Blake Bell Still Doesnt Seem to Have a Good Feel for the Zone Read
Posted on: October 24, 2013
Image from the AP (Photographer: Orlin Wagner)
Last week a reader asked us whether Bell properly played the few zone read plays we ran against Texas. We broke those down and our belief is he played them incorrectly. Against Texas he was handing it off when it looked to us like he could have had success keeping the ball.
In our estimation it looks like he’s still have trouble getting a feel for the zone read. Here is a play we noticed after reviewing the game again. Clearly they’re influencing the end with Millard, and Blake has to give the ball to Damien here. The only one in the middle is the umpire if he gives the ball, and Damien walks in untouched.
The Football Brainiacs note to the reader: This play analysis is meant solely as an attempt to bring our readers closer to what’s happening on the field. This is not intended to demean or deprecate any player or the coaches. We all made mistakes and we all made plays just like any one of these fine young men. It’s part of the game and it is part of life and we wish them nothing but the best on the field and off.
5 Comments
If you have trouble getting the ball to the open receiver, you have trouble reading the end in the zone read what does that say about where we are at QB?
Its a good points and we’ve been having that same conversation amongst ourselves Wesley. It’s a little troubling and I’m not sure we’re particularly optimistic about it getting much better. I think the good that can come of all this is perhaps Coach Heupel and the rest of the coaches will leave this season more committed to the run regardless of who the QB is. With what Coach Bedenbaugh has been able to do in his first year, if we’d make a commitment to recruiting and developing to run the ball we’ll steamroll teams in the next year or two. Coach Bedenbaugh’s effect is already glaringly obvious and I know JY can barely contain his excitement about the future…provided we actually commit to being a TE/2Tight running team.
Thanks for the comment bud!
Definitely I’m more excited to see us running the ball more. We had a couple of scoring drives stall last week due to penalties and turnovers or the score and yardages could have been greater. As a former offensive lineman I always want to be the aggressor, and running the ball allows you to attack a defense physically in terms of hitting them. Against the teams we’re slated to play the next few weeks we definitely need to limit their opportunities. If we’re able to get a few stops defensively, and then turn around and run the ball on them, we’ll definitely have an advantage. The one thing that there is no answer for is being dominated physically.
You guys make great points and a running commitment is a must. Lets rewind to last year. Can you imagine what our record would have been if we didn’t have Landry Jones? We had no run game and Jones was forced to be our offensive everything. I want our offense to look like Stanford’s or the 49’ers. Multiple and run pass out of any formation. The most demoralizing thing you can do to another team is impose your will running the football. Miss those days and because of necessity we are recommitting to that philosophy. Coach B was a must hire and excites me for the future.
You’re dead on in my opinion Wesley. Great insight! Let the Big 12 defenses continue to get smaller and lets continue to get bigger and more physical.