CSNbbs

This is in reply to Hurricane Drummer, but please add any additional information and thoughts anyone else has on the Spring Game.

Nice day for some FB.

It might be best to do this in parts, rather than one long post.

Players Not Participating:

Keevan Lucas*- WR
Josh Atrkinson*- WR
Blake Belcher*- OT
Jesse Brubaker*-DT
David Richardson-CB
Trent Martin*-MLB
CJ Gooden*-OLB
Jerry Uwaezuoke*-DT
Jake Hanks-DE
Dalton Parks*-P

Returning Starter*

*I also did not see Kolton Shindelar (DL who is packing on some heft at almost 280lbs now) play so if he did, it must have been very limited.

The defensive line was the main area where we were missing the most experience yesterday and that may have been somewhat by design. Khari Harding (transfer from Auburn) played for the first time I can remember after a "sit out year" and he evidently will be somewhere on the depth chart come fall.

Without any of our starters in the interior trenches (DT) playing, it was an opportunity to jell the run game inside and we also were wo Trent Martin, the starting MLB. So our RB's had the most work and the best day.

The weakest part of the team has been the secondary over the last 3 seasons, but folks, that may be coming to an end. I really like our safeties. McKinley Whitfield is big, mobile and intimidating at 6-4 and 212lbs. He looks like a pro bodywise and moves extremely well. Then we have the experience of Jeremy Brady (5-10 197 - a clone of Michael Mudoh), JR Reed and last year starter, Jordan Mitchell. That's a deep position. But I'd have loved to see them go against all our starting receivers and not have to play so much run. But you can see the extra size/weight and mobility of the defense.

The corners were not challenged much and there weren't a lot of long throws to wide open receivers like in the past - at least that I saw. But again it was a run heavy day.

More later.

QB's.

I spent a lot of time watching Dane warmup and can visually tell he is putting more velocity on the ball. That equates to him throwing the deep ball better and not underthrowing so much on the deep ball. It also means he's gained a good amount of arm strength and doesn't have to alter his throwing motion. But the one thing I am still concerned about is that he seldom tucked the ball and ran for yards even though he scrambled a little bit. I want to see those yards gained by the QB on the ground. But this scrimmage really was so controlled, that he may not have had a choice.

The backups appear to be President and Rubley. Both are good looking specimens about 6-3 and 220 or so and definitely have the wheels to gain yardage on the ground. I hadn't seen Rubley much and noticed he has a bit of a hitch in the throwing motion. He swivels his upper body on the throw meaning he doesn't have a high release which makes his motion less upright and it leads to a lower than normal throw from the shoulder rather than above it. He needs to eliminate some defects in that, but he is very agile and took off quickly when he decided to run. President is a lot like RR, but his throw motion is different. His problem looks like the hitch is the release rather than the body. These two are talented, but may still take a while and lots of perfect reps. The other kid that saw action - Hefley looks like he has good size, but maybe not the athleticism of RR and CP. But this is just my opine from the little I saw Saturday.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see our probable top two WRs next year who were held out - KL and JA. But I really like that Nigel Cater. He's a fairly big target at 6-3 and has good skills. I think he'll get some major minutes next year, probably as a backup. Hobbs is still that third guy and can take it to the house as he showed last season.

But again, we have that good starting QB who is still far above the others. Thats good, but also can be problematic if he goes down.

More later.

Those RBs really look good, maybe even better than "just" good.

One of the misconceptions of our offense is that we just throw and could care less about the run game. But its actually the opposite. The run game is the main course and the pass game is the desert so to speak. Everyone remembers that great desert, but the main course was what we survive on.

The two main runners are a bit different ability-wise. Brewer has the "hello and good-bye" moves and Warren has a combination of power and speed. One runs at you and "jukes", the other runs "into" or "over" you. Thats as simple as I can put it.

I wanted to see Javon Thomas (6-2 225), our freshman RB, but he didn't play while I was watching or not at all, so I assume he is banged up. The third back was Rowdy Simon, a compact runner who is tough, but "limited". I think there is a chance that Thomas could end up as a specialist who initially is used on special teams, but spot plays offensively like we use our TE's - as a formational player who might block, run the ball or decoy. And we also have a very good young player doing that already who is about the same size in Chris Minter (6-3 247). He has been a devastating blocker if you watch closely.

But again, I wanted to see Dane be a fearless runner, especially against a defense mostly just playing "touch" and it didn't occur. Dane did that (run) some in the Independence Bowl, so I hoped it was a "progression of aggression" in his mind, but not Saturday. So in the end, from what I saw, we have two young, very good running QB's that need a lot of work throwing and an older QB who is a very good thrower who needs work on the run (keep). My opine.

Thanks for your analysis rabid. I appreciate it. I would like to have been there, but was tied up with other things. If anyone else has anything to add go for it!

I noticed that Redford Jones (PK) was having a bit of trouble making those fieldgoals late in the scrimmage and I assume it may have been the new snapper and holder as much as his accuracy. We may have been spoiled the last few years with some kids at those positions no-one knew about, but made things in the kick game work. Also, there was no punting and Parks didn't even suit out, I believe. The snapping and holding for kicks is something that can work itself out over the long summer months if the right kids work hard.

Its difficult to tell how the lines performed from my seat way up in the stands, but with the exception of the interior DL, everything looked normal. The OL created some interior holes and the RBs were able to get considerable yards. I did momentarily focus on the DE play and I really have liked that Jeremy Smith ever since he arrived on campus. He again applied pressure on the QB and would have had a few sacks if it had been played under game conditions instead of just touch. But again there was adequate protection overall and the OL didn't look like there was drastic dropoff with the new OL coaching them. So I think we are fine.

To sum up, I'm not sure which bowl game we'll be in, but it would be nice to go to one we could drive to again. :) :) :) :) :) :)