Daily Short #54, September 6th, 2017: DEEP DIG - Offensive Skill-Player Breakdown
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X WR
Collin Johnson - 56 snaps
Targeted 10 times with depths of target at 40, 3, 12, 23, 0, 5, 27, 4, 6 and 3 yards (12.3 yards average depth) for seven receptions netting 136 yards and a touchdown with one drop. Of his 136 yards, 61 came after-catch. (44.8%)
Dorian Leonard - 21 snaps
Targeted four times with depths of target at 4, 5, 6 and 5 yards (5 yards average depth) for three receptions netting 38 yards with no drops. Of his 38 yards, 21 came after-catch. (55.2%)
Lorenzo Joe - 8 snaps
Targeted once with depth of target at 32 yards (32 yards average depth) for no receptions.
Z WR
Devin Duvernay - 33 snaps
Targeted three times with depths of target at 46, 13 and 14 yards (24 yards average depth) for one reception netting 15 yards with one drop. Of his 15 yards, one came after-catch. (6.6%)
Jerrod Heard - 27 snaps
Targeted once with depth of target at 11 yards (11 yards average depth) for one reception netting 12 yards with no drops. Of his 12 yards, one came after-catch. (8.3%)
John Burt - 26 snaps
Targeted twice with depths of target at 26 and 4 yards (15 yards average depth) for one reception netting 6 yards with no drops. Of his 6 yards, two came after-catch. (33%)
Slot WR
Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 33 snaps
Targeted eight times with depths of target at 0, 21, -4, -2, 16, 1, 16 and -4 yards (5.5 yards average depth) for seven receptions netting 69 yards with no drops. Of his 69 yards, 43 came after-catch. (62.3%)
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - 32 snaps
Targeted six times with depths of target at 3, -3, 44, -2, 5 an 13 yards (10 yards average depth) for three receptions netting 16 yards with one drop. Of his 16 yards, 14 came after-catch. (87.5%)
Armanti Foreman - 25 snaps
Targeted five times with depths of target at 6, -3, 21 15 and -4 yards (7 yards average depth ) for five receptions netting 57 yards and a touchdown with no drops. Of his 57 yards, 22 came after-catch. (38.5%)
Tight End
Garret Gray - 64 snaps
24 snaps in inline; 27 snaps split out wide; 13 snaps at H-back.
Targeted five times with depths of target at 7, 24, -1, 5, 5 and 5 yards (7.5 yards average depth) for four receptions netting 18 yards with no drops. Of his 18 yards, two came after-catch. (11.1%)
Cade Brewer - 4 snaps
4 snaps inline.
Running Back
Kyle Porter - 45 snaps
Rushed 8 times for 23 yards (2.6 yards per carry) with 13 of those yards coming after contact.
Chris Warren - 39 snaps
Rushed 6 times for 31 yards (5.2 yards per carry) with 16 of those yards coming after contact.
Quarterback
Shane Buechele - 84 snaps
(Jerrod Heard and Lil'Jordan Humphrey each pitched in one snap each -- very successfully while most every other aspect of the run-game floundered -- as wildcat QBs)
The main takeaways from the skill players on offense are as follows:
The massive usage of TE Garrett Gray has been much discussed on Orangebloods, which is understandable since this aspect of Texas' game-plan was as inexplicable as it was cockamamie upon review. Gray is not a good athlete and doesn't truly excel in any aspect of his game. He was responsible for at least two sacks in pass protection and can be virtually ignored by defensive coordinators when split out wide as he brings zero to the table with the ball in his hands.
To understand that Gray spent the majority of his snaps versus Maryland as a wide receiver is to pound your head against the wall as a Texas fan. With the number of substitutions that occur in-series with this staff (there are so many more than in previous years, take it from me who has to take account of when players enter and leave the game), there is ZERO reason to have Gray on the field when the team has four and five players split out. The staff cannot say that the taking Gray off the field tips their hand that they will be passing, because splitting him out wide effectively does the same.
On that same note (because it's an important one that fans should understand in coming to grips with the embarrassment provided by Tom Herman in his inaugural matchup at Texas) is that the Texas offense was most effective in two forms that the staff, for some reason, wouldn't commit to. One was actually having four wide receivers on the field as opposed to three wide receivers and one slug TE split out wide.
In the two series in which this actually occurred with a semi-reasonable frequency (twice of seven snaps in Texas' seventh offensive drive and in every snap of its final offensive drive) Texas ended those drives in touchdowns. That's a lot considering Texas only scored three offensive touchdowns. Those were the only nine snaps of the game in which the staff utilized its best personnel.
The other area in which Tim Beck's squirt-gun offense saw some flashes of success was in the wildcat formation where both Jerrod Heard and Lil-Jordan Humphrey converted key third downs as runners out of shotgun. While the wildcat formation is not -- and never has been -- a sustainable "crutch" to mask an ineffective running game over the long haul, gimmicky stuff like this has gotten teams out of short-term pickles. An every-game wildcat-based running attack would be a complete disaster but committing to sprinkling it in more often as it was one thing that could be recognized as getting the Maryland defense on its heels seems like it should have been a no-brainer in the moment.
The area where the players failed was in execution and efficiency in the red-zone passing game. Texas receivers dropped five balls total in this game and two of those drops came in the red zone. In all, Shane Buechele had a 65.4% completion percentage in this game, but only a 37.5% completion percentage in the red zone. To me, that shows a group of players who lack a collective killer instinct and/or crunch-time baller gene.
Now, regarding the offensive line ....
