Turk's "Game Analysis and Player Grading"

[Turk]

Item 1: Game Summary
Game went as planned where Stanford's only chance was to jump out early. Nothing new here and nobody should be surprised. We have a very good team. The only way Stanford was going to beat us was if they found success going deep or testing the edge. Didn't happen. This was a huge recruiting win for us as well. Fitz has now beaten all the schools that we compete with for the smart kids [Stanford, notre dame, duke, vandy]. Most predicted a NU loss, including me, until I got the call that Fitz was opening up the entire playbook and not holding back with Thorson. That led me to flip my prediction. With that sorta confidence bestowed upon Thorson, no wonder his first start was the best first start win of any NU QB. The bottom line is that we all knew the leadership of this team was phenomenal pre season and imo that abstract item led to Trust. I really didn't see anyone breaking assignments all day long. A lot of trust out there. BTW, that Jerry Brown can still move. I loved the "Jerry Dance".

And the best thing other than winning was that it appears we had NO significant injuries!

All Turk Awards: Offense. Mertz, Dickerson, Jackson, Christian Jones, Thorson.
All Turk Awards: Defense: Lowry, Odenigbo, Walker, Gibson, Quero, Godwin, Henry, Harris, Van Hoose,
Special Teams: Mitchell
Mr All Turk: Tie, Mitchell and Walker

Item 2: Defensive Backs: A+
Some of that pressure was a result of consistent lock down coverage.

Van Hoose: A+ quiet game but a goodie. I doubt if he had a statline.
Godwin: B+ good game although I think it was him who lost coverage on that one deep ball that was dropped.
Harris: A+
Henry A+ Big hitting, smart play.
Quero: A+ Unit Turk Star. Nickel back who got robbed of one INT but snatched another. This kid can catch the ball. Also very good coverage when they tested him on some sideline patterns.

Item 3: Defensive Line: A
Lowry: A
Lancaster B+ Nice lateral movement. Held his own
Gibson: A Very good game and lots of pressure.
Odenigbo: A+ Turk's Gold Star for unit. Beastly
Others: Robbins, Xwas, Oxley, Thompson, Chapman. Of this group, I felt Chapman played the best.

Item 4: Linebackers: A+
Anthony Walker: A+ Turk's Unit Gold Star. As I said on the huddlecast, he will be NU"s all time TFL leader. 3 more yesterday. Pass defense continues to be just as good. As I said earlier, as a freshman he reminded me of a freshman Chris Spielman with his nose for the ball.

Drew Smith: A good lateral movement and good all around play. Not sure if him or Henry popposed the RB on that big fumble play.

Prater: Grade A I was impressed. I figured his spot was our weakest position but his movement and overall play was excellent. Interesting.

Item 5: Defensive Coordinator Grade A
Hard to argue anything less since everything worked. He has so many choices. He can go nickel with Quero and mix up other stuff. I found his use of Odenigbo interesting. Odenigbo as a DE but lining up in only a 2 pt stance often enough. Why the 2 point stance? Just asking.

Item 6: OL: Grade B+
Really strange to give them an B+. It wasn't like they were overpowering, but rather that there was a reason why Thorson wasn't sacked, and it wasn't like Thorson was moving in the pocket. This OL won the LOS battle. I know Stanford is in transition up front, but I still was impressed.
Say hello to Mr Dickerson. Mertz had a good game, and Mogus was solid after a few early blown blocks but Dickerson was the man. On Jackson's two longer runs, Mr Dickerson sealed the deal. What a solid stud he is and it was awesome seeing him on the field a lot. Nice soft hands as well.

North had a nice first start but he really has to get that snap down. That cost us two drives.

Item 7: WR: Grade C+
Honestly, other than Christian Jones, we really didn't have any solid WR while Cam sat out.
Vitale continues to disappoint with two more drops. Shuler made a helluva catch. But not really impressed with any amount of separation on any sorta route by anyone other than Jones. Nagle and Roberts burned their shirts. For this offense to be two dimensional, Vitale doesn't have a choice but to do what he does, and that is catch the pill and head up field. Neither him or our WR group has drops as an option this year.

Christian Jones: A. He may carry the WR group this year like Bates did in his senior year. Personally, I was surprised that Christian Jones was anything more than a decoy, so it was good to see him actually full go.

