Another One For Our Guy Daniel

[#LIFE]

How many passes to Lockett was Sams allowed to attempt all season?

Every time he passed and Lockett was on the field? 

How many was that? I know Sams had a TD pass to Lockett against WV (which obviously was not indicative of a mystical "connection" that Jake and Tyler shared), but 28 of his 53 attempts were against OSU and Baylor, obviously without Lockett.

Michigan, dropped TD pass.  Woof.

If only Daniel would have worked harder Tyler would have caught that

[Panjandrum]

My meltdown happened a long ass time ago. Like, during the season when Sams never got to play.

I'm convinced the "never question Snyder" people took a nap through the Texas game.

That might be true, but I still contend 2 things that influenced last season greatly came from that game.

 a) The Texas game built the case (for the coaches) to play Waters more (not less) because it proved his connection with Lockett. I put together a blog post breaking down the diverse combination of things we did in the passing game that day that helped lead to Lockett's huge day. I think (largely) the decision to go with Waters was made after that game, but Lockett's injury changed what would happen the next several weeks.

b) As a result, Lockett's injury led to Sams playing more (not less) against OSU and BU because that connection (and Waters' strength in this offense) was lost. I don't believe the coaches ever thought Sams could run the same package or have quite the same connection with Lockett in the passing game that Waters did (and the playcalling run/pass percentages confirm that). Again, Snyder and his staff have always shown they'll do what's necessary to win, and running Sams a bunch vs OSU and BU was our only shot. However, I don't think the coaches thought that plan was sustainable for an entire season and that led to going back to Waters more and more once Lockett got healthy again.

I think you're spot on.

I think almost everyone, coaches included, know that Lockett is the best player on this team, offense or defense, and there are few people at the collegiate level that have the ability to run routes as cleanly and expertly as he does, especially on the deep ball.

Jake's strength is actually throwing the deep ball.  He struggles more in the short/intermediate game.

So, when your best player's best strength is burning people for 50+ yard TD's, and you have a guy that can throw a really nice deep ball, you're going that route.

If anything, this says how much the coaches want to spotlight Tyler as much as it does Jake vs. Daniel.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Every time Jake misses on a deep pass to the end zone, I'm going to turn to the person next to me and say "Daniel would have made that throw."

[ydarg2012]

Every time Jake misses on a deep pass to the end zone, I'm going to turn to the person next to me and say "Daniel would have made that throw."

   I expect to hear this from 50% of the crowd next year.

[420seriouscat69]

This transfer is going to tear this board apart. 

[420seriouscat69]

Also, if you are a #TeamH2O, stop being a dumbass. I don't care if you prefer him at QB, but stop acting like we didn't lose a weapon. He would have been nice in packages and his EMAW meter was off the roof. He'll be missed greatly. I really hope this doesn't make all of you complete dumbasses tho every time Waters incompletes a pass. 

[Spracne]

Lazy people change, even though some lazy people never do
You know when teams change
They gain a piece, but they lose one too
Because I’ve been hanging on you
I’ve been waiting on you
Because I've been waiting on you
I've been hanging on you

[CNS]

If we come out lighting crap up, I will be fine.  If we come out struggling at the QB position, I will probably drop my interest in the season a couple notches so that I don't spend all fall frustrated.  Fall is a great time to work outside on the weekends and stuff.

[michigancat]

Like, I get that Waters to Lockett may be the most effective weapon, but it requires an injury prone player running high risk plays that good teams will focus on more than they did this year. I mean we all jerked off to the OU game but we forget that the second half of that game had 2 interceptions and zero plays over 20 yards (and only three plays over 10 yards). I'd expect similar results this season.

To me, it's a lot more difficult to shut down a creative dual threat game than a single deep threat.

[catz]

Every time Jake misses on a deep pass to the end zone, I'm going to turn to the person next to me and say "Daniel would have made that throw."

   I expect to hear this from 50% of the crowd next year.

you will hear it a lot too....

[0.42]

My meltdown happened a long ass time ago. Like, during the season when Sams never got to play.

I'm convinced the "never question Snyder" people took a nap through the Texas game.

