Rockne's Roundtable

Here is what I suggest: the offensive and defensive team captains schedule
"flag-football scrimmages" twice a week beginning in June when the whole team
is on campus.

Let's say Golson is the QB. The plays are signaled in from the sidelines and
stop-watches are used so that Golson only gets the prescribed seconds to
get a play off. Teo (or some other captain) calls defensive signals, both of the
"vanilla" variety and those designed to confuse Golson.

The full playbooks for both offense and defense are available for use and
are introduced as the summer progresses.

Scoring can be similar to what was used in the BG game.

The whole point is to have regular scrimmages in shorts (no pads since
no tackling) where the QBs are forced to practice the things they are
weak on:

1) Golson---time management to get plays in and communicated
to the offense;

2) Golson---defense switching coverages, blitzing, faking blizing,etc.
to force him to recognize defenses and be able (within the time
allowed to get a play off ) to audible to another play

3) Hendrix---defensive switching to get him more used to seeing
the field and to get him to recognize coverages and audible
to another play;

4) Rees--to refine his understanding and get him to avoid
minus yard plays like the plaque;

5) Kiel---all of the above, including just his running plays
against a relatively "vanilla" defense at this stage;

6) Defense---learning to deal with a running QB; focus
a lot on our defense backs turning to look for the ball;

Point: Golson, Hendrix can learn plays, can in fact improve
accuracy and timing with receivers with 7 on 7 drills and
the like but what we need for Golson and Hendrix especially
is a continuation of Saturday where each is forced to get
plays in from the sidelines, recognize the defense, audible if
they have to and execute all without being forced to call
time out. And to do it, again, and again, and again-----

So, this has to be a "true team" effort (offense/defense)
to help get your Golson and Hendrix ready to be the starter.
And, it has to be, as near as possible, to "live game" situations,
with the whole offense and defense doing it--perhaps once or
twice a week.

The flag part is to emphasize we don't want tackling---it is a
scrimmage with the purpose of getting our QBs ready, not
to prove we can bust tackles, etc.

And, perhaps the offensive and defensive lines don't really
block and shed blocks with intensity, just enough to make
it realistic for Everett and Andrew and Tommy.

Finally, they can add wrinkles but the key is for Golson to
read the play that is called, communicate the called play to
the team and gradually learn enough to recognize
the defense so that he can audible into the right play. And,
to do that, he must have the experience of actually doing it, so, let's
"voluntarily" as a team provide the means to do it--a series
of controlled scrimmages as near as possible fashioned after
game conditions where he gets the feel of actually running the
show.

Obviously, just a thought, but, I started a similar thread
entitled "what's going to happen this summer" and got one
response so thanks Irish Cedar for putting it in a way to
get responses.

Question for Staff/Everybody: I understand that the NCAA has to put limits on the number of team practices during the spring and the number of mandatory hours players put into football activities. What I don't understand though is: once classes end for the semester and final exams are complete why can't Golson work with Coaches Kelly and Martin this summer before fall camp starts to learn the play calls and hand signals better and generally work on his overall game?

It seems to me that Golson has a great opportunity in front of him, but time is of the essence. The physical tools are there but the mental part of the game is not (e.g. knowing the play calls and leading the team). He has approximately 3 months once final exams are complete to focus on nothing else but getting ready for fall camp. I wish he could stay on campus and work with the coaching staff because while I'm sure he can learn a lot on his own working with the coaches would probably acclerate the learning curve dramatically.

I'm really rooting for Golson to start because the spring game demonstrated that he has the best and most accurate arm on the team in addition to his ability to run and make positive yards when there's no one open. The touch he showed on the TD pass to Ben Koyak throwing over the LB and dropping the pass right in front of the the CB was so impressive. Golson seems to really understand how to throw through "windows". Hendrix tries to throw the ball through people instead of over and around them and Rees can't push the ball down field due to a lack of arm strength. Golson is our best playmaker at the QB position and he needs to play.

They need to use this year to build for the future. Hendrix and Rees can't take us where we want to go. Golson and Kiel have the upside to do so. Golson is the best option for this season and possibly beyond. We really need to focus on developing these two young kids. Our running game and defense are good enough to win 8 games this year even with a limited playbook. If Golson develops faster, then the playbook can expand as the season progresses. GO IRISH!

^^Bingo

Whoa. He ran the scout team offense last year. New OC with new terms & signals. Our "veteran" QB Rees was flagged for a delay as well... Now who isn't doing their fan homework?

It seems to me that if Kelly gets the play signaled in right away, much of this issue goes away. If Golson is looking to the sidelines immediately after the whistle and Kelly is having the next play signaled in, it will speed things up for Golson pre-snap as well.

Having said all that, I think Golson needs to live with the playbook on his lap and spend an hour or more every day watching film. It will come to him.

I recall it was Tommy Rees's Freshman year that BK started to do this. He had to get spoon-feed a brand-new Freshman QB.
Don't know why they can't do something like that for Golson until he gets up to speed.

