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Skill Player Snap Counts and Game-by-Game Percentages of Offensive Snaps (2019 Regular Season)
Tight End Total Snap Counts and Alignment Data (2019 Regular Season)
Deep Dig OL Grading Scale (each snap by each player is graded as its own independent event)
OL Grades (ISU)
LT Samuel Cosmi - 66 snaps
2 QB hits allowed
1 holding penalty
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76.97
LG Parker Braun - 66 snaps
1 pressure allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 75.61
C Zach Shackelford - 66 snaps
1 pressure allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76.06
RG Derek Kerstetter - 66 snaps
2 pressures, 1 TFL allowed
1 false start penalty
3 knockdowns
DEEP DIG GRADE: 75.9
RT Denzel Okafor - 66 snaps
1 TFL, 1 run-stuff, 1 QB hit allowed
3 knockdowns, 1 pin
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76.82
OL Grades by Week (2019)
OL Snaps per Disruption Allowed (2019)
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Quick Hits and Thoughts
- Overall, the worst game of the season for the offensive line which should come as no surprise to anyone who watched.
We know that Zach Shackelford told the media this week that both he and RG Derek Kerstetter graded out as "champions" in this game, and if that is the case, perhaps Herb Hand grades performances on a different scale than we do -- which is not only likely, but to be expected. Based on our own snap-by-snap considerations of each player on the unit in the loss to Iowa State, we find it impossible to hand that lofty a term to anyone within the group.
In a game where Tom Herman himself admitted that that the offensive line was both technically and fundamentally out-of-sync, the eyeball test was more than enough to tell you that something in the ISU puny three-man front, bend-but-don't-break defensive scheme somehow gave them trouble. The most perplexing thing to consider is that this is what technically isn't supposed to give you trouble against this type of enemy strategy. A defense that begs the opposition to take the numbers advantage in the box and grind out low-expectation, low-EV downs. We can talk and talk about what happened and why the running game was so bad in this sort of arrangement, but the easy answer is that Texas' OL is still in a late-season swoon following an unbelievable start and were simply not able to generate any movement or push in the trenches consistently for sustained periods.
Texas ran inside-zone concepts on 50% of its designed run plays which seems like a slightly more sparse frequency than we have seen through the season thus far. Interestingly, on those snaps, the OL collectively did not allow one act of disruption. The offense ran man/power and/or counter-type plays on 30% of snaps and allowed disruption on a 20% clip within that sample. It ran outside-zone of 15% of run plays drawn up and allowed TFLs on a whopping TWO-THIRDS of those. The remaining 5% of snaps were comprised of what appeared to be designed QB draws.
Less outside-zone, more inside-zone, more threat of Sam running the football with a read option should be a good recipe to keep the offense on track moving forward and give the offensive line the best chance to succeed. These are big, strong offensive linemen that Texas has that can win in the smaller spaces with power to move players more with the flow of the play on a 45-degree angle upfield much more effectively than in a situation where they must open their play-side hip on a flat-angle to the sideline -- especially with the current iteration of the line's right side featuring Denzel Okafor and Derek Kerstetter who's feet are the most clunky, and who were the worst within this particular concept.
We must admit, though, that even this down performance out of the Texas offensive line resulted in grades that were, technically, above baseline expectations for the whole group. They all scored above a 75. Let's not forget that we've had games where NOT A SINGLE PLAYER graded out above a 75 through the history of the Deep Dig. Those Marcus Hutchins, Sedrick Flowers, Young Shack/Doyle, Kent Perkins, Kennedy Estelle, etc.-types of OL would have rendered the Texas offense absolutely and totally useless in this contest had they been magically transported onto the field last week in place of the current gorup. Just a little perspective to say that not all is lost and we hope as you do that this swoon will correct itself quickly. We are still operating from a much higher baseline than recent history and the offensive staff needs to find ways to win with that because Mack Brown had better success in the win column as a lame duck HC who'd all but retired early with worse players in the trenches.
- We can't help but think that the Cosmi-going-pro talk may subside a little bit coming here into the end of November. While he has shown a ceiling this year that we could envision NFL scouts coupling with his physical attributes enough to peg a late-3rd-roundish grade on him, he simply hasn't put quite enough on film to make this any kind of easy decision. We stand by our stance that one more year could go a long way in NFL evaluations of Cosmi. Who knows, if the season goes completely sideways to end 2019 and enough agents get in his ear that NFL-types are projecting him much earlier than we are, anything could happen.
- Always interesting to see a guy like Marcus Washington starting at the X in such a big and important game. Sure, Collin Johnson was out and he only played 6 snaps, but the Texas staff really seems to not want Brennan Eagles out on the field for the first snaps of these games for some reason. Eagles can play either the X or the Z and seems like an easy piece to slide into the starting lineup at either spot when this sort of injury situation occurs. It will be interesting to see if Eagles moves back to the primary X role once Johnson finally moves on this year.
- It breaks our heart that the first game at Texas under Tom Herman in which a TE NEVER LINED UP SPLIT OUT AT WR had to result in a disappointing loss. Bittersweet, man. As Big Head Todd might say, though, definitely more bitter than sweet.
