Development of Ravian Pierce key to second half of season?

[supp]

We're all agreed?

 

[hungrychuck]

We're all agreed?

Absolutely.

What Dino calls the "underbelly" guys must develop if we're going to have a real chance at a bowl. Pierce is part of that, along with Butler and anyone who can give us better production out of the run game.

Asking Dungey to do as much as he's doing indefinitely to carry this team is probably not a sustainable strategy.

He needs more help.

 

[Orangtiz]

Absolutely.

What Dino calls the "underbelly" guys must develop if we're going to have a real chance at a bowl. Pierce is part of that, along with Butler and anyone who can give us better production out of the run game.

Asking Dungey to do as much as he's doing indefinitely to carry this team is probably not a sustainable strategy.

He needs more help.

Offensive line development is huge. We have essentially three first year starters in our Offensive line. DO we think we have seen improvements???

 

[retro44]

Offensive line development is huge. We have essentially three first year starters in our Offensive line. DO we think we have seen improvements???

very young too.

 

[Finwad32]

Key? No. Important, of course.

Good TE's are valuable in the run & pass game. This offense is going to move with or without him, obviously it helps if it's with him. If it's without him, you can run different personnel groupings, but, he's a fine athlete and I'm sure he'll continue to develop.

I'd say the key to the second half of the season is health.

 

[TheCusian]

Offensive line development is huge. We have essentially three first year starters in our Offensive line. DO we think we have seen improvements???

Yep. Every week. But they have a very long way to go. Taking their lumps now will help next year and beyond.

 

[RF2044]

Yep. Every week. But they have a very long way to go. Taking their lumps now will help next year and beyond.

Very similar to the secondary last year in that regard.

 

[tipphill]

Offensive line development is huge. We have essentially three first year starters in our Offensive line. DO we think we have seen improvements???

not really, if any its small. hoping as confidence and experience grows they will be. still do not seem strong enough to make a difference particularly in the running game.

 

[SoBristol]

Very similar to the secondary last year in that regard.

Not that similar. Several DBs who struggled and took lumps in 2016 unit have reduced roles, while Winfield and Scissum transferred. (Cordy is a separate situation, due to injury.) The staff saw the need to upgrade the talent. Underclassmen (Fredrick, Bradshaw and Foster) moved up the depth chart. Butler & Martin came in as grad transfers. It adds up to a rather thorough shake-up in the secondary.

The 2017 OL unit is taking lumps, but likely the unit will return and continue to improve (minus McGloster, who graduates).

 

[RF2044]

Not that similar. Several DBs who struggled and took lumps in 2016 unit have reduced roles, while Winfield and Scissum transferred. (Cordy is a separate situation, due to injury.) The staff saw the need to upgrade the talent. Underclassmen (Fredrick, Bradshaw and Foster) moved up the depth chart. Butler & Martin came in as grad transfers. It adds up to a rather thorough shake-up in the secondary.

The 2017 OL unit is taking lumps, but likely the unit will return and continue to improve (minus McGloster, who graduates).

You've cherry picked players. Fredericks was a safety who didn't play much until the NC State game last year when he was forced into the lineup at CB due to injuries. Scoop Bradshaw was a true freshman who got picked on last year. Those are principal pieces at corner who were NOT beaten out by the fifth year grad transfers, who form the backbone of a much improved secondary this season.

Those two players were thrown to the wolves last year and took their lumps. They are better for the experience this year, and have improved. Which was the point of the post I was responding to -- the OL results leave something to be desired now, but we'll be better for it in the long run when these first and second year players who are taking lumps now will be stronger and more game experienced in another year or two. That's how it is similar.

 

[SoBristol]

You've cherry picked players. Fredericks was a safety who didn't play much until the NC State game last year when he was forced into the lineup at CB due to injuries. Scoop Bradshaw was a true freshman who got picked on last year. Those are principal pieces at corner who were NOT beaten out by the fifth year grad transfers, who form the backbone of a much improved secondary this season.

Those two players were thrown to the wolves last year and took their lumps. They are better for the experience this year, and have improved. Which was the point of the post I was responding to -- the OL results leave something to be desired now, but we'll be better for it in the long run when these first and second year players who are taking lumps now will be stronger and more game experienced in another year or two. That's how it is similar.

No. And the spelling is Fredrick (not like the RB who transferred). Fredrick was recruited as a CB, played CB as a sub in 2016 -- though he cross-trained as a S in the Spring when we were short of bodies. The DBs who took the majority of lumps in 2016 were Ellison, Dowels, Hudson, Winfield, Scissum, Whitner, and Williams -- and to a lesser degree Fredrick and Bradshaw as underclassmen working in as subs after injuries in the top of the depth chart. So, yes Fredrick & Bradshaw benefitted as subs if that is what you wanted to say, but that isn't what is happening with the OL unit.

 

[SU94]

We're all agreed?

I am very excited by Pierce, but I will feel much better if/when he catches a pass on a "standard" route 15-20 yards down the field. To date, almost all of his catches have been on screen-type plays, Dungey jump passes, or swing passes behind the line of scrimmage (shovel passes too).

As I stated in another thread, he needs to prioritize ball security too. He's a walking fumble waiting the happen.

I know it does not sound like it, due to this post, but I love him. He can do great things in time.

 

[RF2044]

No. And the spelling is Fredrick (not like the RB who transferred). Fredrick was recruited as a CB, played CB as a sub in 2016 -- though he cross-trained as a S in the Spring when we were short of bodies. The DBs who took the majority of lumps in 2016 were Ellison, Dowels, Hudson, Winfield, Scissum, Whitner, and Williams -- and to a lesser degree Fredrick and Bradshaw as underclassmen working in as subs after injuries in the top of the depth chart. So, yes Fredrick & Bradshaw benefitted as subs if that is what you wanted to say, but that isn't what is happening with the OL unit.

The pedantic spelling correction doesn't change the fact that your assessment about the secondary completely missed the forest through the trees. Dowels and Cordy barely played before getting injured and missing >90% of the season. Insert the shaking head icon here. But thanks for the spelling correction.

Freshman being tossed to the wolves in the secondary and improving the next year is similar to having freshman start this year at OL and struggle, projecting that they will be better for it in the long run... which was the point. In much the same way that players like Heckel was forced into the starting lineup due to injury, Bradshaw was forced to play substantial minutes at CB due to injury. Frederick was another freshman who entered camp at S, but became a starter at CB for the last third of the season. I readily acknowledge that there are other factors contributing to improved play in the secondary [especially pass rush, improved depth, and avoiding injuries outside of Cordy], but the tangible improvement at corner cannot be disputed. And it also helps that we have stabilization at safety, where a young player like Foster who played as a freshman last year and struggled despite having the tools is now thriving. That's three starting members of our secondary this year, for those keeping count, who struggled as frosh but are killing it in year 2.

Remember last year when we gave up big play after big play, with broken coverage after broken coverage? A big part of why we're not seeing those same big plays given up this year is improved play from those three sophomores, who struggled [immensely, at times] last year, but who are more battle tested and physically mature this year.

Just like I would expect that the redshirt freshmen OL who are struggling this year will be more battle tested and physically mature next year, after another offseason of being in a collegiate S&C conditioning program, film study, and chemistry as a experienced unit used to playing together.