I love the deep ball. I wish this was a threat in our offense more. I'm about explain to you why the deep ball you suddenly saw Saturday is not the true FSU and it was an illusion.
1. Offensive line and receivers: I'll will admit Maguire throws an accurate deep ball, but fans have to understand it's a 4 step process for deep balls to occur. 1st the OL has to hold blocks. We haven't done this all year against lesser opponents. 2nd the receivers has to be above average or elite to get open. We have none. Rudolph, Whitfield, Wilson don't have deep ball capabilities and frequently drop easy routine passes. 3rd the QB has to throw it accurate and 4th the receiver has to catch it. It's not like overnight our 8 offensive lineman and top 3 receivers are all of a sudden elite. Clemson's front 7 and DB's are elite and they have a great defensive minded coordinator. Syracuse has none of this. Fact. Go look at Syracuse's track record in recruiting to prove my point. So Maguire's deep balls Saturday was a combination of lack of talent and playing at home. It's not this new deep ball threat with him in the game.
2. Our offensive success all season is because of Dalvin Cook. Boston College held him under 100 yards and the offense managed one TD. GT held him under 100 and the offense manage one TD. A deep ball also happens when D coordinators feel their front 6 or 7 cannot control the run so they bring safeties in the box closer to prevent this. GT and BC front 7 and 6 didn't need much help with safeties because there DL held the point of attack and allowed LB's to shoot gaps free. There for allowing their defense to play 2 high safeties. Most pass plays were underneath plays or bubble screens passses. Giving FSU only one way to beat them and was through intermediate pass plays. Think FSU vs. Clemson last year. They eliminated the run and the deep ball forcing Maguire, a QB who struggles at intermediate passes, to beat them that way. Syracuse could not do this. Patrick ran all over them and OL got to the second level consistently all day. If Clemson does what they did last year by containing the run with only the front 6 or 7, they blow us out by 3 td's. You take FSU's running game away they have nothing in the deep ball department at all.
3. This offense will score on us and we will get behind and try to play catch up with a QB who struggles with intermediate passses. If FSU is forced to throw deep balls in obvious passing situations, it could be pick 6 hell all night for a turnover machine like Maguire.
The deep ball happens because of circumstances. Not because a QB can make that one throw good. FSU was in a controlled situation against Syracuse by playing them not to far behind in the score, run game was clicking, offensive line was giving QB time, receivers got open and caught the ball. Remember, this was against Syracuse, a program who on defense hasn't landed a 4 star or 5star athlete in the past 4 recruiting cycles on any reputable recruiting site. So again, don't fall into this illusion that SMAG'S deep ball will be there Saturday night against an defense like Clemson. That is false hope and wishful thinking.
1. Offensive line and receivers: I'll will admit Maguire throws an accurate deep ball, but fans have to understand it's a 4 step process for deep balls to occur. 1st the OL has to hold blocks. We haven't done this all year against lesser opponents. 2nd the receivers has to be above average or elite to get open. We have none. Rudolph, Whitfield, Wilson don't have deep ball capabilities and frequently drop easy routine passes. 3rd the QB has to throw it accurate and 4th the receiver has to catch it. It's not like overnight our 8 offensive lineman and top 3 receivers are all of a sudden elite. Clemson's front 7 and DB's are elite and they have a great defensive minded coordinator. Syracuse has none of this. Fact. Go look at Syracuse's track record in recruiting to prove my point. So Maguire's deep balls Saturday was a combination of lack of talent and playing at home. It's not this new deep ball threat with him in the game.
2. Our offensive success all season is because of Dalvin Cook. Boston College held him under 100 yards and the offense managed one TD. GT held him under 100 and the offense manage one TD. A deep ball also happens when D coordinators feel their front 6 or 7 cannot control the run so they bring safeties in the box closer to prevent this. GT and BC front 7 and 6 didn't need much help with safeties because there DL held the point of attack and allowed LB's to shoot gaps free. There for allowing their defense to play 2 high safeties. Most pass plays were underneath plays or bubble screens passses. Giving FSU only one way to beat them and was through intermediate pass plays. Think FSU vs. Clemson last year. They eliminated the run and the deep ball forcing Maguire, a QB who struggles at intermediate passes, to beat them that way. Syracuse could not do this. Patrick ran all over them and OL got to the second level consistently all day. If Clemson does what they did last year by containing the run with only the front 6 or 7, they blow us out by 3 td's. You take FSU's running game away they have nothing in the deep ball department at all.
3. This offense will score on us and we will get behind and try to play catch up with a QB who struggles with intermediate passses. If FSU is forced to throw deep balls in obvious passing situations, it could be pick 6 hell all night for a turnover machine like Maguire.
The deep ball happens because of circumstances. Not because a QB can make that one throw good. FSU was in a controlled situation against Syracuse by playing them not to far behind in the score, run game was clicking, offensive line was giving QB time, receivers got open and caught the ball. Remember, this was against Syracuse, a program who on defense hasn't landed a 4 star or 5star athlete in the past 4 recruiting cycles on any reputable recruiting site. So again, don't fall into this illusion that SMAG'S deep ball will be there Saturday night against an defense like Clemson. That is false hope and wishful thinking.
