My thoughts after the SLU game

[FishingBack]

People might whine about this game and how bad they think we are. It's hard to blame Scelfo when PJ and Compton lose fumbles. The pick-6 by Bennett was a horrible decision (not Scelfo's fault). Without these problems we'd have rollled these chumps good.

Jenkins was in the game but I think he just handed it off and rushed.

Bennett had 5 yards a carry (30 total). His completion % was up to 55.

Our offensive line is mediocre/bad. I thought maybe it was because we were playing BCS teams but they were unable to protect the QB against SLU.

Drops: Adrian Linwood dropped a perfectly thrown pass then drew a penalty after the whistle which ended the drive. Dustin Mitchell dropped an easy one too.

False starts were still high but we negated that by drawing the defense offsides a lot.

We played at least four freshman WRs. Fiege, Stuart, Tuminello, and Adrian Linwood all got their numbers called. Tuminello looked fundamentally solid with great hands but his arms sure are skinny. Where was Cruz? Stuart had one real nice haul for a first down.

Womack had some nice blocks.

Their only touchdowns were the pick 6 and the well executed trick play. We held them to field goals the rest of the time. Our D did have that nice block and return.

Our defense was pretty solid for all the yards passing they gave up. I think I've just learned how we operate schematically. We rely on sacks, picks, penalties, drops, and stuffing the run to stop drives. If an offensive unit is able to pass the ball efficiently we find it hard to stop them. Boise is going to go to town on us through the air, just like last year.

Their QB is going to feel the pain for a long time. We rocked his world several times, but mostly just after he got rid of the ball. I'm surprised we didn't rupture his spleen or something.

We held them to only three points in the second half.

We outrushed them 249 to 63. 5 ypc to 3 ypc (we rushed more)
They outpassed us 377 to 196 -BUT- that is with 60 attempts to 27. We actually had a higher yards per pass number (7.3 to 6.3).

Considering both types of yards per play we were much better.

We lost the turnover margin by 1.

We outsacked them 3 to 2.

I want to see Porter's rush TD on youtube. That was insane.

Did Compton go in because PJ got hurt or did we just want to save PJ?

Our Dline wasn't really able to put pressure and we had to bring the blitz to do that. This lead to many easy short completions because Babin was pretty good at dumping it off. He took many hard shots and I'm impressed he held it together as well as he did for all the beating he took. I saw a play or two where the casts on the arms seemed to inhibit tackling, but when Quin leads the team in tackles, it's hard to complain.

Special teams were great except for that missed FG.

I plan to rewatch the game tommorrow and evaluate each pass by Bennett. I heard that the announcers on CST were impressed with him and kept saying he was a good leader and manager. I think they may be nuts so we'll see. Keep in mind he's playing with freshman receivers and behind a sophomore line.

I watched Army today. Their football team still sucks. We should win that one. We should win the home games vs USU and Idaho. That'll put us at 5 wins. If we can grab two from Boise, Fresno, NMSU, SJSU, Hawaii, and Nevada we'll have our winning season.

Fresno just went into 2OT with Toledo, NMSU just beat UTEP by 1, and SJSU got shutout in the second half to lose to Stanford. All of those teams looked vulnerable enough for us to stand a great chance. Hawaii stinks so we stand a chance.

I think the only game left on the schedule that is an almost definite L is @Boise.

[WWDog]

Good analysis. I'm thinking that PJ was pulled to give Compton some time and maybe to rest his ball carrying arm. I have let off my steam over the last hour or so and can see the points you put forward.

[Cass582]

Nice post

I think Boise is beatable in fact I think Fresno is a better team but I think we COULD win both but HAVE to cut out the mistakes.

Good post, nice read

[Dawgmatic]

Nice post

I think Boise is beatable in fact I think Fresno is a better team but I think we COULD win both but HAVE to cut out the mistakes.

Good post, nice read

Fresno will be used up by the time they get here. 55-54 over Toledo in two overtimes!

[Dawgmatic]

People might whine about this game and how bad they think we are. It's hard to blame Scelfo when PJ and Compton lose fumbles. The pick-6 by Bennett was a horrible decision (not Scelfo's fault). Without these problems we'd have rollled these chumps good.

Jenkins was in the game but I think he just handed it off and rushed.

Bennett had 5 yards a carry (30 total). His completion % was up to 55.

Our offensive line is mediocre/bad. I thought maybe it was because we were playing BCS teams but they were unable to protect the QB against SLU.

Drops: Adrian Linwood dropped a perfectly thrown pass then drew a penalty after the whistle which ended the drive. Dustin Mitchell dropped an easy one too.

