Coaches

[NDSUstudent]

I'm sorry but I have had it with our gameplan, say what you want about Mertens but the coaches do the guy no favors. He starts the game out with a decent little drive and after that we go back into WIU/SIU mode. A lot of people say Mertens should be benched(I agree to an extent), but I think Bohl should pull the playbook from whoever is making the calls.

[4mcruenomore]

I still don't put this on Pat, I say we need some players moved around.

[NDSUstudent]

I still don't put this on Pat, I say we need some players moved around.

Sorry, no imagination, no adjustments, and no rhythm. Pat or whoever is call the plays needs to seriously re-evaluate what is going on.

[gizmo]

If we had solid o-line play, most of the guys we bitch about would be heroes and we'd be undefeated.

[CaBisonFan]

Sorry, no imagination, no adjustments, and no rhythm. Pat or whoever is call the plays needs to seriously re-evaluate what is going on.

You make a good point. Were we operating out of an I-Formation early in the game? I couldn't see squat online. The video was worthless. I think that you are correct....dead-on.

A huge difference is that we don't have Walker to audible out of plays that aren't going to work...and he was a master at looking-off the receivers and finding the 2nd & 3rd options.

Nick doesn't appear to have that ability...at least at this point. So the plays from the sideline have to be outstanding.

I wonder if the coaching has really changed all that much.

Did Steve make the coaches look good...or did they make Steve look good? Maybe some of both.

This offense seems to make Nick extremely uncomfortable. Should have been changed last spring.

[BisonNeil]

If you listened to the color commentary, the same things were being said that have been said by many of us on this forum. The OL does not sustain blocks, and I think they are the least physical OL we have had in recent memory.

The announcers also talked about Mertens always throwing behind receivers. Unfortunately, he has never caught up to the speed of the game. Of course, when the ball does get to them it would be nice if they would catch it.

The defense once again played a great half a game. The announcers also talked about the poor tackling in the first half.

This team has so many problems one cannot escape the conclusion that they are undercoached. I realize that is sacriledge, but that is what I think. Bowden was fired for being too much of a "CEO" of a coach. Even the self-proclaimed self-righteous second coming of a real fan Burgundy has complained about Bohl being too much of a CEO and not enough coach, so it must be true :)

[56BISON73]

You make a good point. Were we operating out of an I-Formation early in the game? I couldn't see squat online. The video was worthless. I think that you are correct....dead-on.

A huge difference is that we don't have Walker to audible out of plays that aren't going to work...and he was a master at looking-off the receivers and finding the 2nd & 3rd options.

Nick doesn't appear to have that ability...at least at this point. So the plays from the sideline have to be outstanding.

I wonder if the coaching has really changed all that much.

Did Steve make the coaches look good...or did they make Steve look good? Maybe some of both.

This offense seems to make Nick extremely uncomfortable. Should have been changed last spring.

Actually the plays have to be executed perfectly for him to have a chance. Even if they are there is no guarantee that he himself will execute it properly.
There is no doubt that he knows that play book. He just cant execute it at this level in a real game. As Ive posted before not everyone can play at this level no matter what they did in HS. There are literally thousands of QBs much better than he is that never made the grade. PL

[gizmo]

This team has so many problems one cannot escape the conclusion that they are undercoached.

When people blame the coach, I can't help but think of something a local high school coach once said...."Coaching would be so easy if the players would just do what I teach them to do".

Perhaps the most important attribute of a successful coach is to be able recruit players who are able and willing to learn.

[tjbison]

I'm sorry but I have had it with our gameplan, say what you want about Mertens but the coaches do the guy no favors. He starts the game out with a decent little drive and after that we go back into WIU/SIU mode. A lot of people say Mertens should be benched(I agree to an extent), but I think Bohl should pull the playbook from whoever is making the calls.


Its hard to call plays when your leaders don't step up and play!!, yes Mertens makes it difficult to call a pass play when your chances of an INT or STUPID throw are around 70% or higher!!! and if there isn't a passing game there isn't a running game!!

[WYOBISONMAN]

I'm sorry but I have had it with our gameplan, say what you want about Mertens but the coaches do the guy no favors. He starts the game out with a decent little drive and after that we go back into WIU/SIU mode. A lot of people say Mertens should be benched(I agree to an extent), but I think Bohl should pull the playbook from whoever is making the calls.

It is not the play calling. The coaches are calling the plays that they feel Mertens can handle. Mertens can't handle the same playbook that Steve Walker did.

[msvjcpa]

Time for the defensive coaches to own up to the fact that Lardinois and Compton aren't cutting it. They are being outplayed by their backups. Lardinois and Compton each had one tackle yesterday and played 5 out of every 7 plays. That's terrible! Johnson had 3 total tackles (2 solo) and a forced fumble in 2 of 7 plays. Boyer had 2 total tackles. Johnson and Boyer lead the team in tackles for loss. Through 7 games (6 for Compton) Lardinois has 28 total tackles, Compton has 20 with both of them playing 75% of the snaps. Johnson has 19 total tackles playing 25% of the snaps. That's crazy production by Johnson playing only 2 plays at a time.

Let's let the future play now. Put in Johnson and Boyer and let them go to work. We need to stop the bleeding and it starts in the trenches.

