Coach Tom Allen & CO: DO NOT GIVE UP ON THE OPTION..!!! Tho Execution Lacking (first game), It Is the WAY to GO !!

[codylance]

It was IU's best chance, and if done with more confidence - better decision-making, etc. - it could have been effective...

Was surprised that Sorsby started, and even tho he did well initially, the offense was run better by Tayven Jackson when he came in. (Question: was he injured during the game? Didn't see much of Jackson after a certain point.)

Obviously there were too many hand-offs up the middle (the first "option" of the triple), which I understand are necessary "to establish" things (if you can) but Sorsby in particular seemed to make up his mind in advance too many times to hand off initially...🤷‍♂️. (Also, at least twice - once with a blocker AND a runner ready to take the ball around the end - the ball was pulled from the belly & kept by the QB in bad decision- making [ yeah - easy for me to say at home watching on TV, I know...😜], which WOULD have resulted in big gains and first downs....)

However, the announcers quoted Coach Allen as saying it would be "a learning experience" for the QBs and obviously it was... !!

But I hope - rather than giving up on the option-emphasis - that Allen & Co DOUBLE DOWN on it..!!! You should see MUCH BETTER results vs Indiana St & other opponents going forward..!!

And when Dexter comes back, he will make the situation even better, as he seems to have better instincts/knack for the option game, as he showed (tho only briefly) versus Purdue last year before the injury...

The fact that they seemed to pass well off it is a very good thing also, tho Sorsby in particular (first-game jitters ?) seemed to miss/overthrow targets, which I think more playing time will eradicate...

Tom Allen & Crew: PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO THIS LAST SATURDAY..!!!! It is the RIGHT idea and will work going forward for you..!!!

GO IU !!!

 

[Courtsensetwo]

It was IU's best chance, and if done with more confidence - better decision-making, etc. - it could have been effective...

Was surprised that Sorsby started, and even tho he did well initially, the offense was run better by Tayven Jackson when he came in. (Question: was he injured during the game? Didn't see much of Jackson after a certain point.)

Obviously there were too many hand-offs up the middle (the first "option" of the triple), which I understand are necessary "to establish" things (if you can) but Sorsby in particular seemed to make up his mind in advance too many times to hand off initially...🤷‍♂️. (Also, at least twice - once with a blocker AND a runner ready to take the ball around the end - the ball was pulled from the belly & kept by the QB in bad decision- making [ yeah - easy for me to say at home watching on TV, I know...😜], which WOULD have resulted in big gains and first downs....)

However, the announcers quoted Coach Allen as saying it would be "a learning experience" for the QBs and obviously it was... !!

But I hope - rather than giving up on the option-emphasis - that Allen & Co DOUBLE DOWN on it..!!! You should see MUCH BETTER results vs Indiana St & other opponents going forward..!!

And when Dexter comes back, he will make the situation even better, as he seems to have better instincts/knack for the option game, as he showed (tho only briefly) versus Purdue last year before the injury...

The fact that they seemed to pass well off it is a very good thing also, tho Sorsby in particular (first-game jitters ?) seemed to miss/overthrow targets, which I think more playing time will eradicate...

Tom Allen & Crew: PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO THIS LAST SATURDAY..!!!! It is the RIGHT idea and will work going forward for you..!!!

GO IU !!!

No problem, but the only way an option is viable is if one of the options is the pass and that ain't there quite yet.

 

[Bowlmania]

It was IU's best chance, and if done with more confidence - better decision-making, etc. - it could have been effective...

Was surprised that Sorsby started, and even tho he did well initially, the offense was run better by Tayven Jackson when he came in. (Question: was he injured during the game? Didn't see much of Jackson after a certain point.)

Obviously there were too many hand-offs up the middle (the first "option" of the triple), which I understand are necessary "to establish" things (if you can) but Sorsby in particular seemed to make up his mind in advance too many times to hand off initially...🤷‍♂️. (Also, at least twice - once with a blocker AND a runner ready to take the ball around the end - the ball was pulled from the belly & kept by the QB in bad decision- making [ yeah - easy for me to say at home watching on TV, I know...😜], which WOULD have resulted in big gains and first downs....)

