FOOTBALL
It's official. Welcome @LincolnRiley to the Sooner Family. #thereisonlyone http://t.co/0HMjdSMVDx pic.twitter.com/sqg2IOAXiU
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) January 12, 2015
Pretty much a lose-lose for me last night. Can’t ever root for Oregon after the screw job in Eugene several years back, and I’ve really always found Urban Meyer to be a smug, detestable person. But that doesn’t really have anything to do with the players, so congrats to the Buckeyes on the natty.
Pretty sweet pic, and it is a real pic, not photoshopped. But it isn’t actually from last night’s coin toss. Nike staged the picture prior to the actual game.
This isn't do-or-die. It's do or don't. You have to live with it or live without it. #justdoit pic.twitter.com/EbnRzUWYOD
— Nike (@Nike) January 13, 2015
Well played.
Ha nice RT @LostLettermen: TROLLOLOLOL. pic.twitter.com/VXaAtYuYky
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) January 13, 2015
‘Somebody tell OU that mobile quarterbacks are a beautiful thing.’ (TW)
John E. Hoover: After firing Heupel, Stoops hires a guy who runs … Heupel's offense? #Sooners http://t.co/M01jw39eTc via @tulsaworld
— John E. Hoover (@johnehoover) January 12, 2015
Great to hear.
Scouts I talked to said @OU_Football TE Blake Bell put on a show at East-West practice today. 6-6, 259. Former QB. Good-looking prospect.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) January 13, 2015
Former Oklahoma assistant Jay Norvell talked with Texas today about its wide receiver coach position, according to a source.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 12, 2015
Former #OU co-OC Jay Norvell interviewed at #Texas and is scheduled to be at #Wisconsin tomorrow, per source.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 13, 2015
Wow, good for Coach V.
Brent Venables joins the ranks of million-dollar coordinators. #Clemson raise figures: http://t.co/Iv7RVjDqcQ pic.twitter.com/7Bz8gnlG4i
— Orange and White (@orangeandwhite) January 13, 2015
Bob Bowlsby: Big 12 ADs will discuss whether to mandate playing annual Power 5 nonconference team. http://t.co/kO6HwPrKq1
— Jon Solomon (@JonSolomonCBS) January 12, 2015
BASKETBALL
Second straight week @OU_MBBall's TaShawn Thomas is named #Big12 Newcomer of the Week. http://t.co/7DCB7nlZhx #Sooners
— Jordan Esco (@Jordan_Esco) January 12, 2015
OTHER
BOOMER! http://t.co/PraTi9BJjH pic.twitter.com/8ka0Tuk4RK
— Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) January 12, 2015
137 Comments
Jordan, lets forget coaching for a second. Compare the (young) talent for Ohio State versus OUr talent. It seems to me we have a talent issue that we better get figured out pretty quickly.
Not just that, but I think (sadly) that tOSU has a superior strength training program also. Those guys were BIG, FAST and STRONG…all of them. Even the FRESHMEN! The OU kids look small, weak and slow compared to tOSU. Gotta get that fixed pronto.
OU had one of the biggest O-lines in all of college football last season and they actually played very well. I don’t think OSU has a running back anywhere near as big and strong as Perine.
On the defensive side, really the only place you could say Ohio state has a size advantage is at LB and they certainly have a talent advantage in the secondary. The physical abilities to me didn’t look any different at all. Ohio St defenders were consistantly in the right position to make stops. They didn’t exactly shut down Oregon last night either, they still gave up a ton of yards.
When we make plays (Refer Bama -ask Stoops) – we look to be stronger/more physical or more athletic than other team. When we play like we did against Clemson – like than commentator said – its like a scout team – even wonder if we had any strength training.
That “one of the biggest O-lines in all of college football” sure was inconsistent. Watching those Perine highlights yesterday, I was struck by the fact that even in the KU game, where he did whatever he wanted, those huge OL seemed to be on skates on the edges.
There was also a HUGE toughness advantage for tOSU…especially when comparing to Oklahoma. I know Meyer is a huge proponent of EVERYTHING being a competition, even in practice. He’s been known to stop practice and have a tug-o-war with a towel between two random dudes. EVERYTHING is about competition with him and it shows in the hunger and drive his guys show on the field. Obviously missing at Oklahoma.
tOSU won that game by out-classing Oregon, all night really, in the trenches. Oregon’s DL did relatively nothing and had a heck of a time creating any holes after the first two drives.
