My Thoughts Following The Maryland Debacle

[primal defense]

Don Pardo, show our guest his prize.

RIP 2014

 

[oldhorn2]

Primal...you are justified in what you say, but upon what evidence are you saying that Maryland is a weak team? It was said of them before our game that they were a strong running team and I saw nothing that made me disbelieve that. It was said that they were a soft defense, but we could not contain their rush. Maybe they are a soft defense and we are beyond soft up front, but I dont know that is true. Sadly, we will never know if they are a good team or just lucky to schedule us as their QB is now out for the year. The Maryland team going forward will not be the one that we played. I am not excusing our crap shitty effort. We should have won that game.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Primal...you are justified in what you say, but upon what evidence are you saying that Maryland is a weak team? It was said of them before our game that they were a strong running team and I saw nothing that made me disbelieve that. It was said that they were a soft defense, but we could not contain their rush. Maybe they are a soft defense and we are beyond soft up front, but I dont know that is true. Sadly, we will never know if they are a good team or just lucky to schedule us as their QB is now out for the year. The Maryland team going forward will not be the one that we played. I am not excusing our crap shitty effort. We should have won that game.

 

[RickyFlair]

Herman is getting blasted after one game.... I don't remember another coaching staff ever having a leash this short.  Part of the reason is ridiculous expectations - I am as guilty as any.  I drank the Kool Aid.... seeing what happened at Cougar High, soaking in the MENSA talk; attention to detail talk; urine test talk; special forces (teams) talk.... Yes, part of it is ridiculous expectations.  The other part is just Herman's personality.  He is an alpha - he controls the press conferences.  He is confident - just shy of arrogance.  This is neither right nor wrong - it is who he is.  And, he will be loved for it if he wins.  He will be our precious little Bill Belichick.  If he doesn't win, the flood of criticism will be greater because of it (see John Macovic).  

Yes, I drank the Kool Aid and had ridiculous expectations myself.  I have changed.  I now use Mack Brown as my measuring stick.  He came into a program that was in shambles.  In year one, after beating New Mexico, his team got blasted and I mean blasted by UCLA.  They were outmanned and outclassed.  Not only that but they lost their blue Chip quarterback to injury (Richard Walton) and had to go with redshirt freshman (Major Applewhite).  The point is, by the end of that season, that team was playing about as good as any he had.  They went 9-3 and then blasted Jackie Sherrill's Mississippi State team in the Cotton Bowl.  This is  my new measuring stick.  I want to see week by week improvement and a team playing good enough to compete honorably in a bowl game by the end of the season.  Herman is certainly getting paid like a Mack Brown, I want to see he and his staff perform like a Mack Brown!  I will sit through a rebuilding process with my pom poms if I can see it happening.  But as orange as my blood is, I am getting rather tired of what I have been witnessing for the last 7 years or so!  I have a lot of yard work that needs done. and could use my ticket money for things like putting my kids through college.   

For me personally its not a short leash for Herman or the staff its being at the end of the leash for the Football Program. We have settled for just seeing weekly improvement for at least four seasons and that morsel of hope still alludes us. My meltdown after Saturday has numerous layers. I really liked and respected Charlie Strong, the person. I wanted him to succeed not only because that meant the team would succeed but I genuinely wanted it for him. I did realize last year that it just wasn't going to happen and knew the change should be made. When Herman was named the new coach (everyone knew it was coming) I had reservations. It wasn't that I had any knowledge of his ability it was that his resume was almost identical to Coach Strong's. We were told that Herman had the qualities that Charlie lacked (organization, attention to detail, ect...) and those traits would bring the necessary change to ensure success. He came in and was exactly as advertised. Energetic, detail oriented, and great at pressers. He embraced the tradition and old guard, he reminded us how great the university was/is, and he was killing on the recruiting trail. I didn't find him just shy of arrogant, I find him straight up arrogant and that's great with me because were are Texas! Leading up to the kickoff he had delivered on everything he said day one. The excitement was back, facility enhancements, players were buying in, and the hope was back. Then the game started and we were the same old incapable bunch of yahoos we had been when Strong was here. No defense, special team breakdowns, inconsistent line play, and an anemic offense. Some are saying its the QB again. Its a never ending nightmare. After the game we get the same garbage excuses we've been getting. I want Herman to go Marshawn Lynch at the press meetings, don't say shit. Stop talking at all and win some freaking ballgames. I don't want to know what went wrong, I don't want to know how its going to be fixed. I just want to see an improved football team. At this point I wont compare Tom Herman to anyone. He's not Charlie Strong, Mack Brown, Darrell Royal, or any other coach. Tom Herman is the only head coach at THE University of Texas, he is being paid a small fortune at his dream job. He wanted it, he got it, and he needs to get results. If he wanted to avoid getting blasted he should have stayed in Houston. If he wanted to be a legend he's at the right place.

