Jerry Kill's plan for fixing Rutgers offense: 'Run the same damn play over and over'

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BleedGopher

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per NJ.com:

Jerry Kill's plan to fix the Rutgers offense is simple.

It's to simplify.

A playbook that hasn't shown many deep passes and only recently expanded to include looks like a shovel pass, bubble screens and a double-pass is about to shrink down.

"We have to become more consistent at what we do," Kill said. "As bad as we got beat (by Ohio State), there's times we moved the ball. But then either it's a penalty or two guys not getting the job done and the other nine are doing a good job. In offensive football, you can't do that."

"What do you do to fix that?" Kill asked rhetorically. "You cut back. You look at yourself and say, 'These guys can't do all this, so we better cut back and get more repetition at smaller things. Run the same damn play over and over and over so you get better at it. Maybe these kids can't handle all the stuff being thrown at them.''"

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...s_plan_for_fixing_rutgers_offense_run_th.html

Go Gophers!!
 

So we have the same plan as Rutgers? Kool.


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Totally agree with him. The issue would be if they are still doing that in 4 years.
 

The Rutgers O was pretty solid vs. us last year. it was a lot like the Maryland attack this year. How Rutgers decided a Jerry Kill call on offense made sense, I have no idea. I always hated our JK era offense: it sucked, and Limegvrover took the fall for it, and it turned out is was Jerry Kill behind it. Holy Crap! No wonder

What a horrible hire, they should have hired the big fat man TC to run the show!. The reality was the TC defense if what kept Jerry Kill above water.
 

oak_street1981 said:
The Rutgers O was pretty solid vs. us last year. it was a lot like the Maryland attack this year. How Rutgers decided a Jerry Kill call on offense made sense, I have no idea. I always hated our JK era offense: it sucked, and Limegvrover took the fall for it, and it turned out is was Jerry Kill behind it. Holy Crap! No wonder

What a horrible hire, they should have hired the big fat man TC to run the show!. The reality was the TC defense if what kept Jerry Kill above water.
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Ditto.
 



oak_street1981 said:
The Rutgers O was pretty solid vs. us last year. it was a lot like the Maryland attack this year. How Rutgers decided a Jerry Kill call on offense made sense, I have no idea. I always hated our JK era offense: it sucked, and Limegvrover took the fall for it, and it turned out is was Jerry Kill behind it. Holy Crap! No wonder

What a horrible hire, <b>they should have hired the big fat man TC to run the show!. </b>The reality was the TC defense if what kept Jerry Kill above water.
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No go. He doesn't wear headphones.


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60's Guy said:
3X
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x1000000000000

So much for being a players coach, he just threw the whole offense under the bus: basically calling all the player too stupid to understand his complex offense!
Maybe it was too predictable and you opponents know what you are going to run.
He had that same problem here with the O, he never trusted the players, he never trusted the QB to run the “full offense“.


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Nothing to see here, this is the same reason that a high school team could run our offense this year and our defense looks like something you devise at a bar for a flag football game, it just takes some time.
 

alchemy2u said:
x1000000000000

So much for being a players coach, he just threw the whole offense under the bus: basically calling all the player too stupid to understand his complex offense!
Maybe it was too predictable and you opponents know what you are going to run.
He had that same problem here with the O, he never trusted the players, he never trusted the QB to run the “full offense“.


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Click to expand...

Jerry Kill's offense is complex? His offense is about as complex as a game of patty-cake.
 


BleedGopher said:
per NJ.com:

Jerry Kill's plan to fix the Rutgers offense is simple.

It's to simplify.

A playbook that hasn't shown many deep passes and only recently expanded to include looks like a shovel pass, bubble screens and a double-pass is about to shrink down.

"We have to become more consistent at what we do," Kill said. "As bad as we got beat (by Ohio State), there's times we moved the ball. But then either it's a penalty or two guys not getting the job done and the other nine are doing a good job. In offensive football, you can't do that."

"What do you do to fix that?" Kill asked rhetorically. "You cut back. You look at yourself and say, 'These guys can't do all this, so we better cut back and get more repetition at smaller things. Run the same damn play over and over and over so you get better at it. Maybe these kids can't handle all the stuff being thrown at them.''"

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...s_plan_for_fixing_rutgers_offense_run_th.html

Go Gophers!!
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It worked for Vince Lombardi, but that was 50 years ago, and he had Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung.
 



Both Kill and Fleck stressed no turnovers although that's as obvious as the hand in front of my face. Sort of like saying Don't murder anyone. I'll forever be convinced at least some small part of the QB's and offense's struggles was playing too damn tight. They showed signs of life every time Jerry was out of service or out of the picture. Coincidence?

