shit-stomped by Neb, is that enough to get GD fired? What if we lose to Aggy in addition?

When would enough be enough for Mack? And is it wrong that part of me is ok with losing those games if it means no more GDGD?

Fuck, I need a drink.

I smell a return of the Q Package.

I expected 2 or 3 losses because of the rookie QB and learning curve, but never expected to see such lack of improvement on offense (regression?) So if we lose to OU and are effectively out of the conference title race, then I’d say totally open it up and run GG. What is there to lose? If he gets hurt then the backup QB’s get plenty of snaps, which should happen in a game or two after Nebraska anyway (but probably won’t.) I’d aim for 2011 and get the backups enough experience to step in when needed, which will allow the offense a full repertoire and reduce their tendency for too scared play calling.

And we have taken basically whoever we wanted at the position over the last two years.

Yeah, that’s an aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked. The offensive recruiting has been poor for the past four years or so, and we’re seeing the culmination of that this year. But it isn’t as if a lot of Texas’ top targets have gone elsewhere. Everyone knows that Mack has the best offer-to-commitment ratio in all the land. We’re landing our top guys and they’re turning out to be inadequate. It’s obvious that there are serious issues with the talent evaluation process on the offensive side of the ball.

This could be said about every position. QB (we went three years without recruiting a competent QB, which is why we had a true frosh getting his first real game experience in the MNC game), RB (bunch of JAGs) WR (pretty meh group without a real number 1), TE (Greg fucking Smith getting playing time is all you need to know here), and OL.

I’ve been in a shitty mood all day and the tone on this site is making me atleast consider driving into oncoming traffic when I leave work in a few minutes. Until, I read the name ‘Segway to Heaven.’ It reminded me that life is worth living. That a little laughter can carry the day. Thank you Segway, you may have saved a life today.

I’m an ignorant schmuck, but let me tell you what I like in an offense. UNPREDICTABILITY! I loved the constant motion of the RBs before the snap in Mackovic’s offense. I love Boise’s offense, because they line up in a packed formation and throw and a spread and run. It pleases my eye to see something different almost every time.

Once again, I’m an ignorant schmuck, but greg Davis seems to have the most predicatble offense I have ever seen (as illustrated by the post’s first point).

Why can’t we have variety? Is it impossible to have an I-formation with more than 2 yards to the goal or 1st down? Is it possible to bunch the formation and have WRs either scatter into pass patterns or (wait for it) BLOCK for a RB near the OL?

Why are we stuck with exactly 3WR, 1 RB 1 TE for every single fucking play we call (not on the goal line of course where the beloved follow the up back offense is used exclusively).

It’s absolutely maddening! I can’t name another team that I watch that has as few formations as we do. Maybe that is our identity! The Single Formation Offense! I’m shouting because I am losing my mind!!!!

ARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t know that anyone outside of Belmont can truly sort out the what portion of the genesis of our offensive system comes from Mack’s mind vs. Greg’s, but I’m starting to give more credence to the idea that they have differing and conflicting core ideas that are being woven into a pastiche. Looking at our offense from 1999-2010 (excepting the VY years when a junior high coach would have realized that we were optimized from the zone read), our recruiting, schemes and playcalling – even if they were uniformly terrible – would HAVE to have had more coherence if they had sprung from a single mind. We have been a Jack of many trades and a master of very few during that entire timeframe, despite having a blank check to pull in almost any recruit from a premier hotbed of talent since we captured the nation’s attention with the Simms/Redding class.

