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YOUR BALANCE
#1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….
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#1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 20, 2021, 9:37 PM
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Is DJ’s play. If you want to look at why our offense has struggled, this is the correct order after 6 games this year. I’m going to focus on #2 with this post, because as WRU, we are not even close to meeting the standard the program has set.

How many DROPS/KEY MISTAKES do you think we have on the year from the WR/TE (and occasional RB)? I’m not talking about every contested throw (or bad throw from DJ), I’m talking about where the receiver had their hands on it, or the ball was thrown exactly where the play called for but disaster struck due to the WR mistake (ex. The pick 6 in the UGA game because of Ross’ route or lack there of).

After rewatching all 5 games against FBS opponents again this week (I'm not counting the SC state game)………. TWENTY TWO. YES, you read that right, TWENTY TWO (yes, 22, see my "drop" tracker attached to this post). Looking at these 22 “drops”….

-11 of the 22 were on 3rd down and would have resulted in a first down. Read that again. I’d argue this is the most important part. This does NOT include the Ross drop in 2OT against NC State (1st down play) or him not making the catch on 4th and 5 that ended that game. This is ONLY 3rd down specific.

-17 of the 22 would have resulted in either a Touchdown or a 1st down (with 5 of those likely TDs). Read that again….

-4 Drops/mistakes in the UGA game (and we needed all 4 of these), 2 in the GT game, 4 in the NC State game (all 4 KILLED us in this one), EIGHT in the BC game, and 4 in the Syracuse game.

-So who has dropped the ball? Ross has 7, Galloway has 3, Ladson has 2, B. Collins (#80) has 3, Shipley has 1 (definitely debatable but still counts), Ngata has 4, Lay has 1 (this one was REALLY bad), and Allen has 1. Literally everyone we need to make plays are dropping balls.

Let me be clear. DJ has his fair share of the blame for the offensive woes (and arguably the NC State game was his worst game outside of the UGA one), but you literally cut the drops/key WR mistakes in HALF and it is a completely different story (even keeping the other things mentioned in the subject line in place). Are we really going to treat a QB who now has 8 career starts under his belt like we did Cole in 2014? Excuse my French but **** no. The blame towards Cole that year should have been on Morris (who was also the QB coach at the time) because he NEVER had the offense ready when Deshaun was hurt and Cole was hurt literally 90% of that season (anyone remember how he was getting numbing shots before every game?). If anyone deserves the blunt of the blame, it’s the coaching staff. Who is responsible for the entire offense? Elliott. Who is responsible for the WR play? Grisham. Who is responsible for the TEs? Elliott. Who is responsible for the play calling? Elliott. Anyone notice a trend here?

My final point is this: As bad as the offense has played, if the WR/TEs at WRU make the routine plays (aka catching balls hitting them in the hands), it’s a completely different picture. The times that the OL has actually given DJ time to throw, the WR/TEs are dropping passes (BC game being the worst for that). Yes, the OL is the worst unit on the field for us, yes Elliott has his part in not helping the guys out when struggling (aka the long developing pass play with 5 man protection on the first 3rd down against Cuse), and Yes DJ has his share of the blame for the overthrows/bad throws, but the WR/TEs have NOT been helping a struggling QB much at all this year, and that has to change. make the routine plays and see how quickly the offense turns around.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 12:04 AM

My goodness, a rare post in which a knowledgeable football fan shared a thoughtful analysis.

The best summary (with meaningful details) was about our WR's and TE's almost unspeakably bad performances.

(At least the Syracuse game ... despite J.Ross's stupendously bad drop of the ~ 50 yard wide open pass ... was an improvement over the awful BC game.)

Not to forget that the blocking by the WR's and the TE's (outside of D.Allen) has also been awful.

Disappointing as the O-Line and DJ's play have been, at least both of those 'units' have displayed continual (if not rapid) improvement.

Complaining about the play-calling when the coaches have little hope of finding a play that does not get ruined by the not-yet (but hopefully soon-to-be) gelled O-Line or sabotaged by the (got-to-get-it-together WR corp) isn't fair. If the running plays and the passing plays don't work because OL and WRs are not ready, then there isn't much left for the play caller.

But a super and informative post. Thanks.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 4:49 AM

Awesome research. Thanks for sharing! It is indeed refreshing to have some actual football info. Getting tired of Fahr Tony Elliott! Fahr Dabo! Fahr Grisham! Fahr Caldwell! Fahr Spiller! Fahr Streeter! Fahr the popcorn vendors!

