• The KillerFrogs

Re-Watched the SMU game so you don't have to(my in depth analysis)

LVH

LVH

Active Member
It's hard to be able to watch our games closely where I watch games at so I decided to re-watch the SMU game at home last night.

Offense

  • I feel like enough has been said about the offense, so this section will be shorter
  • I thought SMU's defensive game plan was going to be to stack the box and force us to beat them with the pass, but that wasn't the case - they were actually giving us the run. I feel like falling behind 15-0 off the bat forced us to get out of our game plan early. Makes you wonder how this game turns out if we received the opening kickoff.
  • The Sewo wildcat play was blatantly obvious he was going to pass based on how far back he was lined up.
  • The 3rd down play where Duggan dropped the ball should never have been a pass play. We should have ran the ball on that drive until we absolutely needed to pass. On 3rd and 3, no reason to pass, and it backfired.
  • The last 4th down play should have been totally obvious that they were going to send the house, expecting either a run or short pass. Why a screen pass or delayed draw wasn't dialed up was beyond me.
  • I will get crucified for this, but Delton should have been QB on that last drive. There was no need to pass, and he would have given another running threat. I would have done a two back set with Sewo and Anderson and Delton at QB, but then again I am not paid 800k a year to coach offense.
Defense

  • I think our fans are being way too harsh on Patterson and the defense. Defense did not get "shredded" or "owned" or "destroyed". I do not think the defensive gameplan/scheming was the problem - it was fine. The only bad defensive play call was their first touchdown when we had 5 in the box on Buechele's QB run up the middle. Apart from that? Either SMU players simply made plays, our players didn't make plays despite being in position, or both. Ultimately its up to our players to make plays, and they didn't.
  • Defensive End was a major black hole. Of all position groups, this position was the worst. SMU knew this - they double teamed Blacklock and Bethley all day long and forced our ends and linebackers to make plays, and they didn't. Worst of all, tackling and wrapping up was the major issue with defensive end.
  • The linebacker spot opposite Wallow was another black hole. With our defensive tackles getting double teamed, its up to our linebackers to make the stops, and they were not aggressive enough. Too many times a play could have been stopped at the line of scrimmage for no gain, but the linebackers/defensive ends did not make the play. This isn't a scheming issue or coaching issue, I think its just an experience issue. This was a problem against Pine Bluff too.
  • I feel like SMU executing the trick play at the beginning of the game made our defensive back 7 a half step too slow because of hesitation. It's like they were so worried about the trick play that they were not as aggressive or fast as they needed to be.
  • Innis Gaines had a bad day - he was out of position twice on huge plays for SMU that ended up being major factors. The 3rd down conversion on their TD drive after the Sewo pass he bit on a fake which allowed a short stop route to turn into a huge gain for SMU.
  • Gladney had a bad day, but you have to give SMU receivers credit for catching the jump balls/50 50 balls. I don't really think Gladney got beat on those plays as much as the SMU receiver simply made the better play. Also, safety help seemed to be a step too late when he got beat. Still on Gladney, but if the safeties can get there faster, it could have bailed him out.
  • SMU's players just made more plays than we did. It reminds me of the UMBC-Virginia NCAA tourney upset. Was UMBC the better team? No, but they were on that day. UMBC made play after play in that game. Sometimes you just have to give the other team credit than rip the players and coaching. The jump balls, the back shoulder TD, they just made plays.
Special Teams
  • Ultimately it was field position that won this game for SMU, via turnovers and special teams. How hard is it for us to have a return with no block in the back or hold? We had 3 straight returns in the 2nd half with a flag.
 
H

HFrog12

Full Member
LVH said:
It's hard to be able to watch our games closely where I watch games at so I decided to re-watch the SMU game at home last night.



  • Gladney had a bad day, but you have to give SMU receivers credit for catching the jump balls/50 50 balls. I don't really think Gladney got beat on those plays as much as the SMU receiver simply made the better play. Also, safety help seemed to be a step too late when he got beat. Still on Gladney, but if the safeties can get there faster, it could have bailed him out.
Click to expand...

