Interesting Matt Rhule Nugget about midway thru season's 2 at Temple and Baylor...

[Huskerbuck85]

- In games #18 and #19 (midway thru his 2nd season) for Temple, Rhule lost back to back games vs. Houston and Central Florida. Temple was outscored 65-24 in those games.
- In game #19 for Baylor, Matt Rhule and the Bears got Booty Blasted, 58-13 at a slightly above average 5th place Big 12 team - West Virginia

After those games, Rhule proceeded to go 25-9 the rest of his career at Temple. He went 14-5 over the next 19 games at Baylor.

Temple was 5-2 in year two going into those two blowouts.
Baylor was 4-3 in year two going into that blowout.

Rhule was 6-13 with Temple going into those blowouts.
Rhule was 5-14 with Baylor going into those blowouts.

What's my point? The man clearly didn't lose those locker rooms and programs when it would've been very fucking easy to question whether the program is going anywhere.

Does Rhule need to consider some changes and adjustments that may have not been needed at Temple and Baylor? Absolutely, but our fanbase needs to learn how to be patient like Nebraska needs to learn how to win football games.

So do we have to lose to osu before we see the turnaround based on these stats or do we get to beat them?

 

[Juro]

So do we have to lose to osu before we see the turnaround based on these stats or do we get to beat them?

That's pretty much both good either way. Turnaround after a big expected loss or we beat them.

 

[JankTheTank]

Interesting question would be, what adjustments were made after these games if any?

I don’t know about mid season adjustments in Year 2, but Rhule made some off season schematic adjustments between Years 2 and 3 at both Temple and Baylor that appear to be critical for their Year 3 success.

At Temple the offensive approach was adjusted after they were initially trying to be more of a spread team. Rhule even proclaimed "We're going to throw the ball until we become good at it." By the end of Year 2, he was frustrated that they weren’t able to successfully run the ball when they felt they needed to (sounds very familiar). They averaged 107.8 rushing yards a game with 11 rushing TDs in 12 games that season. So they changed their approach. The result was averaging 149.8 rushing yards and 25 rushing TDs in Year 3 (24 rushing TDs in the regular season, discounting the AAC championship game and bowl game) and 176.4 rushing yards with 31 rushing TDs in Year 4 (29 rushing TDs in the regular season).

Satterfield still called the plays in Year 3, but moved from coaching QBs to RBs. Glenn Thomas was also hired that year as QB coach. Tyree Foreman, the previous RB coach, left to go coach at Tennessee Tech (not sure if he was fired, encouraged to move on, or made the decision on his own). Adam DiMichele, who took over WRs in 2014* was made Director of Player Development while Frisman Jackson was hired from NC State to coach WRs. Essentially every offensive position except for TEs and OL had a new position coach between Rhule's Year 2 and Year 3 to go along with a new offensive approach to was supposed to be more physical.

After 2018, Baylor changed their defensive scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-3-5. Some credit this scheme approach for being a major part of their success that year. The only staff adjustment was bringing in Satterfield to coach TEs and free up Joey McGuire to coach DEs. An article discussing the scheme change can be found here: https://sportstreatise.com/2019/07/rhules-plan-to-save-the-defense/

This quote from Rhule in particular when discussing the change before the 2019 season even started gives me some hope that Rhule doesn't just have his head in the sand on noting his teams' deficiencies:

"I just think after going through the conference last year when we went back and watched our cut-ups, and when we were in that 3-down stuff, um, Clay Johnston had elite games, we eliminated the explosive plays, we had a little more speed on the field so we’ve just kinda flipped it. We’re still going to do both but instead of being based out of the 4-3 and mixing in some 3-down stuff, I just think that Phil has said, let’s base out of the 3-down and then we always have the ability to put the 4th rusher in and get after the QB."

It sounds like a coach who is adaptable, even if we feel he has been as stubborn as can be in some ways this year.

The jump made from Year 2 to Year 3 wasn't necessarily done in a vacuum where Rhule just kept doing the same thing until it worked. Granted, it does seem like he is committed to whatever approach he decides on while the season is going. But come post-season time, he has a history of reflecting and adjusting.


* In 2013 Rhule hired Terry M Smith, who was a highschool football head coach in Pennsylvania. This seems to be the prototype of Rhule's MO of hiring highschool head coaches. Smith coached for a year before leaving to coach DBs at Gaetz State for James Franklin. Smith is still there as Franklin's Associate Head Coach now.

 

[Stan Raymond]

I don’t know about mid season adjustments in Year 2, but Rhule made some off season schematic adjustments between Years 2 and 3 at both Temple and Baylor that appear to be critical for their Year 3 success.

