Air Raid Posts a Goose Egg at Half
- Thread starter spongeandshoot
- Start date
13 different players have caught passes tonight, including 4 by Kentucky. Hi Yoooo.
Best back in the league returning and only has 6 carries against a 3 man front. Leach still refuses to adapt.
Welcome to the jungle, Bulldogs.
Since you have the money, honey, we’ve had your disease.
Since you have the money, honey, we’ve had your disease.
Clearly one of the worst performances from Leach in years. It's like the team quit, as they never had any rhythm or momentum. It will be interesting to see how Leach will recover from this and the Arkansas performance.
Not looking like a good year.
So far, this is Leach's worst performance of his career.
Not looking like a good year.
So far, this is Leach's worst performance of his career.
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It is a qb centric offense. If your qb is having a great night it’s awesome. If your qb is struggling, there are no outs. Well, there are outs. Like running the ball, leaning on your RB, letting your qb make some easy pitch and catch passes while splitting the load with the RB. But Leach wont do that. So you struggle and lose.
Costello had 4 INTs, which makes 9 INTs through 3 games - despite riding the pine for some of that time. KJ is like Connor Halliday but without the eligibility left to become a serviceable Air Raid QB. It's less a bad game and more a bad season/tenure.
But the refusal to run is totally unacceptable. WSU was not a pedigree team so we had the patience, or at least there was nothing we could do when things seemed bad (and, mostly, I'm grateful for that). I don't know that MSU fans are OK with a 2-4 year rebuild. They will have far less patience for being cute when they were contending as recently as 2014-15. I'm reading their Brand Y boards and already there are "let the heads roll" comments.
The commentator asked him at halftime that since he has the leading returning rusher in the SEC who routinely faced 9 man fronts, would he consider running the ball against this 3 man front...and he said "no. we just have to execute better
There’s no rebuild. MSU will never be better than .500 in conference under Leach. Book it.
Look, this was always going to be an extremely difficult year for Leach and MSU. I’m having fun teasing these posts, but Leach doesn’t have kids who know what they’re doing yet. I’ve watched most of the game tonight. Costello can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Receivers can’t catch. Turnovers. In spite of it all, they looked better than Kentucky for most of the game.
One things for sure, he’ll have a vastly superior QB than Costello moving forward next season. The WRs will be improved, and their OL..Good God, they can’t pass block because they’ve never had to.
After 3 games, I’m sticking to my prediction for Leach at MSU. He’ll beat the Vandy’s, Kentucky’s, Arkansas, South Carolina and Ole Miss once in a while. Beyond that, it’s going to be a challenge. The SEC is loaded with athletes, and dropping 8 will be easier to do than it was in the P12 because of the skill and depth in the league. I see a lot of 7 win seasons for Leach.
One things for sure, he’ll have a vastly superior QB than Costello moving forward next season. The WRs will be improved, and their OL..Good God, they can’t pass block because they’ve never had to.
After 3 games, I’m sticking to my prediction for Leach at MSU. He’ll beat the Vandy’s, Kentucky’s, Arkansas, South Carolina and Ole Miss once in a while. Beyond that, it’s going to be a challenge. The SEC is loaded with athletes, and dropping 8 will be easier to do than it was in the P12 because of the skill and depth in the league. I see a lot of 7 win seasons for Leach.
This is not on Leach. This is the defenses fault. If the defense held them to 1 point the Air Raid wins 2-1. This was not on Leach at all. He knows exactly what to do with a big time RB.
Give him a couple of years and he'll get the right players on the right bus. His first year with us....not so good. Agreed, this is not on Leach.
And to think, Costello gave up another year around those hot Stanford coeds
Ok. Maybe not.
Ok. Maybe not.
Ole Miss routinely ranks at the top of the charts in the Coed dept...so if Miss State is somewhat in the ball park, I think he'll be in good hands.
Before I die, I will party on The Grove at Ole Miss.
I’m old but I’m not blind.
You really think? I get your thoughts....but they'll look at Tech and us....and from history, know that he'll eventually turn the program around. Although.....on the flip side...there are guys that say the Air Raid won't work in the SEC. Every opponent drops 8. Maybe he gets blown in 2021....but I think they'll at least give him a couple of years.
At WSU, Leach took us to a bowl game with Wulff's Big Sky recruits. Recruiting wise he is now playing with at least 3 top 25 in the nation recruiting classes -- far more "talent" than he every had here. MSU is a program that has gone to 10 straight bowls, including an Orange Bowl. Maybe Leach needs more "ordinary" recruiting classes like those he attracted to WSU to win? "His players."
Or maybe the Cougar nation lucked out for once, and Leach bailed on us for "greener pastures" at just the right time? He just lost to the equivalent of Oregon State on the 1980s and Oregon State of the 1990's in successive weeks. A feat he never match at WSU.
