Date: 22/08/25 - 15:08 PM   48060 Topics and 694399 Posts

Author Topic: Our 2 biggest weaknesses: Offensive line and defensive line  (Read 1876 times)

April 24, 2006, 06:44:31 AM
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michigancat

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April 24, 2006, 07:58:08 AM
Reply #1

WILDCAT NATION

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OL is a weakness?  That can't be possible...Hell, Manhatter's signature assured us for a good portion of time that the all those young guys were going to dominate!

And you mean to tell me that a converted OL and some walk-ons don't make a great DL?

April 24, 2006, 08:24:25 AM
Reply #2

sonofdaxjones

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Echols, Moran and Cline will make a good interior D-Line, it's D-End that's a concern.

I think if KSU can avoid injuries, the O-line will be fine, injuries ... bad.


April 24, 2006, 08:39:53 AM
Reply #3

WILDCAT NATION

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Hope you're right about Echols...Being big is great and all...but if you can't move, it doesn't mean much.

I do like the move to tall, long OL types rather than stumps...but they need to be talented, not just the best kid in Topeka.


April 24, 2006, 09:50:26 AM
Reply #4

mjrod

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That, my friends, is not good.

If the season were to be played tomorrow, I'd agree with you.

Since this was merely a rough draft, there is still a lot of work to do, and there is time to get it done.

I'll worry more when I see them play against Florida Atlantic.

April 24, 2006, 09:56:26 AM
Reply #5

michigancat

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I think o-line and d-line will still be a weakness in the fall...we just don't have the players.  I would rather have a weakness at QB than o-line or d-line.

April 24, 2006, 09:57:00 AM
Reply #6

Skycat

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Hope you're right about Echols...Being big is great and all...but if you can't move, it doesn't mean much.

I do like the move to tall, long OL types rather than stumps...but they need to be talented, not just the best kid in Topeka.



He moved much better than I thought he would last Saturday.  If he puts any work in at all this summer, I think he'll be fine.

April 24, 2006, 10:00:48 AM
Reply #7

sonofdaxjones

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However, I am a firm believer that good play calling can overcome suspect O-Line play.  The O-Line was broken up as well.  Again, I think the starting O-line if it stays healty could be pretty good ... they get injuries it's going to hurt.

But if they're gonna pull the Bill Snyder "stuff a square peg into a round hole" playcalling method, then all bets are off.

April 24, 2006, 10:12:52 AM
Reply #8

michigancat

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However, I am a firm believer that good play calling can overcome suspect O-Line play. The O-Line was broken up as well. Again, I think the starting O-line if it stays healty could be pretty good ... they get injuries it's going to hurt.

But if they're gonna pull the Bill Snyder "stuff a square peg into a round hole" playcalling method, then all bets are off.

But...but...he's an offensive genius!

I remember reading an article about the offense avoiding "getting worse to get better".  Basically, they want to mold their offense to fit their personnel, rather than suck for a while until they get "their" recruits in.

I'm much more worried about defense.  I'm a firm believer that the key to defense in the Big XII is stopping the run.  All we hear from this staff is "stopping high-powered passing offenses...blah...blah..."  I think this staff is obsessed with Nebraska/Tech.

April 24, 2006, 10:20:25 AM
Reply #9

sonofdaxjones

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But lets be honest, just about everybody in the conference is a lean towards a passing attack.   

I believe, that the biggest key for this style of defense is gap control and penetration.   They don't get all caught up in a bunch of nuance crap, just get into the backfield and wreck havoc.   You get guys that can control their gaps an offense can't free up O-Lineman to get on LB's.

I also understand that they work much harder at causing turnovers then the previous staff did. 


April 24, 2006, 10:22:54 AM
Reply #10

fatty fat fat

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That, my friends, is not good.

Agreed. But these Jayhawks are really the ones making me negative.

"Kansas Weslyn"...."Scarey Dumb"..."Princess"
It is a tragedy because now, we have at least an extra month without Cat football until next year. I hate wasting my life away but I can hardly wait until next year.

April 24, 2006, 10:31:02 AM
Reply #11

sonofdaxjones

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Screw them.

Look ... if Mangino is so freaking awesome, how in the hell did ku only manage to win 5 regular season D1 games, with 13 guys on the all conference lists??  Why is ku's offense been ranked in the upper 90's 2 years in a row??

They had a good defense against the suck a$$ north offenses last year ... they gave up 52 points by halftime to Texas. 

Plus they've all become football recruiting experts as well.  Prince is on the job for 2 months, and gets a class that is ranked not all that much lower then ku's??? 

F them on their latest kick ... "we didn't offer that guy" ... well, if anyone knows Mangino the Fatass is not only FAT, he's got the maturity level of a 10 year old little girl when it comes to recruits.  His little hissy fits are well known when a kid doesn't do what he wants. 

April 24, 2006, 10:34:20 AM
Reply #12

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But...but...he's an offensive genius!

Snyder is an offensive genius.

