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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 6, 2021 15:32:25 GMT -5
You played for Woody Hayes??
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Post by mm67 on Sept 6, 2021 16:06:49 GMT -5
Wins provide the most entertainment.
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Post by joe on Sept 6, 2021 16:22:00 GMT -5
I had a HS coach who always said when one puts the ball in the air, 2 out of the 3 things that can happen are negative...(complete, incomplete, intercepted)... True but running the ball is the same. Gain, loss, fumble. Except the odds of a fumble are probably less.
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Post by timholycross on Sept 6, 2021 16:42:28 GMT -5
"Better die as a baby than fumble that football"....kind of goes along w/the 2 out of 3 quote.
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Post by efg72 on Sept 6, 2021 16:50:38 GMT -5
Woody was a special guy and the message to recruits was your priorities are as follows: Football Family Academics Social life
But when you are at Ohio State remember family is forever and academics are a life experience, so you will play football and have a great social life
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Post by Ignutz on Sept 6, 2021 18:28:02 GMT -5
Edsall announced his retirement at the end of the season. I bet he's out of there sooner. Was 24 hours soon enough?
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Post by midwestsader05 on Sept 7, 2021 14:12:20 GMT -5
So after finally getting a chance to rewatch the entire game (at my own pace) I figured the title of this thread “Character” was a good place to relay final observations and what we now KNOW we have in this HC team. OFFENSE: QB - Matt Sluka is just one of those “gamer” type guys. When you rewatch his demeanor on the field (and on the sideline) he’s just got a lot of those “it” qualities. He made mostly great decisions all day. We all knew he was a hell of an athlete and tough as nails but he showed he’s improved on his intermediate and longer passing skills. The 2 balls to Corker and the one to Ayir were perfectly thrown. I expect teams to not press our Wideouts as much and play more two-deep coverage to force Matt to complete more of the 10-20 yard crossing patterns (like Dom and Pujas would) which I believe he is capable of, but hasn’t been forced to consistently. RBs and Run Game - I know a lot of the pundits think Roper/Chesney call a lot of 1st and 10 “Shotgun RB dives.” 2 points need to be made here. One, those runs consist of multiple different blocking schemes and formations. Our designed runs include inside traps, ISO’s, as well as off tackle Power’s and Counter’s. Also, a few were RPO’s where Sluka could have actually pulled and ran instead of giving to Oliver or another back. I (like others) would like to see us be a bit less predicable and mix it up more on 1st and 2nd down but in rewatching the game, I was surprised at how may times Oliver was getting 3-4 yards on 1st and/or 2nd down which opens up the playbook for Sluka (given his running prowess) on short yardage situations. Pete Oliver ran very hard (and appears to have maybe paid for it in hopefully missing only one game) I won’t post all of my receipts here but I’ve mentioned Tyler Purdy no less than 3 times during pre-season posts. The only thing that surprised me was that it took us till the 2nd half to get him the rock. He’s too good of an athlete not to get 8-12 touches a game (not including Kick-off returns). With Oliver likely out for Saturday, I suspect Purdy and Forrest to carry the load early and hope to see more of our 2 under classman (Ezema and Fuller) as well. WR/TE - This was one of the spots I thought we matched up well against UCONN and I even undershot. Our top 4 receivers (Ayir, Corker, Gilliam and Tenio) were beating the UCONN DB press coverage all day. They were simply more talented then UCONN’s secondary. We did have 3-4 drops (I include Tenio not getting his left toe in bounds in the 4th) but this group is the real deal. Sean Morris played almost every snap at TE. I did see Frosh Jacob Petersen in on Sluka’s opening drive TD run (he was wide open in the end zone but Sluka decided to run). Cullen Holohan also played a few snaps but not many. Offensive Line - Conversely, this was the match-up that I was most worried about heading into the game. While we did struggle at times, our O-line did a great job of executing and playing to our strengths. Our starting 5 is a good unit and the playing time/development that Hansen, McMurtrie and Newman got in the Spring showed to be a tremendous asset. 