Something to keep an eye on, re: fall camp

[57stratdawg]

Let's see where Justin Malone is at in a couple weeks. He's a swing guy that can play G or T. If the staff feels good about RT, Malone will stay inside. If not, he might swing out to RT to battle with Senior and Damien Robinson.

If Malone stays at G, it probably means Senior is capable enough to start at RT and Robinson adds depth.

We might not know for sure since practice is closed every week this fall. Not sure how much access we'll have leaked out. Just something to keep an eye on.

 

[HD6]

Hevesy said on Saturday Malone is likely to remain at guard, with Robinson, Senior, and Warren battling for RT.

 

[121Josey]

I never understood the way people were freaking out over the OL - beside the fact that they were State fans. OL depth is there and will at least replicate the performance of 2013. Malone's injury helped prepare a smooth transition to 2014.

 

[Faustdog]

I never understood the way people were freaking out over the OL - beside the fact that they were State fans. OL depth is there and will at least replicate the performance of 2013. Malone's injury helped prepare a smooth transition to 2014.

It's probably because the line wasn't great last year and the best player left. I do understand that we have a bunch of guys that couldn't get push last year coming back.

 

[57stratdawg]

I wasn't freaking out, just saying Malone will provide some insight into the RT battle. And honestly, I think RT come down to Senior. If they feel good about him out there, we should be ready to roll. If they don't, it could cause some sleepless nights.

 

[121Josey]

Don't worry. I didn't include you in there - thus the past tense. I found your argument persuasive and even more appealing that Malone is staying at tackle. I'd love to say to hell with it and put Senior or Jake Thomas at RT and call it a youth movement on the OL.

 

[121Josey]

It's probably because the line wasn't great last year and the best player left. I do understand that we have a bunch of guys that couldn't get push last year coming back.

It wasn't great but it was better than average. State might have lost the best lineman, but they also lost the worst lineman. Now we have 3 guards with experience and a long list of players competing for RT. Somebody will figure it out - if not by default.

 

[rugbdawg]

It appeared to me that our Oline unit was

in the bottom quarter of the league last year. It's pretty much impossible to show any statistics to refute or support my claim. But to me, we appeared overmatched up front in every SEC game except for Kentucky and maybe Arkansas. Even Arkansas was in our backfield all day. Bowling Green carved out a new ******* for every one of our offensive linemen. Ole Miss, Bama, LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, and even Texas A&M controlled us up front all game. People forget how terribly we struggled offensively in the first 3 quarters against the Aggies. People also laugh when folks say it was one of our best defensive performances last year. But it was. The offense was putrid. With any other defense on the field that day, they would have scored 70+. Particularly after the first quarter, we would have been down 28-0.

 

[121Josey]

Your TV gets just as bad reception for football games as it does baseball games.** You missed Engie's thread a couple weeks ago comparing the OL play to other SEC teams. I'm too lazy to look it up.

The offense put up better numbers than 2012 despite having a harder schedule. I can't say that the whole offense boils down to the OL. But I can show you a comparison against the best offense last year

2013 MSU-TAMU Comparison
OSU 333 ^558* (Vandy) [Quasi-Dakless]
ASU ^556 ^564* (UTEP)
AU @415 ^602
Troy ^551 ^581* (SMU)
LSU ^468 @299
BG ^442 541* (DUKE)
UK ^447 ^390* (Sam Houston)
USCe @385 @463* (UMizz)
TAMU @556 ^537
BAMA ^197 ^628 [Dakless]
UPigg @488 @523 [Dakless]
TSUN ^296 @587 [Quasi-Dakless]
RICE 533 ^486

 

[maroonmania]

Per a Ben Beckwith interview I heard last week...

Don't worry. I didn't include you in there - thus the past tense. I found your argument persuasive and even more appealing that Malone is staying at tackle. I'd love to say to hell with it and put Senior or Jake Thomas at RT and call it a youth movement on the OL.

Jake Thomas has been moved to Guard.

 

[57stratdawg]

Really? Hadn't heard that.

 

[121Josey]

Jake Thomas has been moved to Guard.

I guess we can throw that preseason depth chart out the window.

Tackle must be better than I thought. Clayborn, Malone, Thomas, Flowers, etc. make a pretty strong young group.

Here's the Beckwith interview. He spills the beans on just about everything.

 

[BiscuitEater]

It's early ...

Jake Thomas has been moved to Guard.

but some early reports have Robinson holding his own and starting at RT with Warren showing that he learned a lot in the spring and Senior adding ~ 20 pounds. Thus, Malone was more of an asset at Guard.

Long time til USM kickoff ... I'm more worried about our 'special' special teams!

 

[PBRME]

Unless he's made major improvements in 8 months, we're in bad shape at RT if he's the starter.

