(10-09-2021, 05:36 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: I'd just like to say that, though we have given up way too many yards on the ground, and don't have a robust pass rush, the DL has arguably overachieved. Three guys play about 90% of the time. One could start on any team, one would be a strategic replacement on most teams, and one would not see the field all that much. But, they hang in till the end of the game, play very hard and generally overachieve. I applaud them.I agree. On the average, these guys play better than we have a right to expect. They unfortunately have streaks where they can't stop anybody in the run game. They almost never get a push on the QB unless there is at least one blitzer, but they to make plays when they have blitz help. They aren't good, but they are better than I feared. They are reliably good enough for about three stops a game. They have actually been delivering more than that, which says they are outperforming.
(10-09-2021, 05:36 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: I'd just like to say that, though we have given up way too many yards on the ground, and don't have a robust pass rush, the DL has arguably overachieved. Three guys play about 90% of the time. One could start on any team, one would be a strategic replacement on most teams, and one would not see the field all that much. But, they hang in till the end of the game, play very hard and generally overachieve. I applaud them.I agree. On the average, these guys play better than we have a right to expect. They unfortunately have streaks where they can't stop anybody in the run game. They almost never get a push on the QB unless there is at least one blitzer, but they to make plays when they have blitz help. They aren't good, but they are better than I feared. They are reliably good enough for about three stops a game. They have actually been delivering more than that, which says they are outperforming.
(10-09-2021, 05:53 PM)Goose Wrote:(10-09-2021, 05:36 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: I'd just like to say that, though we have given up way too many yards on the ground, and don't have a robust pass rush, the DL has arguably overachieved. Three guys play about 90% of the time. One could start on any team, one would be a strategic replacement on most teams, and one would not see the field all that much. But, they hang in till the end of the game, play very hard and generally overachieve. I applaud them.I agree. On the average, these guys play better than we have a right to expect. They unfortunately have streaks where they can't stop anybody in the run game. They almost never get a push on the QB unless there is at least one blitzer, but they to make plays when they have blitz help. They aren't good, but they are better than I feared. They are reliably good enough for about three stops a game. They have actually been delivering more than that, which says they are outperforming.
College teams usually stop themselves a few series a game. Some of the "stops" we got against Oregon were self-inflicted. Our problem is that when we play a team that doesn't stop themselves we are only going to have three or so stops to work with. Our offense absolutely has to be real efficient. When we don't score on a possession, that is another stop used up. With an offense that can't run the ball at all and wide receivers who are sure-handed but not explosive we have to drive the ball down the field in the air with many plays. Lots of opportunity for mistakes. McKee has to be pretty much perfect. Unless our OL improves and we can run the ball a bit, it will be almost impossible to be efficient enough to win against teams that are themselves efficient. Fortunately many of our future opponents have shown that they are often not that efficient (at least at times), but man that is a shaky thing to rely upon.
(10-09-2021, 05:53 PM)Goose Wrote:(10-09-2021, 05:36 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: I'd just like to say that, though we have given up way too many yards on the ground, and don't have a robust pass rush, the DL has arguably overachieved. Three guys play about 90% of the time. One could start on any team, one would be a strategic replacement on most teams, and one would not see the field all that much. But, they hang in till the end of the game, play very hard and generally overachieve. I applaud them.I agree. On the average, these guys play better than we have a right to expect. They unfortunately have streaks where they can't stop anybody in the run game. They almost never get a push on the QB unless there is at least one blitzer, but they to make plays when they have blitz help. They aren't good, but they are better than I feared. They are reliably good enough for about three stops a game. They have actually been delivering more than that, which says they are outperforming.
College teams usually stop themselves a few series a game. Some of the "stops" we got against Oregon were self-inflicted. Our problem is that when we play a team that doesn't stop themselves we are only going to have three or so stops to work with. Our offense absolutely has to be real efficient. When we don't score on a possession, that is another stop used up. With an offense that can't run the ball at all and wide receivers who are sure-handed but not explosive we have to drive the ball down the field in the air with many plays. Lots of opportunity for mistakes. McKee has to be pretty much perfect. Unless our OL improves and we can run the ball a bit, it will be almost impossible to be efficient enough to win against teams that are themselves efficient. Fortunately many of our future opponents have shown that they are often not that efficient (at least at times), but man that is a shaky thing to rely upon.