That might be true, but I still contend 2 things that influenced last season greatly came from that game.

 a) The Texas game built the case (for the coaches) to play Waters more (not less) because it proved his connection with Lockett. I put together a blog post breaking down the diverse combination of things we did in the passing game that day that helped lead to Lockett's huge day. I think (largely) the decision to go with Waters was made after that game, but Lockett's injury changed what would happen the next several weeks.

b) As a result, Lockett's injury led to Sams playing more (not less) against OSU and BU because that connection (and Waters' strength in this offense) was lost. I don't believe the coaches ever thought Sams could run the same package or have quite the same connection with Lockett in the passing game that Waters did (and the playcalling run/pass percentages confirm that). Again, Snyder and his staff have always shown they'll do what's necessary to win, and running Sams a bunch vs OSU and BU was our only shot. However, I don't think the coaches thought that plan was sustainable for an entire season and that led to going back to Waters more and more once Lockett got healthy again.

I don't disagree with your assessment of the coaches' changes in strategy after the Texas game, and you're right in that the Waters to Lockett connection greatly improved the flexibility of the offense as the season went on. I also don't disagree with your assessment of the necessity to use Sams in Lockett's absence. However, michigancat also raises a point in that Sams never really got a chance to establish a connection with any receiver, much less TLBL, and the majority of his bad plays came in situations where he was being forced to make something happen. I don't see acknowledging the Waters-TLBL connection as being beneficial and criticizing the coaching staff for not giving Sams enough opportunities to prove himself as being mutually exclusive. The other problem is next year somebody is going to have to step up in a huge way at RB now, otherwise TLBL is going to be double covered, Waters will be forced to make secondary and tertiary decisions in his passing game, and could lose his rhythm as defenses adjust to a one-dimensional offense. We all know that Snyder is flexible and can either fully rely on the run game or use it to set up the pass, but it's hard to imagine his gameplans being successful without something resembling a run game (which is where we're at now with losing Sams) since it's been integral to his schemes every year in some way or another.

BTW, I certainly think the coaching staff did some good things after adjusting to last year's bad start, my main point was just to point out the ridiculous, bordering on cultish mindset of some of the more brash "never question Snyder" crowd.

[catz]

Can someone please tell me where they are coming up with this "he doesn't work hard enough" crap?

[CNS]

Can someone please tell me where they are coming up with this "he doesn't work hard enough" crap?

Assumptions based, apparently. 

[#LIFE]

Can someone please tell me where they are coming up with this "he doesn't work hard enough" crap?

Just tucks making crap up to place all of the blame on Daniel

[Super PurpleCat]

I hope he finds success wherever he goes. 

[kso_FAN]

b) As a result, Lockett's injury led to Sams playing more (not less) against OSU and BU because that connection (and Waters' strength in this offense) was lost. I don't believe the coaches ever thought Sams could run the same package or have quite the same connection with Lockett in the passing game that Waters did (and the playcalling run/pass percentages confirm that). Again, Snyder and his staff have always shown they'll do what's necessary to win, and running Sams a bunch vs OSU and BU was our only shot. However, I don't think the coaches thought that plan was sustainable for an entire season and that led to going back to Waters more and more once Lockett got healthy again.

How many passes to Lockett was Sams allowed to attempt all season?

Not as many as Waters.

I don't think its as simple as "how many passes to Lockett" for each quarterback; first, how many pass plays were called for each QB? (for Waters it was 55-60%%, Sams was 40-45%; FWIW, in the OSU/BU games running plays were called about 55% of the time).  How many had Lockett as a primary (or even secondary) receiver? How many pass plays were checks at the line of scrimmage?

I'm not sure I have the answers for the last 2 questions because its nearly impossible to tell without direct knowledge of the play calling and/or much more film study than I have time for.

[ydarg2012]

Can someone please tell me where they are coming up with this "he doesn't work hard enough" crap?

Somewhere on gE I'm sure.  That's where I picked it up.  It is mainly speculation.  Though to me it was supported by his struggles last year to read disguised coverages.

[Katpappy]

I said this before last season at the beginning of the Sams/Waters debate that I was afraid that Dimel and Miller were going to take us back to the early 90's pass first system that worked when the league was full of teams recruiting to stop NU, OU and CU option football and our DITR QBs and WRs could exploit at that time.  Of course, now the league is full of teams recruiting to stop the spread offenses and we had great success as the only power running team but with Sams leaving that advantage appears to be gone. 

The Delton commitment does give me hope this will be only a one year move away from the dual threat system that is really has a chance at great success due the the incredible talent of Lockett and I will be surprised if we don't have a cold hard glimpse of the future when Lockett misses a conference game like he has each of his first 3 seasons.

oh they will try to use jake as a "dual threat" I guaranfuckingtee it.

Goddamn, I wish you weren't so right. 