False starts were still high but we negated that by drawing the defense offsides a lot.

We played at least four freshman WRs. Fiege, Stuart, Tuminello, and Adrian Linwood all got their numbers called. Tuminello looked fundamentally solid with great hands but his arms sure are skinny. Where was Cruz? Stuart had one real nice haul for a first down.

Womack had some nice blocks.

Their only touchdowns were the pick 6 and the well executed trick play. We held them to field goals the rest of the time. Our D did have that nice block and return.

Our defense was pretty solid for all the yards passing they gave up. I think I've just learned how we operate schematically. We rely on sacks, picks, penalties, drops, and stuffing the run to stop drives. If an offensive unit is able to pass the ball efficiently we find it hard to stop them. Boise is going to go to town on us through the air, just like last year.

Their QB is going to feel the pain for a long time. We rocked his world several times, but mostly just after he got rid of the ball. I'm surprised we didn't rupture his spleen or something.

We held them to only three points in the second half.

We outrushed them 249 to 63. 5 ypc to 3 ypc (we rushed more)
They outpassed us 377 to 196 -BUT- that is with 60 attempts to 27. We actually had a higher yards per pass number (7.3 to 6.3).

Considering both types of yards per play we were much better.

We lost the turnover margin by 1.

We outsacked them 3 to 2.

I want to see Porter's rush TD on youtube. That was insane.

Did Compton go in because PJ got hurt or did we just want to save PJ?

Our Dline wasn't really able to put pressure and we had to bring the blitz to do that. This lead to many easy short completions because Babin was pretty good at dumping it off. He took many hard shots and I'm impressed he held it together as well as he did for all the beating he took. I saw a play or two where the casts on the arms seemed to inhibit tackling, but when Quin leads the team in tackles, it's hard to complain.

Special teams were great except for that missed FG.

I plan to rewatch the game tommorrow and evaluate each pass by Bennett. I heard that the announcers on CST were impressed with him and kept saying he was a good leader and manager. I think they may be nuts so we'll see. Keep in mind he's playing with freshman receivers and behind a sophomore line.

I watched Army today. Their football team still sucks. We should win that one. We should win the home games vs USU and Idaho. That'll put us at 5 wins. If we can grab two from Boise, Fresno, NMSU, SJSU, Hawaii, and Nevada we'll have our winning season.

Fresno just went into 2OT with Toledo, NMSU just beat UTEP by 1, and SJSU got shutout in the second half to lose to Stanford. All of those teams looked vulnerable enough for us to stand a great chance. Hawaii stinks so we stand a chance.

I think the only game left on the schedule that is an almost definite L is @Boise.

OK Ken. I've had a Bloody Mary or two and I feel better. You make good points. I'm still disgusted with the fans on the West Side. There's no excuse for those people.

[Cass582]

Yeah I sat on the west side at Miss State game 1st row in fact and Everyone was hyped and looked and sounded great on both sides

Tonight I was on the east side and West side I thought was pulling for the Lions they hardly made a sound

[Cass582]

But many props to the East side thats where the action was

[Dawgmatic]

But many props to the East side thats where the action was

If I wouldn't absolutely die in the heat I would move over there. Maybe when it cools off I will. I've had it with those old fuddy duddies on the West Side. I mean had it.

[Cass582]

Yeah West side is more comfortable I will give you that (shady)

[Cass582]

Plus I got to talk to PJ Brown last time thats always a PLUS

[Dawgmatic]

Yeah West side is more comfortable I will give you that (shady)

I just about burn up in the shade anyway. All that hollering and jumping up and down.

[HammondDawg]

People might whine about this game and how bad they think we are. It's hard to blame Scelfo when PJ and Compton lose fumbles. The pick-6 by Bennett was a horrible decision (not Scelfo's fault). Without these problems we'd have rollled these chumps good.

Jenkins was in the game but I think he just handed it off and rushed.

Bennett had 5 yards a carry (30 total). His completion % was up to 55.

Our offensive line is mediocre/bad. I thought maybe it was because we were playing BCS teams but they were unable to protect the QB against SLU.

Drops: Adrian Linwood dropped a perfectly thrown pass then drew a penalty after the whistle which ended the drive. Dustin Mitchell dropped an easy one too.

False starts were still high but we negated that by drawing the defense offsides a lot.

We played at least four freshman WRs. Fiege, Stuart, Tuminello, and Adrian Linwood all got their numbers called. Tuminello looked fundamentally solid with great hands but his arms sure are skinny. Where was Cruz? Stuart had one real nice haul for a first down.

Womack had some nice blocks.