Someone used “Greck” to describe the unholy union between these two philosophies, so lets run with that (added bonus: it’s niftily onomotopaeic when describing the end product!) The fact that they are essentially a hybrid organism has been pounded into the ground ad nauseum, so without trying to tease out which philosophical elements spring from which source we can analyze the key features of Greck as an entity. Throughout the years, Greck:

- Does not seem to appreciate the importance of establishing advantageous blocking angles for offensive linemen
- Does not seem to care about creating defensive indecision via single-play misdirection (e.g. reverse action behind a handoff) or an integrated system of plays that build on each other and punish the defense for overpursuit/overcommitment
- Seems enamored with a bizarre hybrid of zone blocking and reach blocking (zeach blocking?) that demands lateral (rather than fire-out) movement by linemen, presents them with difficult blocking assignments without the benefit of establishing advantageous angles, and does nothing to set up the zone-blocking staple of cutback runs
- Is capable of using a base play (the zone read) as the foundation of a running game for several years after the element that made it successful (legitimate threat of being hurt by a QB run) was no longer in play
- Prefers short, lateral passing to any other kind and frequently fears both vertical passing and utilizing the middle of the field – most likely out of the desire to avoid turnovers
- Eschews elements like pump fakes and double moves that can help receivers defeat coverage
- Is consistently mediocre to bad at in-game adjustments
- Is at best infrequent in enforcing player accountability through playing time adjustments

If I’ve missed or misstated any of the core deficiencies of the Greck offensive philosophy please correct me. Note: While I recognize the negative effect of zeach blocking on an OL’s natural aggressiveness, ability to get advantageous angles and ultimately confidence/motivation, I am laying the responsibility for technique (pad level, hand placement, foot/step placement, etc.) and conditioning deficiencies at the feet of the OL and S&C coaches paid to correct them.

What can you design based on those constraints? I’ll admit to being at a loss. I just don’t see how you can build any kind of a successful running identity under those constraints, but if there’s some sort of veer/wing/pistol/derringer/glock scheme that can succeed with those philosophical elements I’d love to learn. Passing is a little less fundamentally fucked but requires extreme talent at WR and accuracy at QB while offering them none of the benefits of a blunted pass rush, meaningful play action or secondaries threatened by the need to defend all depths.

Short of a QB that brings both a running threat and off-schedule playmaking ability to the table upon his arrival on campus, I don’t think we can develop an offense that is anything better than ‘solid’ with the coaching staff as it’s presently constituted – someone please tell me I’m wrong.

I had no problem running Colt, and I have no problem runnign GG. Yes, we eventually lost McCoy by using him as a runner, but would we even sniffed 46-8 if we hadn’t? No way we only lose 2 games the last 2 years without his running. If GG goes down we will lose 5 games. So what. The way we are playing we are going to do that anyway. For anyone that thought we could compete for the NC that hope is gone, but the conf title chances are not changed. We need to do whatever it takes to win the next 2 games.

Fred Akers could win that game. But he would have had three relatively plodding but big and reliable RBs to pound into the line on 1st and 2nd down behind a real FB before the sprint out pass on 3rd and likely booming punt on 4th.

Spread em out and sling it. Shitcan the “new running game” and the zone read with it – GG is no threat to run, and any zone read plays would be a called give to the back like last year with Colt. We dont have one cut backs you need to run in a zone blocking scheme, and our o-line cant drive block. Get the little jitterbug WR’s in space, liberal use of shotgun/draw/screen to counter pass rush.

Long-term rebuild personnel around a pro-style offense. Play the game the kids who are going to the next level want to play.

Long-term rebuild personnel around a pro-style offense. Play the game the kids who are going to the next level want to play.

This. We can play 2×2, 3×1, and continue with our 3WR/TE offensive sets with a pass first philosophy. Our running game will consist of draws, lead draws, sprint draws, traps, and the occasional fly sweep, ZR, or speed option. You know, your basic competent spread offense package for an OC who can’t be bothered with implementing or is incapable of designing a power rushing attack.

Run GG when you have to, but let’s not pretend that we have Denard Robinson waiting on the bench anywhere. Meanwhile, continue to recruit to a system much like OU runs and start a slow transition to that system next year when this year’s upper classmen and sad excuses for coaches aren’t around to to fail with poorly conceived notions of blocking, gameplanning, and the interelation of plays with a view towards their effect on the defense.

