Man, what a day...I am spent
and going to try to summarize my 2.5 pages of play by play notes into some structured organization for this.
Lets start off as the team did,
At the end of the stretching period, Mullen called the team together as he always does, and introduced his special guest K. Jones, though I couldnt hear everything Coach Mullen said about him, the basic gist was about how this man was part of a special group, and took great pride in the task he he was assigned..and that during his time here the special teams were truly great. Jones came in and talked to the guys about how much he enjoyed being part of the kickoff team, and how much pride they had in not allowing a kickoff return during a two year period i believe he said. After a little while, he starts talking about how the kickoff team got a little swagger in their steps, and thats what you have to have when on the field. Jones then started doing...IT.... the thing we all have been missing, the Dawg POUND ROCK... and after showing it off, he makes the whole team get up and BREAK IT DOWN!!!!, and thats what they want to see... just make sure to keep the dancing on the sidelines.
Well needless to say, the guys broke for drills in a great mood..and I personally was Pumped.
After the drills period commenced, the scrimmage began.
Starting with live kickoffs.
Sean Brauchle showed off a sight we have been missing for several years, and boomed his first kick down to the 2 yard line where it was returned by Marvin Bure for 40 yards to the right side.
Kick Returners I saw working were Bure, O'Neal Wilder, Blake Edwards (muffed a catch), Wade Bonner and one of the WR in a gold jersey. On average the returners were able to get out to the 40 yard line.
Other kickers were William Berg and Derek DePasquale...but neither were able to get the ball past the 10 yard line.
To the live action we go... From the start..the tone was set. The defense has been on fire the last couple days that I have seen, particularly when pinning their ears back and crashing the pass.
The first series, set the tone.
1st down, Zach smith caught Dixon after a couple yards on the outside pitch.
2 down Jamar Chaney read the play correctly and blew up Hemphill in the backfield for a lose.
3rd and long, Def line crashed hard and pressured Lee to step up and FORCE his throw to Kendrick Cook over the middle where it was picked off.
The twos didnt far much better with their first two plays on back to back runs from Hemphill gaining little, but Relf saved the possesion by gaining enough for the first down.
Charles Bailey was able to pull in a nice catch on a curl route while falling down. But any gains were promptly lost as the whole line was in the backfield on the next down for a sack to complete the possession.
During the rest of this part of the scrimmage.. the defense continued to dominate largely, and the phrase "Point Defense" was uttered over and over by Mullen. Though dixon was able to scramble on a first down for a 20 yard run up the middle.
Finally the offense got in the endzone when Tyson hooked up with Robinson on a post route for 12 yard TD.
Relf, came in passing and completed passes to wilder and bowser. The catch by Bowser was especially nice, as Relf had bobbled the snap and had to pick it up and make something happen, and bowser was open with the slant.
But once again, the drive was ended by an INT by Bo Walters when the ball bounched off one of the gold WR's hands.
Coach even let the 3rd string run some, with Riley Saunders at QB. But he was able only to complete one pass to Austin Wilbanks with several others being nearly intercepted (Andrew Shannon) or broken up (screen pass batted own by Renaldo buck).
The team then went to the script, and practiced 3rd down and distances. This is when Mullen crawled the managers butts because they couldnt get the sticks right for 3rd and 11, he had to seriously go over and put the sticks in the right place himself. Embarrassing. ...
and when it finally get set up right Chris White immediately sacked Lee. Next was 3 and 1, and Dixon was given the ball but he danced danced danced and FAILED to pick it up.POINT DEFENSE.
Shifting to the 2's Relf had passes batted down by Shane McCardell and Terell Johnson, while FB Hemphill dropped a pass. on 3 and 1, Relf tried to pick it up but was denied when Johnson blitzed the gap.
Next session, was the Offense lined up in the endzone.
and Relf threw it dead in Jamie Jones stomach for the INT. The Defense went crazy chest bumping each other from this and even Coach mullen joined in jumping up with Jones.
