- Hi. How's everyone? I was away for ~3 1/2 months (my nephew lurked this Summer but isn't allowed to post until he passes English 101). I jumped on for the first time just before kickoff Saturday to see how many of our DL had single-digit jersey numbers and have been on a tad here-and-there since. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I don't know how much of this has been regurgitated. I also don't know how much of it runs counter to our more knowledgeable posters... such as your Coach Hunter or Jeramye (i.e. when in doubt, ignore my rant).
- Let's Go!!!.....
- Gus Malzahn is a clown. To paraphrase Ian Woosnam after his caddie left a 15th club in his bag... "You have one f'in job to do, Gus!"
- 100 of 130 D1 Head Coach/Offensive Coordinators could cobble together 262 yards against a rebuilt Clemson defense. Jay Tate could do it for $500k... much less the $5M or whatever Gus is earning.
- I haven't checked Elias Sports Bureau yet, but the chances of surviving to 2017 when you're booed by a historically fair-minded fan base after your 8th offensive play of 2016 can't be very high.
- If, by some small miracle Gus makes it to next season, waiting until Sept 3 to begin implementing the offense will not yield optimal results.
Offense (Where to go from here)
QBs
- My first thought was to simplify things. Namely, jettisoning JJ. Tuesday, I log on to find out we took a small step in the right direction by basically removing him from the team. The fact that Gus didn't realize it until 9/4/16 is a tad worrisome.
- Sean White: Best chance to complete passes past the LOS. Didn't play very well Saturday as he seemed to not be as relaxed as last season. Tended to be anxious and have happy feet which led to some rushed decisions/poor throws. In his defense, being yanked after going 1-for-1 may've played a role.
- White can move the ball... but can we score in the Red Zone with him? That's been the issue in his short career as he hasn't been able to complete passes on a short field.
- JF3: I don't know what we have in him. I know he scored 6 TDs in 30 minutes against an 8th-grade team last season and that was enough for Gus to sign him up. Clemson had to respect the ZRO with him in the game even if EVERY play was pre-determined. If he does play with some regularity, it will eventually have to be a true option or it will simply be too easy for decent defenses.
If he can complete passes (which seems a bit premature at this point), he/Kerryon would make a great combo. I just don't see it as of now.
- Ultimately, the next QB that Gus develops will be his first. So SW and JF3 are kinda on their own in that regard.
OL
- To be kind, didn't look good. Only one way to go from here.
- I believe Darius James was our jumbo "6th man"?? Whomever donned #92.
- Robert Leff was criminally underrated last season... but he obviously didn't handle RT very well Sat night. I assume James or Mike Horton might get a look if that doesn't improve.
- But the entire OL was a bit of a mess. It was like the game plan suddenly changed and they were unknowingly blocking for 3 QBs or something....
RB
- Kerryon or bust? He may be the only true SEC RB on the roster at the moment. We can sprinkle in runs by Truitt/Cox/Pettway, but that's probably window-dressing at this stage. Malik Miller may be an option soon.
WR
- Looked about as expected. The upperclassmen just aren't very good after 3 years learning nothing with CDC. Ryan/Kyle Davis flashed a bit. A couple of our young guys will have to step up in a non-friendly WR offense for that unit to make a dent.
Overall, it obviously looks bleak. 1) Run with Kerryon and throw with White or 2) Run with Kerryon and run with JF3? But who knows. We looked like crap after Game 3 of 2013 then went on a run that no one anticipated. Maybe it'll happen again.
Defense
- Wow! and Wow!! and Deshaun Davis!!! and Wow!!!!
- There were 3 or 4 "We let 'em off the hook" plays that seemed to always allow points. But given 80 plays against arguably the best offense in the nation, that's picking nits (granted, TDs on 3rd-n-G from the 16 are still never fun).
- Clemson scratched-and clawed for their 19 points. There were very little mental mistakes made by their offense (aside from Gallman inexplicably running out-of-bounds with 40 seconds remaining.. that was the one play that was more idiotic than us playing 3 QBs on the first 7 snaps).
- DL played well! It's the veteran unit and should hold it's own against most OLs. Like last year with a healthy Lawson, there was a lot of noise but not as much substance. Still, I credit that to the Heisman QB on the other side. The sacks/TFLs will come with this unit.
- Monty Adams played well despite being double-teamed consistently. Had a very quick burst that eventually wore off a bit in the 4th.
