For all of you football gurus out there, Troy Taylor play calling…

[sacute]

For all of you football gurus out there, I’m curious and want your opinion about the play calling by Troy Taylor.  I’m not criticizing him because I believe that he’s brought us a better offense, however,… 

1.  Tyler Huntley running for his life,  o-line like a sieve, dropped passes, I thought that you reduced pressure by the screen pass.  Do you recall a bubble screen, tunnel screen or regular screen called during the NIU game?  Or what about quick slants across the middle to get the ball out of Huntley’s hands quickly.

2.  The ESPN announcers said that Iowa, in NIU’s game the previous week, sat the tight end in the middle of the field and was successful through out the game with that play.  I can only recall us doing that once with Fotheringham for a good gain.  Why did we only go to that well once?

3.  We tried to get to the edge with passes to our wideouts and Covey near the sideline and tight ends and receivers blocking for the receiver.  Why didn’t we get to the perimeter with the run other than those passes?  For example, can you recall a jet sweep, end around/double reverse or wide pitchout being called.  If we did, I can’t remember.

 

Some say that play calling is only about 15%-20% of winning football.  However, are there any limitations to Troy Taylor’s play calling.  Is it limited player capability?  Whit calling conservative plays for Taylor?  Limited playbook?  Holding back the playbook for University of Washington?  Taylor’s lack of imagination?

I’m at a loss and would like your opinion.

[noneyadb]

They were looking ahead to Washington and kept a simple gameplan. On the road in northern Illinois where NOBODY wanted to play and everybody expected a cake walk. You’ll see a different Utah team this week

[Utahute72]

The simple answer is that, having watched the Troy Taylor offense at Folsom, it depends on execution. The offense is designed to build upon success and grow throughout the game. If it sputters early it seems to stagnate. That happened to Folsom this year against a really good De Lasalle team. Until we can get consistent execution it will always look out of sync.

[Tony (admin)]

Any idea what year that might be?

[Utahute72]

Tell me when the receivers will stop dropping catches.

[WhiteyFisk]

Taylor is a bit limited in what he can call because Huntley is not a true passing QB. People will say Utah is using a limited playbook now, and that is tue, but what’s not limited now is player ability. And there’s a lot of throws that Huntley simply cannot make even on a semi-regular basis. Tight seam, skinny post, fade, back shoulder, even deep crossing are hard for him because those throws require accuracy. He rarely drops in a pass. The deep one to Simpkins last night, he kind of chucked it and got lucky. 

The only throws he seems comfortable throwing are swing, quick out, hook, and quick slant. Even then he often throws behind, or at the receiver’s feet. But this is typical for “duel-threat” QBs and Utah knew what they were recruiting and have an offense and the YAC receivers to try and make up for it. 

[jrj84105]

The problem with Huntley is that he’s not dual threat.  He’s a really poor running QB because his first steps are so slow and because his reads in the zone read are too slow.  He’ll break off a few big runs per game when he has time to get up to speed, but generally he can he brought down behind the LOS by D linemen.

We know Shelley is much more effective running, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Tuttle would be better (despite being a lesser athlete) simply from making quicker decisions.

The RPO begins as a run play which must be aborted and changed to a pass play if the defense is selling out on the run.  Huntley is slow on that read, so we’re effectively running pass plays on every RPO down while forfeiting time by virtue of initiating and abondoning a run play every down.  That’s hurting Huntley and the O-line.  We can’t do RPO until we make teams honor or pass game.  We have to pass to set up the run, and we don’t have the personnel to do that.

[snommismr]

I agree.  I think we have always been told that Huntley is a dual threat quarterback.  He does have some elusive qualities in the pocket, but when he is acutally running, I am hardly impressed in his open field abilities.  Wilson was a much better running option when he was quarterback.  Huntley seems to have problems getting past/evading D-line and linebackers, which is a requirement for a running quarterback.  In terms of the sacks, yes, the o-line is miserable, but some of those sacks came from him dancing around and holding the ball in the pocket too long.  I really wish that something will happen the next few weeks that prove me wrong, but all he has shown me over the past two years is that he is an average quarterback.  

[Anonymous]

I think this is spot-on, and is a much more valid criticism than your anti-Taylor tirade. 

[WhiteyFisk]

What evidence is there that Taylor has brought a better offense?

I think it’s just assumed. Why? Have no idea.