However, the announcers quoted Coach Allen as saying it would be "a learning experience" for the QBs and obviously it was... !!

But I hope - rather than giving up on the option-emphasis - that Allen & Co DOUBLE DOWN on it..!!! You should see MUCH BETTER results vs Indiana St & other opponents going forward..!!

And when Dexter comes back, he will make the situation even better, as he seems to have better instincts/knack for the option game, as he showed (tho only briefly) versus Purdue last year before the injury...

The fact that they seemed to pass well off it is a very good thing also, tho Sorsby in particular (first-game jitters ?) seemed to miss/overthrow targets, which I think more playing time will eradicate...

Tom Allen & Crew: PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO THIS LAST SATURDAY..!!!! It is the RIGHT idea and will work going forward for you..!!!

GO IU !!!

Don't worry. They won't give up on it. They just have to execute better, and they will. There are a lot of new faces and this was the first game. And we're not playing Ohio State every week.

 

[TMFT]

It was IU's best chance, and if done with more confidence - better decision-making, etc. - it could have been effective...

Was surprised that Sorsby started, and even tho he did well initially, the offense was run better by Tayven Jackson when he came in. (Question: was he injured during the game? Didn't see much of Jackson after a certain point.)

Obviously there were too many hand-offs up the middle (the first "option" of the triple), which I understand are necessary "to establish" things (if you can) but Sorsby in particular seemed to make up his mind in advance too many times to hand off initially...🤷‍♂️. (Also, at least twice - once with a blocker AND a runner ready to take the ball around the end - the ball was pulled from the belly & kept by the QB in bad decision- making [ yeah - easy for me to say at home watching on TV, I know...😜], which WOULD have resulted in big gains and first downs....)

However, the announcers quoted Coach Allen as saying it would be "a learning experience" for the QBs and obviously it was... !!

But I hope - rather than giving up on the option-emphasis - that Allen & Co DOUBLE DOWN on it..!!! You should see MUCH BETTER results vs Indiana St & other opponents going forward..!!

And when Dexter comes back, he will make the situation even better, as he seems to have better instincts/knack for the option game, as he showed (tho only briefly) versus Purdue last year before the injury...

The fact that they seemed to pass well off it is a very good thing also, tho Sorsby in particular (first-game jitters ?) seemed to miss/overthrow targets, which I think more playing time will eradicate...

Tom Allen & Crew: PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO THIS LAST SATURDAY..!!!! It is the RIGHT idea and will work going forward for you..!!!

GO IU !!!

I agree with the thesis, not the supporting arguments though.

I thought Sorsby ran the option with more confidence. And he was 50% passing. Tayven was 1/6.

 

[nichlee]

I really hope that the triple option is not the foundation of the IU offense. It's not necessarily gimmicky but I don't think we have the personnel to run it against the stout defenses we'll be facing in the B1G. RPO is something that should definitely be included regularly but IU QBs will definitely need to be able to make passes. Going all in on option will have IU fans banging their head against the wall halfway through the season I bet.

 

[jlasson]

I agree that especially knowing Dex, probably the best athlete of all of the QBs will be coming back halfway through the year, the option should certainly be mixed in a healthy amount. But I don't think it should be our primary means of moving the FB downfield on offense the entire season.

Imo next week they need to air it out more. These QBs both have arm talent but they need game reps, neither of them played in an air raid system in HS and obviously they both have very limited experience at the college level. ISU is going to be the weakest defense Indiana faces all year and with inexperience at the QB position, IU can't let this game go to waste, I want both QBs to get at least 15-20 drop backs before the game ends. It looked like the speed of the game overwhelmed both of them last week and I think with every rep they take against ISU, they will each settle in a little more and we will know what we have from them as passers.

