Offensive Ineptitude

[airmail]

Ineptitude is a good title for this thread - that's exactly where I see us.

Here's a few of my observations from last weekend's game - particularly of our offensive unit:

• Our QB is frustrated by the plays coming in late from the sidelines. More than once he was giving the "hurry your arse up" signal to the sidelines. I don't think he is comfortable with this system at all.
  
• Our receivers are among the most talented in FCS. And probably our most talented of these has lost his fire. I'm not psychologist or anything, but I know an athlete that has lost his drive to compete when I see it. He no longer is making the ridiculously talented extra efforts that got his name in the paper last year. He is quite evidently also frustrated.
  
• An upper-classman O-liner tried after an early 3 and out to light the fire under his offensive unit's butts, and the response by his teammates was a joke. They didn't respond positively, if at all.
  
• Speaking of "after-a-series"... I find it completely odd that there are no coaches around the offensive unit after a series. When the hell did this change happen? Seriously - the coaches have nothing to say to our offense between series? There was always someone over there pointing a finger, rousing the troops, call it what you will. Unless I was completely out of it on Saturday (and I was sober, actually) I didn't see hardly ANY coach interaction with the O group. Someone please tell me I'm missing something because that seems completely stupid.
  
• I kind of felt bad for Mollberg when he got absolutely lit up (one of many times, actually), and was pretty much begging his coaches to take a time out. After the ensuing interception on the next play, he vocally reminded a sideline coach of his earlier request. Once again, players and coaches not communicating - and in my opinion only, developing a "rift" between them.
  
• Listening to the post-game on the ride home, it was evident that the announcers are in the same boat as me - wondering how we can continue going backwards. (they were careful, however, to shine the best light on UND football as humanly possible - never once was the word "choke" mentioned)
  
• The reality that was hardest to accept on Saturday is that we have become a bottom feeder in our conference - basically, just another sh!tty football team.
  

It was mentioned by others that if we get rid of a coach mid-season, it would do more harm than good. That poster's thoughts were well thought out and convincing. But I'm not so sure that I agree with that anymore. How much damage are we doing right now? Every time another week goes by and I expect to see improvement, I see a worse team on the field than the week before. The team has given up, and so have the fans. If the coaches and administration don't see that, they are either blind, or intentionally avoiding a difficult decision. The way I see it, if your barn and house are both on fire, and you spend too much time deciding which one to throw water on - they'll both burn to the ground.

I never thought I'd see the day where I didn't want to go to a home UND football game. That day is getting close. Very, very close.

[bincitysioux]

You are right, the ineptitude is amazing at this point.

It is hard for me to wrap my head around around the 180 degree turns that the offensive and defensive units have made over the course of this season.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the defense is stellar by any means. But we all said the defense was going to be the biggest concern coming into the season, and from the onset, it was. However, the defense has actually improved as the season has gone on. They were a huge liability against the Montana schools, but they made key stops against EWU and Sac St., and their play was good enough in those games to give the team a chance to win.

The offense has regressed in an alarming fashion. We knew with a freshman QB, that it would take step back from last season, but it seems we've taken two or three steps back, and not neccessarily because of QB play.

I hate the "hurry-up/no-huddle/look to the sidelines for the play while at the line of scrimmage/while still taking 38 seconds to snap the ball" offense. Just huddle-up and get the formation and the play called correctly. This thing they have been doing reeks of the gimmicky pistol offense they experimented with then abandoned a couple years ago. Keep it simple. Call a play, take your time, and then execute it and see what happens. Stop trying to fool the opposing defense, because it is not happening.

[The Sicatoka]

I'm glad someone else sees Mollberg having to spur the coaches on in play calling. A redshirt freshman should not have to be motioning for the sideline to get their act together.

At some point Joe should just huddle them, call the play he sees fit to run, and run it.

Call it; line up; run it; repeat.

Lose the gawking at the sidelines. Make a call and be confident in it.

[Cratter]

I always thought the qb should be a crucial part of the play calling too. They have more perspective than anyone what's going on every play. He's the one that actually feels the pressure so he would be a good one to ask how to avoid it.