Slaton10's Weekly Musing Part3!

[Slaton10]

Well kind of a weird weekend for football...a lot of teams getting in their FCS opponent this week including your favorite team the West Virginia University Mountaineers..

But before we go there...some random thoughts from your Ol' Pal Slaton10's sideways point of view..

Nebraska...you think Wv has issues, what happened to that storied program...Northern Illinois? At Home?..

It appears our friends at the Univeristy of Pittsburgh have taken an unusual strategic direction of dropping down and playing FCS football! And playing the part well losing by 38.....at home!! Hope it works out for them!

USC maybe the most over hyped team in the country...outside of Ohio State.all because of their QB?? a media made Heisman Candidate?.because Texas just isn't that good.......yet.

Speaking of Heisman Candidates...not sure why no one is not throwing Will Grier in there..the kid gets better every week..he would even be better if he had Receivers who did not continually drop the ball.. you listening Sills??

Speaking of teams that are not hyped enough...Clemson IMHO is without a doubt the best team in the country and its not even close...they will win back to back NC if they stay healthy...that friggin DABO has it going down there...


and for double standards....I watched that piece of Shizza Bobby Petrino just destroy a referee for a good 10 minutes and the Ref stood there like a pilon..Dana steps out of the coaches box and gets an unsportsmanlike??...

Speaking of prices of Shizza..how is it working out for you Down at ASU Todd Graham??..effing snake oil salesman..

Can't make heads or tails out of the KSU game...


Well onto YOUR WV Mountaineers...

Yes it was sloppy for the first 6 minutes of the game..who cares...they could have scored 90 points..BUT..things I wish for..a running back that was a little thicker than the ones we have..and what McCoy suspended for team violations? Already?...come on!! As I said WILL GRIER IS A FREAKING MONSTER...he completed 70% of his passes (Should have been more if his receivers could catch) and his deep ball continues to get better every week...he will be in Heisman contention when the smoke clears..

Offensive line...gave up their first sack, it was on the QB ..I think...its gonna happen..they churned out 600 plus yards of offense again against a team that was trying to slow the game down..they only had 60 snaps so who's complaining..

Defense...interesting...BBW and I saw it first at the VT game..now Delaware State....an unbalanced line maybe the Achilles heel to the 3-3 defense...it is a big concern...they seem to have no answer for it...

DB's hard to tell if they improved, Wv seemed to have played all 105 guys including the scout team on Saturday..

The one thing for sure that seems to be improving was Special Teams..lets see if that holds up!

 

[bbwvfan]

I watched this game via the internet. No HD... no fun... but, at least I got to see the game.

Kids had zero focus to start. Guys dropping passes... Grier mishandling snaps... Grier INT, but it looked like they snapped out of it and started dominating as well all expected.

Read Gibby's remarks following yesterday's game. They asked Gross to play bandit. The unbalanced scheme used by Delaware St was copied after watching the VT film. Gross was the kid abused by the pass play they designed out of that formation for our game.

Gibson said Del St went unbalanced on 50+ snaps out of 60 against WVU, but had shown this set only once in film he used to prep. He hadn't prepared his kids for the unbalanced front, but was really proud of how his 1's took to in game adjustments. He propped his defense. And, stated Kenny Robinson... the true freshman that looked pretty good last week against ECU... is going to play every snap as long as he's at WVU. IMO, Robinson looks like a difference maker. But, he is raw, and he is going to receive his baptism under fire in the Big 12.

 

[GoldRusher]

Defense is going to get undressed if Gibby doesn't get their act together.

Gawd I so hate this gimmick crap we call a defense...

 

[Slaton10]

Defense is going to get undressed if Gibby doesn't get their act together.

Gawd I so hate this gimmick crap we call a defense...

You really think its a gimmick? The Steelers run this defense more or less

 

[bbwvfan]

WVU is going to have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. Otherwise, prolific passing QB's will have it pretty easy this year.

 

[GoldRusher]

You really think its a gimmick? The Steelers run this defense more or less

Yes, it is. I would much rather us run a defense that is more in line with what the kids run out of HS to help with the learning process and I believe it would help us as far as recruiting/developing Dlineman as well.
I get that WVU will never go out and nab 4-5 star Dlineman all the time but we CAN get the solid 3 star kids and have them playing at a high level by their JR/SR years. We do it all the time at other positions. I'm just not or will ever be a believer in it as a big time championship level defense. Football is a copy cat sport and if it was so great I think we would see it all over CFB at programs at or near WVU's level.

 

[Slaton10]

Yes, it is. I would much rather us run a defense that is more in line with what the kids run out of HS to help with the learning process and I believe it would help us as far as recruiting/developing Dlineman as well.
I get that WVU will never go out and nab 4-5 star Dlineman all the time but we CAN get the solid 3 star kids and have them playing at a high level by their JR/SR years. We do it all the time at other positions. I'm just not or will ever be a believer in it as a big time championship level defense. Football is a copy cat sport and if it was so great I think we would see it all over CFB at programs at or near WVU's level.

I think we do...it's how a team decides to use that 11th man...is it an extra linemen, LB or DB..Wv chooses to play an hybrid...Call it a Bandit or a Monster back or whatever you want..

Not sure what HS football looks like in your neck of the woods, but here were I live most HS play a spread offense and most teams are playing a 3 man front with a LB lined up on the line on the edge..and that LB will flip depending which side is the strong side of the offense.