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 9:05 AM

Can you also do an analysis of balls thrown with touch (in the basket) vs a rifle thrown ball. DJ has a rifle for an arm but scramble passing (especially to the left), lack of a tight end that can catch a ball thrown over the middle with speed and drop a ball in. The offense lacks 4 quarters of focus. Nagata catches a ball thrown high and wide and two series later, drops a critical 3/4 down pass that hits him in the numbers. Coaches putting players in position that their skill sets are not the best. Some blame the 19 year old for lack of focus, others blame coaches for not having them focused.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 6:07 PM

Yea I need to at some point. As Dabo would say, we are seeing some growing pains with DJ, but the supporting cast isn't the same as last year (lots of turnover in key spots). I remember Orlosky (the ESPN dude) talking about his footwork the most and that sometimes he won't even move his feet because of how strong his arm is. All the signs of a young QB still learning the game at this level.

I don't know if the 4 quarters of focus is necessarily it, I think what Dabo said was right on (need 11 guys on the same page and only getting 9 or 10 at a time doesn't mean success). Quite frankly, until the OL stops shooting themselves in the foot (that's analysis for another day, I might go crazy digging into that specifically), it's gonna be hard for the rest of the offense to get any rhythm.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 9:45 AM

I've been saying this all year. DJ isn't the problem. He has a below average offensive line without a homerun threat at RB. Teams don't have to respect our running game and can drop 7-8 in coverage. They can play two high safeties and force our WRs to beat them with underneath routes. But, we don't have those type of WRs. We have 6'4 vertical threats. We don't have a true slot guy. We don't have an electric WR that can turn a screen into a 75 yard TD. We don't have a jet sweep WR. None of our TEs are game changers. And we don't have an elite offensive coordinator. What is DJ supposed to do behind a bad offensive line, with young RBs, with WRs that can't win underneath, with an average OC, against teams that are preventing the deep ball?

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 6:11 PM

Agreed 100%. I think what frustrates me a lot (and it happened a LOT in the Cuse game)is how Elliott didn't adjust to the cuse DBs being 10 yards off the WRs at times. We only snapped it and threw it outside immediately to a receiver ONCE (to Ajou if I remember right and he gained a first down).

If the DBs are going to play that far off and we are actually using RPOs, then he's gotta give the green light to DJ and just let him launch it out there post-snap.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 9:48 AM

I'm completely on board with 90% of what you had to say.

The other 10% falls under the spot where you lay blame to a list of coaches for not preparing the WR/TE to catch a ball that hits them in the hands.

At what point can we blame a highly trained, incredibly athletic, and highly thought of football player for not making a play that you see made routinely in junior varsity football games across the country?

I get the idea that "it's the coaches' job to have them ready", but exactly what can a coach do about a player not performing the simplest task required of their position?

Bench them is the easy answer until you see that list of basically the entire WR/TE corp being included with drops.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 6:15 PM

Valid points. The reason I keep going back to the coaches is because we are talking about the college game. How much money is TE makin? Grisham? Caldwell? I think you have to put the most pressure on the coaches, but you are not wrong about holding the players accountable as well. I'm a big believer in if something aint working, change it, otherwise you are going to get the same results. If we need to bench an entire position group for a drive to get their attention, then do it. (similar to a basketball team pulling the starters off the court and the coach pulling them back in).

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 22, 2021, 11:53 PM

Why talk about money, it's about performance and these guys that are not doing their jobs on the field need to get coached up... what we can't see is what happens in practice all week. I assume we are putting the best 11 on the field from that week of practice.

Coaches can't actually catch the ball...

Ross who made ridiculous catches in the playoffs two years aga can't catch one that hits him in the chest.

Someone posted on the first two drives at Syracuse, here is a deeper look at the second series and what went wrong (the series where Ross dropped the pass), as you can see its not DJ. (negative plays have ***)

1st & 10 at CLEM 17?(4:50 - 1st) Kobe Pace run for 5 yds to the Clem 22
S: 4 man front / 3 across @ 7 / 4 deep / *5 man from at snap
zone blocking right / TE picks up DE (C84)

***** 2nd & 5 at CLEM 22?(4:25 - 1st) D.J. Uiagalelei pass incomplete to Justyn Ross
S: 3 man front / 4 across at 5-7 yds / 5 man frontal snap /
Pass blocking / Fake to C20 / C20 stays in blocking, delayed out to left flat /
S31 pressure on QB from left, TE C84 blocks past QB
QB step up / good blocking / throws to C8 deep over the middle WIDE OPEN
C8 drops pass in stride
C8 hurt / ankle


3rd & 5 at CLEM 22?(4:00 - 1st) D.J. Uiagalelei pass complete to Beaux Collins for 6 yds to the Clem 28 for a 1ST down
S: 4 man front / 4 across at 8 yds / 3 across at 10-12 yds
pass blocking with 5
pass to C80 hitch at 1st down / good route / good pass / 1st down