I don’t care if we run the triple option or the air raid. I don’t care if we have a few formations and a lot of plays, or a lot of formations and a few plays. I do care that we pick something and try to perfect it before the start of next season let alone the OU game. That will require the demotion of Greggo to the QB coach emeritus because we have no singular talent that is redshirting or headed to campus next year that can provide the offensive focus that the current staff requires to form something approximating a coherent offense.

agree on gilbert but is it worth burning wood’s redshirt this year? i really wish Kinne was still here. But yes, open comp. for qb in ’11 unless we see vast improvment.

jinx-
I’ve been beating on that particular drum for nigh on eleven years now.

The short answer is no.

What is more troubling than anything is that Mack, in 10 years, has had only two decent running backs? The recruiting at the running back position has been awful. How can we not have more than two decent running backs in 10 years? “WE ARE TEXAS.” Its a joke. Monroe, Johnson, Whittaker all suck.

We just need to stick with the spread. Can the running game and just run the spread. That is our offensive coaching staff greatest strength and its not like our lineman our tough enough to run block.

‘Greck’?

Is awesome.

Davis is the Greck girl.

if ever there was a coaching staff to use youth/inexperience as an excuse. seriously. we have seniors on our line, seniors on defense, a qb who’s been here nearly 2 years (with adequate game experience), receivers who’ve played in big games, a staff that’s been intact for a while (apparently too long).

HORSEFEATHERS

Watch the slap-happy high jinks as the Marx Brothers employ new offensive innovations (formations, playcalling, etc…) with their team mates as Huxley College tries to find a way to win.

What’s disturbing is they did find a way to win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A_X1DYvl9k

“We are a team with a good defense and crappy offense. We need to be conservative. We need to protect the ball and run the clock…Jim Tressell knows how to win with this team. Does Mack?”

Tressell, Saban, Stoops have all won like this. They were smart enough to play to their strengths.

I agree this is the least bad option for current coaches and personnel. The best set to protect the ball and run clock is the under center set we saw the first two games. No, we don’t run well or pass much better. But, if we can just rise above stupidity we can avoid turnovers and keep our defense off the field enough to let it win for us against most opponents.

The spread will mean even less running threat, won’t run clock and will be more turnover prone. Our WR’s don’t get open consistently. The OT’s can’t block the conference’s DE talent.

The under center isn’t great or even good. It is the least bad option to accomplish your limited goals. Then clean house on the offensive staff after the season, hire a better OC, build a coherent system and recruit to it.

I feel like I’ve been lied to. All we heard about all offseason was how Gilbert was just like Colt, yet he threw down the field more.

HAVE NOT SEEN IT>

What I do see. Gilbert reminds me A LOT of Colt on first and second down. On first and 10 he’ll make a good throw for 10-12 yards. But he is nothing like Colt on 3rd down. Suddenly all the 10 yard passes disappear on 3rd down?? We hit crucial 3rd downs and we are toast… where it seemed Colt would shine on 3rd down.

I’ll take Anal Bum Cover for 100 Alex.

So you want us to try to be like Nebraska this year, only suckier at RB, OL, and running QB?

You lost me when you mentioned Chiles.

All of these “we have no talent, the sky is falling” posts are coming in hot and heavy. We have plenty of talent. Not enough to score 38 per, but enough to win with all the talent on the defense. The key, as we see on the defensive side, good and bad, is execution. First build a winning strategy and then get your players to carry it out to the best of their ability.

It’s like in business. For every killer new idea you get about starting a company or new product, there’s probably at least 5 other people out there with the exact same idea. It’s who executes the best business plan that will win out. Haven’t you guys seen the Social Network?

With all of the injuries we have had to TEs recently, I have wondered since Irby went down why we don’t utilize two backs more often. You can, last time I checked, still run 3 wide this way. In fact, I think a NFL team or two might just do this exact thing ALL THE TIME.

Look at who we have at TE and RB/FB/HB.
Next year TEs: Matthews, Ahmad Howard, Dominque Jones, Whaley, and Mcfarland

Next year RBs: Fozzy, Tre, Cody, Monroe, Shead, Hills, Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergdon, Whaley

Cody, Shead, Brown, Bergdon, and Whaley are a lot of big backs to have on the same team at one time.

