Disappointing

[Coach MC]

Really the only printable word I can come up with to describe the Troy game is disappointing. At least the other games were competitive. Many Army games over the last two seasons have been frustrating to watch, but this one was unacceptable at so many levels. I continued my habit of yelling at the television, but I also did something I haven't done in a while though. I stopped watching the ball a lot in this game, and started to concentrate on positional matchups and individual performances. Not anything ground breaking but interesting to say the least. Some thoughts:

* Our offense was horrible throughout the game, with the exception of Udoh. There were a few flashes of ball movement here and there, and the typical effective first drive, but nothing sustained. Ball security was an issue. Putting the ball on the ground twice in the 1st quarter (one lost) set a bad tone. A real issue is the offensive line. There was so much experience returning this year, that I thought this positional group had to be a strength, but they do not win the line of scrimmage and continually miss their targets in the run game. We botch assignments quite often. The fact that the offense has struggled over the last two years with two different systems can be traced back to our deficiencies here. We have talent at the skill positions, but without the line performing at an optimum level, it won't make a difference. These are not the days of Toth and Holland to be sure.
* Daily has his shortcomings as a QB, but once he went out, we were in real trouble. Daily runs hard and is serviceable in the passing game so that was a huge loss. Harris had a few flashes, but he's a true first year player who needs at least 20 more lbs. and a lot more game experience. Not sure if any of the QBs on the team right now are the answer, but Daily gives you the best chance of success.
* Why did we abandon the FB dive with the forward moving mesh point? That's a guaranteed short yardage win any time we run it. Not sure I saw Buchanan at all btw.
* Udoh is a beast, pure and simple. Now I see why he is that rare first year kid that cracks a deep positional group. Same thing with our center. These kids are the future. The idea of Udoh and Robinson lining up in the same backfield next year with Alston at WR is exciting.

* Defensively, we will point to only giving up 19 points as a win, and that should be enough most days, but we also got pushed up and down the field to the tune of approximately 450 yards of total offense in really sloppy conditions. Which is not good.
* Our defensive line just gets manhandled. They are willing and play hard, but just undersized and overmatched. You could drive a truck through the running lanes opened by opposing offensive linemen at times.
* Our run fits from the back 8 are continually off. Guys are in the wrong spots, getting caught in the wash and stuck on blocks. We made a few good open field stops by the first guy to the ball, but also missed tackles that led to big gains.
* Don't want to call anyone out by name, but one of our safeties is really struggling against both the run and pass. Late to the ball, often in the wrong gaps, and when we are in two deep coverage, not even able to get to the hash let alone the boundary on sideline throws. My attention kept being drawn here, particularly since I've coached the defensive secondary.
* We look good against the pass statistically, but only because teams have run on so easily that they don't need to put the ball in the air. Traditionally, we have been staunch against the run in the Monken era. Spread teams that push the ball vertically down the field have been an issue for us, but until recently, very few teams could run on us with success.

* Our punting game is really poor. Four punts the last two weeks of 30 yards or less I believe, and often in situations where field position was important. Time for next man up, and if that player isn't on the roster, hold an open tryout for goodness sake.

* I just don't feel confident in the job our coaches are doing right now. Too many mental errors, lack of ball security, and fundamentals are lacking. Service academy teams need to be buttoned up in their execution against teams with more talent.

* All of this is magnified by the fact that Air Force is really good, and Navy has suddenly become competitive again. Impossible not to notice what those schools are doing. I felt if Air Force could beat Wyoming and Colorado State, they were for real. They are. They may stub their toe at some point, maybe even against Navy this week. But if their QB is healthy, they also have a very real chance at running the table and getting a New Year's 6 bowl as a Group of Five representative. That was something I always dreamed about for us, but we'd have to beat one or more Power 5 teams each year to get there.

* I said on record that I liked our old triple option offense, and was sorry to see it go because the alternative is very risky. But it is a done deal at this point, and continually harping on that takes the focus away from a lot of the other issues, which are glaring right now. Our staff really has to go back to square one and start this process from the ground up. We need to be better in all phases.

* I said before I think this is the low point. It's a perfect storm of a very tough schedule, a new offense that hasn't yielded much, injuries, one game played in sweltering heat and humidity and two in downpours, defensive breakdowns against the run, some special teams breakdowns, and coaching miscues. And yet we should still be 4-2. We need to recruit better, pure and simple. Bigger, stronger athletic kids who have offers not just from service academies and FCS schools. Think we just signed a kid who had 32 offers. That's what we need. And coaches need to go back to drawing board and figure out what works and drill the fundamentals until they are rock solid. And we need to learn how to win. Yes, that's a skill. Still think we can have a bright future, if we can survive the frustration and disappointment of this year.

[RABBLE]

Last week the THR printed ARMY SHAKES OFF BC AS TROY VISITS.

This week, we shook off no one but got SHOOK UP against Troy.

Upcoming , will we be SHOOK UP against LSU or worse, MURDERED in Death Valley?

So apropos.

