Some thoughts from last Saturday....

[CougEd]

Start with Leach- he clearly installed a mental toughness into the program. I think there is a carry over affect, the mental toughness to get through the tough times. and before I say the next item knock on wood. The Leach beach does work. People should do a study of lower leg injuries from 05-12, and 12-to 20. While we have had some injuries here and there, we aren't losing 3/'5's of an offensive line at a time.

Speaking of offensive line, it was fun seeing them do things they really haven't done the last 8 years. Just a different style.

Also, unknown last year, I think Leach left us in better shape along the interior dline. There is a reason I think Kwete and McDougal entered the portal. There is greater competition than one would have thought after last year.

I think Jackson can be as good as Herc was, and Crowder is effective, Hobbs can help if he is in shape.

Rolo looked organized, made a great call to change momentum with the call to Harris. He looks resourceful when it comes to recruiting. He has made the DB functional. The corners looked like they belonged. Having Banker one of the best DB coaches out there helps a great deal.

JDL....looks like a shortstop throwing every pass from deep in the hole. It does surprise me that Leach offered because he doesn't possess the accuracy Leach likes. Maybe he gets there.

It is only one game. I could see them easily losing every game, but there is a solid base. It will be interesting to see if players like Liam R and Watson play a 5th year. If they do they will probably have 4 out of 5 lineman return, if not they will have two.

But I do believe we will be more competitive than I thought we would be. Love seeing the four man line, and I think Dickert is really good.

We shall see.

 

[Fab5Coug]

I don't follow recruiting near as close as I used to. This isn't a dig in JDL at all, but wasn't he offered late after we'd missed on several prospects?

That might explain why he isn't the typical ideal Leach QB prospect.

 

[dgibbons]

I don't follow recruiting near as close as I used to. This isn't a dig in JDL at all, but wasn't he offered late after we'd missed on several prospects?

That might explain why he isn't the typical ideal Leach QB prospect.

Yes-he was a late pick up.

 

[Coug1990]

Start with Leach- he clearly installed a mental toughness into the program. I think there is a carry over affect, the mental toughness to get through the tough times. and before I say the next item knock on wood. The Leach beach does work. People should do a study of lower leg injuries from 05-12, and 12-to 20. While we have had some injuries here and there, we aren't losing 3/'5's of an offensive line at a time.

Speaking of offensive line, it was fun seeing them do things they really haven't done the last 8 years. Just a different style.

Also, unknown last year, I think Leach left us in better shape along the interior dline. There is a reason I think Kwete and McDougal entered the portal. There is greater competition than one would have thought after last year.

I think Jackson can be as good as Herc was, and Crowder is effective, Hobbs can help if he is in shape.

Rolo looked organized, made a great call to change momentum with the call to Harris. He looks resourceful when it comes to recruiting. He has made the DB functional. The corners looked like they belonged. Having Banker one of the best DB coaches out there helps a great deal.

JDL....looks like a shortstop throwing every pass from deep in the hole. It does surprise me that Leach offered because he doesn't possess the accuracy Leach likes. Maybe he gets there.

It is only one game. I could see them easily losing every game, but there is a solid base. It will be interesting to see if players like Liam R and Watson play a 5th year. If they do they will probably have 4 out of 5 lineman return, if not they will have two.

But I do believe we will be more competitive than I thought we would be. Love seeing the four man line, and I think Dickert is really good.

We shall see.

I believe that de Laura is an accurate passer. He completed 71.4 percent of his passes his senior year in High School and 68.7 his junior year. I think his inaccuracies in the first game were due to him being a true freshman making his first start. Remember that he split time with two other QB's until two weeks before the starting game. So, he has not had much time to build rapport with the receivers. Plus, I think there were some jitters in the beginning.

I think that the more time he has working with the receivers, the better the accuracy gets. But, it would not surprise me if he also struggles in a game or two this season when a defensive coordinator shows something that he hasn't seen before.

 

[spongeandshoot]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the streak to Bell in the endzone that got called back...then the very next play they throw one to Harris on the other side and he dropped them both in the bucket.

Love the aggressiveness and the accuracy on those balls.

 

[etowncoug]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the streak to Bell in the endzone that got called back...then the very next play they throw one to Harris on the other side and he dropped them both in the bucket.

Love the aggressiveness and the accuracy on those balls.

Oregon St looked like they'd never defended the switch concept. Same for the read option. RPO? Like they'd never seen that either. That's on the coaching staff.

I rewatched the game yesterday and, on a second viewing, the more this looks like Oregon St being clueless rather than Rolovich cracking the code. Despite a terrible game plan, Oregon St didn't help itself out with poor tackling either. If they don't figure this out, they're in for a long season.

Also saw a chunk of the Stanford/Oregon game which gives me hope about this weekend's game. Stanford was able to move the ball between the 20's and were atrocious kicking away from making it a contest. Seems like the Ducks this week should be more focused on cleaning up things on their end and might not have time to figure out how to stop what we do. (The formula for this is drop 7, rush 3 and have someone spy the QB).

 

[spongeandshoot]

Oregon St looked like they'd never defended the switch concept. Same for the read option. RPO? Like they'd never seen that either. That's on the coaching staff.

I rewatched the game yesterday and, on a second viewing, the more this looks like Oregon St being clueless rather than Rolovich cracking the code. Despite a terrible game plan, Oregon St didn't help itself out with poor tackling either. If they don't figure this out, they're in for a long season.

Also saw a chunk of the Stanford/Oregon game which gives me hope about this weekend's game. Stanford was able to move the ball between the 20's and were atrocious kicking away from making it a contest. Seems like the Ducks this week should be more focused on cleaning up things on their end and might not have time to figure out how to stop what we do. (The formula for this is drop 7, rush 3 and have someone spy the QB).

Not saying he cracked the code. He is simply giving the defense more things to think about and they executed those things at a high level...especially considering how little prep they had.

I do think we will give Oregon fits. I'm simply not scared of Oregon under Cristobal.

 

[SDCoug]

I do think we will give Oregon fits. I'm simply not scared of Oregon under Cristobal.

55-16

 

[ShockandAweWSU]

JDL is accurate...he is just a true freshman. There is a reason why he is the first true frosh to start week 1 in program history. He was very accurate throwing outs and gos to the outside of the field. When throwing into the teeth of the defense not so much. However, I would much rather have the running ability and ability to avoid the negative sack play than precise accuracy. There is a reason Ohio St and USC offered in Dec after Leach did I believe in Nov. His film is ridic.