“Next year RBs: Fozzy, Tre, Cody, Monroe, Shead, Hills, Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergdon, Whaley

Cody, Shead, Brown, Bergdon, and Whaley are a lot of big backs to have on the same team at one time."

It’s a clusterfuck, no doubt. It’s like we put all of the division 1 caliber Texas RB’s on a wall, and then blindfold Greg Davis, and have him start throwing darts. “Newton and Hills? Well, OK!”.

As a woman, I tend to be a little protective. Most of us are just built that way.

I think most are being too critical of Gilbert. He is trying to be Colt and Vince, but doesn’t have the experience. What he does have is a terrible offensive line, and I am very tired of seeing that.

Someone mentioned recruiting high school defensive tackles to play offensive line, which is a wonderful idea, if they don’t have what it takes to succeed at defensive tackle in college and the pros. However, despite the fact that every defensive tackle I can think of who has played at Texas in recent years has made it in the NFL, we haven’t exactly had a wealth of players in the position recently.

Didn’t Studdard play defensive tackle in high school? Now that was a great offensive line.

Greg Davis, Professor Emeritus and Quarterbacks Coach
Sounds good. If that isn’t enough, perhaps the Longhorn Foundation needs another executive level employee.
Greg Davis, Quarterbacks Coach and Executive Consultant to The Longhorn Foundation.

I had great hopes for McWhorter when he was hired, but at this point, he must leave/retire. Any number of coaches, from the high school and junior college ranks and up, could produce a better product than he has for the past two years.

The game on Saturday was a terrible disappointment. I hope that Mack talked to Will after the game and made up his mind to clean out the offensive house at the end of the season. He is right, the players and the fans deserve better.

“Burt Reynolds.”
“Uh, That’s not my name.”
“Okay, Turd Ferguson.”
“Yeah, what do you want?”
“You buzzed in.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Yeah, well, that’s your opinion.”

There. We’re going to win now.

I actually think we hit bottom on saturday. We will lose more games but I don’t think we will see an effort like that. I’m pretty sure at this point the coaches have no clue what they are going to try on offense on Saturday…but neither does ou. I still think the next two will look a lot like last year. I fear we don’t have enough leadership to finish though.

Orangechipper,

I’d argue that Gilbert is nothing like McCoy on 3rd down because his receiving options are nothing like McCoy’s on 3rd down.

Cosby and Shipley were excellent at finding seams on 3rd down. The current grouping of receivers has no one even approaching their ability.

It’s funny. It’s oversized. Heh heh!

And no Java, Gilberts experience isn’t the problem. It’s what he’s being asked to do and the tools he’s been given. He’s not “trying to be Colt”, for Christ sake. Greg is trying to run an offense as if he is.

Wow – I know this was a bad loss, but really some of the stuff on here critizing players is ridiculous. And run with Gilbert… really? People have gone off the deep end. I get that we don’t have transcendent talent on the offensive side of the ball. Sure some blame can be placed on the players. But root cause here is crappy scheme and crappy position coaching/ player development on the offensive side of the ball. You have to put your players in a position to succeed and win. Saban (hate him) or some other competent schmuck could take this talent and make it above average at a minimum.

I just hope Gilbert doesn’t get so mind f**ked that he’s skittish & inconsistent for the rest of his career. (a la SIms?) He seems to be holding up as well as can be expected so far.

BTW Scipio – looks like you are bringing in a ton more eyeballs to the site. Good for you, but sad to say it seems the IQ of the herd has dropped. To be expected, can’t be helped (flame on)

lowery,

Don’t be so literal. He did step into McCoy’s position, literally, at the Rose Bowl. Would you mind it if he won at least as many games as Colt did?

No, he doesn’t have the tools that Colt had. The offensive line isn’t as good, his best receivers are not experienced, and his skill set is entirely different. (Is skill set what you had in mind when you referred to tools?) Mike Davis, if given a little more than 4 games, looks like he will turn into a very good receiver, though.

I do understand Greg’s many limitations. He also had Colt run an offense designed for Vince. Greg is Greg, after all.

Good luck, lowery.

Hook ’em!