Item 8: RB: Grade B+
Our bread and butter, Jackson, was great once again. This guy has touched the ball close to 400 times in his career now and only fumbled once. He has that Marcus Allenesque vision and sliding through holes and almost never getting hit headon. Not sure where he gets the power from but he always goes forward even when being met.
As noted before the game, Long was the workhorse behind Jackson as Anderson is still learning. Long wasn't 'wow' out there as I know he can do better. Twice he was trying to read the zone blocking but never made his cut and got strung out. IMO, he is more of a north south runner and really needs to hit a hole quick.

Item 9 QB: Grade B-
If I were grading Thorson on his first game expectations, I'd give him an A. But I'm grading him on the production on the position. That said, he made some good decisions and some REALLY nice throws. I don't blame him for alligator arming the one trick play. As one would expect, a bit robotic out there and I'd like to see him flow more in the pocket or out of the pocket. His ball handling was REALLY good though. He finishes the plays even after he hands the ball off, and in many instances, the LB"s were frozen. Wow, he got some wheels and is such a talent that he can burn any defense with any given mistake. He did get a bit lucky today as he had passes sail, and some that could have been picked. But it isn't like he has great receivers out there. Virtually no separation anywhere. He will have to make a lot of perfect throws this year, I think. Doesn't seem like he likes to get hit on runs. Sorta stops when he runs???? He is going to get his bell rung if he keeps doing that. Not saying anyone wants him to put his shoulder down, but sliding, lunging, etc isn't a bad option.

Item 10: Offensive Coordinator: McCall: A+
Interesting play calling.

Item 11: Head Coach: Fitz: Grade A+
Nice shorts. As noted, there was not going to be a repeat, of lack of readiness this year. Only bummer was Fitz basically motioning Quero to get down. I understand it, nobody needs to risk pulling a hammy on a pick 6 if not needed, but imo, I think our team really needs to finish big plays, why not? No biggie. Great that Fitz put a lot of trust on Thorson and let Thorson play football. IMO, there is no other way. Great to see the whole playbook but that's how the kid will learn as well. Fitz got a lot of recruiting bragging rights now.

Item 12: Special Teams: Grade B
All Mitchell does is save and win games for us. Mr Clutch as I thought the impact play of the game was his 49 yarder that shifted things into desperation for Stanford. Not comfortable with Shuler back on punt return. Good to see us return one but that punter didn't leave us much option. Shuler also fumbled one out of bounds. yikes.
Not comfortable on our long snapping or punting. Pedestrian at best. Although I'd like Mitchell to be the kickoff guy booming them into the endzone, the new kid Miccuci sp?? did fine and put one in the endzone, and had otherwise fine kicks. Kickoff return is fine. It's just a matter of time before Vault gets a big gainer.

 

[NJCat83588]

Drew Smith: A good lateral movement and good all around play. Not sure if him or Henry popposed the RB on that big fumble play.

It was Smith. He just blew him up with his shoulder.

 

[acedog]

We cannot lose to Eastern Illinois or Ball State. I would like to see weekly improvement in Thorson every week. He must realize he has more weapons than Christian Jones.

 

[Turk]

We cannot lose to Eastern Illinois or Ball State. I would like to see weekly improvement in Thorson every week. He must realize he has more weapons than Christian Jones.

I'm not convinced that he does, especially since Vitale has continued his troubles catching the ball. That said, if our team falls behind by a lot, we will have to see how Thorson does taking extra risk. Things were comfortable for him yesterday and I assume that's how it will be unless we have mental breakdowns and turnovers. I want to see him get more comfortable with zone reads but Stanford did do a pretty good job on that.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Item 7: WR: Grade C+
Honestly, other than Christian Jones, we really didn't have any solid WR while Cam sat out.
Vitale continues to disappoint with two more drops. Shuler made a helluva catch. But not really impressed with any amount of separation on any sorta route by anyone other than Jones. Nagle and Roberts burned their shirts. For this offense to be two dimensional, Vitale doesn't have a choice but to do what he does, and that is catch the pill and head up field. Neither him or our WR group has drops as an option this year.

Any word on Buckley? Was he hurt? Suspended? Don't recall seeing him at all.

Glad to see our frosh receivers get in there...they'll benefit from the reps - we will surely need them next year as our WR corps will be decimated by graduation. Not much production out of Carr, Wilson, Scanlon and McHugh.

 

[MidvaleDave]

thanks Turk for your insight on the game, I was able to watch it later in the day, shocked me how well the defense played.