Regardless, he definitely needs the gaggle of Cougar apologists to start persuading Bulldog fans to start lowering their expectations. New Years day bowls aren't realistic, nor are competitive Egg Bowls. The recruiting world has changed drastically since they last went to the Orange Bowl, decades ago, in 2014.
4 of next 5 games are against blue blood programs. Did MSU hire him to start 2-6???
Am I reading right that Leach has a back with 1350 yards last season????
They got beat last week by a team that hadnt won a league game in 3 years. Today they get run off the field with their only points scored for them by the other team. And he has a 1300 yard back that he doesnt use. He will have for sale signs in his yard very soon. Fans will run him out of town if they go from winning 8 to losing 8.
Let's be delusional.
What if?
Rolo goes 0-6
Leach goes 1-9
Leach misses being a COUG.
Pat brings back Leach to the Palouse and pandemonium breaks out.
Bobblehead II sells out in 2 hours. Leach writes his 3rd book.
Contends for the north every year, and somehow beats Lake.
I'll take it.
What if?
Rolo goes 0-6
Leach goes 1-9
Leach misses being a COUG.
Pat brings back Leach to the Palouse and pandemonium breaks out.
Bobblehead II sells out in 2 hours. Leach writes his 3rd book.
Contends for the north every year, and somehow beats Lake.
I'll take it.
More likely Rolo gets cancelled for misgendering somebody in a tweet.
Beau Brummel and the Cal Poly staff are brought it.
Beau Brummel gets COVID and his OL coach takes over.
The fact that Costello is starting for them tells me a lot, as I never thought he was any good in the P12. MSU might have talent in spots, but they’ve never played in an offense like Leach’s.
I’m neither a Leach apologist or antagonist. One thing I give him credit for (and criticize him about) is that he lives and dies with his system. Some coaches would have come in and try to adapt their system around the existing talent. Not Leach. He’s going full air raid without hesitation. Can’t say that I blame him, really. New coaches get 3, maybe 4 years to get things going. Roll with your system day 1 and let the chips fall where they may.
I’m neither a Leach apologist or antagonist. One thing I give him credit for (and criticize him about) is that he lives and dies with his system. Some coaches would have come in and try to adapt their system around the existing talent. Not Leach. He’s going full air raid without hesitation. Can’t say that I blame him, really. New coaches get 3, maybe 4 years to get things going. Roll with your system day 1 and let the chips fall where they may.
His system has rules for running the ball. He ignores them.
Good coaches find a way to work with the talent they have and win. He doesnt. Hence, Kentucky scored his only points for him tonight.
Leach's ability to make something out of nothing affords him this mystical reputation among fans, which gets them to suspend belief and even thought about everything they know to be true about football.
One of those things is that balance is an indispensable tool in your arsenal, because your opponent can't 100% commit to stopping something unless they know for sure it's coming.
I can't think of a perennially great team that either run or passed more than 75% of the time as we did in his last year here. If you do commit to such a scheme, it HAS to come down to execution, and even then the ceiling is lower than if you can keep your opponent somewhat off balance.
At his peak, Briles' imbalanced 2011 Veer & Shoot was 63/37 rushing, even with RG3. The 2011 Ducks' imbalanced run option (with LMJ, KB & DAT) was 70/30. The teams in the southeast that take home hardware every year are generally 50/50 give or take 10.
Perhaps that is why Leach has never won a conference title as HC, and has never even won a solo division title. At the higher levels I just don't think there is any level of execution that is SO GOOD it can compensate for your opponents knowing what you're doing on every down.
I guess I'm happy because I don't think we could or will do better, but it always was frustrating to know there was a glass ceiling once we ran up against a team that was too good to "out-execute" when they knew what we were going to do.
Someone also made a comment about the recruiting classes at MSU. That's great if you're WSU, competing against OSU and up-and-down Cal/Furd/UCLA. It matters a lot less IMO when hauling in Top 25 talent only means you're fielding a team against Top 5 and Top 10 talent.
We welcomed Mike Leach back to Lexington last night, and all the local news/net outlets dug up photos and stories about his magical 1998 season, here as OC under Hal Mumme, with Tim Couch.
Interestingly, UK’s announcer, Tom Leach, focused on a 1997 quote from then Head Coach Mumme: “All of my best teams have featured a 1,000 yard back.”
State returned a talented back, but he was limping in the 1st quarter, having been hurt against Arkansas. And I’m not sure it would have mattered had he been healthy. Leach is not as run oriented as was Mumme, and even he called running plays, “a trick play.”
My Cats surrendered 500 yards to Lame Kiffen’s Old Myth squad a week prior, mostly by air, so no one here foresaw shutting Leach’s offense down. His least points in his career, the least we held MSU to since 1951.
Leach’s length of chain might be directly connected to his mouth. His predecessor, Joe Moorhead, was relieved after successive bowl appearances, though below expectations as State was packed with several lottery picks on defense. Leach is a bit of a loose cannon, and such types step on toes, too often.
