[Goose]

The biggest problem today was not running play action when WSU was putting 8 & 9 players up on the line. Not sure if that was a coaching issue or that Costello wasn't (or couldn't) check into play action. Probably some of both. But FFS when defenses do that you have to punish them.

Winflop, I have to adamantly disagree with you. Play action passes work only when you are running with some effectiveness. We basically weren't. They also take a while to develop, so if the defense is attacking (instead of read and react), you are at a disadvantage. Further, to make the fake effective, the QB has to basically turn his back to the line of scrimmage. I don't think there is enough money on the planet to get Costello to do that today. Play action would have been suicide the way we were blocking.
If you want to say we should have used more 3 step drop and quick patterns, that might have worked. However, given that the WSU defense sees that every day in practice, it just might be hard to make work.

[Goose]

The biggest problem today was not running play action when WSU was putting 8 & 9 players up on the line. Not sure if that was a coaching issue or that Costello wasn't (or couldn't) check into play action. Probably some of both. But FFS when defenses do that you have to punish them.

Winflop, I have to adamantly disagree with you. Play action passes work only when you are running with some effectiveness. We basically weren't. They also take a while to develop, so if the defense is attacking (instead of read and react), you are at a disadvantage. Further, to make the fake effective, the QB has to basically turn his back to the line of scrimmage. I don't think there is enough money on the planet to get Costello to do that today. Play action would have been suicide the way we were blocking.
If you want to say we should have used more 3 step drop and quick patterns, that might have worked. However, given that the WSU defense sees that every day in practice, it just might be hard to make work.