With Lee and the ones back in, McPhee got a sack to end the session.
Heading to Redzone Offense, JC Brignone came over and got onto the kickers who were standing by themselves and "encouraged them" to come join the rest of the offense to cheer the guys on. Right after this is when Dixon made the run of the Day..a 25 yard scamper including a NICE high jump over a defender.
When the ones returned to the field the next time out, was by far the worst play of the day for Tyson though. He read the line crashing on him and went to pitch it, but threw it wayy over his man and behind him,...easy pickup by Damien Anderson for an 80 yard TD return.
The last session of the day was the Goaline from the 5,
Of the 4 drives I wrote down, the offense scored 3 times.
Hemphill scored twice, including one where he ran over jamie jones and scored by staying low and driving his feet to get across the goalline. hanrahan picked up the other td by running hard "downhill" and going around the main pile. good vision.
The last session of the day was 2pt conversions, Lee converted on his attempt, but I couldnt catch who caught it but know it was on either a drag from the TE, or a corner route from robinson.
Relfs turn didnt turn out as well, as LaMarcus Williams was able to get his hands up in the air and SWAT it down to end practice.
After practice, I was listening to Coach Knox talk with the RB about practice today and said the major thing he saw they needed to work still was in 3rd down sitations.. when its 3 and 1 or 3, they make a call that means DOWNHILL,and thats what he expects. hard downhill running, save the dancing and cutting for 1st and 10."Gotta stick it and get it" That was what he was disappointed in today, and he was mainly looking at dixon during this talk.
Overall from what I saw today, the defense excites me, the Pass rush of both first and second team def looks very good, and was constantly disrupting the plays. The LB core looked good too, but Chaney has to be careful about overplaying the run sometimes, as the couple runs that busted out were when he got sucked in too deep and the runner crossed his face. The ends and outside LB did a great job of keeping containment for the most part all day, and that is a huge responsibility.
The offensive line had a bad day, having mental errors and 3 offsides penalties. Have major work to do on pass blocking.
and going to try to summarize my 2.5 pages of play by play notes into some structured organization for this.
Lets start off as the team did,
At the end of the stretching period, Mullen called the team together as he always does, and introduced his special guest K. Jones, though I couldnt hear everything Coach Mullen said about him, the basic gist was about how this man was part of a special group, and took great pride in the task he he was assigned..and that during his time here the special teams were truly great. Jones came in and talked to the guys about how much he enjoyed being part of the kickoff team, and how much pride they had in not allowing a kickoff return during a two year period i believe he said. After a little while, he starts talking about how the kickoff team got a little swagger in their steps, and thats what you have to have when on the field. Jones then started doing...IT.... the thing we all have been missing, the Dawg POUND ROCK... and after showing it off, he makes the whole team get up and BREAK IT DOWN!!!!, and thats what they want to see... just make sure to keep the dancing on the sidelines.
Well needless to say, the guys broke for drills in a great mood..and I personally was Pumped.
After the drills period commenced, the scrimmage began.
Starting with live kickoffs.
Sean Brauchle showed off a sight we have been missing for several years, and boomed his first kick down to the 2 yard line where it was returned by Marvin Bure for 40 yards to the right side.
Kick Returners I saw working were Bure, O'Neal Wilder, Blake Edwards (muffed a catch), Wade Bonner and one of the WR in a gold jersey. On average the returners were able to get out to the 40 yard line.
Other kickers were William Berg and Derek DePasquale...but neither were able to get the ball past the 10 yard line.
To the live action we go... From the start..the tone was set. The defense has been on fire the last couple days that I have seen, particularly when pinning their ears back and crashing the pass.
The first series, set the tone.
1st down, Zach smith caught Dixon after a couple yards on the outside pitch.
2 down Jamar Chaney read the play correctly and blew up Hemphill in the backfield for a lose.
3rd and long, Def line crashed hard and pressured Lee to step up and FORCE his throw to Kendrick Cook over the middle where it was picked off.
