PSA: If you don't like reading game notes, you can skip this thread. Tried to make it clear in title but I know some people seem to miss that.
OFFENSE
- Bo Nix was more consistent, but is still struggling with panicking too early and abandoning the play. Several times he had a receiver come open late but didn't see it and either threw it away, checked down, or abandoned the pocket. Example below was a 3rd and 5 where the curl route in the middle was open for a 1st down but Nix threw to Martin in the checkdown instead with a very clean pocket (no gain). I know he'll improve on this, but we really need him to do it quickly before A&M. Side note, he also threw 3 slants over the middle on 3rd down and all were incomplete (2 tipped at line, one over Hastings head). But we're starting to at least use the route more.
- O-Line is where I'm officially concerned. I know people are saying Tulane's Dline is good, but I doubt they're at the level of UF, LSU, UGA, and Bama, and they abused our interior. Sometimes it didn't even look like we were trying (see Harrell "block" against #48 below in link below). Our pass protection was pretty good I thought, especially picking up blitzes and not blowing assignments. But our run blocking.. yeesh.
DEFENSE
There's not much to complain about as our defense again showed it's one of the best in the country. Just a couple observations.
- Mcreary did not impress me as much as he did some people here.. Yes he was able to stick with his receivers, but his inability to turn and find the ball resulted in at least one missed very easy INT (hit him in the back) and should have resulted in a 50 yard completion (dropped by WR) and 2 PIs. Higher level opponents will have a lot of success going at him if he doesn't learn to find the ball. He's still young so hopefully can fix it, but I'd honestly consider him a liability at this point.
- Front 7: Davidson was unstoppable. Brown as well, even though he was often taking on 2 or 3 blockers. Newkirk is gigantic, never realized how big he had gotten. Big Kat was consistently getting pressure and I thought had a fantastic game aside from the silly personal foul. Pappoe didn't play quite as well as he did in week 1, missing at least 1 tackle and losing contain once or twice. Not worried, just didn't have his best day.
MISC.
- In the 1st quarter alone, we ran the same formation four different times and ran right behind it each time. We had 2 TEs start on the left and then both shifting to the right, followed by the 1 WR on the left going in motion to the right. Each time it was a run play to the overloaded side. Three were to RB, 1 was a WR sweep, but since all were the same direction and it was incredibly obvious where we were running none of them gained any yards. Hopefully Gus is just trying to set up a throw back screen or something as opposed to thinking this will work going forward.
- Had quite a nice missed opportunity on the PI against Joiner. If Spencer doesn't wiff on this block we have a 74 yard TD to McClain. First picture is missed block and Mclain running by defenders (there are no safeties behind image) and second image is what it looked like with ball in the air. Still got a PI call on the wheel attempt to Joiner but would have liked the TD.
OFFENSE
- Bo Nix was more consistent, but is still struggling with panicking too early and abandoning the play. Several times he had a receiver come open late but didn't see it and either threw it away, checked down, or abandoned the pocket. Example below was a 3rd and 5 where the curl route in the middle was open for a 1st down but Nix threw to Martin in the checkdown instead with a very clean pocket (no gain). I know he'll improve on this, but we really need him to do it quickly before A&M. Side note, he also threw 3 slants over the middle on 3rd down and all were incomplete (2 tipped at line, one over Hastings head). But we're starting to at least use the route more.
- O-Line is where I'm officially concerned. I know people are saying Tulane's Dline is good, but I doubt they're at the level of UF, LSU, UGA, and Bama, and they abused our interior. Sometimes it didn't even look like we were trying (see Harrell "block" against #48 below in link below). Our pass protection was pretty good I thought, especially picking up blitzes and not blowing assignments. But our run blocking.. yeesh.
DEFENSE
There's not much to complain about as our defense again showed it's one of the best in the country. Just a couple observations.
- Mcreary did not impress me as much as he did some people here.. Yes he was able to stick with his receivers, but his inability to turn and find the ball resulted in at least one missed very easy INT (hit him in the back) and should have resulted in a 50 yard completion (dropped by WR) and 2 PIs. Higher level opponents will have a lot of success going at him if he doesn't learn to find the ball. He's still young so hopefully can fix it, but I'd honestly consider him a liability at this point.
- Front 7: Davidson was unstoppable. Brown as well, even though he was often taking on 2 or 3 blockers. Newkirk is gigantic, never realized how big he had gotten. Big Kat was consistently getting pressure and I thought had a fantastic game aside from the silly personal foul. Pappoe didn't play quite as well as he did in week 1, missing at least 1 tackle and losing contain once or twice. Not worried, just didn't have his best day.
MISC.
- In the 1st quarter alone, we ran the same formation four different times and ran right behind it each time. We had 2 TEs start on the left and then both shifting to the right, followed by the 1 WR on the left going in motion to the right. Each time it was a run play to the overloaded side. Three were to RB, 1 was a WR sweep, but since all were the same direction and it was incredibly obvious where we were running none of them gained any yards. Hopefully Gus is just trying to set up a throw back screen or something as opposed to thinking this will work going forward.
- Had quite a nice missed opportunity on the PI against Joiner. If Spencer doesn't wiff on this block we have a 74 yard TD to McClain. First picture is missed block and Mclain running by defenders (there are no safeties behind image) and second image is what it looked like with ball in the air. Still got a PI call on the wheel attempt to Joiner but would have liked the TD.
