For everyone's viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3zXnejLDOI Be sure to read the description; I'll probably take it down once I've sufficiently cooled off. Edit: Sorry, already forgot it's 2010 now.
Transcript from post game conference: A lot of Les-speak again. Q. Not that it would have made a big difference in this game, but you said several times during the year we'll see more of Russell Shepard and again we didn't see him today. Is there a disconnect between and you the offensive coaching staff? COACH MILES: No. We'd like to have gotten Russell Shepard in the game. We felt like 8 was doing a really good job, and we didn't not only on returns, but taking the ball from scrimmage, some of the runs that he had, and those would have been Russell Shepard snaps. It ended up we played him more at receiver in this game and didn't get him on the field, and his snaps at running back were curtailed by the fact that our opponent had the ball for the length of time they had.
We could've copy and pasted this exact quote from the Florida post-game, and that was 3 full months ago. What is he saying, exactly? That we can't run a 2-back set with Trindon AND Shep? That we couldn't have put him in one of those 4 WR sets in the slot? That's insulting my intelligence.
There has to be more to it than just "our coaches are morons" as some have posted. I'm just as clueless as anyone, but there have been issue with him running the wrong play or lining up in the wrong spot... it could be that the coaching staff does not have much confidence in him at this point in his development. That is why they prefer to go with "#8" who is a Senior than with the "#10".
That comes part and parcel with being a freshman learning the system. The issue that I and a lot of other people have is when you're down 13-3, 16-3 and gone 3 and out for 2-3 series in a row, and nothing else is working, why not put the kid in for a series or two and give him a chance to make a play? Why not use him as a decoy? Or give him some of Ridley's snaps so maybe he can use his athleticism to pick up a 1st down? It's the last game of the season on a big stage, at least let him get some experience in there. It seems like an OC with the slightest modicum of intelligence or innovation could come up with a set of at least 2-3 basic plays for him in this game, and that couldn't even be done in a month's time.
actually I had some hope for Miles before I read what he said, I am back on the moron train again now.