@tmft I suspect Haines will have all those DB's working on fighting for balls on those deep ball type plays, quite a bit, in practices the next couple weeks. We play one of the better deep ball receivers that's ever played college football on October 17th. And its something I'm sure they're going to try to exploit. But all in all, the fellas are coming along nicely it looks like.
How fun is it to have a program that reliably gets better as the season progresses?...
@openwheel I noticed that exact same thing with Zachman on that play. It felt like it should have been an interception. I haven't gone back to watch the replay yet though so maybe I'm wrong.
There was also a play by Bell, I think, on the other long pass near the end zone where he looked like a kid who over runs a fly ball and started trying to back up and wasn't able to make it.
On the whole though, I was thrilled by Saturday. That was the first game this season where it was more or less a complete game with minimal miscues & penalties. And big credit to Hoover on getting the timing on that over the top throw to Charlie. His accuracy was really good across the board. Even that one that missed in the corner of the end zone was high on purpose (I think) to get over the defense and it just missed. I remember thinking it was a really pretty play overall.
Yep, Saturday was a huge step forward.
Bring on the Huskers.
No doubt. Remember Cig's spring game, and many on the boards were 'what is this, we looked organized'... Then our opener against a cupcake FIU, not a very impressive win at all, but most fans, while still a ton of doubters, most agreed 'we look coached!' Whew. SO NICE! And it is sweet to see improvement over a season, and the players all say it's the detail and the work that gets them there.How fun is it to have a program that reliably gets better as the season progresses?...
I liked Cig mentioning RB coach Miller several times recently. Today's presser said he coaches our backs VERY well, Cig emphasized the very. Good to hear. Probably he has bigger plans for him.
His accuracy was really good across the board.
Definitely better, but man, I hated the missed throw to Gibbs. Really wanted to see a TD for one of the TE's as much as that position has been questioned. Felt to me like Gibbs got most of the snaps at TE Saturday.
@kkott Stolen from another site
Tight End
Freshman Trevor Gibbs appears to have emerged as the No. 1 tight end. He saw his highest snap count of the season and would have had a touchdown reception if Hoover made a better throw to him in the red zone. Gibbs has consistently graded better as a pass blocker than run blocker at PFF.
Brock Schott had a bigger role this week than last, and after having the most snaps of the three last week, Andrew Barker had the least this week. Clearly there’s still some evaluation ongoing.
Schott had the best run blocking grade on the team according to PFF.
Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. - Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and likely Hoosier basketball fan.
POTFB
Cig said in the presser today that Barker had been dinged up. And said he was pleased with Schott's game.
Been disappointed in Zachman as a veteran guy. I thought he would come in as a ball hawk but he consistently seems to never be close to WRs. Admittedly, didn’t watch him at Wisconsin but we’ve been spoiled with guys like Louis Moore who was constantly contesting balls and picking them off. The other two guys, Bell and Baldwin, are getting their first major minutes this year. Don’t know if they are schemed in the zone coverage to just keep everything in front of them? There are growing pains back there for sure.
@big-red-cb-v-2-0 One thing I'm sure of, if he's not doing what Haines is asking, he won't be on the field.
@openwheel Yeah, I was surprised to hear that Schott actually graded out the best as a run blocker. Wondered if it wasn't just that he was on the field so for a long breakaway or two (I don't know how blockers are graded; does the yardage gain factor in?), since that was supposedly his weakness. Does anyone know the snap counts? Felt like Gibbs was in there most of the time. Once I started watching, felt like he was in on every play I could see almost.
Gibbs had the most snaps 53, Schott, 21 snaps. By snap count Gibbs was the main man. Cig indicated he's been returning to form over the last couple weeks after missing practice.
I saw Clavio or someone posted a clip of Schott road grading a defensive end, and we had a long gain around that side. And in the presser someone asked Cig about Schott's increased snaps, whether it was Barker being out. And Cig just said Schott was improving and had a good game.
Gibbs just a frosh. He was a high 3 star or low 4 star, and recruited as both TE and LB I guess depending on school. Saw an interview where he said 'wherever the coaches want me'. I remember some of us on his hudl talking here that he looked underrated and looked like a beast. So far so good!
@openwheel Non offensive lineman blocking seems a little bit like offensive rebounding in basketball. For some reason, not something all coaching staffs are either interested in emphasizing, or aren't effective at coaching... but the ones that are, and do, all but guarantee success. I have to think it motivates the big fellas too, more than a little bit, to see guys like Marsh and Schott, and even Hoover, throwing their bodies into DEnds on a routine basis.