After calming down, a few notes:

1) The game could have been much different w/o the turnovers. Our offense wasn’t great but definitely serviceable in the first quarter. The Curtis Brown and Gilbert turnovers really killed our momentum.

2) The team lacked emotion and leadership after the first half. This one is half on the coaches and half due to the lack of a clear team leader. Colt, VY, Lamar, etc. would have energized the guys. Muschamp was surprisingly deflated. Mack looked tired. I don’t expect that this week.

3) Despite the fumble, DJ Monroe looked REALLY good. Go look at the highlights on MB-TF.com (hard to believe there were any). He was electric and UCLA couldn’t stop him. However, he is NOT an every down back. Fatigue may have played a role in the fumble.

4) It’s only one week. Let’s be real, this team was never going to go undefeated. This is a young team; how they react this Saturday means much more than the loss last week. I trust in Mack & Co. to fire these guys up and put the evildoers in their place.

I enjoyed this post. To me, it really summarizes the biggest offensive issue which is our offense is simply not all that talented. I am not sure there is a single offensive starter right now who is likely to be in the NFL (my guess is that Mason Walters will eventually be NFL caliber). This is the first time in many years, as you said, that there is not a single offensive playmaker that is a threat to make a long touchdown and really scare an opposing defense. Most other years this decade we had at least two, if not more, playmakers. I think if we had a top notch offensive line we could overcome the lack of playmakers (we don’t). If we had a savvy, experienced quarterback, we might be able to overcome the lack of playmakers (we don’t). So basically we have an average division 1 NCAA offense. There can be a big debate as to why, but for 2010 it is what it is.

What is even more interesting is the discussion as to what we do moving forward. I must admit that I get nervous watching Gilbert run but I think he is equally likely to be injured standing in the pocket and being blindsided after our left tackle gets beat. I think if the goal is to win games this year, then going to four receiver sets makes sense. I think that follows the theory of getting the best eleven players on the field. Whatever the deficiencies of the wide receivers, I think the tight ends are worse. Following the “best 11 players” theory, I would put Monroe at tailback. At that point, I think we would more or less look like the Texas Tech offense with the need for lots of short, safe, horizontal throws. Pretty sure the fanbase would have a meltdown.

But really, I think the question is whether there is a coherent plan for the future. If we really want to go under center and run a pro-style offense, then maybe we should continue with it so the players can get reps with the hope that it pays dividends down the road, even with the chance of it costing us games this year. I think particularly if we lose the next two games, that we will need to consider doing that. I’m not sure the Texas fanbase could tolerate a transition year, but it could pay dividends down the road as we get more practice in the pro style scheme and hopefully recruit players who fit that scheme.

Nobis60,

“Greck” was mine from Eyes’ thread. Please let me have it, it’s all I got after this weekend’s brutality. Everyone continue to use it as seen fit though….Thanks.

I enjoyed the article. I think there is a lot of win, especially in diagnosing or recounting our problems, but I don’t agree with your treatment or conclusion. A few comments:

1. We haven’t run the zone read since Vince was here. Colt ran some ugly version of a zone running play, but I assure you that there was no “reading” on the play. Colt would make his decision pre-snap whether he was going to keep it or hand it off based on defensive alignment. The zone read is a simple option play but no one has been reading the option since Mack got here besides Vince. Colt was just an under rated athlete and scrambler (although he always scrambled to his right). GG isn’t as athletic as Colt. Doesn’t make him a bad athlete at all, just not as good at called runs. Watching Prince run, I wondered myself what it would be like to have GG play out of a run first offense where the QB had to take many a hit. This would not play to his strengths, but schematically systems like those are designed to help poor OL play…..

