stbone

I agree that Lander doesn’t look like he did in the past, but the sample size with Karene back is so small I don’t feel like I can say one way or the other. The LBs looked significantly better yesterday than they have for a while, and I hope that the improvement continues.

The WR wildcat (at least for the first down) was a very similar formation and play to what Penn St. used to score two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl. We aren’t very physical off of the LOS, and we struggle when there is a lead block. Both of these pays (and most of AZ’s running lays) exploited that.

(TCU) (PSU)…[Read more]

I agree that we are missing the lockdown CB, and that safety play in the box is not at the level of last year. I am out on LB play because of the injuries (the LB play seemed significantly improved yesterday with the return of Karene). For the first time this season, we started getting to a QB yesterday. Pressure will make our secondary healthy.

Based on the D’s turnaround after the Utah score, I think the D is likely better than their statistics indicate and would improve if the O started doing their part. (It seems like a case of the D being completely disheartened).

I have been fascinated over the years (the past ten years) with how unable we are to attack the edge of a defense. This has remained the same regardless of personal and OC. Given our players and team personality, I can’t understand why we don’t run stretch and a healthy dose of option.

As a positive, we aren’t having red-zone issues.

I fantasize about an OC either from the Shanahan tree or familiar with the Shanahan offense. A steady diet of stretch, bootleg, and play action would be a fabulous addition to what the team already does well.

In recent history, most of our success with RB has been via the transfer portal.

Devonte Booker – Transfer
Joe Williams – Transfer
Tavion Thomas – Transfer
JJ – Transfer

Ty Jordan – Recruit
Zack Moss – Recruit
Micah Bernard – Recruit

Thanks for clarifying – that makes more sense.

I saw a post earlier today with the theory that plays will be made, and that the quality of player on the field just changes the distribution of those plays. While there may be some truth to that, the drop-off between the plays made by a top-player and a mid-player isn’t linear. Looking at CPIII’s…[Read more]

This (“team built around one player”) is a bad take that I have seen often over the past several days. Every football team offense is built around the quarterback. And, what you are calling “building around one player” is typically called adding weapons to the offense.

Yes, the team was anticipating a healthy Rising, and they were delivering on…[Read more]

At a high-level, we all expected a WTF loss, and here we are.

As a side rant, I hate the way Utah LB’s are coached and play, and this game exposed that technique. (The last LB that I enjoyed watching from a technique standpoint was Cody Barton). The LB’s seem to be coached to avoid blocks and quickly flow. That works IF your DL eats the vast…[Read more]

NJ had some of the worst accuracy I have ever seen from a QB, combined with incredible athleticism. But, his accuracy was so bad, I don’t believe he could have been a starting QB for an AFA team in the 90’s (because occasionally they needed the QB to hit a throw). I don’t think there is a system that would fit him and work in the college game. (I…[Read more]

I agree he held the ball too long.

To me, BB at the Rose Bowl was a different QB than what we saw last year. I think as the hits and the INTs added up, he started second guessing himself and was probably trying too hard to do the right thing. Since you can’t “think” fast enough to throw on time, once he got trapped in his head, his game just…[Read more]

We are probably both right – different quarterbacks have different windows for what “open” means and which throws they can complete.

Barnes, to me, is an example of a player who regressed as the season progressed. The game seemed to speed up, and he seemed to get worse at processing.

I agree that our receivers are better this year, but I don’t…[Read more]

Receivers were separating, Barnes just couldn’t process fast enough. (Vele is creating separation in the NFL, he was doing it here as well).

Hell’s Bells

I have fallen into the same trap over the years of being let down when the team lost big games. One difference between now and some of the brutal games of the past is that, in the past, I was counting on miraculous events to occur so that we would win, whereas now we have the talent that we can compete and win without miracles. These miraculous…[Read more]

I worry less about the hype than about not being able to seize one of the opportunities that we are being given. The program is where it is today because we won a handful of key games in key seasons. Without ’04, there would have been no ’08, and without both ’04 and ’08, there is no PAC-12. We have been so close to reaching outlandish heights,…[Read more]

Wilson’s surgery is the big wild card. Who knows if Wilson will be ready to go next year.