First off, here’s my Wednesday GT story on Oregon State DT Brennan Olander being out for the next game and maybe longer. There are many more notes of interest, too.
Coach Mike Riley fielded a ton a questions Tuesday by the beat writers away from the cameras, so he was a little more upfront about answers.
There was a lot to talk about this week after the Beavers lost a should-have-won game to UCLA and must beat Washington State this Saturday to have any hope of making a bowl game.
What’s wrong offensively?
“We are not making a lot of mental mistakes, we are just not executing at many points. We just have to block a little bit better, stay on it a little longer and keep going. We are capable of it. We had good games when we are productive offensively.”
What’s missing?
“The biggest thing for me is I see Cal one week and UCLA the next game, and we don’t find that consistency. That’s the Beavers’ biggest dilemma. We know our capability, but it’s proving it week to week. And frankly it’s not approach during the week. I would be making something up if I say we didn’t practice hard. Our preparation was good. When it comes to game time that’s when we have to produce.”
Is there a sense of urgency to win two of the next four?
“There’s always a sense of urgency for me. For me, every game feels like the Super Bowl. Every game is important to the opportunities that may come down the road. I’m not going to think about that, but find every way to win the next game. We still have a lot to do as football team, and a lot of improving to do because we haven’t been consistent.”
What about the players?
“I don’t talk about it. I never have. We just want to win the game. You are naive and unaware if you don’t know the situation. I just have to get our team ready to play on Saturday.”
Did the players relax last game because you though things were righted after the Cal win?
“I would be shocked if that was true. UCLA beat us. I hope that’s not the case, but it’s worth asking.”
What’s with the pass-heavy approach late last game?
“We have to get balanced in our game. When we are going well we are hitting our screens, play-actions and third downs easier. It’s execution. They are loading the box (against the run). That will to run the football and ability execute is big.”
Is the offensive line just the way it’s going to be?
“I always look for continued improvement. There’s room for growth and they are good kids. We got what we need there. We just have to keep working to improve. They are not blowing things. Our deal is, week to week, it’s hard to figure out. There no blame game, we just have to get better.”
Do teams just know what you are doing with the same old scheme?
“I would think not. We’ve beaten some good teams. What’s baffling for me, we had our best production games against Arizona and Cal, the two best defenses in the Pac-10. And Arizona State. We got it. I go back to it, consistency week to week is our biggest problem.”
You struggled with the blitz, so you expect the Cougars to come at you?
No question. If you don’t handle pressure, you are going to see that all night long. It’s not just pressure it’s losing one-on-ones with four-man rush. And Ryan (Katz) has to handle that better.”
Bottom line reading into this interview, the players are just not doing what needs to be done. Coaches can put them in the position to win, but they have to win.
If these guys are smart and work hard, what’s the problem? Part of it is a lack of bad attitude in playing with a chip on your shoulder. Part is being over matched.
A lot of it is being unlucky. It’s true a handful of plays would make OSU 5-0 in the Pac-10. Sometimes. Fans don’t want to hear it, but sometimes you are on the short end.
21 comments
OSU4life says:
May 23, 2013
I agree with what most, if not all of you are saying! One of the reasons I think Mike Riley didn't criticise himself or his coaching staff, is because there are still 4 games left. With having 4 games left, he needs his players to still have confidence in the leadership and the coaching staff. If he pointed fingers at himself or his coaching staff, the players might lose all 4 games because they lose confidence in the coaching staff. A bowl game is still within reach, and once you start a season, you must finish a season! Mike Riley is a smart guy, and I have confidence that he is aware of what is truly going on within his football team! There is a time for everything, and right now is the wrong time for any coaching criticism from within, or changes. Beat Wazzu!
ckirkpatrick says:
May 23, 2013
Offense, the offensive line is not doing a good job. Why? It's not coaching, Cavanaugh is good at what he does.
Part of it is the missing bad attitude that has been addressed, and part of it they are not powerful enough. Yes, there are three walk-ons, but they have been developed into players. And they are hurt. The center has a bad ankle and LG has a bad neck/shoulder situation.
If the line was healthy, and a little more mean the offense would be better.
Defense, the DL has been ravaged with injuries, and defections. That's the biggest problem. The LBs, mainly a defection. The DBs are solid, and would better with a better DL.
And it was the schedule. Don't put TCU on, you have five wins, you get six this week with three more games. You are headed to a bowl game, and have momentum.
There are so many variables. The point is the wheels are not falling off this season or this program. While I like all the comments on the blog, and please keep it up to vent, Doomsday is not coming.
OSU4life says:
May 23, 2013
Thank you Cliff! Thank you for your input, insight, opinion, current information, and also for helping us all stay level headed! Well said, and spot on! What might be added misery to the pain is the current success of the team down south? Hence some overreaction by us fans. This team just might save it's best game for last?
BeaverDon says:
May 23, 2013
Cliff,
I want to amplify one of your point…."it was the schedule" Of course this is after the fact, but the schedule is really hurting the Beavers not just this year, but for the last several years. The Beavers move the Stanford game to be the season opener so we can play Penn State. We lose, put that on in the win column and we would have been in the Rose Bowl, regardless of the Civil War loss. This season, we have both TCU and Boise State on the road. The schduleing needs to be closely looked at. Do we have to schedule Penn State, LSU, TCU games where we play one game at their house without a return? Next season we have Wisconsin and BYU on the schedule now, who will we schedule for the third OOC game?
osbeavs says:
May 23, 2013
One can hope that is a Portland State type team.
