Offensive Play Discussion - 2020

ndobney said:
I've said this before and have been ignored. I wonder if people are actually even reading these threads. The way to fix our red zone issues that have been an issue for a long time and is generally an issue for most spread teams is to go into the old school power I option attack. 

This does several things. Its a good red zone offense. It pounds the defense. Controls the clock. Fans love it. It controls the ball. Everything basically we are not doing that we should be.

Scott Frost said he wants it to be part of our identity. Teams should know and need to prepare for when we get to the red zone the triple option is coming.
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That would be exactly backwards.  Our problem is we are not good are running power football.  I thought we looked better last week but not so much. 

Our distribution of touches is absolutely terrible.  The thing we did the most of yesterday was let Dedrick Mills run the ball (19 carries).  That was the least efficient thing we did (3.1 ypc).  Even if you increase that efficiency by 50% that would still be the least effective thing we did on the day.  Yet for some reason we kept trying.  The second least effective thing we did on the day?  Throw the ball to Dedrick Mills (5.5 yards per catch).  Yet he had the most catches.

Dedrick Mills had 25 touches - nearly 30% of our offensive plays - and he was the least efficient with them at 3.6 yards per touch.  Wan'Dale averaged 8.0 ypt and got 4 touches.  Marvin Scott - playing the same position as Mills - averaged 4.7 ypc.  None of the other receivers averaged less than 6.0 ypc.  

No idea why we insisted on doing more of the worst thing we were doing.  But this is where that gets you.

 
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I've been surprisingly unimpressed with Dedrick Mills.  He might legitimately be the fourth best option at running back on this team. Luke looked good when he took handoffs. I think Wandale is better and should not completely play receiver and Thompkins looked more explosive from the limited amount against Ohio State. Mills has had two games and is still at 3 yards per play. I'm not saying he should get no playing time, but he clearly did not pick up where he left off.

 
Anyone notice that our holding calls are holds that didn’t benefit the play anyway?  There must be a time when you can drop your block?  
 

no expert, but it seems like guys do a good job of blocking then start to lose it and then hold. What’s a reasonable time to drop your block? 

 
Mavric said:
That would be exactly backwards.  Our problem is we are not good are running power football.  I thought we looked better last week but not so much. 

Our distribution of touches is absolutely terrible.  The thing we did the most of yesterday was let Dedrick Mills run the ball (19 carries).  That was the least efficient thing we did (3.1 ypc).  Even if you increase that efficiency by 50% that would still be the least effective thing we did on the day.  Yet for some reason we kept trying.  The second least effective thing we did on the day?  Throw the ball to Dedrick Mills (5.5 yards per catch).  Yet he had the most catches.

Dedrick Mills had 25 touches - nearly 30% of our offensive plays - and he was the least efficient with them at 3.6 yards per touch.  Wan'Dale averaged 8.0 ypt and got 4 touches.  Marvin Scott - playing the same position as Mills - averaged 4.7 ypc.  None of the other receivers averaged less than 6.0 ypc.  

No idea why we insisted on doing more of the worst thing we were doing.  But this is where that gets you.
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But it was effective. We got funny in the red zone We had enough yards.  Two pics in or near the end zone. We score those TD’s and we’re singing a different tune. 

 
Mavric said:
That would be exactly backwards.  Our problem is we are not good are running power football.  I thought we looked better last week but not so much. 

Our distribution of touches is absolutely terrible.  The thing we did the most of yesterday was let Dedrick Mills run the ball (19 carries).  That was the least efficient thing we did (3.1 ypc).  Even if you increase that efficiency by 50% that would still be the least effective thing we did on the day.  Yet for some reason we kept trying.  The second least effective thing we did on the day?  Throw the ball to Dedrick Mills (5.5 yards per catch).  Yet he had the most catches.

Dedrick Mills had 25 touches - nearly 30% of our offensive plays - and he was the least efficient with them at 3.6 yards per touch.  Wan'Dale averaged 8.0 ypt and got 4 touches.  Marvin Scott - playing the same position as Mills - averaged 4.7 ypc.  None of the other receivers averaged less than 6.0 ypc.  

No idea why we insisted on doing more of the worst thing we were doing.  But this is where that gets you.
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Agreed. Frost wants to dominate the LOS, that much is obvious. QB Run, Mills/Scott N to S, swing passes to Wandale. The problem is, the defense knows that, and we are doing nothing to keep them honest. We have no one that’s a threat to make a play 10 yards downfield. 
 

 
Mavric said:
We were effective in spite of Mills performance, not because of it.
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Thank you for our analysis. I appreciate your analytical mind, but I think I disagree with you.  
 

