Welcome to the Friday Feedback, on the first day of … fall? I’ve heard we’ve been waiting for this. Final dress rehearsal for the state champion Mountaineers and, call me crazy, but I think it’s going to be good for them and more productive than the prior two games.

Maryland is not — how do you say it? — good. Early in a Randy Edsall reboot, which is probably more like a time machine set to the late 1980s, it is for now a flawed football team, especially when matched up against WVU. The offense is young, which is something you don’t want to be against WVU’s skilled and sage offense.

There’s a freshman quarterback on the field with some young linemen and an undetermined pecking order in the backfield. The Terrapins want to control the clock against WVU to keep EUXII on the sideline, which is fine, but a young quarterback, a green offensive line and Yahtzee at running back makes that hard to attain.

Maryland has 12 three-and-outs this season, including six last week against Connecticut. WVU’s defense has forced seven three-and-outs in two games and the offense has scored four touchdowns — and the first-team offense is 4-for-6.

(Aside: The three empty possessions are the fourth-and-goal bust against Marshall [first-team offense] and a three-and-out in the first game and the fourth-down bust at midfield against JMU [first-team offense]. Marshall scored touchdowns on both opportunities and JMU was stopped on fourth-and-goal at the 1. I have no idea if that part really means anything, but I found it interesting and likely relevant. Momentum is a crazy thing.)

Anyhow, WVU’s offense can kill you if you’re not careful with quick change stuff and if the Mountaineers start hot and hit a groove and hang up 21 points again in the first quarter, the Terrapins are in grave danger. And Maryland might not be built to stay out of such trouble. The offense is No. 93 nationally in third-down conversion percentage (35 percent) and has let defenses tee off on Perry Hills. It sounded this week like WVU felt better about it’s blitzing and that the idea was to heat up Hills and see if he could handle the game.

Maryland’s defense is good and certainly the best WVU has faced, which means the Terrapins come to town at the ideal time. Still, larger than the concern about Hills being able to handle what’s given to him is whether the defense can handle WVU’s offense again and again and again. Maryland’s defense isn’t going to get a ton of help from its  offense, but is going to get a ton of pressure from WVU’s.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, seize control.

SheikYbuti said:

If he’s going to go for it, I wish he’d simply let Geno throw the ball instead of calling more or less the same run that just failed on third down.

I’m thinking we’ll see that soon. Isn’t that the smart play? I mean, they keep telling us it’s a long handoff. Thus far, it’s better than the close handoff — seriously, he’s 2-for-2 on third-and-3, -2, -1 for two first downs and a mere seven yards.

pushthebutton said:

I was very supportive of not punting against JMU, and was disappointed he back peddled on the decision after the game. As he pointed out, with that short yardage to go near the 50, statistics support going for it.

Of course on the opposite end was Stew, who once punted from the USF 32 yard line, resulting in a touchback, and a net gain of 12 yards in field position.

I get that, but I admire his honesty. I also think he cares very little about what outsiders have to say about his decision(s), which is mostly good. Stewart’s USF punt was probably my second-favorite punt situation from his tenure: Remember burning timeouts like matches in the rain late in the first quarter of the 2010 UConn game? That was the best. The best. Consider this: The punt game was a talking point for positive purposes two years ago. Now we’re dissecting not punting and relying on a badass offense. 

Fan No Longer In Waiting said:

Is it possible that he knows how bad our punting situation is so he decides to give it a shot?

re: USF 32 – sadly, this year it could be a full punt and we’d be able to have them on the 12. :}

Someone in TFGD nailed it when he/she said that even a “normal 12 yard punt” would have worked. How “bad” is WVU’s punting? Small sample, but dead last in average and net punting. True, two games and three punts, but you’d like to think three punts should be averaging better than 33 yards and netting better than 23. True, there’s a block in there, but it happened. Stats are silly this early in the season, but this was a factor last year. Dana said then he made decisions because he knew what he did not have in his punter, whoever it was that day.

Big Al said:

I seem to recall a comment from Dana that one reason he was ready to move on from his Offensive Coordinator position at Texas Tech was that he “tired of trying to convince Mike Leach to punt on 4th down”. Maybe the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree?

Oh, he said it, but I can agree with both of his decisions. I think farther down the road though and wonder if precedent will be an issue.

Rugger said:

Brilliant move…..the defense was playing good, the game was in hand….why not put the D in some situations in prep for Big XII play?

I’m all in (thus not very objective).

Brilliant? Hmm. I wrote about this, and how the goal line stand was an unintentional consequence, but on failed fourth downs against Marshall and JMU, WVU’s defense did nothing to keep the team from getting to the end zone. Marshall marched 98 yards, JMU 48, only to be stopped at the 1-yard line. These conversations are probably slightly different if JMU scores. As it is, it’s an encouraging sidebar, but it nearly didn’t happen.

ccteam said:

The decision not to take points and kick a FG against MU fired them up and the Herd immediately drove down the field and temporarily got them back in the game. That was a bad decision. The JMU decision, not that big of a deal.