Their only touchdowns were the pick 6 and the well executed trick play. We held them to field goals the rest of the time. Our D did have that nice block and return.

Our defense was pretty solid for all the yards passing they gave up. I think I've just learned how we operate schematically. We rely on sacks, picks, penalties, drops, and stuffing the run to stop drives. If an offensive unit is able to pass the ball efficiently we find it hard to stop them. Boise is going to go to town on us through the air, just like last year.

Their QB is going to feel the pain for a long time. We rocked his world several times, but mostly just after he got rid of the ball. I'm surprised we didn't rupture his spleen or something.

We held them to only three points in the second half.

We outrushed them 249 to 63. 5 ypc to 3 ypc (we rushed more)
They outpassed us 377 to 196 -BUT- that is with 60 attempts to 27. We actually had a higher yards per pass number (7.3 to 6.3).

Considering both types of yards per play we were much better.

We lost the turnover margin by 1.

We outsacked them 3 to 2.

I want to see Porter's rush TD on youtube. That was insane.

Did Compton go in because PJ got hurt or did we just want to save PJ?

Our Dline wasn't really able to put pressure and we had to bring the blitz to do that. This lead to many easy short completions because Babin was pretty good at dumping it off. He took many hard shots and I'm impressed he held it together as well as he did for all the beating he took. I saw a play or two where the casts on the arms seemed to inhibit tackling, but when Quin leads the team in tackles, it's hard to complain.

Special teams were great except for that missed FG.

I plan to rewatch the game tommorrow and evaluate each pass by Bennett. I heard that the announcers on CST were impressed with him and kept saying he was a good leader and manager. I think they may be nuts so we'll see. Keep in mind he's playing with freshman receivers and behind a sophomore line.

I watched Army today. Their football team still sucks. We should win that one. We should win the home games vs USU and Idaho. That'll put us at 5 wins. If we can grab two from Boise, Fresno, NMSU, SJSU, Hawaii, and Nevada we'll have our winning season.

Fresno just went into 2OT with Toledo, NMSU just beat UTEP by 1, and SJSU got shutout in the second half to lose to Stanford. All of those teams looked vulnerable enough for us to stand a great chance. Hawaii stinks so we stand a chance.

I think the only game left on the schedule that is an almost definite L is @Boise.

Yeah and if their punter doesn't kick to Livas and we don't get the blocked punt return, we likely lose. They also missed a couple of wide open receivers one of which would have been an easy touchdown. We are not a good football team. Bennett absolutely sucks and we don't have much team speed on defense outside of a couple of guys. I think we will still do reasonably well in the WAC but my hopes of going bowling are fading away it looks like.

[george]

i was there and i saw only three good things tonight:
1. special teams play
2. phillip livas
3. daniel porter
everything else was very substandard, but here are the lowest of the low lights:
1. cannot control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball, especially O line
2. no intensity
3. poor tackling
4. i did not like dooley after the game at all when interviewed on the field. he sounded happy. talked about how pleased he was with our play in the second half, how good slu is, etc. slu won their first game by six points against alcorn state and got killed by moo state...they aren't good.
if we play like this against boise state, they can name the score. a definite regression each of the first three weeks.

[mildawg]

Offensively, we looked like we were supposed to on the first drive. After that, it was downhill. Pleased with Porter and Compton, who both ran hard. Livas was still Livas when he had the ball in his hands. Bennett was still the same Bennett... no downfield passing game. Reminds me a lot of Champion in that he appears to go through his progressions and make his throws like a person jumping through a window of a burning building. The offensive line is not making it any easier on him, though. They got better as the game wore on last night, but against a fresh SLU defensive front, our O-line was getting handled. #74 looked like he was moving in quicksand -- first step off the snap is way too slow. #s 67 and 76 would be picking splinters out of their butts if I were their coach... both routinely make good first contact and get an initial push, but then they give up on the play. Gotta play to the whistle. Can't get enough of a look at the WRs on TV to tell what their routes look like, but some of those freshmen made some nice catches last night. If all we can throw is WR/RB screens and 5-yard passes, we're in trouble. Still can't tell if our TEs are a disappointment -or- if the QB is simply not finding them downfield -or- if our illustrious coordinator is not calling plays to get the ball in their hands. We had our running game working a little last night, but only tried to capitalize on its success by running play-action a couple of times. Anyway, opinions are like..... well, you know -- everyone has one. And this is mine.

[Rooster]

Good analysis. I'm thinking that PJ was pulled to give Compton some time and maybe to rest his ball carrying arm. I have let off my steam over the last hour or so and can see the points you put forward.

PJ was pulled b/c he has fumbleitis.