2nd teamers Mike P, Daddona and Schon all got snaps on a few series but we did far less rotating then we did in the Spring. Jack McCauley came in for Nick O when Nick got banged up on 2 separate occasions. DEFENSE: D-Line - The other match-up where I felt we could compete (and maybe have a slight edge) was our front 6 (including Dobbs and Anderson) against UCONN’s O-line. I cannot stress enough what an AMAZING game Coach James called. We were running stunts, various run blitzes and different types of pressures all day. Our D-line was quick off the ball and strong at the point of attack. We just have some strong and explosive dudes pound for pound with Modak, Kuz and Whitley (Coach Grutaski obviously doing something right.) Johnson and Cedeno rotated with each other at DT and both played well. Underclassman Springer and Dyer (big fumble recovery) got a few snaps at DT. Jake Reichwein would start for most PL teams at D-End and had a great game as our top reserve behind Whitley and Kuz.. The only other DE I saw get a snap was #46 Vaganek but not many. LB’s - What else needs to be said about Dobbs and Anderson? Jake played every Defensive snap (and punt team) and was a warrior sideline to sideline like every Saturday. I didn’t see him miss one tackle and noticed (even more) that he almost always drives the ball carrier back when hit hits them. Just a special all around LB in every way. Some might have been surprised with what Anderson did on Saturday but you shouldn’t have been if you’ve been paying attention that last two years. He played QB and safety in HS and just needed 2 years to bulk up to be an every down LB. He showed glimpses of what he could do as a Sophomore on passing downs in 2019 and even more in the Spring. It’s now all coming together for him. He might be our best all around athlete on defense as far as being able to do so many things (rush off the edge, play run in the box and cover downfield) This duo has the potential to be one of the top 10-15 LB pairs in FCS by the end of the season. Doran played in a few series to spell Anderson and I did not see Bolden play any LB (although he did play on almost every Special team and absolutely de-cleated a UCONN blocker on one kick-off) DB’s - The number one thing that jumped out at me in rewatching the game is that Jon Smith played one of the best games by a HC DB in recent memory. He was stellar in run support, and outstanding in coverage (especially) in our nickel formation where he’s usually asked to play man v man with the inside receiver. He was the best DB on the field Saturday by far. Grant Holomon also played well despite missing a few tackles and was asked to do a lot in both pass and run support. Safeties Prince and Reynolds didn’t have their name called as often but Walter played very well at FS in coverage (he closes on the ball well) and Terrell had some nice tackles in run support and taking on blocks. Haskins covered well all day (and they went after him deep a couple times) and Spence gave up the one big TD (which he will learn from) but also had some nice plays in the 2nd half in pass coverage. Only other DB’s to see repeatable snaps were Safeties Argos and Burns.
I have couple other observations about the game and thoughts about the season but will let others marinate on this for a while…Am I off base on anything? Did something else stick out to you? Go Purp!
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Post by dharry13 on Sept 7, 2021 14:37:22 GMT -5
This is all great stuff. Honestly my only gripe is Ayir getting the ball once. I think they have to get him the ball 5 times a game. Similar to your point on Purdy. Also - we still have no idea on Morris. Get him a few touches. Blocking every play for a TE gets old. Get him some reward.