Inconsistant, maybe, but they were not lacking in size and strength. But that can go right back to the offense having no identity. Bedenbaugh has done an excellent job with those guys but by the same token I do think they could be stronger. I have also heard that Bedenbaugh was all over Smitty and wanted the conditioning program updated.
Toughness is hard to measure. Being a tough player has nothing to do with talent but it can enhance a talented player. I don’t doubt the toughness of any of Bedenbaugh’s guys. I can understand the talent sentiment, but the lineman on both sides of the ball were not the problem this year.
To me they looked bigger, stronger, faster AND in the right positions. Plus they did something that much of our D seems to be unfamiliar with. Tackling.
bingo!!!!!!!!
heh
I think that’s more than fair assessment of things. Talent drop off hasn’t been gradual over the last several years, but not drastic enough for most to really take notice until you have a season like OU just did.
It’s a big part of why you’re seeing the changes to the staff now, b/c a number of guys have not been recruiting at the level they needed to be.
Might I ask why Tim Kish is still employed then?
I couldn’t tell you. I will offer I don’t think he will be come spring ball, but as to why he still is today…I got nothing.
I appreciate the response. With his perceived recruiting issues I would think they would try to do something sooner rather than later
Jordan, is Riley known for being a great recruiter? I’ve heard OCs and DCs don’t recruit as much as the position coaches.
I’d say good, maybe not great. Honestly, it’s hard to judge b/c it clearly isn’t ever going to be easy to recruit to ECU.
Thats why Candle would make a great co OC. Add his recruiting to Rileys game plan and we might have something there.
Recruiting is down, that can’t be argued, but I will never believe there’s a talent disparity large enough between us and Baylor or us and Clemson to lose by such incredibly large margins. That’s X’s and O’s coaching.
I don’t think I really said that. As you’ve said, there’s a gap but certainly not one so wide as we saw in some of those games. That was as much about effort, coaching, etc. as it was any kind of lack of talent
I’m not trying to put words in your mouth or even disagree with you, I’m only expanding on what you stated. It seems so much of the weight of our disappointments is put on our recruiting woes without enough emphasis being put on our game planning. This team had so much more potential than was ever realized, but our uninspired scheming did as much or more to hold this squad back than poor recruiting.
Basically, I believe our failures in game planning are more responsible for 8-5 than our lackluster recruiting.
I’m agreeing w/ you 😉
According to reports, tOSU had 51 and Oregon had 29 – 4 or 5 stars in their current roster. Currently, we stand at 11 4 or 5* in this class. Conservatively extrapolating, we have anywhere between 35-45 4 or 5 *. Clearly, more than Oregon and bunch of other schools like TCU, Baylor etc etc.
So, my point is, there is plenty of talent that is available – now developing said talent and playing to its strength, are we doing those? We need to make this the priority this off season – “scheming better with our top athletes”
After watching some of ECU O from last year I think Murray is perfect for that system. I know pipe dream, but the fact is Murray would be holding up many after season awards in Riley’s O. Perfect match of Murray’s skill set.
Wonder if Bob sent Frost a “never mind” text last night?
It was not pretty. Those dadgum WRs did Mariota no favors. Mariota is the real deal, guys.
He may be the real deal and I do not doubt that but, he was not the better QB last night. That freshman for OSU is the real deal.
RS SO QB. You think he could should go pro? Some have said he should while he is on a roll
I just want to know how he got a full helmet’s worth of stickers for 2 games…
I’m eternally grateful we’ve never considered putting little stagecoaches or something on our helmets after every win! I like it that we act like we’ve been there before. And they still look like pot plants to me, even though someone said they’re buckeyes. Whatever the heck THAT is.
I think the buckeye is their state tree or something, but yeah, those look like weed stickers. Maybe they get one everytime they piss hot.
Jones is actually a junior, but I still think Mariotta had the better night individually. His recievers and line didn’t play all that well against the surprisingly stout Ohio St defense. Add to that Ohio St running clock and limiting Oregon to just 71 plays as opposed to the normal 100. All that and Mariotta still threw for 330 on 65% passing and ran for 40.
