I watched the replay of the entire game against Ole Miss — most plays in slow motion multiple times. I will admit I got a bit of a different impression than from watching the game in person.
I definitely agree with Bobby Petrino…the team took a huge step back. The Hogs weren’t ready to play this game. While in person it was apparent their heads weren’t in the game, the replay showed a Razorback team struggling to get its head into the game while navigating what appeared to be unfamiliar or unexpected territory.
The performance on the field was not a result of lack of effort, but of preparation. The Hogs weren’t ready for what Ole Miss threw at them. I think responsibility for that type of preparation falls into the coaching pay grade category.
Let’s start on defense.
- We didn’t effectively defend the stretch play — a play you knew going in you could expect to see 15-20 times.
- We didn’t effectively defend the safe passes to the sidelines to the slot guy and the fullback — all Houston Nutt staples. As we all know, he almost never throws over the middle.
- We got burned on the infamous ‘smoke draw.’
- We got burned on a Wildcat play that we had been previously burned on at Alabama. Apparently we have learning and retention issues.
I’ll give Houston Dale credit. He had a great offensive game plan. I’ll say the same thing I said last year — he calls plays much better when he doesn’t have to go into the weekly meeting with Coach Broyles. He has a good offensive coordinator helping him game plan and a quarterback he trusts. He also has a defensive coordinator that is miles ahead of Reggie Herring.
Our defense made the same mistakes as early in the year. Our linebackers think that just because they hit a ball carrier…they’ll fall to the ground. Our secondary guys take poor angles against speed backs. We had a lot of flying at guys trying to get the big hit only to miss. The whole thing would make a good comedy reel.
It’s interesting that the Hogs defense has been good against spread teams, but terrible against teams playing primarily from under center.
On offense, Ryan Mallett was both better and worse than he appeared in person. While there were a few drops, there were a few great catches of balls thrown hard at helmet level. He made only a few good throws all day, but the good ones were really good. The Jarius Wright drop on a perfectly thrown ball was a potential game-changer.
My criticism of Mallett is about his decisions. There were a number of times he threw to the wrong receiver. The concept of nibbling away at the defense with short passes appears beyond him. He ignored a number of open guys while trying to take longer shots down the field. He didn’t step up in the pocket many times when he could have. He missed a number of obvious reads at the line.
Overall, my biggest criticism goes to Coach Petrino. We didn’t seem to have an offensive game plan that took into account Ole Miss pressure — pressure that had to be expected as it was classic Houston Dale. Or, perhaps Mallett’s poor game management or reads at the line (or reads during plays) just made it appear we weren’t ready. Either way, that’s on coaching or preparation.
So what about third down performance? We hear a lot about that, but that wasn’t really the issue. The issue was first down performance. Here are some stats that I compiled.
The Hogs averaged an anemic 2.46 yards per play on first down, with 58% of the first down plays going for zero or negative yardage.
By contrast, Ole Miss averaged 7.9 yards a play on first down, with only 14% going for zero or negative yardage. In the first half, Ole Miss averaged 9.5 yards per play on first down. 35% of Ole Miss first down plays went for 10 yards or more.
The Hogs ran 33% of the time on first down, averaging 2 yards a rush with a long of 5 yards. Ole Miss ran 70% of the time on first down for an average of 6.6 yards with nine plays going for 10 yards or more.
So here’s some final thoughts before we put this one behind us:
It’s obvious that bump and run coverage causes our passing game to sputter. Timing is disrupted giving pressure an extra second to get to the quarterback. Pressure leads Mallett to start rushing and sailing the ball, affecting even throws where he has time. The receivers get tentative…looking to get hit…leading to dropped balls.
If we are going to have an NFL-type offense, we are going to have to use an NFL-type approach to pressure. Quick reads with quick throws from two-step drops. That stuff was open all day. Unfortunately, we seem enamored with our big-armed quarterback taking deep drops and flinging the ball 25 yards down the field.
We must commit to the run better. The Hogs ran on five of 14 first downs in the first half for a 3.4 yard average. Watching the replay, it appeared to me that we could have had success running the ball. Dennis Johnson had 3 carries for 15 yards and one for a -2 into a blitz that Mallett obviously should have checked out of. More Dennis Johnson required.
