What have we learned since we were last together? Well, unfortunately we've learned a lot and none of it is that good (save for Lockett being unstoppable).
First, let me amend my original formula of:
(Waters+Sams) x Snyder = Wins
What we currently have is:
[(Waters Running and Passing) +
Sams Running Only)] x Vanilla Offensive Play Calling
/ Locker Room Angst = Losses
When what we really need is:
[(Waters Passing and Not Running)
+ (Sams Running and Passing) x (The Mad Wizard Snyder)] x A Dose of Confidence = Wins
You all are sick of reading about it and so am I: why we are four games into the season and have not unleashed any creativity in our offense, and that includes Sams passing, while trying to run Waters. He's not THAT slow (Coffman), but he's not shifty (Manziel), not big enough to run over people (Klein), not fast (Roberson), and not really physical (Bishop).
And look, I love Waters. A student of the game. A winner. A film room junkie. A quiet leader. A brilliant passer. I support him as our starting QB.
But so far running him to achieve balance is just not working. Whether it's the O-line's fault or not, it's hard to say, but Snyder's insistence or running the ball with Waters (not Hubert or any other RB's for that matter) has been absolutely frustrating to watch. Too many times we are running the ball only to gain 1 or 2 yards where last year we were gaining at least 5 with the potential for a lot more if Klein hit a seam.
I'm not calling for Sams to start. I'm not calling for Sams to come out and throw 20 times a game. But we need to establish an offensive identity around the strengths of our QBs, and not try and run Waters over and over again. Honestly, I don't want Waters running at all.
If we are on goal line and need a TD in an important conference game on the road again and he doesn't bring Sams in to run that thing in, I'm going to lose it.
If we are on goal line and need a TD in an important conference game on the road again and he doesn't bring Sams in to run that thing in, I'm going to lose it.
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Here's a list of plays I wish we would run because apparently none of these are currently in our offensive playcalling capablities:
- A pass to a TE. ANY TE but preferrably the one we have on our roster that's a giant and could probably just put his hands up and catch pretty much anything.
- A bubble screen to Lockett breaking into the middle of the field like Morgan used to do for about a bazillion yards per catch.
- A pass from Sams to anyone.
- A pass from an RB back across the field to a waiting QB.
- A triple option where the QB ACTUALLY PULLS IT DOWN AND THROWS IT.
- An option NOT to the short side of the field.
- Puttings Sams into the game when we hit the redzone and letting him run it in for a TD which he has a knack for doing.
- Using our younger RB's who have a quicker burst than Hubert and shown more energy.
- A flea flicker. Just one. To Lockett. Seriously have we EVER done one. Ever.
- Putting 5-WR's into the game at once with no FB or RB.
- Putting Sams and Waters into the game at the same time.
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Yes, I was at the game.
The UT fans were nice. The tailgating was great. The free tickets were fantastic.
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| Our crew before the game. At this point we believe we have a chance to win. |
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| This also contributed to our thinking we had a chance to win. |
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| This was my original view but decided there were too many UT fans around. |
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| See what I mean. I think this is them praying for Mack Brown to lose. |
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| This was my 2nd-4th quarter view. Their big screen is > our big screen in Manhattan. Even though I moved we still lost. |
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No, I'm not comparing stats this week. I'm doing everything I can to have faith and I'm afraid if I look at the stats and how we compare with OSU I'll get depressed. So we're taking a break from that.
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So, onward to (or should I say, back to) 2004.
That was the year we came off a BigXII Championship and took a step back so far we pretty much fell off the cliff. That was a year when the team had plenty of returning talent and just didn't execute, took things for granted, and never recovered from an early season, devestating home loss.
Sound familiar?
We shockingly lost to Fresno (NDSU) in our 2nd (1st) game, and went on the road and lost to A&M (Texas) in our 4th.
We were starting a new dual-QB system with Dylan Meier (Waters) and Allen Webb (Sams).
We returned a record breaking RB in Sproles (Hubert I know he's not as good as Sproles, which makes this comparison more depressing). (Here's the rest of the 2004 Roster if you're interested.)
We lost a lot of games, finished 4-7, and didn't make it to a bowl.
All that being said, last week will go a long way in determining this season. I think we're better than 2-2. I think we could actually be 4-0 right now without a lot of additional tweaks to what we've done or the way the ball has bounced.
But unfortunately, this team has very little margin for error. They have very little room to commit turnovers, make mistakes, create penalties, and generally not execute. The margin between winning and losing for our little Wildcats is razor thin this year, just as it was in 2004.
Let's hope this team has healed from its internal strife. Let's hope some leadership has emerged. Let's hope they begin to buy into what Snyder is preaching. And let's hope we find an offense that's more than just throwing to Lockett. Let's hope we get a break or two in Stillwater and pull off the win, which I think we can. Let's hope for an epic run of wins that only Bill Snyder could conjour up.
Let's hope.
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