We've had separation issues with our wide outs since the days of Desean and Lavelle. But in the CU game seemed like our WRs and TEs were wide open often. E.g. that one handed TD by Miller - when was one of our guys that open in the end zone, ever? What is it? Is it less max protect? Kiseau technique? Maynard buying more time in the pocket, giving the receivers more time to play through their routes? Whatever it is, I've been liking it.

Maynard throwing out patterns on a rope.

Maynard running to extend the play.

It's the Vertical Game, I guess.

Maynard = Stabler

hehe.

I think Tedford's play call has something to do with it - less predictable for the defense. BTW that Miller's TD I saw Keenan wide open in front of him too (running the opposite direction).

I think a lot of it is Kiesau - Daft was terrible.

CAL6371;569532 said:

---

I think a lot of it is Kiesau - Daft was terrible.

---

This...^

WRs are worlds better than last season. There's definately more separation. And most of the credit for this goes to Kiesau.

HungryCalBear;569530 said:

---

I think Tedford's play call has something to do with it - less predictable for the defense. BTW that Miller's TD I saw Keenan wide open in front of him too (running the opposite direction).

---

The one handed catch one?

They were both running in the same direction, keenan was the short pattern and miller was was the deep one.

Keenan was open, but it was a slightly harder throw (defender 1-2 steps behind, on his hip).

But Miller was wide freakin open. He could've lobbed it back there, but Maynard's throw almost cost us the TD. It was hard and high, Good catch.

But, yea, definitely agree on the less predictable offense. This is the most exciting offense in a long time.

I agree that it seems our receivers are more open than they have been in a long time. Also Maynard seems far more accurate on the intermediate passes than any CAL qb since AR. These intermediate pases may just be giving our we's the time it takes to get open. Also I agree that Kiesau has made a huge difference.

pjlbear;569551 said:

---

I agree that it seems our receivers are more open than they have been in a long time. Also Maynard seems far more accurate on the intermediate passes than any CAL qb since AR. These intermediate pases may just be giving our we's the time it takes to get open. Also I agree that Kiesau has made a huge difference.

---

Here's a subtle thing. Longshore and Riley took a million years to get the ball out in the flat. Their strengths lied elsewhere. Those quick balls out to the flat to Jones, Allen and even Calvin, while Maynard doesn't possess the arm of even Riley or Mansion, he gets the ball out so quickly that it gives Jones a chance to make a play in space to get good YACs. In the past, those balls got out to the flat so slowly that they were easily blown up. I always wondered how teams like $C and Oregon could make such a basic play work so well against us, but we couldn't do the same. Well, now we're doing it.

Agreed, KAB. Maynard's ability to snap-throw is a huge boon for our passing game. Riley was glacial on this play everytime.

I don't disagree with anything said thus far, but I think we can't underestimate how much it's helped to be max-protecting less. Keeping 8 guys in to block while two receivers run routs makes getting open a lot harder. Throwing a 3rd, 4th, and even sometimes 5th receiver out into the pattern dramatically increases the likelihood of someone getting lost by the defense, like Miller was on that 1-handed grab TD. Add to that better separation by your 1 & 2 wideouts which forces the D to pay more attention to them and you've got something promising.

Add to that Maynard's ability to move when the 5- or 6-man (rather than 8) wall breaks down, and now you're flat-out cooking.

Only thing that would make it all even better would be a dominant effort from that 5- or 6-man wall, but they're doing a serviceable job thus far at least against so-so competition.

Now if we could only overcome the "dropsies"..................

dinan3;569566 said:

---

Now if we could only overcome the "dropsies"..................

---

Bingo. Gar, Tedford said we've had 10 drops through the 1st two games (I believe it, having watched them). I don't know how many total pass attempts in those 2 games off the top of my head, but 5 per game is a LOT of drops. That's game-altering territory right there.

I think these are all good points so far.

However, what I have not seen mentioned is the caliber of the competition. CU was a step up from FSU but we are going to face much tougher secondaries this year.

That said, I don't recall us getting this much separation against similar teams last year. So, definitely improved, but I would say let's hold off quantifying how much until we have played some tougher teams.

I think it's a combination of much better scheme, better QB, more experienced pass receivers, and better play calling.

Now just imagine if our O-line could give maynard some time for some 5-7 step drops with a 3 or 4-wr set. rooling:

Playing bad secondaries will sure make our WRs and TEs look good.

Same shyt last year after two games against pansies.


Let's see how they do against better D.

drunkoski;569572 said:

---

longshore actually had a pretty quick release. his problem is he checked down and got rid of the ball too quickly. this is why 80% (yes i'm exagerating) of his 3rd and longs ended up as 5 yard completions.

---

I wouldn't say quick release in terms of natural/physical mechanics. I would say quick release (and this is post Oregon game 2007) in terms of wanting to avoid a sack so he preempted route progressions for the sake of avoiding rushers. Plus there would not be many route runners because we would have to max protect.