Most frustrating thing about this team is no one at the WR position cares to make a play. I watch a lot of college football games, not just highlights, and all across the country receivers are making plays. We are 3 games in and not a single one of our receivers has made a play on a ball. Pro Wells could maybe be counted.
 
ShreveFrog

ShreveFrog

Full Member
Well, and late first half I just wanted Delton to take some series. We needed a spark. Give SMU a different look. Max needed a break. He was having a bad day.
 
B

bronco

Active Member
HFrog12 said:
Most frustrating thing about this team is no one at the WR position cares to make a play. I watch a lot of college football games, not just highlights, and all across the country receivers are making plays. We are 3 games in and not a single one of our receivers has made a play on a ball. Pro Wells could maybe be counted.
Click to expand...
We don't seem to have any credible threats at WR other than Reagor. Our guys get no separation and if they are lucky enough to catch it they aren't going anywhere. Somebody needs to step up to make defenses honest which will help Reagor. Although Max did not see a few wide open receivers.
 
WhatTheFrog

WhatTheFrog

Active Member
The whole thing was a shart show. Give SMU's receivers credit, they came down with contested catches when our receivers didn't. Seemed like our guys high-pointed too early on a couple of those deep passes. Maybe I'm wrong, but it sure looked that way live. Their guys seemed to want it more (and their DBs never looked for the ball).

With the 3 horrible fumbles we had, and for it to be as close as it was, we should've found a way to pull this game out. We didn't and we lost. Hopefully we find a way to fix this mess and do better moving forward or we may be looking at 2018 part 2 (or worse).
 
Limey Frog

Limey Frog

Full Member
Moose Stuff said:
I don’t know why people wanted us to run, run, run on the last drive. Max was hot and we had 2+ minutes and no timeouts. I mean unless you guys were happy playing for a tie.
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Because it was the safest bet to win the game. And look what happened. Ten straight handoffs to #6 or #33 with Delton at QB and we're 3-0
 
W

Wexahu

Full Member
Moose Stuff said:
Under a minute by the time we ran the 4th down play. I thought the play calling was way too conservative there but that’s just me.
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I really think initially we were focused on running some clock, that is why we went with runs on the first two downs. I would bet almost anything that is what GP wanted so they wouldn't have time to score back. I actually thought it was a decent idea at the time but in hindsight probably should have just gone uptempo and kept them off balance. I know this, based on the momentum at the time, it never crossed my mind that we wouldn't even make one first down, I thought we'd just peel off 5-10 yards per play and march down the field. That's why I was paying attention to the clock.
 
W

Wexahu

Full Member
Limey Frog said:
Because it was the safest bet to win the game. And look what happened. Ten straight handoffs to #6 or #33 with Delton at QB and we're 3-0
Click to expand...

People say this, but I can guarantee you the first time we run on 1st and 2nd down and then run again on 3rd and 5 and get stuffed people are going to [ hundin] that we are way too conservative. This team isn't a good enough running team to just hand off all day and score points. It's not built that way. The O-line is decent but we aren't Wisconsin in any way, shape or form.
 
Eight

Eight

Member
bronco said:
We don't seem to have any credible threats at WR other than Reagor. Our guys get no separation and if they are lucky enough to catch it they aren't going anywhere. Somebody needs to step up to make defenses honest which will help Reagor. Although Max did not see a few wide open receivers.
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disagree completely.

if you go back and watch the game dylan thomas is wide open on deep slants and crosses 4-5 times in the first half, but max stays on his first read and ends up forcing either a deep fade or misses badly on a back shoulder.

there were throws to be made in the first half and he made a number in the second half. he was lights years better in the third quarter and smu wasn't in a prevent at that time.

again, thomas was open multiple times. big one was the 3rd and 18 where max checked down to reagor. dylan has come across and is wide open for the first and possibly more.

hunt made some nice plays in the second half, stephens had a nice catch, pro wells showed some things and the mistake the frogs made on the last drive was not throwing the ball at all.

i don't know whose decision it was to take their foot off the gas, but it was a huge mistake. 2nd and 6 frogs have 3 receivers to wide side to the visitors side and smu only has 2 defenders over the top.

simple flip out is going to get you the first down and it was a major mistake not to use tempo when smu was reeling.
 

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