 

[Epictetus]

Replay shows how penalties can wreck a team. Stands out when rolling back through the drives.

They'll be rolling along on a series and I'll say... well, this looks promising... what went wrong?

Then... holding penatly. Oh, yeah, that.

As to holding penalties I'm of the opinion a lot of that... when it's a rash of them... is due to the aggressive playing style of the defenders, or how they are coached in what they do that forces offensive holding. Probably techniques of hands and arms that force the offensive player to then use HIS hands and arms ... and suddenly you are into hold. Might be techniques for trapping the offensive players arms and hands and 'pulling' them into a hold.

I keep getting back to Maryland coach Durkin's background. Coached under both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. With Harbaugh at Stanford and then at Michigan. Joined him at UM in 2015 as DC and linebacker coach. Pretty sure he picked up defensive and overall team attitude from Harbaugh. To include anything that forces mistakes and penalties on opponents.

 

[Epictetus]

Questions on how good was Maryland...

Durkin was DC for Harbaugh in 2015. Last weekend, Michigan held Florida rushing game to NET 11 yards on 27 carries.

For Texas, Chris Warren and Kyle Porter combined for 52 yards on 14 carries. 

I cannot find penalty stats for the UM/Florida game, but I've a theory that a defense that can force holding penalties has an edge. If I'm a scout I make notes of teams who defenders play into holding; not just linemen but backs and receivers that are also flagged for holding.

Of all penalties in the game, I hate holding the most.

 

[83Dee]

Replay shows how penalties can wreck a team. Stands out when rolling back through the drives.

They'll be rolling along on a series and I'll say... well, this looks promising... what went wrong?

Then... holding penatly. Oh, yeah, that.

As to holding penalties I'm of the opinion a lot of that... when it's a rash of them... is due to the aggressive playing style of the defenders, or how they are coached in what they do that forces offensive holding. Probably techniques of hands and arms that force the offensive player to then use HIS hands and arms ... and suddenly you are into hold. Might be techniques for trapping the offensive players arms and hands and 'pulling' them into a hold.

I keep getting back to Maryland coach Durkin's background. Coached under both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. With Harbaugh at Stanford and then at Michigan. Joined him at UM in 2015 as DC and linebacker coach. Pretty sure he picked up defensive and overall team attitude from Harbaugh. To include anything that forces mistakes and penalties on opponents.

Good post Epictetus, 

I hate to nitpick, but I take issue with your use of the words, "holding penalty."  I don't think it is a good and respectful use of the terminology.  I remember the golden years under McWilliams, Macovic, Brown and Strong when I could gripe about a "holding penalty."  "You could call that on every play!" I would shout at my television.  A "holding penalty" lends itself to the game of football as it gives you water cooler fodder on Monday for why you really should have won the game.... the refs stink!

These were not holding penalties.  I'm not sure what you call what our  tailback did.... he took a helmet in the chest as he wrapped both arms around the base of the defenders helmet and then acted like one of the Von Eric's as he attempted to flip the defender over his falling backwards body.  I don't think that is really "holding?"  Moreover, holding is when you can argue whether or not a player was "outside his body" when he had a fist full of jersey.  Our right tackle looked like he was making a chain for a game of "Red Rover" as he back peddled.... looking for someone to block with his arm out at a 90 degree angle holding onto the jersey of a player someone else was blocking.   Perhaps he just got his sports mixed up, but I don't think this was "holding."  Now, our sure fire first round draft pick.... what he did is holding.  This is why he is entering the draft early and won't be with us next year.... he was beaten by a spin move; and rather than allowing his already injured QB to get further damaged, he extended an arm, grabbed a jersey and acted like he was water skiing behind a speed boat.  This is how you do it, old school, but even at that I really couldn't argue with the call.... it robbed me of that joy!

What I am looking for next week is holding penalties which are traditional enough that I can complain - "we were hosed!"  If I see that, I will know these kids are being coached up by a coaching staff that pays attention to detail!