(to be continued)
presented by the Dental Offices of Wendy Swantkowski, DDS
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
X WR
Collin Johnson - 56 snaps
Targeted 10 times with depths of target at 40, 3, 12, 23, 0, 5, 27, 4, 6 and 3 yards (12.3 yards average depth) for seven receptions netting 136 yards and a touchdown with one drop. Of his 136 yards, 61 came after-catch. (44.8%)
Dorian Leonard - 21 snaps
Targeted four times with depths of target at 4, 5, 6 and 5 yards (5 yards average depth) for three receptions netting 38 yards with no drops. Of his 38 yards, 21 came after-catch. (55.2%)
Lorenzo Joe - 8 snaps
Targeted once with depth of target at 32 yards (32 yards average depth) for no receptions.
Z WR
Devin Duvernay - 33 snaps
Targeted three times with depths of target at 46, 13 and 14 yards (24 yards average depth) for one reception netting 15 yards with one drop. Of his 15 yards, one came after-catch. (6.6%)
Jerrod Heard - 27 snaps
Targeted once with depth of target at 11 yards (11 yards average depth) for one reception netting 12 yards with no drops. Of his 12 yards, one came after-catch. (8.3%)
John Burt - 26 snaps
Targeted twice with depths of target at 26 and 4 yards (15 yards average depth) for one reception netting 6 yards with no drops. Of his 6 yards, two came after-catch. (33%)
Slot WR
Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 33 snaps
Targeted eight times with depths of target at 0, 21, -4, -2, 16, 1, 16 and -4 yards (5.5 yards average depth) for seven receptions netting 69 yards with no drops. Of his 69 yards, 43 came after-catch. (62.3%)
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - 32 snaps
Targeted six times with depths of target at 3, -3, 44, -2, 5 an 13 yards (10 yards average depth) for three receptions netting 16 yards with one drop. Of his 16 yards, 14 came after-catch. (87.5%)
Armanti Foreman - 25 snaps
Targeted five times with depths of target at 6, -3, 21 15 and -4 yards (7 yards average depth ) for five receptions netting 57 yards and a touchdown with no drops. Of his 57 yards, 22 came after-catch. (38.5%)
Tight End
Garret Gray - 64 snaps
24 snaps in inline; 27 snaps split out wide; 13 snaps at H-back.
Targeted five times with depths of target at 7, 24, -1, 5, 5 and 5 yards (7.5 yards average depth) for four receptions netting 18 yards with no drops. Of his 18 yards, two came after-catch. (11.1%)
Cade Brewer - 4 snaps
4 snaps inline.
Running Back
Kyle Porter - 45 snaps
Rushed 8 times for 23 yards (2.6 yards per carry) with 13 of those yards coming after contact.
Chris Warren - 39 snaps
Rushed 6 times for 31 yards (5.2 yards per carry) with 16 of those yards coming after contact.
Quarterback
Shane Buechele - 84 snaps
(Jerrod Heard and Lil'Jordan Humphrey each pitched in one snap each -- very successfully while most every other aspect of the run-game floundered -- as wildcat QBs)
. . .
The main takeaways from the skill players on offense are as follows:
The massive usage of TE Garrett Gray has been much discussed on Orangebloods, which is understandable since this aspect of Texas' game-plan was as inexplicable as it was cockamamie upon review. Gray is not a good athlete and doesn't truly excel in any aspect of his game. He was responsible for at least two sacks in pass protection and can be virtually ignored by defensive coordinators when split out wide as he brings zero to the table with the ball in his hands.
To understand that Gray spent the majority of his snaps versus Maryland as a wide receiver is to pound your head against the wall as a Texas fan. With the number of substitutions that occur in-series with this staff (there are so many more than in previous years, take it from me who has to take account of when players enter and leave the game), there is ZERO reason to have Gray on the field when the team has four and five players split out. The staff cannot say that the taking Gray off the field tips their hand that they will be passing, because splitting him out wide effectively does the same.
On that same note (because it's an important one that fans should understand in coming to grips with the embarrassment provided by Tom Herman in his inaugural matchup at Texas) is that the Texas offense was most effective in two forms that the staff, for some reason, wouldn't commit to. One was actually having four wide receivers on the field as opposed to three wide receivers and one slug TE split out wide.
In the two series in which this actually occurred with a semi-reasonable frequency (twice of seven snaps in Texas' seventh offensive drive and in every snap of its final offensive drive) Texas ended those drives in touchdowns. That's a lot considering Texas only scored three offensive touchdowns. Those were the only nine snaps of the game in which the staff utilized its best personnel.
The other area in which Tim Beck's squirt-gun offense saw some flashes of success was in the wildcat formation where both Jerrod Heard and Lil-Jordan Humphrey converted key third downs as runners out of shotgun. While the wildcat formation is not -- and never has been -- a sustainable "crutch" to mask an ineffective running game over the long haul, gimmicky stuff like this has gotten teams out of short-term pickles. An every-game wildcat-based running attack would be a complete disaster but committing to sprinkling it in more often as it was one thing that could be recognized as getting the Maryland defense on its heels seems like it should have been a no-brainer in the moment.
The area where the players failed was in execution and efficiency in the red-zone passing game. Texas receivers dropped five balls total in this game and two of those drops came in the red zone. In all, Shane Buechele had a 65.4% completion percentage in this game, but only a 37.5% completion percentage in the red zone. To me, that shows a group of players who lack a collective killer instinct and/or crunch-time baller gene.
Now, regarding the offensive line ....
(to be continued)
