Offense:
1. Russell looked much like he did last year. He has the arm and the accuracy, it is just a matter of timing and awareness. Had a few passes that were just beautiful (and had to be, because we werent getting open much in the 1st quarter - which leads me to point 2)
2. I much prefer the 2nd WR group of Morrow/Lewis/R. Johnson/B. Hill to Arceto/Bumphis/C. Smith/M. Green. It looks like Tubby is our best offensive weapon and one of the only WR that can get open on his own. He ran some nice routes and looked good catching the ball. Looks much improved as an all around player this year. Arceto still has great hands and deserves to be in the rotation, but nobody from that first group was getting open. The passes Russell completed to those guys, just like last year, were precision passes to a covered receiver. I have always liked Hill and he looks like a really solid option at TE. Shows great hands, good athleticism and really good route running. I think he is better all around than Green.
3. Looks like we will roll with the hot hand at RB. Perkins/Robinson/Milton all looked good in that order. I dont think Griffin really got a fair shake - he didnt get the lanes Milton did.. I still think he will be a factor. Milton did show great vision and is a smooth runner. I swear it looked like he was just jogging on that long touchdown run. Robinson is our best power/speed combo. If we can open up holes for these guys, they will make things happen.
4. Hard to tell since we didnt leave the whole group in together very long, but it looks like the starting line of Clausell/Jackson/Day/Smith/Siddoway, will be improved over last year. Day is going to be as good as any center we have had in recent memory. I didnt see anything special out of Robinson/Beckwith/Malone. Injuries will be tough to overcome just like last year.
5. We didnt see the explosive pass plays we saw in our last couple openers. Would have liked to see us hit a big one, but it just didnt come. I will say that Morrow did shake loose deep a couple of times and he will be a threat there.
6. Really hard to apply anything we saw here to next week's game. I will use the most overused word of the weekend: vanilla.
Defense and ST
1. At this point I can't see a marked improvement over last year, but the potential is definitely there.
2. Autry showed that he will be very disruptive. Looked strong, quick and explosive. He is going to get his share this year. Man, have we put some good weight on Jon Harris and Preston Smith. They came in looking like WR and look huge now. That said, I didnt see anything spectacular from them, just solid work. Boyd looked like he always does, steady but still trying to be a consistent guest in the backfield. I still think our ideal line is Autry/Jones/Boyd/Eulls...and I think he has the size to play tackle, but I prefer how we use Eulls as a run-anchor DE. When we start dialing it up, the havoc being caused by Autry will show up even more. That nasty sack by Matt Wells was thanks in large part to Autry gashing the right side of their line.
3. Rookies: Quay Evans is a playmaker. He may quickly become the locked in #2 behind PJ, assuming he is unsuspended soon. He is one of those rare penetrating DTs that just has a knack for getting upfield. Nick James got double teamed a LOT and I think he faired ok. His conditioning is obviously an issue. No less obvious was our staff using this game as extra conditioning for him. I swear he was looking to the staff praying they would take him out on a couple of drives but they just left him in there to play - and man was he gassed. At least he knew that he better not ask for a sub. Cedric Jiles is going to be a star. I was surprised to see Ryan Brown out there, but he looks like he is in the same mold as McCardell.
4. Put your hands together for the inevitable soft middle zone of a Mississippi State defense. Broomfield needs to get on board quick. I asked early why we didnt see Arrington in the 2nd group, as I was convinced he would be a star for us early on. When he played I thought he looked really good in run support. Couldnt tell that much in the passing game. I will say that he has an uncanny ability to lock on to the ball carrier and never miss the tackle. He takes great angles to the ball. I hope we end up with Broomfield at nickel safety and someone else stepping up to play opposite Nickoe. My vote would be Arrington or MATTHEW 17ing WELLS, who I still believe should be a safety. He looked great out there by the way.
5. Continuing that theme, the linebackers looked really stiff in pass coverage. Cam got beat on a TD and was generally chasing on pass plays all night. Looked pretty good against the run. Then again, we were so base all night that it really made their jobs and the safeties' jobs a lot harder. Skinner and McKinney are horses. McKinney actually made at least one really good play in pass coverage.
6. Banks/Slay look like they could contend for best corner combo in the SEC.
Special teams, outside of punting, still a concern. I really cant believe we havent settled on a kicker yet. And of course we still cant get it in the endzone consistently. I am surprised we play Banks on kickoff coverage. That is just an unnecessary risk.
I still dont know how the Auburn game will shake out. All our answers will come from Week 2.
