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Next year’s football team

Deaconblue said:
I always like the pass to the tight end as a good way to convert third down and four or fewer yards to go. Doing that several times a game keeps the opposing defense from loading up the box (or makes them pay for doing so) in short yardage situations
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To be fair, the year we really utilized the TE position in a receiving capacity the most was 2017, when Cam had 44 catches and 9 TDs. The 3 other leading pass catchers that year were Dortch, Tabari and Scotty. Since then we have had WRs really breakout during the season. I agree with you, I think a TE would be really helpful for short and intermediary stuff especially when our line is getting collapsed quickly.

2019 was also an interesting year with Freudenthal getting 32 catches and 5 TDs. One could argue that Sage and Scotty also acted like TE's in the red zone that season, making a pretty devastating combination.
 
imo, throwing effectively to tight ends / across the middle of the field is a lot easier said than done.

1/ that's where the mass of linemen are going to be and our offense has our qb really close to the line. really hard to see through those guys, let alone get a football through them (and we already struggled with batted balls).
2/ our running game has been pretty mediocre so we don't force opposing linebackers to crash into the line despite the RPO, so typically we end up having defenders hanging out in the middle of the field. i know this was a big issue vs pitt.
 
Quick throw to tight end in the flat. Skip the RPO. Just get the snap and throw.
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
we really don't throw the ball to the middle of the field much, though we did more last year than some of the years prior
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For context

Passing attempts over the middle(Passes between the numbers from 0-20 yards from LOS): 34.8% in 2021, 39% in 2020, 36.4% in 2019. Wolford years: 35.9% in 2017, 30.35% in 2016, 36% in 2015.

Percentage of snaps where they ran a route(targets in parentheses):

2021: Blake Whiteheart: 76%(17), Brandon Chapman 72.1%(9). For reference Q: 95.3%(112), A.T.: 94.8%(125), Ke'Shawn: 94.7%(42)

2020: Chapman: 78.4%(11), Whiteheart: 71.4%(7), Greene 95%(56), Roberson: 94.8%(87), A.T.: 93.9%(34)

2017: Serigne: 75.3%(57), Dortch: 96.7%(73), Scotty: 96.6(77), Tabari: 96.2(77)

2016: Serigne: 74%(49), Tabari: 98(57), Bachman: 95%(49)

It's not they aren't throwing to the middle nor the guys are running fewer routes, the targets have just been funneled to better receivers. Part of that is definitely they're giving more blocking responsibility. This year Jurgens was banged up and they had to deal with someone starting for the first time at RT. When you're dealing with youth you bring the TE in to help chip the rusher and until around the Duke game they were still easing Gordon in. Once they got more comfortable with Gordon, we saw Whiteheart's snaps and targets per game start ticking up. Obviously couldn't against Clemson with no Jurgens, but it definitely showed once they felt better about the OL this past year they were happier about letting Whiteheart run routes. Now would you prefer he get a target over A.T./Roberson/Key/Morin? Probably not and that's something that factors in. Whiteheart is a good TE, but he's not an alien like Bowers or Latu or Trigg who are guys you couldn't care less about blocking and just throw it up. The WR is just demonstrably better now than it was when Serigne was playing
 
how do those attempts over the middle stats stack up among other teams?

looks like I'm off in the OTM trend data

and the observation about not throwing OTM much considers lack of WR attempts in that space too, though Roberson did seem to do a good job finding space against the zone OTM and get targets

just feels like we throw the ball to the outside a lot more than most teams
 
He didn’t give stats for other teams. Between the numbers 0-20 yards downfield is a huge chunk of real estate and we throw there about a third of the time.
 
nice info, thanks

if I'm reading the data right, Sam is way low on % of passes that are OTM short
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
how do those attempts over the middle stats stack up among other teams?

looks like I'm off in the OTM trend data

and the observation about not throwing OTM much considers lack of WR attempts in that space too, though Roberson did seem to do a good job finding space against the zone OTM and get targets

just feels like we throw the ball to the outside a lot more than most teams
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https://twitter.com/CamLemons_/status/1511746715002576909?s=20&t=7T62X-yBYCLEynYSFwip3A

I hate how that was formatted and this site makes me feel like a boomer
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
nice info, thanks

if I'm reading the data right, Sam is way low on % of passes that are OTM short
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Compared to the rest of the nation yeah and that's really just the scheme. For him: it's his most thrown pass. 96 attempts there, 81 10-20 yards OTM and then the next closest are the Right and Left hashes at 48 and 46 respectively. They really just spread it around the field more
 
yeah, defs seems like scheme is the main reason, though the heigh/LOS issue has to be a part, though perhaps some chicken-egg with scheme

it largely works, and perhaps it's because I watch more as a fan, but it does feel like the passing game can become predictable and there doesn't seem to be much use of drag or slant routes to keep LBs un a tilt

the most predictable it felt was when we throw a ton along the boundaries to Sage and the outside WRs and rely on great one-on-one skills
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
yeah, defs seems like scheme is the main reason, though the heigh/LOS issue has to be a part, though perhaps some chicken-egg with scheme

it largely works, and perhaps it's because I watch more as a fan, but it does feel like the passing game can become predictable and there doesn't seem to be much use of drag or slant routes to keep LBs un a tilt

the most predictable it felt was when we throw a ton along the boundaries to Sage and the outside WRs and rely on great one-on-one skills
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Predictable as in scoring a ton of points (41), including passing for 39 TDs?
 
Pilchard said:
Predictable as in scoring a ton of points (41), including passing for 39 TDs?
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I'm guessing he means predictable as in Interception, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Interception, Interception, Interception (TD), Downs, Punt, Punt in the ACC Championship Game. We're obviously running the best offense in school history and one of the best in the country. That doesn't mean it's perfect.
 
I thought he meant predictable as in throwing sideline routes to Sage most 3rd and longs.
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
we don't need to spin the wheels on this one again, but adjust for plays and the offense isn't terribly special
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Yeah. 11th in total offense but 49th in yards per play last season. There’s definitely room for the offense to improve.

Sage’s last year was 15th in total offense and 75th in yards per play.
 
PhDeac said:
Yeah. 11th in total offense but 49th in yards per play last season. There’s definitely room for the offense to improve.

Sage’s last year was 15th in total offense and 75th in yards per play.
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(block for your running backs better and don't be afraid of just checking down and those issues solve themselves)
 
I wonder how much of our tight end usage is determined by what personnel the defense has on the field? Extra DB's = TE blocking or Man vs Zone. I could see us using the TE to find a soft spot in a zone, but not to separate vs a DB in man coverage. I'm guessing it is more complicated than "just throw to the TE in the flat"
 
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