2. Our OL talent is poor. Especially Mitchell. Not really his fault, he wasn’t an elite prospect when he signed. Unfortunately for everyone clamoring to “open up” the OL position charts, we don’t have much more talent behind them. The proverbial cupboard is bare regarding OL talent. We have a few kids that could be good by the time they’re 3 years in like Walters or maybe Kelly. I hear good things about Espinosa, but where is the OT talent at Texas? Oh yea, they’re seniors in high school. What’s even worse is with average OL talent we have a poor OL coach thereby reinforcing our mediocrity. Also, most of these kids have been practicing blocking in a spread system, either here or all the way from high school. Therefore, we have mediocre OL talent being coached by maybe the worst position coach in our program and we would like to change systems to a scheme that doesn’t accentuate their talents or experience? Greatness. That’s all on Mack, as he seems to be the driver of the bus on this change. It may be a good schematic change in the future, but for the 3 seniors and 1 junior we roll out there on the OL, it’s was foolish. This unit is neither prepared nor talented enough to push people around when faced with like athletes. The entire offseason ideas by this staff were a trainwreck, but it did at least get us Malcolm Brown or at least this is what the apologists for this system change will tell you.

3. I’m confused by some folks willingness to start looking at other QB candidates. Uhm, did you see McCoy or Wood at summer practices? What exactly were you hoping for from a true sophomore who hasn’t started 5 games in college yet? Perhaps it was unjust expectations from some of the internet patrol, some that post right here on this very site that GG was going to step right in and be as good as a 5th year senior making a Heisman run. Again, silly. His upside is higher than Colt’s but Garrett’s going to have to go thru his own learning curve and some of the games he’s going to have are going to be difficult to stomach. Why? Well, he’s in an impossibly difficult situation. Compare his situation to Colt’s first as a starter. What offensive unit would you rather have? Colt’s OL or this OL? Colt’s RB’s which included Jamaal and Selvin or this RB group? Colt’s WR’s that had Limas, Pittman, So. Quan, and a Fr. Finley or this group? Gilbert is being asked to carry this offense with no experience and little help. The WR’s are the only group with above-average talent and they lack mental toughness.

Therefore, we have two options. Fold up tents, play ugly and conservative football with a conservative under center scheme that would minimize turnovers, intend to optimize field position with a lot of punting and shorten games thereby relying on our defense and, gulp, special teams to be the difference makers. Or we could look at the talent we’ve assembled (recruited), look at our best playmakers and personnel group and play towards their talents by going spread with some 4 wides (never go empty with Mitchell at OT) and live with some difficult growing pains that will take place but with an offense that should get better running a system they’ve practiced and understand.

Please note that we still will be subjected to awful playcalling that is devoid of creativity or layered function regardless of what route we take. GG started in a spread system for how many years at LT? Most of these kids have been in a spread system for how many years? We have the proverbial square personnel peg with a round schematic change desires of our coaching staff (also please note that I very much understand why they are so desirous of making such a change). The question is what path do we choose? Maybe we change to the Pistola and start running GG 20 times a game…….Not seeing it though…..I too am not an expert, but that is the choice I see for this season…..

4. Bonus thought. Greg Davis is a very poor OC. However, Mack’s offensive prowess has been uninspiring in itself. Again, Mack is very much at the forefront of wanting to change systems and thereby our identity to a system he “knew” better. However, for all of the failings of the spread gun, we’ve put up our best offenses in that scheme. Go back and watch some of the games when we had Simms and Ced in our under center scheme. I just watched the Nebraska game where Simms thru for 417 or something. Cedric rushes for over 85 yards, I think, but he gets hit in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage in about 4 out of every 5 runs. He simply was a good enough talent to run thru the first guy normally. I’m not sure we have a guy like that on the squad. Regardless, Greg + Mack = Greck and Greck is not very good at offense anymore nor have they been very good at offensive recruiting the past five years……

Taylor,

All great thoughts. My two pennies:

1. This coaching staff sat down all off season and put in this offense, based on how they assessed the offensive talent at hand. They spent all spring putting it in. Many of you commented after the spring game that it worked (don’t make me call y’all out by name). They’ve spent the whole season working on it. So this is what you are going to see for the rest of the season.

2. Your premise – is this the best offense to fit your talent? Interesting take, and gets back to a problem I thought y’all have had for a long time – recruiting the best player you can instead of the best player that fits into your system. If you always recruit the best player, you are always hunting for a way ot best utilize his talents. And if a key player gets injured, his back-up likely will not be suited to do the same things. If you recruit to a system, you run your system, recruit to your system, and plug and play players. Look at Oregon State’s offense – you know what it is. Same with USC. Same with Florida. Hell – same with A&M.

