This is the second game where the rushing game under performed. The secondary looked good taking away Maine's strength.

(09-10-2016 10:38 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  This is the second game where the rushing game under performed. The secondary looked good taking away Maine's strength.

DJM looks to be easily our best runner to date. Hunt seems to regress each year.

They didn't really need to run in this game, but I expected Toledo to be much more dominant up front and more explosive out of the gate. I'd like to see a 3-0 Rocket team come back with a BYU win. They will need to start much faster to do that, although I just watched the BYU game and BYU will be tough regardless. Always good to win. We'll see what happens next week.

(09-10-2016 11:16 PM)falconplucker Wrote:  They didn't really need to run in this game, but I expected Toledo to be much more dominant up front and more explosive out of the gate. I'd like to see a 3-0 Rocket team come back with a BYU win. They will need to start much faster to do that, although I just watched the BYU game and BYU will be tough regardless. Always good to win. We'll see what happens next week.

I suspect a lot of run game wrinkles are being reserved for competition that matters


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Don't yet know what to make of this team.

It's great that we have shown real big play potential and that even after losing a starting WR we still have a number of real threats in the passing game. Also the D has been very solid so far, even when playing so many inexperienced underclassmen.

But it's somewhat disconcerting that it took 3 long pass plays and a couple special team blocks to dominate an FCS team like Maine. Was expecting the OL to be the best unit of this team and that we would be pounding lesser teams like this, but so far they have looked at best so-so in the run game. Pass blocking has been fine, but both stAte and Maine (sounds like a movie title) were able to completely clog up our run game. Auburn just put up 462 yards rushing against ArkSt, so they don't really seem that stAte has that sturdy of a run defense. UT does have a new inexperienced center, and lost Zmolik, who IMO was the best blocker on the team but I didn't expect that missing those two would make such a big difference. The other big change of course is a new OL/running game coach. Whatever it is, I hope the run game gets turned around very quickly.

Passing game has looked very sharp though, and I hope that continues.

BTW, the 89 yard TD reception by Johnson ties the 3rd longest in team history. 3 of the 5 longest pass plays in school history have come in the last 3 seasons:

89: Woodside to Wilcher, 2014
89: Woodside to J. Johnson 2016
88: Ely to Thompson 2015

And, speaking of impact underclassmen on defense, does anyone know the story of how Hollman ended up at UT. As best I can figure he is a walk-on (and the announcers said that last night too) and is now starting. Has 7 tackles and 4 pass break-ups in the 1st 2 games. Norrils led the team PBU last year, and had 13 the whole season.

(09-11-2016 10:51 AM)northcoastRocket Wrote:  Don't yet know what to make of this team.

It's great that we have shown real big play potential and that even after losing a starting WR we still have a number of real threats in the passing game. Also the D has been very solid so far, even when playing so many inexperienced underclassmen.

But it's somewhat disconcerting that it took 3 long pass plays and a couple special team blocks to dominate an FCS team like Maine. Was expecting the OL to be the best unit of this team and that we would be pounding lesser teams like this, but so far they have looked at best so-so in the run game. Pass blocking has been fine, but both stAte and Maine (sounds like a movie title) were able to completely clog up our run game. Auburn just put up 462 yards rushing against ArkSt, so they don't really seem that stAte has that sturdy of a run defense. UT does have a new inexperienced center, and lost Zmolik, who IMO was the best blocker on the team but I didn't expect that missing those two would make such a big difference. The other big change of course is a new OL/running game coach. Whatever it is, I hope the run game gets turned around very quickly.

Passing game has looked very sharp though, and I hope that continues.

I think we'll know more after the Fresno State game. I'm guessing the Bulldogs feel they have superior talent and can stop our run game straight-up, and that their secondary will be able to stop our pass game as well. Bigger test coming up for the Rockets than either StAte or Maine.

On D, I think our secondary will again be tested more--Maine threw deep more often than StAte did, and I think Fresno will thro more often than Maine did. Saw some very nice pass break-ups last night--hope the secondary continues to improve & rise to the challenge.

I am concerned that we are not only losing the turnover battle 2 games in (although most of our turnovers have been kind of fluky IMO), but that we haven't even forced 1 turnover yet. Going to be tougher to win games from here on out if that stat stays the same.

(09-11-2016 11:44 AM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(09-11-2016 10:51 AM)northcoastRocket Wrote:  Don't yet know what to make of this team.

It's great that we have shown real big play potential and that even after losing a starting WR we still have a number of real threats in the passing game. Also the D has been very solid so far, even when playing so many inexperienced underclassmen.