Most of you may think I’m crazy, but I want to see Wilson play. He is much better than Mallett in the ‘under 20 yards’ passing game. He reacts quicker, throws quicker, is very accurate and has great touch. He deserves some minutes considering the way Mallett is playing. Physical capability impresses everyone, but results are what matters. Mallett, as they say in golf, is leaving a lot of putts out there.
Coaches Petrino(s) and Willy Robinson are not proving up to the SEC task right now. The Hogs are 1-4 in SEC play with two admitted, and arguably three (if you count the defense against Georgia) games where the Hogs were not adequately prepared to play. While I appreciate the honesty, I could do without the need for it.
The Ole Miss crowd shouting “Houston Nutt” late in the fourth quarter just emphasizes (as if it was really needed) that playing Arkansas is a huge deal to him. The Razorbacks failed to match him in preparation and intensity.
I hope we are not seeing a pattern develop.
I agree with the Tyler Wilson sentiment..I said before the Bama game that Wilson would give us a better chance in that game because of Mallett's tendency to hold the ball too long….it was the same thing against Ole Miss…This coaching staff seems to show an inability to adjust during the game, i.e…. running screens or quick hitting passes (as you pointed out) to help neutralize the pressure…if it is Mallett simply refusing to look at the short routes first, then pull him…a change to Wilson should always occur when Mallett is starting to lose composure…what could it hurt when Mallett's balls start sailing or he is taking sacks?…I have always been impressed by Wilson's ability to get the ball to an open receiver short when the blitz is on…Mallett should take some lessons from him on that…Also, another instance of coaching not adjusting…McCluster left, McCluster right, McCluster screen, McCluster draw…HELLO GENIUSES..HE WAS THE GUY GETTING THE BALL EVERY PLAY HE WAS ON THE FIELD…I would have had half my defense running after him on every play regardless of where the ball was until Ole Miss showed me they had someone else to go to…That to me was the most ridiculously egregious coaching snafu and the biggest thing that will burn my ass for a full year until we play them again….
Good points. I totally agree on the Mallett "composure" comment. The book on him at this point is pretty easy – just get him anxious and his accuracy goes way off. Wilson would offer a change of pace.
Yea I have to agree also with getting Wilson more playing time. I mean football is a game of adjustments and it is plain to see that once Mallet is rattled it going to take him a series or 2 to get it together how about we just see what Wilson can do and as far as letting Mallet throw a couple of screen play we can't because every time he has someone in the flat he over throws them or finds some way to jack a simple pass up. I also can't understand for the life me why they didn't have a LB or someone shadowing Mccluster all day its not like we were blitzing and getting pressure on the QB. To be honest I would have left our DB's on and island this game because their QB did not look good and his numbers a were very deceiving I mean he threw the ball 3 yards and the running back made 70 out of it.
McCluster, McCluster, McCluster…
Everytime they faked it to him i would have tackled him. On the screen pass we bumped him and let him go. i was taught if the other team has a dominate player take him out of the equation. If he is in the backfield to block, tackle him. Playaction, Tackle him. make the other team find another playmaker.
great point i was also taught that…in High School! cmon Willy
All good points guys, I can't argue. BUT,
I have to go back to this schedule. This bunch, to quote Lee Corso on Game Day, shot their wad against Florida. That was a brutal 6 game stretch with 3 on the road and the two 'easiest' games were 'must win' against good teams. This schedule was a JOKE! (And, we had to drop Texas, can you imagine?)
The start of the Bobby Petrino show had highlights from Ole Miss. As it showed the team leaving the tunnel, Bobby made a deep sigh and roled his eyes, it was a classic sign of exhaustion. Paul Petrino says they are grinders. Well, this may have been a bit too much for grinding. Bobby said after the fact that they were too tired although that was an excuse. In this case I'm afraid that that was an actual reason. It was a poor game for all involved, coaches and players. All the mistakes you have listed, physical and mental are from coaches and players going through the motions with little success.
Add to that that Hooty had two weeks to rest and prepare and you do indeed have the perfect storm. Now that we have two weeks while South Carolina plays Tennessee in Knoxville, you may see a mirror image of this game in two weeks.
The QB question is a good one but it only emphasizes how young we are. Your choices are an NFL arm that can defeat a Florida defense deep or a freshman with great potential that can't take a snap from center. They will both be excellent QBs one day. And, it's also true that Bobby has not developed any balance with runs and short passes. He is doing what Mallett does best.
Bobby and the boys will finish strong now that they are getting some rest and a decent schedule. You will see the Florida performance again very soon.