Similarly, it feels like both the offense and defense are being told they're not good enough to run big boy schemes and the team has responded predictably with uninspired play. Put some faith in the players to make plays. Give them the chance to succeeed instead of terrified of screwing up every play. Look at Demry, one mistake got him benched for the rest of the game. Our placekicker all of a sudden has the yips. Make it fun. Not fake rah rah fun.
 

e.bigelow said:
Jerry Kill's offense is complex? His offense is about as complex as a game of patty-cake.
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Patty-Cake is way more complicated then you are making it out to be. Rolling dough, getting it in the oven, etc. etc. It is like trying to rub your belly and pat your head at the same time. Kill's offense has nothing on Patty-Cake.


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Vandy said:
It worked for Vince Lombardi, but that was 50 years ago, and he had Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung.
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But yes, this is the idea. On the HBO / NFL Films documentary about Lombardi, a coach talks about attending a one-day coaching clinic instructed by Lombardi, and all eight hours were talking about the power sweep. That truly is how you get good at something to the point where nobody can beat you at it.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Both Kill and Fleck stressed no turnovers although that's as obvious as the hand in front of my face. Sort of like saying Don't murder anyone. I'll forever be convinced at least some small part of the QB's and offense's struggles was playing too damn tight. They showed signs of life every time Jerry was out of service or out of the picture. Coincidence?

Similarly, it feels like both the offense and defense are being told they're not good enough to run big boy schemes and the team has responded predictably with uninspired play. Put some faith in the players to make plays. Give them the chance to succeeed instead of terrified of screwing up every play. Look at Demry, one mistake got him benched for the rest of the game. Our placekicker all of a sudden has the yips. Make it fun. Not fake rah rah fun.
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You make a great point. I am so tired of having these types of coaches that play so tight on offense the players are afraid to make a move for fear of getting benched. People are making excuses for our poor play vs. MD, but you see many coaches take over a struggling program and bring inspiration and a new level of play. Here, the play seems the same as it was under Kill and Claeys, i.e. Don't make a mistake or its "No soup for you!" I think your example of Croft getting benched for one mistake shows how this coaching staff is instilling fear in players for mistakes instead of letting them brush it off, show some confidence in the players and let them do it again. Under Fleck's methodology it instills fear not confidence, IMO.

Fleck talks a big game, but in the end he is playing from a place of fear. This team has talent and there is no reason that they cannot execute more sophisticated plays.
 

Isn't that what we do with the option read...but it's really not an option? It's more of a delayed handoff allowing the DE to get to our RB
 

GO4INLALALAND said:
You make a great point. I am so tired of having these types of coaches that play so tight on offense the players are afraid to make a move for fear of getting benched. People are making excuses for our poor play vs. MD, but you see many coaches take over a struggling program and bring inspiration and a new level of play. Here, the play seems the same as it was under Kill and Claeys, i.e. Don't make a mistake or its "No soup for you!" I think your example of Croft getting benched for one mistake shows how this coaching staff is instilling fear in players for mistakes instead of letting them brush it off, show some confidence in the players and let them do it again. Under Fleck's methodology it instills fear not confidence, IMO.

Fleck talks a big game, but in the end he is playing from a place of fear. This team has talent and there is no reason that they cannot execute more sophisticated plays.
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Well, when one of Coach Flecks many slogans (the one most important to play on the field I might add) is "The Ball is the Program", I have no problem with how he does it. He puts a very important emphasis on protecting the football and having a positive turnover differential. When your someone who touches the ball every play offensively, i.e. the QB, it is certainly coaches prerogative to put utmost importance on decision-making and protecting the football.

Sure, Fleck benched Croft for not, stupidly, falling on the football like he should have. It's not like he hasn't had chances to earn his spot back. Managed to get himself suspended in the short-term. But, he's back on the team and it's not like he won't have opportunities to earn his spot back.
 

Every coach in America stresses hanging on to the football and winning the turnover battle.

Fleck can say "the ball is the program" as much as he wants, institute the rule of handing the ball to the ref, etc. There are still going to be games when we turn the ball over multiple times regardless.

IIRC, Western Michigan's great turnover margin in 2016 was a direct result of them recovering an abnormally high % of available fumbles, which was totally unsustainable and mostly based on luck.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
Every coach in America stresses hanging on to the football and winning the turnover battle.

Fleck can say "the ball is the program" as much as he wants, institute the rule of handing the ball to the ref, etc. There are still going to be games when we turn the ball over multiple times regardless.

IIRC, Western Michigan's great turnover margin in 2016 was a direct result of them recovering an abnormally high % of available fumbles, which was totally unsustainable and mostly based on luck.
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Outside of stuff like how to pick up the ball... I have trouble believing there is something you can coach in terms of turnovers that actually gets you more of them.

