Poll: After watching/hearing about spring practice, what is your biggest area of concern?
- Thread starter chicolby
- Start date
DL - you're typically require 5-6 healthy B10 caliber lineman to compete for a title in the B10. Experience is valuable. More often than not, B10 contests are decided in the trenches. The talent is young and untested. Not only that but due to the multiple recent defections, any serious injury to a DL starter could be a major setback for the defense. Opposing OCs will look to exploit that weakness.
CENTER. Period. Utter may be a good player, but I don't believe he's as athletic as Thurston. Your center is a huge key to offensive success.
I think QBs are an area of concern. TA looked better Saturday, but we are in huge trouble if Ryker Fyfe is our #2. He had a decent completion percentage, but the offense seemed to go stagnant when he was running it. Either that, or our #1 defense = the '85 Bears.
Uhhhh Fyfe was working with the #2 offensive line, WRs etc. I thought he moved the ball pretty well all things considered. He's fine as a backup and may be one of the better backups we've had for a while.
I voted DL, QB, and defensive backfield.
DL - losing a bunch of veterans that left eligibility on the table. When it came to "next man up", "next man up" has decided to leave.
QB - I think I saw two instances of jump passes by TA (neither of qb's feet on the ground at the time of the throw) in the spring game. And I think TA only threw the ball 16 times, so 1 out of every 8 passes was a jump pass.
defensive backfield - I didn't get either overly positive or negative from the spring game, just lingering thoughts of last year.
DL - losing a bunch of veterans that left eligibility on the table. When it came to "next man up", "next man up" has decided to leave.
QB - I think I saw two instances of jump passes by TA (neither of qb's feet on the ground at the time of the throw) in the spring game. And I think TA only threw the ball 16 times, so 1 out of every 8 passes was a jump pass.
defensive backfield - I didn't get either overly positive or negative from the spring game, just lingering thoughts of last year.
DL and it's not even close. Losing McMullen and Williams is absolutely brutal. Maurice must, must, must stay healthy all year. They have a bunch of guys who are gonna be good, but nobody who you look at and go, "Yeah, he's a stud and he's super durable. He's ready to kill it this year."
They've got about 5 guys who they need to grow up in a hurry and be awesome in their 1st or 2nd year of game action. And ZERO bigtime freshmen coming in. They have Stille and nobody joining that DL. Desperately need some kid from out in the corn fields to become one of those walk-on studs nobody had heard of out of HS.
They've got about 5 guys who they need to grow up in a hurry and be awesome in their 1st or 2nd year of game action. And ZERO bigtime freshmen coming in. They have Stille and nobody joining that DL. Desperately need some kid from out in the corn fields to become one of those walk-on studs nobody had heard of out of HS.
Can I vote for Dline 2x??
QB and oline depth are my other concerns - but I think what we have at both can win 8 games. I am just afraid teams with big olines will cram it down our throats (much like we did to UCLA in the bowl game). Playing a 2-5 is not going to fix that.
QB and oline depth are my other concerns - but I think what we have at both can win 8 games. I am just afraid teams with big olines will cram it down our throats (much like we did to UCLA in the bowl game). Playing a 2-5 is not going to fix that.
I have reciprocal concerns/reasons for optimism. On the defensive side, its our ability to defend the run given the youth and lack of depth at the interior defensive line, and the lack of depth and quality talent on the exterior defensive line.
On the offensive side, I feel better about our ability to run the ball and the improved play of the offensive line. It appears to be getting an infusion of talent as some of our more highly rated recruits mature and come into their own.
On the offensive side, I feel better about our ability to run the ball and the improved play of the offensive line. It appears to be getting an infusion of talent as some of our more highly rated recruits mature and come into their own.
From last year to this year, the full scope:
Collins : Left with eligibility for Pro.
Valentine: Left with eligibility for Pro.
Williams: in process of leaving to play elsewhere?
McMullen: Quitting with eligibility.
Gangwich: graduating.
We have players on our roster who may very well end up being a lot better career-wise than the players that are no longer on the team. I get that. Problem is we still have to play games this year.
I agree, we need these guys to grow up in a hurry.
They essentially have two games before the bullets really start to fly against the Ducks.
