I am running a little behind this week so my weekly post of my thoughts on the previous game is nearly 2 days late. To those of you who requested that I do this, I have 2 things to say.
1. I am sorry for the tardiness. This new full time gig I have with the National Guard has proven to be a lot to take in. I hope to settle in soon and establish a routine.
2. Like I said after my initial post was well received and many requested I do this after each game...remember...you asked for it.
That said, here goes.
1. The defense gave another solid performance Saturday night. Nothing spectacular, but, as CML said, those kids fought their guts out and gave us a chance to win the football game. We are very thin in several spots and have to recruit better talent pretty much across the board, but the effort is there and CMM seems to have them in position to make plays. Particularly impressive was the play of Jacquez Jones. I continue to be impressed by Sam Williams. We did surrender over 500 yards, which normally equates to about 45 points, but we did not throw in the proverbial white flag and give up when it became obvious that the offense was going to struggle against the top tier Tiger defense. The secondary, which has been maligned much of the season, played fairly well and the front 7 managed to keep the Tigers from popping the big play on the ground. Kudos to the defense for the effort. They played hard all night and never gave in.
2. Piggybacking off of #1, there is an old adage in football that the most important periods in a game are the last 5 minutes of the 1st half and the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half. Coach Malzhan is a master of the ole 2 for 1, where his team scores right before half and then gets the ball to start the 2nd half and scores again. We hit a lull in this crucial period and Auburn took advantage. The big pass by Auburn right before the half was huge. We were in a cover 4 look and # 5 (Haynes?) allowed the back out of the backfield to run right by him on the wheel route. This is a mistake that just kicks you in the gut and sucks the life right out of you. While we did score after the big punt return from Moore to cut the lead to 10-7, Auburn scored on the opening possession of the 3rd quarter, making 14 of their 20 points come in this crucial 10 minute window.
3. Piggybacking off of #2, the most important special teams to me have always been PAT, then punt and punt return. In all 22 years in which I served as a HFC in high school, I ALWAYS coached these teams myself, even when I was my own OC, which was all but 3 seasons. I said that to say this, when you are playing a team full of youngsters like we are, with a defense that plays hard but is undermanned and an offense that has 85% of its production being provided by freshmen, why aren't we working on producing more opportunities in the punt/punt return game (this is a rhetorical question as I am not at practice nor privy to the practice schedule). We were 127th...ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVENTH... in punt return yards before Moore's big return to set up the touchdown before the half. I guess I am being critical here, but why is this statistic a fact? Other questions I have, in no particular order, are: Why do we not ever try to block a punt? (stats say teams that block a punt win the game over 80% of the time) When was the last time we faked a punt? I don't understand why we don't try to flip the momentum in this department more. What is the worst thing that could happen? Lose the game?
4. Piggybacking off of #3 (trying to establish a trend here) Lets talk about the play of Elijah Moore for a minute. He has been BY FAR our best receiver this season, with more catches and attempts than the rest of the receiving corps combined. He went into the game with almost 50 catches without a drop. Let me say that last part again. WITHOUT. A. DROP. With that fact established as our baseline, he had a couple of big negative plays that really hurt us against Auburn. First, early in the 2nd quarter with the game still scoreless, we reeled off back to back first downs and then we attempted to give the ball to Moore on a reverse. He fumbled (the tape showed it was a poor handoff by Corral, see next piggyback) and then attempted to dance around after retrieving the ball instead of going forward and getting as much as he can and took a 14 yard loss, which killed the drive. A typical young player mistake. Then, he had his streak of no drops broken...a couple of times. Particularly damaging was a drop of a deep ball from Corral that would have possibly been a big, momentum building play. The punt return was a big play, but the negative plays hurt.
5. Piggybacking ( ok, I won't say it again) from #4, our quarterback situation has not improved, it has went the other way. I have stated previously that JRP is the direction we need to go, and I am not backing down from that statement. That is not a popular opinion here, I get that. Another poster put my feelings about this into words much better than I could have when he (or she) stated, " a lot of people on here love what Corral COULD do much more than what he actually does". I get the arm strength argument. I get that he was the starter before his injury. That said, I also see things that others might not see, or do not think is as important as those of us who have coached see. I see lots of missed passes. I see missed reads. I see lackluster care with the football at times (the fumble by Moore on the reverse was Corral's fault) and I see a high level of frustration that is beginning to affect his play. Further, I don't see that Corral has "it". I sense a different vibe from his teammates when he is in the game. There is a lot to be said about the "it" factor. "It" has been the key to many successful quarterbacks. Joe Montana had "it". Peyton Manning had "it". Ryan Leaf did not. Corral looked miserable on the sidelines in the 2nd half. His body language was not good. That is not a good sign moving forward.
