Make Your Picks: Ragin' Cajuns Football 2016

[Just1More]

You're talking me into this.

I have a feeling MD is going to be a hands on coach. Our offensive coaching was so rotten last year... it's wasn't even funny. We've become so gullable to pitch and catch football from nothing but athletes... and no cerebral play generation to pull coverages (like everyone else does to us)... it's comical. Watch how well MD gets our QBs to pull of the Houdini handoff. That alone is going to break the back of some of the defenses we face. If Hud lets MD/Munoz to operate the offense... I think we'll become the dangerous offense we've waited a long to see.

[zephyr]

I have a feeling MD is going to be a hands on coach. Our offensive coaching was so rotten last year... it's wasn't even funny. We've become so gullable to pitch and catch football from nothing but athletes... and no cerebral play generation to pull coverages (like everyone else does to us)... it's comical. Watch how well MD gets our QBs to pull of the Houdini handoff. That alone is going to break the back of some of the defenses we face. If Hud lets MD/Munoz to operate the offense... I think we'll become the dangerous offense we've waited a long to see.

Our offensive coaching was the same coaching we've had for 4 years. I think its clear that we don't have the talent at the WR spot that we've had in the past. Period. And there is really no visible evidence that suggests otherwise except for people just going on faith that it has to get better and coaching somehow stopped guys from getting open or catching balls last year.

[Just1More]

You are going by faith. We've seen no plays being made by this group for almost 2 years. Maybe they step up this year and I hope they do but I certainly wouldn't list them as a "strength" based on what we've seen thus far. There's been little talent that has come out thus far and really none have shown an ability to get separation from DB's

There are no strengths on this team without better coaching. Our WRs are talented. You can't look at what our coaches failed to put into effect last year, and blame the skilled players. For the slight off year Elijah had... down to everything else... it was on the coaching staff... pure and simple.

I look at this WR group out of HS when we recruited them... and I see loads of talent. I think Christie added to the group is big this year. It's all speculative... I know that. But I see strength in what I know Riles, Fuse, Haynes and Scott can do. I don't like how the coaches ran plays last year. I don't like that we featured Jamal and he didn't measure up to his hype. And I definitely want to puke over what I saw the coaches do with Haack and Nixon. A lot of WR separation comes from establishing doubt in coverage. We never scared anyone at any time. A lot of WR separation comes from intelligent routes... we ran terrible routes. We ran terrible plays... we misused talent... all on the coaching staff.

What outside of punting do you regard as our strength? I see Elijah was a hybrid RB/WR. He will (better) add to the WR strength this year. Again... what do you hold to be our strength besides our punting?

[Just1More]

Our offensive coaching was the same coaching we've had for 4 years. I think its clear that we don't have the talent at the WR spot that we've had in the past. Period. And there is really no visible evidence that suggests otherwise except for people just going on faith that it has to get better and coaching somehow stopped guys from getting open or catching balls last year.

I'm not saying the play calling and coaching will improve... but if it doesn't... no amount of talent we have access to will ever get over .500 ball ever again. If you think offensive coaching wasn't a HUGE issue last year... you weren't watching. And WRs were effected just as much by the stupidity of the coaching decisions as anyone on the field.

I have no problem with your skepticism. Just apply it right. The staff F'd up everything... and that list is long last year. Aside from the injury excuse (which had a lot of validity)... that offense was a cluster screw from out of the wrapper. And of course we are going to have to set up a QB to succeed as well. That's a given. But that QB has ample good targets. It's up to the coaching staff.

[Redgineer]

I'm not saying the play calling and coaching will improve... but if it doesn't... no amount of talent we have access to will ever get over .500 ball ever again. If you think offensive coaching wasn't a HUGE issue last year... you weren't watching. And WRs were effected just as much by the stupidity of the coaching decisions as anyone on the field.

I have no problem with your skepticism. Just apply it right. The staff F'd up everything... and that list is long last year. Aside from the injury excuse (which had a lot of validity)... that offense was a cluster screw from out of the wrapper. And of course we are going to have to set up a QB to succeed as well. That's a given. But that QB has ample good targets. It's up to the coaching staff.

Have yall seen anything from the Spring game or even heard talk of how the coaching staff is approaching things this year? I know the Spring game was vanilla plays, but I need to know that they won't run Eli up the middle at 3rd and 28 or put Nixon at qb.

[Just1More]

Have yall seen anything from the Spring game or even heard talk of how the coaching staff is approaching things this year? I know the Spring game was vanilla plays, but I need to know that they won't run Eli up the middle at 3rd and 28 or put Nixon at qb.

You really won't know until you see it. I have heard (and these aren't from people that actually witnessed anything) that Hud is talking up a whole different offensive approach - it's still "the spread"... but supposedly he wants to add a lot more play diversity to try and actually spread defenses out. I'll believe it when I see it. Do I want to believe it? You bet. But it will be mighty interesting to start against Boise State and McNeese State... and see Hud get "experimental"... and stick with it.

[cajunhawk]

The talent is there... but are the plays? How goes the full attack, with the full cast (QB/OL/WRs)... so goes the play of the RB. One thing that we all can solidly understand from last year... Elijah was not the problem with Elijah. We had a cerebral issue at the very top of the thinking tree. I almost puke when I think of how our QBs were utilized last year.

I'm like-minded with ULGrad@HOU... I actually think MD is going to have an impact on this program. If he and Munoz work well together, I think they can orchestrate some plays, teach the details, and string together some great drive sustaining plays. MD is going to seriously help our QBs, WRs and RBs succeed. Something tells me the guy has that ability. And when the plays actually utilize the talent we have in the skill positions... the OL will click.

Jay Johnson thinks that's cute.

[Just1More]

Jay Johnson thinks that's cute.

If you think Jay read RP when he was here... you'd be mistaken. If you think he reads it now... you'd be delusional. Hud and Jay screwed the offensive pooch last year. Let's hope a little humility sank in over the break with Hud... and Jorge and Michael get a chance to actually orchestrate a functional offense.

[cajunhawk]

If you think Jay read RP when he was here... you'd be mistaken. If you think he reads it now... you'd be delusional. Hud and Jay screwed the offensive pooch last year. Let's hope a little humility sank in over the break with Hud... and Jorge and Michael get a chance to actually orchestrate a functional offense.

[Just1More]

If you say so Foghorn Leghorn. I just never quite knew where Hud ended and Jay started.

[cajunhawk]

If you say so Foghorn Leghorn. I just never quite knew where Hud ended and Jay started.

It's where Jalen Nixon was named the starter.

[Just1More]

It's where Jalen Nixon was named the starter.

That makes a lot of sense.