[NDSUstudent]

It is not the play calling. The coaches are calling the plays that they feel Mertens can handle. Mertens can't handle the same playbook that Steve Walker did.

Mertens didn't throw an int until it was 20-3 UNI, he actually had a decent start to the game. 2 of his Ints at the end of the game can be contributed to him forcing things because we had to chase, our offense continues to put us behind and at that point we are chasing and in this conference you just can't be chasing points. I'm sorry but Mertens can complete short passes, we can throw the ball on 2-2 and 3-2. It is a hell of lot easier to throw then, instead of expecting Mertens to make something happen on second or third and long.

[A1pigskin]

Lardnois is not playing like he did last year. The guy is good, but I wonder if his injury from spring practice is the issue. Concussions are serious. I've had one 22 years ago and my head couldn't take the beatings anymore.

I miss the real Joe.

[BisoninNWMN]

Time for the defensive coaches to own up to the fact that Lardinois and Compton aren't cutting it. They are being outplayed by their backups. Lardinois and Compton each had one tackle yesterday and played 5 out of every 7 plays. That's terrible! Johnson had 3 total tackles (2 solo) and a forced fumble in 2 of 7 plays. Boyer had 2 total tackles. Johnson and Boyer lead the team in tackles for loss. Through 7 games (6 for Compton) Lardinois has 28 total tackles, Compton has 20 with both of them playing 75% of the snaps. Johnson has 19 total tackles playing 25% of the snaps. That's crazy production by Johnson playing only 2 plays at a time.

Let's let the future play now. Put in Johnson and Boyer and let them go to work. We need to stop the bleeding and it starts in the trenches.

Amen.....those 2 RFR are going to be studs......hope they get 75% of the snaps the rest of the season

[BisonNeil]

Lardnois is not playing like he did last year. The guy is good, but I wonder if his injury from spring practice is the issue. Concussions are serious. I've had one 22 years ago and my head couldn't take the beatings anymore.

I miss the real Joe.

The concussion happened in fall camp.

[A1pigskin]

The concussion happened in fall camp.

Thanks for the correction. So, even sooner than I thought.

[Mr. Burgundy]

I agree with my boy BisonNeil on this one. Bohl is a too much of a CEO right now. I want him to go nuts on some people. I am tired of this quiet/calm. Players will react to this stuff. More Les Miles fire! I may be overreacting, but seriously, we are in total and comple shambles right now. No sugarcoating this mess. Play the kids and encourage them to play with some fire.

[NDSUstudent]

This week I think the coaches just need to start fresh, open up the QB spot in practice and maybe even a few other positions(don't bench anyone). Also try to work on some of the basics and put this team back on track to being fundamentally sound. I won't ask for an overnight turnaround but I just want solid progression from one week to the next.

The coaches also need to keep the players motivated, my greatest fear is that we lose whatever focus we have left because we can't capture our highly set goals. New goals must be made and used to drive this team to a respectable finish.

[90BISON]

This week I think the coaches just need to start fresh, open up the QB spot in practice and maybe even a few other positions(don't bench anyone). Also try to work on some of the basics and put this team back on track to being fundamentally sound. I won't ask for an overnight turnaround but I just want solid progression from one week to the next.

The coaches also need to keep the players motivated, my greatest fear is that we lose whatever focus we have left because we can't capture our highly set goals. New goals must be made and used to drive this team to a respectable finish.

Goal setting should be fairly easy at this point in the season, "Just win a friggin game!!!", the rest will take care of itself.:ranting:

[NDSUFan_Sav]

Goal setting should be fairly easy at this point in the season, "Just win a friggin game!!!", the rest will take care of itself.:ranting:

++++++++++++++ exactly!

[X-Factor]

Sorry, no imagination, no adjustments, and no rhythm. Pat or whoever is call the plays needs to seriously re-evaluate what is going on.

Is it possible that the un-imaginative play calling is to prevent excessive mistakes by certain players that arn't ready for the full playbook? :hide:

The last two year's were just fine play calling wise under the same coaching staff. I don't think they are magically unable to draw up successful plays just because it is 2008. My guess is that the training wheels are still on the bus until our players can execute correctly in practice.

[CaBisonFan]

Is it possible that the un-imaginative play calling is to prevent excessive mistakes by certain players that arn't ready for the full playbook? :hide:

The last two year's were just fine play calling wise under the same coaching staff. I don't think they are magically unable to draw up successful plays just because it is 2008. My guess is that the training wheels are still on the bus until our players can execute correctly in practice.


This is a real mess. It is my opinion that a strong, experienced leader at QB would have everyone playing better. When you lose confidence in the signal caller, the unraveling begins. Everything gets harder, including defense. It's a big ball of yarn rolling downhill. Somebody has to cut the line.

That would be the head coach.

I would have been fired years ago...but I would have broken a few lockers and tables by now. Hell fire. I think that the players are waiting for it, and possibly wondering why it hasn't come yet.

By now...I would have had one of the more athletic running backs at QB...and would have switched to an option game. Something...anything. (That is...if none of the quarterbacks were cutting it.)

And I certainly would have played Parsons & Mertens more last year, and maybe the year before. You know...field test them to see what they're made of ?! There were plenty of opportunities to give these guys some real time on the field.