In This Thread We Talk About How Great Gary Crowton Is

Crowton is a genius and a wizard. He knows the formations to create mismatches and maximize the potential of his players. That said I think he is falling in love with all the accolades. Which is causing him to go away from the plays he should be calling, rather than trying to use multiple formations. Sure Lee played like crap again, spotting UGA 14 pts. Sure the D played like crap again, not tackling and pathetic coverage.

Crowtons play calling is up there IMO. Everytime LSU was really starting to establish Scott up the middle/offtackle he would go away from it. Thats not good coaching, plain and simple. He would bring in Hatch and Holliday. Yes we must get Holliday the ball because of his explosiveness but that wasnt the time or manner. It was obvious that LSU wasnt going to run sweeps and wide runs on UGA. While the middle was getting us pretty good yards. THey were stacking the line so it wasnt easy to go wide. To make matters worse everyone and their grandma knows that with Hatch we will run the option. Its either the acutal option or its a fake and QB keeper or the hand off. So the D usually does a good job of shutting down Hatch. We need balance, the threat to pass with Hatch or keep him out. Personally as bad as Lee has played he is our top QB, he should stay in the game. Had LSU stuck with the run I think they would have had a better shot at winning or at least not being spanked as bad. LSU was getting stops and the momentum going their way. When Crowton tried the nonstop plays to Holliday with Hatch at QB. I knew it was mistake.

People can say what they want. As bad as the players have played, the coaches have been crap as well. When you cant cover, tackle, are predictable, go away from your bread and butter, etc. Thats all coaching. And the worse it gets the more they will lose touch with the players.

 

The stats always look great and balanced by the end of the game. Our FLA stats look pretty good, too, but the problem is the knucklehead calls that are made at times when we need to control the game, or take advantage of momentum, and that is when I think he outthinks himself and gets too cute. The devil is in the details on this one. Replay the 3rd qtr with 8 minutes on against UGA. Ditto with FLA game, with several minutes left in the 3rd the score is 20-14, after we took the opening kickoff and go on a ball control drive that features our strength (the run), we score, then we get the ball back with a chance to really make a game of it and possibly go ahead, but then we try to get too cute and start throwing more with finesse plays. JLee throws an INT and our defense begins to break. Why call those plays when you just ran the ball down there throats for an opening 8 min. drive? That's the puzzlement for me.

To begin the year, it was expected that the QBs were to hand the ball off, not make mistakes, and maybe ever now and then, pass the ball. He asks too much of them at this stage when we have stud RBs and OLs and we should be running, running, running until we are stopped. You can blame JLee and the defense all you want, but for me CGC is not calling an offense that plays to our strengths enough, puts the QBs in position to fail, resulting in too much pressure on our defense. Its a domino effect set up by unsustained drives from fancy playcalling, IMHO.

 

you CANNOT "just run it down their throats" every phucking play!!!
Everybody here hated Jimbo Fisher for attempting to do just that in games while he was here. You MUST mix it up. That play when Lee threw the pick was a good play call. Mitchell made the move, had a step on his guy and was open. Lee read the play perfectly, but overthrew him. Lee brings that pass down a bit, it's a big 1st down, and you leave the defense guessing. As opposed to being ready for run-only that some of y'all seem to have wanted.

 

Dude, I don't disagree that you have to mix it up, but you pick your moments, and right now it does not seem like he is picking the right moments with the players he has. Defenses will be ready if you always run it, but hell that is our strength this year, so let them prove they can stop it. Defenses are also ready when the Hatch set comes in that it will be a run of some sort 80% of the time, but he still does that even though it is predictable. Predictability should not preclude sticking with your strength in my view.

 

Its not about running it down their throats every play, but truly establishing a run. Owning the line of scrimmage. Taking the fight to the D. The problem is when Crowton has been calling pass, as well as when he is trying gimmick plays. When he is trying to run Holliday. When he brings Hatch in you know its a run. Its killing the flow of the O. With an inexperienced QB like Lee its a fine line on handling him. We definitely need to show faith in him and throw, but he shouldnt be throwing as much on first and 10 when we dont have the run established. Then bring in Hatch and run two plays wide, get shut down. You wont complete many on 3rd and long when they gonna bring the blitz. Lee isnt able to slow things down like Stafford did with a blitz in his face. Ill say it again, had LSU kept running Scott down their throats I believe LSU could have won or certainly kept it very close. Crowton is too caught up in all his recent praises.

Mind you this is coming form someone who does prefer the pass.

 

This is exactly what I am trying to convey as well. Definitely, the defense is missing tackles, and out of position, etc, and definitely we need to have a single DC, but despite all of the great offensive stats at the end of the game, there are problems with the play calling that end up leading to 3 and outs or turnovers and put too much pressure on our defense. Playcalling at certain pivotal times could definitely improve.

 

Exactly. Normally Id love how Crowton is calling games. Last year, with Flynn you could be more diverse and use gimmicks. With Lee you cant do that. He isnt developed enough, so teams are stacking the line. We cant get the wide runs. Our OL played well for the most part against a pretty damn good D. Lee made crucial mistakes, but made good throws. We can score on anyone, but we need to rely more on the run this year. Not gimmicks. We dont have the middle established enough to get to the outside. Add to that there is no threat to pass with Hatch. Everyone and their grandma knows whats coming. Its taking the flow out of the O.

Yesterday the D was getting stops, we had the momentum. Then gave it away by bringing in Hatch and Holliday. Then UGA finally came back down the field to score yet again. I dont remember the score, but LSU should have at least been moving the ball down the field not a 3 and out. Its a team game, coaches and players are dropping the ball here. This past game though, I put more emphasis on the play calling.

 

The play-calling is not the problem. The problem is Lee looks at one receiver every single play. First play of the game, Lee watches LaFell on a crossing route and doesn't see a LB sitting there waiting.

I was at the game yesterday, and almost every play a WR was WIDE OPEN but Lee didn't see him cause he was locked on one WR. Plus our WRs, especially LeFell, have the dropsies again. That sure as hell won't help a freshman QB.

The only prob I have with GC, is the deep ball. With Lee's arm and our WR, he should call for a deep ball at least 5-6 times a game. A couple of times yesteday, LSU got and offsides penalty at mid-field and made it 1st and 5. Both times i was hoping for a deep ball but he didn't call it. And that's a perfect time to call it.

Flynn was a game-manager and Lee is a red-shirt, can't wait too see what our offense will look like with a good seasoned QB.

 

When is the right moment? We have the benefit of knowing that Lee overthrew the pass right to the DB. Crowton saw a hole in their coverage and exploited it. It was the right call. Chris Mitchell was open. Lee missed him.

D. Byrd could have had 6 TDs yesterday. that dude was open on the deep slant every other snap.

 

For all you genius's that are calling for us to run more, in the 3rd quarter they showed the stats up to that point in the game. LSU ran the ball 35 times to only 18 pass attempts. That's a 2 to 1 ratio.

Normally GC calls more of a 50-50 game, but he knows he doesn't have the QB to do that. And the pass plays are good calls, but the problem is Lee locks in on the prime receiver only. That's what GC and the offensive staff needs to work on, not the play calling.