[ShocksNPlow216]

the thing that really annoys me is that we're the only successful bcs school that loses talented players to transfers for stupid reasons.  I mean that never happens anywhere else.  stupid coaching staff!

This post deserves some love.

[ydarg2012]

I hope he finds success wherever he goes.

  your attitude. 

[Panjandrum]

Like, I get that Waters to Lockett may be the most effective weapon, but it requires an injury prone player running high risk plays that good teams will focus on more than they did this year. I mean we all jerked off to the OU game but we forget that the second half of that game had 2 interceptions and zero plays over 20 yards (and only three plays over 10 yards).

To me, it's a lot more difficult to shut down a creative dual threat game than a single deep threat.

All of this is completely valid and a very strong argument for Sams.

Personally, I like dual threat guys for the bolded reason you mention.

Personally, I think Sams is honestly the safer play due to the ability to run the ball.  However, I also think our coaches have lacked a strong passing game for so long that they're latching onto it like a bunch of meth addicts.

[michigancat]

b) As a result, Lockett's injury led to Sams playing more (not less) against OSU and BU because that connection (and Waters' strength in this offense) was lost. I don't believe the coaches ever thought Sams could run the same package or have quite the same connection with Lockett in the passing game that Waters did (and the playcalling run/pass percentages confirm that). Again, Snyder and his staff have always shown they'll do what's necessary to win, and running Sams a bunch vs OSU and BU was our only shot. However, I don't think the coaches thought that plan was sustainable for an entire season and that led to going back to Waters more and more once Lockett got healthy again.

How many passes to Lockett was Sams allowed to attempt all season?

Not as many as Waters.

I don't think its as simple as "how many passes to Lockett" for each quarterback; first, how many pass plays were called for each QB? (for Waters it was 55-60%%, Sams was 40-45%; FWIW, in the OSU/BU games running plays were called about 55% of the time).  How many had Lockett as a primary (or even secondary) receiver? How many pass plays were checks at the line of scrimmage?

I'm not sure I have the answers for the last 2 questions because its nearly impossible to tell without direct knowledge of the play calling and/or much more film study than I have time for.

Well at least 28 of Sams' 53 attempts didn't have Lockett available so the answer is not very many.

[420seriouscat69]

the thing that really annoys me is that we're the only successful bcs school that loses talented players to transfers for stupid reasons.  I mean that never happens anywhere else.  stupid coaching staff!

This post deserves some love.

Not really. Players transfer from other schools all the time "for stupid reasons" and #1 being PLAYING TIME!

[CNS]

the thing that really annoys me is that we're the only successful bcs school that loses talented players to transfers for stupid reasons.  I mean that never happens anywhere else.  stupid coaching staff!

This post deserves some love.

Not really. Players transfer from other schools all the time "for stupid reasons" and #1 being PLAYING TIME!

That was what he was saying.

[kso_FAN]

However, michigancat also raises a point in that Sams never really got a chance to establish a connection with any receiver, much less TLBL, and the majority of his bad plays came in situations where he was being forced to make something happen. I don't see acknowledging the Waters-TLBL connection as being beneficial and criticizing the coaching staff for not giving Sams enough opportunities to prove himself as being mutually exclusive. The other problem is next year somebody is going to have to step up in a huge way at RB now, otherwise TLBL is going to be double covered, Waters will be forced to make secondary and tertiary decisions in his passing game, and could lose his rhythm as defenses adjust to a one-dimensional offense. We all know that Snyder is flexible and can either fully rely on the run game or use it to set up the pass, but it's hard to imagine his gameplans being successful without something resembling a run game (which is where we're at now with losing Sams) since it's been integral to his schemes every year in some way or another.

BTW, I certainly think the coaching staff did some good things after adjusting to last year's bad start, my main point was just to point out the ridiculous, bordering on cultish mindset of some of the more brash "never question Snyder" crowd.

I agree with nearly everything you say.

I will only say that Sams 2 worst plays (the late INTs vs OSU and BU) weren't necessarily situations were he was forced to try to make a play. Both came on advantageous down and distance situations (2nd and 2, 1st and 10) with plenty of time left on the clock (around 4 minutes in each game). Granted, we were behind in each, but both were bad decisions. I can see someone saying that perhaps the coaches shouldn't have put Sams in the situation to make those throws, but that's also counteractive to the argument that he wasn't allowed to throw. However, neither throw should be evidence that a) he was a bad quarterback or b) that he should have lost the job, but I do think both played a hand in how Sams was used the remainder of the season.