8 weeks from tonight...

[Falcon137]

Clawson's first year there was no problem moving the ball. Troy, Missouri, Marshall, and most MAC games we marched up and down the field. That team had horrendous red zone issues that kept them from scoring points.

Last year, anything that could have gone wrong, did.

Didn't you have a couple seniors named Sheehan and Barnes that year? What went wrong last year was they graduated.

Yes. I was just pointing out the offense was better than just Troy in '09.

[Flipper]

We played better MAC defenses in 2009 than Troy...Troy was not good. IIRC..we moved the ball in 2009 on just about everybody but Boise State...if we cracked 250 yds ttl against them I'd be suprised. THAT was the best defense we played that year and arguably the only really good one.

2010 was a mess...no doubt about it. New, ineperienced QB, tattered OLine, 170 lb tailback with no one to block for him...yeah, you aren't going to grind it out under those circumstances. I think the issue was talent...more clearly a lack of talent...than it was the scheme.

I don't like being a "spread" team. It's not a novelty any more and teams have learned to defend it. That kind of passive blocking makes it very diffcilut to move the ball in short yardage situations...In 2008, how many times did Willie get crushed trying to pick up a yard out of the gun when he was getting the ball 7 yards behind the line? You need to be able to line up and move the pile...we are progressing towards an offense that can do that. Not only that, I think it's much easier to take an offense that is based on a pro style and introduce formations that have elements of the spread than it is to take a spread offense and ask it to consistently move the ball in short yardage situations.

[transfer2BGSU]

Bring back the wishbone!

[Falcon137]

Excellent post, Flipper.

[Drago]

I guess we can agree to disagree. I'll check back in about week 8 to see where we stand on this..

[Sub-Zero]

We wont be able to deploy a traditional pro set. We dont have the size or talent. The Spread is still the core offense for most 1A programs and is even influencing the NFL. It continues to evolve and includes a wide variety of customization (eg Florida's version under Urban which was essentially a power spread scheme to balance the needs with SEC competition). I am totally up for a run balanced offense. Aside from the offensive advantages like fewer turnovers, it most importantly will help keep our D off the field which was the worst defense in 1A last year. Whether Clawson can figure out how to do this and still blend a creative passing attack (a most for us to win) into the game plan is another story. Its not just his scheme that is terrible (dating back to the Vols) but includes the fundamentals like teaching how to tackle (see Michigan game, the most lopsided, embarrassing game I have ever watched.....and that includes the Tulsa bowl game).

But Hurley, Bayer, and Martin form a very interesting core and could be our version of the Triplets. If there is a Falcon god and Clawson somehow breaks into the ranks of elite coaches, it would be great to see what these guys could do. How 'bout dem Falcons!

[Siborg]

I think there is a lot to be hopeful for despite last season but I'm not holding my breath. We have some good young talent and last year was a learning experience we don't want to repeat. I think 6-6 is a legitimate target. I'm hoping for better of course.

Part of what I love about college footbal is that you never really know what your going to get, especially in the MAC.

[Flipper]

Drago...I'll tell you this much...if week 8 rolls round and there's no improvement in the program, I'll be a convert to the anti-Clawson side.

[hammb]

Drago...I'll tell you this much...if week 8 rolls round and there's no improvement in the program, I'll be a convert to the anti-Clawson side.

Me too.

I was a huge fan of Clawson pre-hire. He was the guy that I wanted most of all the candidates we saw rumored. I still love his personality, and I love his track record of building programs as a HC, even if it is at the 1AA level.

2009 was a good year, he took the talent we had and won some games with it. 2010 was a disaster, and while I think the program was in absolute shambles when he got here, there were still a lot of in game stuff that I didn't like. Somebody mentioned the UM game, and that was PATHETIC. To just roll over and die like that was horrible.

I'm with ya flip that I'm not a fan of the pure spread. I love the option variant where you are using your QB as a 2nd tailback and running for as many yards as you're throwing for, but I do not like the version of the spread we've been running here since J5 graduated. To me one of the biggest, and most underutilized, weapons in college football is play action. In order for that to be a weapon you simply MUST be a rushing threat.

I'm all for going with a more standard offense, versus the spread. I still want a lot of 3 and 4 WR formations, but I want us to be able to run the ball from those formations.