My biggest frustration with Dimel

[Minerforlife]

To me one of Dimel's biggest failures is his loyalty to his starters. Once he names a starter that person is entrenched in his position. Its very frustrating to watch especially on the offense. The O-line has been bad for a while. They've been especially bad the last three games. They get zero push they don't communicate well and they can't open holes. Awatt is an above average back, talent wise top five in CUSA. However, he nor anyone else can do anything when guys are constantly hitting him in the backfield. We're supposed to be two deep this year on the O-line. That has been bragged about since before the season. If that's true there needs to be changes on the o-line. They are bad right now certainly not playing well enough to win.

The other glaring position is qb. Ever since he was promoted to starter Hardisons had zero competition. He's been ordained the starter until he graduates. He's been bad. He's not accurate, has absolutely no touch or accuracy on intermediate or short routes. He has a big arm but that's it. Lousy accuracy and terrible fundamentals. To make the things worse in the four years Dimel's been coach the qb to lead the team to most points is Calvin Brownholtz. The UNT game last year was by far the most potent the offense has ever looked. Yeah he turned it over alot but that can fixed. With the stagnant offense I don't know he hasn't got a shot. It's beyond frustrating that Hardison is ordained the starter and has no competition.

On a side note. One of the worst things about the lack of running game is that we're one of the few programs that uses a fullback. On 78% of the snaps this year we've employed a fullback. The fact that we use a fullback and still can't run the ball is an indictment on Dimels offense. He's need to go back to drawing board schematically. Over half the offensive snaps this year we've had a fullback and tight end on the field. 95% of time the tight end is kept in to block. That's seven blockers and we can't run the ball. I have no problem with Kevin Perry He's a great blocking tight end and would grade much higher blocking any of the oline- men.

This team needs competition. They're comfortable in their positions and it shows.

 

[Roy_Bigwood_05]

+1 well said, great post.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

To me one of Dimel's biggest failures is his loyalty to his starters. Once he names a starter that person is entrenched in his position. Its very frustrating to watch especially on the offense. The O-line has been bad for a while. They've been especially bad the last three games. They get zero push they don't communicate well and they can't open holes. Awatt is an above average back, talent wise top five in CUSA. However, he nor anyone else can do anything when guys are constantly hitting him in the backfield. We're supposed to be two deep this year on the O-line. That has been bragged about since before the season. If that's true there needs to be changes on the o-line. They are bad right now certainly not playing well enough to win.

The other glaring position is qb. Ever since he was promoted to starter Hardisons had zero competition. He's been ordained the starter until he graduates. He's been bad. He's not accurate, has absolutely no touch or accuracy on intermediate or short routes. He has a big arm but that's it. Lousy accuracy and terrible fundamentals. To make the things worse in the four years Dimel's been coach the qb to lead the team to most points is Calvin Brownholtz. The UNT game last year was by far the most potent the offense has ever looked. Yeah he turned it over alot but that can fixed. With the stagnant offense I don't know he hasn't got a shot. It's beyond frustrating that Hardison is ordained the starter and has no competition.

On a side note. One of the worst things about the lack of running game is that we're one of the few programs that uses a fullback. On 78% of the snaps this year we've employed a fullback. The fact that we use a fullback and still can't run the ball is an indictment on Dimels offense. He's need to go back to drawing board schematically. Over half the offensive snaps this year we've had a fullback and tight end on the field. 95% of time the tight end is kept in to block. That's seven blockers and we can't run the ball. I have no problem with Kevin Perry He's a great blocking tight end and would grade much higher blocking any of the oline- men.

This team needs competition. They're comfortable in their positions and it shows.

We should schedule 3 FCS teams next year

 

[UTEPDefense]

My biggest frustration with Dimel is the lack of organization. This disapoints me most because you would expect better from such an experienced coach. In both the FAU and UNT games we had to burn a time-out after a kick-return and prior to even taking a first down snap. Almost every game this year our offense has had to waste a time out because of confusion or a play clock running out. My issue is that this is has happened so many times over the years, including even more games this year, that when the same problem is still happening at the end of year four, then that is a coaching/system issue, not a player issue.