Listen very closely to Coach Kelly's post B-G scrimmage interviews...He isn't pleased with Golson's ability to manage the offense AT THE PACE he wants the Irish to run. (I believe someone else astutely referred to it as "being reluctant to hand over the keys to the Ferrari")

Golson has had ample opportunity to learn the playbook and hand signals. He is now in his 3+ semester (counting last year's summer classes) of college. Why wasn't he the guy last year signalling in the plays? Why did Kelly entrust that to a non-scholarship player rather than an heir-apparent QB? What was Golson doing last fall on the sidelines?

I may be connecting the dots a little differently than you might, but I don't think I am far off the mark. Golson may have more raw ability to run this offense the way Kelly wants to run it than anyone else on campus, but he doesn't know the playbook well enough yet to just hand him the keys.

It's not that I don't like your flag football concept. I just think it has the potential to get the Irish coaching staff in trouble. It's also a lot of work for other players to do just because one person hasn't done his homework adequately enough to date.

With all that said...I do believe that Golson is the right person to take the Irish to the next level this fall...IF he earns it. Right now "earning" means he needs to put his head into the playbook and stop depending solely on his God-given talents. This is not high school, where he was better than 99% of the people he lined up against. Even he has admitted so much...

I don't know how the coaches cannot be involved to make this worthwhile...the timing involves getting a play from a coach (Kelly, I presume from what I have read, after he has talked to his eye in the sky (pressbox)), who then relays the play to his designated hand-signaller (QB in a red shirt), who then relays the play to the QB on the field.

Listening to Kelly describe what happened in the B-G scrimmage, Golson was having trouble picking up the hand signals and translating that into the proper play call (formation, snap count, etc). Fixing that problem has virtually nothing to do with what is being proposed in the flag football concept...It has everything to do with Golson doing his homework and being better prepared to take himself and this offense to the next level. We're not even to the point where Kelly is discussing Golson's ability to read defenses and audibling. That comes AFTER he masters the first part...getting into the proper play at the line of scrimmage to begin with!!!!

Certainly, it should help if he could get more reps with the first team in practice. However, he first needs to make sure Kelly is comfortable enough to do so and deprive others (mainly Hendrix) of that same opportunity. His physical ablilties are not holding Kelly back, his mental preparation is...Kelly said so himself ("he's giving me a heart attack").

Toro,

I am really not trying to be argumentative and I really could not
care less about the "flag football concept" since it was first, only
a suggestion and secondly, Kelly's not going to authorize the
captains to do it, anyhow. I would like to focus on your comment:
"Golson was having trouble picking up the hand signals and
translating that into the proper play call." Obviously, this can
be because he doesn't know the plays---more time "studying"
the playbook. But, what if he knows the plays but can't read
the signs quick enough, can't communicate them quick
enough (I assume Kelly feels getting the play from the press
box to the sideline is not the problem). All I am saying is that,
especially if Kelly continues with the "3 QB rotation" system
come August camp, Golson may not have enough repetitions
to emerge as the starter.

And, at some point, if Golson's the man, he will have to
learn how to audible, especially as the season progresses.So,
I was simply trying to get him more of an opportunity to have
defenses try to confuse him over the summer and only as and if
he progresses enough that the captains think it appropriate.

I just feel the 7 on 7 and other type "drills" even if done
during the summer will not help either Golson or Hendrix
be the starter--and thus, we are by default left with TR
as the most "comfortable" choice.

What "exercises" or "drills" would you suggest? I am being
serious (not sarcastic) and I think Irish Cedar wants us
to come up with some concrete ideas.

Thanx.

Good and fair questions...if what you are suggesting is the case (possible learning issue with Golson???, here's what I believe to be the best course of action:

I believe it begins with giving Golson more preparation off the field prior to the beginning of fall practice. . Put him in a room with a coach and maybe the designated hand signaller (DHS). Have the coach(or DHS) signal in the play. Have him decipher the signal and tell the coach what play he wants to run, what the formation is and what the snap count is (based largely on how long it will take to put anyone in motion if desired). All of this can be timed to simulate a play clock. This tests his knowledge of the play book and the hand signals without the pressure of the field (defense, down and distance, etc). Demonstrated mastery of this is required before progressing to the next step.

That would be...on the field in 7 on 7 live drills (not concentrating yet on reading the defense yet). Only after Golson has demonstrated mastery of this pre-play process, should anyone be concerned with his abilty to read the defense and change the play at the line of scrimmage. Then it is back to the film room where, using the same set up, Golson is now confronted with a defense on film. Same process as before...signal in the play, decipher the signal, call the play (formation, snap count, etc.), turn on the film, recognize the situation (defense, down and distance), either change the play or run the play as called...all while being timed with a play clock in the room.

Once that is mastered..take it back to the field in more live situations, either 7 on 7 or full team scrimmage and always with a play clock. Incidentally, based upon what I observed in the B-G scrimmage, I believe all of the QBs could benefit from this preparation, not just Golson. However, I believe Golson is probably the one most in need of it. The question I am begging to ask Kelly and staff is..."What has Golson been doing for the past year plus???!!!!