SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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- We competed with the #1 team in the country, which we did not do last year, when the 3-59 final was achieved in three quarters. That game was 0-38 at halftime. This one was 20-38 at the end and could have been closer if we’d taken advantage of our opportunities. We talk a lot about how we don’t have any real talent and can’t compete with the powerhouses. We’ve played both Notre Dame and Florida State, the participants in next week’s big game and gained over 400 yards on both of them while forcing 7 turnovers and holding them to a combined 66 points. We’re not on their level but the difference is exaggerated.
- And we competed mostly by using young players, guys who are going to be here a while and get better and better. Freshman AJ Long and sophomore Austin Wilson both threw the ball much better than Terrel Hunt was throwing it and his receivers responded by making so really good catches. When you increase the efficiency of a key positon you can increase the effort at other positions because the players know they can accomplish something if they make plays.
- Freshman Steve Ismael caught two touchdown passes, the second a remarkable journey through the Florida State defense to bull it over with 2-3 guys tackling him. He said in the post-game interview that he’d been recruited by Florida State and they “choose those other two guys”. Matt Park and Chris Gedney said that Steve was one guy on our team who wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Florida State uniform.
- Freshman Erv Phillips ran for 22 yards on 2 carries, caught a pass for 9 yards and returned three kick-offs for 56 yards. He was another guy who wasn’t intimidated by Florida State’s size and speed.
- Our offensive line gave up one sack for one yard and opened the way for 162 rushing yards at 5 yards a crack against a bunch of guys who are supposedly going to be playing on Sundays.
- Somebody said a pro scout wasn’t impressed with Prince-Tyson Gulley. I don’t give a dam. He’s a fine college running back. He gashed the Noles for 83 yards on 16 carries. He caught 7 passes for 25 yards. He returned a kick-off for 29 yards. What more do you want?
- It’s easy to take Riley Dixon for granted, especially when he only punts three times against the nation’s #1 team. But he averaged 48 yards a kick and hit hang time allowed his coverage to get down there to force that fumble that might have turned this contest around.
- Tim Lester did pretty well with the play-calling and we seemed to be getting plays off faster but what I liked was that we had quarterbacks who pass, running backs doing the running and natural receivers rather than “athletes” going out to catch the passes. It’s a nice dimension to have a quarterback who can run but really, that’s like having a pitcher who can hit. It’s not going to make up for a failure to do the thing you are really out there to do. And no matter how well Hunt could run the ball, could he do it better than Gulley, Moore, Morris, McFarlane or Phillips? And I love the athletic ability of Broyld and Estime but it doesn’t mean they are great receivers. Ashton probably should have been our quarterback the last two years and Brisley is a dynamic kick returner. But that doesn’t make them great receivers. I think you function best when you’ve got the right people in the right places and now we do.
- I hear Long is "cocky". Cocky is good. We need cocky.
- If we can rally to get to 6-6 and another bowl game, bring in this year’s well-regarded class and then go out and get another, both full of players like Long, Ismael, Phillips, et al, we can beat these guys down the road, and a lot of other teams as well.
2-4 with 6+ to go
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!!
- And we competed mostly by using young players, guys who are going to be here a while and get better and better. Freshman AJ Long and sophomore Austin Wilson both threw the ball much better than Terrel Hunt was throwing it and his receivers responded by making so really good catches. When you increase the efficiency of a key positon you can increase the effort at other positions because the players know they can accomplish something if they make plays.
- Freshman Steve Ismael caught two touchdown passes, the second a remarkable journey through the Florida State defense to bull it over with 2-3 guys tackling him. He said in the post-game interview that he’d been recruited by Florida State and they “choose those other two guys”. Matt Park and Chris Gedney said that Steve was one guy on our team who wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Florida State uniform.
- Freshman Erv Phillips ran for 22 yards on 2 carries, caught a pass for 9 yards and returned three kick-offs for 56 yards. He was another guy who wasn’t intimidated by Florida State’s size and speed.
- Our offensive line gave up one sack for one yard and opened the way for 162 rushing yards at 5 yards a crack against a bunch of guys who are supposedly going to be playing on Sundays.
- Somebody said a pro scout wasn’t impressed with Prince-Tyson Gulley. I don’t give a dam. He’s a fine college running back. He gashed the Noles for 83 yards on 16 carries. He caught 7 passes for 25 yards. He returned a kick-off for 29 yards. What more do you want?
- It’s easy to take Riley Dixon for granted, especially when he only punts three times against the nation’s #1 team. But he averaged 48 yards a kick and hit hang time allowed his coverage to get down there to force that fumble that might have turned this contest around.
- Tim Lester did pretty well with the play-calling and we seemed to be getting plays off faster but what I liked was that we had quarterbacks who pass, running backs doing the running and natural receivers rather than “athletes” going out to catch the passes. It’s a nice dimension to have a quarterback who can run but really, that’s like having a pitcher who can hit. It’s not going to make up for a failure to do the thing you are really out there to do. And no matter how well Hunt could run the ball, could he do it better than Gulley, Moore, Morris, McFarlane or Phillips? And I love the athletic ability of Broyld and Estime but it doesn’t mean they are great receivers. Ashton probably should have been our quarterback the last two years and Brisley is a dynamic kick returner. But that doesn’t make them great receivers. I think you function best when you’ve got the right people in the right places and now we do.
- I hear Long is "cocky". Cocky is good. We need cocky.
- If we can rally to get to 6-6 and another bowl game, bring in this year’s well-regarded class and then go out and get another, both full of players like Long, Ismael, Phillips, et al, we can beat these guys down the road, and a lot of other teams as well.
2-4 with 6+ to go
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!!
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