But what if Darwin Cook doesn’t read and react and make a play — and what if Doug Rigg doesn’t rally to finish that play? JMU goes in and it’s 28-10 and … well, we don’t know. Again, it didn’t happen that way, but it could have. Also, we’re dismissing the possibility Dana punts and the defense can’t stop JMU from marching 80 or so yards. In the big picture, it’s a meaningless moment, but it’s interesting to discuss it and project it.

Josh24601 said:

#TeamGoForIt

Maybe quibble with the play calls, but even then, Dana’s got his Air Raid Ph.D. and tenured That Sucks Man Dot Com Professorship in Ball Movin against my…um, liking football and stuff.

The odd timeout-ing, though: that could be a thing.

I want Team Go For It T-shirts. Actually, put that on the back of “MILLARD TO ARLIA.” Buy two and I’ll sell you a book for $14.95. And, yes, the pocketing of timeouts at the end of the first half was strange. I watched it again after yesterday’s chat. I wonder if the time and the down just caught up and caught everyone off guard. Bad form.

pushthebutton said:

A more significant question is why did we not call timeout before JMU’s field goal towards the end of the first half?

I don’t know. Asleep at the wheel? This is what’s weird, to me. When you’ve got an offense as good as Dana’s, and he thinks he can get a touchdown or a first down on fourth down, then why not call the timeout and think you can use that offense with the time to squeeze in another scoring drive. I’m trending toward calling that scene a lapse.

The 25314 said:

Punting on 4th and 1 from midfield against FCS teams is for [pansies].

I’m OK with that. Absolutely [and completely] OK with that.

BL said:

Going for it on 4th down in the first quarter is something more coaches should be doing.

Not OK with that, as a blanket statement. Certainly depends on field position and score — JMU basically went for it on fourth down in the first quarter, though it was the first play of the second. But that was a smart and necessary call. And I don’t have a problem with WVU’s first-quarter attempt against Marshall. Would have liked a better decision with the play, though.

Greg Dodge said:

Mike – I’m not as concerned as you are with the fourth down stuff. As Holgorsen says in the clip the statistics say you should almost always go for it on fourth and one. Your expected value is significantly positive because of the situation it puts the other team in when you don’t get it, the likelihood of getting it, and so on. And it’s not like we have a great field goal or punt teams. And also these are games we’ve got big leads in – why not challenge the offensive line, runningbacks, and even defense? This is what early season is all about.

Not concerned. Intrigued. I probably would have gone for it both times, too, but I know that there are implications, even, uh, implied implications, to this. Hey, we’re allowed to disagree … but I think I agree with everyone more than meets the eye.

SkeikYbuti said:

I’m not so sure it’s the call to go for it on fourth down as much as Holgorsen’s seemingly second-guessing himself afterward both times. It’s about him evidencing a potential pattern of getting caught up in the moment and taking an impulsive action perhaps contrary to what a cooler head would order. I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but it is a potentially interesting insight into the man.

Precisely. And the word “potential” about this pattern matters most. It might be nothing. But, what if it’s not? (Listen, I’ve had two games and basically six quarters to hold me over for eight weeks, OK?)

The 25314 said:

On the safety, it looks like miscommunication betwene the TE and Ryan Clarke, because they both end up blocking the same guy. If Clarke clears the hole, Alston wouldn’t have been caught from behind by Braun’s man.

Also, on the 4th down, JMU played 0 coverage. I would hope, in the future, Geno sees that and throws the ball.

The safety was doomed, for a few reasons. It looks like an outside zone play, which asks a good bit of the TE/FB duty, which didn’t work. Braun gets mauled, though. And spot  on with the fourth down. He probably should have changed. What strikes me now is 1) JMU made a very educated guess in the second game of the season and 2) the safeties had no impact on the play until the one safety was basically allowed to walk into the tackle. I keep watching that and, no, Alston wasn’t going to break it, but I don’t know how he didn’t get it. It seems to me now that Clarke didn’t need to sweep back across the line and take out the defensive end on the back side. If he stays on the left side, WVU has it blocked 5-on-5. If the DE comes down the line and makes the play, fine, but Alston probably has plenty of yards. Weird play.

Bobby Heenan said:

I was surprised to see Brown not out there against James Madison. You mentioned it, but Brown was out there early (2nd series, I believe) and often against Marshall.

Dante Campbell is a big kid. Not sure how well he runs, but I wonder if they move him back outside next year with the departure of Stedman (likely) and Woods. Thompson seems to hold his own to some degree blocking out there on some screens, but getting Campbell some reps could be beneficial in getting Tavon and Stedman some running room out there. You’ve got to think that Campbell’s size could help in blocking.