Can't disagree at all with your points.
I did detect from yesterday's comments regarding Mallett and D.J. Williams that there may be a more than a bit of frustration regarding Mallett's decision making.
I've seen those plays ran enough in practice that I know where the progressions are. Let's just say some things are being "passed" over.
No doubt. He is playing like a soph with 10 games under his belt. It has to show somewhere. I would love to see Wilson more but, I understand the appeal of the big arm. It is impressive.
All good points, BUT, you guys are being ridiculous saying that tyler wilson would be better. if he was outperforming mallet in practice, he would be playing. The backup is always more popular when the starter is not performing well, but mallet does have more experience and leadership abilities. and what has wilson done to warrant such praise and confidence that he would do a better job than mallet?
I think they played poorly due to overconfidence. Just like michael smith said, they thought since they played so well against florida that they would just have to show up and beat Ole Piss.
The coaches probably unintentionally sent that message by having a lighter week of practice to rest the team, but the team took it as they didn't need to prepare as hard. Kids.
This is a huge wakeup call to the whole team and i believe they will respond by running the table the rest of the way.
Have you watched a lot of practices? I have. With Mallett playing the way he it would be good to see a little Tyler Wilson, if for no other reason than to get Mallett's attention.
I am not saying Wilson is better than Mallett….The point I was attempting to make is that when Mallett gets frustrated he tends to sail balls, throw way too hard when it is not necessary (which was the reason a couple of balls were dropped Saturday…most of the drops were NOT Mallett's fault, but a couple were) and he has a tendency to leave the pocket early and hold the ball too long…the thing you have to look at is matchups…I have seen Wilson enough to know that he is a more mobile QB and makes quicker decisions and has a quicker release than Mallett which would have really helped our offense against both Alabama and Ole Miss….He played in the Alabama game and was 4 of 6 passing(he was 4 of 7 vs. Bama last year) and showed the ability to take quick drops and get the ball out very quickly…He seems to have a "feel" for the pressure that Mallet sometimes lacks…Now having said that, Mallett is the better choice in most game situations…He may need to be relieved when he is losing his composure..It could very well help him to watch the other guy have success hitting the shorter routes, plus it would give the coaching staff the time at least during 1 series of downs to point out what he is doing wrong and to settle him down a bit….just my opinion.
One other thing…Have you ever had a bad or "off" day playing sports?…I remember playing baseball when I would inexplicably be unable to "see" the ball..swing early..think too much…swing late…or more recently, my golf game…some days I think "Man I'm really good", to only go out a few days later, duck hook the first tee shot and then struggle the rest of the round…much of the problem is that a guy just starts thinking too much instead of just doing what is natural…it happens to most of us…So, if Mallett is having a bad day why then is it sacrilege to see if Wilson may be on?..Feed the Studs right?
Does anyone also find the RB rotation, or lack thereof, frustrating? I totally agree with the thought of the lack of commitment to the run. But, further, after a game like he had against Florida, why isn't Dennis Johnson a definite for 5-8 touches out of the backfield? Stature aside, he may be the "big back" that Petrino supposedly loves (see the four broken tackle run against the Gators). Also, is anyone a bit uncomfortable looking to the future when you think about the glut of RBs, none of which are exactly getting overworked at this point? I mean if you're Wingo or Davis, are you really excited about what the next two or three years might bring from the standpoint of playing time and carries?
So your insinuating that Petrino isn't a quality coach and you feel the need to tell him how it's done? Come on. This is just an exercise by whatever your name is to fill up a column.
Petrino has coached AND won a BCS game. He knows a bit more about it than you do. So you watched the game is slow motion, good job.
Maybe Wilson wasn't 100% last Saturday – you don't know. Maybe when you fall behind by 17 points you kinda de-emphasize the run game – especially when your defense can't seem to stop the opposing team.
Ragging on Petrino is weak at this point. He's building a team. If you really don't like what's going on and feel the need to complain, there's a team called the Red Wolves you can start writing about.
I never said anything about Petrino not being a quality coach. Those are your words, not mine.
You obviously didn't really read the post and don't keep up with what Petrino has been saying the past few weeks. My points are pretty consistent with what he has been saying. He's the one saying they weren't ready to play at Alabama and at Mississippi. He called it a big step back. He's talked about committing to the run. He's wondering why Mallett is throwing the ball downfield instead of going to D.J. Williams on the plays where the tight end is the primary receiver.