- Carl Lawson controlled his area. They had no sacks vs Watson... but they didn't make life easy for him, either.
- Freshman notes: Marlon knows the game, knows his role, and has a good motor. He's a keepa! Derrick Brown is a STRONG dude. And he's agile enough to trail and recover a fumble downfield. Points for that.
- LBs: Hello Travis Williams!!!
- Deshaun Davis/Tre Williams/Darrell Williams plugged more holes with anger in one game than KF/JG/JH did in their entire careers, combined. This is not your Ellis Johnson/Will Muschamp LB unit. These guys were thumping! This Front-6 has a chance to be really good (hopefully it isn't wasted by our HUNIdea offense).
- To be balanced, Deshaun over pursued a time or two. He and/or Trigga didn't contain the edge on Clemson's one long run (20-yarder by Gallman).
- D Williams is a little behind the other two in knowing what to do... but he's younger and is more aggressive than I'd ever imagined.
- Again, anything critical about the LB play is picking nits and my way of not be overly optimistic too soon. But Kris Frost would've lasted about 6 plays in this unit before he would've been taken out by some friendly fire known as DD's Helmet!
- DBs: They tackled well against a very good group of play makers. There were a couple of bail-outs by Rudy that resulted in points for Clemson. Also, the personal foul by Trigga was ignorant... but not shocking.
- Trigga/Rudy/Ruffin all tackled well and yielded relatively few yards after contact... especially for the first game. The lack of speed that made Trigga a liability last season appears to be gone. He's a totally different player if he can stay healthy.
- Josh Holsey! I never thought he'd regain the speed to be more than a Dime back. Played a hella-game Saturday!!!
- Carlton Davis was the victim of several almost indefensible back-shoulder throws. It was not his best game but upon watching the replay, I don't see a Sophomore Slump forthcoming. He's still our bell cow in the secondary. That was a well-coached, seasoned QB making pro passes to seasoned WRs who appeared to actually have spent a ton of time perfecting those passes.
- Clemson completed 5 back shoulder passes ("comebackers") for 118 yards. Their other 72 plays resulted in 281 yards. We'll take that.
- Mike Williams was clearly the best play-maker on the field and would probably be playing in the NFL this Sunday if not for his injury last year that knocked him off the map for a bit. He's one of the best WRs in the nation.
It's only one game (remember, we thought we had a legit D after Game #20 under Ellis.. only to run him out of town after Game #27), but this D played outstanding considering it somewhat gift-wrapped half of Clemson's 19 points to them. Getting beat by a power running game or over-the-top passes is one thing. Getting beat by purposely under thrown balls by a Heisman QB and Biletnikoff WR is something entirely different. I don't think any of us would've thought we lost the game if the only stat we knew was Clemson and 19 points.
Unfortunately, the offense spent the evening playing Tilt-A-Whirl against a very raw defense.
Arkansas St Game (do not overlook)
- Arky St was surprisingly manhandled last week by Toledo. That wasn't supposed to happen as Arky St was not viewed as being too terribly far behind Auburn in the preseason.
- I'm not sure if that means Arky St is overrated or if they just came out flat.
- Either way, our biggest battle is with ourselves. I'm not sure that I can name one player on Clemson's D - none jumped out on replay - but we still only scored 13 points.
- If we don't simplify the offense and do some things consistently successful, only two games will be blowouts. And Arky St ain't one of them. If we jack around with bubble screens and Truitt Sweeps being the focal point of our O, this will be a close game as we won't score enough to pull away.
- I'm rooting for Gus*. Even if he is a clown, I'm paying him so he's my clown.
*Disclosure: When discussing offense, Pokeberry doesn't mention Rhett Lashlee. Poke doesn't know what he does. Poke does know that he doesn't coach offense. This offense, for better or worse, is 100% Gus. The offense will look the exact same Saturday whether Rhett is right in the thick of it or is tied-up in a closet.
If Chandler Cox is the only FB in the nation required to do a pirouette prior to running it up the gut, that's on Gus. Likewise, when we were 2 missed tackles short of a National Championship with a NFL CB playing QB, the credit goes to Gus.
Total Plays: 80 (All in Nickel... or 4-2-5)
DT
M. Adams - 58
D. Russell - 46
D. Lawrence - 22
M. Swain - 18
D. Brown - 9
An. Williams - 7
DE
M. Davidson - 58
C. Lawson - 56
J. Holland - 23
B. Cowart - 15
P. James III - 8
LB
D. Davis - 68
Tr. Williams - 53
D. Williams - 39
CB
C. Davis - 73
J. Holsey - 49
J. Davis - 40
S
Tr. Matthews - 79
R. Ford - 78
N. Ruffin - 76
M. Boston - 5
- Let's Go!!!.....