 

[NJCat83588]

Item 5: Defensive Coordinator Grade A
Hard to argue anything less since everything worked. He has so many choices. He can go nickel with Quero and mix up other stuff. I found his use of Odenigbo interesting. Odenigbo as a DE but lining up in only a 2 pt stance often enough. Why the 2 point stance? Just asking.

I guess no one (particularly you) minds the 3 man rush when NU wins. Why go to it late in the game? I guess with a 2 score lead they were giving up yards to burn clock, but NU had zero pass rush.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I guess no one (particularly you) minds the 3 man rush when NU wins. Why go to it late in the game? I guess with a 2 score lead they were giving up yards to burn clock, but NU had zero pass rush.

Guess you just answered your own question...not a lot of material for you to second guess after a performance like yesterday. Perhaps you'll have more fodder after the Duke game.

 

[NJCat83588]

Item 10: Offensive Coordinator: McCall: A+
Interesting play calling.

I wonder what the board would be saying if Scanlan throws an INT on the QB pass play, or Carr doesn't recover the backward pass to Roberts inside the 20? Those of you who like trick play, you got 'em yesterday.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I guess no one (particularly you) minds the 3 man rush when NU wins. Why go to it late in the game? I guess with a 2 score lead they were giving up yards to burn clock, but NU had zero pass rush.

Because the whole idea is to force the throw to the middle of the field, continuing to burn clock.

I still hate the three-man rush with a passion, but understand what they're trying to accomplish.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I wonder what the board would be saying if Scanlan throws an INT on the QB pass play, or Carr doesn't recover the backward pass to Roberts inside the 20? Those of you who like trick play, you got 'em yesterday.

The pass to Roberts wasn't a trick play. It's essentially an extended version of a triple option that we ran a handful of times yesterday.

 

[Turk]

I wonder what the board would be saying if Scanlan throws an INT on the QB pass play, or Carr doesn't recover the backward pass to Roberts inside the 20? Those of you who like trick play, you got 'em yesterday.

Stanford played good fundamental defense other than a LB who missed his assignment on Thorson's TD. No trick plays were working but no harm. I'm more concerned with the fundamentals like the center snap. That cost us two drives. Regarding the 3 man DL rush, I don't like it. Should stick to what is working, even though the environment appears to change. IMO, it's a false perception but Defensive Coordinators love prevent defenses a bit too early than they should be revealed, it seems to me. I think it gave Stanford a window of a chance if not for great plays by Quiero. Although we didn't use the 3 man DL all too often, even on the last few drives.

 

[Johnnybigcat]

How about a little more love to the offensive line, Turk? You kept complaining about all the QB sacks over the past two years, but did you see Thorson get sacked? How many times did he even get hit?

 

[Turk]

How about a little more love to the offensive line, Turk? You kept complaining about all the QB sacks over the past two years, but did you see Thorson get sacked? How many times did he even get hit?

JBC, you da man, but I'm not convinced of the OL yet, but honestly, I thought a B+ was a high grade. The only reason they got a B+ was because I did in fact note that they protected their QB. But nothing 'wow' yesterday that deserves an A like some of the Defensive stud units.

 

[Katatonic]

Lancaster B+ Nice lateral movement. Held his own

For a 300 pounder, that was a pretty impressive tackle on that early sweep run which was crucial in limiting Stanford to 3 pts.

Prater: Grade A I was impressed. I figured his spot was our weakest position but his movement and overall play was excellent. Interesting.

Good reports about Prater in camp (injuries and players ahead of him limited his action); gonna have to get used to thinking about a shorter than avg. LB than a tall WR when it comes to the Prater surname.

Vitale continues to disappoint with two more drops. Shuler made a helluva catch.

Too be fair, everyone has a bad game now and then (and really, Vitale only had a couple of chances) and on that drop in the RZ, Thorson could have thrown it w/ a little more touch.

But at the same time, Thorson's velocity is also probably what prevented those Stanford defenders from intercepting the ball.

If I were grading Thorson on his first game expectations, I'd give him an A. But I'm grading him on the production on the position.

Even for 1st game expectations, wouldn't give Thorson an A; after all, then what would one have to give UCLA's Rosen (a true frosh) who passed for 351 yds and 3 TDs against UVA?

On that basis, probably would give Thorson somewhere btwn an A- and B+.

Great that Fitz put a lot of trust on Thorson and let Thorson play football. IMO, there is no other way. Great to see the whole playbook but that's how the kid will learn as well.

Not using the entire playbook early last year where part of the reason for the losses to Cal and NIU.