Besides that, you have no clue how much I might know about all of this. After all, I have a blog and you don't. I'll write about whatever I want and you can read it or not or comment or not. I find if fun either way.
Man, grow up. Are you writing this for extra credit in high school?
Sheesh "Robert"…did you want to wait a few comments before using, "I know you are but what am I?" If the best you can do is "Red Wolves" and "high school," perhaps the intellectual level of the discussion on this site is not for you.
Disagree with anyone who writes here but if you can't do it respectfully and without taking personal shots, you can move along somewhere else.
Robert – check out the other comments from others. They are thoughtful and well written. We may not all agree, but that is part of the fun. All of our history is on the site. I think if you read it you'll find we are not a trash talking bunch. We write "observational commentary" and like to hear the same from our those that comment on the site. We all do this because we are Hog fans.
I'd write more, but I have to get to second period. I sit next to this girl that's like, smoking hot.
The Wilson talk is ridiculous. Wilson has done nothing in a game situation for any of us to think that he is a better choice than Mallet. Well, wait…he did complete a couple passes against Missouri State….that's like being on the road in the SEC, right?
Mallet's relatively 'poor' games have been on the road at Alabama, Florida, and some would say Ole Miss. Those are some of the most difficult places to play folks, even if those teams aren't highly ranked. Combine that with good defenses, and our O line folding up like cheap suit, Mallet is doing just fine. His play isn't losing the games for us…it's our o line and defense.
Also, Mallet is a freshman plus at this point. Sure, he played a few games at Michigan, but the Big Ten is not the SEC, as has been proven over and over. We have to take comfort in the fact that he is getting some excellent experience that will help him later this year and next year.
In my opinion, the only second guessing we need to be doing at this point is with our defense. I say get rid of Willy and start over…couldn't be any worse, right?
The Wilson talk is no more ridiculous than saying get "rid of Willy and start over." Why does my second guessing have to be "ridiculous."
Mallett is not doing fine. He is struggling. As so many of you point out, he is really just a third year Freshman.
We are talking making choices. Simply saying it would be good to see some Wilson along the way when Mallett is obviously struggling during a game. Sitting sometimes does wonders for a players performance down the line.
How could HDN not take it personal? He was ran off by fans long before he quit. Whether you agree he needed to leave or not if I wasnt wanted some place I would go else where. All the trash talk he endured and the investagations into his personal life from fans. I say again How could he not take the game personal. I am sure he makes it his mission every year to beat Arkansas. I would. I am a teacher that takes students to contests and if a school had me leave I would want to beat that school every year. Its called human nature.
Have a great day
You are exactly right.
Yet we had a player tell the press that he felt the team was over confident going into the game. Maybe I don't know much, but I'm thinking that's not good considering we were playing a wounded animal with a serious vendetta. Kinda makes you wonder…
I think HogBlogger analyzed it correctly. The Hogs have to learn what all novices must how to do before you can reach the next level: stop beating yourself. Know what you can do and do it; know what you can't do; gamble only when you must. At least learn how to line up the formation properly in the time allotted.
There's controversy now, again, because FL and AL are not being penalized as many times as their opponents. That's one of the reasons they are undefeated. It's not that they are head and shoulders above everybody else in the league, in terms of speed and strength and ability, though they are better in those categories. But they execute their schemes, their formations, and they don't beat themselves with stupid penalties, mental mistakes, the way AR and weaker teams do.
As for Willie and the defense: Of course you're going to get beat sometimes, but you have to adopt a "bend but don't break" attitude, and quit giving up the big plays. And, this is important: you have to give your opponents the opportunity to beat themselves. That's how we almost beat FL.
I agree that Wilson needs to get some reps. What if Mallett gets hurt and can't play? If Mallett is not performing, take him out, at least for one drive. If he doesn't perform on the next drive, take him out again. While Mallett obviously has the cannon, he appears to lack game management savvy. Perhaps he is relying too much on his arm, thinking it will bail him out of every situation. That seems to be Petrino's mindset as well. Coach has his QB, but it remains to be seen whether they have a winning philosophy.
You said it much better than I…
I agree with the Dennis Johnson comment. Mccluster had 22 rushing attempts..I believe. Bolden had 14. Our Smith and DJ combined a total of 10. The kicker.. is their quarterback passed only one less than Mallet. & no more hit and miss strategies!
