Monday, September 14, 2009
Harris, Canes can't handle prosperity, fall to Tech 17-14
Coral Gables (AP)
The QB taketh, the QB giveth away.
Two weeks ago against Florida State, Jacory Harris was Superman. Thursday night he was Clark Kent at the diner in Superman II, his powers sapped from him by red Kryptonian sunlight of overnight fame.
Miami headed into Thursday night's matchup as the favorite, largely due to Harris' star turn against FSU on opening weekend which boosted the previously unranked Hurricanes to #20 in the rankings. However, The Wramblin' Wreck defense would prove to be a match for the newly minted star, holding the sophmore QB to 8 of 16 passing for 80 yds and 4 interceptions as Georgia Tech defeated Miami 17-14 Thurday night before a nationally televised audience.
After winning the coin toss, Georgia Tech deferred to the Hurricanes. Four plays into the first drive Harris threw the first of his four interceptions to Rashawn Reid after being crunched by Tech DL and NFL prospect, Derrick Morgan. Tech took the field with their trademark methodic, griding flexbone attack, choosing to pound the ball down the field controlling the pace of the game to keep the Harris and the Hurricane offense off the field.
The Jackets would stall as well, unable to convert on 4th down and 10 from the Miami 39. This time, Miami moved the ball with the legs of RB Greg Cooper, who had four carries for 29 yards during the drive. Yet after a offsides penalty gave the Canes 1st and 5 on the Tech 8 yd line, the Miami offense stalled. Facing 4th and 1 on the Tech 3 yd line, Coach Norris Camacho opted to try and sneak for the first down over kicking the field goal, but Harris was stopped short, giving Tech the ball with 2:26 remaining in the half.
After forcing the Yellow Jackets to punt, Harris again drove the Canes into Tech territory before throwing his 2nd Int to end any threat of first half points by either team.
On his way to the locker room, Tech Coach Lucas Jackson was stopped by Erin Andrews and asked what he thought about the game so far. Jackson replied that he thought the game would likely turn on a defensive touchdown since neither offense had managed much in the first half.
In the second half a quarterback would provide heroics. Just not the quarterback everyone had expected. Though not as heralded as his counterpart, Josh Nesbit has every bit as much talent, and a bit more experience. Noticing that the Miami defensive line was pinching to stop star "B" back Jonathan Dwyer, Nesbit began to use his own legs to move the Wramblin Wreck. A superbly executed 50 yd bootleg, and then a 12 yard option keeper to put Nesbit and the Jackets inside the Hurricane 3 yard line.
Thats when it seemed Coach Jackson might be Nostradamus. Miami OLB Colin McCarthy, in an supernatural display of anticipation and atheticism, intercepted a Nesbit pitch, and returned it 98 yards for the first score of the game, stunning Georgia Tech and enrapturing the dormant Hurricane faithful.
It seemed that in one play all life had been sucked out of the Tech team. ESPN commentator Lee Corso opined prior to the kickoff that "even William Wallace, of Braveheart fame, couldnt get that team fired up again".
Well, Wallace might have proved inadequate, but after Tech proceeded to go 3 and out, but Harris gave the Jackets just the fire they needed. After moving the ball to midfield, Harris and the Canes faced 4th and 2. Miami broke the huddle with 5 wide, but Tech brought both linebackers on a blitz, forcing Harris to hurry and underthrow Laron Byrd, allowing Mario Butler to snag the 3rd Int of the night, breathing new life into the Yellow Jackets.
Invigorated by this second chance, Nesbit finally found an opening in the heretofore solid Miami defense. On 2nd and 11, Nesbit was able to check down to Roddy Jones in the flat vacated by a corner blitz, who streaked 62 yards to paydirt.
After controlling the game for nearly three quarters, Miami now found itself tied and in a street fight with suddenly ferocious opponent. Two plays later, Harris was picked off for a fourth time by Tech LB Michael Ray. Taking over at the Miami 38, Tech would take advantage of the short field, scoring in five plays on a 1 yd plunge by Dwyer.
Now, the much touted Harris moxie would arrive at last. As the highly touted QB drove his team down the field, you could almost see a Superman logo through the orange jersey. His athletiscm and talent was on full display as he lofted a perfect pass to tight end Derrick Epps to set up first and goal. The Canes would convert, tieing the game on 1 yd TD rush by Javarris James with 1:44 remaining in the game.