The other reason I think they need to lean into the passing game more is because Imo IU has better wide receivers than they've had in years. It would be a waste of their talent if we only threw the ball 15-20 times a game. Obviously passing the ball this past week was ugly, but isn't that kind of what we were expecting. It was game one for both of them against arguably the best defense Indiana is going to face all year. It's going to take a few more weeks before whoever they go with truly settles in. I feel like unless things just go horribly against UL and Akron (mediocre defenses) the starter (to be chosen after the ISU game) is going to feel significantly more comfortable as a thrower when the Hoosiers head to Maryland in week four, after they've had a couple starts under their belt, we just need to be patient.

 

[IUNY]

It was IU's best chance, and if done with more confidence - better decision-making, etc. - it could have been effective...

Was surprised that Sorsby started, and even tho he did well initially, the offense was run better by Tayven Jackson when he came in. (Question: was he injured during the game? Didn't see much of Jackson after a certain point.)

Obviously there were too many hand-offs up the middle (the first "option" of the triple), which I understand are necessary "to establish" things (if you can) but Sorsby in particular seemed to make up his mind in advance too many times to hand off initially...🤷‍♂️. (Also, at least twice - once with a blocker AND a runner ready to take the ball around the end - the ball was pulled from the belly & kept by the QB in bad decision- making [ yeah - easy for me to say at home watching on TV, I know...😜], which WOULD have resulted in big gains and first downs....)

However, the announcers quoted Coach Allen as saying it would be "a learning experience" for the QBs and obviously it was... !!

But I hope - rather than giving up on the option-emphasis - that Allen & Co DOUBLE DOWN on it..!!! You should see MUCH BETTER results vs Indiana St & other opponents going forward..!!

And when Dexter comes back, he will make the situation even better, as he seems to have better instincts/knack for the option game, as he showed (tho only briefly) versus Purdue last year before the injury...

The fact that they seemed to pass well off it is a very good thing also, tho Sorsby in particular (first-game jitters ?) seemed to miss/overthrow targets, which I think more playing time will eradicate...

Tom Allen & Crew: PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO THIS LAST SATURDAY..!!!! It is the RIGHT idea and will work going forward for you..!!!

GO IU !!!

The strength of this offense is in the receivers, so the option doesn't align with that. Also, you don't run your MVP kick returner who weighs 175(?) into the middle of the Ohio State defense. Sure, try an occasional option, but not on every down. What will we run in the next game? The wishbone?

 

[Euro]

The strength of this offense is in the receivers, so the option doesn't align with that. Also, you don't run your MVP kick returner who weighs 175(?) into the middle of the Ohio State defense. Sure, try an occasional option, but not on every down. What will we run in the next game? The wishbone?

Doesn't make any difference what we run vs the 1AA Trees, they are dreadful

 

[Jackskip23]

It was IU's best chance, and if done with more confidence - better decision-making, etc. - it could have been effective...

Was surprised that Sorsby started, and even tho he did well initially, the offense was run better by Tayven Jackson when he came in. (Question: was he injured during the game? Didn't see much of Jackson after a certain point.)

Obviously there were too many hand-offs up the middle (the first "option" of the triple), which I understand are necessary "to establish" things (if you can) but Sorsby in particular seemed to make up his mind in advance too many times to hand off initially...🤷‍♂️. (For instance at least twice - once with a blocker AND a runner ready to take the ball around the end - the ball was pulled from the belly & kept by the QB in bad decision- making [ yeah - easy for me to say at home watching on TV, I know...😜], which WOULD have resulted in big gains and first downs....)

However, the announcers quoted Coach Allen as saying it would be "a learning experience" for the QBs and obviously it was... !!

But I hope - rather than giving up on the option-emphasis - that Allen & Co DOUBLE DOWN on it..!!! You should see MUCH BETTER results vs Indiana St & other opponents going forward..!!

And when Dexter comes back, he will make the situation even better, as he seems to have better instincts/knack for the option game, as he showed (tho only briefly) versus Purdue last year before the injury...

The fact that they seemed to pass well off it is a very good thing also, tho Sorsby in particular (first-game jitters ?) seemed to miss/overthrow targets, which I think more playing time will eradicate...