At Temple the offensive approach was adjusted after they were initially trying to be more of a spread team. Rhule even proclaimed "We're going to throw the ball until we become good at it." By the end of Year 2, he was frustrated that they weren’t able to successfully run the ball when they felt they needed to (sounds very familiar). They averaged 107.8 rushing yards a game with 11 rushing TDs in 12 games that season. So they changed their approach. The result was averaging 149.8 rushing yards and 25 rushing TDs in Year 3 (24 rushing TDs in the regular season, discounting the AAC championship game and bowl game) and 176.4 rushing yards with 31 rushing TDs in Year 4 (29 rushing TDs in the regular season).

Satterfield still called the plays in Year 3, but moved from coaching QBs to RBs. Glenn Thomas was also hired that year as QB coach. Tyree Foreman, the previous RB coach, left to go coach at Tennessee Tech (not sure if he was fired, encouraged to move on, or made the decision on his own). Adam DiMichele, who took over WRs in 2014* was made Director of Player Development while Frisman Jackson was hired from NC State to coach WRs. Essentially every offensive position except for TEs and OL had a new position coach between Rhule's Year 2 and Year 3 to go along with a new offensive approach to was supposed to be more physical.

After 2018, Baylor changed their defensive scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-3-5. Some credit this scheme approach for being a major part of their success that year. The only staff adjustment was bringing in Satterfield to coach TEs and free up Joey McGuire to coach DEs. An article discussing the scheme change can be found here: https://sportstreatise.com/2019/07/rhules-plan-to-save-the-defense/

This quote from Rhule in particular when discussing the change before the 2019 season even started gives me some hope that Rhule doesn't just have his head in the sand on noting his teams' deficiencies:

"I just think after going through the conference last year when we went back and watched our cut-ups, and when we were in that 3-down stuff, um, Clay Johnston had elite games, we eliminated the explosive plays, we had a little more speed on the field so we’ve just kinda flipped it. We’re still going to do both but instead of being based out of the 4-3 and mixing in some 3-down stuff, I just think that Phil has said, let’s base out of the 3-down and then we always have the ability to put the 4th rusher in and get after the QB."

It sounds like a coach who is adaptable, even if we feel he has been as stubborn as can be in some ways this year.

The jump made from Year 2 to Year 3 wasn't necessarily done in a vacuum where Rhule just kept doing the same thing until it worked. Granted, it does seem like he is committed to whatever approach he decides on while the season is going. But come post-season time, he has a history of reflecting and adjusting.


* In 2013 Rhule hired Terry M Smith, who was a highschool football head coach in Pennsylvania. This seems to be the prototype of Rhule's MO of hiring highschool head coaches. Smith coached for a year before leaving to coach DBs at Gaetz State for James Franklin. Smith is still there as Franklin's Associate Head Coach now.

Good stuff. Well stated, it's why I still have faith n Rhule, but at the same time not real high on this season. One thing that Rhule is good at is self assessment, he isn't afraid to make changes, but like you said it appears he is not willing to make big changes during the season.

 

[Cornicator]

Whole point of this thread was that past history suggests Rhule's teams don't give up and they overcome adversity.

Today's game suggests Rhule hasn't lost the locker room. Team will beat UCLAbia and be in good shape going forward.

 

[BIG TONE SOPRANO]

Whole point of this thread was that past history suggests Rhule's teams don't give up and they overcome adversity.

Today's game suggests Rhule hasn't lost the locker room. Team will beat UCLAbia and be in good shape going forward.

Agree. Monster step today

 

[ChocaEgg]

Whole point of this thread was that past history suggests Rhule's teams don't give up and they overcome adversity.

Today's game suggests Rhule hasn't lost the locker room. Team will beat UCLAbia and be in good shape going forward.

Gotta be a yuuge confidence boost for defense and special teams (specifically FG unit). Offense is still an absolute dumpster fire though.

Shoooould beat UCLAbia and might be able to steal one of the other three games.

 

[dom91932]

Gotta be a yuuge confidence boost for defense and special teams (specifically FG unit). Offense is still an absolute dumpster fire though.

Shoooould beat UCLAbia and might be able to steal one of the other three games.

If we can get it done against UCLAbia I really think we'll see a looser more confident team the last three games

 

[Tonkasker]

If we can get it done against UCLAbia I really think we'll see a looser more confident team the last three games

I think getting over the bowl hump will be huge for the team mentally

Loosest I’ve seen them play recently was at kinnick when they had nothing to play for