Too Many Weapons?

[DrumNFeather]

I'll probably be accused of a little spinstering here, but I've been thinking about the Utah offensive struggles that have been aparent all year long.

Today, in the official box score for the Utah/Wyoming game, 8 players had running plays called to them:

Mack
Asiata
BJ
Loukes
Wesson
Wide III
Casteel
Vroman (I don't remember this, but it said he had 1 rush for 5 yards).

Other players that have played roles in the offense this year are:

Godfrey
Brown
Sampson
Jopporu
Reed
Key
Peel

I'm sure there are others i've forgotten.

So, right there (excluding Vroman) you've got potentially 14 guys to involve in the offense. Not to mention the fact that a number of freshmen were "possibilities" to play this year.

My thought here is that the Utes are trying to get too many people involved and it is bogging down the offense. Depth is one thing, but I think they need to pick some starters and go with them. Obviously, you need to get the ball in your potential playmakers hands, but you also have to allow the QB and WRs to get into a rhythm.

I know that the popular opinion is that BJ just sucks...and I think there is a HUGE aspect of the offense that falls on him...but rushing guys on and off the field all the time just doesn't make sense to me when you have enough talent in the starting lineup to be effective.

Just a thought

[RockyBalboa]

lol.......

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

lol.......

Hey...I didn't say they were good weapons...hell, a squirt gun is a weapon, but it ain't gonna win you much. Perhaps a better word would've been options.

Regardless, I still think they're trying to involve too many people in the offense. They need to simplify.

[UteStar]

I think it can get BYU in trouble sometimes with how Hall is always going to Collie...but there is a reason he does it so often, Collie is very good.

I wish they did more of the same with Casteel. Casteel is very good but he is not getting the touches that he should. If I were the Utes, I would focus the offense around Mack/Asiata and then Casteel as the receiver. I like Godfrey, Brown and Reed as well, but Casteel should get his touches. Key will be interesting to see how he fits in overall.

[BoylenOver]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

My thought here is that the Utes are trying to get too many people involved and it is bogging down the offense. Depth is one thing, but I think they need to pick some starters and go with them. Obviously, you need to get the ball in your potential playmakers hands, but you also have to allow the QB and WRs to get into a rhythm.

I know that the popular opinion is that BJ just sucks...and I think there is a HUGE aspect of the offense that falls on him...but rushing guys on and off the field all the time just doesn't make sense to me when you have enough talent in the starting lineup to be effective.

Just a thought

I think it's a fair criticism to say that our offense suffers from lack of rhythm when we have so many different packages and formations we trot out there. Of course, the counter-argument to be made is, especially in the run game, all of those guys present a different look and different preparation.

I think Asiata, Reed, and Godfrey are our go-to guys, while Brown, Casteel, and Mack are dependable secondary options. Guys like Wide, Wesson, Brooks, Sampson/Joppru, etc. are occasional answers.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by BoylenOver

I think it's a fair criticism to say that our offense suffers from lack of rhythm when we have so many different packages and formations we trot out there. Of course, the counter-argument to be made is, especially in the run game, all of those guys present a different look and different preparation.

I think Asiata, Reed, and Godfrey are our go-to guys, while Brown, Casteel, and Mack are dependable secondary options. Guys like Wide, Wesson, Brooks, Sampson/Joppru, etc. are occasional answers.

Which tells you a lot about Ludwig.

Casteel is far and away your best offensive weapon and he's sorely under-utilized.

[BoylenOver]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

Casteel is far and away your best offensive weapon and he's sorely under-utilized.

This was true in 2006, but Godfrey, Asiata, and Reed have all surpassed Casteel as offensive weapons.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by BoylenOver

This was true in 2006, but Godfrey, Asiata, and Reed have all surpassed Casteel as offensive weapons.

Completely disagree. Casteel is athletically on par with his 2006 form, even upon returning from his knee injury and he's become an afterthought in that offense now.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

Completely disagree. Casteel is athletically on par with his 2006 form, even upon returning from his knee injury and he's become an afterthought in that offense now.

Agreed.

His presence on the field opens things up for other guys...they need to try to get him the ball as much as they can, he can make things happen.

[OrangeUte]

this is interesting because I hadn't thought about it much. Mack and Asiata neither had much yardage yesterday - didn't seem like the Utes used either of them much.

Utes, to my suprise, had a few minutes more in time of possession than the Pokes did, so with all of the go to guys, we should be having at least 400 yards of total offense. I wonder if Ludwig doesn't need to just target 3 receivers/tight end, and use Mack and Asiata like he has been doing. Maybe it's like the kid at a toy store who has his choice of the place and ends up getting something impulsive resulting in buyer's remorse.