I’d also love to see Shipman get reps. Big talented kid. That’s about it that I saw.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Sept 7, 2021 15:51:43 GMT -5
This is all great stuff. Honestly my only gripe is Ayir getting the ball once. I think they have to get him the ball 5 times a game. Similar to your point on Purdy. Also - we still have no idea on Morris. Get him a few touches. Blocking every play for a TE gets old. Get him some reward. I’d also love to see Shipman get reps. Big talented kid. That’s about it that I saw. DHarry, to be exact Ayir had 2 catches out of his 3 targets. He dropped a pass right in his hands on his second target late in the first half and then had a great catch in traffic in the 4th quarter. But I agree with you, given his potential, he needs more than 3 potential touches in the pass, screen, and/or jet sweep game. Morris had several catches in the spring (so we know he can do it) so I suspect he will get a chance to have some fun this season. As for Shipman, he dressed but DNP. After being a starter in the Spring (granted Tenio was out all 4 games and Ayir 3 of 4) but Bryan not playing at all tells me he might have got dinged in camp. Dom Thomas didn’t dress for the game so he’s for sure injured somewhat seriously again.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Sept 7, 2021 17:48:02 GMT -5
Final Observation Points: Keys to the game: For those that read it, my two keys to the game were 1) Starting Field position (dictated by Special Teams and Turnovers) and 2) Explosive Plays: As for Starting field position, we obviously won the turnover battle. UCONN starting from our 3 yard line after the fumble and Modak’s #Thicksix essentially cancel each other out. Anderson’s strip sack and Jon Smith’s pick with ~4 minutes left in the 4th quarter were both HUGE plays. However, one place we NEED to improve is the field possession via the punt game. If I strip out all game turnovers, HC’s avg starting field position was our own 23 yard line. UCONN’s was their own 32 yard line. It speaks even more of our defense that UCONN had starting field position at their own 46, 42 and 47 yard line late in the 3rd and well into the 4th quarter and our D made them punt every time. That does not happen in years past. Explosive plays: (defined by runs of at least 12 yards and passes of at least 20 yards): HC 7 - UCONN 1 (that one long TD pass was it for UCONN!) A huge testament to both our O and D. Again, this Defense has the potential to be great. Besides the one long TD pass, UCONN’s other 3 touchdowns came as the result of both short fields (our fumble) and/or were aided by penalties/mistakes. Their third TD was aided by Dobbs’ questionable late hit call that gave them 15 yards and a first down (instead of a 3rd and 4). Their last TD was aided by the questionable onside kick which gave them the ball at our 42 and then Smith’s unsportsmanlike conduct which gave them 15 yards instead of facing 4th down and 2. We had two other 15 yard penalties that didn’t end up costing us (Dobbs again late hit and Shorter’s punt interference which was a garbage call). These are things that can obviously get coached up.
Bad Stat Sheet Mistakes: It’s not unusual for there to be some modest errors in a game stat sheet usually in the form of credit for tackles and player participation. However, there were some glaring one’s in this game. A few examples (and there are several more), on our opening drive the stat sheet said we had consecutive plays of “Oliver rush for 23 yards followed by Sluka rush for 20 yards.” The actual consecutive plays were Sluka pass to Gilliam for 20 yards and then Sluka rush for 23 yards. They also gave Tenio credit for Corker’s long catch that set up Ng’s FG at the end of the half. I’m sure the coaches know all this (especially after breaking down the film) but the stats to the public are almost guaranteed to keep the mistakes. Sluka should have had one more completion (10) and more yards, Corker and Gilliam should have an extra reception. I know the W and “team stats” are all that matters but this just stuck out to me as sloppy.