Even last year we managed to score 26.3 points per game.  And that was our lowest average since '94.  

Take out the non-con and we still managed 22.4.  Only twice did we score less than 20.   People will complain about how "predictable" we were, and point out the odd game where the offense didn't play well, but the facts are clear. Our offense was extremely productive.

Snyder wasn't perfect, but I'd be giddy if our lowest average point total for the next 12 years is 26.3.


April 24, 2006, 10:43:16 AM
Reply #13

sonofdaxjones

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I agree.  No matter what, Snyder figured out a way to put points on the board.  He also figured out a way to put the less then effective defense in some $hit situations the last couple of years.

Which brings me to another point.   I as a fan, will gladly take a "bend but don't break" defense that makes the offense work their ass off to score.   Over the countless number of "untouched into the endzone" scenerios we saw the last couple of years, particularly in quick change situations.

A "bend but don't break" defense that causes lots of turnovers would be okay by me.

April 24, 2006, 10:46:10 AM
Reply #14

Skycat

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I agree.  No matter what, Snyder figured out a way to put points on the board.  He also figured out a way to put the less then effective defense in some $hit situations the last couple of years.

Which brings me to another point.   I as a fan, will gladly take a "bend but don't break" defense that makes the offense work their ass off to score.   Over the countless number of "untouched into the endzone" scenerios we saw the last couple of years, particularly in quick change situations.

A "bend but don't break" defense that causes lots of turnovers would be okay by me.

A ton of those situations were caused by extremely poor special teams play.  And I don't have any answer as to why that happened to a unit that was so good for so long.  But it is the one area where I hope for the quickest improvement.

April 24, 2006, 10:50:04 AM
Reply #15

michigancat

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But lets be honest, just about everybody in the conference is a lean towards a passing attack.
I still think the key to stopping most B12offenses, with the exception of Tech, is stopping the run.

I also understand that they work much harder at causing turnovers then the previous staff did.
If true, that's good to hear.

But...but...he's an offensive genius!

Snyder is an offensive genius.

Even last year we managed to score 26.3 points per game.  And that was our lowest average since '94.   

Take out the non-con and we still managed 22.4.  Only twice did we score less than 20.   People will complain about how "predictable" we were, and point out the odd game where the offense didn't play well, but the facts are clear. Our offense was extremely productive.

Snyder wasn't perfect, but I'd be giddy if our lowest average point total for the next 12 years is 26.3.

Snyder WAS an offensive genius.  Still, his playcalling was predictable at best.  His later years relied on superior execution, not x's and o's, IMO.



I agree.  No matter what, Snyder figured out a way to put points on the board.  He also figured out a way to put the less then effective defense in some $hit situations the last couple of years.

Which brings me to another point.   I as a fan, will gladly take a "bend but don't break" defense that makes the offense work their ass off to score.   Over the countless number of "untouched into the endzone" scenerios we saw the last couple of years, particularly in quick change situations.

A "bend but don't break" defense that causes lots of turnovers would be okay by me.

A ton of those situations were caused by extremely poor special teams play. And I don't have any answer as to why that happened to a unit that was so good for so long. But it is the one area where I hope for the quickest improvement.
Yeah, ST really sucked the last two years...they sucked in 2001, too.  Having a full time ST coordinator at least shows they're serious about it.

April 24, 2006, 10:52:28 AM
Reply #16

sonofdaxjones

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Prince has modeled his ST's effort on Virginia Tech.   But the difference is ... at Tech Beamer runs Special Teams, I think that's bad, a college headcoach has got to much on his plate IMO to do that. 

I've been impressed with Tibesar.


April 24, 2006, 10:53:17 AM
Reply #17

michigancat

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Prince has modeled his ST's effort on Virginia Tech. But the difference is ... at Tech Beamer runs Special Teams, I think that's bad, a college headcoach has got to much on his plate IMO to do that.

Smart.  Almost scary smart.

April 24, 2006, 10:59:12 AM
Reply #18

Dan Rydell

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Snyder WAS an offensive genius.  Still, his playcalling was predictable at best.  His later years relied on superior execution, not x's and o's, IMO.

I suspect that much of the predictable playcalling had to do with injuries and the subsequent limited capabilities of some of the key players.

I honestly believe that injuries (and a Miichael Bishop fumble) were the only thing that kept KSU from a truly historic run from 1998-2003.  Beasley's injury in 1999 (?) that led to the single loss at Nebraska.  Ell's injury in 2003 that led to the Marshall, OSU, and Tejas losses.

We saw in the final two conference games of 2003 (at Nebraska and against OU) what KSU could be at their peak, when Snyder's playcalling, the talent, and health all combined for the greatest back-to-back games in Wildcat football history.  For gawd's sake...we stomped the #1 team in the country 35-7.  

April 24, 2006, 11:02:32 AM
Reply #19

sonofdaxjones

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I bring up Beamer, because VT's ST's have slipped noticeably.

People have figured him out.  It's not the time dedicated that's an issue, he just hasn't put in any new wrinkles, and teams are better prepared for them.