Wrong Cadale Jones is a sophomore.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/osu-m-footbl-mtt.html
OSU has three Qb’s that have won two or more games in a row. All returning. We have two Qb’s that can’t be trusted to throw a 5 yard out.
Yahoo has him listed as a Junior.
https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/players/214444/
Should have known better than to trust Yahoo. He is a third year player regardless. A redshirt soph, not a freshman.
True, having his top two targets on the sideline did not help. But, when you get five turnovers and still get smoked by three scores, you were not the better team.
Funny, I had a similar thought.
Anyone know why Tim Kish still appears to have a job?
Black magic?
He’s attached at the hip to MS, it’s a package deal.
MS & Kish!
Like dirty dishes and dysentery?
Just give it time. Heard his bags are already packed, just waiting for the right time. I think that time has already happened, so there must be something going on behind the scenes.
The coaches conference doesn’t end until Wednesday. Isn’t that where a lot of interviewing takes place?
So, does TFB have any names for BJW’s position..? Jordan told us yesterday not to assume it was automatically Viney’s…
Dumb question time: who is Viney? His name is all over this board and, for the life of me, I’m clueless. I want in on the joke too! LOL
GA that has helped with coaching the DBs.
Young DB assistant that went to UCLA that has helped us land elite west coast talent in the recent years (Hatari Byrd, LJ Moore, Quick, Mixon?) especially in Fresno area (OU Highschool) and really clicks with recruits.
Not sure how he translates on the field, many seem to think he’s a great DB coach and a really good replacement to BJW. IDK
The banter here, at least to my eyes, has kind of painted him in a negative light…which is why I asked. I’m a bit surprised to hear he’s highly regarded. I always took away negative vibes from comments here.
What Indy said.. Cali guy, he’s really popular with recruits, currently a GA.. It had been assumed if BJW moved on that Chip Viney would take over the DB’s.
SCKS- I don’t think it’s really anything against Viney, I think it’s more that folks want an established DB coach. After seeing the product that we put out there this year I think people just don’t want to take a chance on a bust.
It would be difficult to describe any Sooner coach or ass’t as being “a great DB coach”
While I agree with you, these are the same guys that picked up Sanchez and coached up Colvin. DB play has been abysmal because of what they are being asked to do. That’s another story though..
K is working on some, yes
I don’t read Hoover that much because I live out of state; but I’m really starting to hate the MFer.
He has some criticisms that are warranted, and puts it well too. But, sometimes, he kinda gives the feeling of “having an agenda” – now, this could just be that when we are down, like we are now, people are more inclined to read critical, scathing stuff – so he hits more hits than ever.
Smacks to me like nothing will ever be satisfactory. Like saying this isn’t the right hire before the first snap of Spring ball. Throw it on the wall and the first time we don’t pick up a third and one, say “I told you so.” BTJM
IDK about this guy. OU could win every game, put up 50 points and he probably still find something to complain about. SMH
sounds like a lot of chat board posters.
Bob should just totally ignore his questions every single time. Make him look like the utter dope that he really is.
“sometimes”? All the time. He likes attention. He’s a narcissist. I saw a press conference earlier this yr and he went on and on and on about what Stoops would do if the other team didn’t shake his captains hands sometime. Afterwards, heard people praising him for asking tough questions. People get being an attention-grabber narcissist dying begging for people to notice him with asking tough questions. If people just read transcripts of press conferences let’s say at Wash St and someone was asking his questions they’d think it was some girl. What did he press BS about when he announced heup/norvel gone? Vacations! He doesn’t think any coaching changes are needed; he thinks ALL OU’s problems can be solved with by BS not taking any vacations.
That vacation questioning was like grasping on razor thin straws. Kept asking repeatedly the same thing, without any context to what was the presser about lol
To say he “asks the difficult questions,” is only correct, if by “difficult” you mean questions intended to cast the responder in a bad light no matter what the answer. To me, difficult questions should be ones that require some thought and are intended to shed light on the subject. Hoover’s questions never do that. For those who like agenda based “gotcha” journalism, they are great. For those of us who don’t, they are a terrible waste of time.
