Scrimmage 2 Recap
- Thread starter kougkurt
- Start date
He tries to put a positive spin on it, but reading this seems like there are some significant concerns. Chiefly, we can’t cover a short receiver, can’t make a tackle downfield, and still can’t keep the QB upright.
Fair point…but your #2s should still be able to tackle, and sounds like the QBs were still under consistent pressure
The QB stats are interesting. Ward at 4 YPA Mateer north of 15 YPA. Say what you want about YAC, but QBs create that just as much as receivers do. Climbing the pocket to make LBs and DBs hesitate on their coverages leaves Express lanes open for receivers on a well placed pass. With Wards 4 YPA I picture him retreating and running outside of a pocket that he doesn’t need to just to sling it 20 yards to a guy coming back on the sideline for a 3 yard gain.
10-14 for 57 yards, with a 13 yard TD. So his other 9 completions were for 44 yards - just under 5 yards average. That looks to me like a QB who’s taking zero chances, throwing to his first, short read. Knowing Ward’s tendencies from last season, that may have been specific instruction to him. Problem I have with that scenario is that if you’re telling a QB who to throw to, he’s probably not the one who should be your starter.
Mateer’s completion percentage is unimpressive, and his yardage gets fluffed by YAC (but those still count). Sounds like he was also throwing mostly short, and the receivers turned them into something. But, lots of YAC yards means one of two things: either you’ve got bad coverage and tackling, or you have excellent downfield blocking. The descriptions about Victor’s TD (wide open, untouched, open space) suggest the former.
True…but what the QB is doing with the ball before he throws it also impacts the coverage. I havent seen highlights from the scrimmage but I’ve seen Wards bad habits and he takes away 2/3 of the field when he bails outside the pocket that he doesn’t have to, shrinking the field and usually resulting in a meaningless short completion with zero chance for YAC or a chuck OB.
A QB who causes the defense to hesitate by stepping up in the pocket and threatening to run leaves the entire field needing to be covered and causes defenders covering to hesitate which opens up the chance of a 5 yard pass turning into a 70 yard sprint.
Pure speculation since I didn’t see anything but I’d venture to guess Mateer also gave his receivers some winnable one on one situations where Ward had to force the ball into smaller spaces in the field where receivers had no chance to do anything with the ball after the catch.
My “Positive” spin outlook. We restocked the WR room with receivers that have actual speed & the rest of the room is actually getting developed again. The two years of the run & shoot throwing 80% of the balls to 2 slot smurfs drove experienced outside WRs away & didn’t develop our young pups.
Also, need to pump the breaks a bit on Mateer until we see more. 2-of-2 for 32yds is zero sample size. For greater context…Our Australian Punter was 1-of-1 for 36yds.
Also, need to pump the breaks a bit on Mateer until we see more. 2-of-2 for 32yds is zero sample size. For greater context…Our Australian Punter was 1-of-1 for 36yds.
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There are always positional concerns at WSU, but I'm pleasantly surprised at our depth at RB this year. Nakia Watson, Jenkins, and Schlenbaker give us a solid a trio at the position.
If Arbuckle is the offensive mind that we've been hearing about, you can do a lot on offense with good RB depth and an evasive QB like Cam Ward. I'm hoping to see a lot less of the bubble screens and more of a direct approach off of the LOS. Not a power running game by any means, but a deliberate, in your face attack. Inside runs, read-option, quick hitting passes, and a lot of over the top seam passes. That's what Arbuckle is supposed to be bringing, and the scrimmage showcased some of that.
If Arbuckle is the offensive mind that we've been hearing about, you can do a lot on offense with good RB depth and an evasive QB like Cam Ward. I'm hoping to see a lot less of the bubble screens and more of a direct approach off of the LOS. Not a power running game by any means, but a deliberate, in your face attack. Inside runs, read-option, quick hitting passes, and a lot of over the top seam passes. That's what Arbuckle is supposed to be bringing, and the scrimmage showcased some of that.
Schlenbaker Needs to do something in real time before he gets my praise
As someone who thought Bazille was going to be a poor man’s DeAnthony Thomas, I concur. When I’m wrong I have no problem admitting it.
I assume no one picked him up from the portal,from the video of his only handoff he fumbles.
I don’t have any real comments on the running game based on this scrimmage. Getting 4 YPC isn’t sexy, but it’ll move the chains and the defense has to pay attention.
Actually, 4 ypa is a recipe for stalled drives. Too easy to have two incompletions in a row and then you are sitting at 3rd and long or 4th and short. I don't know what's wrong with the offense with Ward on the field but if those scrimmage numbers are any indication of anything (they are probably meaningless), we need to rethink everything.
