Do Spartan coaches have a reset button?

The Spartans got an unexpected “bye” due to a Coronavirus lockdown at Maryland, and perhaps the coaching staff can utilize the extra week to hit the “reset button” as they prepare to play unbeaten Northwestern next.

There’s no way to sugar coat it, because the Spartans are 1-3, which is the worst 4 game start for a Spartan first year Head Football Coach in 40 years. Not since Frank “Muddy” Waters posted a 1-3 record in 1980, has a first year Spartan Football coach started his “Green & White” career with an 1-3 record.

By comparison, immediately below is the record of each Spartan Head Coach between Muddy Waters and Mel Tucker in their first 4 games.

  • Mark Dantonio started 4-0 in 2007 with signature victories vs Pitt and Notre Dame
  • John L. Smith started 3-1 in 2003 with a signature victory vs Notre Dame
  • Bobby Williams started 3-1 in 2000 with a signature victory vs Notre Dame
  • Nick Saban started 2-1-1 in 1995 with signature victories vs Louisville and Boston College
  • George Perles started 2-1-1 in 1983 with signature victories vs Colorado and Notre Dame

Muddy Waters first 4 games were played against Illinois, Oregon, Western Michigan and Notre Dame, and in those 4 games, the Spartans posted a cumulative losing score of 78-88 (or a 10 point losing margin).

But this year is arguably the worst start of all time for a Spartan first year Head Coach.

The Spartans have played Rutgers, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana with a cumulative losing score of 61-135 (or a losing differential of 74 points), yet the last two losses to Iowa and Indiana came with a losing score of 7-73 or an “eye glazing” losing margin of 66 points.

 

Offensive dysfunction underscores historically bad start

The losing differential of the first 4 games is the worst in the modern era of Spartan football, and if we are searching for reasons “why”, then we can point the blame at Offensive dysfunction.

When measured against 126 D-1 Schools, the Offensive stats are shockingly bad:

  • #110, Total Offense
  • #119, Scoring Offense
  • #122, Rushing Offense
  • #124, Turnover Margin

And for good measure, the Spartans rank #96 in 3rd Down Conversions, and when ranked against Big Ten opponents, the Spartans rank #13 Rushing…#14 (dead last) in Total Offense…and #14 (dead last) in Scoring, and that inefficiency underscores the Spartans historically dismal start.

if we interpret those statistical rankings, the Spartans can’t block, can’t move the chains, can’t hold onto the football and can’t score, and that means you can’t win football games.

 

Players put on notice???

On Tuesday, the Spartans Head Football Coach delivered what could best be described as an ultimatum to his players when he said… “…It’s compete and show us what you can do and earn your spot…earn your playing time…earn your right to be able to even stay on the team. This is compete to play, compete to stay.”

Wow…delivering an ultimatum just 4 games into his tenure is shocking unto itself, yet from my vantage point, the problems aren’t related to player effort, rather it’s the Offensive Coaching Staff that is most accountable for the bad start.

In my opinion, the Coaching staff is not putting players in the best position to win, and they certainly aren’t implementing meaningful game time adjustments.

The loss to Rutgers is a prime example. As you recall, Rutgers deployed their Defensive Nose Tackle on an angle in the “A-Gap” all day, moving their Nose Tackle from side to side, from one side of the center to the other, yet from what I could tell, the coaches never adjusted the blocking assignments.

Consequently, the Offensive Linemen were essentially left to adjust on their own, and so Rutgers totally discombobulated the Spartans blocking assignments all day. The Spartans compiled just 50 Yards ‘net’ Rushing, pitched 2 Interceptions, fumbled 6 times and lost 5.

Moreover, in all 4 games, the Offensive Coordinator has been dialing up exotic passing plays that would test the best skills of Joe Montana or Tom Brady.

For teams with solid fundamentals, it makes sense to throw deep and stretch the Defense, but when the Offensive Line is unable to provide ample protection, and unable to provide ample time for the Quarterback to throw deep, then Throwing deep is essentially “fool’s gold” with disaster awaiting in the wings.

The Spartans Offense has yielded 9 Sack’s, 8 Interceptions, 28 Tackles for Loss, and 10 Fumbles (6 lost) which means Spartan Quarterbacks (Lombardi or Thorne) are being harassed on every passing play.

Frequently, Spartan Quarterbacks are throwing “out patterns” to the sideline at 20-30 yards down the field, and when we add up the yardage from where the football is spotted in the middle of the field, then the football is hanging in the air for nearly 70 yards.

Those pass patterns would test the best skills of the best NFL Quarterback. Of course, the longer the football is airborne, the more likely is the possibility of a “pick”.

It seems to me, the Spartan coaching staff is putting together a Game Plan on Monday, and committing 100% to the game plan on game day, without any game day adjustments.

But, it doesn’t work that way!

 

Minimize  the playbook

When an Offense is struggling, the great equalizer is minimizing the playbook, which means deploying just a handful of basic, high percentage running plays, and deploying just a handful of short, high percentage passing plays thereby mitigating mistakes and building as much confidence as possible.

