OL Weak link this year.

[HawkNole09]

We had an ineffective passing game last year and still had 2 x 1000 yard rushers.

This year we’re not burning teams for putting 8-9 in this box.

Power scheme’s not working like it should.
Zone scheme isn’t working like it should.

We’ve got a get better balance — Fant and Hockenson have to occupy LBs and keep safeties honest. And even though it’s risky we’ve got to utilize the middle of the field.

OL’s been our least effective unit so far. We’re getting pushed back and aren’t utilizing traps and draws (enough) to neutralize it. Let’s run a counter trey. Put some power on the move. We have to be much better here or we’re going to suffer more losses.

Brian needs to let Nate have the reigns a little more, and get us into routes that we can stretch the LBs on. Stress on the LBs will lead to good things, among them, more running room.

 

[mlb1399]

I thought they did a good job in pass protection. They were getting beat bad in run blocking. Not sure if they're that bad, PSU is that good or a combo of both.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Hard to block 8 or 9 guys in the box with LB's and safety crashing and past the LOS before RB gets the ball. I agree some quick passes would help and play action.

 

[usarmyret2011]

How about tackling.

 

[HawkNole09]

I thought they did a good job in pass protection. They were getting beat bad in run blocking. Not sure if they're that bad, PSU is that good or a combo of both.

You’re right, I’m not giving them near enough credit for the pass blocking. And sometimes coaches will spend more time on one...but if we’re going to attack with the run then we should know assignments. All too often we’re letting up penetration, or teams are falling down in our running lanes, teams are absolutely selling out to seal the edge, but we don’t have the gaping cutback lanes we’ve had.

Where’s TE waggle? Why aren’t we making teams pay for loading the box? That’s the question I want to see coach answer most this week. I mean you can’t really criticize the result. Iowa hung in with a heavyweight, and had a chance to win the decision. But, what are they as coaches seeing that makes them think that a TE route down the field will either clear space for Wadley, or result in a easy catch and 10-15 yards? Or more of the strong side safety commits to the RB.

 

[HawkNole09]

How about tackling.

I thought we did about as well as you can expect. I look at Barkley as a high level pro playing out his final games at PSU.

 

[volknut]

I think this was a great learning game for BF - he will adjust.

 

[HawkNole09]

I thought we did about as well as you can expect. I look at Barkley as a high level pro playing out his final games at PSU.

We hardly ran left because they kept cheating down off the edge, but did we screen to the boundary? No.
And Wadley’s big run, we started out right. Alaric Jackson makes a perfect block on the edge and Wadley cuts back left.

Leave a weak side DL unblocked and see if we can block a level up, see if Wadley can beat him to the hole.

I feel like we left some plays out there. And I’m sure Brian would call the game differently, more confidently, if he was given another chance. Trust your QB. Football is about making plays, limiting mistakes, but you have to make plays.

 

[Pepperman]

I'm going to over-simplify this just because I think it can be done and still be correct.

Iowa's got to make teams pay for stacking the LOS. If that means throwing on 1st and 2nd down, there's GOT TO BE routes that should get WRs open (or TEs). I refuse to believe this is so damn hard. The other team can't possible defend every inch of the field every time. Look at Iowa's defense - it is a good defense for sure, but we always have that vulnerability where teams can pick on us if they want to.

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

I'm going to over-simplify this just because I think it can be done and still be correct.

Iowa's got to make teams pay for stacking the LOS. If that means throwing on 1st and 2nd down, there's GOT TO BE routes that should get WRs open (or TEs). I refuse to believe this is so damn hard. The other team can't possible defend every inch of the field every time. Look at Iowa's defense - it is a good defense for sure, but we always have that vulnerability where teams can pick on us if they want to.

This x 1,000.

The problem is schematic. When you have LBs making a beeline to stop the run at the snap of the football every 1st down and you don't go play action and set up quick hitting slants, bubble screens, etc. to keep the defense honest and on its heels then you are either incredibly arrogant or incredibly stupid. So I'm not sure how you can fault the OL for that.

Iowa waited until late in the 3rd quarter to break tendencies and open up the offense a bit. I think the insanity of that was obvious to many.

 

[speed4power]

Hard to block 8 or 9 guys in the box with LB's and safety crashing and past the LOS before RB gets the ball. I agree some quick passes would help and play action.

We need to pass on 1st down.

 

[Nick Ma]

The first three weeks it looked like the offense had finally evolved to making the defense at least account for all the players eligible to catch or run the ball. All of a sudden it was back to the Ruddock days of the defense simply showing blitz resulting in an audible run to the right. And it was back to whatever side the QB opens to is where the ball is going. There was a complete forfeit of 1st down on most of Iowa's drives because of this. The first play of the 2nd half was an audible run to the right. Wadley's TD run came out of a shotgun look - Penn State was so surprised that Wadley literally went untouched. IWhy is Iowa so adverse to spreading the field out and running the football?