PS Dennis had 14 in the Florida game…big difference
In the 4th qr.of the Ole Miss game, Mallett was in the shotgun formation 90% of the time. Isn't this what Wilson excell's at?
We already know Mallett has the cannon, but we also know that Wilson is a much more accurate passer when allowed to operate out of the shotgun.
Taking snap from under center and the timing with the RBS on run plays were issues with Wilson starting the season, so if your not going to run the ball or take the snap from under center, it's really kind of a no-brainer to let yout backup QB do what he does best when your starter is having a bad day. Just common sense in my book.
We mostly all agree a couple of series for Wilson would not have been a bad idea. Bobby had a bad day too. It is hard to think when you are tired. And, Wilson has had so little playing time, this would have been a tough situation to come in on. It would have been nice to get him some more reps against A&M and Auburn. I loved the old Lou Holtz approach of getting your second string guy reps in the second quarter no matter what. Really makes sense.
I think seeing Wilson more in the upcoming game is the idea. I would not have thrown him in against Mississippi. He needed to be playing a bit all along in order to be ready for that. I do think we need him ready and should use him a bit. Mallett needs to know someone else can play if he's not going to get it together. It's his decisions at the line and during the play that needs work. Part of getting experience is sometimes having to sit a bit during the game and think about it – since his issues are mostly about thinking.
Unless the O line can offer some protection, it doesn't matter who you have taking the snap.
I'm amazed at what I'm reading here. I keep telling myself I shouldn't be surprised given the past history with bashing our coaches/kids and high expectations we put on our Hogs, but you guys are unbelievable….
Put in Wilson? The kid that doesn't have SEC game experience worth mentioning? On the road in an emotional SEC game? You guys aren't thinking…replacing your QB when they are 'off' is not what is done. You pick your QB and ride him, building his confidence along the way. You call plays that build rhythm and confidence. You rely on your running game more. Only in very extreme circumstances do you replace him. The worst thing you can do is raise doubt in the QB's mind as well as the players minds. The QB is the undisputed leader of the team that all offensive players look to. You sub out in an important game for making a mistake, and you risk unraveling the core of your team. Also, I'm not at any practices, but I'm assuming that Wilson and the first team receivers don't get as much work as Mallet does with them. QBs in sync with their receivers is crucial…just because Wilson may have better touch doesn't mean he will be in sync with them in an SEC game against a good defense…which Ole Miss and Fl have BTW.
Another reason that this is crazy is that you are talking about sitting a player that is #2 in the SEC for passing efficiency (despite throwing almost twice as many passes as Tebow), is leading the SEC in total passing yards and has only thrown 3 interceptions in over 200 attempts with 15 touchdowns. Are you kidding me? Mallet is blowing away the other QBs in the best conference in the land and you're talking about sitting him with a kid that has no expereince? It's unreal…..
Quit complaining about Mallet and focus on the real problems…our O Line and defense. If our O line plays better our stellar running backs can make a play instead of doing it themselves against 6-8 defensive players. Our QB has more time to make reads and throw a quality ball. If our defense doesn't give up 30-40 points a game we have a chance to win despite what you consider 'poor' QB play.
And Hogblogger, it's not crazy talk to put forth the idea to replace our defensive coach. We were terrible last year and are terrible this year with the exception of one game…in which we still gave up big plays. I'm guessing that we're last in the SEC in yards given up per game. It's only crazy if we're talking about replacing the defensive leader of a team that is #2 in the SEC in total defense and #1 in yards against
Letting a kid sit and watch for a couple of series when he is struggling is a time honored practice. It has worked plenty. That and getting Wilson some meaningful reps in every game is all that anyone is talking about. Sure, Mallett has had a great year for the most part, particularly considering his experience. It shows his talent and also some excellent coaching.
Your best point is that the problems we all knew about in August are still the weak points on this team. The skill players on offense are going to have to carry the defense and the O-line. It is far from an ideal situation. But, we are improving. Willy wasn't the only one having a bad game on Saturday. If the defense doesn't finish pretty strong I may change my mind. Right now I think Willy needs some more players.
I don't mean to be totally argumentative or a smart a$$, but I can't think of a recent example in college or the NFL where a coach has put the second stringer in for the first stringer having average games – in my opinion Mallet has had some average games against some of the best defenses in the country; and it's debateable whether it's all on Mallet or on his Oline and receivers (at least in the Ole Miss game). It's not like Mallet has been sitting in the pocket for 5 seconds and totally missing recivers. Now if this happens against E Michigan I'll change my mind.