Georgia Tech however, was not to be denied. Nesbit and the Tech offense continued their second half groove, and were able to move the ball 54 yard in 8 plays, using a skillful mix of quick passes and option to eat up the clock and set up a 37 yard FG attempt by Tech kicker Scott Blair with :02 remaining. The Junior kicker from Calhoun, Ga proved able to the task, splitting the uprights and winning the game for the Jackets, 17-14.
In the end, Miami was victimized by the conundrum that has killed many coaches: a mind boggling talent that can be defeated by nothing but his own mistakes....and a team that can capitalize on them.
Game notes:
The QB taketh, the QB giveth away.
Two weeks ago against Florida State, Jacory Harris was Superman. Thursday night he was Clark Kent at the diner in Superman II, his powers sapped from him by red Kryptonian sunlight of overnight fame.
Miami headed into Thursday night's matchup as the favorite, largely due to Harris' star turn against FSU on opening weekend which boosted the previously unranked Hurricanes to #20 in the rankings. However, The Wramblin' Wreck defense would prove to be a match for the newly minted star, holding the sophmore QB to 8 of 16 passing for 80 yds and 4 interceptions as Georgia Tech defeated Miami 17-14 Thurday night before a nationally televised audience.
After winning the coin toss, Georgia Tech deferred to the Hurricanes. Four plays into the first drive Harris threw the first of his four interceptions to Rashawn Reid after being crunched by Tech DL and NFL prospect, Derrick Morgan. Tech took the field with their trademark methodic, griding flexbone attack, choosing to pound the ball down the field controlling the pace of the game to keep the Harris and the Hurricane offense off the field.
The Jackets would stall as well, unable to convert on 4th down and 10 from the Miami 39. This time, Miami moved the ball with the legs of RB Greg Cooper, who had four carries for 29 yards during the drive. Yet after a offsides penalty gave the Canes 1st and 5 on the Tech 8 yd line, the Miami offense stalled. Facing 4th and 1 on the Tech 3 yd line, Coach Norris Camacho opted to try and sneak for the first down over kicking the field goal, but Harris was stopped short, giving Tech the ball with 2:26 remaining in the half.
After forcing the Yellow Jackets to punt, Harris again drove the Canes into Tech territory before throwing his 2nd Int to end any threat of first half points by either team.
On his way to the locker room, Tech Coach Lucas Jackson was stopped by Erin Andrews and asked what he thought about the game so far. Jackson replied that he thought the game would likely turn on a defensive touchdown since neither offense had managed much in the first half.
In the second half a quarterback would provide heroics. Just not the quarterback everyone had expected. Though not as heralded as his counterpart, Josh Nesbit has every bit as much talent, and a bit more experience. Noticing that the Miami defensive line was pinching to stop star "B" back Jonathan Dwyer, Nesbit began to use his own legs to move the Wramblin Wreck. A superbly executed 50 yd bootleg, and then a 12 yard option keeper to put Nesbit and the Jackets inside the Hurricane 3 yard line.
Thats when it seemed Coach Jackson might be Nostradamus. Miami OLB Colin McCarthy, in an supernatural display of anticipation and atheticism, intercepted a Nesbit pitch, and returned it 98 yards for the first score of the game, stunning Georgia Tech and enrapturing the dormant Hurricane faithful.
It seemed that in one play all life had been sucked out of the Tech team. ESPN commentator Lee Corso opined prior to the kickoff that "even William Wallace, of Braveheart fame, couldnt get that team fired up again".
Well, Wallace might have proved inadequate, but after Tech proceeded to go 3 and out, but Harris gave the Jackets just the fire they needed. After moving the ball to midfield, Harris and the Canes faced 4th and 2. Miami broke the huddle with 5 wide, but Tech brought both linebackers on a blitz, forcing Harris to hurry and underthrow Laron Byrd, allowing Mario Butler to snag the 3rd Int of the night, breathing new life into the Yellow Jackets.
Invigorated by this second chance, Nesbit finally found an opening in the heretofore solid Miami defense. On 2nd and 11, Nesbit was able to check down to Roddy Jones in the flat vacated by a corner blitz, who streaked 62 yards to paydirt.
After controlling the game for nearly three quarters, Miami now found itself tied and in a street fight with suddenly ferocious opponent. Two plays later, Harris was picked off for a fourth time by Tech LB Michael Ray. Taking over at the Miami 38, Tech would take advantage of the short field, scoring in five plays on a 1 yd plunge by Dwyer.