The difficult questions are the ones you see in the TFB postings and the like that never get asked, or if they do, never get answered. The sports media no longer have an accurate understanding of their relationships with the subjects they cover, so this is what we get.
I have seen far better questions posted here than any asked by Hoover, ever.
As far as the media no longer having an understanding of their relationship goes, I’m not sure it ever was what you would have liked. Certainly in the olden days it was all about romantic stories and any whiff of controversy was ignored. There may have been and may still be a few reporters who want to deal with substantive issues in an informative way, but for the most part it has devolved into the quick search for a headline in the hope of maximizing clicks. JMHO.
Not “kind of” very evident he does have an agenda.. Print media is dying a slow death and hopefully Hoover has a short career.
exactly. some people get people to read them b/c they make a “name” for themselves. He’s rude, that’s all there is to it. Not just to BS, but Gundy, anybody. His agenda is to get noticed out of everyone there in the room b/c of his questions. Since it’s difficult for anyone in the room to ask an original question, he asks stupid questions, rudely, and what amazes me is reading afterwards how Hoover got moxie. He’s got narcissism, that’s all. I will guarantee you if you don’t know anyone asking questions, and it’s just a transcript from some place people have no emotional tie to at all, you would think that it is a girl from local HS journalism class asking the questions Hoover asks. You’d say: “This is funny. This has to be a girl asking (repeatedly) about shaking hands, vacations, etc. while everyone else in the room is asking football related questions.”
The schoolgirl questions belong to Tramel and Kuzy, and thankfully half of that awful pairing has moved on.
Did anybody else feel like that goon squad of B12 refs was TURRIBLE? After that uber lazy “fumble” call on Mariota early, I felt they set the tone to suck. Also felt like they called a lot of HUGE penealties on Oregon that “never happened” when the shoe was on the other foot. Literally watched #54 for tOSU (Center maybe?) run down the LOS holding an Oregon LB by his collar…INSIDE HIS PADS!…arm fully extended, for at least 10 yards. This is an inexcusable penalty for the Ump to miss.
I thought they did a very good job. They are not used to watching grow men playing football in the Little 12.
I agree. Oregon definitely got the short end of the stick. Maybe it was the big 12s way of avenging THE game where OU got jobbed.
Speaking of the refs was it just me or didnt the head ref look exactly like Bob Newhart?
Like Jordan, I can’t bring myself to root for Oregon since the onside kick recovery in 2006. I was at that game and it just won’t leave me. With that being said, if Oregon had a bad call going against them last night, it should be understandable why I just can’t dig deep enough to find any sympathy for them.
I too was there. They stand on the shoulders of OU forever.
I agree TCU is the best team, no way the luck eyes run buck wild on them
That sign was epic.
I just wanted to say I was in no way unaware of the ridiculously early (or whatever they’re calling it) Top 25 that ESPN is spamming everyone with today/last night. I just can’t imagine many things that would be a bigger waste of your time, so I decided just to ignore it.
I can assure it wasn’t b/c OU was not included. Honestly, I think an offseason of people doubting the team/program/Bob isn’t really all that bad of a thing right now.
Agree. It’s in Okie’s DNA to perform best when disrespected. Here’s to shocking some pundits next season.
Eff ’em.
OU needs to get tOSU off the schedule in 2016 and whenever…its going to be ugly when the Buckeyes come to Norman unless OU buys out the contract and reschedules a team it has a chance to beat………..
Bahahahaha…I need you to go with me to the horse races, if you know that much two years hence, I can use a few thousand.
“go with me to the horse races” Doubt if he would help you pick a winner, but I suspect he could tell you which horse was going to lose horribly and look bad doing it…:-)
Yeah, better go the stock market route and every stock he picks sell it short. You will make a killing in the market.
why?
http://www.minnkotamotors.com
Live the dream!
Thanks for those encouraging words Mr. Sunshine.
With that positive attitude and drive, I’m sure you were an excellent towel hander outer.
Ain’t skeered.
Been lotsa times nobody gave us no chance an we whupped ’em.
They will be like texsa – a stepping stone to help our strength of schedule.
FWIW, i think the USA today way to early poll had OU @ 21….