But it's somewhat disconcerting that it took 3 long pass plays and a couple special team blocks to dominate an FCS team like Maine. Was expecting the OL to be the best unit of this team and that we would be pounding lesser teams like this, but so far they have looked at best so-so in the run game. Pass blocking has been fine, but both stAte and Maine (sounds like a movie title) were able to completely clog up our run game. Auburn just put up 462 yards rushing against ArkSt, so they don't really seem that stAte has that sturdy of a run defense. UT does have a new inexperienced center, and lost Zmolik, who IMO was the best blocker on the team but I didn't expect that missing those two would make such a big difference. The other big change of course is a new OL/running game coach. Whatever it is, I hope the run game gets turned around very quickly.

Passing game has looked very sharp though, and I hope that continues.

I think we'll know more after the Fresno State game. I'm guessing the Bulldogs feel they have superior talent and can stop our run game straight-up, and that their secondary will be able to stop our pass game as well. Bigger test coming up for the Rockets than either StAte or Maine.

On D, I think our secondary will again be tested more--Maine threw deep more often than StAte did, and I think Fresno will thro more often than Maine did. Saw some very nice pass break-ups last night--hope the secondary continues to improve & rise to the challenge.

I am concerned that we are not only losing the turnover battle 2 games in (although most of our turnovers have been kind of fluky IMO), but that we haven't even forced 1 turnover yet. Going to be tougher to win games from here on out if that stat stays the same.

The run game and punt return decisions are the only things that concern me. Who needs turnovers when our D has been on the field all game and opponents still cant score!

Fresno is decent but no better than a middle of the road MAC team like Ball State or Akron. We should pound em like Arkansas State.

(09-11-2016 11:00 AM)northcoastRocket Wrote:  And, speaking of impact underclassmen on defense, does anyone know the story of how Hollman ended up at UT. As best I can figure he is a walk-on (and the announcers said that last night too) and is now starting. Has 7 tackles and 4 pass break-ups in the 1st 2 games. Norrils led the team PBU last year, and had 13 the whole season.

He was at Milford Academy for the 2013 season. Don't know how he got connected with, though. His BIO says he appeared in 2 games here last year.

Few more thoughts:

Did Maine not bring a backup QB with them? I was surprised to see them keep their starter in the whole game. We may only have sacked him once but he was getting rocked 1 out of every 2 passes he threw in the pocket. They ended up running the ball on every play their last 3 possessions...if you're just going to hand e ball off why not give your backup some playing time early in the season?

Attendance was pretty good! Hope we can get another good crowd for Fresno.

As far as the run game goes, there are a couple things that could help it be more productive--my guess is we didn't show either of these against Maine cause it wasn't necessary and no sense giving Fresno State more usable game tape:

--the 2-back set we've talked about before on this Board...not a blocking back, but rather both Hunt and Swanson or Jones-Moore split in the backfield. Even with 8 in the box you still have to guess correctly.

--Woodside keeping the ball. Against Maine, there were a number of plays where Woodside handed off and then rolled wide...not once did I see anyone from Maine to with him. If Woodside has a decent ball fake, it can be a nice 7-10 yard pickup once or twice a game.

Does anyone else think Julian is likely to move to the O-line next year? He is HUGE!

(09-11-2016 01:12 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Does anyone else think Julian is likely to move to the O-line next year? He is HUGE!

How about at a tight end position?

(09-10-2016 07:00 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  

(09-10-2016 06:59 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  This is why I am not a Corey Jones fan on any return

I don't believe he was back there.

I believe that was Danzel McKinley-Lewis back deep for that punt.

(09-10-2016 07:19 PM)indianasniff Wrote:  Did anyone at the game have a memory of Boca with that rain shower


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Yes!!!

(09-10-2016 10:34 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(09-10-2016 09:54 PM)owen Wrote:  

(09-10-2016 08:34 PM)barr_b2 Wrote:  Punt return team needs some serious work. Too many mistakes. Won't get away with it all season

I thought a very sloppy and mistake filled game against a severely overmatched opponent.
Maine doesn't have nearly the caliber of athletes anywhere on the field.
They could have sent guys deep on every play but they never would have got any separation from our secondary. Just don't have a talented enough receiving corp.

Would like to see the team clean up the mistakes.

Not sure what to think about the running game because we had it so easy passing on these guys that it wasn't really necessary.

This. ^Started our first three series, I believe, with motion penalties. A couple drops and misses of open receivers. Two fumbled punt returns. We won't beat BYU or WMU for that matter w/out much better effort