POSTGAME THREAD: Yup, we're still not there
by Jeff Nusser on Oct 3, 2009 10:28 PM PDT
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PrintIt'll be tempting for everyone to look at tonight's result and conclude that this team has taken a huge step backward after a seeming step forward last week.
Try not to read too much into tonight. This really was a terrible, terrible matchup for the Cougs: A cresting team with precisely the kind of offense that will give a team without good lateral speed fits against a team without lateral speed on defense and some major holes in its offensive line.
Oh, and without its starting quarterback after the third series.
As Grady said on the game thread, next weekend will offer a much better test. The Cougs will be back at home against a team with a weak offense and a defense that got exposed a little bit tonight. Take stock after that game.
And pray that Jeff Tuel is healthy enough to play, because while we probably couldn't learn much from tonight's game, there is one thing that has become clear beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Marshall Lobbestael is not good. Really, really not good.
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I heartily disagree
He’s clearly the best QB on the roster. They had to go this direction. You can’t not do something because you’re scared. Last year was the freebie where you redshirt everyone in sight. This year, make strides. That’s happening.
Its a desperation move by a coach on the hotseat ...
… that buys WSU very little for this season but costs them a whole extra year of development and achievement for a young QB with potential. Barkley and Bledsoe are exceptions to the rule: true freshman QBs do not favorably impact outcomes to games.
And I see little evidence to suggest that Tuel is WSU’s best quarterback right now. He surely is the one with the highest ceiling but, at best, he’s your second best QB in the moment. He might end the season as the best after some hard knocks, but is that worth trading away what would have been his senior year when all the other talent to be acquired in the next two years is starting to mature? I think not.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
He's fine
That is what happens when you have an injured offensive line. I cringed every time he was under center. I really wished the only reason he was under center was to hand the ball off because if it was to drop back or playfake he was dead to rights and had a huge bullseye on him.
Even if he's not fine
It was still the right move. The only thing I might quibble with is the decision to have him drop straight back. Would’ve liked to have seen some moving pockets and such.
By the way
Withers has Tuel’s injury down as a bruised thigh. Same with Karstetter. Bruised hip for Wolfgramm.
He'll be fine it appears
And yes I agree it was the right move. The talent difference is miles between him and Loebestaal and the potential is great. Now just protect him.
You already know I was on board with moving the pocket and I really didn’t want him under center at all. Oregons D line was too fast for him to drop back where he at least has a shot while in the gun. Not to mention he has better field vision that way
one bright note
oregon’s crowd was PISSED we scored. i mean REALLY pissed.
pretty unbelievable. and that was my moral victory.
Oh come on
We only hate Washington fans (which I’m sure you appreciate) and to a certain degree U$C fans (although mostly we just make fun of the fact that their band apparently only knows one song).
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Spoken out of the experience of having visited Autzen
Sorry, but it happened. Among other things, ranging from simple assault to harassment. I’ve never come away from an Oregon sporting event without having had a bad experience with a fan. Not saying they’re all bad, but there are some BAD ones.
i felt it wasn't as bad as it was in years past
the autzen employees must’ve gotten the memo that people hate visiting there, because EVERY worker, from the ticket takers to the ushers to the concession people had a very cheerful “Welcome to Autzen Stadium!”.
a few people let their beer muscles get the best of them, but I didn’t walk out of there fearful like i have in years past.
of course, a great deal of the indifference towards the cougs this year may be because our team sucks out loud.
Yeah or because our team was so horrible that...
everyone felt bad for us. Now if we would have beat Oregon I can guarantee the response woudl have been different, because Oregon fans handle dissapointment different than most college football fans and act like lil mishaved girls who got robbed of all their sno-cones at once.
Skywalker has a romantic view of how Oregon fans behave in Autzen...
… in general, it is not good.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Couldnt agree more
the fact Chip Kelley challenged that TD up 45 to zip, pissed me off beyond beleif. Oregon is my least favorite team mainy because of their arrogant demanor, roudy fans, smack talkin players. Chip Kelley fully demonstated he is nto a nice guy. Bellotti would never have challenged that TD or went for it up 45 zip. Bellotti actually had class
The oregon announcers after the game
supported the challenge. The called it a ‘pride’ thing, saying that they wanted to shut WSU out. I was at the game, and when they showed the replay on that massive screen the whole crowd went nuts. Looked like he was clearly in to me…
by displacedcoug on Oct 4, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I really thing someone should do a comparison between
Cal and WSU’s stats vs both Oregon and USC.
I just took a glance at them and I was surprised by how similar they seemed. For example…
WSU had more rushing yards than Cal against USC
Cal gave up 10 more yards on offense to Oregon than WSU and Oregon had 3min less time of possession.