Typically a QB will sit when the team is WAY ahead, a player is throwing a bunch of interceptions regularly or is injured. If you have any examples of a coach sitting a starting QB for a few average performances, please list them to refresh my memory.
You won't convince me that we don't need a coaching change on defense, unless we start holding teams below 20 points regularly. How can someone argue we don't have a coaching issue with such a poor performance against Ole Miss? They have one offensive player we needed to stop, and we couldn't scheme to make that happen? Willy has had these kids for 2 years and has not shown regular, measureable improvements except for more turnovers. We are the worst defense in the SEC, again. If the problem is the players (and this could be part of it), a good coach puts in a system that plays to the strengths and weaknesses of his players or dumbs it down to put them in the best situations.
I agree about Willy need more players but he even needs some experience with his existing ones… somehow, we've got to reduce the big plays by others.
While I respect the opinion of those who'd like to see Wilson, I tend to lean more toward soupd. Its easy to fall in love with the unknown and somehow blow them up in your mind to be better than they are. its like watching a hot girl dance in a bar and before you know it you've attributed an awesome personality to her even though you've never talked to her in your life. Not that I've ever done this. The backup QB is always the hot girl in the bar.
Secondly, I think Mallet is our horse and we intend to ride him. Spurrier is big on pulling a QB every time they piss him off and it usually just makes them worse.
If you think Wilson should have the job full time then by all means lets pull Mallett and put him in, but otherwise you're asking for distraction.
I do agree that there are times when we need to get Wilson in the game and get some reps. Probably more against A&M than Auburn. The Auburn game felt closer than the score indicated and it would have been stupid to mess up our mojo in that game.
Finally, i'll ask the same thing that I've always asked whether its Nutt or Willy R. Critique them all you want but lets wait until the end of the year to call for anyone's job. It just doesn't serve any good whatsoever and if you are truly a fan of this team then the last thing you should want is to bring up distractions.
Of course he (Wilson) has no experience if he doesn't play. So let's get him some, the truth is, without the playing time we have no idea how good (or bad) of a QB he is. As far as "unraveling the team" and all of that other hysteria you claim isn't proven. Many similar situations over many years have rendered many results. It's not a "given" that those things would happen at all.
And secondly sir, the fact that he may throw for 50 million yards matters little if the record is what it is. I'm a Razorback fan as in team, not player. If the shorter, lessor looking guy puts more tds on the board than the bigger, more QB looking QB that results in more W's then give me short guy. I'm not into the "he's an awesome looking qb" hype.
Who are you responding to?
Hmmm, I'm counting you in the crazy group right now!
If you are asking me, I was referring to Soupdhog. I'm putting him in the crazy group for his "put forth the idea to replace our defensive coach".
Ha! We'll see how crazy my idea is once we play SC, MSU, and LSU….I'd be willing to bet Willy is gone next year. Having said that, I do hope Willy proves me wrong!!
