Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Skip navigation

Observations Part 4 - UCF

Post

First off I am glad I did not waste $150 to go with the University for this whooping.  I went to the OU game and after they called the dogs off and the teams performance of late I decided not to go and well I didn’t miss much.  We are always cursed to play on prime time weekday games or prime time games in general.  This was our best effort competing with a ranked team and our best chance of late to at least win. ODU just beat a ranked VA Tech and they haven’t even been in FBS that long, on our side I feel ashmed.  Why can’t that be us making headlines,  I dug deep and my theory is the coaching. Briles was the most important factor and when he left I knew it would be hard for us to maintain the scoring offense,  and probably Driskel knew changes were coming and also decided to leave.  Our defense is porous 
And the schemes are predictable.  We can’t stop nobody it’s regression back to the Roc days.  I like Robison, but he’s a gunslinger and you live and die by bad throws. I hope he’s the decoy like Parr was last year and De’andre starts, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. De’andre is the better runner and I’m sure he can make the same passes as Robison,  had he played at OU and UCF he would’ve done better in terms of running the ball and creating space to help motor break lose on some plays.  I don’t see any of that and we will be lucky to be 7-5.  The offense may come around but the defense is shot,  we can’t out score anyone,  thus games will equate to losses.  What changed the UCF game was that call back on the targeting,  that shifted the momentum. Overall we still would’ve lost because of the defense. On TV it looked like Kiffin was calling plays, it was crazy.  I think we will be in every game but if we want to win we need infused quick scoring and De’andre may be that weapon. He looks like he wants it more,  and at this point it doesn’t hurt to experiment on Conference talent.  We are averaging  33 ppg And Houston is averaging 52 ppg.  Briles was the key,  well Kiffin isn’t going anywhere because the only offers he’s going to get is to KU and Kentucky.  No way a good coach let his team play down on a national stage twice. UCF without Milton would be a middle of the pack American team.  Milton is  ok but a system guy, but we always make guys like him look like heisman candidates.  I would love for us to repeat as conference champs but it will be rough.  Considering our bowl drought I would be content with a bowl appearance and win.  Unless we change something drastically that might be the best outlook for now. What are your thoughts?  Do you feel the same  and what should be the solution?
Back to the top

Post

I agree on the defense - hard to understand how 10 returning starters from a unit that was a definite strength last year can regress that quickly unless it is the scheme/coaching.  But from a numbers perspective, here we are after 4 games:

2017 - 1-3 record / 109 points for (27.25/game) / 107 points against (26.25/game)
2018 - 2-2 record / 132 points for (33/game) / 174 points against (43.5/game)

Not hard to see where the problems are with those stats and the known issues we have in the kicking game (kickoff return however looked very good against UCF).  They are a little skewed as we have played 2 very good offenses in OU and UCF.

As for conference play, I think we need to get back to the run game we used in CUSA last year to setup the pass.  Passes should be quick hitters or over the middle, and only a few deep ones to keep people honest.  On D - I really have no answers other than maybe do some tackling drills and hope we have looked this bad because we have played a couple of really good offensive teams.
Back to the top

Post

Again, I agree with pretty much everything written. I was and have been screaming for DeAndre to get in games, especially Friday. It made no sense to me why he wasn't in earlier when it was clear to anyone watching we had no passing game. Plays take much longer to develop than last year now. I don't doubt CR is our QB of the future, but right now the future is now. Unless there is something in practice etc I'm not seeing, I have no idea why DeAndre is not really playing. Chris had one amazing game, granted – but 3 very poor games and I just feel a more dynamic running QB would compliment our offense more right now, so long as he can keep defenses honest with some passing ability.

It's also very clear the coaching changes have been detrimental thus far – no reason the D takes this much of a hit with the same personnel. Chris K played to these guy's skill set and talent. It looks like we have Roc 2.0 right now. The O line may be getting their act together, but a lot remains to be seen. I know a lot of people claim the O was Kiff and not really Briles last year, but it's clear to me we are missing the Briles attack after 4 games.