- Gus Malzahn is a clown. To paraphrase Ian Woosnam after his caddie left a 15th club in his bag... "You have one f'in job to do, Gus!"
- 100 of 130 D1 Head Coach/Offensive Coordinators could cobble together 262 yards against a rebuilt Clemson defense. Jay Tate could do it for $500k... much less the $5M or whatever Gus is earning.
- I haven't checked Elias Sports Bureau yet, but the chances of surviving to 2017 when you're booed by a historically fair-minded fan base after your 8th offensive play of 2016 can't be very high.
- If, by some small miracle Gus makes it to next season, waiting until Sept 3 to begin implementing the offense will not yield optimal results.
Offense (Where to go from here)
QBs
- My first thought was to simplify things. Namely, jettisoning JJ. Tuesday, I log on to find out we took a small step in the right direction by basically removing him from the team. The fact that Gus didn't realize it until 9/4/16 is a tad worrisome.
- Sean White: Best chance to complete passes past the LOS. Didn't play very well Saturday as he seemed to not be as relaxed as last season. Tended to be anxious and have happy feet which led to some rushed decisions/poor throws. In his defense, being yanked after going 1-for-1 may've played a role.
- White can move the ball... but can we score in the Red Zone with him? That's been the issue in his short career as he hasn't been able to complete passes on a short field.
- JF3: I don't know what we have in him. I know he scored 6 TDs in 30 minutes against an 8th-grade team last season and that was enough for Gus to sign him up. Clemson had to respect the ZRO with him in the game even if EVERY play was pre-determined. If he does play with some regularity, it will eventually have to be a true option or it will simply be too easy for decent defenses.
If he can complete passes (which seems a bit premature at this point), he/Kerryon would make a great combo. I just don't see it as of now.
- Ultimately, the next QB that Gus develops will be his first. So SW and JF3 are kinda on their own in that regard.
OL
- To be kind, didn't look good. Only one way to go from here.
- I believe Darius James was our jumbo "6th man"?? Whomever donned #92.
- Robert Leff was criminally underrated last season... but he obviously didn't handle RT very well Sat night. I assume James or Mike Horton might get a look if that doesn't improve.
- But the entire OL was a bit of a mess. It was like the game plan suddenly changed and they were unknowingly blocking for 3 QBs or something....
RB
- Kerryon or bust? He may be the only true SEC RB on the roster at the moment. We can sprinkle in runs by Truitt/Cox/Pettway, but that's probably window-dressing at this stage. Malik Miller may be an option soon.
WR
- Looked about as expected. The upperclassmen just aren't very good after 3 years learning nothing with CDC. Ryan/Kyle Davis flashed a bit. A couple of our young guys will have to step up in a non-friendly WR offense for that unit to make a dent.
Overall, it obviously looks bleak. 1) Run with Kerryon and throw with White or 2) Run with Kerryon and run with JF3? But who knows. We looked like crap after Game 3 of 2013 then went on a run that no one anticipated. Maybe it'll happen again.
Defense
- Wow! and Wow!! and Deshaun Davis!!! and Wow!!!!
- There were 3 or 4 "We let 'em off the hook" plays that seemed to always allow points. But given 80 plays against arguably the best offense in the nation, that's picking nits (granted, TDs on 3rd-n-G from the 16 are still never fun).
- Clemson scratched-and clawed for their 19 points. There were very little mental mistakes made by their offense (aside from Gallman inexplicably running out-of-bounds with 40 seconds remaining.. that was the one play that was more idiotic than us playing 3 QBs on the first 7 snaps).
- DL played well! It's the veteran unit and should hold it's own against most OLs. Like last year with a healthy Lawson, there was a lot of noise but not as much substance. Still, I credit that to the Heisman QB on the other side. The sacks/TFLs will come with this unit.
- Monty Adams played well despite being double-teamed consistently. Had a very quick burst that eventually wore off a bit in the 4th.
- Carl Lawson controlled his area. They had no sacks vs Watson... but they didn't make life easy for him, either.
- Freshman notes: Marlon knows the game, knows his role, and has a good motor. He's a keepa! Derrick Brown is a STRONG dude. And he's agile enough to trail and recover a fumble downfield. Points for that.