In 2022, we averaged 26 points per game and a meager 361 yards per game. You've got to go back to 2012 to find a more anemic full season performance. Our worst offense of the modern era (2008) averaged 5.3 ypa and it was a freaking disaster.
I don't know that Mateer is the answer but Ward should have a very, very short leash this year if he is our starter. Our defense is likely not going to be as good this year so we can't depend on them until proven otherwise. It's starting to feel like 6-6 is our best case scenario this year and that 4-8 won't be a big surprise.
Or the QB is hitting the WRs in stride giving them a chance for YAC instead of them having the adjust to a poorly thrown ball.
To me the 2nd scrimmage seemed about equal to just barely by skin of teeth ahead, won by Mateer over Ward.
It was a lot closer the 2nd scrimmage then the first. So it's either 1-1 between Mateer and Ward or it's just barely by skin of teeth 2-0 for Mateer vs Ward.
The first scrimmage Mateer had about 3,4,5,6 DEEP BALLS(About 37 to 45 to 53 yards) to 1 Deep Ball for Ward, and was about 275 on about 14 out of 20 to Ward's about 215 on about 15 out of 20.
So Mateer was CLEARLY better in the FIRST Scrimmage, at least in throwing DEEP balls.
Now it was mentioned about the first scrimmage that maybe Mateer is good at throwing DEEP balls, but maybe not as good as throwing short to mid passes.
But it seems after this the 2nd scrimmage that Mateer had the slightly better short passing, YAC game.
IF Mateer continues to equal an or do better then Ward in the 3rd scrimmage, then Mateer probably should be favored to have the better Spring Game, and If Mateer has the better Spring Game, then Mateer Should probably do better in Fall Camp and should probably win the starting QB spot, unless he is the type that either does well in practice, but chokes in games, or is injury prone.
But I don't think it's likely that he chokes in games, while doing well in practice, since during the last time he played in game, he had a nice drive, 5 to 9 play stretch, where he had a few, some NICE about 10 to 20 yard runs, scampers, and a few, some nice passes, first downs, etc, out of the short time he played.
Mateer certainly did NOT choke in game the last time he played in game. He was CLUTCH, the last time he played in a real game during last season.
I think Mateer is probably going to end up being better. But we'll see, starting in the next scrimmage.
It was a lot closer the 2nd scrimmage then the first. So it's either 1-1 between Mateer and Ward or it's just barely by skin of teeth 2-0 for Mateer vs Ward.
The first scrimmage Mateer had about 3,4,5,6 DEEP BALLS(About 37 to 45 to 53 yards) to 1 Deep Ball for Ward, and was about 275 on about 14 out of 20 to Ward's about 215 on about 15 out of 20.
So Mateer was CLEARLY better in the FIRST Scrimmage, at least in throwing DEEP balls.
Now it was mentioned about the first scrimmage that maybe Mateer is good at throwing DEEP balls, but maybe not as good as throwing short to mid passes.
But it seems after this the 2nd scrimmage that Mateer had the slightly better short passing, YAC game.
IF Mateer continues to equal an or do better then Ward in the 3rd scrimmage, then Mateer probably should be favored to have the better Spring Game, and If Mateer has the better Spring Game, then Mateer Should probably do better in Fall Camp and should probably win the starting QB spot, unless he is the type that either does well in practice, but chokes in games, or is injury prone.
But I don't think it's likely that he chokes in games, while doing well in practice, since during the last time he played in game, he had a nice drive, 5 to 9 play stretch, where he had a few, some NICE about 10 to 20 yard runs, scampers, and a few, some nice passes, first downs, etc, out of the short time he played.
Mateer certainly did NOT choke in game the last time he played in game. He was CLUTCH, the last time he played in a real game during last season.
I think Mateer is probably going to end up being better. But we'll see, starting in the next scrimmage.
Ward isn't going to get beaten out in Spring/Fall camp. I just don't see that happening. If he sputters in the first couple of games, Mateer will get his opportunity.
How come? To me you lose all credibility as a coach if you don’t put the guys on the field who give your team the best chance to win. I’m not saying Mateer will, but if he proves it in camp I think Dickert has to.
I think back to Gubruud where everyone anointed him the starter. Yes, different coach and situation but same idea. Gubrud was a stud at EWU and Leach opted for the lesser known more “unproven” guy who was better in camp and never looked back. And turned out it was the right decision.
4-8 would mean something went seriously wrong. Cal, Stanford, ASU, Arizona, and Colorado are all games we should win. Same for Colorado St and the FCS. We get OSU and Wisconsin at home which are difficult games we can win without them being a complete shock.
I'd put us at a 6-6 baseline with the potential to be a lot better if things break right.
Remember that some of the guys in spring ball will not be here after the new players arrive in the fall.
Don't forget the outside receivers who velcroed themselves to DB's yet found a way to become unstuck when it was time to block.
