[Griffins78]

[quote author=berto41 link=topic=5306.msg38566#msg38566 date=1325782351]
P.S. The decision by the dback coach to play Blackmon 1-on-1 throughout the evening, and especially on that critical 4th and 4 with 4 minutes to go -- he easily picked up 21 yards, almost without being touched -- is equally PATHETIC.

I agree that would have been PATHETIC. Fortunately, that wasn't the coverage throughout on Blackmon. Blackmon just happens to be an amazing player, and he was playing guys deemed second-string defensive backs at the beginning of the year.
[/quote]Exactly. We shut Blackmon down for much of the game. Our DC came up with lots of creative schemes and movement which led to a subpar performance by their QB, Brandon Weeden. His completion percentage is much higher than Luck or any other QB in the country, yet we confounded him most of the game. Blackmon is a TWO-time Biletnikoff award winner and only a JUNIOR. That's truly incredible. When we were on him 1 on 1 - we hit him but he shrugged off two tacklers like nothing. When he was untouched we were in zone.

Our DEFENSE played really well. They held the number 1 offense far below their averages and kept them from controlling the game. They kept the ball in Andrew Luck and our offenses hands most of the game.

Some are complaining about being too conservative on play calling. On defense, we took risks. We threw more schemes and defenses and plays on defense at them than I saw all year. And sometimes we got burned. We blitzed our safeties - sometimes both at the same time - and thought we could get pressure on their QB. I think their OL play was a major factor in the game. They handled everything we threw at them and we tried a lot.

[Griffins78]

[quote author=berto41 link=topic=5306.msg38566#msg38566 date=1325782351]
P.S. The decision by the dback coach to play Blackmon 1-on-1 throughout the evening, and especially on that critical 4th and 4 with 4 minutes to go -- he easily picked up 21 yards, almost without being touched -- is equally PATHETIC.

I agree that would have been PATHETIC. Fortunately, that wasn't the coverage throughout on Blackmon. Blackmon just happens to be an amazing player, and he was playing guys deemed second-string defensive backs at the beginning of the year.
[/quote]Exactly. We shut Blackmon down for much of the game. Our DC came up with lots of creative schemes and movement which led to a subpar performance by their QB, Brandon Weeden. His completion percentage is much higher than Luck or any other QB in the country, yet we confounded him most of the game. Blackmon is a TWO-time Biletnikoff award winner and only a JUNIOR. That's truly incredible. When we were on him 1 on 1 - we hit him but he shrugged off two tacklers like nothing. When he was untouched we were in zone.

Our DEFENSE played really well. They held the number 1 offense far below their averages and kept them from controlling the game. They kept the ball in Andrew Luck and our offenses hands most of the game.

Some are complaining about being too conservative on play calling. On defense, we took risks. We threw more schemes and defenses and plays on defense at them than I saw all year. And sometimes we got burned. We blitzed our safeties - sometimes both at the same time - and thought we could get pressure on their QB. I think their OL play was a major factor in the game. They handled everything we threw at them and we tried a lot.