Why can't this team run the table the rest of the year?

Yeah - I know - injuries, play calling, etc. I also remember how badly the team played last year with the 1-3 start. We have the next two weeks at home to regain health and confidence. OSU is awful and Utah isn't anything special this year. If they knock off Stanford this week, I will be more of a believer. But, so far, they barely beat a bad BYU team and an awful Arizona team. Looks like the toughest game on paper is @ ND. I think this team will be fine.

 

Sam needs to get his head right

 

Unfortunately he wasn't himself in this game. The unshakable Darnold looked dazed on the sidelines.

 

Mostly because there is not much of a pass rush from the front 4 and the corners are PI's waiting to happen.

Texas exposed the offense (and defense) and the coach has not come up with a plan to counter that yet (see Cal and WSU).

 

I heard some radio guys talking about LSU and another SEC team about how teams that have great recruits sometimes assume their talent will win the day and so they don't play as hard and coaches don't coach them up as hard etc... I was thinking he could have been talking about our team just as easily.

I would expect to see a different performance this week. If not, then you will have your answer.

 

Why couldnt we beat WSU?

 

1-3 last year:
Bludgeoned by Ellabama
Handled Utah St easily
Hung in there against Stanford but didn't have los caballos and faded. But, a Freshman named Sam called out the upperclassmen and they took notice. Amazing, a Freshman.
Defense folded against Utah but the team did show some life despite turnovers but again faded late. Sam staked them to a lead late in the fourth.

Last year I thought they could run the table at that point. The team was improving.

This year, they are a gordian knot trying to untangle and find an identity.

Here's their identity: Sam, Rojo, Deontay, Cam, Rasheem, Uchenna, and a fast moving Jack Jack and Rector on defense with an improving Petite, Vaughns, and a Carr in the garage - for now. All of the other players need to play perfect football and know their roles to untie the knot. The coaches can only coach so much, it's time for the players to decide who they want to be. If they do that, then they will run the table.

Fight On!

 

We can.

Oregon St. comes at a good time (knock on wood). If we can get a chunk of guys back for the Utah game, and another chunk back for Notre Dame, we should be greatly improved. I think we'll see a different Sam with a healthy OL and Mitchell/Imatorbhebhe back in the lineup.

I'm more optimistic than most, I sense.

 

We desperately need the establish some sort of identity in this game.

 

We could have. It was a close game in which we had significant injuries.

Looking over the schedule I don't see any more games that will start after 7:00 on a Friday night on the Palouse.

 

I think we can win the rest of our games. Outside of ND and Utah we don't really play anymore good teams.

But realistically? I think we will lose to ND and finish 10-2.

 

I think a huge key for USC is making football fun again.
Pete Carroll had a way of making football fun. There was always a smile
and a good feeling whereever he coached.
Wonder if Clay Helton creates the same atmosphere.
This should be the most wonderful time of their lives for the players.

 

Would DEFINITELY help Sam. He needs to go back to playground football......

 

Depends on which team you are discussing....the one on paper or the one at the hospital.......always an optimist but with a OL starting freshmen or guards at tackles and a guard out.......don't know......

 

Yes, the next two games will likely determine the direction of this team for the remainder of the season. Regardless of injuries, the offense has regressed when we should see steady improvement. If this trend is reversed, we could run the table or close to it. If the trend continues and offensive production does not improve, we'll lose several more games that we could/should win.

 

And he needs to get JuJu, Rogers and Adoree back. He looked a lot better when he was throwing to those guys. He has ordinary receivers this year and suddenly he's mortal.

 

Sorry but thats bs.

Quality of receivers counts for drops, it doesnt count for sacks taken that he ran away from last year, and misplaced balls.

Something is wrong with sam, most likely a head issue.

 

No, but the O-line does. Sam has run away from plenty of sacks this year, some where I thought that he was surely going down, yet he still managed to make a play. But he can't run away from everything.

But yes, Sam is struggling at the moment, mainly with his confidence. I believe that he is finding that receivers that were open last year are not as much this year, that opposing teams are anticipating him throwing into tight coverage and positioning DB's accordingly, and that some earlier errant throw have his confidence rattled and he's he's trying too hard to avoid mistakes.

The predictable play calling has played a large part, I believe. It seems that Linebackers and Safety's are free to either blitz or draw back into coverage as the situation dictates, we are not doing enough to keep them hesitant to commit. Stretching the defense out and making them wary is critical. I believe we need to throw long early, even if unsuccessful. We need to anticipate blitzes and make them pay with quick outs to the RB's, etc. Use play actions to freeze the LB's, design plays to better able our receivers to get open. Even hand it off to Jalen on the occasional reverse and let him throw. The guy has an arm and either the receiver will be open or the CB's and Safety's will be too far out to make a tackle if he tucks it in and runs. Either way, it goes toward keeping the defense wary and off balance.

I also think we need to turn Sam loose against Oregon St., whose defense hasn't even great. Let this kid listen up and get his confidence back. The same great QB from last year is still there, we just need to draw it back out of him. And for crying out loud, protect him.

 

Right now, I don't us winning at Notre Dame, I hope we do because I can't stand losing to them but they are a much more confident team right now. Unless we really improve, we will drop another 1, maybe 2 somewhere as well, maybe @ASU, @Col, or Ucla. I think we handle Utah regardless.

 

Improved ? Injured players do not improve (see Bigelow).