Of course the issue is it’s influence on the CFP committee. Although they looked good in that OSU win, I think they lucked out. Having one member that had ties to the Big 12 was disgraceful and Jeff Long’s explanations and criteria changed every week. I can see OU winning it’s first 10 games and still being outside the top 4 due to it’s initial ranking. Freakin committee.
Major agreeance.
After seeing Bob take the bull by the horns and retool the program, I cancel all my doubts about whether or not he still wanted to coach. I think he is now on a mission to get #8.
As others have stated, we do better when climbing from the bottom of the heap.
I was about to say. TCU would have beat both those teams.
I would certainly give TCU, or Baylor for that matter, a decent shot against either of those teams. Hard to discount the Urban factor though. Oregon’s defense just wasn’t up to the task of stopping the pulling guard and tackle. Once those big holes started opening on a consistent basis, the game was pretty much over, in part because the OState defense could remain fresh. They would not have been able to run like that on TCU.
Agreed.
TCU/OSU would have been a great matchup.
Good to hear regarding Bell, I really hope he does well for himself. Kid deserves it.
I really don’t want Norvell at texass. Dude can recruit, and they don’t need anymore help with that.
amen
Oregon had a season high three (3) balls dropped last night. That is a ridiculous stat! A whole season and no more than three (3) balls dropped IN ANY GAME?!?!
Receivers tend to do that after you punch them in the mouth a few times…lol..(foot steps…foot steps)
Lol, true…I was just wondering if OU ever had that kind of a stat in the first-half this year.
OU made it official re: BJW, just fyi.
https://twitter.com/OU_Football/status/555032958013149186
https://twitter.com/ouontheair/status/555035599431024642
Classless couch burners can’t even spell his name right! Typical.
I was surprised they went as far as to find out who his girlfriend is and put it in the paper.
Haters gonna hate…..
Now that is fandom…greatness…lol
I love my Sooners. But, having said that, if I were a media prognosticator, I probably wouldn’t have OU ranked at all until they’ve proven something on the field – especially after all the ensuing chaos of reshuffling staff.
The team almost left out of the playoffs dominates the two favorites…I’d say the humans have lost their edge…if the b12 had a CCG then TOSU would have been left out…time to include all top conferences in the playoff to see who the top team is
Yup. THIS. Eight team playoff. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
Easiest way to do that is have 4 Mega Conferences. Let’s do it.
How about 2 mega conferences. Big XII merge with SEC; B1G merge with Pac 12. Add some of the other big programs somehow, like Notre Dame, etc. Kinda like AFC-NFC for the playoff.
Without the turnovers Oregon is blown out, and their unstoppable offense with the greatest OC in football scores in the teens. OSU was dominate in all phases of the game MM looked slow with marginal arm strength, osu is clearly the best team in the country. But what about the qb for the Buckeyes he looked like a grown man playing against boys. And three drops didn’t cost them the game they were given four turnovers. Tcu and baylor would’ve had as much of a chance as Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon. The playoff was a complete success! Almost, maybe we’ll see the Sooners in it next year!
osu is clearly the best team in the country
Clearly? Come on man. If anything, they turned it on at the right time. But I watched them all year, and thought they were a notch below the best teams in the country. Sometimes teams get hot. I believe that is what happened with Ohio State. Let us not forget, they lost to a bad VT team. Worse loss of any of the top teams in college football this year. They needed OT to beat Penn State, another pretty bad team. And easily could have lost to a mediocre Minnesota team.
Like I said, I think they just got hot at the right time, and were able to play the underdog card to get themselves fired up.
Absolutely, CLEARLY! Big 10 champ puts the beat down on the sec champ! then stomps the pac 12 champ.. Nuff said.. Apparently you thought wrong, you can’t hold close wins agains them, rember tam? Underdog card.. Lol, I don’t think urban needed that or would use it, just like stoops he is an elite coach but is on top of his game.. Tcu would’ve been rolled just like the ducks.. And who didn’t lose a game? So they lost one early and won some close ones, they won the ones that mattered most.. Hats off to them, and maybe we’ll be in it next year..
Wow. Ease off the caffeine, my man. Yikes.
Just stating facts. We finally have a true champ won it on the field not in the conference room. Other wise sec would be champ again.
