South Carolina Post-Game – The Perfect Blueprint

'09 Football General Tom O'Brien78

You have to hand it to the ol’ ball coach. He managed to do what nobody could in 2008 – stopped Russell Wilson cold. When asked by the media afterwards how he managed to bottle up Wilson like that, Spurrier exclaimed “We’ve got athletes!” That they do. But what almost nobody is able to to pull off is to have their athletes play with near perfect discipline and consistently execute the gameplan. That’s one hell of a coaching job.

South Carolina was bigger than NC State. South Carolina was faster than NC State. South Carolina was better coached than NC State. South Carolina had three trips to the red zone. NC State had ZERO. It was amazing that this game was even close.

Fortunately, we have no games remaining against SEC opponents. I doubt many other teams will bring the same athleticism and defensive speed to the table in 2009. So, all is not lost. As I’ve said all offseason, THIS is NOT “the year.” But 7-5 or 8-4 is possible, and it starts with beating Pitt on September 26. Do that, and we are still on track. Fail and it’s back to needing another Herculean effort to get back to respectability.

We’ll see what happens.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

'09 Football General Tom O'Brien

78 Responses to South Carolina Post-Game – The Perfect Blueprint

  1. Alpha Wolf 09/04/2009 at 9:59 AM #

    Is it only me that noticed that during the last drive we had a wide receiver open, with his hands on the winning freaking pass, standing in the end zone … and then he dropped it?

  2. Wolf Hound 09/04/2009 at 10:03 AM #

    A few items that I noticed from in the stands:

    * Wilson was in the pocket longer than usual before making the break. Then when he went to make the break out, he wasn’t sure which way to go. I remember from last year that O’Brien said that they worked with him on knowing the escape route before the play started. Last night he didn’t seem to know it. This is most likely due to him trying to go through more progressions (thinking a lot) and second, a defense finally figured out how to contain him. SC plays 5 DB’s so they had the speed to contain in a zone scheme.

    * Last year it wasn’t the wideouts that were instrumental in keeping plays alive. Sure, they had a big play here and there but the biggest weapon was Wilson rolling out, buying time and then Andre Brown would get about 8 yards down field and find a hole in the D where Wilson would drop it in. We didn’t have that last night. The WR’s looked about the same as last year. They didn’t get open last year and they didn’t last night. Wilson needs his escape person.

    * Finally, we need more speed in the backfield. I love that Toney Baker is trying to come back but he runs more like a FB now instead of a half back. That is why Brown was so good. He had a burst of speed and could pound. I see us going more to Washington/Eugene as the combination as the season wears on.

    Remember everyone, this team really is another year or 2 away. If we get to 8-4, you take it and run.

  3. Noah 09/04/2009 at 10:12 AM #

    The complaints about playcalling are a little strange. I didn’t agree with ALL the calls, but so what?

    I saw Wilson make a lot of throws and put the ball on the money. Unfortunately, he was throwing to NCSU receivers who are apparently all Thalidomide babies and were born with no hands. So sad.

    I also saw that USC had a tremendous defense. That will make the best of gameplans look rather silly.

  4. Wolf Hound 09/04/2009 at 10:15 AM #

    Also about the play calling, when you start out at the 10 all night long, you are going to be far more conservative – especially when your OL isn’t containing their DL.

  5. BSIE80 09/04/2009 at 10:42 AM #

    With about 8 minutes to go we punted. Don’t remember exactly the field position, but looked like we could have tried around a 50 yd field goal.
    Am I wrong?

  6. GAWolf 09/04/2009 at 10:49 AM #

    I agree BSIE80. And to me it looked like the play on 3rd down, throwing to nowhere close to the first down marker, was designed to set us up for 4 downs OR it was just a terrible play call OR a bad improvisation.

    We should have gone for that. What do we lose by not doing so?

    I can’t help but wonder if the staff said something to Wilson about that play… because on 4th and long with the game on the line he threw to the end zone when what we really needed to stay alive was a first down. Certainly a TD is the ultimate goal, but why go for broke? Truthfully, I couldn’t see the endzone due to others jumping up in tehe stands where that ball was thrown so the guy may have been open. And it’s definitely easier for us who see the field from above to after the fact talk about what options were there.