6. If JRP is the guy, then we are, in my opinion, going to have to make some adjustments in our approach. I subscribe to this site primarily to read the ideas and opinions of Neal and Chase. I have watched them in action during and after a game. The level of thorough preparation that they put into their craft is impressive to watch. Ten Thoughts is one of my favorite reads (I could do without the drink and food segments). That said, I respectfully, whole heartedly, disagree with Neal's statement that this offense won't work. It will work, and could be lethal, if we will stop being so bull headed and adapt the philosophy a little (a little age and experience by the primary producers will help too). We need to set JRP up to be successful instead of insisting on running him on 1st down every series. Crossing routes, slants, stops, and even roll outs (I know we have this already) are easy, high percentage throws (Jim McElwain used the term, flipping it off his wrist) that can be successful on 1st down and can build confidence and make the defense more honest. Further, we need to make it a part of the game plan to target receivers OTHER than Moore 10 times a game, minimum. Surely other teams slanting their coverages to account for Moore can be flipped to our advantage via formation and create some isolation opportunities for Mingo Gregory, or Sanders. All of these guys are good athletes. Prioritizing getting them the ball doesn't seem to be a part of the game plan, but it should be.
7. The rest of the season? Well, we should win Saturday. Then, we get LSU the week after they take their annual beating at the hands of Alabama. They will have Bama fatigue and will be prime for a possible dog fight at VHS. Wouldn't it be awesome if we had 60K Ole Miss fans in attendance, unified behind this team, showing our appreciation of the fact that they have played hard all season long, cheering as hard as this team plays, and score a huge, emotional, program changing upset to set up a battle of 5-6 teams (MSU will also be coming off an Alabama beatdown) in a classic, winner take all, bowl berth clinching, loser leave town battle for the Golden Egg on Thanksgiving night? I am not prepared to call the LSU upset yet, but it isn't as out of the question as most of the naysayers think. If it is close, surely we are due to win one of those types of games?
8. Again, I want to reiterate my position on the coaching situation. I have been more vocal in my criticism of things than while I was a coach. That said, I still firmly believe we have to stay the course through November of 2020. Some point to the Taggart situation and compare it to ours. That is a total apples to oranges comparison. FSU did not have sanctions, we did. FSU did not have a depleted roster, we did, ESPECIALLY on defense. FSU had administration in place, we didn't and still don't have an AD. FSU has cash to throw around, we don't at this time. I was hired as HC and AD at a school many years ago. Shortly after arriving for spring practice, I was summoned to the Super's office and told that I needed to fire both girls and boys basketball coaches and the baseball coach. I had not even had the opportunity to meet the people I was being told to fire, let alone evaluate their performance or lack thereof. I pushed back and secured another year for the coaches to allow time for me to properly evaluate their performances. Two of the coaches left on their own and we let the 3rd go, but we did it properly. I said that to say this, CML's fate may satisfy all of your wishes (I still do not understand why he has such a target on him, but WAOM so...) and get his walking papers, but it must be handled properly. I have stated in previous editions how I think this situation should be handled, both by Ole Miss and CML, so I won't go there again. I really wish I could come to this site and not have to wade through all the hate/fire threads and read substantive posts by folks who share my love of Ole Miss football.
9. The election season is over in Mississippi. If your candidate(s) won, congratulations. Now, stop gloating and lets all come together and do our part to improve our state and get it off the bottom in things like literacy rate, obesity rate, teen pregnancy rate, teacher pay, and poverty. If your candidate(s) lost, better luck in 2023. Now, stop fretting and lets all come together and do our part to improve our state and get it off the bottom in things like literacy rate, obesity rate, teen pregnancy rate, teacher pay, and poverty.
10. The new Chancellor has taken office. It seems as if the back door was left open and some...inconsistencies may have been present. The milk has been spilled, and now the mess must be cleaned up. Nothing good will happen as long as we continue to eat our own and divide our house. Ole Miss needs her people to unify. It is my sincere hope that we can bury the hatchets, all come together and do our part to improve our school and get our school back to where it needs to be. Focusing on in state recruiting is the first thing that must happen. In state alumni will be here to fight battles out of staters can't. The base must come from in state. This is not rocket science, just common sense.
