FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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Bingo! He didn't want it anymore. His focus was out the door!! My biggest fear heading into this playoffs…

Klein. F him. He's a state employee. PIR all of his communications over the last month and a half. Emails, texts, WhatsApp etc and every other app that allows for communication.

Defensive-minded HC and our offense underperforms. Gee this sounds familiar, right RC?

FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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wow, thats a bold statement. and youre wrong for it. Fact is, Klein needed to stay for this game. He knows and understands this team inside and out. He knows what works, what doesnt work, and whats risky. HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT? Because he has 2 years with it. Look just because hes leaving and ultimatley not the guy we needed, doesnt mean he wasnt the right person to call plays this game. Putting some shmuck in there who hasnt called plays all season for this team would have been an absolute disaster... Moreso than what we watched today.

12thManInsideMe said:

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FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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wow, thats a bold statement. and youre wrong for it. Fact is, Klein needed to stay for this game. He knows and understands this team inside and out. He knows what works, what doesnt work, and whats risky. HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT? Because he has 2 years with it. Look just because hes leaving and ultimatley not the guy we needed, doesnt mean he wasnt the right person to call plays this game. Putting some shmuck in there who hasnt called plays all season for this team would have been an absolute disaster... Moreso than what we watched today.

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you mean the shmuck who hasn't called plays that will call plays all next season?

lil_frog8 said:

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12thManInsideMe said:

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FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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wow, thats a bold statement. and youre wrong for it. Fact is, Klein needed to stay for this game. He knows and understands this team inside and out. He knows what works, what doesnt work, and whats risky. HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT? Because he has 2 years with it. Look just because hes leaving and ultimatley not the guy we needed, doesnt mean he wasnt the right person to call plays this game. Putting some shmuck in there who hasnt called plays all season for this team would have been an absolute disaster... Moreso than what we watched today.

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you mean the shmuck who hasn't called plays that will call plays all next season?

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exactly. wiggins has no never called plays in any game let alone a CFP game. and you think the best time to pop that cherry is when you have to have it? yeah, no thanks.

12thManInsideMe said:

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lil_frog8 said:

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12thManInsideMe said:

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FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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wow, thats a bold statement. and youre wrong for it. Fact is, Klein needed to stay for this game. He knows and understands this team inside and out. He knows what works, what doesnt work, and whats risky. HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT? Because he has 2 years with it. Look just because hes leaving and ultimatley not the guy we needed, doesnt mean he wasnt the right person to call plays this game. Putting some shmuck in there who hasnt called plays all season for this team would have been an absolute disaster... Moreso than what we watched today.

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you mean the shmuck who hasn't called plays that will call plays all next season?

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exactly. wiggins has no never called plays in any game let alone a CFP game. and you think the best time to pop that cherry is when you have to have it? yeah, no thanks.

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my point was if Elko doesn't see Wiggins as an upgrade over Klein why hire him to be the OC next year at all. One game of inexperience vs a whole season you either trust him to call the plays or you don't. It's not like he could have done worse than zero tds! (Maybe zero pts) At least Elko could pivot and get an experienced OC in the offseason now we are all in on Wiggins for 26. This would have been a great high pressure interview if we had told Kline to kick rocks and named Wiggins the playcaller for the playoffs. If he was successful he earns the job if not we go with a known commodity like Kelly or Petrino.

We have to be honest with ourselves. The schedule was soft and easy. We played against the bottom teams of the SEC and two teams the vast majority of college football says is overrated.

We are a legit above average team. A solid team. But we aren't elite. Our favorable schedule made Klein and Reed look elite but in reality we are just solid. Not elite.

Miami and tu are like us. Solid but not elite. Both games we should've or could've won. Both games showed and exposed Reed and Klein as being overrated.

I haven't looked at stats, but it looked like the last two games we ran mostly middle rushes and straight 5 step drop backs. It seemed like before the last two games we mixed in more quick passes, screens, edge rushes, and creative plays. If true maybe there are reasons for that the fans don't know, but that aggression and varied play calling seemed to disappear.

Reed is a product also of Klein's coaching (Klein is OC/ QB Coach). Klein trying to turn Reed into a pocket passer past 2 seasons and no development of a running game...Klein needed to leave.

TxAg76 said:

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Divining Rod said:

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Had no OC on duty, but Elko didnt see a problem.

Reed nervous.

O Line can't make a hole for RBs

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When teams force Reed to actually be a QB, we're toast.
All he's gotta do is complete some passes. He whiffed on several easy throws today.
Complete some balls, defense has to respect it, which then opens up the run game.

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Zone on him and force him to make accurate throws which he can't. He missed KC in stride for a TD on the last drive and other wide open receivers. Oline was abused glad zuhn was talking before the game. NFL gonna watch this tape see him abused repeatedly maybe a 5th round pick.
Defense again gives up big runs.
Wait wait oh yes UTSA back had 1000 yards vs us in the first game of the year.

