Two things that warrant mention from last night

[random soul]

Outside of the obvious quarterback questions:

1. Erik Powell came through. I know the field goals weren't from deep, but one wasn't an easy angle and they were still pressure kicks, close or not, PATs or field goals. And that's big not just for last night, but next week and the week after that. I was hoping more to avoid another post-Stanford funk from a bad miss than saving last night's game to be honest.

2. The defense was almost as good as the offense was bad. There actually is some speed on this "speed D" (not everyone obviously), Jalen Thompson so far this year looks pretty good, and the front set up a beer garden in the Donks' backfield. This looks like a defense that will get gashed but also make big plays. They won't be boring.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

My other observations:

1) Leach called out the offensive line in the post-game press conference and said that he might never say another positive thing about them again. He definitely took it easy on them because they sucked and were clearly over-rated by the press. I'd argue that our OL is the weakest unit on the whole team. O'Connell is huge but he looked slow as hell and he should get an honorary listing on the BSU stat sheet for a TFL when he knocked their player right into our running back.

2) I can't wait for Pippins and Molton to graduate. I appreciate the effort that these guys put out but I can't stand Pippins grandstanding every time that he gets lucky that a receiver drops a ball and Molton gets roasted for a huge gain.......every........single.......game.

3) The DL is definitely playing better than expected and it looks like Phelps was a good hire. The Mata'afa comparison to Teddy Bruschi during the game was accurate except that Hercules might have the potential to be even better. That guy is a stud. If he stays for his senior year, he'll go down as one of the great ones in the conference history.

4) Frankie Luvu hits like a freakin' truck. That hit on Rypien was one of the best clean hits I've seen on a QB in years. Perfect form and just went right through the young man. Not quite as impressive as Bucannon blowing up the Auburn running back in 2013, but in the same ballpark.

5) Leach said that the offense was playing patty cake in the first half. I watched a little of the replay in watchESPN after seeing him say that and our receivers did a terrible job blocking for their teammates and the O-Line got out-hustled by BSU and the patty cake descriptor was more accurate than I first thought.

6) James Williams is an incredible talent, but I'd like to see Wicks and Morrow get the ball more. I think the game ends in the first overtime if Williams had been on the bench instead of one of those guys. His tendency to jitterbug when he needs to put his head down needs some work. Still, he is a very, very good RB.

7) As bad as the team played at times, words can't fully describe how meaningful and incredible it is for us to come back from 21 points down in about 8 minutes of game time. It was a great team win and everyone can hold their heads high knowing that when it mattered in the fourth quarter, they came together and beat a team with a reputation for finishing games. Incredible team win.

 

[brettcraycraft51]

i like that the defense is as opportunistic as it is. they really don't let chances slip through their fingers often. they still give up yards in bunches, but grinch has them playing with an aggression and a nose for the ball that helps them mitigate the damage of some of those long drives where they just get gashed all the way down the field. obviously, i'd rather have a suffocating, alabama-style defense, but we all know that's not in the cards. at least we've got a defense with an identity now (i mean an identity other than everyone's blow-up doll).

one quick note about celebrations... did anyone notice, not sure exactly when it was, but it was later in the game, luvu and another guy had cozart stopped for a 2 or 3 yard loss, but frankie turned around and threw his hands up and did that thing he does w/ his fingers when he makes a big play? only the play wasn't over? and cozart ended up with like a 3 yard gain? not exactly a disaster, but jesus christ kid, finish the play before you do your little dance move...

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Our O-line is pathetic. We can't/won't run up the middle against Montana State let alone Boise State. Anyone who stated we have a top-tier O-line....well, I'm not seeing that at all.

By the way, Brand Y had a good write up after the game with some of the same points I would have made. For example, why no Wicks to run the ball into the end zone on short and goal? He gets the job done (like he did last season on numerous occasions). Sometimes (many times?) Leach confounds me with these types of decisions.

 

[Coug95man2]

Our O-line is pathetic. We can't/won't run up the middle against Montana State let alone Boise State. Anyone who stated we have a top-tier O-line....well, I'm not that at all.

By the way, Brand Y had a good write up after the game with some of the same points I would have made. For example, why no Wicks to run the ball into the end zone on short and goal? He gets the job done (like he did last season on numerous occasions). Sometimes (many times?) Leach confounds me with these types of decisions.

I've always wondered about this stuff. But I also realize our coach doesn't really tell us, the general public, a WHOLE lot. While Wicks wasn't limping around or anything, I wondered if something wasn't wrong... maybe sick or who knows. CML wouldn't be telling anyone, even after the game.

But agreed, Wicks is a given in those situations...

 

[brettcraycraft51]

Our O-line is pathetic. We can't/won't run up the middle against Montana State let alone Boise State. Anyone who stated we have a top-tier O-line....well, I'm not seeing that at all.

By the way, Brand Y had a good write up after the game with some of the same points I would have made. For example, why no Wicks to run the ball into the end zone on short and goal? He gets the job done (like he did last season on numerous occasions). Sometimes (many times?) Leach confounds me with these types of decisions.

i don't know about pathetic, but they definitely didn't show up to play on saturday, and they definitely haven't lived up to the hype. they're pretty good in pass pro, but they got manhandled in the run game by bsu...