That is all.
1. I am sorry for the tardiness. This new full time gig I have with the National Guard has proven to be a lot to take in. I hope to settle in soon and establish a routine.
2. Like I said after my initial post was well received and many requested I do this after each game...remember...you asked for it.
That said, here goes.
1. The defense gave another solid performance Saturday night. Nothing spectacular, but, as CML said, those kids fought their guts out and gave us a chance to win the football game. We are very thin in several spots and have to recruit better talent pretty much across the board, but the effort is there and CMM seems to have them in position to make plays. Particularly impressive was the play of Jacquez Jones. I continue to be impressed by Sam Williams. We did surrender over 500 yards, which normally equates to about 45 points, but we did not throw in the proverbial white flag and give up when it became obvious that the offense was going to struggle against the top tier Tiger defense. The secondary, which has been maligned much of the season, played fairly well and the front 7 managed to keep the Tigers from popping the big play on the ground. Kudos to the defense for the effort. They played hard all night and never gave in.
2. Piggybacking off of #1, there is an old adage in football that the most important periods in a game are the last 5 minutes of the 1st half and the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half. Coach Malzhan is a master of the ole 2 for 1, where his team scores right before half and then gets the ball to start the 2nd half and scores again. We hit a lull in this crucial period and Auburn took advantage. The big pass by Auburn right before the half was huge. We were in a cover 4 look and # 5 (Haynes?) allowed the back out of the backfield to run right by him on the wheel route. This is a mistake that just kicks you in the gut and sucks the life right out of you. While we did score after the big punt return from Moore to cut the lead to 10-7, Auburn scored on the opening possession of the 3rd quarter, making 14 of their 20 points come in this crucial 10 minute window.
3. Piggybacking off of #2, the most important special teams to me have always been PAT, then punt and punt return. In all 22 years in which I served as a HFC in high school, I ALWAYS coached these teams myself, even when I was my own OC, which was all but 3 seasons. I said that to say this, when you are playing a team full of youngsters like we are, with a defense that plays hard but is undermanned and an offense that has 85% of its production being provided by freshmen, why aren't we working on producing more opportunities in the punt/punt return game (this is a rhetorical question as I am not at practice nor privy to the practice schedule). We were 127th...ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVENTH... in punt return yards before Moore's big return to set up the touchdown before the half. I guess I am being critical here, but why is this statistic a fact? Other questions I have, in no particular order, are: Why do we not ever try to block a punt? (stats say teams that block a punt win the game over 80% of the time) When was the last time we faked a punt? I don't understand why we don't try to flip the momentum in this department more. What is the worst thing that could happen? Lose the game?
4. Piggybacking off of #3 (trying to establish a trend here) Lets talk about the play of Elijah Moore for a minute. He has been BY FAR our best receiver this season, with more catches and attempts than the rest of the receiving corps combined. He went into the game with almost 50 catches without a drop. Let me say that last part again. WITHOUT. A. DROP. With that fact established as our baseline, he had a couple of big negative plays that really hurt us against Auburn. First, early in the 2nd quarter with the game still scoreless, we reeled off back to back first downs and then we attempted to give the ball to Moore on a reverse. He fumbled (the tape showed it was a poor handoff by Corral, see next piggyback) and then attempted to dance around after retrieving the ball instead of going forward and getting as much as he can and took a 14 yard loss, which killed the drive. A typical young player mistake. Then, he had his streak of no drops broken...a couple of times. Particularly damaging was a drop of a deep ball from Corral that would have possibly been a big, momentum building play. The punt return was a big play, but the negative plays hurt.
5. Piggybacking ( ok, I won't say it again) from #4, our quarterback situation has not improved, it has went the other way. I have stated previously that JRP is the direction we need to go, and I am not backing down from that statement. That is not a popular opinion here, I get that. Another poster put my feelings about this into words much better than I could have when he (or she) stated, " a lot of people on here love what Corral COULD do much more than what he actually does". I get the arm strength argument. I get that he was the starter before his injury. That said, I also see things that others might not see, or do not think is as important as those of us who have coached see. I see lots of missed passes. I see missed reads. I see lackluster care with the football at times (the fumble by Moore on the reverse was Corral's fault) and I see a high level of frustration that is beginning to affect his play. Further, I don't see that Corral has "it". I sense a different vibe from his teammates when he is in the game. There is a lot to be said about the "it" factor. "It" has been the key to many successful quarterbacks. Joe Montana had "it". Peyton Manning had "it". Ryan Leaf did not. Corral looked miserable on the sidelines in the 2nd half. His body language was not good. That is not a good sign moving forward.