Tom Allen & Crew: PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO THIS LAST SATURDAY..!!!! It is the RIGHT idea and will work going forward for you..!!!

GO IU !!!

I agree that especially knowing Dex, probably the best athlete of all of the QBs will be coming back halfway through the year, the option should certainly be mixed in a healthy amount. But I don't think it should be our primary means of moving the FB downfield on offense the entire season.

Imo next week they need to air it out more. These QBs both have arm talent but they need game reps, neither of them played in an air raid system in HS and obviously they both have very limited experience at the college level. ISU is going to be the weakest defense Indiana faces all year and with inexperience at the QB position, IU can't let this game go to waste, I want both QBs to get at least 15-20 drop backs before the game ends. It looked like the speed of the game overwhelmed both of them last week and I think with every rep they take against ISU, they will each settle in a little more and we will know what we have from them as passers.

The other reason I think they need to lean into the passing game more is because Imo IU has better wide receivers than they've had in years. It would be a waste of their talent if we only threw the ball 15-20 times a game. Obviously passing the ball this past week was ugly, but isn't that kind of what we were expecting. It was game one for both of them against arguably the best defense Indiana is going to face all year. It's going to take a few more weeks before whoever they go with truly settles in. I feel like unless things just go horribly against UL and Akron (mediocre defenses) the starter (to be chosen after the ISU game) is going to feel significantly more comfortable as a thrower when the Hoosiers head to Maryland in week four, after they've had a couple starts under their belt, we just need to be patient.

We need to be patient with the offense. We’re limited up front, limited under center, and only have a couple of kids in the running and receiving groups who are Bi 10 level. We’re going to be challenged for awhile. We’re running what we can execute right now. Trying to do more in the passing game against B10 level competition wouldn’t work well right now.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

How Coby continues to get playing time is baffling. He dropped another pass off his fingertips on a crossing route. Fumbled the ballgame against Maryland last season. I don’t get the fascination with him getting 1st string reps?

 

[jlasson]

We need to be patient with the offense. We’re limited up front, limited under center, and only have a couple of kids in the running and receiving groups who are Bi 10 level. We’re going to be challenged for awhile. We’re running what we can execute right now. Trying to do more in the passing game against B10 level competition wouldn’t work well right now.

We're definitely limited under center rn but in experience, not talent. Whoever wins the job should make noticeable strides over the next month as they get more reps. The O-line showed significant improvement against arguably the top defensive unit in the B1G, I have no doubts they'll do just fine against the opponents we have coming up. They absolutely have plenty of talent in the running back and receiver rooms, I'm not even going to argue with you there because Imo it's such utter nonsense to use lack of talent from our receivers as an excuse for why we shouldn't throw the ball.

To rebut your last point, Indiana doesn't play another Big Ten opponent for until the end of September and doesn't play a team with a competent defense until they go up to Ann Arbor in mid October. You say we need to be patient yet you seem to have written off literally the entire offense as not talented enough to run anything but the triple option and that's simply not true.

 

[Jackskip23]

We're definitely limited under center rn but in experience, not talent. Whoever wins the job should make noticeable strides over the next month as they get more reps. The O-line showed significant improvement against arguably the top defensive unit in the B1G, I have no doubts they'll do just fine against the opponents we have coming up. They absolutely have plenty of talent in the running back and receiver rooms, I'm not even going to argue with you there because Imo it's such utter nonsense to use lack of talent from our receivers as an excuse for why we shouldn't throw the ball.

To rebut your last point, Indiana doesn't play another Big Ten opponent for until the end of September and doesn't play a team with a competent defense until they go up to Ann Arbor in mid October. You say we need to be patient yet you seem to have written off literally the entire offense as not talented enough to run anything but the triple option and that's simply not true.

As I said, we do not have nearly the talent at most offensive positions that we need right now, and that was evident Saturday. Up front, we’re extremely thin, as an example, and under center is going to be challenging all season. We’ll see how things progress, but patience will definitely be necessary.