[kfan12]

...A real issue is the offensive line. There was so much experience returning this year, that I thought this positional group had to be a strength, but they do not win the line of scrimmage and continually miss their targets in the run game. We botch assignments quite often. The fact that the offense has struggled over the last two years with two different systems can be traced back to our deficiencies here. We have talent at the skill positions, but without the line performing at an optimum level, it won't make a difference. These are not the days of Toth and Holland to be sure....

Lots of good stuff here. Thank You. I wonder how much longer Army can continue with Drinkall and Viti; neither one of which had experience coaching the O-line before their current stint at Army. Drinkall had lots of relative experience coaching offense at smaller colleges, but from what I can tell none at O-line and, of course, Viti had none. Hard to fully evaluate with an offense that just transitioned schemes, but appears to be steady decline there from my, admittedly limited, vantage point.

[PrideandDream]

All good points.

Say it isn't so about the offensive line? I've been harping on that for a while and not sure people see it until they see it. One of the reasons I knew the gun option was likely not a solution was the first two series of Army Navy last year we were in the gun and if you watch we continually missed assignments in both the run and the pass game. Hell one play just this Saturday Troy brought 5 on the rush and we had 7 in protection and Daily took the sack. Reed was in at RB and he abandoned the "a" gap and moved outside and the backer blitzed through to make the play. That's pass pro 101 for a RB to work inside out. The problem is this kind of thing happens routinely. And you are right Coach Drinkall has little O line experience and was a WR as a player. I personally believe this matters. Viti was a fullback by name but remember two things, first he didn't play in a triple option system. He played in a pro style fullback position and on unsuccessful teams. Two, his only coaching experience is at Army. It would behoove him to go to another program for experience. Thatcher is also a wide receiver by position and played under Hal Mumme in the Air Raid system at New Mexico State.

Look I'm pretty biased about this. Either you have some real experience as a player in a position group or you have demonstrated success as a coach and ideally both. I also get that sometimes you have young coaches or new coaches on staff with limited experience. However I believe our offense is plagued with lack of expertise on what it takes to coach and win with kids at Army. And frankly this was often an issue with previous staffs too. Monken can't do it all and has to find people with the right skills. I think most the coaches we have are probably fine as an individual coach but collectively on the offensive side they are struggling and bad.

PD

[WrekDivr]

As I have reflected on the last couple of frustrating years, they all start with high hopes and end in frustration. It does seem like we have been on a steady decline since we lost Toth and Holland. Heck, last year even Buchanan lost yardage a couple of times. I don’t understand enough about the details of O line play to make any specific comments, but it seems to me we have struggled even with talented skill players. We need some outstanding coaches that can get our line consistently producing. We’ve seen some flashes of what could be in the UTSA game and the 1st half of Syracuse.

[rbmarmy]

I will make a wager that last week was mid-term week, or exams or something, it happens every year

[ArmyRoadFan7]

Other than Thatcher we have the same offensive staff that thought Tyhier Tyler was a better quarterback than Christian Andersen and refused to believe what they were seeing on the field.

[kfan12]

All good points.

Say it isn't so about the offensive line? I've been harping on that for a while and not sure people see it until they see it. One of the reasons I knew the gun option was likely not a solution was the first two series of Army Navy last year we were in the gun and if you watch we continually missed assignments in both the run and the pass game. Hell one play just this Saturday Troy brought 5 on the rush and we had 7 in protection and Daily took the sack. Reed was in at RB and he abandoned the "a" gap and moved outside and the backer blitzed through to make the play. That's pass pro 101 for a RB to work inside out. The problem is this kind of thing happens routinely. And you are right Coach Drinkall has little O line experience and was a WR as a player. I personally believe this matters. Viti was a fullback by name but remember two things, first he didn't play in a triple option system. He played in a pro style fullback position and on unsuccessful teams. Two, his only coaching experience is at Army. It would behoove him to go to another program for experience. Thatcher is also a wide receiver by position and played under Hal Mumme in the Air Raid system at New Mexico State.

Look I'm pretty biased about this. Either you have some real experience as a player in a position group or you have demonstrated success as a coach and ideally both. I also get that sometimes you have young coaches or new coaches on staff with limited experience. However I believe our offense is plagued with lack of expertise on what it takes to coach and win with kids at Army. And frankly this was often an issue with previous staffs too. Monken can't do it all and has to find people with the right skills. I think most the coaches we have are probably fine as an individual coach but collectively on the offensive side they are struggling and bad.

PD

I guess where I think I differ, is that I don't think it has nearly as much to do with scheme as it does with two position coaches who do not seem to be getting the job done for whatever reason yet. I think this offense can work; I think the old offense can work. I don't think any offense can work against a decent team if everyone on the O line doesn't know what they are supposed to be doing with a given play call and against a defensive set. Guess we'll see. Just hate to see the program returning to Losing season(s).

[kfan12]

I will make a wager that last week was mid-term week, or exams or something, it happens every year

I thought that was the excuse the week before.

[rbmarmy]

did i say that ? don't recall, but maybe i said it a year ago
Going forward LSU may be a piece of cake compared to the middle East