Can anyone name the coaches retained from the Kelly staff?
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Mike Mickens (CBs) Chris O'Leary (Safeties) are the only one I'm aware of that is still here from the BK era.
I think Mickens is viewed as one of the best CB coaches in the game right now too, which likely means he'll graduate and get a big pay raise to the SEC or B10 pretty soon.
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Still going on and on about Kelly. Are they having these same “disturbingly familiar” things specifically with the QB play and the receivers at LSU?
Not sure what you’re alluding to re receivers. We have a very thin receiver room, that freeman and Stuckey inherited. And, we have injury issues. Colzie has missed nearly the entire season. Thomas has been hampered by an ongoing hamstring problem. Merriweather has been flat out terrible in effort and production. Salerno has missed most of the season. Our best receiver has been TE Evans who is lost for the season prior to Clemson game. Tyree has been both very good and not so good. Stuckey is playing freshmen Flores and Greathouse a ton, and both have looked soft and possession type receivers vs burners. James is reportedly our best upside freshman, and he will redshirt for reasons not all that clear, but my guess is he needed his freshman year to adapt to the academic and football demands of ND. Personally, I think freshman initial walk on Faison is our most exciting receiver at this point in the season. I’ve been very critical of our receivers and they have contributed greatly to Hartman’s struggles, but our four returning freshmen and incoming Williams and Gilbert offers a lot of reason for excitement for next season‘s receiver room.
The familiar part and it's rather ridiculous....
The rotation. While one can't help injuries what a coach can do is play the right people and or play the right people more.
Hartman has his issues and I'll get to that another time but from a receiver perspective it's a still a mess.
Again we're still playing the wrong people and or not playing the right people enough.
Watch the elite offensive programs and they absolutely get their best athletes involved early in their career. More involved than the occasional every 2-3 game target.
That garbage went on under the old regime and not much has changed under the new. (When healthy)
Receivers standing around and this has nothimg to do with injurues. No matter who is playing when the pocket breaks down how many big plays do we get when that happens? While you won't get a big play every time the pocket quickly collapses we get zero.
Our receivers become spectators after they've run their route.
Coming back to the QB to help and the worst part we're devoid of is breaking off the route and slipping behind the defense.
Neither happen and if they do it's not ever enough that we capitalize.
That was a staple under the previous administration and it's still on full display today. Particularly and especially on the perimeter.
While playing on Sunday isn't always an indication of Saturday in our case there is some correlation.
Why don't you apply to be a CFB Head Coach since you know so much.
The TAM job is open. Apply.
And who are the right people in your opinion? The only player that I think should play more is Faison.
I thought they all left -- outside of Rees (and obviously Freeman). Kelly took some with him, Elston went to Michigan, Polian left for somewhere
#1
Faison first and foremost.
7 catches for 102 yards. That's just great. Just dandy.
Pathetic actually. The kid is absolutely electric and good things happen with him. If he doesn't have the whole play book that's on the coaches. He's far too good of an athlete to have 4 appearances and only 7 catches.
The fact that #1 is so absurd we don't need #2,#3 etc....
but....
#2
Tyree
Used wrong. Extremely wrong.
FOR YEARS this team had relied on the 3 yard curl and sit route by the slot receiver. (The old regime that was the only route they cared about it seemed of all receivers)
Now they have a guy who has running back intangibles and is that perfect slot type receiver. Tyree running these sit routes and then allowing him to make moves, break tackles etc.
A huge asset on third down or as a safety valve.
Instead we put him in positions that his lack of height hhurts.
We aren't maximizing his potential as a receiver.
Moreover Tyree's Sunday future is NOT as a wide out or running WR type routes. He'd be a great asset as a dedicated slot guy.
Just because he lines up there for us doesn't mean he's utilized that way.
He could help the team much more running those shorter routes in space and then yards after the catch.
Instead no matter where he lines up we try and use him like a Floyd or a Jeff Samardzija.
As I said the WR situation especially on the perimeter is, has been, wrong with no light at the tunnel end.
New regime, same old same old.
Agree, other than that they all stink. Defensively Id like to see more Sneed and less less less Kiser
We generally agree. What’s killing us is using guys like Flores and Greathouse as our outside receivers. Flores in particular is a nice underneath route runner with good hands, but he sure as hell doesn’t have the speed or attitude to be an effective receiver downfield. They missed on recruiting this position, the portal transfer with this skill set retired after a few practices, Colzie has been hurt essentially the entire season, Merriweather shows lack of effort and poor hands, and we have no idea why James can’t get on the field. We’ve recruited two young studs, with Williams looking good enough to start as a true freshman and have an impact. Personally, I would be looking to add a skilled vet with speed and success as an outside receiver from the portal. If we don’t get the outside receiver position stocked with skilled speed guys, we’ll be bitching next year at this time about the OC and OL and the QB.
Thanks coach, I'll take that comment with a grain of salt since you are so highly respected with your defensive background and expertise knowledge (see BVG as an example).
"What’s killing us is using guys like Flores and Greathouse as our outside receivers"
Well -- what options are out there? ND started the year off with 10 WR's --
Thomas -- Injured since OSU game
Colzie -- Injured (can't remember when he went down)
Salerno -- Injured pretty much all year
K Smith (xfer from VT) -- retired from football due to injuries I believe
KK Smith -- freshman -- has not even been healthy all year
James -- Deemed "not ready to contribute"
Flores -- Freshman
Greathouse -- Freshman (has his share of injuries as well)
Merriweather -- Soph -- has he shown up this year?
Tyree -- Senior, converted RB
Faison -- Freshman, walk-on, converted scholarship
Of the active guys, there is not a lot of height, speed and experience out there. So, what options does ND have?
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Ok but who's fault is that?
Injuries can't be predicted but even if we were injury free we've one receiver you can see is clearly a Sunday contributing player.
I don't mean just making a roster but really playing and contributing.
Faison has that potential. He's special.
The rest.....
There could be a couple that "MIGHT" be good enough but clear cut case there is only one. Faison.
It appears that we even got lucky with him because his ability forced the coaches hands to play him.
Are we still paying for the way too long run of Ian Book and the 3 yard curl and sit route staple with the occasional back shoulder sideline pass thrown in once in a while.
Not exactly a scheme to showcase perimeter talent.
Since Book we haven't really done anything to change that.
The cup of coffee by Jack Coan....
Then we had a smuf playing QB disguised as Drew Pyne.
Buchner.
What did all theee have in common with Ian Book?
They all possessed the same arm strength which wasn't very strong at all.
Hartman is a bit better of getting the ball released sooner making up for his bad habits....
There's no way the above has not affected recruiting perimeter athleticism