I need to rewatch the game, but did I don’t think Mills had anything to do with the goal line turnovers. Unless he can’t block.  He also didn’t turn the ball over. 

 
krc1995 said:
Thank you for our analysis. I appreciate your analytical mind, but I think I disagree with you.  
 

I need to rewatch the game, but did I don’t think Mills had anything to do with the goal line turnovers. Unless he can’t block.  He also didn’t turn the ball over. 
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I didn't say he had anything to do with the turnovers.  But he was the least productive person on the field.  We were able to move the ball by getting it to others, not by getting it to Mills.

 
Mavric said:
I didn't say he had anything to do with the turnovers.  But he was the least productive person on the field.  We were able to move the ball by getting it to others, not by getting it to Mills.
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Had everyone else had the chances Mills had, their averages would moved down too. Except Wandale. His under use is baffling. 

In fact Mills scored the only TD. 

 
Don't know when the zone read became power running, but how many poor poor AM reads while running the zone read resulted in Mills getting buried at the LOS.  

 
krc1995 said:
Had everyone else had the chances Mills had, their averages would moved down too. Except Wandale. His under use is baffling. 

In fact Mills scored the only TD. 
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That is complete speculation on your part to try to believe something that hasn't been shown to be true over two games.  Which is you prerogative.  But he has been the least effective player in each of the first two games.  That is just a fact.

 
Mavric said:
That is complete speculation on your part to try to believe something that hasn't been shown to be true over two games.  Which is you prerogative.  But he has been the least effective player in each of the first two games.  That is just a fact.
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14 possessions 

is he the least effective player? 
 

series 1, 11 plays  result punt 

Rushing

 Mills- 3 rushes  9 yards, 2 yards (1st down, but brought his average down), 10 yards

passing- 3 different receivers, 3 attempts. Flemming(14 yards) Wandale (5 yards, but not enough), Mills (incomplete)

 AMART- run 7 

2 penalties- Bernhardt, wilson

Series 2 , 3 plays punt 

Rushing- Scott for 2 yards

Receiving- vokolek 4 yards, incomplete to unknown

Penalty- farniok false start, also got an offsides

Series 3, punt. 3 plays 

Rushing- Mills 4 yards

Passing- Wandale one- should have had two but holding on Jaime’s, Warner- incomplete, and one just incomplete 

PENALTIES-jaimes 

Series 4, Fg. 14 plays FG

Mills six rushes, 3,0,0,5,4,0 fumbled one recovered by AMART 

PASSING-2/2. Allen- 2 complete(25,4). Manning and Robinson- incompletes 

QB- Martinez two runs(1,5)

Series 5, 6 plays FG

RUSHING- Mills (-2)

PASSING-1/3. Flemming(28 yards), incompletes to Allen and Vokolek 

QB-Martinez- one run, 13 yards 

PENALTIES- Robinson FS

Series 6 -One play. TD

Mills (3 yards, but brought down average) 

Series 7, 6 plays. End of half

RUSHING- Mills one rush (15)

PASSING- all incomplete 0/3- Wandale, Vokolek, and ? 
WB- Martinez 8 yard run

 
Head Coach Scott Frost said:
I've been surprisingly unimpressed with Dedrick Mills.  He might legitimately be the fourth best option at running back on this team. Luke looked good when he took handoffs. I think Wandale is better and should not completely play receiver and Thompkins looked more explosive from the limited amount against Ohio State. Mills has had two games and is still at 3 yards per play. I'm not saying he should get no playing time, but he clearly did not pick up where he left off.
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Tell us more

 
PaulCrewe said:
Don't know when the zone read became power running, but how many poor poor AM reads while running the zone read resulted in Mills getting buried at the LOS.  
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Agree. I haven’t looked at the second half series yet, but it appears to me to be penalties and Qb play in the first half. 
 

did we tell our o-lineman that everyone needs to get a penalty in the first half? Because at least four of them did. 

 
I would find a new RB1 and RB2.  Mills has a role somewhere, but not as starter or second man up.  No disrespect, but he's had his opportunities.

I would scrap the 1st string receivers.  This position needs burst, quickness and play making ability.  Go with Wandale, Flemming, Betts, Manning.  Then find a small role for Warner if needed. 

And then I would get rid of all screen plays. Because if I kept even one variation of it, someone would call that play 8-10 times a game. 

As for QB1.  Well I love AM since day 1.  Gives his best, loves UNL, has great character on & off the field.  But I would make the change today and roll with LM for now.  Just prepare him with the reps and give him the same opportunity that AM has been given.  But also, I would keep AM involved by swapping him with Luke's role as a versatile player.  So if I felt like giving AM a series as QB, and use his athletic ability as a runner/passer too, I would. 

We need the best speed, burst and quickness at our skill positions and in the backfield.  Got to play fast because speed kills. Then comes power and experience.

I'd make these changes and call it "operation opportunity"

 
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