 

[Anotherwvufan]

The 3-3-5 alignment is not our problem. It is the players who are on the field. Our D-Lineman are not producing and getting to the QB. We have trouble blitzing because we cannot cover man on the corner. Without a stout nose tackle, it is hard to be successful in this lineup.

 

[bbwvfan]

Bama goes to a 3-3-5 regularly. After having many an argument with Slaton and Jeighmonee, I have come to accept that it isn't the scheme.

WVU simply doesn't have the talent to be a great defense this year. The defense would be bad no matter what scheme they were placed in. Just like the 2012 and 2013 defenses. One could blame DeForest all they want, but he had little to do with the lack of talent he had to work with.

Bama uses an odd man front. Many NFL teams use an odd man front. It's time for all of us to realize it ain't the scheme... it's the kids playing in it and the coaches teaching it.

Heading into this year, I was worried about the CB coach hire. The kids playing corner do not look confident. IMO, this is directly on their position coach. Battle had tons of experience last year. He cannot make a play right now.

 

[Slaton10]

The 3-3-5 alignment is not our problem. It is the players who are on the field. Our D-Lineman are not producing and getting to the QB. We have trouble blitzing because we cannot cover man on the corner. Without a stout nose tackle, it is hard to be successful in this lineup.

I've said it already...Not only can the front 3 ..except for maybe #88.. get a pass rush, they can't get off their blocks...in this defensive scheme..that spells disaster..

 

[Slaton10]

Bama goes to a 3-3-5 regularly. After having many an argument with Slaton and Jeighmonee, I have come to accept that it isn't the scheme.

WVU simply doesn't have the talent to be a great defense this year. The defense would be bad no matter what scheme they were placed in. Just like the 2012 and 2013 defenses. One could blame DeForest all they want, but he had little to do with the lack of talent he had to work with.

Bama uses an odd man front. Many NFL teams use an odd man front. It's time for all of us to realize it ain't the scheme... it's the kids playing in it and the coaches teaching it.

Heading into this year, I was worried about the CB coach hire. The kids playing corner do not look confident. IMO, this is directly on their position coach. Battle had tons of experience last year. He cannot make a play right now.

You look at the Steeler's they will play a 2 man front at times...you are absolutely 100% correct it comes down to talent and getting those kids in the right position to make a play..they thing with Deforrest I thought he was a little to complicated on the back end of the defense..I could be really wrong about that, but every time I saw them play kids missed assignments.

 

[bbwvfan]

I have a buddy here in the 'Cuse who was a former LB and position coach at SU. He became friends with Coach Dunlap when he was the SU DC after Rich took over the WVU program. As we know, Coach Stewart brought him back to WVU and he was initially retained by Holgorsen and coached under DeForest. I went through all of that to connect the dots. Anyhow... Dunlap told my buddy he had no idea what DeForest was trying to do with the back end! So... you are absolutely right! It was far too complicated.

Which is actually kind of ironic... because he wanted to make things simple so the kids could play fast.

 

[WVUDAD]

I've said it already...Not only can the front 3 ..except for maybe #88.. get a pass rush, they can't get off their blocks...in this defensive scheme..that spells disaster..

That damn Bill Stewart didn't get any defensive linemen..........

 

[Slaton10]

That damn Bill Stewart didn't get any defensive linemen..........

They have linemen...just young...

 

[GoldRusher]

Serious question, how many programs that use a 3-3-5 all the time like we do finished in the top 25 in the last..... I dunno how bout since conference realignment?

I'm not trying to bait anyone or make a sarcastic comment ect. I honestly have no idea.

 

[Slaton10]

Serious question, how many programs that use a 3-3-5 all the time like we do finished in the top 25 in the last..... I dunno how bout since conference realignment?

I'm not trying to bait anyone or make a sarcastic comment ect. I honestly have no idea.

Depends on how specific you are trying to make this...if you ask how many use a 3 man front...see Alabama...

As I have mentioned its how a team chooses to use the 4th LB in its scheme..the 3-3 is also how you stack the front 3..its technique.. and its usually has more to do with the ends..are they playing in a gap or are they over the tackles?..Wv plays over the tackles..personally I would have them in the B gaps..or just inside of the tackles inside shoulder..but you can debate that all day of why you should or shouldn't

 

[GoldRusher]

No I don't mean situational like the prevent/ nickel ect. I'm talking 3-3-5 is what the team runs as the base.
What I'm getting at is football is a copycat sport, when something is successful it tends get used a lot pretty quickly around the sport (spread offenses for example). I don't THINK that I see it (3-3-5) as a teams defense in many other places.

 

[Slaton10]

No I don't mean situational like the prevent/ nickel ect. I'm talking 3-3-5 is what the team runs as the base.
What I'm getting at is football is a copycat sport, when something is successful it tends get used a lot pretty quickly around the sport (spread offenses for example). I don't THINK that I see it (3-3-5) as a teams defense in many other places.

Arizona, South Florida, Wake Forrest, South Carolina, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Arizona State, Western Michigan, BYU, Boise State..even Ohio State will use the formation...and the PITTSBURGH STEELERS

 

[GoldRusher]

Arizona, South Florida, Wake Forrest, South Carolina, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Arizona State, Western Michigan, BYU, Boise State..even Ohio State will use the formation...and the PITTSBURGH STEELERS

But none of them use it as their base correct?

 

[Slaton10]

But none of them use it as their base correct?

They do...except the Steelers and Ohio State...but Ohio State plays more of it depending on who they are playing..ie if its Michigan..no...if its Northwestern or Purdue..yes