BeaverDon says:
May 23, 2013
One can hope, but I have very little faith in Bobby D. He seems to have a thing for scheduling games where we get on nationwide TV in a game we get creamed in.
73GradMike says:
May 23, 2013
Here goes my comment rating again, but I cannot agree with unsound conclusions. It was not the players who made the extremely questionable play calls in the UCLA game. This whole article pointed fingers at players not being consistent. Perhaps some self-analysis by the coaches would be in order.
With 4 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter and the score tied at 14-14, Quizz runs for 7 yards on first down to the OSU 8 yard line. There was no failure on the part of the players during that play. (I even believe that those players were energized to continue to successfully run the ball for a first down during the next play or two.) Yet the next two plays called were for passes. Since those two pass plays were unsuccessful, not only did OSU punt the ball back to UCLA, they did so with extra game time due to stopping the clock with two incompletions.
Gee, I wonder if that extra time for UCLA to score had any effect on the outcome(?)!
Get real, coaches (and beat writers). It's not (just) the players who have been inconsistent. I might even go so far as to say that coaching decisions have cost the OSU players wins against both UW and UCLA.
I think there is room for improvement.
osbeavs says:
May 23, 2013
I agree Mike, it is always fair to say that when you point a finger there are three pointing back. But I agree with Coach Riley, we didn't execute well. I think the O is taking a lot of heat for their performance against UCLA. If you look at the athletes that UCLA has on defense you would be pretty impressed, they were definitely going to hold us under our season average. I definitely think that Ayers and Moore are future NFL starters. Owa probably can be too.
ean says:
May 23, 2013
I don't get why bringing in McAndrews at TE wouldn't help. Sure it would bring another guy in the box but it brings a solid blocker in the box and creates one-on-ones with the WR's.
osbeavs says:
May 23, 2013
No. The goal of the offense is to be balanced.
ean says:
May 23, 2013
The goal of the offense is to score points and in our case control the ball. Play action would still be highly effective possibly more effective. It just seems odd because when the season started the coaches were contemplating playing McAndrews over Phillip because he was that good, well if he is that good then get him in at TE and run behind that left side. Like I said maybe you give up that you are running but that only helps with the play action, maybe there is 3 receivers instead of 4 but Katz is not making that long of a read anyway. I just think something has to be done to salvage the running game and "getting nasty" doesn't appear to be cutting it.
tim33 says:
May 23, 2013
I watched some of the Giants-Seahawks game. I saw on one play they had Kevin Boss lined up at R. Tackle and Adam Koets (back-up center) lined up at L. Tight End. This formation was clearly a running play, but the Seahawks still couldn't defend that.
Teams know what Oregon is going to run, but they can't stop it. Eventually, you get worn down and it's why UO is so dominant in the second half. The opposite is the case for OSU – come out fast and then level off. The opposition makes adjustments at half and limits the Beavers offense.
osbeavs says:
May 23, 2013
This is more an indictment of our inability to make significant adjustments during a game. That has always been a problem with our coaching staff.
tim33, the formation that you alluded to is called the Jumbo set and has been around for a very long time. It coincides with a power running scheme, not our zone.
ean, playaction only works when the opponent is biting on the run fake. UCLA killed us by simply blitzing which is unaffected by the playaction. In that case, playaction simply slows down the development of the play and ultimately Katz' time to make reads.
ean says:
May 23, 2013
defenders bite on the play action when the run game is working.
tradernum1 says:
May 23, 2013
Great read.
Winners make their luck, they don't wait for it.
GoBeavs64 says:
May 23, 2013
Other teams do know our schemes and they are shutting them down. Passing the ball takes less time than running it a better sequence would have been run run pass kill the clock. I agree with MikeGrad , obviously alot of finger pointing at the team which there needs to be admittedly , but fingers need to be pointed back at the coaches as well. Mike Riley knows his team is being under coached and the same old strategies are not working anymore he just cannot bring himself to admit it.
oneoldbeav says:
May 23, 2013
Just as a "handful of plays" could make OSU 5-0; a handful of plays against ASU and AZ could make us 1-4. Riley's concern about consistency is spot on, the question is, what is being done to fix it? A motivated team plays 60 minutes each week; haven't seen much of that this year.
ckirkpatrick says:
May 23, 2013
Dockery in words and action, Pakney in words and example, Paea by example, Olander tries in words for the defense.
Quizz and James Rodgers by example, in locker room and sideline.
There are leaders. That's not an issue.
osbeavs says:
May 23, 2013
Pankey by example? Off the field examples? I don't see much on the field.
OSU4life says:
May 23, 2013
Cliff, are you at liberty to say what you think are the issues at hand with this team? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, will you tell us after the season is finished? Thank you.
ckirkpatrick says:
May 23, 2013
The third nonconference game is schedule to be a I-AA team. once one is figured out. However, I'm cynical. So if the budget looks bad, if a big money game comes, who knows.
But really, since tickets are up that won't be a big issue next year.