A few game observations
September 13, 2010 12:53 AM
1) I know it was only a FCS team, but SIU is one of the best FCS teams with a potential NFL quarterback. And we shut them down. By the end of the season, this might be our best defense since Tepper. Koenning is one heck of a coach. (ps--He was not a good head coach at Wyoming and has no interest in trying again. Let's lock this guy up as our "Norm Parker".)
2) I made a specific point of watching Martez Wilson, and he was lost and tentative most of the game. They blitzed him a ton this evening, but most of the time as soon as resistance was encountered he just danced around. Many times he couldn't make up his mind about whether to blitz or not, and as a result just stood at the line of scrimmage. Martez Wilson should have feasted on this sort of team, and looked more tentative than ever. I'm starting to have doubts about his ability to play the Bandit. And how can a guy like Martez completely whiff on an open field tackle when he is trying to take down a big, slow QB?
3) Jonathan Brown didn't get in much until the 4th quarter, but he really looks like a player. I kept seeing No. 45 flying around and had to dig up my game notes to figure out who it was. Terrific games again from Bussey and Ian Thomas.
4) The coaches were right, Mercilus deserves to start. But I don't know about Nurse at Bandit. He didn't look fast or agile enough out in space. If Buchanan and Palmer come back, Nurse may backup Mercilus at DE.
5) When Hawthorne comes back and all the new guys learn the entire defense, this is going to be a wicked secondary.
6) The defense will carry this team. Yes, we put up 35 points, and yes Scheelhaase looked better. But our OL didn't come close to controlling the LOS the way I thought they would against a much smaller defense with no depth. We have two terrific, physical RB's, a young guy with potential at QB and capable WRs. But with a mediocre OL, we aren't going to score a lot of points against good defenses.
7) Terrific win. I love the intensity. Now keep improving through the NIU game.
Groundhogday
2) I made a specific point of watching Martez Wilson, and he was lost and tentative most of the game. They blitzed him a ton this evening, but most of the time as soon as resistance was encountered he just danced around. Many times he couldn't make up his mind about whether to blitz or not, and as a result just stood at the line of scrimmage. Martez Wilson should have feasted on this sort of team, and looked more tentative than ever. I'm starting to have doubts about his ability to play the Bandit. And how can a guy like Martez completely whiff on an open field tackle when he is trying to take down a big, slow QB?
3) Jonathan Brown didn't get in much until the 4th quarter, but he really looks like a player. I kept seeing No. 45 flying around and had to dig up my game notes to figure out who it was. Terrific games again from Bussey and Ian Thomas.
4) The coaches were right, Mercilus deserves to start. But I don't know about Nurse at Bandit. He didn't look fast or agile enough out in space. If Buchanan and Palmer come back, Nurse may backup Mercilus at DE.
5) When Hawthorne comes back and all the new guys learn the entire defense, this is going to be a wicked secondary.
6) The defense will carry this team. Yes, we put up 35 points, and yes Scheelhaase looked better. But our OL didn't come close to controlling the LOS the way I thought they would against a much smaller defense with no depth. We have two terrific, physical RB's, a young guy with potential at QB and capable WRs. But with a mediocre OL, we aren't going to score a lot of points against good defenses.
7) Terrific win. I love the intensity. Now keep improving through the NIU game.
Groundhogday
Filed under: Illini Football, Southern Illinois Salukis