Really is a well written blog to commence this discussion. It covered so many great points but I did not detect anomosity toward our coaches or players…just trying to get a handle on what is going on. I do not think most are getting upset with our coaches, although one can see that they definitely were out coached last Sat. One has to realize that Ole Miss has one of the premier D coaches in college ball. He did an outstanding job at Southern Miss. He is good. One thing that I liked about Hatfield is he seemed to be the best coach that we ever had in getting a second team ready, including the QB. It always surprises me when coaches do not use another QB when the team is way ahead. They have their reasons for not doing so such as trying to get the timing better, etc. but I am always surprised that coaches as a whole nowadays seem to not do that. Of course, turns on offense are very important because if a team keeps eating up the clock the other team never gets a chance to run their offense consistently. I believe that one really has to have a great defense to be able to score quickly and then send the defense back on the field. Depth for most teams, even the big name teams, seems to be a BIG issue nowadays since NCAA reduced the no. of scholarship players. It is gonna be interesting to see how the recruiting continues to go with Arkansas and Ole Miss. Both up to this point are pretty close to even, although Ole Miss had two outstanding players who did not make it from last year's class. I am also really interested to see the kid that Ole Miss has as a committment from Louisiana to see what he does. He was an outstanding QB according to a coach friend who followed him down there. Ole Miss lists him as an athlete. Also, I am interested to see how Wilson and the 3rd QB progresses. My biggest surprise this year is that Mallett is not more consistent, but as was pointed out, O-line production is a big key and he has proven that if you come at him he seems to not have ice water in his veins to just stand there and take the hits. Takes guts. Sure cannot blame him with Ole Miss' big bruisers who are big and fast. Back on scholarship limitations. Witness how univ. of Southern Cal has not thus far been dominant because sometimes having a few key injuries, such as Florida, and sometimes because they have no jr. or senior QB. QB is so important…experience wise. Rare is there a Peyton Manning who comes along and does it almost instantly. Today's youth are not very patient in waiting their turn at QB and will take off on you very quickly. And taking off rarely works out. It did for Troy Aikman but for most that transfer, it seems to not work out too well. If we have an experienced O-line next year, I expect a huge improvement in the consistently of the offense. (Although I expected vast improvement this year, an acquaintence advised me before the season that this team would be worse than last year. I could not see that and still do not see it. Defense next year, I am not sure what to expect. Perhaps a different scheme? However, Ole Miss started out with lots of question marks on the O line and seems that they are doing well now. The had a good defense coming back. I personally have always thought that Markeson is the top O-line coach in college. And it may be that Nutt's D coach is also one of the best. I always though that he was and was a real steal when he was lured away from South Carolina and then they took our first defensive cooordinator away.
Season is not over. Good things can still and likely will happen. One biggy that our fans do not see as a big deal is Troy U. I see them as a potential problem. They like many other so called minor programs can bite and bite hard.
The game plan for MS wasn't working, but Mallett kept trying to throw deep, as he always does. Was that Petrino's coaching strategy or was it Mallet's decision-making? It seems to be the Petrino style, but I don't know whether it is deliberate or desperate. In an interview earlier in the week Mallett admitted that he tried to go deep too often. Even still the contrarians on this site won't cede the point.
What I've been trying to say is that we need a more deliberate style of play, one that relies on more high-percentage passes and rushes mixed with deep passes, to eat up some clock and rest our defense, if nothing else. Perhaps Wilson could do that better than Mallett, if accuracy is the issue. The best example I could cite off the top of my head is the first drive against Auburn. The Hogs marched down the field and scored, using over six minutes of clock and a variety of 10-12 plays. That is the kind of play calling and offensive strategy and execution that might win. Mallett trying to throw deep all the time is unfair to the O-line; they can't keep the D off him long enough for him to set up. There are lots of things coaches and QBs do to thwart an agressive rush, as have been stated ad nauseum, but Mallett and Petrino aren't doing them. It's either Mallet or Petrino, or both, making bad decisions. That was a terrible game plan against Ole Miss.
Petrino must rely heavily on the offense because the defense is relatively weak, and will remain so indefinitely. Relatively.
If Mallett is making the wrong decisions, letting Wilson share some of the snaps is a no-brainer. Sometimes, even the good ones need a reality check.
Mallett is still our best QB, make no doubt about it, but Wilson is good too, and deserves to at least show what he's capable of doing in a game.
I will say though that Petrino may not feel comfortable enough with Wilson just yet to trust him in the 4th qr. of an SEC road game against a very tough defense.
There may be some things in question with Wilson in practice that makes Petrino hesitant to make the jump, which is probably the reason behind Wilson not getting a snap in the Alabama game.
Of course, the outcome of the 'Bama game wasn't in doubt by the time the 4th qr. rolled around, but then again, maybe Petrino was afraid of the way the O-line was pass-protecting in that game and decided not to allow Wilson's confidence to be squashed by a sufficating Tide defense.
The entire team played horribly in that game.
As for the questions about our DC's coaching ability, give it a rest.
There's no doubt we still give up too many big plays, but to say we're still terrible, as if we haven't improved 1 iota compared to last season is redicules.
You won't get your proof from the stats because the season isn't over yet, and we just completed the most difficult part of a scheduel that ranked 4th in the nation at the beginning of the season.
Our D could be just as talented and just as good as Ole Miss's, but it wouldn't make a hill of beans on a statistics sheet because Ole Miss's non-conference schedual was easier up to this point and wouldn't reflect 1 stinking thing.
Hell, even Florida's non-conference scheduel has stunk up until this point.
Of course we're going to be last in the conference in defense.