3. I’ll play along with your premise that the QB running needs to be a viable option in your present offense. I concur, although not if Gilbert is your starter. If John Chiles were your starter, this offense would be better. But if there were any chance of that happening, it would have happened in the spring. Personally, I’d love ot see John get his chance under center.

4. I’ve always thought the handeling of John and Trey Allen have been this staff’s two greatest failures over the last several years. You want an offensive leader – strong, vocal, bad ass that everyone respects? Trey would have been that guy.

Lots of good comments. I have to admit that in considering action plans, I limited myself to those that might actually happen. Therefore, every idea that started with “Fire/reassign Greg Davis” was discarded. We have seen this staff use the “QB as running threat” card twice before as answers to seasonal crises, so it seemed likely to be used again.

Couple more uncomfortable facts-

1. McWhorter has been on staff since 2002. He has yet to recruit an OL that got drafted. Blalock? No, he was committed when McWhorter was hired. Studdard? Same, plus he was recruited as a DL. Hills? No, he was a TE recruit, so you can chalk him up to Bruce Chambers. There is Jamarcus Webb, but does he count after flunking out his freshman year? Oh well, we all know Hix and Huey will be the ones to break the streak.

2. Gilbert is 1/3 of the way through the season. He is also 1/3 of the way through his college eligibility. Any plans to reclaim his potential must keep in mind that in 2 months he will have more college games behind him than in front of him. Since he never redshirted, he is in his 3rd semester here. He only has 2 sprngs and 2 falls left. Want to redesign a system for him (and as posted above, I agree he is our most talented player on offense)? Better hurry, Greg.

“Therefore, we have two options. Fold up tents, play ugly and conservative football with a conservative under center scheme that would minimize turnovers, intend to optimize field position with a lot of punting and shorten games”

I’m convinced that GD (or Greck) cannot coach the offense you describe.

“1. This coaching staff sat down all off season and put in this offense, based on how they assessed the offensive talent at hand. They spent all spring putting it in. Many of you commented after the spring game that it worked (don’t make me call y’all out by name). They’ve spent the whole season working on it. So this is what you are going to see for the rest of the season.”

This offense is fundamentally no different from any offense that GD has ever put out on the field from what I’ve seen. Sure, they “talked” all summer about a new and improved offense, but what I’ve seen so far ain’t it.

Let’s discuss one of the things we heard about…..H-back

I’ve seen this position used 3 times in non-goal line situations. The first time it worked pretty well…seems like we gained about 8 yards on a block right behind the EBS (83 iir). A few plays later, the infamous H-back showed back up on the field. This time, he used the skill we teach for goal line situations, and stood in the exact spot that the ball was going. The brilliant coaches from the other side must have recognized this tendency and blew the play up at the line of scrimmage.

It seems that I have seen that position used one more time, but fail to recall the context. Other than that, no H-back. I don’t recall Whaley ever walking onto the field, when it was supposedly he who was to excel at this new position.

So that’s it. A position that was going to save us all, has been used a handful of times to no apparent benefit. Lip service as usual.

I’m going to dub Greck the “shade tree mechanic.” The car is broken, I keep taking it to him to fix it, he takes my money and declares it “good as new” and it still runs like shit!

All this talk of talent. Talent is partially born with, and partially developed. If you coach talent into coals, don’t turn around and say we didn’t get talent.

if we do run a wildcat, it should be with Chiles at qb. and goodwin as the jet.
and we could call it the Chilescat.

Patrick -

Greck is all yours – I would have attributed properly if I could have remembered it was yours.

All nice and fine, but ultimately pointless. Just wait for us to get stomped in Dallas and Lincoln and then retard our way through the rest of the schedule winning but pure dumb luck, get some shitty underwear bowl, and wait for Mack Brown to fire Greg Davis.

Dear God, just give me an OC with a SHRED of creativity.

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