WR question

[PurpleCatFan]

I think we have about 16 players on the roster listed as WRs so why do we have to use DBs as WRs?

Poor recruiting at that position? Poor coaching development?

I thought Ricky Neal came in a a high WR recruit out of WI and now he is at LB
The BB transfer who was looked at by the NFL. What happened there?
We appear to have some player with size ranging from 6 foot to 6'3'' but they hardly make the field

Too me this is one area that needs some improvement.

We had another TD on a nice throw from AB dropped right before half yesterday that is the same type of catch that the freshman from NDSU made to beat us.

[ronfitch]

Re: WR question

I think we have about 16 players on the roster listed as WRs so why do we have to use DBs as WRs?

Poor recruiting at that position? Poor coaching development?

I thought Ricky Neal came in a a high WR recruit out of WI and now he is at LB
The BB transfer who was looked at by the NFL. What happened there?
We appear to have some player with size ranging from 6 foot to 6'3'' but they hardly make the field

Too me this is one area that needs some improvement.

We had another TD on a nice throw from AB dropped right before half yesterday that is the same type of catch that the freshman from NDSU made to beat us.

One of the few plays I saw yesterday. That was there for Fountain to make the catch. The D-back was with him stride-for-stride and they were bumping, but Fountain had a step on him and had the ball and room to complete the catch.

Could be that high school receivers see the same thing we are talking about here the past five years - an game plan that ends up focusing on a running QB, whether by design or injury (Rennie, Carnes and AB; Kollmorgen was great his freshman year, but injuries have kept him out so much the last three years and when he has been in, just not the same as he was before that first concussion).

[7YrsOfCollegeDownTheDrain]

Re: WR question

I agree...we have issues at WR...too many drops have made our QB's look a lot worse than they are.

I also feel we don't throw enough short balls or rythm type passes...it seems it's a running play or something 25+ yards down field. Not sure if that's by play call or that's the reads our QB's are making.

[Born-a-Panther]

Re: WR question

I also feel we don't throw enough short balls or rythm type passes...it seems it's a running play or something 25+ yards down field. Not sure if that's by play call or that's the reads our QB's are making.

Short balls up the middle are my favorite kind and they are rarely thrown. I don't get it.

[TravelingPanther]

Re: WR question

I agree...we have issues at WR...too many drops have made our QB's look a lot worse than they are.

I also feel we don't throw enough short balls or rythm type passes...it seems it's a running play or something 25+ yards down field. Not sure if that's by play call or that's the reads our QB's are making.

Short balls up the middle are my favorite kind and they are rarely thrown. I don't get it.

That's been an issue since at least Rennie's time at QB. I never understood why they always sat him behind a weak line and had long developing routes. Seems like we could have nickle and dimed all day.

[vbfan19]

Re: WR question

many opposing teams seem to be quite successful running short passing routes against our defense. would be great to see our offense do the same.

[claw]

Re: WR question

That's been an issue since at least Rennie's time at QB. I never understood why they always sat him behind a weak line and had long developing routes. Seems like we could have nickle and dimed all day.

Same thing for Sawyer - not a great deep ball guy but showed he could hit the intermediate throw pretty well
Same thing for Bailey - short throws would allow yards to be picked up and allow that tempo offense to come into play. Notice how Baylor/Oregon may use deep routes but only after about 10 screens, ins, slants, hitchs, etc...?
Especially since our WR, the last 6 years, have all been under 6'1

Not to mix threads, but it's part of the reason I can't believe Davis is calling his offense. Same route trees are continuing to be run as before. I think Farley fell in love with the deep ball with guys like Victor Williams, DJ Hord, Schuylar Oordt, etc.. going up to get them between 05-09

[7YrsOfCollegeDownTheDrain]

Re: WR question

I'm not sure what the reasoning for all the deep throws is beyond the fact opposing D's put so many guys in the box since we've been a run first team for a long time that they are trying to back safeties off a little.

I just think some of those short throws over the middle to the flats could open up some of the deep throws and running lanes and maybe build some confidence in the QB and WR's. I guess we'll see what we get this Saturday in the dome. My main hope is another W!

I looked at Davis' last team at Shippensberg and they actually ran more running plays than passing.

[claw]

Re: WR question

I'm not sure what the reasoning for all the deep throws is beyond the fact opposing D's put so many guys in the box since we've been a run first team for a long time that they are trying to back safeties off a little.

I just think some of those short throws over the middle to the flats could open up some of the deep throws and running lanes and maybe build some confidence in the QB and WR's. I guess we'll see what we get this Saturday in the dome. My main hope is another W!

I looked at Davis' last team at Shippensberg and they actually ran more running plays than passing.

Linebackers sucking in on play action is a PERFECT way to open the 7-12 yard slant/cross/drag

[SteinPizza]

Re: WR question

I'm not sure what the reasoning for all the deep throws is beyond the fact opposing D's put so many guys in the box since we've been a run first team for a long time that they are trying to back safeties off a little.

I just think some of those short throws over the middle to the flats could open up some of the deep throws and running lanes and maybe build some confidence in the QB and WR's. I guess we'll see what we get this Saturday in the dome. My main hope is another W!

I looked at Davis' last team at Shippensberg and they actually ran more running plays than passing.

Not to throw more gas on the fire, but if you have a running threat at QB, one of the best ways to exploit it is running guys deep to open up the field for him. That's especially true against some form of man defense. The more guys who are turned to cover a streaking receiver, the more open running lanes.

Honestly, it would be a little dumb if this was the sole reason for UNI's deep routes. But, it could be part of their thinking. Misguided, sure, but anything is possible.

[Blue42]

Re: WR question

I think Bailey throws better on the run that from the pocket anyway. Most of his best throws this year have come on the run.

I'd move him out of the pocket with a short and a deep route and it's AB's choice...run it or throw it.

I'd also think about Malloy at WR if they're not going to play him more in the backfield.

[Gocats15]

Re: WR question

I'd say using Hall and Dorleant at WR has something to do with our lack of playmakers at the position. Looking at the roster, the freshman aren't going to play at this point, no reason to waste their redshirts. The rest are a combination of walk-ons who likely won't be difference makers, guys who are kind of new to WR (Demos, Holley, Rod Hall), and a few others who have each had their own issues. I'd like to see us use Rod Hall more, just to see what he can do. He seems like an excellent athlete but probably isn't refined since he hasn't played football in 4 years.

Kind of sad to see Farley wasting the seasons of the guys who transferred here. Some of these guys packed up their lives, and moved across the country to play here instead of at the school they used to be at. I know they have to compete for jobs, but some of them haven't really been given much of a chance. If Rod Hall knew that Farley wasn't going to play him, instead opting for Brown, Demos, etc, he probably wouldn't have came here for the year, and instead would have transferred somewhere else. I can't help but think the same thing about Savon Huggins. He left a Big Ten school (Rutgers) where he got a decent amount of carries to come here and start fresh. Instead, he hasn't got much of a chance, and I don't think he even played last week even with Miller injured. Huggins could have went to plenty of FCS or even FBS schools and gotten plenty of carries. Farley probably sold him on an open RB spot, then proceeded to have a 3 back rotation in a awful offense.

[vbfan19]

Re: WR question

I thought I heard that some of those guys are hurt. Though I could be misremembering.
Some guys transfer and don't get the playing time or have the success that they were hoping for. Just like some guys sign with a college out of high school and don't get the playing time or have the success that they were hoping for. Could be that they're getting a raw deal, or could be that they're not making the cut (or injuries or other factors could be involved). I'm not at the practices or anything, so I really don't know the situations.