Even with all of that said, nobody can attest we didn't improve over the 3 game stretch of A&M, Auburn and Florida on defense. To suggest otherwise would be asnine.
We had a physically and mentally draining stretch of games leading up to Ole Miss, they didn't.
Here's another example of how exstrordinarily complex and unrevealing stats can be:
E. Michigan is #1 in the country in pass-defense. What's the catch? Are they really that good? No. They're dead last in run-defense, meaning teams don't have to pass against them, meaning the pass-D stats are over-inflated.
(Example) Auburn rushed for 463 yards against E. Michigan, but only passed for 1 yard. See how misleading that is?
I agree with this article in every point. I once saw Bear Bryant bench Bart Starr and Joe Namath, two of the best, because they were having a bad day and Lou Holtz also benched QBs. Both coaches were old school and didn't believe in stars or all world players but the team concept was real. As for the defense, man, it flat stinks. Willy needs to go find another job period. I've seen more players out of position the last two years than I can remember. The defense has an extreme lack of fundamentals such as staying home, tackling and looking for the ball.
Well, I for one am ready to beg Hootie to please come back. Nah!
Do Bobby Petrino and the players read these blogs? Do they know all this wealth of football knowledge is available to them, for FREE? Do any of you guys have any playing eligibility left? We could probably take turns play-calling the rest of the season and Petrino could watch and learn.
I'll admit I don't know that much about defense, except that you are supposed to put your body between the ball carrier and the end zone, a concept that has not registered with this squad, so I'll leave that job up to one of you other guys. I'm sure any of you could outcoach Willy R.
BTW: Who started the rumor that Petrino is an offensive genius?
And where is Frank Broyles when ya need him?
Swineherd, "And where is Frank Broyles when ya need him?"… fortunately, I never did need him so he is RIGHT where I'd like to keep him – RETIRED!
First thing I am going to ask is, how many of you guys on here are coaches, probably none of you and neither am I. I agree with the article whole heartly, but here is the thing, BP is getting paid millions of dollars to turn this thing around, the team is young and Mallet is very immature, hell I watched the kid grow up and in High School, nothing is changed with him. He needs a dose of Reality so if sitting him works then they should do it. But sitting here bashing the players and the coaching staff, unless you are coach and I know someone is going to say they are, but I doubt it. Let the season play put, BP will get us turned around you wait and see. The defense is what is NUTT left us with Crap, sorry to say that, but I was his biggest supported when he was here, but he screwed us plain and simple. Ole miss is a good team we just over estimated them. SO come on if Petrino leaves Mallet in there he knows what he is doing, he has been coaching for awhile guys. Have a good day
I have a couple of questions to sdd:
Considering the 2-deep, depth-chart, what exactly do some of you believe the Hog D is supposed to look like this season?
Davis and Shepperd are the only SEC vets on the D-line, and I wouldn't exactly call our LBs vets either, considering how much time 2 of them spent visiting with trainers and doctors because of injuries last season.
Who are the SEC vets in the secondary besides Harris?
Who in the SEC has a defense as young as ours, and what does their defense look like?
Before you go rattling off how sorry our defense and DC is, you might want to stop and think about that just a sec.
Just because we returned a bunch of starting Freshmen from the previous season, doesn't mean we're supposed to be great.
It could mean the coaches started out with NOTHING. Who's fault was that?
Hogblogger: My last comment on this thread: Thanks for the good work you did reviewing the game film, analyzing it and laying it out clearly, and for following up with comments. I appreciate your fine effort, and I know many others do too. This is an excellent site IMO. Keep it up. I hope the Hogs can get it going.
My last comment as well….
It appears we all agree to disagree. Sorry, no one will convince me that Willy isn't a huge part of the problem, just like I won't convince you it's a horrible idea to sit Mallet when he has a few struggles.
I leave you with this, a quote posted today on ESPN.com by Chris Low on Mallet, and I think it perfectly illustrates how ridiculous the notion of sitting Mallet when he has some struggles…
"Ryan Mallett has been the best pure passer in the league this season, and as crazy as it sounds, he could make a case for first-team All-SEC honors at quarterback with a strong close to the season. He’s passed for 1,900 yards and 15 touchdowns, while throwing just three interceptions. "
I think I made my point.
And HogBlogger, congrats on such an awesome post that spurred some great debate
That hasn't happened in a while…I love this site!!!!