I’m sure there are other factors, but I mean the Pac10 teams we have played are looking to be the top 3 so far.
I was pointing that out to my Duck uncle.
WSU has put up twice as many points against Oregon and USC than Cal. Just saying…
by displacedcoug on Oct 4, 2009 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions
the no-huddle
REALLY needs to be scrapped. it is painful to watch and generally looks like a bunch of guys scrambling around who have no clue what they’re supposed to do.
we’re just nowhere good enough to be trying to pull off that sort of offense.
agree.
… i have no idea why huddling up and making sure all of these young guys are on the same page is somehow a bad idea.
If Wulff wants to play high school tricks, he should elect to quit punting altogether.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Hey, punting is our strength
Reid Forrest should be all Pac 10. Too bad we can’t use that to score points…..
could'nt have said a truer word
we jsut dont have the athleticism and talen especially behind Lobbestaal to be running a no huddle offense. Oh, and give Wazzu’s line some credit there were several times Marshall had plenty of time to make a decent throw yet overthrew his receiver on third down and threw right to the oregon safety coming over to help on the coverage, both with plenty of time. And last but not least that big push to get over the line and give Marshall enough of a push to score the TD. Something the Husky line was infurriatingly incapable of yesterday.
Lobbestaal
has brainlock. He HAS to get rid of that ball when he hits his timer. Seahawks have the same problem with Seneca Wallace.
Yes, our line sucks, but sometimes the sack is because the QB is not going through the progressions and getting rid of the ball. Read the keys, chuck it or tuck it. Don’t just keep hoping someone gets open.
I will give you that Loebestaal doesn't run through progression
He also doesn’t have much of a timer. That said, there is no real timer with our line trouble. We can’t playfake because the QB is getting hit as soon as he turns from the playfake and a straight five step drop has been suicide. That said he has showed why he isn’t a good QB
Can someone please tell me if WE have hit rock bottom yet?
I mean this is absolutely crazy. I watch a UTEP team that got hammered by UT come out with a fire in its belly and completely light fire to Houston.
Yet, we look we are confused and completely overwhelmed by the opponent right from kickoff in this game.
And please don’t tell me this was a bad matchup for us. When is it not? SC played lousy and still beat us by 19 and they were a good matchup?
The only thing I think we do right offensively is not commit too many stupid offensive penalties! and please don’t get me started on the D.
USC was a better matchup
And so was Stanford. We’re a lot better when we can run downhill on defense. There’s a reason why Oregon has scored more points on us the last three years than any other opponent.
THere were multiple reasons as to our sloppy performance
Although we can give as many excuses as we’d like the truth of the matter is, we did indeed play sloppy. However the two times this year we have played againt teams that like to spread out, throw the ball and use more athletic receivers like Hawaii and Oregon. We find ourselves incapable to keep up with their athleticsim and shifty moves in the open. USC runs a more basic style of offense, pocket passing and handoffs to the running back. Also USC’s D did not put pressure on the QB at all different angles and using different players liek Oregon did, they rely more on striaght up overpowering and outperforming you becaue there players are better and they are. USC did not a whole lot of misdirection and screens like Oregon. USC’s and Stanfords offense plays to our strength on D. Its not that we arent strong enough to stop the run, because we did so multiple times against USC and Stanford. Its that we dont have the lateral mobility and quickness to keep up with teams like like to spread the ball out, run misdirection and keep you running and guessing as to which side of the field you should overload. On the positive side, I did see some nice open field tackles, and there was not a whole lot of blown assignments or coverage reads. It was just flat out they had better athletes, and wore us down. You cannot expect a D to go up against the likes of Oregon’s offense and match them, when our O is going 3 and out and throwing picks and giving up absolutely horrid field position. Our D got real tired, yet I never noticed a lack of concentration or a giving up attitude like I noticed last year. We still made some nice stops in the 3rd and 4th quarters when we were tired. I am actually looking forward to a fired up and motivated performance this homecoming weekend. ASU does not run as complicated as a offense, its much more basic. And if Tuel returns I have good reason to beleive this will be a close competetive match up. Because i know one things for sure. The cougs have never put their tail between their legs and given up. I like that. Go Cougs!
Why don't we try to match up different defensively then
How about some nickel packages to add speed? I know we have used the 3-3-5 which I absolutely hate because it gives up to much size on the line. Shoot run a 5-1-5. Just try to match up!
by ptowncoug3012 on Oct 4, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions
the huskies ran the 3-3-5 last year ...
… including the apple cup. you may not want to go in that direction.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
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