Now, the much touted Harris moxie would arrive at last. As the highly touted QB drove his team down the field, you could almost see a Superman logo through the orange jersey. His athletiscm and talent was on full display as he lofted a perfect pass to tight end Derrick Epps to set up first and goal. The Canes would convert, tieing the game on 1 yd TD rush by Javarris James with 1:44 remaining in the game.
Georgia Tech however, was not to be denied. Nesbit and the Tech offense continued their second half groove, and were able to move the ball 54 yard in 8 plays, using a skillful mix of quick passes and option to eat up the clock and set up a 37 yard FG attempt by Tech kicker Scott Blair with :02 remaining. The Junior kicker from Calhoun, Ga proved able to the task, splitting the uprights and winning the game for the Jackets, 17-14.
In the end, Miami was victimized by the conundrum that has killed many coaches: a mind boggling talent that can be defeated by nothing but his own mistakes....and a team that can capitalize on them.
Game notes:
- Tech DL Derrick Morgan was as good as advertised, disrupting several passing plays and forcing several early throws.
- Miami held Heisman candidate Jonathan Dwyer to 25 yards on 8 carries
- Nesbit finished 7-12 for 136 yards and 1 TD. He also had 93 yards on 13 carries.
- Tech led Miami in TOP 11:17 to 8:43
- Miami was held to 152 total yards on 31 plays. Tech was held to 253 yards on 40 plays.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Postgame Analysis
Turns out it was a gritty game, and Boise State did indeed have a hard time holding onto the football (three turnovers in the 2nd half). But what we didn't anticipate was Oregon's utter inability to move the ball or take advantage of the turnovers.
Boise State played its typical, balanced game, which allowed them to chew up a ridiculous amount of clock in the first half. This almost certainly contributed to Oregon's offensive drought, as they were never really able to get into rhythm–something that's critical for spread-option teams. It also probably contributed to Boise State's offensive success, as the Oregon's defense was out on the field for nearly 25 of the first 30 minutes of the game. In our simulation, it was Oregon's pressure defense that contributed to so many of Boise State's turnovers. Thursday night, Kellen Moore looked generally comfortable in and out of the pocket, and the Boise State players always looked about one step ahead of the tiring Oregon defense.
In our simulation, Oregon seemed to have the most success when Masoli scrambled out of the pocket, which distracted the defense and let receivers find open space. In real life, Masoli was usually scrambling for a loss, or handing off the ball to LaGarrette Blount, who was busy racking up more punches than positive yards.
So our simulation was spot-on in some areas, but way off in others. There was definitely a lot of first-game rust in Thursday night's game, and there was a lot of boneheaded playcalling from Chip Kelly as well, who seems to be in way over his head at this point.
Boise State needs to cut down on mistakes, but generally keep doing what it's doing. Like it or not, they're carrying the BCS-Buster banner this season until someone else takes them down. Oregon needs to get back to what made it successful at the end of 2008: let Masoli loose. Slavish devotion to the option run isn't going to work when your top RB is likely sitting out a few games... or when you're on your own 2-yard line, for crying out loud.
Boise State played its typical, balanced game, which allowed them to chew up a ridiculous amount of clock in the first half. This almost certainly contributed to Oregon's offensive drought, as they were never really able to get into rhythm–something that's critical for spread-option teams. It also probably contributed to Boise State's offensive success, as the Oregon's defense was out on the field for nearly 25 of the first 30 minutes of the game. In our simulation, it was Oregon's pressure defense that contributed to so many of Boise State's turnovers. Thursday night, Kellen Moore looked generally comfortable in and out of the pocket, and the Boise State players always looked about one step ahead of the tiring Oregon defense.
In our simulation, Oregon seemed to have the most success when Masoli scrambled out of the pocket, which distracted the defense and let receivers find open space. In real life, Masoli was usually scrambling for a loss, or handing off the ball to LaGarrette Blount, who was busy racking up more punches than positive yards.
So our simulation was spot-on in some areas, but way off in others. There was definitely a lot of first-game rust in Thursday night's game, and there was a lot of boneheaded playcalling from Chip Kelly as well, who seems to be in way over his head at this point.
