Doc50
Original Fan
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Had a 48 yard line front row seat, and the best thing I can report is that the band was in mid-season form.
No really, we have some significant deficiencies to solve before September, and I don't see that happening in some cases.
1) QB -- Ash may be made of glass, and the #2 is not close to being ready. The stats for Swoops don't look too bad on the surface, but he made a number of poor and/or ill-advised throws. He didn't look like he was in command of the offense, and his running wasn't actual, since it was only touch on the QB's.
Our #3 is converted TE, and he looked like it, though he was running the #2 O against the #1 D. That's more indicative of Tyrone's deficiencies, since he was up against the #2 D.
#4 is a walk-on, and looked it.
We really need Wittek to sign, and he and Ash might be able to carry the load, though neither is has shown NFL-caliber talent.
2) RB -- Gray and Bergeron were out, so the #2 O had Overstreet at RB. He missed enough assignments to earn coaches' wrath on more than one occasion, but this is correctable. Looked athletic enough to do the job.
Malcolm Brown was a bright spot on offense; ran tough.
3) OL -- This was possibly the most glaring weakness (and biggest challenge to fill), with less than adequate run and pass blocking across the board. Hopefully Wickline will be able to work some magic.
4) WR -- This group looked pretty good. Sanders and Marcus Johnson showed good routes, hands, and moves; they appear ready to step up. Shipley was tops, as usual.
5) TE -- Still no star receiver here, but the passing game in general was insufficient. Have not showed that anyone can both block and catch.
Defense -- Hard to say how good we were, especially at DL, considering the leaky OL and inexperience at QB, but all phases showed flashes of excellence. LB's looked good, and we have some depth there.Thompson and Turner @ safety were both consistently making big plays, and Quandre looked like the next big star at CB. Would like to have seen the DL against better competition.
Kicking -- This does not appear to be an area for concern, despite the loss of UT's first consensus all-American. Punting and kicking were long and mostly accurate.
Daje -- Amazing quickness; a real spark who just needs more touches in the passing and KR game.
In conclusion, there's a lot of work to be done, but Strong is no doubt large and in charge.
This is a fun game, but there was a sense of discipline and purpose that addressed the seriousness of the task at hand. The coaches were not taking it easy on anyone, and the transitions appeared well-organized.
We'll surely be more competitive on defense, but we may be a year away from any national contention, mostly due to the OL issues. The QB and TE questions must be answered as well. Hoping as always for the best.
No really, we have some significant deficiencies to solve before September, and I don't see that happening in some cases.
1) QB -- Ash may be made of glass, and the #2 is not close to being ready. The stats for Swoops don't look too bad on the surface, but he made a number of poor and/or ill-advised throws. He didn't look like he was in command of the offense, and his running wasn't actual, since it was only touch on the QB's.
Our #3 is converted TE, and he looked like it, though he was running the #2 O against the #1 D. That's more indicative of Tyrone's deficiencies, since he was up against the #2 D.
#4 is a walk-on, and looked it.
We really need Wittek to sign, and he and Ash might be able to carry the load, though neither is has shown NFL-caliber talent.
2) RB -- Gray and Bergeron were out, so the #2 O had Overstreet at RB. He missed enough assignments to earn coaches' wrath on more than one occasion, but this is correctable. Looked athletic enough to do the job.
Malcolm Brown was a bright spot on offense; ran tough.
3) OL -- This was possibly the most glaring weakness (and biggest challenge to fill), with less than adequate run and pass blocking across the board. Hopefully Wickline will be able to work some magic.
4) WR -- This group looked pretty good. Sanders and Marcus Johnson showed good routes, hands, and moves; they appear ready to step up. Shipley was tops, as usual.
5) TE -- Still no star receiver here, but the passing game in general was insufficient. Have not showed that anyone can both block and catch.
Defense -- Hard to say how good we were, especially at DL, considering the leaky OL and inexperience at QB, but all phases showed flashes of excellence. LB's looked good, and we have some depth there.Thompson and Turner @ safety were both consistently making big plays, and Quandre looked like the next big star at CB. Would like to have seen the DL against better competition.
Kicking -- This does not appear to be an area for concern, despite the loss of UT's first consensus all-American. Punting and kicking were long and mostly accurate.
Daje -- Amazing quickness; a real spark who just needs more touches in the passing and KR game.
In conclusion, there's a lot of work to be done, but Strong is no doubt large and in charge.
This is a fun game, but there was a sense of discipline and purpose that addressed the seriousness of the task at hand. The coaches were not taking it easy on anyone, and the transitions appeared well-organized.
We'll surely be more competitive on defense, but we may be a year away from any national contention, mostly due to the OL issues. The QB and TE questions must be answered as well. Hoping as always for the best.