Especially as it relates to the Passing Offense, the Offensive Coordinator would best be served dialing up short “Curl” patterns to the Tight Ends or WR’s, or crossing patterns into the short zone between the Linebackers and Safeties, whereby it’s 2 seconds and release.

If the Spartans are unable to move the chains with a simplified playbook, then the worst thing that would happen is Punting the football with an opportunity to manage field position.

It may be humbling to minimize the playbook, but it’s better than beating yourself.

There is nothing more demoralizing than throwing a “pick six”, and Iowa is a vivid example. After all, at Iowa the Spartans were down 27-0 with just 1:30 remaining in the 1st Half, yet instead of controlling the football and managing the clock, the Offensive Coordinator dialed up a desperate pass along the sideline, Iowa stepped in front of the receiver and returned the football 54 Yards untouched for a Touchdown.

Lombardi got the blame, but the blame should fall upon the Offensive Coordinator for dialing up a “high risk/low percentage” pass just before Half Time. That play “sucked” the remaining life out of the Spartans Offense and the Spartans went to Halftime with the score: Iowa 35…Spartans 0.

 

Coaching:

Regardless of the pass plays, the Offensive Coordinator (who also happens to be the Quarterback Coach) is tasked with the job of managing and instructing the Quarterback.

In part, the OC is responsible for repeating “over, and over, and over” into the ear of the Spartan Quarterbacks “…no heroics…if you don’t have a clear shot, then get rid of the football, but DON’T throw an Interception. We would rather lose a Down than force an Interception”.

If anyone has ever watched the video of San Francisco Coach, Bill Walsh instructing Joe Montana prior the final play in the 1981 NFC Championship game, then you know what I mean.

San Francisco trailed Dallas 27-21 with just 58 seconds remaining. The football rested 3rd & 3 at the Dallas 6 Yard Line.

Bill Walsh called Joe Montana to sideline and described the next play this way, (and I paraphrase): “we think we have a seam, so we’re going to call ‘Change left slot…Sprint Right Option’, so if you see it and you like it, then take it, otherwise throw it away, and we still have another down”.

Freddie Solomon was the intended receiver while Dwight Clark was supposed to set the “pick” to free Solomon. At any measure, Freddie Solomon was option #1 while Dwight Clark was option #2.

The instructions were clear and Bill Walsh reminded Montana of his options as well as the expectations…”if you don’t like what you see, get rid of the football, but Don’t throw an Interception!”.

With 58 seconds remaining, the ball was snapped and Freddie Solomon was running a short route, down and out toward the right sideline at about the two yard line, but Solomon slipped down which meant Dwight Clark was unable to set the “pick”.

Meanwhile, Joe Montana was under heavy pressure sprinting to his right, and consequently the play was on the verge of total break down, yet Montana remembered his instructions and he knew Dwight Clark was running a deeper route, down and out at the back of the End Zone

The instructions from Bill Walsh to Joe Montana was resonating…

As the play was breaking down, and as Montana got perilously close to the sideline, he threw the football high and to the back of the End Zone whereby Clark had a chance to catch the football, while an interception was essentially impossible.

The ball was thrown high, Clark leaped, caught the football and came down in bounds and the rest is history. The game was tied 27-27, and the PAT rendered the score 28-27 and San Francisco won. That pass play has been etched into history as “The Catch”.

And so at every level, strategic and tactical coaching is the difference between winning and losing, and Bill Walsh game time instructions to Joe Montana still resonate today. The instructions were explicit: Montana knew what to expect, he understood his options, the play succeeded and San Francisco stepped into history.

Somehow, Spartan Quarterbacks aren’t getting that type of instruction otherwise they wouldn’t have forced 8 Interceptions which is worst in the Big Ten.

 

At the bottom line

The Spartans new coaching staff have a job to do and they need to earn their Top 15 compensation by utilizing the players they have, not the players they wish they had.

If a team has a great Quarterback playing behind a Championship Offensive Line, then the Quarterback can throw 50/50 balls with reasonable certainty of not throwing an Interception. But if a team deploys an inexperienced Quarterback behind an inexperienced Offensive Line, then the Passing game needs to be decidedly more conservative.

Lombardi is not the most gifted Quarterback, he is not Elite, yet he’s smart and he’s serviceable, yet he is being asked to take unnecessary risk, and consequently he is taking all the blame while the coaching staff is getting a pass, and I don’t buy it.

Instead of issuing an ultimatum to the players, the Coaches need to take public accountability.

After all, after 4 football games, the Spartans have yielded 28 Tackles for loss; 9 Sack’s; 8 Interceptions, and 10 Fumbles (6 lost), and it is my opinion that Spartan Offensive players lack confidence in the play calling and so they are playing tentative.

That’s a bad recipe!

The Spartan’s new coaching staff have embarked upon an historically bad start, yet they won’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so with 4 games remaining, they need to hit the reset button.

One thing is certain, Spartan stakeholders will be watching!

 

Thank you for reading, and I always welcome your comments and opinions.

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