The MTSU game will be very telling. I still think we are a bowl team, and I expect 7-8 wins based on what I've seen. However, I don't see us running through C USA like last year, and right now I see at least 2 losses in conference unless things change.
Back to the top

Post

faufan300 said

First off I am glad I did not waste $150 to go with the University for this whooping.
Posted On: Sep 23rd 2018, 10:21 AM #381286
 

What part of Kendel not calling plays the last 8 weeks last year do you not understand?

Guy couldn’t figure out that handing the ball to Motor was a good thing. 

Houston has JR QB and and much weaker schedule so far and also ran up 70 vs an FCS school to inflate those numbers a bit. 

Please research stuff before you post.

I am going to pull up the UB game thread tomorrow so you guys get some prospective.
Back to the top

Post

d-owl said

Again, I agree with pretty much everything written.
Posted On: Sep 23rd 2018, 2:21 PM #381293


Everyone loves the back up because they don’t play. Robison will have growing pains and yea it stinks but he obviously has elite arm talent and the growing pains will pay off has he plays more. I find interesting that the guy from Knighline who came in the pod cast said Milton was boo’d off the field at UCF the last game his freshmen year. Right now you’re just some guy behind a key board who doesn’t understand football very much.
Let the kid develop and it might pay off in the future.
We scored 36 points in the road vs a ranked team with a RS Fr QB who turned it over three times. O will be fine vs C-USA.
Back to the top

Post

IMHO…Chris is the most talented QB we have had at FAU. His potential is limitless. This is his first year. He is good now. He will be great for the next three.His arm will attract local WR's that might go some where else.  He needs to have this kind of season. It is humbling and educational.
Back to the top

Post

The problem is obviously defense. People can question QB play and offensive play calling, but giving up 43 points per game is the problem.

GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
Back to the top

Post

+1
Back to the top

Post

owlcountry40 said

d-owl said

Again, I agree with pretty much everything written.
Posted On: Sep 23rd 2018, 2:21 PM #381293
Everyone loves the back up because they don’t play. Robison will have growing pains and yea it stinks but he obviously has elite arm talent and the growing pains will pay off has he plays more. I find interesting that the guy from Knighline who came in the pod cast said Milton was boo’d off the field at UCF the last game his freshmen year. Right now you’re just some guy behind a key board who doesn’t understand football very much.
Let the kid develop and it might pay off in the future.
We scored 36 points in the road vs a ranked team with a RS Fr QB who turned it over three times. O will be fine vs C-USA.

Posted On: Sep 23rd 2018, 2:47 PM #381295
Excuse me? And who are you exactly - are you not also behind a keyboard trying to pretend to be some sort of expert/fb guru? LOL no disrespect but I don't agree with you, at all. BTW, Milton came in in a down, winless UCF program. Chris's team is coming off the greatest season in FAU history where we are supposed to be far and away the best team in C USA – and we have not showed that so far. This is not supposed to be some kind of development year for the program, this was supposed to be a transformative year for the program and it looks like we have taken a step backward.

This is a team that is supposed to win right now. Chris can still get snaps and develop this year – doesn't mean he has to play every snap, especially when he can't make a decent pass to save his life on Friday (and against OU and cough BCU). Gee, I seem to recall a certain soph oozing with potential who had an offer at my other alma mater UM - tremendous arm – being benched after 3 games last year when he played much like how Chris is playing now, because we wanted to be in the best position to win NOW. Sorry if I want to be in the best position to win right now, you know a year we were supposed to be a fringe top 25 team.

This doesn't mean Chris can't dominate C USA competition – I sure hope he does. However, if you take away the Air Force game and all those jet sweeps, what exactly has he done so far? Not much at all. To ask for DeAndre to get into games where we can't pass anyway isn't much of a stretch. Sure, D is our biggest problem, but we could use better QB play - and these plays take too long to develop. This, after all is still a running team. I am not certain a gunslinger, which Chris clearly is, puts this offense in the best position to win with this particular personnel. Not sure how you or any other keyboard "expert" lol (jkg) can disagree with that. If it's more the same after MTSU, then IMO a change should be made. That's just my humble opinion based on what I've seen so far. Hope I am proven wrong after C USA starts, but right now, I want DeAndre to get meaningful snaps based on what I've seen after 4 games - period.
Back to the top

Post

Robison's arm has been too strong or he underthrows into an INT, from what I have seen. With two other talented QBs ready, why not give them a real shot?
Back to the top
Control functions: