Lebby and the vertical passing game

[Phaeded]

I was surprised by the game plan vs TX but it worked - get the ball out quick, avoid sacks, and stick with the run game to keep them honest, even though we pretty much suck at it (we're around #80 nationally in yards per carry). My complaint is we seldom used all of that dink and dunk short game to set up the long ball - we tried exactly two long balls versus Texas, both of which should have been caught (the first underthrown was caught, the second one the UT DB grabbed Gibson's arm, not that I have great faith in Gibson's hands). Take away from the Texas game for opposing Ds: press the DBs to load up against the passes to the flat and run game, which is exactly what UCF did. And our O sputtered badly for too long yesterday.

One might say about the 4th quarter vs UCF that the commitment to running the ball finally paid off. But the reality is we started taking vertical shots that opened up the run game. Even on the first scoring drive in the 4th we took three shots downfield, that all went incomplete: Majors juggling drop, Anderson deep on the sideline badly missed, and a Stoops pass on the near sideline also missed. Why was that good then? It backed the D off the LOS so we could run it (and the score was a pass to Stoops, also technically vertical as was over the middle, not in the flats). 2nd series was more of the same but with Gabriel connecting this time: Stoops over the middle for around 15 and Anderson for around 20 along the sideline; running game finished off the drive (but I would agree with the announcers that UCF's lack of depth had their D gassed at that point...and KU ran for 400 yards against them).

Point: Not that we should turn Gabriel into the "mad bomber" (if anyone remembers Daryle Lamonica), but MIX the vertical ball in with the bread and butter of short throws to the sideline and run game. For some reason Lebby rarely went vertical the first three quarters and it hurt us badly. And notably the two early TDs were both vertical passes (to Anderson). We need to be more effective in mixing in the vertical passing game to set up our bread and butter of the dink-n-dunk game. The UCF game plan against a better team is going to get us a L. And UT was a W in no small measure because of 3 T.O.s caused by the D. We can't rely on that.

One bigger concern: there may have been more vertical passing plays called based on the number of times Gabriel held onto the ball for too long. Why our are WRs not getting open?

 

[Plainosooner]

I think part of it is that as much as DG is growing on us, he has a limit on how long he can throw it. And he's not accurate on the deep ball. Those long incompletions put you off schedule. on offense. One of the things I think we'll love about Jackson Arnold is that he throws a great deep ball. And he'll just get stronger.

 

[8085sooner]

I was surprised by the game plan vs TX but it worked - get the ball out quick, avoid sacks, and stick with the run game to keep them honest, even though we pretty much suck at it (we're around #80 nationally in yards per carry). My complaint is we seldom used all of that dink and dunk short game to set up the long ball - we tried exactly two long balls versus Texas, both of which should have been caught (the first underthrown was caught, the second one the UT DB grabbed Gibson's arm, not that I have great faith in Gibson's hands). Take away from the Texas game for opposing Ds: press the DBs to load up against the passes to the flat and run game, which is exactly what UCF did. And our O sputtered badly for too long yesterday.

One might say about the 4th quarter vs UCF that the commitment to running the ball finally paid off. But the reality is we started taking vertical shots that opened up the run game. Even on the first scoring drive in the 4th we took three shots downfield, that all went incomplete: Majors juggling drop, Anderson deep on the sideline badly missed, and a Stoops pass on the near sideline also missed. Why was that good then? It backed the D off the LOS so we could run it (and the score was a pass to Stoops, also technically vertical as was over the middle, not in the flats). 2nd series was more of the same but with Gabriel connecting this time: Stoops over the middle for around 15 and Anderson for around 20 along the sideline; running game finished off the drive (but I would agree with the announcers that UCF's lack of depth had their D gassed at that point...and KU ran for 400 yards against them).

Point: Not that we should turn Gabriel into the "mad bomber" (if anyone remembers Daryle Lamonica), but MIX the vertical ball in with the bread and butter of short throws to the sideline and run game. For some reason Lebby rarely went vertical the first three quarters and it hurt us badly. And notably the two early TDs were both vertical passes (to Anderson). We need to be more effective in mixing in the vertical passing game to set up our bread and butter of the dink-n-dunk game. The UCF game plan against a better team is going to get us a L. And UT was a W in no small measure because of 3 T.O.s caused by the D. We can't rely on that.

One bigger concern: there may have been more vertical passing plays called based on the number of times Gabriel held onto the ball for too long. Why our are WRs not getting open?

The timing routes almost always have at least 1 receiver open early but Gabriel has a glitch and doesn't seem to trust the play. So he hold on to the ball and waits for something else to break. As posted, his accuracy over 50 feet, is not his strength. The lack of a running threat doesn't help him at all but Baylor, TT, and a host of teams have overcome that with dink and dunk but we do not have the great WR blockers of years past.

 

[CTOkie]

Gabriel seems to be the convenient scapegoat for the two years he will be here and to some extent I can see why for all the reasons mentioned here.
He could be seen as a Chevy answer to a Rolls Royce need.
The respect he receives from teammates and coaches, however, is great and he’s been a great mentor to Arnold.
Whatever flaws Gabriel has, I’ll always be a fan of him and his efforts on the field.
OU’s transition still has a way to go, but in spite of yesterday’s loss, there is bright future in the making and I regard Gabriel as one of the ways of getting there.