COLUMN: USU offense too conservative
I feel like the Aggies have had enough losses occurring in a similar manner, to voice some valid frustrations with Utah State football.
As a disclaimer, I have all the respect and trust in head coach Gary Andersen. He is a huge reason the Aggies are where they are right now — on the brink of being a great and successful program.
Granted, there have been some special-teams follies that have proven costly for USU, but that is not where my biggest concern lies. I have heard this complaint not only from fans but fellow journalists as well. I have seriously questioned the inconsistent and sometimes overly conservative play calling of offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin.
I don’t proclaim to be a superior at play calling, as I have absolutely no experience in coaching or play calling for an entire game. However, in certain situations, the play call that seems to be the right choice has not always been called this season.
Let’s rewind back to the BYU game, when senior defensive Chris Harris forced BYU running back JJ Di Luigi to fumble, with 3:53 remaining, and all USU needed to do was convert one or two first downs. The Aggies gave Robert Turbin the ball to run up the middle on first and second downs — which I am not opposed to at all — then Baldwin called up a draw play for true-freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton, on a 3rd-and-7.
I don’t profess to be a play-calling expert, but that play-call sequence seemed to neglect the talent of the Aggie roster.
Neglect doesn’t quite describe what I am driving at. Let’s examine the opening drive of the second half against the Colorado State Rams. USU had struggled to get any type of momentum going in the first half, and a quick-hitting no-huddle possession from the Ags resulted in a touchdown within the first five minutes of the third quarter.
What baffled me is Baldwin never went back to the no-huddle offense, when it was so successful the first time.
Running away from successful options seems to be a huge underlying issue to me.
After Turbin went 80 yards and scored on the opening play of the game against BYU, he only carried the ball two more times for the remainder of the first half. He only carried the ball nine times the entire game.
Out of all my confusion and questioning, it is important to keep in mind that Baldwin has called and drawn up some incredibly creative plays. We saw them all last season, but, since the Auburn game, they have been relatively nonexistent. The creativity of his plays blows my mind, but the fact those plays have not been called also blows my mind.
Last season, when creative and sometimes risky plays were more prominent in the Aggie offense, I believe Baldwin did a great job with the limited availability of players due to injuries.
This season is a different story, however. There are several impact players on the Aggie roster that Baldwin has at his disposal for creating a game plan, and I don’t think he has consistently and effectively tapped into the talented Aggie roster.
There have been some unfortunate events for the Aggies that have obviously taken some type of mental toll on a group trying to become a successful program. The Aggie defense is doing its job; special teams has had some issues, but I feel the Aggie offense is talented enough that none of the losses should have even been close games.
Andersen said he is reassessing the program due to the recent losses, and I hope he closely examines the offensive decisions of Baldwin. They need to be less conservative, more aggressive and more assertive.
– Tyler Huskinson is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. He is also a sports writer for the Heral Journal. Follow his Twitter feed @TDHuskiSports or send any comments to ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu