Rich Rod is one stubborn dude...

[RockyRaccoon]

He is obviously convinced that his system is perfect and doesn't need to be tweaked depending on his personnel or the defense he is facing.

If you have a bunch of speedy 5/4 stars from Florida and California that might work but running the same 3 or 4 passing plays just doesn't work when you have such little talent.

Anytime the UA faced a competent defense this season, they got shut down until late in the game when the other team was completely gassed.

Weak 0-line completely dominated. Slow ass receivers blanketed. Dumb QB utterly confused.

Damn, this team needs some work and it starts with recruiting...

Jesus this team is screwed.

[CalStateTempe]

That exactly what my friend from Northwestern said when I would talk to him about frustrating RR things from years 1 and 2 - Stubborn dude.

[Puerco]

Lol, Rocky. That's some funny shit.

Yeah, we ARE screwed.

[Bosy Billups]

Yea, he's like Sean Miller in a way, won't change his system. It just doesn't work.

Rich Rod needs to change from spread offense to something more like Nick Saban and Alabama. Smash Mouth.

It's obvious that RR's system doesn't work.

Despite being in the Pac-12 Championship game and making it to the Fiesta Bowl with far less talent, it just doesn't work.

Despite being ranked in the top 10, it just doesn't work.

We need to go slow.

[Merkin]

It's not the system obviously, it's the play calling and execution. 3 quarters of up the middle runs and short rollout passes to the right before deciding to finally go left and over the middle in the 4th quarter?

[UAEebs86]

Doesn't RR's system rely on the QB to make live reads, so that on any given play, it could be any of a multiple of calls?
(Run if the defense does this, pass if the defense does that, find the open area given, etc.?)

If so, then the play calling is mostly on Anu during the game. Of course, RR is responsible for picking the right QB and teaching him how to make the right reads in practice.

[Olsondogg]

I certainly wish that both RichRod and Miller would stop just being so damn stubborn and start listening to the genius that is all over this message board.

[eoe]

This isn't basketball. You can't "tweak" an entire damn system and run different base formations. A few plays to exploit the D? Of course, but this offense is unstoppable when the right decisions are being made at the attack point. No Wilson and Bad Anu doomed us.

And I'm not buying the "no-talent" BS. On paper, our recruiting classes have been extremely pathetic (my main and no.1 gripe always), but in reality we have a ton of extremely talented skill players, especially at WR (much to the credit of the staff and some credit to good fortune). If having the top WR corp in the league isn't talent, then I'm not sure what to say.

-Neal (5* transfer): who BTW has been quite disappointing thus far. He looked much better in limited PT as a true frosh at ND. Poor route-running and shit-hands. Not going to even comment on returns. Scary.
-Jones (5* transfer): NFl talent
-Hill (recruiting diamond): NFL talent
-Grant (recruiting diamond): CFB star potential
-Phillips (recruiting diamond): CFB star potential
-Richards (recruiting diamond): solid player who has so much potential. what is up

One player I can't wait to see develop is TJ Johnson. Kid can bust the big play. Just needs some strength.

[Merkin]

Very good question eoe on the WRs. Grant and Phillips are suppose to be the fastest guys on the field (outside of TJ Johnson), and can't get separation? Has Hill lost a step due to his knee injury?

Could not believe when Richards dropped that pass yesterday. Very good hands, unlike Cayleb Jones who can get open but can't handle passes that aren't right to him.

No idea what happened to Neal. Don't expect to see him back handling punts next year.

[3goggles]

I feel like the wrinkle RR needs to add to this offense is the vertical threat off the read option like Oregon does! Attack vertical when the defense stacks the box!

[gumby]

RichRod is not the future .... next. The Hard Edge Experiment is over. The sky is down around our ankles. But Twinkies are back, so we can come back, too.

[UAtrue]

It's not the system obviously, it's the play calling and execution. 3 quarters of up the middle runs and short rollout passes to the right before deciding to finally go left and over the middle in the 4th quarter?

I think I saw more rollout passes to the right than middle runs for the first 3 quarters. But still, it seemed like we had 3 or 4 plays with an occasional poorly timed deep pass.

Look, I still love RR, and think he is "the man" but that was some lousy play calling. Reminded me of the "run up the middle" Tomey years where the opponents could easily pick up what play we were running.

[RockyRaccoon]

RR just doesn't have the horses yet. I don't have any problem with his system or play calling when he gets the right personnel but as of today, I feel like he should have been a little more adaptive in what he was calling.

The Cats need SPEED. As "great" as Cayleb Jones is, we need a lot more TJ Johnsons for the system to look more like Oregon/TCU/Baylor in terms of explosive plays.

[cats101]

He is stubborn but still a great coach imo

[Daryl Zero]

RichRod is not the future .... next. The Hard Edge Experiment is over. The sky is down around our ankles. But Twinkies are back, so we can come back, too.

Mmmmm, twinkies . . .

[gumby]

Be hard-pressed to find any great anybody who isn't stubborn. Another way to look at is committed. You become committed to a plan, a theory, a philosophy. If you don't, you can never hone it to a sharp enough edge. Some coaches may mix it up more, but it's still within the framework. It's like in basketball when fans call for changing defenses. If you practice too many, you don't master any of them.

Oregon uses tight ends. We don't. That could be a tweak without overhauling a system. Think it would help, especially in the red zone.

[EastCoastCat]

I think talent has a little bit to do with it too.

Let's face it, we are not there yet but we certainly got the most out of the talent that suited up this year. To think otherwise is just nuts.

I think we will always compete at the skill positions with what RichRod has to offer. The key thing is to improve both our O-line and D-line talent and depth. If we can do that we can continually compete with the big boys.

[gumby]

I think talent has a little bit to do with it too.

Let's face it, we are not there yet but we certainly got the most out of the talent that suited up this year. To think otherwise is just nuts.

I think we will always compete at the skill positions with what RichRod has to offer. The key thing is to improve both our O-line and D-line talent and depth. If we can do that we can continually compete with the big boys.

100 percent how I feel. You rarely (never?) see an Arizona commit in those ESPN crawls. And when I get the email alert on a recruit, it's almost always a 3 star. To win 10 regardless and clinch the division is great. Can only go so far with hidden gems and coach-em-ups.

[ASUHATER!]

Yup. With RR's offensive mind we'll always have a good offense and good, productive skill players, but until we up the recruiting, we'll always be pushed around and undersized in the trenches. And that wears your team out and costs you a few games.