Brown was “a little banged up” and didn’t play against JMU, but should play Saturday. I’d tell you more, but WVU isn’t into dicussing injuries. Erik Slaughter telling me Brown was banged up was like being handed a manila envelope marked “TOP SECRET.” I think he just wanted to clarify that Brown wasn’t out for poor performance, though. Campbell is interesting because he’s built for the outside, but he likes it inside, as WVU likes him there. But, yes, he might change because they need bodies. Thought Thompson was better against JMU, too. Even he said he was a little slow and a little off against Marshall, what with first game uncertainty. He said he delivered the hits and initiated blocking more against JMU and basically played faster, which he did not have against Marshall. And you do remember Dante’s blocking, right?

Rugger said: 

Playing 60 players and playing w very few penalties is pretty incredible.

I can remember clearly how we struggled v Coastal Carolina Community College w our best 30.

I am grateful.

I was looking back at this, but the 2008-10 teams had trouble playing well against the FCS teams — Villanova and “dear friend” Andy Talley, Liberty and CCU. WVU was better and never really in danger, though that Villanova game was deceptive because of a late defensive touchdown and a late “we better get this on film” touchdown. What I think I think now is this team is A) more talented and B) the benefactor of appreciably better coaching and, thus, preseason preparation.

Jeff in Akron said:

Every time I hear Holgorsen say, “They’re exactly who I thought they were…” I can’t help but think of Dennis Green and his rant in a post-game presser about the Bears.

Listening to Holgorsen explain the fourth down calls, I still wonder if there isn’t more to it than he is admitting. Behind the scenes I have to wonder if he isn’t going Bill Parcells on the o-line for failing to get the first down. Plus, if you really wanted the first down, why take the ball away from Geno and his decision/playing making abillity. Then, how does Geno not change the play at least once when he sees the defense stack the line of scrimmage? Isn’t that the premise of this offense to begin with, Geno having options and making the right choice based on how the defense reacts or lines up?

That brings me to the conclusion that those fourth down plays are NOT exactly what we thought they were.

Well executed, Jeff. Holgorsen may be falling on the saber, for every reason you list, and that’s fine. But that QB sneak against Marshall was kind of hurried, but Eu almost slithered in. And I’m  still wondering how Alston didn’t get the first down against JMU. It was there. The other day, I went to the football interviews wearing a blue T-shirt with a lobster print on the front. One coach asked me if it was for a baseball team or a brand or something. I said no. “Sometimes it’s just a T-shirt with a lobster on it.”

The 25314 said:

He holds the ball too long. He has been erratic against pressue in his career. He doesn’t throw particularly well when flushed from the pocket. I think he still needs to prove consistency on deep balls.

Agreed on holding on too long, but I think he’s so darn confident that he thinks he can. But he shouldn’t. I wonder if we’ve seen the Modern Day Geno Smith deal with pressure. I think he turned a page late in the season, certainly after he got knocked around against Syracuse. I’ll disagree about throwing on the run, but he had a bad scramble-dart against JMU. And let’s define deep? Bombs? Not great. Thirty-yard corner routes. Prettay, prettay good.

 SheikYbuti said:

If LSU couldn’t stop this offense, what chance does Maryland have?

/Ducks

hershy112 said:

Sheik just slammed the door.

With alacrity!

Grumpy said:

If i recall the LSU game was last year as well. The offense is better this year! I just opened the door and re-slammed it.

This is against the grain here. Are you guys ok?

JC said:

Did Edsall beat WVU whlie at UCONN? Oh, wait…… *Opens door and repeatedly slams into own head*

Better …

SheikYbuti said:

Well, at least the player responsible for that loss is no longer . . . oh, wait. *opens door and repeatedly slams it into J.C.’s head*

And we’re back.

Down South said:

Shouldn’t Randy Edsall just worry about the adults and children cursing him and his players at their own stadium? All 35,000 of them?

Something about that should concern him, yes.

rekterx said:

I remember oranges being tossed at the Orange at OMF on more than one occasion. And anybody who attended games at OMF in its last few years would remember Frisbee Dog being on the field when the teams came out. And yes, there were sometimes people who sat in the bowl end of Mountaineer field who would see have far into the endzone they could spit.

Sorry. But Edsall’s memory on these issues is pretty much spot on.

And tobacco spittin’?

The 25314 said:

Whiskey bottle/golf ball gate of 1998 was against Maryland.

Was it? I forget. I do know that WVU had a Warren Commission like response proving the projectile came from the visiting fan section.

SheikYbuti said:

I doth decree that, henceforth on this blog, any Game identified to have taken place at Old Mountaineer Field shall be shorthanded as an OMFG! (exclamation point mandatory).

Seconded.

MSMoountaineer said:

Can AJ Francis confirm it was an elderly woman? I’ve got a whole other theory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBz3PqA2Fmc

Strong. Not strongest …

Simple Jack said:

Re: Edsall doing more with less – He spent his first year at MD making sure he had “less” to work with.

Flexing, yet not finishing …

Ben said:

Randy Edsall is half the coach Ralph Freidgen was…

Enjoy the weekend!