6. If JRP is the guy, then we are, in my opinion, going to have to make some adjustments in our approach. I subscribe to this site primarily to read the ideas and opinions of Neal and Chase. I have watched them in action during and after a game. The level of thorough preparation that they put into their craft is impressive to watch. Ten Thoughts is one of my favorite reads (I could do without the drink and food segments). That said, I respectfully, whole heartedly, disagree with Neal's statement that this offense won't work. It will work, and could be lethal, if we will stop being so bull headed and adapt the philosophy a little (a little age and experience by the primary producers will help too). We need to set JRP up to be successful instead of insisting on running him on 1st down every series. Crossing routes, slants, stops, and even roll outs (I know we have this already) are easy, high percentage throws (Jim McElwain used the term, flipping it off his wrist) that can be successful on 1st down and can build confidence and make the defense more honest. Further, we need to make it a part of the game plan to target receivers OTHER than Moore 10 times a game, minimum. Surely other teams slanting their coverages to account for Moore can be flipped to our advantage via formation and create some isolation opportunities for Mingo Gregory, or Sanders. All of these guys are good athletes. Prioritizing getting them the ball doesn't seem to be a part of the game plan, but it should be.
7. The rest of the season? Well, we should win Saturday. Then, we get LSU the week after they take their annual beating at the hands of Alabama. They will have Bama fatigue and will be prime for a possible dog fight at VHS. Wouldn't it be awesome if we had 60K Ole Miss fans in attendance, unified behind this team, showing our appreciation of the fact that they have played hard all season long, cheering as hard as this team plays, and score a huge, emotional, program changing upset to set up a battle of 5-6 teams (MSU will also be coming off an Alabama beatdown) in a classic, winner take all, bowl berth clinching, loser leave town battle for the Golden Egg on Thanksgiving night? I am not prepared to call the LSU upset yet, but it isn't as out of the question as most of the naysayers think. If it is close, surely we are due to win one of those types of games?
8. Again, I want to reiterate my position on the coaching situation. I have been more vocal in my criticism of things than while I was a coach. That said, I still firmly believe we have to stay the course through November of 2020. Some point to the Taggart situation and compare it to ours. That is a total apples to oranges comparison. FSU did not have sanctions, we did. FSU did not have a depleted roster, we did, ESPECIALLY on defense. FSU had administration in place, we didn't and still don't have an AD. FSU has cash to throw around, we don't at this time. I was hired as HC and AD at a school many years ago. Shortly after arriving for spring practice, I was summoned to the Super's office and told that I needed to fire both girls and boys basketball coaches and the baseball coach. I had not even had the opportunity to meet the people I was being told to fire, let alone evaluate their performance or lack thereof. I pushed back and secured another year for the coaches to allow time for me to properly evaluate their performances. Two of the coaches left on their own and we let the 3rd go, but we did it properly. I said that to say this, CML's fate may satisfy all of your wishes (I still do not understand why he has such a target on him, but WAOM so...) and get his walking papers, but it must be handled properly. I have stated in previous editions how I think this situation should be handled, both by Ole Miss and CML, so I won't go there again. I really wish I could come to this site and not have to wade through all the hate/fire threads and read substantive posts by folks who share my love of Ole Miss football.
9. The election season is over in Mississippi. If your candidate(s) won, congratulations. Now, stop gloating and lets all come together and do our part to improve our state and get it off the bottom in things like literacy rate, obesity rate, teen pregnancy rate, teacher pay, and poverty. If your candidate(s) lost, better luck in 2023. Now, stop fretting and lets all come together and do our part to improve our state and get it off the bottom in things like literacy rate, obesity rate, teen pregnancy rate, teacher pay, and poverty.
10. The new Chancellor has taken office. It seems as if the back door was left open and some...inconsistencies may have been present. The milk has been spilled, and now the mess must be cleaned up. Nothing good will happen as long as we continue to eat our own and divide our house. Ole Miss needs her people to unify. It is my sincere hope that we can bury the hatchets, all come together and do our part to improve our school and get our school back to where it needs to be. Focusing on in state recruiting is the first thing that must happen. In state alumni will be here to fight battles out of staters can't. The base must come from in state. This is not rocket science, just common sense.
That is all.