1. Russell looked much like he did last year. He has the arm and the accuracy, it is just a matter of timing and awareness. Had a few passes that were just beautiful (and had to be, because we werent getting open much in the 1st quarter - which leads me to point 2)
2. I much prefer the 2nd WR group of Morrow/Lewis/R. Johnson/B. Hill to Arceto/Bumphis/C. Smith/M. Green. It looks like Tubby is our best offensive weapon and one of the only WR that can get open on his own. He ran some nice routes and looked good catching the ball. Looks much improved as an all around player this year. Arceto still has great hands and deserves to be in the rotation, but nobody from that first group was getting open. The passes Russell completed to those guys, just like last year, were precision passes to a covered receiver. I have always liked Hill and he looks like a really solid option at TE. Shows great hands, good athleticism and really good route running. I think he is better all around than Green.
3. Looks like we will roll with the hot hand at RB. Perkins/Robinson/Milton all looked good in that order. I dont think Griffin really got a fair shake - he didnt get the lanes Milton did.. I still think he will be a factor. Milton did show great vision and is a smooth runner. I swear it looked like he was just jogging on that long touchdown run. Robinson is our best power/speed combo. If we can open up holes for these guys, they will make things happen.
4. Hard to tell since we didnt leave the whole group in together very long, but it looks like the starting line of Clausell/Jackson/Day/Smith/Siddoway, will be improved over last year. Day is going to be as good as any center we have had in recent memory. I didnt see anything special out of Robinson/Beckwith/Malone. Injuries will be tough to overcome just like last year.
5. We didnt see the explosive pass plays we saw in our last couple openers. Would have liked to see us hit a big one, but it just didnt come. I will say that Morrow did shake loose deep a couple of times and he will be a threat there.
6. Really hard to apply anything we saw here to next week's game. I will use the most overused word of the weekend: vanilla.
Defense and ST
1. At this point I can't see a marked improvement over last year, but the potential is definitely there.
2. Autry showed that he will be very disruptive. Looked strong, quick and explosive. He is going to get his share this year. Man, have we put some good weight on Jon Harris and Preston Smith. They came in looking like WR and look huge now. That said, I didnt see anything spectacular from them, just solid work. Boyd looked like he always does, steady but still trying to be a consistent guest in the backfield. I still think our ideal line is Autry/Jones/Boyd/Eulls...and I think he has the size to play tackle, but I prefer how we use Eulls as a run-anchor DE. When we start dialing it up, the havoc being caused by Autry will show up even more. That nasty sack by Matt Wells was thanks in large part to Autry gashing the right side of their line.
3. Rookies: Quay Evans is a playmaker. He may quickly become the locked in #2 behind PJ, assuming he is unsuspended soon. He is one of those rare penetrating DTs that just has a knack for getting upfield. Nick James got double teamed a LOT and I think he faired ok. His conditioning is obviously an issue. No less obvious was our staff using this game as extra conditioning for him. I swear he was looking to the staff praying they would take him out on a couple of drives but they just left him in there to play - and man was he gassed. At least he knew that he better not ask for a sub. Cedric Jiles is going to be a star. I was surprised to see Ryan Brown out there, but he looks like he is in the same mold as McCardell.
4. Put your hands together for the inevitable soft middle zone of a Mississippi State defense. Broomfield needs to get on board quick. I asked early why we didnt see Arrington in the 2nd group, as I was convinced he would be a star for us early on. When he played I thought he looked really good in run support. Couldnt tell that much in the passing game. I will say that he has an uncanny ability to lock on to the ball carrier and never miss the tackle. He takes great angles to the ball. I hope we end up with Broomfield at nickel safety and someone else stepping up to play opposite Nickoe. My vote would be Arrington or MATTHEW 17ing WELLS, who I still believe should be a safety. He looked great out there by the way.
5. Continuing that theme, the linebackers looked really stiff in pass coverage. Cam got beat on a TD and was generally chasing on pass plays all night. Looked pretty good against the run. Then again, we were so base all night that it really made their jobs and the safeties' jobs a lot harder. Skinner and McKinney are horses. McKinney actually made at least one really good play in pass coverage.
6. Banks/Slay look like they could contend for best corner combo in the SEC.
Special teams, outside of punting, still a concern. I really cant believe we havent settled on a kicker yet. And of course we still cant get it in the endzone consistently. I am surprised we play Banks on kickoff coverage. That is just an unnecessary risk.
I still dont know how the Auburn game will shake out. All our answers will come from Week 2.
