Austin, Keys and Lenzy were banged up pretty badly, and none of them saw significant playing time. Those guys were counted on to stretch the field vertically, and without the three best receivers being available, we had no choice but to turn to the next tier of players.
That being said, Javon McKinley turned in a reasonably good performance as WR1, and Ben Skowronek did come through in the clutch as a WR2, but neither were the type who could get enough separation from opposing defensive backs. Avery Davis did a good job as WR3, and was about as fast of a receiver as we had available, but he's not exactly a speed receiver.
Opposing defenses didn't have to respect the long ball, and instead simply squatted on the short and medium routes. At least it wasn't as bad as 2013, where Tommy Rees' only reliable throws were the short passing game. Opposing defenses didn't even have to respect the medium range passing game...
Last year? Availability of our best talent
Replies to: "Last year? Availability of our best talent"
- Concerning our offensive style and QB play and that of OSU. - tky21 - 11:00pm 3/31/21
(31) [View All]
- The offense is a reflection of the HC and OC. [LINK]
- Aragoto - 12:22pm 4/1/21
- Or the AD, Alvarez sets the identity for the Wisconsin program and hires accordingly [NT]
- holybull101 - 12:44pm 4/1/21
- Or the athletes recruited, or the school restrictions, or the degrees offered, or ... But I do - whatsamataU - 1:04pm 4/1/21
- rees could have been thrown out of school as an undergrad. [NT]
[LINK]
- Aragoto - 12:57pm 4/1/21
- Clearly, Carlo Calabrese's "people" took care of him... [NT]
- TakethetrainKnute - 3:31pm 4/1/21
- Tom has never done anything to suggest he’s an elite OC or QB developer. - Aragoto - 7:02pm 4/1/21
- U need a time out [NT]
- ColeyO - 7:48pm 4/1/21
- For telling the truth? [NT] - Aragoto - 8:35am 4/2/21
- U need a time out [NT]
- ColeyO - 7:48pm 4/1/21
- Tom has never done anything to suggest he’s an elite OC or QB developer. - Aragoto - 7:02pm 4/1/21
- Clearly, Carlo Calabrese's "people" took care of him... [NT]
- TakethetrainKnute - 3:31pm 4/1/21
- Or the AD, Alvarez sets the identity for the Wisconsin program and hires accordingly [NT]
- holybull101 - 12:44pm 4/1/21
- Harsh reality, ND isn’t developing, scheming, and recruiting well enough at the QB position - NDNEIL - 9:42am 4/1/21
- I believe we have our quarterback and great receivers. We can win it all. We do need to improve in - michiganirish - 5:48pm 4/1/21
- Recruiting at ND has been pretty steller relatively speaking over Kelly's tenure. Roster management - oldirish - 8:21pm 4/1/21
- Stellar? - AlbanyIRISH - 9:20am 4/2/21
- Yep. Relative to the talent that was coming to ND before BK; it's stellar indeed. [NT] - oldirish - 10:22pm 4/3/21
- I don't agree. We have been lacking at defensive end and defensive line is only now steady, but not - michiganirish - 10:14pm 4/1/21
- Why does everyone over look the word RELATIVE. ND was piss poor talent wise pre-Kelly. Terrible for - oldirish - 10:27pm 4/3/21
- Stellar? - AlbanyIRISH - 9:20am 4/2/21
- Recruiting at ND has been pretty steller relatively speaking over Kelly's tenure. Roster management - oldirish - 8:21pm 4/1/21
- Nor at WR. [NT]
- Aragoto - 12:06pm 4/1/21
- I don’t really subscribe to that theory - NDNEIL - 8:54am 4/3/21
- I would argue that they are not recruiting the QB's. - BaronVonZemo - 11:44am 4/1/21
- . [NT] - BaronVonZemo - 11:38am 4/1/21
- Agreed - ND_in_DRO - 11:22am 4/1/21
- I think that's the problem, Kelly has been getting good QB recruits, and everyone's hoping they - holybull101 - 12:50pm 4/1/21
- I believe we have our quarterback and great receivers. We can win it all. We do need to improve in - michiganirish - 5:48pm 4/1/21
- Meyer's entire offense is built on a #'s advantage. His inside zone read sucks in the FS which - WestCoastIrishFan - 9:03am 4/1/21
- Kelly also seems to run a more west-coast like spread. Mostly lateral very little vertical and very - oldirish - 8:20pm 4/1/21
- Olave & Wilson or Smith Waddle & Metchie? We need elite WRs. Smith's most explosive plays were - ND521 - 3:12am 4/1/21
- It’s not about the receivers. [NT]
- NDNEIL - 9:37am 4/1/21
- This board tends to wish for what they don't have. The overall offensive strategy doesn't match what - oldirish - 8:23pm 4/1/21
- I would love to have a Will Fuller every year [NT] - holybull101 - 2:36pm 4/1/21
- We've recruited guys much higher ranked than Olave. And higher than Smith and Metchie. - NDavenue - 7:31am 4/1/21
- Last year? Availability of our best talent - ndunabomber - 11:52am 4/1/21
- Well sure. That's not a recruiting/talent issue though. - NDavenue - 12:08pm 4/1/21
- Sure, though only Johnson was a Wilson, Waddle or Smith level recruit & he needs to hump his shit or - ND521 - 11:20am 4/1/21
- Last year? Availability of our best talent - ndunabomber - 11:52am 4/1/21
- It’s not about the receivers. [NT]
- NDNEIL - 9:37am 4/1/21
- The offense is a reflection of the HC and OC. [LINK]
- Aragoto - 12:22pm 4/1/21