GoSU96
Living Legend
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2011
- Messages
- 21,654
- Like
- 42,241
From 87 through 98 SU 1-22 could play for the most part with anyone in the country. Then the issue was quality depth. Injuries were a problem and were big factors in some of the disapointing losses, in particular the McNabb years. The drop off between the starters and depth was significant.
There was then the fall off in top end quality and the back end to the point where there were kids that shouldn't be on a BCS roster playing in this program.
What Marrone was able to do while he was here was build back up the roster 1-85 with D-1 players but almost to a man mid grade players. The top end impact players have been few and far between. There aren't any can't miss "5 tool" guys. At the same time there isn't a huge drop off beween the starters and their backups right now.
There isn't a LB with Archineaga's size and Davis' speed and explosiveness. Cam Lynch is a great run stopping downhill LB but he's 5-11 and has trouble playing in space. Spruill is the closest thing to an elite LB but with his stature should really be playing outside.
The speed and depth in the secondary has seen a tremendous upgrade but it's all about tradeoffs. Esk and Desir are very spindly for safeties, same with Whigs, tall but rail thin at corner, and Reddish and Morgan have speed but they looked like Smurfs out there yesterday. All these kids are tough, to a man look at where they come from, and they play hard, but they all have holes in their game, and some by nature are never going to be overcome. There was nothing Wayne Morgan could do yesterday on that fade, the WR was 6-5 234, and as was said on the broadcast, Wayne Morgan isn't.
You can't read too much into it but what was somewhat encouraging is that SU's two's hung in there against FSU's two's and three's. I get all the qualifiers about time, score, scheme, but it wasn't a complete physical mismatch.
All of the above being said the next step in the programs rebuild is start getting some kids that are closer to FSU's starters on the roster. Still a lot of work to do, but you can't let the blowouts cloud some of the progress accomplished this year. The defense has been as dominate in 1/2 the games as FSU was to SU yesterday and did enought to win the PSU game. The run game has been easily the best since the early 2000's with almost no help from the pass game and neither Smith or PTG are real top end talent. They are nice players and run hard, but are both limited. The OL hasn't been given near enough credit.
That is what MacDonald was brought in to get. Looks like he is getting that done outside at WR. Now lets get some 6-3 guys that play like Cam, and 6-1 corners that run and hit like Wayne Morgan.
There was then the fall off in top end quality and the back end to the point where there were kids that shouldn't be on a BCS roster playing in this program.
What Marrone was able to do while he was here was build back up the roster 1-85 with D-1 players but almost to a man mid grade players. The top end impact players have been few and far between. There aren't any can't miss "5 tool" guys. At the same time there isn't a huge drop off beween the starters and their backups right now.
There isn't a LB with Archineaga's size and Davis' speed and explosiveness. Cam Lynch is a great run stopping downhill LB but he's 5-11 and has trouble playing in space. Spruill is the closest thing to an elite LB but with his stature should really be playing outside.
The speed and depth in the secondary has seen a tremendous upgrade but it's all about tradeoffs. Esk and Desir are very spindly for safeties, same with Whigs, tall but rail thin at corner, and Reddish and Morgan have speed but they looked like Smurfs out there yesterday. All these kids are tough, to a man look at where they come from, and they play hard, but they all have holes in their game, and some by nature are never going to be overcome. There was nothing Wayne Morgan could do yesterday on that fade, the WR was 6-5 234, and as was said on the broadcast, Wayne Morgan isn't.
You can't read too much into it but what was somewhat encouraging is that SU's two's hung in there against FSU's two's and three's. I get all the qualifiers about time, score, scheme, but it wasn't a complete physical mismatch.
All of the above being said the next step in the programs rebuild is start getting some kids that are closer to FSU's starters on the roster. Still a lot of work to do, but you can't let the blowouts cloud some of the progress accomplished this year. The defense has been as dominate in 1/2 the games as FSU was to SU yesterday and did enought to win the PSU game. The run game has been easily the best since the early 2000's with almost no help from the pass game and neither Smith or PTG are real top end talent. They are nice players and run hard, but are both limited. The OL hasn't been given near enough credit.
That is what MacDonald was brought in to get. Looks like he is getting that done outside at WR. Now lets get some 6-3 guys that play like Cam, and 6-1 corners that run and hit like Wayne Morgan.