Another with Upside Potential: A lot of the focus has been on Chesney’s future (which does merit its own discussion at the right time and in proper context) but I’ll tell you who else to keep an eye on…Color guy Ross Tucker (Princeton O-lineman and played 7 years in the NFL) Tucker has a great voice and personality (table stakes) but also has a Tony Romo/Greg McElroy type IQ where he often calls plays before they happen and is excellent at breaking down the game for viewers. He did the PL Championship game against Bucknell and he jumped out at me then as well. It helps covering a team twice in a season (which is what he basically got to do with HC) but still did phenomenal due diligence. Plus, I think he likes Coach Chesney and several our players. Watch for him to start covering SEC type games on CBS in the not too distant future or get recruited away by ESPN or FOX.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 7, 2021 17:59:04 GMT -5
Final Observation Points:Keys to the game: For those that read it, my two keys to the game were 1) Starting Field position (dictated by Special Teams and Turnovers) and 2) Explosive Plays: As for Starting field position, we obviously won the turnover battle. UCONN starting from our 3 yard line after the fumble and Modak’s #Thicksix essentially cancel each other out. Anderson’s strip sack and Jon Smith’s pick with ~4 minutes left in the 4th quarter were both HUGE plays. However, one place we NEED to improve is the field possession via the punt game. If I strip out all game turnovers, HC’s avg starting field position was our own 23 yard line. UCONN’s was their own 32 yard line. It speaks even more of our defense that UCONN had starting field position at their own 46, 42 and 47 yard line late in the 3rd and well into the 4th quarter and our D made them punt every time. That does not happen in years past. Explosive plays: (defined by runs of at least 12 yards and passes of at least 20 yards): HC 7 - UCONN 1 (that one long TD pass was it for UCONN!) A huge testament to both our O and D. Again, this Defense has the potential to be great. Besides the one long TD pass, UCONN’s other 3 touchdowns came as the result of both short fields (our fumble) and/or were aided by penalties/mistakes. Their third TD was aided by Dobbs’ questionable late hit call that gave them 15 yards and a first down (instead of a 3rd and 4). Their last TD was aided by the questionable onside kick which gave them the ball at our 42 and then Smith’s unsportsmanlike conduct which gave them 15 yards instead of facing 4th down and 2. We had two other 15 yard penalties that didn’t end up costing us (Dobbs again late hit and Shorter’s punt interference which was a garbage call). These are things that can obviously get coached up. Bad Stat Sheet Mistakes:It’s not unusual for there to be some modest errors in a game stat sheet usually in the form of credit for tackles and player participation. However, there were some glaring one’s in this game. A few examples (and there are several more), on our opening drive the stat sheet said we had consecutive plays of “Oliver rush for 23 yards followed by Sluka rush for 20 yards.” The actual consecutive plays were Sluka pass to Gilliam for 20 yards and then Sluka rush for 23 yards. They also gave Tenio credit for Corker’s long catch that set up Ng’s FG at the end of the half. I’m sure the coaches know all this (especially after breaking down the film) but the stats to the public are almost guaranteed to keep the mistakes. Sluka should have had one more completion (10) and more yards, Corker and Gilliam should have an extra reception. I know the W and “team stats” are all that matters but this just stuck out to me as sloppy. Another Contributor with Upside Potential:A lot of the focus has been on Chesney’s future (which does merit its own discussion at the right time and in proper context) but I’ll tell you who else to keep an eye on…Color guy Ross Tucker (Princeton O-lineman and played 7 years in the NFL) Tucker has a great voice and personality (table stakes) but also has a Tony Romo/Greg McElroy type IQ where he often calls plays before they happen and is excellent at breaking down the game for viewers. He did the PL Championship game against Bucknell and he jumped out at me then as well. It helps covering a team twice in a season (which is what he basically got to do with HC) but still did phenomenal due diligence. Plus, I think he likes Coach Chesney and several our players. Watch for him to start covering SEC type games on CBS in the not too distant future or get recruited away by ESPN or FOX. Agree completely about Ross Tucker. He's from PA. so he was right at home at the Bucknell game and with the Patriot League/FBS and he likes fellow PA native Coach Chesney. I like how he describes what players did wrong, as sensitively as possible, but still explains it for the viewer instead of a no risk "great effort on that play, just came up a little short" sports cliche. It was also funny how the play by play guy had never heard of Mensa.
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Post by efg72 on Sept 7, 2021 18:08:24 GMT -5
Honestly I think we are paranoid
Chesney is a terrific coach and nobody wants him to leave
Double/Triple his salary and pay the staff a more than fair wage and imho he won't leave in the next five years.
Until he goes 9 wins and above I think he is here for a few years
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 7, 2021 19:06:39 GMT -5
Midwest:
Me:
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Post by midwestsader05 on Sept 7, 2021 20:11:46 GMT -5
Sader1970, I saw one or two people mention him in real time on other threads but didn’t look back to see who…great minds?
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Sept 18, 2021 14:27:41 GMT -5
Bump
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