  7. lsutton5144 09/04/2009 at 10:55 AM #

    Next week they should give everyone at the game a YELLOW towel. The missed penalty on the “ear hole” grab on the punt return cost us 15 additional yard and perhaps a go ahead score. Anyone else ever seen a college game with no holding calls?

  8. Alpha Wolf 09/04/2009 at 10:55 AM #

    ^ The ball was on the 38 or 39 yard line, our second deepest penetration of the evening.

    We punted for a 24 yard net to the 14 yard line on a bad pooch punt fair caught by their receiver.

    Three quick plays later, SC was where we had the ball when we punted. If that was supposed to garner field position, it backfired.

    Quite honestly, I would have gone for it, fourth and eleven or not.

  9. BJD95 09/04/2009 at 10:58 AM #

    I liked going for the end zone on that 4th and 11. That’s a long damned way when you’re on the opponent’s 31, and SC was defending to stop intermediate routes. We did have single coverage in the end zone, did we not? Can’t ask for much more than that on a 4th and 11 play. It was also the only option that didn’t require RW to throw across his body/against momentum.

    He still underthrew it.

  10. 1.21 Jigawatts 09/04/2009 at 11:03 AM #

    Just to be different…did anyone else feel like once again the university screwed the pooch big time on the opening to the game? From the bad selection of music, the videos, and the constantly trying to “teach” a new cheer before the game, how all of it just sucked the energy out of the stadium?

  11. inhoc... 09/04/2009 at 11:15 AM #

    Sorry BJD, much respect but aside from state loosing, nothing was really correct about the prediction. USC,isn’t that good (certainly not 8-5) and Garcia is even more horrible. I’m sorry but did anyone notice that the play that won them the ballgame was our very first offencive play? They got the ball on our 13. 9 times out of ten that’s going for a TD. Our secondary didn’t really have to play well because garicia is an idiot. The only passes he completed were underneath quick passes that were designed as his first read under the loose zone. The int he threw was almost Harrison beck (but not quite) worthy. I truely believe we will get better and thurn the corner, but this was truely a pathetic game with a pathetic showing on both teams account. 7-3 is a great baseball score, that’s about it. Glennon threw a good pass. Have a good feeling about him. Otherwise that showing was travisty to he game of football…

  12. lsutton5144 09/04/2009 at 11:18 AM #

    I agree. Coach Harper may not be able to talk again before basketball season. The PA system sucks, probably blown up from playing what somebody called music at deafening levels. Why not use the $250K saved on doing the field and do something to the PA system at CF? New cheers would be great, but try to teach them when the team is getting ready to come out on the field. Looks like some more of Fowler’s crap.

  13. tvp1 09/04/2009 at 11:19 AM #

    Not going for it on 4th and 8 was just the incorrect call. It’s not “playing field position” or anything like that. It’s flat out wrong, and it’s not the first time this staff has made the wrong call in that kind of situation.

    On the last play, there was a massive OL breakdown. Norwood came in absolutely untouched off the edge. No one even LOOKED at him. Not sure what the hell happened there.

  14. tvp1 09/04/2009 at 11:21 AM #

    And as much as I want to be heartened by the D’s performance, I think it was more what SC was doing wrong (or not doing) than our defense being dominant.

    I think it would be really, really great to start next year off with an absolute patsy.

  15. TOBtime 09/04/2009 at 11:40 AM #

    The endzone ball at the end was underthrown. And our guy STILL got his hands on it in front of his body. No excuses. Catch the ball or go play safety.
    The dropped endzone ball before that (over the 2 SC defenders) was simply a nightmare. You CANNOT drop that ball.
    Noah is right. SC has one heck of a defense. Norwood is a monster all over the field.

  16. elvislives 09/04/2009 at 12:06 PM #

    Pro: State’s defense played well enough to give the team a chance to win against a stronger opponent. Even with the extensive amount of time they were on the field they did not “hit the wall”. Some spotty poor tackling by the D line throughout the game (at least once costing us a stop on 3rd and short) but overall a great effort that showed hard, off-season conditioning pays off. The D lineman interception was a truly great play.