I’m having some fun on Kentucky Boards. They all credit Arkansas with the system to shut Leach down. Others point to Washington.
The first time I saw dropping 8 into zone to slow the Air Raid was Cam Cameron’s 1998 Indiana squad, who would have upset Kentucky sans a late Antoine Randel-El fumble and TD return.
I suspect BYU and Lavell Edwards saw some 3-8 zones decades prior.
Interestingly, UK’s announcer, Tom Leach, focused on a 1997 quote from then Head Coach Mumme: “All of my best teams have featured a 1,000 yard back.”
State returned a talented back, but he was limping in the 1st quarter, having been hurt against Arkansas. And I’m not sure it would have mattered had he been healthy. Leach is not as run oriented as was Mumme, and even he called running plays, “a trick play.”
My Cats surrendered 500 yards to Lame Kiffen’s Old Myth squad a week prior, mostly by air, so no one here foresaw shutting Leach’s offense down. His least points in his career, the least we held MSU to since 1951.
Leach’s length of chain might be directly connected to his mouth. His predecessor, Joe Moorhead, was relieved after successive bowl appearances, though below expectations as State was packed with several lottery picks on defense. Leach is a bit of a loose cannon, and such types step on toes, too often.
I’m having some fun on Kentucky Boards. They all credit Arkansas with the system to shut Leach down. Others point to Washington.
The first time I saw dropping 8 into zone to slow the Air Raid was Cam Cameron’s 1998 Indiana squad, who would have upset Kentucky sans a late Antoine Randel-El fumble and TD return.
I suspect BYU and Lavell Edwards saw some 3-8 zones decades prior.
There is something to be said for the art of the play call. Keeping a defense off balance, making the LBs read plays, making the DL play run and pass. Not for Leach!
When Leach decides to run between the tackles until the defense plays 4 DL and LBs that play like LBs and not safeties... he crushes college football. As we saw against LSU, he can take 3 star kids and blow up 4 and 5 star talent.
Mike Leach stops Mike Leach.
I gotta admit...this going over to MSU's forums has been a fun experience with a lot of interesting reading.
They have one thread called the Degenerate thread where they discuss their football bets of the week and their reasoning behind them...and a BBQ thread which has been a great read as well. Some good bbq techniques in there.
They have one thread called the Degenerate thread where they discuss their football bets of the week and their reasoning behind them...and a BBQ thread which has been a great read as well. Some good bbq techniques in there.
2 thoughts.
Costello, agree, didn't impress me when he was at Stanford. Seemed mistake prone.
Second, Leach isn't going to change his system or game planning approach. He had no answer to UW's defensive strategy and it's not surprising the SEC is taking that page away. If KJ doesn't check run, nor can Miss St. execute that run, his offense is doomed.
Costello, agree, didn't impress me when he was at Stanford. Seemed mistake prone.
Second, Leach isn't going to change his system or game planning approach. He had no answer to UW's defensive strategy and it's not surprising the SEC is taking that page away. If KJ doesn't check run, nor can Miss St. execute that run, his offense is doomed.
It's way too early to pass judgement on Leach at MSU. It was ludicrous for idiots like fartandfeet to think that a win over a gutted LSU team was meaningful and we all know how bad WSU looked at times in 2012 when he had a bunch of guys phoning it in. In normal years, he'll face a schedule that should net 7-9 wins per year just like he did at WSU and Tech and it will be easier to do that when he's got a bunch of guys that really know what he wants. He probably won't win championships but he'll be a thorn in the side for a lot of teams.
I dunno. I just don't see him succeeding if he refuses to run the ball when everyone is rushing 3 and dropping 8. We just saw 2 bottom dwellers shut it down in back to back weeks.
Maybe he can get a qb that can throw in in tight windows 65 times a game without turning the ball over more than once per game...but I doubt it.
He could definitely suck....but if you look how we did in 2012 (or frankly, 2014), who would have thought we would eventually go 11-2 in 2018? After gacking against Portland State in 2015, a lot of people were ready to write Leach off. He should be fine once he gets his guys in place and system fully installed. At some point, the offense will be efficient enough to make the drop eight defense a problem more often than not. A well run Air Raid attack can move the chains against most teams. The top level teams with the best talent will always be a problem for Leach, but Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Missouri and South Carolina aren't going to be running out players that are far superior to Mississippi State. As long as the SEC goes back to its eight team conference format with four creampuffs (Leach will insist on no P5 OOC games), Leach is going to win 7+ games every year at MSU. Will he win a conference title? I wouldn't bet on it happening.
Good points...although I am not sure MSU will be as patient as we were. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
BTW, not sure if I mentioned it..but I am good friends with one of K States asst basketball coaches Chris Lowery. Grew up with him. He played for Bruce Webber at Southern Illinois and was on his staff at Illinois when they made the finals in 2005.
I try to follow them as much as I can out here.
