Most of these are offensive things, but these are some things I have noticed--not sure whether they are things that are making a real difference or not, but worthy of noting (as a non-football expert, but someone who has watched a fair amount of football and especially the last few years of KU football):
- Receiver rotation has been minimal, and we are not mixing and matching at all. We heard all summer about how Trevor Wilson looked like a true deep threat and he has 2 catches through four games, one of which was in garbage time. We used the entire receiving corps more last year. Some of the starters have not impressed, and we need to either unleash them or try other options IMO.
- Speaking of receivers, they all forgot how to block. One of the things that made our running game really hum the last few years was that if a runner got to the edge, there was going to be a receiver out there fighting his corner or safety like hell to break him. Watch some of the big runs from Bean and Neal and Hishaw the last few years and watch the downfield blocking. Watch it now, and the tenacity is not there, nor is the form. No idea what happened.
- We don't throw to backs any more. Getting guys like Neal and Morrison in space makes so much sense. it is a low risk pass, too, so can build confidence for everyone. And we don't do it any more. Five total catches for our backs in four games.
- We rarely run pace any more. We used to keep defenses on their heels because we would mix in pace at times and run a confident offense with concepts built around a fixed set of plays that could be varied and called on the fly. I haven't seen us really run pace all season (a few times with no-huddle, but not with any urgency), and that lets the defense regroup. I miss being the aggressor.
- True read option out of a full house or two back look seems gone entirely. We used to run that sparingly, but with great success. I haven't seen us even hint at it this year.
- The middle of the field is a wasteland. No throws there, not many runs there. The shortest distance between two spots is a straight line, and we are dead set on making sure we don't take that shortest path.
- On defense, the Hawk is rarely a blitzer (when we use it at all). Young was very good at getting in the backfield and tying up linemen to free other pass rushers. We aren't using him that way at all.
- Borland seems to have changed something scheme-wise with the DBs that is letting other teams run free on us way too often. I don't recall that in prior years at all. I don't know if it is a scheme thing, an understanding thing, or what. But the DBs getting burned repeatedly on slant routes and that sort of thing is new.
- Along the same lines, let the corners jam a receiver once in a while, please.
- It seems like stunting on the line is minimal right now, and that was not the case with Booker and Lonnie the last few years. If the edge guys aren't generating pressure on a straight speed or bull rush, maybe give them a shot to twist back inside and create that pressure up the middle?
There are tons of other little things that I have observed, too, but those seem like the biggest ones--what are you guys seeing that is different? Any chance any of our observations have something to do with the fourth quarter collapses?
- Receiver rotation has been minimal, and we are not mixing and matching at all. We heard all summer about how Trevor Wilson looked like a true deep threat and he has 2 catches through four games, one of which was in garbage time. We used the entire receiving corps more last year. Some of the starters have not impressed, and we need to either unleash them or try other options IMO.
- Speaking of receivers, they all forgot how to block. One of the things that made our running game really hum the last few years was that if a runner got to the edge, there was going to be a receiver out there fighting his corner or safety like hell to break him. Watch some of the big runs from Bean and Neal and Hishaw the last few years and watch the downfield blocking. Watch it now, and the tenacity is not there, nor is the form. No idea what happened.
- We don't throw to backs any more. Getting guys like Neal and Morrison in space makes so much sense. it is a low risk pass, too, so can build confidence for everyone. And we don't do it any more. Five total catches for our backs in four games.
- We rarely run pace any more. We used to keep defenses on their heels because we would mix in pace at times and run a confident offense with concepts built around a fixed set of plays that could be varied and called on the fly. I haven't seen us really run pace all season (a few times with no-huddle, but not with any urgency), and that lets the defense regroup. I miss being the aggressor.
- True read option out of a full house or two back look seems gone entirely. We used to run that sparingly, but with great success. I haven't seen us even hint at it this year.
- The middle of the field is a wasteland. No throws there, not many runs there. The shortest distance between two spots is a straight line, and we are dead set on making sure we don't take that shortest path.
- On defense, the Hawk is rarely a blitzer (when we use it at all). Young was very good at getting in the backfield and tying up linemen to free other pass rushers. We aren't using him that way at all.
- Borland seems to have changed something scheme-wise with the DBs that is letting other teams run free on us way too often. I don't recall that in prior years at all. I don't know if it is a scheme thing, an understanding thing, or what. But the DBs getting burned repeatedly on slant routes and that sort of thing is new.
- Along the same lines, let the corners jam a receiver once in a while, please.
- It seems like stunting on the line is minimal right now, and that was not the case with Booker and Lonnie the last few years. If the edge guys aren't generating pressure on a straight speed or bull rush, maybe give them a shot to twist back inside and create that pressure up the middle?
There are tons of other little things that I have observed, too, but those seem like the biggest ones--what are you guys seeing that is different? Any chance any of our observations have something to do with the fourth quarter collapses?
