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Navy's blitzes with USC's athletes.
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1) Rees refused to call a quick dumpoff to a running back split wide, a quickout, or even a quick bubble screen for much of those passing plays versus Navy's jailbreak blits.
He also went back to his "let's see if I can be more like Brian Kelly" mode, and once again, kept calling that slowly developing, stupid delayed handoff draw play 5 yards deep in shotgun formation against a jailbreak blitz. The only pass that got completed in the 2nd half, to my recollection, was the quickout to Styles on the last passing play we ran because it was a quick one step drop from the shotgun, and he fired it out to him for 4 yards.
2) Pyne didn't even see the open receivers on those passing plays, and was still locked onto Mayer. There was at least one breaking wide open, and more likely, two or more, every play. Even if they were covered, it was still single coverage, and our receivers aren't pint sized players, and a contested throw would have gone our way much more often than not. His mobility does pose at least a somewhat reasonably threat of running, that he's not a clay footed statue like Rees was. Why Rees doesn't call for a rollout is still a mystery.
In the previous three years, the offense wasn't as limited because of two factors.
1) The QB factor... Book and Coan had reasonable arm strength, could hit those downfield medium range passes, and could read receivers, instead of locking onto a single receiver. Book and Coan were also polished veterans, and helped mask Tommy Rees' flaws.
2) The true OC factor... Tommy Rees had two good years in 2020 and 2021, but that was with Brian Kelly propping him up. If I were to guess, whenever he made a play call, he'd tell Kelly, and Kelly would give him the yea or nay. I honestly believe that this "grooming" of Rees has resulted in his stunted growth as a coach, since he keeps retreating back into his "WWBKD" shell. He doesn't have Brian Kelly's multiple decades of experience to make Kelly's system work properly.
At this point in time, I'm firmly of the belief that we've seen Drew Pyne's ceiling, that he is a very good backup QB, and one who can certainly come in relief situations for the short term. As an everyday starting QB though? His skillset is simply too limited.
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I ran into it in Orange County all the time.
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There are plenty of OC's out there who are polished, competent, and hungry. They would love a chance to show their worth at the Golden Dome.
Heck, I'd even take Bill O'Brien at this point, since the Tide faithful are all but screaming for his head.
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