If you're looking for results, on the field and in recruiting, then you're probably not a Bruce Read fan. Now if you're looking for something else, then maybe he is your guy!
Glaring problems.................
- Thread starter dinglefritz
- Start date
Let's hope that it is just nerves and he gets it together this week. The fact that Nebraska was the only team to offer a scholarship and Washington was the only other team interested in him does cause concern. He is a big kid so hopefully he hasn't shown yet what he is capable of doing.
He was ranked as the 7th best punter by 247 Sports and was ranked as the 11th best punter by scout.com in 2015.
Punter(and kicker too for that matter) is a position that you can't really read much into offers. Sam Foltz had two FCS scholarship offers and was being recruited as much by them as a WR or DB as a punter. It's not a position where every school gets one every year either. The best kickers and punters in the country sometimes have only a couple FBS scholarship offers. A lot of schools don't even offer scholarships for punters. It's unusual for us too. When was the last time we had a punter that started out on scholarship? Going back as far as I can remember who were walk-ons and who weren't-which is back to the early 2000s, we haven't had one. Larson, Koch, Titchener, Henery, Maher, Foltz were all walk-ons.
Give the kid a break. He's a true freshman who's been in 2 games and people are giving up on him already. I know our fans are demanding, but that's taking it to a ridiculous extreme.
Yeah but Foltz was a really good athlete and it's very apparent Lightbourn is not.
His attempt to run for a first down was a mental error not a lack of athletic ability - his body may be able to kick 50+ yards eventually but he can't do it now (and that may be by design or trying to be somewhat directional). They see what he can do it practice and can evaluate potential.
Back to the original post - Oline play was the biggest issue today - Wyo controlled the LOS way too much. TA had a few bad plays not just the INT but if is able to play like that AND we don't piss away 2 TDs on penalties....we should score enough to be in every game. The question will be when we play Ohio State and they nut kick Banker's defense how quickly do Langs and Riley turn TA loose to try and keep up (and take more chances....were TA tends to throw the INTs, sack/fumbles, etc.). If we can't handle Wyo D.....Wisky and tOSU could be L O N G days for the offense. Special teams in general don't look to special - need to shore that up quickly.
Back to the original post - Oline play was the biggest issue today - Wyo controlled the LOS way too much. TA had a few bad plays not just the INT but if is able to play like that AND we don't piss away 2 TDs on penalties....we should score enough to be in every game. The question will be when we play Ohio State and they nut kick Banker's defense how quickly do Langs and Riley turn TA loose to try and keep up (and take more chances....were TA tends to throw the INTs, sack/fumbles, etc.). If we can't handle Wyo D.....Wisky and tOSU could be L O N G days for the offense. Special teams in general don't look to special - need to shore that up quickly.
Great athletes like Foltz at the punter position are rare. I doubt there are too many who legitimately could have played WR or DB at the FBS level like he could have.
Just as a side note-the number one punter in the country according to kohlskicking .com, and #2 K/P according to Rivals, Pressley Harvin III has only one scholarship offer-from Georgia Tech. He is also wearing #27 this year in honor of Foltz.
Maybe we should let the new punter play for more than two games and a handful of kicks before we declare we are in need of another. Holy shite some of you have a ridiculously short leash. Remember two years ago when it was being asked to revoke Drew Brown's scholarship? Yeah, the kid is alright and may even turn out to be damn good. My rule: if you're a freshmen thrust into a starting position, you deserve a pass.