    Con: State’s offensive playcalling gave the team little opportunity to win the game. A few interesting offensive passing formations (the trips receiver screen pass/blocking formation was nice) but overall a lack of creativity and execution. Spotty O-line run blocking schemes, no containment on Scarolina’s #40 pass rush and a lack of a “playmaker” on offense. The only offensive momentum came on four-down passing series.

    To be a top tier football team, the offense cannot look scared to push the ball vertically down field. Last night I saw a team desperate to establish the running game by consistently pushing a round peg through a square hole. The offensive coordinator needs to look up “play action pass” in that junior high playbook that we saw last night.

    Anyone else here the “top notch fuhcilities” rambling by the announcers? I had to smile when I heard that and think back to all the Fowler comments I’ve read on this site.

  17. Hogwild 09/04/2009 at 12:08 PM #

    @ inhoc I understand you’re down on the whole team right now, but you have your blinders on if you think that was a Beck-like interception. That was a phenomenal play that not a whole hell of a lot of DEs in the nation could make.

    Hello all, I haven’t commented here in years (but I read every week). When we State fans get down on ourselves we just can’t see even the smallest positive things. Just wanted to voice my opinion on the INT.

  18. GAWolf 09/04/2009 at 12:30 PM #

    Truthfully, I agree. Lemon’s interception was right in front of us and it was just a fantastic play. In my eyes, that was the one truly bright moment of the evening for me. We’re lucky to have Michael on the field for us. Good work, kid. Welcome to Raleigh!

  19. El Scrotcho 09/04/2009 at 1:20 PM #

    It was a toss up game, and we lost a close one – that’s the definition of a toss up. Our bowl chances are gonna hinge on how we do against the ACC and to a lesser extent, Pitt. Tip of the hat to SC’s defense. They played a great game.

  20. Tiew 09/04/2009 at 1:34 PM #

    I just want to say that I still respect and trust TOB and I still think Wilson is a great player.

    It’s nice if you can come out and just blow your opponents away. I don’t think we have the talent to do that consistently yet. Maybe in some positions, but definitely not as a team in general. That’s why I’m glad to see us come out and play a careful, disciplined style that minimizes those throw the game away kinds of mistakes. Despite all that went wrong and all the difficulties we had, we staid in this one. We had a chance to win up until the final minutes.

    That’s how I remember our last season being. We didn’t beat ourselves. We won some close ones, lost some close ones, and sometimes when talented teams played sloppy against us we crushed them.

  21. primacyone 09/04/2009 at 2:04 PM #

    We haven’t had 4 losing seasons in 50 years, but we may accomplish the 4 in a row mark again this year. Our 3* sleepers that everyone is so excited about are not getting the job done and last night was a true embarrassment on National TV.

    We flat out sucked and we were not anywhere near ready to play a football game. We were better last year. Pitt could destroy us.

    133 yards of offense for an ENTIRE football game. Think about that. Without USC’s three main mistakes on scoring play’s we are not even in the game.

  22. primacyone 09/04/2009 at 2:26 PM #

    And where in the hell was the punt rush? Did you see the laziness there? It was like stand up, touch the blocker in front of you, let them slap you around a couple of times, and go sit back down on the bench.

    Not to mention our punt attempts. That block was 100% lack of effort. It was like the opposite of effort. CHIT, WE SUCK.

  23. Rick 09/04/2009 at 2:37 PM #

    “I posted an opinion in this thread that things were not so great with our football team and got beaten up about it. Heck, I was even nice about it and tried to make it a topic of conversation and discussion rather than just a statement of my opinion and I was still blasted.”

    What do you want? I pat on the back?

  24. primacyone 09/04/2009 at 2:51 PM #

    ^No. I had other comments in there that got deleted. The paragraph you reference was in there to suggest why my comments that got deleted should not be deleted. Obliviously it didn’t work! I’ll edit the post to take that paragraph out.

  25. tj foose 09/04/2009 at 3:55 PM #

    “And where in the hell was the punt rush? Did you see the laziness there? It was like stand up, touch the blocker in front of you, let them slap you around a couple of times, and go sit back down on the bench.”

    Unless the coaches call for a punt rush, the idea is to set up a punt return. For most of the punt return team, first part of setting up a punt return is NOT rushing the punter. You simply cover your fake punt assignments and make sure the guy in front of you does not run down field until you are ready to leave to set up the return lane.

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