...for those that missed it.
Offense: B
QB - Vickers was terrific, with an end-zone interception the only thing marring his evening. He was under heavy pressure and likely did not see the defender (I believe his stature hurt him here), and he tried to force things. He completed 60% of his passes for 208 yards and three TDs. <img border="0" alt="[Bow]" title="" src="graemlins/bow.gif" /> He was poised, decisive, and very accurate. If he plays this well consistently, our offense will be in good shape.
OL - Pass protection was very good, run-blocking was OK and got better late in the game. We had a little trouble running off the right side, where RS Freshman Jeff Jenerou was filling in as the third-string (!) RT. I assume Brieger and/or Langton will return for the Wyoming game.
Receivers - not much bad to report! Only one drop, and it was a leaping attempt over a defender, so I can't much blame him. Mostly good routes run. We had occasional trouble getting open against a veteran SHS secondary, but also made several good catches in traffic. FB Adam Supianoski showed good hands in catching two passes and punished defenders. Steve Messam had a great night (4 catches, two TDs).
RBs - Mixon/Parks each had one fumble, but both had overall strong performances. Lawhorne got to rest his ankle, and I have to think he'll be ready to roll versus Wyoming.
Defense: A-
Run defense - VERY good. 32 rushes for 32 yards. Tackling was solid (!) 'Nuff said.
Pass Defense - Mostly good. We held SHS to 17/36 passing, one TD, and two interceptions. The corners were playing a little far off for my tastes early, probably due to inexperience, but tackling was solid, Dante McKnight made a terrific leaping interception, Jovan Clarke batted down a pass AND intercepted same.
The pass rush was pretty consistent and yielded three sacks, two batted passes, and several hurries. We allowed only two big plays, I think. One was a 41-yard TD pass where the CB simply got turned around at the last second. Had he turned inside, there was a chance for him to make a play. The other was a bow-worthy play. The SHS QB rolled out under pressure and fired complete to a leaping receiver far downfield. The DB had solid coverage and simply lost a jump-ball.
As a footnote, James King put a bone-jarring hit on a would-be SHS receiver that seperated him from the ball. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="cool.gif" />
Special Teams: B
Kicking - Kickoffs good, FG attempts bad (0 for 2 by two different guys <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> ). We made all but one XP we attempted. The miss followed a block by SHS that was erased by an offsides call.
Punting - excellent, other than outkicking coverage a little.
Kick coverage - no complaints.
Kick blocking - none tonight, but we got good pressure and recovered a fumble by the punter for a TD. We were assisted by two errant snaps, but I like to think SHS was a little intimidated by our reputation.
Overall: there were mistakes, but they're correctable, and some came late in the game with a comfortable lead. There's reason for hope, and I believe we were deliberately conservative tonight to frustrate Wyoming's scouting.
Fire Up Chips!