IMO ... an assistant running ST's is better.

April 24, 2006, 11:05:11 AM
Reply #20

sonofdaxjones

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Oh ... another thing.  Everybody was whining because they though Prince and Franklin was going to totally "abandon" the QB running game ... sure didn't look like it to me. 

April 24, 2006, 11:15:52 AM
Reply #21

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Snyder WAS an offensive genius.  Still, his playcalling was predictable at best.  His later years relied on superior execution, not x's and o's, IMO.

We saw in the final two conference games of 2003 (at Nebraska and against OU) what KSU could be at their peak, when Snyder's playcalling, the talent, and health all combined for the greatest back-to-back games in Wildcat football history.  For gawd's sake...we stomped the #1 team in the country 35-7.  

Sat, Nov 15   Nebraska  RV  18  at Lincoln, Neb.  38 - 9 (W)

Sat, Nov 22   Missouri  19  RV  Manhattan  24 - 14 (W)

Big 12 Championship Game 
 
Sat, Dec 06   Oklahoma  13  1  Kansas City, Mo.  35 - 7 (W)

 

April 24, 2006, 11:19:42 AM
Reply #22

mjrod

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The problem wasn't our ability to score.  When the offense was executing, we could score against anyone.  The problem the last two years is the missed assignments and generally poor play.  In the past, when our offense was not playing well, the defense was able to keep us in the game until the offense got going.   That's the difference with contender teams is when the defense can bail you out.   Inconsistent play in a system as diverse as snyder's will not be productive.

This system looks simpler and easier for the players to focus on the fundamentals.  They played sound football on Saturday, and the pace, while dictated by the fact that the clock did not essentially stop (was wound when the official started the 25 second clock) it seemed the kids had a much greater sense of urgency and desire.

I like what I saw, but there are some new questions as to look of this system.

April 24, 2006, 11:20:23 AM
Reply #23

mjrod

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Snyder WAS an offensive genius.  Still, his playcalling was predictable at best.  His later years relied on superior execution, not x's and o's, IMO.

We saw in the final two conference games of 2003 (at Nebraska and against OU) what KSU could be at their peak, when Snyder's playcalling, the talent, and health all combined for the greatest back-to-back games in Wildcat football history.  For gawd's sake...we stomped the #1 team in the country 35-7. 

Sat, Nov 15   Nebraska  RV  18  at Lincoln, Neb.  38 - 9 (W)

Sat, Nov 22   Missouri  19  RV  Manhattan  24 - 14 (W)

Big 12 Championship Game 
 
Sat, Dec 06   Oklahoma  13  1  Kansas City, Mo.  35 - 7 (W)



KSU's passing game was almost non-existent against Mizzou.   Snyder just let Sproles run down their throat.

April 24, 2006, 11:20:41 AM
Reply #24

Dan Rydell

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Sat, Nov 15   Nebraska  RV  18  at Lincoln, Neb.  38 - 9 (W)

Sat, Nov 22   Missouri  19  RV  Manhattan  24 - 14 (W)

Big 12 Championship Game  
 
Sat, Dec 06   Oklahoma  13  1  Kansas City, Mo.  35 - 7 (W)


Whoops.  Too much beer = no memory.   :beerchug:

That Mizzou game was notable, though, in that we basically ran Sproles up the middle for the entire game and they couldn't do anything about it.  Man, that O-Line was awesome.

April 24, 2006, 11:21:14 AM
Reply #25

Skycat

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Oh ... another thing.  Everybody was whining because they though Prince and Franklin was going to totally "abandon" the QB running game ... sure didn't look like it to me. 

There were some differences in how the QB run game was used, but with the athletes we have at that position, I'm glad to see that we'll use their legs upon occasion.

April 24, 2006, 11:22:37 AM
Reply #26

mjrod

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Wasn't the same QB run game that Snyder used out of the shotgun.

This one was more bootlegs and rollouts.


April 24, 2006, 11:24:33 AM
Reply #27

michigancat

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Oh ... another thing. Everybody was whining because they though Prince and Franklin was going to totally "abandon" the QB running game ... sure didn't look like it to me.

The QB run game whining paled in comparison to the meltdown when "West Coast Offense" was mentioned.

April 24, 2006, 11:30:05 AM
Reply #28

sonofdaxjones

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I had to laugh at that Rusty.  Because again ... the first 6 years of Snyder saw tons of 1 back sets, even some no back sets, lots of quick outs ... it was very WCO like ... KSU also threw to the TE a ton back then.


April 24, 2006, 11:33:21 AM
Reply #29

Skycat

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I had to laugh at that Rusty.  Because again ... the first 6 years of Snyder saw tons of 1 back sets, even some no back sets, lots of quick outs ... it was very WCO like ... KSU also threw to the TE a ton back then.



Eh, while we threw the ball a ton in those early years, that really wasn't a WCO that we were running.  More focus on medium outs and deep balls, and much less focus on the RB as a receiving threat than the WCO.