In both the FAU and UNT games, we had a penalty for not having enough men on the line of scrimmage. In both situations, our WR started on the line of scrimage then motioned off for some unknown reason. I saw both and immediately screamed to get back on the line of scrimmage, but it is as if our players(or QB) don't know the basic rules and hike the ball.

This brings me to another point, which is that Dimel's offense has so much pre-snap movement that accomplishes nothing. Why are we lining our Full Back up as a WR, then motioning him back inside? Why do we motion our WR inside on some running plays, which only brings another defender into the box? Why do we randomly motion WR's off and on the line of scrimmage? We also constantly flip our RB from the left side of the QB to the right of the QB(or vice versa) with less than 10 seconds left on the clock. We are constantly moving guys as the clock is counting down. Yes, I understand why this is generally done(you're reading the defense, trying to see the coverage, or even changing the play), but it doesn't seem to be accomplishing anything effective for Dimel and it is frustrating to watch when our guys are still motioning and barely getting set as the clock is running out.

Piggybacking on the previous thought, Dimel loves talking about how we are a multiple offense, yet his multiple formations seem to leave us a mile wide, but only an inch deep. Instead of running so many plays with pre-snap motion, or having our FB lined up as a WR(who then just get's covered the same as a WR would), or some formations that can motion off into 3 other things, maybe it would be better if we instead got really good and more effective at a smaller package. Or maybe we just line up a WR at WR, instead of a FB.

Another complaint of Dimel's offense is that when we are in 3rd and 8 or longer, there is a very good chance that we aren't even going to throw it to the first down marker. So even if the pass is completed, we still likely won't make the first down. I hate watching offenses that throw short of the sticks on 3rd down and that is what we have become particularly over the past few games.

When it comes to play calling, I am not as critical as most, but Dimel's red zone play calling in particular is not very good. Dimel also wastes a lot of downs with his play calling. When we get into the red zone, there is a 80% chance that we are running it for 3 yards or less on first down, which now places us with only two more chances to score a TD from basically the same location(the 7 yard line instead of the 10 yard line). We constantly waste plays through out a game, which could be avoided with just a little more aggressive play calling. What frustrated me most about the UNT game playcalling, was that we got down to the 25 yard line at the end of the game, then decided to run the ball on both first and second down as the clock was ticking down? Instead of wasting first and second down, try to win the game coach!

The comment about Dimel sticking with his starters until they graduate is also a long complaint(just look at Josh Fields ineffectiveness last year). I have already posted this before on this board, but when Dimel was first hired, long before I ever saw him coach a UTEP game, I called my friend who is a high school coach in the Houston area. He coaches with a guy who played for Dimel at UH and he said that his biggest complaint about Dimel was that he only played his starters and that it was impossible to improve on the depth chart until the players ahead of you graduated. He said that he was ready to transfer had Dimel stayed another year. Instead Dimel left and the players were given a clean slate and this guy immediately began getting playing time. I constantly hear Dimel talking about the players learning the offense, as if learning the offense is a multi-year process, yet our play calls are some of the simplest that you will see on a Saturday. How many times can you tell what play is coming based on the formation?, personnel?, or if it is a running play just by seeing Awatt lined up a little differently next to Hardison? My only guess is that the players are learning so many useless formations and useless pre snap motions, because nothing else about this offense seems complex to learn.

 

[utep2step]

We should schedule 3 FCS teams next year

Life wants improvement with two steps forward and not three back.

💩 💩 💩 is all you offer. Big difference.

 

[FiliUTEP]

my biggest frustration is with the crappy recruiting .

 

[utep2step]

my biggest frustration is with the crappy recruiting .

It was just stated on the post game radio tonight that Hardison chucked a 78 yard pass for a UTEP fund raiser last year.

Dimel beat out Ok State Mike Grundy and another P5 head coach for one of UTEP’s juco linebackers last year. All three were in the same juco dorm building on the same day at the same time. Dimel spotted them and by self-admission he hid so as not to tip them off. Dimel won him over. (EPTimes story from a few months ago). Dimel beat out Arkansas for Hankins. Cowing had P5 offers.

Now getting the team ready for game time is another story. The inefficiency drives me crazy. But Dimel is bringing in good recruits.