Sparty worries me because Dantonio (and Narduzzi) made the game plan of just showing blitz to completely throw Iowa's offense out of whack.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

Hard to block 8 or 9 guys in the box with LB's and safety crashing and past the LOS before RB gets the ball. I agree some quick passes would help and play action.

Finally made them pay in the 4th. I like Brian, just not sure why it took so long to adjust

 

[Johnsoda123]

I assume young QB, national stage, continual bad starting field position...don't do anything stupid. Valuable learning game for Stanley.

 

[FranklinHawk]

I assume young QB, national stage, continual bad starting field position...don't do anything stupid. Valuable learning game for Stanley.

I do think field position had a lot to do with it, we were backed up for most of the 1st half.

 

[Pepperman]

I do think field position had a lot to do with it, we were backed up for most of the 1st half.

I do agree with this. IIRC the first two drives both started at our own 9 or 10. That does make things difficult. But then I also seem to recall senior WR dropping two balls that hit his hands. Can't kill him for that, but just saying in a game of this magnitude it is hard to get away with mistakes when you're backed up...

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

I do think field position had a lot to do with it, we were backed up for most of the 1st half.

It did, but the 2nd offensive play of the game, Iowa had Vandeberg wide open for a huge gain from their own 10. I loved that agressivess regardless of field position. It was there, just missed it.

 

[anon_8rcdnbko1jbe0]

We hardly ran left because they kept cheating down off the edge, but did we screen to the boundary? No.
And Wadley’s big run, we started out right. Alaric Jackson makes a perfect block on the edge and Wadley cuts back left.

Leave a weak side DL unblocked and see if we can block a level up, see if Wadley can beat him to the hole.

I feel like we left some plays out there. And I’m sure Brian would call the game differently, more confidently, if he was given another chance. Trust your QB. Football is about making plays, limiting mistakes, but you have to make plays.

Both BF and Nate got better in the 2nd half imo. One point on Wadley TD run - PSU lbs were confused and were heavy on Iowa's right. They showed it on The Final Drive. Great block by Jackson

 

[SpartanJD]

If your OL isn't living up to pre season hype, I like our chances a bit more. I was surprised you didnt rush for more against PSU as PSU has a solid but not great front 7.

Probably because your QB is not that mobile and teams can really stack the box on you.

 

[kceasthawk]

I assume young QB, national stage, continual bad starting field position...don't do anything stupid. Valuable learning game for Stanley.

This in spades. everyone seems to forget we started in side the 12 yardline basically every drive in the first half .I doubt BF or the boss wanted to put Stanley in much of a gamble with that bad of field position against a solid defense. We did open things up in the second half when we weren't backed up against our own goal line.

 

[JerryDennard]

Wish we still had the old Standing Tight Ends and QB dropping straight back with a backpedal.

 

[volknut]

We hardly ran left because they kept cheating down off the edge, but did we screen to the boundary? No.
And Wadley’s big run, we started out right. Alaric Jackson makes a perfect block on the edge and Wadley cuts back left.

Leave a weak side DL unblocked and see if we can block a level up, see if Wadley can beat him to the hole.

I feel like we left some plays out there. And I’m sure Brian would call the game differently, more confidently, if he was given another chance. Trust your QB. Football is about making plays, limiting mistakes, but you have to make plays.

BF will get his chance in the B1G game. If we play this way the remainder of the season, no one else is like PSU D.

 

[FranklinHawk]

I do agree with this. IIRC the first two drives both started at our own 9 or 10. That does make things difficult. But then I also seem to recall senior WR dropping two balls that hit his hands. Can't kill him for that, but just saying in a game of this magnitude it is hard to get away with mistakes when you're backed up...

Agreed. 2 Vandy drops and Stanley missing a wide open Vandy in the first half certainly didn't help. I think several guys just a bit too amped up early.

 

[terrehawk]

I watched the replay last night and was very impressed with Alaric Jackson. He has really improved since the first game and he is going to be a great one.

Sean Welsh is really good even though he's playing out of position. Dudes going to make a lot of money in the NFL.

Overall I've been satisfied enough with the offensive line but even more so I've been very impressed with the pass protection. They've really improved in that area. Once they start hitting some long passes and stretching the field they're going to be pretty salty on the offense of side. It's always going to be a struggle against top defenses though

 

[madmustang4]

Hard to block 8 or 9 guys in the box with LB's and safety crashing and past the LOS before RB gets the ball. I agree some quick passes would help and play action.

This

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

There were a few plays in the 2q when PSU had 10 men within 4 yards of the LOS, and we either ran into into or checked into a run. Fant had some good match ups and we didn't look his way in that series.

We they stack 10 that, you have to make them pay.