Something I'm pondering-

[LTblows]

To my memory, I don't recall any major injuries this past football season, which is the first I can ever remember. Should the conditioning coach be given the entire credit for this? Obviously luck plays a big part, but is the rest all Balis?

 

[dawgstudent]

and it coincided with us having a much stronger running game. Of course, Mullen's offense had something to with it but it seems our S&C is a lot better if one season is any indication.

 

[pDigital32Dawg]

but to credit our improved running game you have to give a lot of credit to our lineman coach. Our O-line is by no means a top unit in the SEC but with their new blocking schemes last season they really made a bunch of their weaknesses not a factor in their performance. That was something that stood out too me more than anything between Croom's offense and Mullen's. Maybe I am just being optimistic towards Mullen and Co. but to me it appeared our lineman were playing to the whistle nearly every down. And they were doing well picking up linebackers and any outside blitzes that wreak havoc upon teams. Croom's schemes were porous and a lot of players would give up once they blocked their assigned defender. Mullen's were constantly moving up field picking up new blocks and reading the defense.

 

[Dollabillz]

the energy of Mullen rubs off. This stuff starts at the top and trickles down. Croom was very lazy in the way his approach was implemented. The scheme helps for sure, you always want to play to your strengths and not the weaknesses - and it's all intertwined. If these guys are asked to do things the hardest way possible, then morale won't be very high.

 

[Todd4State]

I do agree that being more fit in general reduces injuries. Of course, it will not eliminate them, but high quality S&C is imperative in the SEC. And Balis should get a lot of credit for that. I don't know why our S&C was so crappy under Croom, but it was real noticable when Mullen took over and all of a sudden it looked like we had a completely different team.

 

[Todd4State]

It's hard to fault players if they are taught what to do after during a play in certain situation.

I was never all that impressed with JB Grimes- the o-line coach under Croom. We never had a line that made much progress under him.