Some more positivity for the upcoming season. Hopefully this continues to get better and also helps the run game.
OL Improvement
- Thread starter leodisflowers
- Start date
apparently my lyin eye's were telling me a different story last year, cause it felt like the same ole to me.
I think this is due to Benhardt getting a ton better. In 2022 it was coming from both sides. Benhardt actually got a lot better. To me the NU line could get a lot better with the same jump happening at the other tackle position. I'm skeptical, but I also thought BB was a lost cause and he picked his game up last year. He still can be a lot better, but it wasn't a wide open path to the QB as it had been for him before.
2022 we had 340 passing attempts and were hurried on 35% of those.
2023 we had 261 attempts and were hurried on 25%.
10 percentage point improvement and nearly 30% improvement on the opportunity. The 54% decrease is a bit disingenuous. But still a very nice improvement - hopefully we see another jump.
We also had a more competent passer on the team in 2022, which was dearly missed last season..
Your lying eyes do not deceive you, IMO.
In 2022 we gave up 33 sacks on those 340 passing attempts, losing 247 yards (almost 1 in every 10 attempts; 93rd in sacks given up per game)
In 2023 we gave up 30 sacks on those 261 passing attempts, losing 181 yards -- Nearly as many sacks on 80 fewer passing attempts (1 in every 8.7 attempts; dropped to 96th in sacks given up per game)
Since sacks don't count as hurries (I assume), we were hurried or sacked on 152 of 340 passing attempts in 2022 (45% of attempts).
In 2023 we were hurried or sacked on 95 of 261 attempts (37%).
And, that was against what was supposedly an easier schedule in 2023 than the 2022 schedule. I don't think I'd really call that better. I'd say the line sucked a little bit less. Color me skeptical of any improvement until certain players have matriculated out of the program. I hold out hope that younger guys are going to step it up and push the veterans out, and that coaches will allow that to happen. Because until that happens, Dylan better keep his head on a swivel or he and the receivers better excel in the 5-15 yard passing game.
In 2022 we gave up 33 sacks on those 340 passing attempts, losing 247 yards (almost 1 in every 10 attempts; 93rd in sacks given up per game)
In 2023 we gave up 30 sacks on those 261 passing attempts, losing 181 yards -- Nearly as many sacks on 80 fewer passing attempts (1 in every 8.7 attempts; dropped to 96th in sacks given up per game)
Since sacks don't count as hurries (I assume), we were hurried or sacked on 152 of 340 passing attempts in 2022 (45% of attempts).
In 2023 we were hurried or sacked on 95 of 261 attempts (37%).
And, that was against what was supposedly an easier schedule in 2023 than the 2022 schedule. I don't think I'd really call that better. I'd say the line sucked a little bit less. Color me skeptical of any improvement until certain players have matriculated out of the program. I hold out hope that younger guys are going to step it up and push the veterans out, and that coaches will allow that to happen. Because until that happens, Dylan better keep his head on a swivel or he and the receivers better excel in the 5-15 yard passing game.
Some of it was having a run threat at QB, but our line was definitely improved despite some of the message board experts’ opinions. They got better as the year went on IMO.
We threw 30% less passes in ‘23 and most of those were 1 read.
That is what it’s due to.
We allowed the worst sack/attempt ratio in all of P5, only Navy was worse in that category in the entire country
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They weren’t.
This is a meaningless, contextless, cherry picked stat.
Our OL was by far the worst in pass protection in all of P5 in 2023.
So you don't think Benhardt was better? I think he was much better and the real issue is on the other side.
Not convinced at all. We have not had a good offensive line in years. Last year we had a workable line. But not really a good line. There were injuries for sure but that only exposed our lack of depth. Is our depth better this year? I hope so. I think it is. But that depth has yet to be proven. Hopefully, some of the young tackles can emerge and Corcoran can get what he has deserved for years: a permanent seat on the bench. And the Corcoran apologists can go pound sand right next to the Haarberg cheerleaders. This team will never again achieve elite status until players like that are third string. I cannot think of any Osborne era offense where Corcoran would have sniffed the two deep. But the rest of our line gives me some hope. They do seem to have more talent and more depth this year. Now go out and prove it by kicking some ass!!
Read many times how last years line class was the best we've had in a really long time... Can none of those guys be expected to contribute this year and make a meaningful impact? I'd think Brix at the very least?
We were the worst pass pro team in all of P5 and ranked 132nd out of 133 FBS teams in sacks allowed per attempt.
Only navy’s QBs were sacked at a more frequent rate, and they threw 100 less passes.
That is astonishingly terrible.
The OL should be everyone’s #1 concern not just this year but moving forward because I’m not sure how long DR is going to want to be a sitting duck back there while USC and others are coming calling.
Young tackles?
Do we even have 2?
Gottula is one. No clue who the other is or who is the heir apparent at LT. Doubt they’re on today’s roster.
I think this is going to happen. Our OL is the number 1 concern and similar to WR last year, I think if we have more injuries or the play is shit for TC or one of the guards, I think they will try one of the youngsters.
Our OL has been shit for a long time, but I do see some progress. To my earlier point, BB was serviceable last year. Before he was absolutely god awful. I thought Scott was decent at center. Wasn't struggling with snaps at all times and was decent in the middle. I don't mind the guards and think JJ is going to be pretty good. I hope we start working in the youngsters early as I think they are going to need to help out during conference play.
Gottula, Brix, Seagren, Pyle, Knaak - There are options.
I read in another thread that Brix has never had to pass protect in his entire life. (Our current, 2nd-worst-in-the-country group looks that way most times, so not sure how big a deal that is.)
Seagren?
He went to a small HS that ran the ball all the time. He is an unbelievably talented athlete (which is why everyone in the nation was after him), but he is very raw in pass pro.
True. And I guess there just were not many tackles in the transfer portal either...
Redshirt Freshman that has been brought up that he and Gottula were working while TC was out.
We'll find out how good our O Line is soon enough. Opposing D's will be coming after our inexperienced QB's fast & furious, forcing them to make quick decisions.
In a perfect world we finally have a QB and some receivers that might be able to make defenses pay for coming after us. That would help the OL more than anything. If you're a DC, not having to worry about the passing game is a beautiful thing.
Sacks taken is a very misleading stat......according to research ( I'll provide the entire article if you want to look at it). Quarterbacks control their own sack rate and they are likely responsible for the quality of sacks they take too. We know this because QBs who change teams tend to have their sack quality follow them. If the offensive line or poor coaching was responsible for sack quality, it wouldn't follow the QBs to new teams.
Quality of sacks would mean that a sack taken for a safety would be worse than a sack taken on 3rd and 18 that is outside of field goal range.
I expect our sack rate to decrease this year with a QB that has a very quick release...is not likely to try and run when pressured and I expect to make better decisions.
perhaps, but in our case sack rate stayed consistently piss poor with this OL group through 3 OCs and 6 QBs
their grades and the NFL's lack of interest don't lie. 132 out of 133 in pass pro.
we need way better
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