The loss to Clemson has been digested for the past 36 hours, light years in instant blogging and internet game reaction. The big issues of injuries did not affect the Noles in the positions we thought. In fact the biggest injuries were not the ones to QB1 or our most experienced wide receivers; they were to Gregg Reid who didn't play and to Xavier Rhodes.
First, Reid has hurt badly enough from the OU game to not play this game. Maybe adrenaline kept him from coming out for the entirety of the OU game or maybe sheer need to play a Nickel, but in the Clemson game not having him did not allow Stoop's defense to play with an extra DB. This was a huge development because of the following problem....
Second, out LB play was atrocious in pass coverage. Christian Jones is a freak of an athlete and will one day be a great player, but right now he has not learned how to cover tight ends or drop into deeper zone coverage when WR's are running deep square ins. The play that stands out is the goal line play action pass to the TE. Jones bit hard on the outside run while the TE was releasing behind him. He was a half second late when the ball arrived. What is impressive was his closing speed. He made of a ton of ground, but it was too little too late.
I have grown impatient with Nigel Bradham. On 3rd and 15, Bradham was to drop into coverage in what appeared to be a Cover 3. He was not the deep man, but he had the middle of the field, specifically the area around the first down marker. Lined up on his side of the field were one WR and a TE. On any given play, 5 people are eligible for a pass. On this play 4 offensive players ran passing routes. Two were on his side, and one was directly across from him. His only job was to drop and not let anything between him and the safety. Guess what he did? Let a TE behind him and another 3rd down conversion.
Certainly it is easy to be an arm chair QB... er LB, but what I am upset with is the same thing I was upset with Reid last game. In the given situation, there are a finite number of opportunities and one defensive set to filter those opportunities through. That is a lack of perspective, understanding, poise, etc. I can forgive Jones for a poor play because he is a youngster, but I am not in the same way with Bradham. He has good qualities and attributes, but clearly one of them is not coverage. Should Stoops have him in this situation?
More on Stoops. It would be nice to hear him after the game or during this week about last week's breakdown. Fisher allows players to talk to the media but not his assistant coaches. It puts his young men in awkward situations to answer questions they probably have no business or idea how to answer. This point was brought up by Corey Clark (@CoreyClark) on Twitter and I second the notion.
The O-Line has issues. They have no push on the run and I think the only explanation is Trickett. He is the architect of this line and has been for the last few years. He has turned the line around in pass protection, which has been above average and allows our QB's the time they need, but we are one dimensional. Something lost on the run game is Chris Thompson's post game quotes. He admitted to not making the right reads during the wild cat play calls. In this instance, I don't blame play calling or even O-Line issues.
The edges of the line were open in every run, even the early runs up the middle that went for significant yardage. These, in essence, the same runs EJ is called to make. They are single wing QB/TB/RB sweeps. They should be run to the outside or off the tackle, especially with the acceleration of Thompson. He should not have continued to run the ball up the middle after he was stuffed. The success was open on the outside and would have kept the ball moving along with time of possession and potentially longer drives or scoring drives. And considering out defense's inability to stop CU, keeping the ball would have been beneficial.
In all our takeaways of this team are questions of our defense in regard to poor LB play. I think the DB play is serviceable despite the penalties (the last TD was offensive PI. Watch the replay, Watkins pushes Harris in the back; Harris stumbles and is a step behind).
The young talent on both sides of the ball is awesome and in a weird way these losses free the coaches to play young talent and develop it. Despite all the mistakes we have lost two games by a handful of points. We are very close to be 4-0. It's a matter of execution now.
Lastly, EJ not dressing is a big sign. Super Secretive Jimbo probably has said it is a bruise, but who trusts him? I vote EJ had it separated like Sam Bradford did and he is going to heal up over the next two weeks, maybe even three. Hopefully it was a light separation and rehab can strengthen him back. We'll need him in November and December (ACC Title, folks. Don't give up hope yet.)
PS. Good for you Clint, good for you.
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