Petersen and Smith

You like to talk about missing the point all the time ... yet there you go with the same.

I'm not saying that the run or pass game is necessarily working great. Both are being hurt in my opinion by the OL being green as can be.

You have to stick with the running game for the reasons that you mentioned. I'd be the first one to say as much. I think I've mentioned repeatedly that one of the reasons you have to make sure that you are finding ways to get Gaskin (and Washington) the ball is that these two are your most explosive playmakers.

But at the same time, to act like the run game is working and it is a no brainer to run the ball over and over isn't supported by the facts. Running on 1st and 2nd down, particularly so if predictably done, may very well to lead to a number of 3rd and longs, predictable situations for the defense to exploit a green OL and young QB, and create terrible scenarios.

One thing that I have noticed is a lot of "backward" play calling by Smith ... in many ways similar to what you'd expect from a pitcher that throws offspeed stuff behind in the count and fastball when looking for something with a wrinkle. Now, I'm not saying that Smith is doing this because he's clever (don't twist), but there is some logic to being random to the point where it's difficult to pick up a pattern.

The bottom line is that the OL isn't ready (the product of terrible Seven recruiting which we knew going into the year) and lacks explosive players at the WR position to help create easy throws for a young QB. It's an offense that lacks a lot of consistency and ability to string together long drives into scores. Add to that a play caller that would appear to be in over his head and that's the hand that we've been dealt ...

Tequilla said:

Gaskin's carries for the game (down, distance, and result):

2nd and 10 Wash 24, 3 yards
1st and 15 Wash 33, 8 yards
1st and 10 Ore 48, 2 yards
1st and 10 Wash 5, 35 yards
2nd and 6 Wash 19, 3 yards
2nd and 1 Wash 31, 1 yard
1st and 10 Wash 32, 3 yards (holding on play)
2nd and 10 Wash 45, 2 yards
1st and 10 Ore 11, -1 yard
2nd and 10 Wash 19, 9 yards (Coleman ran for no gain on next play)
1st and 10 Wash 28, 72 yards TD
1st and 10 Wash 29, no gain
1st and 10 Wash 44, 3 yards
2nd and 7 Wash 47, 8 yards
1st and 10 Ore 29, 3 yards
1st and 10 Ore 15, 2 yards
1st and Goal Ore 6, 4 yards
2nd and Goal Ore 2, -1 yards

Gaskin's going to be a great player for us, and I'm not meaning this to be a slight against him, but for those that are suggesting that we need to run the ball more because we are consistent in doing so, the above play by play doesn't really support that. Of Gaskin's 18 carries, only 6 of the 18 carries went for 4 yards or more.

What Gaskin is able to do well for us, and the reason that we need to stick with the running game even when it isn't working is because he's going to bust a couple 35 yard type of plays per game that either turn the field over for us or create the explosive plays we need to score.

But generally speaking, we're not creating a huge push for him on a consistent basis. We don't have the kind of OL like Stanford has at the moment to be able to just turn and hand it off consistently for 3 straight times and have a 12 play drive where 11 of the plays are runs. The numbers are not going to bear that out ... particularly in the Oregon game.

You're seeing what you want to see in the play by play numbers

Look at it a different way- only 7 of Gaskin's 18 carries went for less than 3 (and one of those was a first down.)

14 of Browning's 30 attempts were incomplete or less than 3 yards (plus he was sacked 5 times.)

We needed to run more. We weren't ever down so far as to need to abandon our game.

In the other thread you were talking about playing conservative and shortening the game- if you want to do that then pound Gaskin. Bullshit assuming he can't handle 30 carries. You dont know that. He is healthy and fresh and was running hard until the end if the game. Run him until he's out of gas.

What is truly fucked up, here's a couple of quotes of the 2 of the local experts......

“Maybe deep down, Pete doesn’t want to win”

“Pete want’s to get sucked off by announcers for innovative and creative play calls. I have no doubt in my mind”

"Deep down in his heart, he gets off way more passing the ball more than running the ball"

Not worth debating dumbfucks like this. You can't fix stupid.