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
Click Images to Enlarge
Skill Player Snap Counts and Game-by-Game Percentages of Offensive Snaps (2019 Regular Season)
Tight End Total Snap Counts and Alignment Data (2019 Regular Season)
Deep Dig OL Grading Scale (each snap by each player is graded as its own independent event)
OL Grades (ISU)
LT Samuel Cosmi - 66 snaps
2 QB hits allowed
1 holding penalty
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76.97
LG Parker Braun - 66 snaps
1 pressure allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 75.61
C Zach Shackelford - 66 snaps
1 pressure allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76.06
RG Derek Kerstetter - 66 snaps
2 pressures, 1 TFL allowed
1 false start penalty
3 knockdowns
DEEP DIG GRADE: 75.9
RT Denzel Okafor - 66 snaps
1 TFL, 1 run-stuff, 1 QB hit allowed
3 knockdowns, 1 pin
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76.82
OL Grades by Week (2019)
OL Snaps per Disruption Allowed (2019)
-------------
Quick Hits and Thoughts
- Overall, the worst game of the season for the offensive line which should come as no surprise to anyone who watched.
We know that Zach Shackelford told the media this week that both he and RG Derek Kerstetter graded out as "champions" in this game, and if that is the case, perhaps Herb Hand grades performances on a different scale than we do -- which is not only likely, but to be expected. Based on our own snap-by-snap considerations of each player on the unit in the loss to Iowa State, we find it impossible to hand that lofty a term to anyone within the group.
In a game where Tom Herman himself admitted that that the offensive line was both technically and fundamentally out-of-sync, the eyeball test was more than enough to tell you that something in the ISU puny three-man front, bend-but-don't-break defensive scheme somehow gave them trouble. The most perplexing thing to consider is that this is what technically isn't supposed to give you trouble against this type of enemy strategy. A defense that begs the opposition to take the numbers advantage in the box and grind out low-expectation, low-EV downs. We can talk and talk about what happened and why the running game was so bad in this sort of arrangement, but the easy answer is that Texas' OL is still in a late-season swoon following an unbelievable start and were simply not able to generate any movement or push in the trenches consistently for sustained periods.
Texas ran inside-zone concepts on 50% of its designed run plays which seems like a slightly more sparse frequency than we have seen through the season thus far. Interestingly, on those snaps, the OL collectively did not allow one act of disruption. The offense ran man/power and/or counter-type plays on 30% of snaps and allowed disruption on a 20% clip within that sample. It ran outside-zone of 15% of run plays drawn up and allowed TFLs on a whopping TWO-THIRDS of those. The remaining 5% of snaps were comprised of what appeared to be designed QB draws.
Less outside-zone, more inside-zone, more threat of Sam running the football with a read option should be a good recipe to keep the offense on track moving forward and give the offensive line the best chance to succeed. These are big, strong offensive linemen that Texas has that can win in the smaller spaces with power to move players more with the flow of the play on a 45-degree angle upfield much more effectively than in a situation where they must open their play-side hip on a flat-angle to the sideline -- especially with the current iteration of the line's right side featuring Denzel Okafor and Derek Kerstetter who's feet are the most clunky, and who were the worst within this particular concept.
We must admit, though, that even this down performance out of the Texas offensive line resulted in grades that were, technically, above baseline expectations for the whole group. They all scored above a 75. Let's not forget that we've had games where NOT A SINGLE PLAYER graded out above a 75 through the history of the Deep Dig. Those Marcus Hutchins, Sedrick Flowers, Young Shack/Doyle, Kent Perkins, Kennedy Estelle, etc.-types of OL would have rendered the Texas offense absolutely and totally useless in this contest had they been magically transported onto the field last week in place of the current gorup. Just a little perspective to say that not all is lost and we hope as you do that this swoon will correct itself quickly. We are still operating from a much higher baseline than recent history and the offensive staff needs to find ways to win with that because Mack Brown had better success in the win column as a lame duck HC who'd all but retired early with worse players in the trenches.
- We can't help but think that the Cosmi-going-pro talk may subside a little bit coming here into the end of November. While he has shown a ceiling this year that we could envision NFL scouts coupling with his physical attributes enough to peg a late-3rd-roundish grade on him, he simply hasn't put quite enough on film to make this any kind of easy decision. We stand by our stance that one more year could go a long way in NFL evaluations of Cosmi. Who knows, if the season goes completely sideways to end 2019 and enough agents get in his ear that NFL-types are projecting him much earlier than we are, anything could happen.
- Always interesting to see a guy like Marcus Washington starting at the X in such a big and important game. Sure, Collin Johnson was out and he only played 6 snaps, but the Texas staff really seems to not want Brennan Eagles out on the field for the first snaps of these games for some reason. Eagles can play either the X or the Z and seems like an easy piece to slide into the starting lineup at either spot when this sort of injury situation occurs. It will be interesting to see if Eagles moves back to the primary X role once Johnson finally moves on this year.
- It breaks our heart that the first game at Texas under Tom Herman in which a TE NEVER LINED UP SPLIT OUT AT WR had to result in a disappointing loss. Bittersweet, man. As Big Head Todd might say, though, definitely more bitter than sweet.
