The recency of the scUM loss is still a fresh wound. So now that they scab is filling in lets debate the two losses this year.
Question 1. Are we looking through Rose Tinted Glasses (way too optimistic [Oregon]) and whatever the idiom is for being overly critical/negative [scUM]?
Question 2. Which was worse: Offense vs Defense. D-Line/Denzel's horrendous Oregon or Will's atrocious Michigan?
Before you say scUM, in all honesty both these games come down to just two critical 2nd half plays (4 total points), regardless if we want to blame this on coaching or not.
Oregon game:
OSU has a chance to win with a walk-off FG.
- 22 seconds left: Outrageous JJ OPI penalty that took them out of FG range
- 10 seconds left: Oregon takes advantage of an Illegal Substitution penalty loophole
- 6 seconds left: Howard runs 12 yds and slides to end game.
- JJ/EE = 23 Targets
- Josh Simmons went down
- DEF 0 pressure on QB - only two total tackles for loss
scUM game:
1st half there are 3 plays:
- On Amir Hall's INT, there was no review of him potentially stepping out of bounds at the 11 yd line. He seems to be inbounds, but pausing the game for a review allows the defense some time to scheme here with the ball at the 2-yd line.
- Fielding misses a 38-yd FG
- Howard receives a nasty hit to end the first half
But, score tied at half. 2nd half key plays.
- Will throws horrible INT at 9 yard line. Poor decision, late throw.
- He is atoned for with Downs INT, but FIELDING MISSES A FG!
- We'd like to say poor rushing, but I think the second half really tells a different story (especially Will):
OSU Passing Yds Attmpts Rate Killer
1H 119 12-18 66.7% 6.69 yds 1 INT at 11 yd line, miss 38 FG 2H 56 7-15 46.7% 3.73 yds 1 INT at 16 yd line, miss 34 FG
OSU Rushing
1H 36 14 2.57 yds
2H 41 12 3.42 yds - slight improvement
scUM Rushing
1H 82 18 4.6 yds
2H 90 24 3.75 yds
1H minus Orji run for 29 yards (where Styles pays no attention) drops avg to 3.12 2H minus Mullings 27 yd run (gassed DEF just got back on field) drops avg to 2.74
TOP OSU scUM
1H 14:00 16:00
2H 12:25 17:35
3QTR 10:28 4:32
4QTR 1:57 13:03
TOP from 3rd to 4th quarter? What!? If you are rushing in the 4th, no way you only have 1:57, so lets break that down.
OSU had 5 second half possessions. Three in the 3rd and two in the 4th. Passing lost 4 of those possessions and failed FG lost 1
Qtr Poss TOP Yds Pass/Run Result
3rd 1st 4:50 56 7/3 Punt
- Three 1st downs
- Last series ended with 3 straight passes for 3 yds; the punt went to the scUM 2. No harm, no foul.
- Passing lost this possession.
Qtr Poss TOP Yds Pass/Run Result 3rd 2nd 3:33 31 2/5 INT
- Will interception at 16 yd line, poor decision/late throw
- Passing lost this possession.
DOWNS INT!!!! Will escapes
Qtr Poss TOP Yds Pass/Run Result 3rd 3rd 2:03 0 1/2 Miss FG
This is really a possession to debate:
- 1st Judson Run into the tackles for 0 gain
- 2nd Very poor pass protection and Will throws a pass to LOS for 0 yards
- 3rd Henderson delayed handoff tackle for 0 gain.
- Poor run protection (guard was pushed outside the tackle and he collapsed in)?
- Will takes too long on the delayed handoff? A split second sooner and Trey is through gap for a really good gain
- Fielding misses 34 yd FG!!!
So this really was the critical possession. Who is at fault here? Offensive team loss
scUM goes on a 9:10 march, but SAWYER'S INT!!!
Defense gassed.
Qtr Poss TOP Yds Pass/Run Result 4th 4th 1:35 9 1/2 Punt
- On 2nd down Carnell Tate misses sure catch, Will's pass was just a hair in front of Tate, but this is the 4th quarter, Tate should have had that catch.
- 3rd and 5 Will runs 4 yds. Poor pass protection and decision.
- Passing lost this possession.
- The punt goes 41 yards, downed at the scUM 40. Poor punt into the wind, but it definitely could have been worse.
- Defense back on the field after maybe 5 minutes of real time.
- scUM makes FG at 5:28 possession. More than likely would have tried for TD at three yd line if prior FGs made.
- Defense was gassed and held for 3 downs.
- Would they have held on a 4th and goal at the 3 yd line? So, is the loss now on LJ for no D-Line rotation?
Qtr Poss TOP Yds Pass/Run Result 4th 5th 0:22 1 4/0 Downs
- 4 straight passes for 1 yd
- Passing lost this possession
- Game was tied at half and OSU had several chances to win in 2nd.
- Rushing was poor all day, but 2nd half was slightly better than the first half
- 2nd half Passing scheme was atrocious. JJ only two 2nd half targets for 3 yards (both within 4 minutes of the start of the 3rd. No targets the last 26 minutes!)
- Will definitely should have been pulled, but would Devin Brown had done any better? We'll never know.
Question 3. So a lot of blame has been placed on the poor rushing, for due reason. Is that really the case?
My opinion:
- This was a team loss, but primarily on Will's 2nd half performance.
- I don't think true blame can be placed on the rushing game at all. scUM has a freaklishly good D-Line and performed.
- Poor O-Line (but there were 0 sacks!), so Frye?
- Will should have been pulled in the 2nd half.
- Defensive Line - rushing defense actually improved from first to second half, but still gave up way too much. No rotation? So LJ?
Will should have been pulled. I think this truly killed the game. At the end Day is accountable and took the blame.