1st & 10 at CLEM 28?(3:44 - 1st) Kobe Pace run for 7 yds to the Clem 35
S: 5 man front / 1 at 3 / 4 across / man against C10 left / corners move up pre snap
zone blocking right / TE87 pulls left good block on DE 93 / Left guard (C65) beat by S0 could have blown up play / C65 picks up block a second level

2nd & 3 at CLEM 35?(3:05 - 1st) Taisun Phommachanh run for 2 yds to the Clem 37
S: 3 man front / 6 across at 5-7 / 2 deep at 12
zone block right/ C71 blocks S DE then settles to interior
RPO with QB keep
shoestring tackle by S2 (LB) unblocked
+++ C10 in left side looked like he was looking for the ball… did nothing…

**** 3rd & 1 at CLEM 37?(2:40 - 1st) D.J. Uiagalelei run for a loss of 4 yards to the Clem 33
S: 5 man front (bunched) / Clemson 7 blockers in the box /
designed QB run
C65 beat off line by S52 /S18 chip blocked by C56 then C56 blocks left / S52 blows up play in backfield
5 Syracuse players in the Clemson backfield
blown blocks by Clemson 54/56

4th & 5 at CLEM 33?(1:47 - 1st) Will Spiers punt for 52 yds , Trebor Pena returns for 12 yds to the Syrac 27

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The amount of drops are concerning


Oct 21, 2021, 11:41 AM

but so is the lack of blocking and failure to run routes.

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100% agree. It's the entire package.***


Oct 21, 2021, 6:16 PM



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On at least some of those drops, our guys appear to be


Oct 21, 2021, 6:55 PM [ in reply to The amount of drops are concerning ]

giving it the old "Ole'" instead of fighting for the reception, as well.

When you have receivers that don't gain separation, fail to FIGHT for those "50/50" balls, combined with a QB who, at least to this point, is FAR less accurate than what we are used to seeing, it makes for some very ugly offensive stats.

Now, every one of those things is fixable. Players only get better when they are coached well, and coaches can only coach well when players are willing to put in the time and effort to accomplish the needed changes.

So far, we are hung up somewhere way short of final completion in that matrix.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 2:24 PM

I give the WRs including TE88 the worst grades on the team. Most of it has been lack of effort from my perspective.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 21, 2021, 6:16 PM

Great post in an age of one line experts who have nothing real to add --
(I must add this line so it will not be a one line reply)

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the tug abides


rest assured BloodBeOrange is lurking nearby…***


Oct 21, 2021, 6:47 PM



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Only when the post is purely emotional or just


Oct 21, 2021, 7:05 PM

Plain childish. Pretty sure only coots would debate this. BBO I'm sure would give a hearty Amen.

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Rent free, girlfriend, ??***


Oct 24, 2021, 3:19 PM [ in reply to rest assured BloodBeOrange is lurking nearby…*** ]

@striperfan, you are correct as usual.

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 22, 2021, 11:43 PM

1. If its not a drop its a bad pass (they do happen)

2. If its not a bad pass its a penalty (lack of execution)

3. If it its not penalty its a no call (been pretty consistent this year)

4. If its not a penalty its a blown assignment and a hurry or a sack

5. If its not a no call we make some yards

6. If we make some yards we go back to 1.

Break this chain anywhere and we are undefeated or 1 loss...

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Re: #1 O-line #2 WR/TE #3 Elliott’s M.I.A. Stretches and #4….


Oct 22, 2021, 11:58 PM

I’ve said from the start that the blame is everywhere on offense, not just on DJ. Playcalling, blocking, poor execution, each has failed on different plays Kudos to you for quantifying it though.

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Ralph Friedgen


Oct 23, 2021, 12:37 AM

He calculated a formula for losing and drop passes were one of the main things.

I mentioned it in a prior post but it's true I guess. You drop it, your team loses.

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and.....


Oct 23, 2021, 4:59 PM

more of the same issues today. FIVE more drops in the 1st half today to make 27 in FBS games this year....

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You pretty well nailed it.


Oct 24, 2021, 3:26 PM

Here is what I do know because I’m not going to dwell on what we can’t control.

Robbie is in his last season. Thank you for your service to our success Robbie, but it’s past time to upgrade.

WR’s/ TE’s, don’t have any comment beyond we aren’t very good. I can’t pinpoint what the issue is, but I think it’s pure conjecture those living in the camp that DJ is somehow not liked and receivers are purposely dropping balls. The one guys are trying to lobby to the NFL so the idea they are tanking their chance for some fictitious feud with the QB is just stupid.

DJ has some issues with his reads, brevity therein and trusting them. If you watch him, he doesn’t often not hesitate. Run or throw. He’s got some things to work through mentally, but physically he is capable.

TE isn’t doing anything that we haven’t don’t successfully in the past with other personnel. That’s enough for me to look elsewhere, but every coach needs to look inward, especially now.

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