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Baylor Football

Renewed focus on perimeter blocking has Baylor WRs prepped for OSU

October 12, 2017
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As one of the only teams in the nation with three receivers over 300 yards, Oklahoma State’s offense is capable of quick strikes all over the field. TCU combatted that with a steady ground attack to take down the Cowboys while Texas Tech came up a drive short last week spreading its targets to swing into the top 25.

Jim Black

With a run game that’s been suspect recently, Baylor’s focus will be getting the passing game moving to keep up with Mason Rudolph, which will only help open up a few running lanes for a healthy stable of running backs. Zach Smith’s toughness has shined since taking the starting role and has built a rhythm head coach Matt Rhule said is good to keep building upon.

“We looked up somewhere in the middle of the second quarter he was 11-for-11 or 12-for-12 but only for about 68 yards,” Rhule said about Smith’s performance in the loss at Kansas State.  “But what I think that does do is give Zach and the receivers in a rhythm.”

Those yards slowly chipped away at the clock and kept hammering down the field but lacked the big plays early on. Those came later on thanks to Denzel Mims but Rhule isn’t quick to abandon what made Smith so efficient early on against KSU.

It’s always five or six plays away. And in those five or six plays, it’s usually just a block away. So you’re never as far away as you think you are.
- Matt Rhule

Before his injury, Chris Platt was turning those quick-hitters into breakaway plays. As Rhule noted Wednesday, one of his touchdowns was made possible by center Ryan Miller getting downfield for a big block, something the team hasn’t been able to do consistently lately to combine efficiency with explosiveness.

One of the receivers to step up in Platt’s absence, Pooh Stricklin said that’s been a focus during the bye week, getting the receivers to work on their blocks around the perimeter and also open up the run game.

“We need to get better at blocking on the perimeter,” Stricklin said Tuesday. “I feel that’s our weakness. This week, that’s our main focus.”

Coming off back-to-back career-best performances, Stricklin said the bye week has helped the receiving corps strengthen that area. When it comes to looking through game film, he said it’s just a matter of executing a few plays better to get that first ‘W.’

“Three, four or five plays that we could have executed on and been right there,” Stricklin said.

Rhule agreed with Stricklin’s assessment, adding that’s usually just been a “block away” from succeeding and getting out of those fourth-quarter predicaments Baylor’s been in all season.

“To me, it’s all just time,” Rhule said. “It’s always five or six plays away. And in those five or six plays, it’s usually just a block away. So you’re never as far away as you think you are.”

Discussion from...

Renewed focus on perimeter blocking has Baylor WRs prepped for OSU

6,320 Views | 6 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Oso Pardo
Bearupnobly
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To me, it's all just time," Rhule said
When will it finally be time to win? Rhule needs to develop a sense of urgency.
JumboShrimper
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I hope they come out blazing and actually take a lead on someone. Who gives a flip about the fourth quarter. Hit em in the mouth and don't look back.
Krieg
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I love the "it's only 5 or 6 plays, you're not as far away as you think."

He does realize that statement is still true so long as you lose by less than 43 points, right? That's hardly something to be proud of in reality.
hodedofome
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Positive Bear said:

I hope they come out blazing and actually take a lead on someone. Who gives a flip about the fourth quarter. Hit em in the mouth and don't look back.


Can't wait for a Big12 team to do that to us and show this coaching staff their B1G mindset is stupid.

These aren't 17-14 games which are won by a field goal in the 4th quarter. Good grief.
hodedofome
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Also, perimeter blocking was a strength of a Briles offense. WR's were always blocking out there for RB's and other WR's.
Oso Pardo
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hodedofome said:

Positive Bear said:

I hope they come out blazing and actually take a lead on someone. Who gives a flip about the fourth quarter. Hit em in the mouth and don't look back.


Can't wait for a Big12 team to do that to us and show this coaching staff their B1G mindset is stupid.

These aren't 17-14 games which are won by a field goal in the 4th quarter. Good grief.
You may get your wish this week. OU was looking past us (as evident by "Daddy's" little comment) and just wasn't ready for what we threw at them. That plus JS and his receivers having a GREAT game that actually gave us a chance to run the ball a little.

KSU and Purple Wizard was hoping that we would try to play clock control because that is their specialty and knew that they could beat us if it went that way....and they were beating us handily until we decided to step it up and score some points in the second half. I can't imagine that Wizard was too scared, he knew exactly what he needed to do to win that game. But, KSU isn't a high scoring team so it didn't look as bad as it was....we were completely dominated for half of that game.

Now comes OSU. Mullet has two good games of film and will know exactly what he needs to do. He has had a chance to study our weakness and knows our strengths. JS and our receivers have been good the last two games when they have been allowed to "do what they do", but it has just been too late before they get to run wild and put some points up.

I truly hope I am wrong, praying that I am wrong, begging for some breakthrough that will give us the edge in BPS, but I don't see it happening. This game has the potential to be a complete disaster by halftime, especially if we go up there expecting to win by playing slow and taking 7 minutes off of the clock for every drive. OSU will score quickly and often and we better go into this game with the same mentality or we are in trouble.

PLEASE PROVE WRONG BEARS....PLEASE!!!!
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