Antoine Stephens Twitter account said he is going to commit on Thursday. Khalil haughtiness has been working on recruiting him. BOOMER
To either OU Texas Tech or Baylor
Comment:
The Hoover article above and the one in the print version of the TW are very informative and instructive as to the selection of Riley to be the OC.
To those who think I am pessimistic or negative i.e. Boomersooner don’t read this comment.
1. I enthusiastically support and like the Leach offense and all its adjustments.
2. I support the selection of Riley as OC although my first choice was SF because of the actions and behavior of HC BS.
3. JH was a Leach Disciple and wanted to run the same offense that Riley will run but BS wouldn’t let him.
4. Riley may be better than JH but JH was dismissed because he couldn’t run the ZR QB option offense that BS wanted him to run.
5. Before Riley, BS had rejected the Leach offense in favor of a power running game with the ZR that BS prevented JH form running because of probable QB injury.
6. The ZR under BS and JH was an illusion based on deception and not substance.
7. BS now wants Riley to run the Leach offense with adjustments that he prevented JH from running.
8. BS replaced JH with Riley in order to run the offense that JH wanted to run and was very good at running.
9. Based on the above, I believe we have a BS problem and not an OC problem.
10. Will BS ask Riley to run a illusionary ZR or modify Riley’s offensive scheme?
11. If not then JH was unfairly dismissed for failure to do what he wanted to do.
Finally,
I will enthusiastically support BS and Riley as long as BS honor’s his statement to let Riley run his modified adjusted Leach Air Raid offensive system.
Thanks for clarifying your position.
You seem to know a lot of things as fact, that I’d argue are nothing more than your opinions.
Fair enough. Name the opinions/facts you disagree with.
You seriously need to go back to your NCAA Football on PS4. Let the adults at OU make big boy decisions.
That was a very adult remark.
It’s not that I completely disagree, it’s that we just don’t know. We have no idea what BS instructed JH to do or not do. I have guesses too. Some match up with what you think, some don’t. But they are just guesses. Maybe Bob was heavily involved in what he allowed JH to do. And maybe he wasn’t at all.
I agree SoonerfanTU, plus another thing that IMO is wrong, is starting out with “The Hoover article…”. That isn’t a personal attack, Hoover just rubs me the wrong way.
I respect that statement.
We don’t know what we don’t know.
1.We know that JH said the QB ZR was a deception to avoid QB injury and force the defense to account for the possibility of a QB run.
2. We know that JH wanted to run the modified Leach Landry Jones offense.
3. We know that BS wanted the ZR and power running game.
4. We know that BS dismissed JH
5. We Know that BS hired Riley to run the modified Leach offense and not the ZR.
The whole thing is opinion. None of it is fact unless you consider football message boards as a source of fact.
Opinion that JH was dismissed?
Opinion that JH was told to run a ZR offense with a power run game?
Opinion that BS abandoned the Leach Air Raid offense?
Your opinion is an opinion.
Distinguish between fact and opinion.
Or is it your opinion that everything is an opinion?
I’m sure bob told him to have his qbs ready to play. Have a game plan, and execute it.
I agree.
QB development, on any level? ZR? Accuracy? Read progression?
I think that had as much to do with the change as anything else.
Regarding Riley running the same offense that Josh ran, the article posted yesterday pretty clearing outlines the changes Riley implemented…taking the run pass mix all the way down to 52% pass, 48% run, which is not at all the same air raid that Josh ran.
Good points on the first part.
Hoover gave Riley statistics that reflect more air raid than the JH – Landry Jones version of the Leach offense.
Using your statistics of 52/48 by Riley, they are more air raid than the ZR offense and more air raid than BS wanted JH to run in 2013-2014.
Obviously more air raid than zr, but not nearly the air raid of Josh’s youth. My stats came from here:
Riley’s Evolution
Stephen Igoe – Aug
26, 2014
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Lincoln Riley doesn’t know quite what to
nickname his offense, but he knows it’s not the traditional “air raid.”
The ECU offensive coordinator’s offense – which has
consistently posted gaudy numbers since he arrived in 2010 along with head
coach Ruffin McNeill – has evolved over the years from the system of his
one-time mentor and long-time college football offensive guru Mike Leach.