The twos didnt far much better with their first two plays on back to back runs from Hemphill gaining little, but Relf saved the possesion by gaining enough for the first down.
Charles Bailey was able to pull in a nice catch on a curl route while falling down. But any gains were promptly lost as the whole line was in the backfield on the next down for a sack to complete the possession.
During the rest of this part of the scrimmage.. the defense continued to dominate largely, and the phrase "Point Defense" was uttered over and over by Mullen. Though dixon was able to scramble on a first down for a 20 yard run up the middle.
Finally the offense got in the endzone when Tyson hooked up with Robinson on a post route for 12 yard TD.
Relf, came in passing and completed passes to wilder and bowser. The catch by Bowser was especially nice, as Relf had bobbled the snap and had to pick it up and make something happen, and bowser was open with the slant.
But once again, the drive was ended by an INT by Bo Walters when the ball bounched off one of the gold WR's hands.
Coach even let the 3rd string run some, with Riley Saunders at QB. But he was able only to complete one pass to Austin Wilbanks with several others being nearly intercepted (Andrew Shannon) or broken up (screen pass batted own by Renaldo buck).
The team then went to the script, and practiced 3rd down and distances. This is when Mullen crawled the managers butts because they couldnt get the sticks right for 3rd and 11, he had to seriously go over and put the sticks in the right place himself. Embarrassing. ...
and when it finally get set up right Chris White immediately sacked Lee. Next was 3 and 1, and Dixon was given the ball but he danced danced danced and FAILED to pick it up.POINT DEFENSE.
Shifting to the 2's Relf had passes batted down by Shane McCardell and Terell Johnson, while FB Hemphill dropped a pass. on 3 and 1, Relf tried to pick it up but was denied when Johnson blitzed the gap.
Next session, was the Offense lined up in the endzone.
and Relf threw it dead in Jamie Jones stomach for the INT. The Defense went crazy chest bumping each other from this and even Coach mullen joined in jumping up with Jones.
With Lee and the ones back in, McPhee got a sack to end the session.
Heading to Redzone Offense, JC Brignone came over and got onto the kickers who were standing by themselves and "encouraged them" to come join the rest of the offense to cheer the guys on. Right after this is when Dixon made the run of the Day..a 25 yard scamper including a NICE high jump over a defender.
When the ones returned to the field the next time out, was by far the worst play of the day for Tyson though. He read the line crashing on him and went to pitch it, but threw it wayy over his man and behind him,...easy pickup by Damien Anderson for an 80 yard TD return.
The last session of the day was the Goaline from the 5,
Of the 4 drives I wrote down, the offense scored 3 times.
Hemphill scored twice, including one where he ran over jamie jones and scored by staying low and driving his feet to get across the goalline. hanrahan picked up the other td by running hard "downhill" and going around the main pile. good vision.
The last session of the day was 2pt conversions, Lee converted on his attempt, but I couldnt catch who caught it but know it was on either a drag from the TE, or a corner route from robinson.
Relfs turn didnt turn out as well, as LaMarcus Williams was able to get his hands up in the air and SWAT it down to end practice.
After practice, I was listening to Coach Knox talk with the RB about practice today and said the major thing he saw they needed to work still was in 3rd down sitations.. when its 3 and 1 or 3, they make a call that means DOWNHILL,and thats what he expects. hard downhill running, save the dancing and cutting for 1st and 10."Gotta stick it and get it" That was what he was disappointed in today, and he was mainly looking at dixon during this talk.
Overall from what I saw today, the defense excites me, the Pass rush of both first and second team def looks very good, and was constantly disrupting the plays. The LB core looked good too, but Chaney has to be careful about overplaying the run sometimes, as the couple runs that busted out were when he got sucked in too deep and the runner crossed his face. The ends and outside LB did a great job of keeping containment for the most part all day, and that is a huge responsibility.
The offensive line had a bad day, having mental errors and 3 offsides penalties. Have major work to do on pass blocking.