You can say that again friend dinan3....over 10 drops so far just in two games.....especially by the TE's.....Maynard is under 50% because of these drops......

drunkoski;569572 said:

---

longshore actually had a pretty quick release. his problem is he checked down and got rid of the ball too quickly. this is why 80% (yes i'm exagerating) of his 3rd and longs ended up as 5 yard completions.

---

Not by much

93BearInOregon;569570 said:

---

Bingo. Gar, Tedford said we've had 10 drops through the 1st two games (I believe it, having watched them). I don't know how many total pass attempts in those 2 games off the top of my head, but 5 per game is a LOT of drops. That's game-altering territory right there.

---

Definitely had had too many drops - but that's also been somewhat offset by a number of spectacular catches by the receivers and Miller. I wonder if that 10 drop figure includes Coleman Edmond's near-spectacular play. That was not an easy ball to catch and should count against ZM not CE.

1. I think Kiesau had improved the receivers, particularly teaching Allen, Jones, Calvin, and Miller how to use their size to get separation.

2. Allen seems to be very adept at running to space when Maynard scrambles.

3. Our pass plays are much better designed. I think Kiesau as passing game coordinator has a much better feel for this.

I think reuniting the offensive coaches has made a big difference. I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but Ludwig sucked. And when I watch this years offense, I see a lot of Early Tedford era in it. I also see a few influences of Dunbar and maybe a little Cignetti. Maybe its just my desire to purge Ludwig from Cal forever, but I don't see anything in the offense that Ludwig came in with. The offensive scheme looks totally different from last year, and I think that says something.

93BearInOregon;569564 said:

---

I don't disagree with anything said thus far, but I think we can't underestimate how much it's helped to be max-protecting less. Keeping 8 guys in to block while two receivers run routs makes getting open a lot harder. Throwing a 3rd, 4th, and even sometimes 5th receiver out into the pattern dramatically increases the likelihood of someone getting lost by the defense, like Miller was on that 1-handed grab TD. Add to that better separation by your 1 & 2 wideouts which forces the D to pay more attention to them and you've got something promising.

---

This.

Then again, max protect worked really well for Colorado until we quit blitzing and dropped guys into coverage.

So did our O line really improve that much or have we just played against teams with a lousy pass rush?

The downfield passing game helps. We're doing a lot more of that, rather than the (rather Pop Warner) approach of just having your guys run to gaps and stand there til the QB sees him (which is what our passing game seemed to consist of the last few years).

That said, before we say we've improved that uch... lets play a team we know has a good secondary. Jury is out on how good CU and FSU are.

BerlinerBaer;569648 said:

---

This.

Then again, max protect worked really well for Colorado until we quit blitzing and dropped guys into coverage.

So did our O line really improve that much or have we just played against teams with a lousy pass rush?

---

What's my name?

Tedhead94;569562 said:

---

Agreed, KAB. Maynard's ability to snap-throw is a huge boon for our passing game. Riley was glacial on this play everytime.

---

The see-the-open-man & get-rid-of-the-ball snap-action is the most important thing that I've seen. Our most recent QBs seemed to hesitate in that instant.

Riley was too often slow on his release, at least in my opinion. Maynard does much better.

And I'm going to agree that a lot of it is improved coaching.

93BearInOregon;569564 said:

---

I don't disagree with anything said thus far, but I think we can't underestimate how much it's helped to be max-protecting less. Keeping 8 guys in to block while two receivers run routs makes getting open a lot harder. Throwing a 3rd, 4th, and even sometimes 5th receiver out into the pattern dramatically increases the likelihood of someone getting lost by the defense, like Miller was on that 1-handed grab TD. Add to that better separation by your 1 & 2 wideouts which forces the D to pay more attention to them and you've got something promising.

Add to that Maynard's ability to move when the 5- or 6-man (rather than 8) wall breaks down, and now you're flat-out cooking.

Only thing that would make it all even better would be a dominant effort from that 5- or 6-man wall, but they're doing a serviceable job thus far at least against so-so competition.

---

+1

march2397;569670 said:

---

Riley was too often slow on his release, at least in my opinion. Maynard does much better.

And I'm going to agree that a lot of it is improved coaching.

---

Riley had a long throwing motion and was best throwing while running or throwing down field--he had a lot of problems with short passes out of the pocket or the sideline pass (his long windup allowed defenders to close). Unfortunately those are exactly the passes we focused on the last few years, even when behind.

Part of the reason Riley looked so good in 2007 is he was leading comebacks (Oregon State and Air Force) where we had fallen behind and Tedford let him just start chucking the ball down field and trusting our great receivers to go get it. When those receivers left after that season our QBs stopped looking so good.

Maynard has some of that "chucking it down field and trust our great receivers" going on, but he also can get rid of the ball more quickly on the short and sideline stuff (though he has a weird sidearm delivery sometimes) that we rely on (too much, IMO) for first and second down passing plays.

Davidson;569524 said:

---

Maynard throwing out patterns on a rope.

Maynard running to extend the play.[/QUOTE]

this is it, IMO