- LBs: Hello Travis Williams!!!
- Deshaun Davis/Tre Williams/Darrell Williams plugged more holes with anger in one game than KF/JG/JH did in their entire careers, combined. This is not your Ellis Johnson/Will Muschamp LB unit. These guys were thumping! This Front-6 has a chance to be really good (hopefully it isn't wasted by our HUNIdea offense).
- To be balanced, Deshaun over pursued a time or two. He and/or Trigga didn't contain the edge on Clemson's one long run (20-yarder by Gallman).
- D Williams is a little behind the other two in knowing what to do... but he's younger and is more aggressive than I'd ever imagined.
- Again, anything critical about the LB play is picking nits and my way of not be overly optimistic too soon. But Kris Frost would've lasted about 6 plays in this unit before he would've been taken out by some friendly fire known as DD's Helmet!
- DBs: They tackled well against a very good group of play makers. There were a couple of bail-outs by Rudy that resulted in points for Clemson. Also, the personal foul by Trigga was ignorant... but not shocking.
- Trigga/Rudy/Ruffin all tackled well and yielded relatively few yards after contact... especially for the first game. The lack of speed that made Trigga a liability last season appears to be gone. He's a totally different player if he can stay healthy.
- Josh Holsey! I never thought he'd regain the speed to be more than a Dime back. Played a hella-game Saturday!!!
- Carlton Davis was the victim of several almost indefensible back-shoulder throws. It was not his best game but upon watching the replay, I don't see a Sophomore Slump forthcoming. He's still our bell cow in the secondary. That was a well-coached, seasoned QB making pro passes to seasoned WRs who appeared to actually have spent a ton of time perfecting those passes.
- Clemson completed 5 back shoulder passes ("comebackers") for 118 yards. Their other 72 plays resulted in 281 yards. We'll take that.
- Mike Williams was clearly the best play-maker on the field and would probably be playing in the NFL this Sunday if not for his injury last year that knocked him off the map for a bit. He's one of the best WRs in the nation.
It's only one game (remember, we thought we had a legit D after Game #20 under Ellis.. only to run him out of town after Game #27), but this D played outstanding considering it somewhat gift-wrapped half of Clemson's 19 points to them. Getting beat by a power running game or over-the-top passes is one thing. Getting beat by purposely under thrown balls by a Heisman QB and Biletnikoff WR is something entirely different. I don't think any of us would've thought we lost the game if the only stat we knew was Clemson and 19 points.
Unfortunately, the offense spent the evening playing Tilt-A-Whirl against a very raw defense.
Arkansas St Game (do not overlook)
- Arky St was surprisingly manhandled last week by Toledo. That wasn't supposed to happen as Arky St was not viewed as being too terribly far behind Auburn in the preseason.
- I'm not sure if that means Arky St is overrated or if they just came out flat.
- Either way, our biggest battle is with ourselves. I'm not sure that I can name one player on Clemson's D - none jumped out on replay - but we still only scored 13 points.
- If we don't simplify the offense and do some things consistently successful, only two games will be blowouts. And Arky St ain't one of them. If we jack around with bubble screens and Truitt Sweeps being the focal point of our O, this will be a close game as we won't score enough to pull away.
- I'm rooting for Gus*. Even if he is a clown, I'm paying him so he's my clown.
*Disclosure: When discussing offense, Pokeberry doesn't mention Rhett Lashlee. Poke doesn't know what he does. Poke does know that he doesn't coach offense. This offense, for better or worse, is 100% Gus. The offense will look the exact same Saturday whether Rhett is right in the thick of it or is tied-up in a closet.
If Chandler Cox is the only FB in the nation required to do a pirouette prior to running it up the gut, that's on Gus. Likewise, when we were 2 missed tackles short of a National Championship with a NFL CB playing QB, the credit goes to Gus.
Total Plays: 80 (All in Nickel... or 4-2-5)
DT
M. Adams - 58
D. Russell - 46
D. Lawrence - 22
M. Swain - 18
D. Brown - 9
An. Williams - 7
DE
M. Davidson - 58
C. Lawson - 56
J. Holland - 23
B. Cowart - 15
P. James III - 8
LB
D. Davis - 68
Tr. Williams - 53
D. Williams - 39
CB
C. Davis - 73
J. Holsey - 49
J. Davis - 40
S
Tr. Matthews - 79
R. Ford - 78
N. Ruffin - 76
M. Boston - 5
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