I'm thinking just croot'n one really good DL would do more than anything else.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Outside of stuff like how to pick up the ball... I have trouble believing there is something you can coach in terms of turnovers that actually gets you more of them.

I'm thinking just croot'n one really good DL would do more than anything else.
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... what?
Tackling technique: Head on football? First man wraps up, second man punches?
Line play: Getting your hands up in throwing lanes?
DB and linebacker play: Disguising coverage? Reading routes? Looking for the football? Watching the receivers eyes? Watching the quarterbacks eyes? The entirety of pass defense technique?
Special teams: Blocking kicks? Creating muffed punts?
It is one of the single most emphasized aspects of football.

Do you not remember this strip?
http://www.espn.com/ncf/recap/_/id/400547966

That was coached behavior. We came within yards of losing that game.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
Every coach in America stresses hanging on to the football and winning the turnover battle.

Fleck can say "the ball is the program" as much as he wants, institute the rule of handing the ball to the ref, etc. There are still going to be games when we turn the ball over multiple times regardless.

IIRC, Western Michigan's great turnover margin in 2016 was a direct result of them recovering an abnormally high % of available fumbles, which was totally unsustainable and mostly based on luck.
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HUH?! What does handing the ball to the ref have anything to do with turnovers? Not sure what you're getting at there. Look at the QB stats of Zach Terrell last year. 33 TD's to 4 INT's. I am pretty sure when he says those things, he is referring to good decision making on offense in regards to QB play. Sure, turnovers happen, but there are things you can do to limit how those TO opportunities occur. Ball placement, knowing when to throw it away, when to check down etc. Especially when you are the QB.
 

e.bigelow said:
HUH?! What does handing the ball to the ref have anything to do with turnovers? Not sure what you're getting at there. Look at the QB stats of Zach Terrell last year. 33 TD's to 4 INT's. I am pretty sure when he says those things, he is referring to good decision making on offense in regards to QB play. Sure, turnovers happen, but there are things you can do to limit how those TO opportunities occur. Ball placement, knowing when to throw it away, when to check down etc. Especially when you are the QB.
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I don't think holding onto the ball after being tackled and handing it to the ref has anything to do with preventing turnovers, which should be pretty clear if you actually read my post.

Nor do I think repeating a mantra about the ball being the program will help prevent turnovers. You clearly missed the point.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
Every coach in America stresses hanging on to the football and winning the turnover battle.

Fleck can say "the ball is the program" as much as he wants, institute the rule of handing the ball to the ref, etc. There are still going to be games when we turn the ball over multiple times regardless.

IIRC, Western Michigan's great turnover margin in 2016 was a direct result of them recovering an abnormally high % of available fumbles, which was totally unsustainable and mostly based on luck.
Click to expand...

Part of the reason they recover so many is they really stress to just fall on the ball. That is why Croft was benched earlier this year. It wasn't the fumble itself, it's the fact that he tried to pick it up instead of just falling on it.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
I don't think holding onto the ball after being tackled and handing it to the ref has anything to do with preventing turnovers, which should be pretty clear if you actually read my post.

Nor do I think repeating a mantra about the ball being the program will help prevent turnovers. You clearly missed the point.
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Ok. I really don't understand the point you are trying to make other than turnovers happen. Repeating the mantra seems to have worked at WMU. I guess I don't see a problem with that, especially considering the substance behind the mantra which I outlined above. Again, everything that I have heard him explain about the meaning relates back to making smart decisions with the football in specific situations to prevent turnovers, i.e., falling on the football, when to throw it away, etc. See WMU 2016. Guess I don't see what the problem with that is?

Also, for further explanation on fumbles/Croft Benching, see post below:

GophersInIowa said:
Part of the reason they recover so many is they really stress to just fall on the ball. That is why Croft was benched earlier this year. It wasn't the fumble itself, it's the fact that he tried to pick it up instead of just falling on it.
Click to expand...
 

Curious if this "instilling fear", "playing tight" and "talking a big game" happened during the 3-0 start or only after the first loss?
 

GophersInIowa said:
Part of the reason they recover so many is they really stress to just fall on the ball. That is why Croft was benched earlier this year. It wasn't the fumble itself, it's the fact that he tried to pick it up instead of just falling on it.
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They stress it for the offense.

For the defense PJ indicated they're ok with scooping it up and running.
scoop and score

Not taking issue with your statement, just adding a bit.
 

scools12 said:
Curious if this "instilling fear", "playing tight" and "talking a big game" happened during the 3-0 start or only after the first loss?
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I wondered the same, not sure if they just underestimated MD, or were scared, or what but they didn't look like the same team as the other games.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I wondered the same, not sure if they just underestimated MD, or were scared, or what but they didn't look like the same team as the other games.
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They didn’t look like the same team because Maryland was the first good team they played this season.
 

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