 

[82hoosier]

The strength of this offense is in the receivers, so the option doesn't align with that. Also, you don't run your MVP kick returner who weighs 175(?) into the middle of the Ohio State defense. Sure, try an occasional option, but not on every down. What will we run in the next game? The wishbone?

I think our MVP kick returner probably weighs closer to 150 lbs. There are a lot of defensive backs that weigh 175 to 180 lb and they tower over him. Which makes the decisions to run him up the middle or to even play him when a game is out of reach incredibly stupid.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

I think our MVP kick returner probably weighs closer to 150 lbs. There are a lot of defensive backs that weigh 175 to 180 lb and they tower over him. Which makes the decisions to run him up the middle or to even play him when a game is out of reach incredibly stupid.

We and others around us had the same concerns. I do suspect that after his ding up that they put him back in to regain confidence and not carry doubt off the field. If so, that is IMO a smart tactic.

But otherwise, yeah he can't be the dude up the middle getting pancaked bu a DL.

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

The strength of this offense is in the receivers, so the option doesn't align with that. Also, you don't run your MVP kick returner who weighs 175(?) into the middle of the Ohio State defense. Sure, try an occasional option, but not on every down. What will we run in the next game? The wishbone?

I hope you are right that the strength of the offense is the receivers . However they were not able to get seperation form osu secondary. That resulted in the qbs having to throw into very tight windows which I thought Sorsby made some very good throws.

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

I was unable to watch the game. I was very concerned when seeing the numbers from the game. I did not expect o put up huge numbers with 2 qbs with no experience playing. However in watching the game replay. I really thought there were some good things shown. First and most importantly the offensive line is very much improved not perfect. They seemed to have learned there assignments. They were much more physical than last year. They played to the whistle. I think there are some really good concepts. I like the midline zone and midline option. I like that they have added the same side zone. The 2 back concept gives a degree of misdirection, I like the inside zone with 2 backs. We threw some RPO action. My concern is that we could not create separation by our wide outs which made the qb throw into some really small windows and I think Sorsby did manage a few really good throws. I am hoping that the adage that the biggest improvements happen between games 1

 

[jlasson]

As I said, we do not have nearly the talent at most offensive positions that we need right now, and that was evident Saturday. Up front, we’re extremely thin, as an example, and under center is going to be challenging all season. We’ll see how things progress, but patience will definitely be necessary.

I agree patience is essential when you have a 1st year starting QB, especially a RS freshman. I said as much at the end of my first post. I think we're pretty far apart on our perspective of how talented the offense is but there's really no point in arguing over it, at the end of the day we both want the Hoosiers to succeed.

 

[Hatchets7times]

Can't pass..
Can't win !..Period !
Sit Davis ..Move forward..

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

Can't pass..
Can't win !..Period !
Sit Davis ..Move forward..

Our QBs would have likely had a successful day if they were playing with OSU personnel. Swap out both QBs to either side and my bet is that those two kids from OSU would have struggled more than they already did and they are both 5-star guys.

 

[vesuvius13]

Our QBs would have likely had a successful day if they were playing with OSU personnel. Swap out both QBs to either side and my bet is that those two kids from OSU would have struggled more than they already did and they are both 5-star guys.

I think both teams had very good defenses that made the offense look less than robust.

 

[vesuvius13]

How Coby continues to get playing time is baffling. He dropped another pass off his fingertips on a crossing route. Fumbled the ballgame against Maryland last season. I don’t get the fascination with him getting 1st string reps?

They are fascinated with his speed but he needs more work on his hands.

 

[daddyhoosier]

I really hope that the triple option is not the foundation of the IU offense. It's not necessarily gimmicky but I don't think we have the personnel to run it against the stout defenses we'll be facing in the B1G. RPO is something that should definitely be included regularly but IU QBs will definitely need to be able to make passes. Going all in on option will have IU fans banging their head against the wall halfway through the season I bet.

Reserving comment until after the game but I will say I'm not a big fan of the triple option. At all.