We dropped 22 points on the 78th ranked defense in college football. The Bears achieved that enviable metric having played one ranked football team to date complemented by battle royales against the buzz saws of Kansas, Rice, Sam Houston State, and Buffalo. Over their last three games, the Bears had allowed 37.3 points per game to the juggernauts at Texas Tech, Kansas State & Colorado - three teams that combine for a smooth 12-12 record.
In other words, our peers. That sting you feel is your pride.
Aspirational peer TCU dropped 45 on Baylor (30+ by halftime) with an offense comprising not-good-enough-to-be-Longhorn rejects.
Our actual peers in on-field performance in 2010 with a .500 record - Texas Tech, CU, KSU - averaged 37.3 points per game against Baylor.
Texas threw down 22 points. At home. In front of 100,000+ against a team with a history of being pummeled by us and personnel deficiencies in every unit grouping. Whenever our offense does something that makes me think they can't sink any lower, they always manage to pull another rabbit out of the hat. Or defecate another pair of Relaxed Fit Dockers.
Congratulations?!
QB
I thought Garrett Gilbert played hard and showed much more composure in the pocket - noticeably stepping up in the pocket and into his throws on a half dozen occasions instead of bailing on his protection. Drops killed us (particularly sure touchdowns by Matthews and Kirkendoll) and he wasn't responsible for them, with the exception of one rocket ball short throw. His confidence degraded a bit as the game went on and some help from his wide receiver corps would have buoyed his play.
He ran very adeptly (8-79-1), scoring a touchdown and peeling off two 20+ yard runs, but he should have been even more aggressive with his feet throughout the game. He had three or four opportunities for big gains on bootlegs or clear sailing from the pocket where he forced the ball. I completely understand the instinct behind this, but he needs to understand that we are a terrible passing offense and that free yards with your feet is the default Greg Davis antidote to poisonous offense.
Right now we're the worst passing offense in the Big 12 - averaging a miserable 6.1 yards per attempt with a pathetic 6 passing TDs paired with 9 interceptions.
RB
Cody Johnson ran well and would have worn on Baylor with some commitment to him, but that was the case against Iowa State too. It's not like Greg Davis actually scouts these teams or observes on-field results. He was apparently saving Cody for two zone read plays in the red zone while the clock was ticking down late in the 4th against Baylor's immobile DT wall. Let's assess that statement. Cody Johnson (245 pound power back) paired with zone read (GG not keeping, Johnson slow starter) paired with red zone (need score) plus clock ticking (forced us to burn a time out). Baylor has 340 pound DTs who aren't moving late in the game and aren't that active and we run right into their teeth. On consecutive plays. With a terrible play call in and of itself paired with the RB executing it least capable of making it go.
Seriously Greg, at this point, I'm just in fucking awe of you. I want to know how to do this.
Tre Newton ran hard. He always does. That it doesn't result in any yardage is besides the point.
Fozzy is hurt, politicians are greedy slimeballs, women always hate their hair, and the Earth orbits the sun. Things I can rely on.
DJ Monroe figured prominently into our game plan with 4 touches. Folks - that's a 400% increase in touches from last week. And an infinite increase in touches vs. the Nebraska game. If you were to chart this on a graph, I can reasonably predict 81 carries against Kansas State. Trends!
WR/TE
The box score looks better for many of them than their actual play. Baylor has a poor secondary, minimal pass rush, and we struggled to execute consistently. The drops were egregious, in crucial situations, and unrelenting.
I actually caught Kirkendoll trying to block on separate occasions. Mind you, he didn't block his man, but he gave the appearance of a receiver who had been told that he needed to appear to be blocking and I appreciate that. Sort of like when your dog doesn't have to go poop, but you encourage it do so, so it makes a phantom squat and stares at you enthusiastically as if to say," Lookeee, I making a big poop, Daddy." He caught a long pass and dropped a sure TD.
By the way, Darius White is good and we're trying to get him on the field. Do you know how difficult it is to get a player on the field? First, you have to find him. Then you have to figure out what position he'll play. Then you have to tell him. Then you have to wait for a break in the action. Listen, I'm tired just describing this process...you people don't even know. You're not coaches. I honestly find it amazing that we're able to get eleven players on the field at once. It's a fucking triumph.
John Chiles put in his second high effort game. It didn't really show in the box score, but this is a guy trying his hardest and I appreciate that.
Greg Smith (obligatory turnover - he has the highest touch to turnover ratio in FBS over the last two years, I'm convinced) and Barrett Matthews (TD drop) cost us 10 11 points. No other way to spin it. We lost the game 30-22. You do the math.
OL
Shrug. I've already said my piece on this group.
We do nothing to help these guys schematically. Our interior OL struggled with Baylor's fat boy tackles and apparently every team in America but us understands how to handle oversized players with minimal range and conditioning. Designing a play to run off-tackle is HARD. Blocking down is HARD. Instead we ask our guys to reach block them or fire out and base block, driving them off of the ball. Introduce a little movement and some down blocking and fat boys become a liability.
That would require game planning and running game diversity and GD simply doesn't have time for that, what with Murder, She Wrote being shown on a marathon on TNT.
We also had our obligatory 3rd down motion penalties.
Pass protection was solid, on balance, and we handled their blitz fine. We could have established some run game if we'd cared to do so, particularly with Cody Johnson, but didn't.
Huey is gone until at least A&M.
Or the Big 12 Championship game.
I was just seeing if you actually read these or if you skim them.
Actually, he should be back by the Pinstripe Bowl and we'll need him if we have any hopes of beating UCONN. I so want a piece of the Huskies. Their arrogance is tiresome.
Overall
We're entering Game 9 of the season and there isn't a single thing that this offense does well. Or even passably.
This is arguably the most poorly coached offense in college football with a senior class void of talent or leadership.
At this point, our best hope is resignation - in both senses of the word - and graduation.