No secret sauce just watching tape and no how to beat us if it was a better team it would've been a beat down like the Texas game. .

Captain Winky said:

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We stopped playing the bottom half of the SEC

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12thManInsideMe said:

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FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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wow, thats a bold statement. and youre wrong for it. Fact is, Klein needed to stay for this game. He knows and understands this team inside and out. He knows what works, what doesnt work, and whats risky. HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT? Because he has 2 years with it. Look just because hes leaving and ultimatley not the guy we needed, doesnt mean he wasnt the right person to call plays this game. Putting some shmuck in there who hasnt called plays all season for this team would have been an absolute disaster... Moreso than what we watched today.

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So it could have been 0 points instead of 3. Good thing we stuck with Colin

Agsone said:

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Defensive-minded HC and our offense underperforms. Gee this sounds familiar, right RC?

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Funny, sad and accurate… why RC got fired… we could not get over hump because good teams needed only ten minutes to game plan their defense.

Waffledynamics said:

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What exactly changed?

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Played better defenses

Waffledynamics said:

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What exactly changed?

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The 2 highest ranked rushing defenses we faced all season were tu and Miami.

Your OL is not good and Reed can't pass. Zuhn should keep his mouth shut.

Also all the Reed for Heisman talk went to people's head it seemed.

Texas and Miami had better defenses that didn't let us run.

Through the first 9 games we had a very balanced attack. Once teams decided to take away the run we got forced to turn air raid with an inaccurate QB. Not a great recipe

Marcel was the perfect QB for us when we had a good running game because the defense had to play so spread out that the throwing windows were wider. He doesn't have the arm to beat you in tight windows (as evidenced in the second half of Texas and final drive against Miami)

rebel1608 said:

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Teams finally figured out Marcel Reed isn't any good and sold out against the run

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This right here.

On the other side of the ball, they figured out we can't stop the run.

Jason Ag said:

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Also all the Reed for Heisman talk went to people's head it seemed.

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Especially Marcel's

OC could never figure out the red zone offense

Reno Hightower said:

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Both Klein and Reed were a problem today. With a dash of crap OL play.

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Thank you. Reed gets too much blame when the Oline was pathetic. Even with Reed having a bad end of the season he looked light years beyond Miami's garbage QB.

W said:

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Reed turned the ball over 8 times vs. Carolina, Miami, and t.u.

including 3 endzone interceptions

that's really bad

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This right here! Not Klein, not Elko, not promoting from within.

That is the only reason.

So if I'm Elko and Klein, I know damn well that they are going to shut down the run and make Reed throw. That's a given.

And yet they just trotted out there and ran plays as if that wasn't going to happen?

Did they not work practices to realize this was going to happen? Is the offense way too complicated to scheme its way out of a given outcome?

But then again you have to work with what you have. RBs and QB that isn't elite….

Neither the QB nor the receivers or RBs can operate if the line can't hold their own. Recruit and spend money on rhe best line of scrimmage kids...period.
Or figure out what Indiana has done in just a couple of years.

Using someone else's coach as an OC.

All situations and contingencies considered, there is no excuse for not scoring more than 10 points. One TD and 2 Field Goals in four quarters !

oysterbayAG said:

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All situations and contingencies considered, there is no excuse for not scoring more than 10 points. One TD and 2 Field Goals in four quarters !

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And yet there are people here who will adamantly defend Klein. Still.

W said:

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Reed turned the ball over 8 times vs. Carolina, Miami, and t.u.

including 3 endzone interceptions

that's really bad

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This is the answer. When your QB accounts for almost three turnovers a game it is almost impossible to win against decent teams.

I'm glad Klein is gone and I hope he takes Reed with him. We need a new QB.

FTAG 2000 said:

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Because the guy designing the offensive strategy and calling the plays had checked out for his new job.

But this was also really stupid of Elko to let him stay around for this

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THIS!!!! The job just ain't about game day play calls. It's about D tendencies, weaknesses and how to exploit them and scripting plays for situations.

He stopped doing the legwork and it showed!!

No running game! When Moss went down it became obvious that Reed was the weakness in the offense. The other teams knew that their best chance was to force him to throw by going all in to shut down the run. It will be the same next year if he is the starter. He is not an elite QB. Great kid but need an upgrade if the team wants to compete with top tier teams.

All of you experts bashing Reed aren' looking at the offense. OL is bad. They cannot generate push for the run game. Running backs are average. With no run game, everything is on the shoulders of an average QB who thinks he is on par with Lamar Jackson. Just watch his interviews.

Hank the Grifter said:

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But so many on this board want to absolve Klein of blame.

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Strange. Every post I have read is bashing him.

SteveA said:

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Running backs are average.

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The running back room is a bunch of speedsters - sans Moss - that were utilized as a power running backs.

WRs were used as speed backs all season.

This coupled with an average (at best) OL spelled an under utilized run game.

If anyone saw differently I'd like to hear your opinion.