Boise State needs to cut down on mistakes, but generally keep doing what it's doing. Like it or not, they're carrying the BCS-Buster banner this season until someone else takes them down. Oregon needs to get back to what made it successful at the end of 2008: let Masoli loose. Slavish devotion to the option run isn't going to work when your top RB is likely sitting out a few games... or when you're on your own 2-yard line, for crying out loud.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Broken Plays Help Oregon Past Boise State
Final: Ducks 24, Broncos 7
Boise, ID—
In a gritty opening-night setting, Oregon was able to outlast Boise State thanks to five Boise State interceptions.
The Ducks won the toss and elected to defer. They held Boise to a three-and-out, then drove the ball down the field methodically until they were contained in the Old Spice Red Zone. Forced to kick a field goal, they were ahead 3-0 midway through the first quarter. But the Broncos had something to say about that.
After connecting on several passing plays in the waning moments of the first quarter, the home team went ahead 7-3 on a short goal-line run by FB Matt Brockel. On the next series, the Broncos put Oregon into a sticky 3rd-and-long situation. On a bold 3rd down rollout Hail Mary play, Jeremiah Masoli hit LaGarrette Blount out of the backfield between two zone layers for a 69-yard touchdown to put the Ducks ahead 10-7 early in the second.
The rest of the second quarter was an epic slugfest of imposing defenses for both teams, and finished with an interception by Oregon on the five with under a minute remaining, after which they wisely decided to run out the clock.
The third quarter was entirely dominated by defenses. The only scoring opportunity came when Boise drove down inside the Oregon 20, only to have the ball intercepted by strong safety Marvin Johnson in the end zone. He also led the Ducks in tackles with 7.
The fourth quarter continued similarly for the first few minutes. Then a corner blitz forced Kellen Moore to make a hurried pass with under three minutes remaining. Linebacker Spencer Paysinger was there waiting. He cradled it, broke one tackle, and angled for the end zone, finally breaking the game open with 2:49 left to play.
On the ensuing possession, Boise was called for holding, and on the following play CB Willie Glasper picked off a streak pattern. A few plays later, Oregon punched it in for the final 24-7 score. Glasper sealed the victory with another pick on Boise's ensuing possession.
Key players:
Jeremiah Masoli: 7-11 passing, 174 yards, 1 TD
LaGarrette Blount: 16 rushes, 79 yards, 3 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD rec.
Key stat: turnovers
BSU: 5
Oregon: 0
Boise Notes: to win this game, Boise is obviously not going to be able to afford a 5-turnover difference. Hell, I barely won with it (as Oregon), but you can bet that the real Oregon would've exploited that in a much uglier manner. Boise should focus on first downs, not necessarily time of possession. Defensively, they should also consider putting a spy on Blount, as he is a serious threat out of the backfield.
Oregon Notes: be careful with the zone. Almost every time I ran a zone defense, Moore had time to find the holes. All 5 turnovers came from man or partially-man defenses. Also, don't try too much motion, and be careful with the Wild Duck formation. This phenomenon is going on 4 seasons old now, and it's not a novelty any more. The one time I tried it, it resulted in a -13 yard pass completion.
Game Stats (Oregon/Boise State)
First downs: 8/11
Total Offense: 254/221
Rush/yds/TDs: 22-80-1; 13-45-1
Comp/att/TDs: 8-12-1; 15-23-0
Passing: 174/176
3rd down: 4-7/3-5
4th down: 0-0/1-1
2-point: 0-0/0-0
Red Zone: 2-1-1; 3-1-0
Turnovers: 0/5
Fumbles: 0/0
INTs: 0/5
PR yds: 7/4
KR yds: 57/56
Total yds: 318/281
Punts: 2-45.5; 1-40
Penalties: 1-10; 2-25
TOP: 10:20/9:52
Boise, ID—
In a gritty opening-night setting, Oregon was able to outlast Boise State thanks to five Boise State interceptions.
The Ducks won the toss and elected to defer. They held Boise to a three-and-out, then drove the ball down the field methodically until they were contained in the Old Spice Red Zone. Forced to kick a field goal, they were ahead 3-0 midway through the first quarter. But the Broncos had something to say about that.
After connecting on several passing plays in the waning moments of the first quarter, the home team went ahead 7-3 on a short goal-line run by FB Matt Brockel. On the next series, the Broncos put Oregon into a sticky 3rd-and-long situation. On a bold 3rd down rollout Hail Mary play, Jeremiah Masoli hit LaGarrette Blount out of the backfield between two zone layers for a 69-yard touchdown to put the Ducks ahead 10-7 early in the second.
The rest of the second quarter was an epic slugfest of imposing defenses for both teams, and finished with an interception by Oregon on the five with under a minute remaining, after which they wisely decided to run out the clock.