 

[engie]

It's probably because the line wasn't great last year and the best player left. I do understand that we have a bunch of guys that couldn't get push last year coming back.

http://maroonandwhitenation.com/2014/07/22/offensive-line-problem/

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

The Malone to tackle was never spoken about by any of our coaches as far as I know. There's a certain sociopath who use to post here that said this over and over and over on another board with nothing to base it on people on the boards just kind f went with it. And I may be completely wrong, but I'm almost certain him moving to tackle was never spoken about. Senior will probably end up being our starter, moving to lt next year.

 

[mcdawg22]

I don't know if I'm one of the ones you are referring to but OL is my second biggest concern behind kickers. If you can name a unit that I should be more worried about then I'll be glad to rethink it. This year we will find out if LDP was the biggest hindrance to our running game or whether it was inconsistent line play. I think it was a bit of both.

 

[engie]

Malone at tackle was talked about in interviews literally 2 days ago...

Him staying at guard is more an indication that our tackles are better than people think they are it seems to me...

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

A couple of days ago a coach said Malone was moving to tackle even though he's staying at guard?

 

[RiverCityDawg]

The Malone to tackle was never spoken about by any of our coaches as far as I know. There's a certain sociopath who use to post here that said this over and over and over on another board with nothing to base it on people on the boards just kind f went with it. And I may be completely wrong, but I'm almost certain him moving to tackle was never spoken about. Senior will probably end up being our starter, moving to lt next year.

Malone is listed as #1 RT in the media guide with Robinson. Also, Hev mentioned it as a possibility on Saturday and Bob C has mentioned it before in one of his previews.

 

[engie]

A couple of days ago a coach said Malone was moving to tackle even though he's staying at guard?

Huh? You said "the Malone to tackle was never talked about by any of our coaches as far as I know". When it was talked about by Hevesy 2 days ago. That doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen or not to happen. But I find it interesting that anyone thinks they have a handle on what is actually going to happen after 3 of 28ish total days of practice -- with only part of one practice that people got to actually watch. Someone is in an awful big hurry to try to call c34 wrong about something...

I assumed Malone would move out like many -- and that the measuring stick about how we felt about the position would be whether Senior moved over or not. Instead, those roles appear they might be reversed. Senior moved over there -- and the measuring stick on how we feel about the position will be whether or not Malone moves out there as well... So, I agree with the initial premise of the thread fully...

 

[KurtRambis4]

Sometimes it takes

time for guys to reach their potential. Not everyone is going to come in from day one and be All-SEC.

 

[BiscuitEater]

Best guess ... It was a bit of both

This year we will find out if LDP was the biggest hindrance to our running game or whether it was inconsistent line play. I think it was a bit of both.

Think that Perkins was slowed by injury more than we knew at the time.

The same offensive line blocked for both Robinson averaged close to 2 yards per carry more than Perk.

L.Perkins had 137 carries for 593 yards (4.0 yards / carry) and 2 TDsJ
Josh Robinson had 78 carries for 480 yards (5.9 yards / carry) and 3 TDs
Dak had 134 carries for 917 yards (6.2 yards / carry) and 13 TDs


5.9 yards per carry puts a RB in pretty good company in the SEC - Top 11 rushers in the 2013 ...

			ATT	YDS	YDS/A
1	Tre Mason, RB	AUB	317	1816	5.7
2	Jeremy Hill, RB	LSU	203	1401	6.9
3	T.J. Yeldon, RB	ALA	207	1235	6.0
4	Mike Davis, RB	SC	203	1183	5.8
5	Henry Josey, RB	MIZZ	174	1166	6.7
6	Rajion Neal, RB	TENN	215	1124	5.2
7	Nick Marshall, QB	AUB	172	1068	6.2
8	Alex Collins, RB	ARK	190	1026	5.4
9	Todd Gurley, RB	UGA	165	989	6.0
10	Jonathan Williams, RB	ARK	150	900	6.0
11	Dak Prescott, QB	MSST	134	829	6.2

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[johnson86-1]

time for guys to reach their potential. Not everyone is going to come in from day one and be All-SEC.

Usually you kind of know what players are going to be like by the end of the RS Junior year. At that point you've had 4 years to develop them and if they don't look good at the end of year 4, they probably won't look good in year 5. Not saying players don't still make jumps after that point, but it's the exception rather than the rule. If coaches really think Robinson is going to be our starter, I'm revising my expectations down to 7 wins. Hopefully I'll be surprised and something really did click for Robinson that didn't click his first four years in the program.

 

[johnson86-1]

Malone at tackle was talked about in interviews literally 2 days ago...

Him staying at guard is more an indication that our tackles are better than people think they are it seems to me...

Or maybe it's an indication that Malone wasn't good at OT. I'm guessing that means we feel comfortable that we have 3 solid OT's between Clausell, Senior, Carter, and Warren and another serviceable backup with Robinson. But even though I know our coaches like to reward upperclassmen who do things the right way, it's really beginning to make me nervous that Robinson is still be talked about as a starter.

 

[rugbdawg]

Robinson's feet aren't good.

Let's hope he lost 20 pounds and spent the whole offseason doing agility drills.