Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

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Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by charlestonalum »

Of course the Ga. Beat down means VU football is in big trouble and who can argue that VU cannot do what it has been doing the past 60 years and expect winning at a high level. Nobody can argue that. However, the answer is not as simple as instituting a creative offensive scheme. Unfortunately, the answer is recruiting, player development, execution AND creative offensive/defensive schemes and TIME to do all that.Not going to happen after 1 game or even 3 seasons. Buckle up we are in for a long rebuild and there is no magic bullet.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by Johnmn555 »

I think there has got to be a way other than Bobby Johnson's long road to a short lived mediocrity, which featured conventional schemes and a slow improvement of personnel. I fear that's what CLL may have in mind.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by Doreknox »

The article makes a good point. Plain offense will get us nowhere and there are seasons of evidence to demonstrate that. Why we are not running the triple option, air raid, GoGo or anything truly unique? Right now, with our depleted roster, we have to be different to compete in the SEC.

I like Lea and I want him to be successful. But, as of late, I keep thinking Jeff Monken might have been the better hire among the finalists.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by cjdore »

With Mason, I often said that Brentwood High had a more creative offense than VU and this still holds. Why would a talented offensive player want to play in that system? We must show more!!
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by buffy »

I liked this article a lot. I agree with most of it. It's clear that culture is super important to CCL. I'm hoping that a creative approach to clear problems will become a part of that culture.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by VU1970 »

I’m not convinced the answer is to run trick plays that good defenses will blow up for big losses most of the time.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by commadore »

Did anyone see Georgia State v Auburn last week. Ga St runs an option-spread. They ran up and down the field on Auburn and dang near beat them, but for a horrible official's call that was inexplicably upheld by review. Of course Mason is in charge of AU's defense, so that could be a part of it, but Ga St's offense was exciting. Running inside/outside/misdirection and faking runs and throwing. They put up 384 yards. We could run that. Probably need another RB or two, but beats up the middle, up the middle, 6 yard pass, punt.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by VUtiful »

I get the point of this article, but it offers no examples of what might fit their suggestion.

The author basically says that Vanderbilt and Lea need to do something outside the box tactically. Then he writes, "I’m not going to sit here and say Vanderbilt needs to adopt the triple option, or the Air Raid, or a hurry-up offense. That’s Lea’s decision to make, and putting him in a narrow box – as though one system is the answer to his problems – is unfair and very constraining... However, I can say that whatever Clark Lea chooses to do, and wherever he goes from this point forward, it can’t be business as usual."

The only specifics he mentions are those he basically suggests AGAINST doing, as if they are too radical. So what would, "not business as usual, but not crazy business" look like? No idea. But its great for the author as a sportswriter - he basically gives himself an out to be able to criticize any path forward.

This whole thing reads like an appointment with a medical specialist, where they say - "we need to change up your treatment here, something outside the box. But I'm not going to sit here and say you should do X, Y, or Z because those are too radical. So I have no specific recommendations or suggestions for you, apart from do something different, but not too different. Do you know what I mean?"
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by belair »

Shall Lea be known as Deuce JR., Deuce 2.0, Double Deuce, ....?
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by Johnmn555 »

Perhaps "Uno." We'll know after Saturday.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by cc11316 »

So the question is : If the thought is Vanderbilt is to embrace and do some soul searching to learn from this blowout of epic proportions, why can they not also embrace that this level of competitiveness doesn't belong in the SEC. In other words, why so insistent on stewing on the former but so willing to pass off the latter as ignorance if it is mentioned ? If only the defense was this defensive.

I get it, Vandy's a founding member and brings the academic standards of the rest of the conference almost up to a mediocre level compared to other conferences. They have some milestone accomplishments in various other sports (women's bowling, baseball and what seems like some time ago basketball) and have led the conference in some civil rights movements as in the first black basketball player in the SEC, first school with black coaches in basketball and football at the same time, first black athletic director, first female athletic director, first female football player and so on.

Now, if the SEC is a football conference (it is) and the level of competition keeps getting better and better (which it is), when is it fair to ask if the conference's interests coincide with Vanderbilt's interests and vice versa? As far as learning from the Georgia game, I'm not sure what's to be accomplished other than to hopefully say in 10 years do you remember when Vandy was so bad that ... Thank goodness those days are over.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by FayetteDore »

I think the article fairly sums up various threads on this forum -- basically saying that the offense needs to open up in some way, be more creative. No one agrees on HOW exactly to do that -- but then we're not getting paid millions to come up with it.

Also, I don't think anyone is suggesting all trick plays all the time. But having a few well-practiced ones up your sleeve when strategically needed can't be a bad idea. Much like you practice clock management during a two-minute drill.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by VandyPhile »

I think we have tried a couple of “fancier“ plays, but they have not been successful on account of multiple defensive linemen being rather more present and involved in the mix than the plan anticipated. It is a problem we also see on simpler plays. That double reverse flea flicker just takes too long to develop given the limitations of our Oline.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by belair »

We do not have either the speed or the blocking ability to run lateral slower developing plays period. Any time we tried ti run wide we are dumped for a loss. Impossible to run these with backfield that gets crowded in a hurry with the opposition.
Screens and the like only work when defense is in zone coverage. Why would they do that when they can press man to man jumping short routes without risk of getting beaten deep as QB has no time to wait for this.
Tempo with ability for Seals to change to the right play for what defense is showing could work. But he really has to have a good teacher and ALOT of time in the film room for recognition. Do we have such a teacher?
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by Golddore68 »

Look at UT and Heippel. He is running a creative offense. I loathe UT and I always want them to lose, but I have to give him credit.

They run no huddle through the game. They line up with two backs and pass it. They line up with no backs and run reverses. They really keep the defenses guessing. They played with Florida for one-and-half quarters last Saturday.

Right now their defense is pathetic and their quarterbacks can’t get the receivers the ball consistently, but every single play, they have receivers wide open. Plus they continue to make stupid penalties like unsportsmanlike conducts that cost them. But give Heippel a couple of years to get his players in there and they’ll be a good team. I hate to say that, but that’s the way it appears to me.

That’s the type of offense I wish Vanderbilt would try to run.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by Johnmn555 »

belair wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:37 pm We do not have either the speed or the blocking ability to run lateral slower developing plays period.
It's really shocking how slow the execution on these plays is. You can't tell me that it is because we only have three star recruits when our opponents' have four.
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by LawoftheWest »

As often happens in this era, this is a writer who wants to create controversy in my view. It is to the writer's benefit, with a superficial analysis, to push himself. We have a long way to go, but writers have nothing to lose, but gain from their exposure. Cynical, yes. But I have become skeptical of much of the "Fourth Estate".
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by charlestonalum »

Regrettably there is no silver bullet, whether it is winning football at Vanderbilt or stopping a global pandemic. It does indeed take a prolonged process getting all the diverse, complex parts put together. I have been a fan (victim) of Vanderbilt football for over 60 years and for the first time, I am seeing many of the things required for success coming together, but there are many other factors coming into play that threaten our progress. Meanwhile enjoy the good times and endure the others!
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Re: Zemek: Vanderbilt and Clark Lea get a “come to Jesus” moment

Post by dcdore »

charlestonalum wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 5:54 am seeing many of the things required for success coming together
Can't help wondering what the trajectory would have been like if this had happened 2001 instead of 2021.
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