The third quarter was entirely dominated by defenses. The only scoring opportunity came when Boise drove down inside the Oregon 20, only to have the ball intercepted by strong safety Marvin Johnson in the end zone. He also led the Ducks in tackles with 7.
The fourth quarter continued similarly for the first few minutes. Then a corner blitz forced Kellen Moore to make a hurried pass with under three minutes remaining. Linebacker Spencer Paysinger was there waiting. He cradled it, broke one tackle, and angled for the end zone, finally breaking the game open with 2:49 left to play.
On the ensuing possession, Boise was called for holding, and on the following play CB Willie Glasper picked off a streak pattern. A few plays later, Oregon punched it in for the final 24-7 score. Glasper sealed the victory with another pick on Boise's ensuing possession.Key players:
Jeremiah Masoli: 7-11 passing, 174 yards, 1 TD
LaGarrette Blount: 16 rushes, 79 yards, 3 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD rec.
Key stat: turnovers
BSU: 5
Oregon: 0
Boise Notes: to win this game, Boise is obviously not going to be able to afford a 5-turnover difference. Hell, I barely won with it (as Oregon), but you can bet that the real Oregon would've exploited that in a much uglier manner. Boise should focus on first downs, not necessarily time of possession. Defensively, they should also consider putting a spy on Blount, as he is a serious threat out of the backfield.
Oregon Notes: be careful with the zone. Almost every time I ran a zone defense, Moore had time to find the holes. All 5 turnovers came from man or partially-man defenses. Also, don't try too much motion, and be careful with the Wild Duck formation. This phenomenon is going on 4 seasons old now, and it's not a novelty any more. The one time I tried it, it resulted in a -13 yard pass completion.
Game Stats (Oregon/Boise State)
First downs: 8/11
Total Offense: 254/221
Rush/yds/TDs: 22-80-1; 13-45-1
Comp/att/TDs: 8-12-1; 15-23-0
Passing: 174/176
3rd down: 4-7/3-5
4th down: 0-0/1-1
2-point: 0-0/0-0
Red Zone: 2-1-1; 3-1-0
Turnovers: 0/5
Fumbles: 0/0
INTs: 0/5
PR yds: 7/4
KR yds: 57/56
Total yds: 318/281
Punts: 2-45.5; 1-40
Penalties: 1-10; 2-25
TOP: 10:20/9:52
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
T-16 days
Welcome all internetters, video gamers, and unabashed Jesse Palmer adorers. This blog is dedicated to the 2009 (and beyond?) season of Thursday night college football on ESPN. The premise is schoolboyishly simple: we will play NCAA 10 against each other early each week using the two teams featured in ESPN's Thursday night game. We will then apply the lessons learned from these virtual masterpieces to our predictions for Thursday. When they come true we will gloat, and when they don't we will criticize the coaches for not following our advice to a T.
Here's the schedule:
9/3: Oregon @ Boise State
9/10: Clemson @ Georgia Tech
9/17: Georgia Tech @ Miami
9/24: Ole Miss @ South Carolina
10/1: Colorado @ West Virginia
10/8: Nebraska @ Missouri
10/15: Cincinnati @ South Florida
10/22: Florida State @ North Carolina
10/29: North Carolina @ Virginia Tech
11/5: Virginia Tech @ East Carolina
11/12: South Florida @ Rutgers
11/19: Colorado @ Oklahoma State
11/26: Texas @ Texas A&M
12/3: Oregon State @ Oregon
There's practically something for everyone. Sorry, Big 10 fans. Your teams only play at 11 AM on Saturdays. Detailed rules and such to follow soon.
Here's the schedule:
9/3: Oregon @ Boise State
9/10: Clemson @ Georgia Tech
9/17: Georgia Tech @ Miami
9/24: Ole Miss @ South Carolina
10/1: Colorado @ West Virginia
10/8: Nebraska @ Missouri
10/15: Cincinnati @ South Florida
10/22: Florida State @ North Carolina
10/29: North Carolina @ Virginia Tech
11/5: Virginia Tech @ East Carolina
11/12: South Florida @ Rutgers
11/19: Colorado @ Oklahoma State
11/26: Texas @ Texas A&M
12/3: Oregon State @ Oregon
There's practically something for everyone. Sorry, Big 10 fans. Your teams only play at 11 AM on Saturdays. Detailed rules and such to follow soon.
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