The air raid, which was named after Leach’s and other
coaches’ pass-happy styles, was quickly adopted and embraced as the Pirates’
unofficial offensive moniker once McNeill and Riley left Texas Tech to invade
Greenville.
But after living up to the nickname in year one by throwing
the ball 68 percent of the time, the Pirates have become a much more balanced
attack over the last few seasons with more running and different formations, as
Riley continues to add his own flavor to ECU’s spread attack.
“The first year, we knew a little bit about our personnel,
but not a ton,” said Riley, who spent seven years under Leach on the Texas Tech
staff. “I think we probably stuck to what we knew coaching wise from Texas
Tech, and we kind of just had to get through a little bit. We found a way to
not completely fool people, but catch some people off guard with some of the
things we did.
“I don’t know if we were that good, but we produced.”
While the 2011 season saw the Pirates take a step back in terms
of offensive production overall due to injuries and inconsistent play, the
running game became more prevalent with a 57-to-43 pass-to-run ratio.
The following season, it became even more balanced (52-to-48
pass-to-run), and an uptick in team talent resulted in a productive 5,311 yards
of offensive output and a then-staff best eight-win campaign.
The influx of new formations that hadn’t been seen before in
Leach’s offense also began to emerge. The Pirates started to implement two
tight end and multiple back configurations, along with motions and shifts.
“From Day 1, the one thing I talked to Lincoln about was
putting his own flavor on this offense,” said McNeill, noting that he uses his
background as a defensive coach to help out Riley in meeting rooms. “Lincoln
does a great job of being innovative, but at the same time, one of our overall
rules is keeping it simple. But we still have the ability to spread the
football, and the offense is still the same as far as distribution and all five
guys touching the football.”
If there was a peak year of the McNeill and Riley era, it
was last season. Everything came together for ECU’s offensive staff, which
helped amass the most yards of its tenure (6,086) and best average per play
(5.9) on the way to the second 10-win season in program history.
In perhaps the most effective display of offensive balance,
ECU was the only FBS program to have a 4,000-yard passer (Shane Carden), a
1,000-yard receiver (Justin Hardy) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Vintavious Cooper).
“The last two years, we’ve recruited well and gotten the
depth where we want it,” Riley said. “We just try hard to fit it to our
personnel. As an offensive staff, we don’t have an ego on this deal. We don’t
say we have to run it this many times or throw it this many times. We just want
to score points and do what we can to help win.”
While Riley, offensive line coach Brandon Jones and outside
receivers coach Dave Nichol are from the Texas Tech coaching tree, long-time
assistants Donnie Kirkpatrick and Kirk Doll have also added their influences as
inside receivers coach and running backs coach, respectively.
“Having Donnie and Kirk has been great,” Riley said. “It’s
brought that outside influence that we’ve obviously used, and those guys have
done a great job coaching their guys. There’s a nice mix because Dave, Brandon
and I have been in this offense primarily in our careers and played in it.
“That’s part of why we all want to stay around here. We
enjoy working together and we enjoy being shut in in that offensive staff room
and getting stuff done.”
But with all the offensive success Riley has accumulated with
ECU, he’s still searching for the appropriate nickname for his system.
Although he doesn’t have a problem with the “air raid”
label, he believes a better designation can be concocted.
“I’ve always said if you’ve got a nickname, then you’re
doing OK,” Riley said. “That’s outside our control. I’m sure Pirate Nation can
get us a better one, though.”
(Are you John E. Hoover?)
No matter what. I’m on to this argument about BS. And I will be watching the same things you will be in regards to BS management, and specifically his mgmt of Riley.
Thank you Easton. I hope others will do the same.
8-5 season, OSU game, Clemson game, and I was against the air raid offence before I was for it BS mentality has shaken my support and confidence in BS as HC.
Not to mention MS as DC and his buddy Kish.
My sense is BS is at the end of his rein. The sooner we determine his status. The better for OU.
My priority is OU and not the job status of BS.
This is going to be the LONGEST off-season in the history of college football.
Actually, it will be the shortest off-season in history since this season lasted a week longer than any other season before. JS
Who’s going to the spring game!!! Maybe the most anticipated since Bobs arrival.