Item 7: WR: Grade C+
Honestly, other than Christian Jones, we really didn't have any solid WR while Cam sat out.
Vitale continues to disappoint with two more drops. Shuler made a helluva catch. But not really impressed with any amount of separation on any sorta route by anyone other than Jones. Nagle and Roberts burned their shirts. For this offense to be two dimensional, Vitale doesn't have a choice but to do what he does, and that is catch the pill and head up field. Neither him or our WR group has drops as an option this year.

And to think that Siemian didn't even have CJ last season (tho Prater kinda took over that role, esp. for the last few games until he got injured) and lost Shuler halfway thru the season - and no Vault, Buckley and Cam playing w/ one hand.

Really hope one of the guys on the 2-deep or one of the frosh step up (or Cam doesn't sit out for too long).

Granted, one doesn't need to make it on to an NFL roster (much less be a starter or star) to have a productive college career, but it is a bit frustrating that the program hasn't been able to recruit better at WR when programs such as Minny, Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue have sent WRs and TEs to the NFL.

I wonder what the board would be saying if Scanlan throws an INT on the QB pass play, or Carr doesn't recover the backward pass to Roberts inside the 20? Those of you who like trick play, you got 'em yesterday.

Think many of us were calling for things more like motion and better disguising of plays (instead of telegraphing which plays were run and which were pass).

Started to that in the 4th Q of the Michigan game and in the ND game.

As an aside, it's interesting/amusing to note that PSU and Stanford fans have eerily similar complaints about the playcalling on Saturday.

 

[Turk]

I agree, 4th quarter Michigan, ND. Good to see it on Saturday. I liked the play calling, and the whole playbook open. I felt the Stanford D really played well, contrary to some others reporting. Other than maybe one blown assignment, they were never out of position and made it tough on our offense. But, the thing we have to work on is our wr route running. A wr doesn't have to be a speed demon to sell a route and get separation. Other than Christian Jones, our wr struggled to get separation, and Jones isn't the fastest guy.

 

[Turk]

I received an email claiming that our wr had separation especially one wr who ran good routes and was "open all day long" according to the email.
i admit, from my perspective at field level, isnt the best. Imo Thorson didnt have many open receivers but how did it look from the view of the fans who watched tv or sat up high???

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I agree, 4th quarter Michigan, ND. Good to see it on Saturday. I liked the play calling, and the whole playbook open. I felt the Stanford D really played well, contrary to some others reporting. Other than maybe one blown assignment, they were never out of position and made it tough on our offense. But, the thing we have to work on is our wr route running. A wr doesn't have to be a speed demon to sell a route and get separation. Other than Christian Jones, our wr struggled to get separation, and Jones isn't the fastest guy.

Per Fitz's post-game interview, we only ran about 5-10% of the playbook.

 

[Turk]

Per Fitz's post-game interview, we only ran about 5-10% of the playbook.

I agree as we only had so many plays to run. But it truly was reshreshing that the whole playbook was open and we didnt save anything for eastern illinois.

 

[Gladeskat]

JBC, you da man, but I'm not convinced of the OL yet, but honestly, I thought a B+ was a high grade. The only reason they got a B+ was because I did in fact note that they protected their QB. But nothing 'wow' yesterday that deserves an A like some of the Defensive stud units.

And what sort of "Wow" would that be for an OL? A sustained block that springs one of our RB's for a 50-yard run? Who notices that? The OL played quite well to open up 225 rushing yards and protect Thorson the way they did. For a while in the 3rd quarter, they were kicking SU's ass.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I agree as we only had so many plays to run. But it truly was reshreshing that the whole playbook was open and we didnt save anything for eastern illinois.

Huh? That doesn't make sense.

 

[Turk]

Huh? That doesn't make sense.

Not sure i follow you???
The whole playbook was open. Actually he even tossed in some plays from the irregular sections. Doesnt mean he called every play in the book. He had the whole menu in front of him and mixed and matched based on game flow.
He had full confidence in Thorson.

 

[Cat In The Cradle]

I wonder what the board would be saying if Scanlan throws an INT on the QB pass play, or Carr doesn't recover the backward pass to Roberts inside the 20? Those of you who like trick play, you got 'em yesterday.

What a momentum changer had that backfired. It almost seemed as though McCall had to get that play in somewhere, and as he does routinely after an opposition turnover, decided to do so after the fumble. The couple of reverses they threw into the mix seemed unnecessary, as Stanford wasn't in overpursuit but in stayed disciplined (and hence the plays ended in losses.)

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Not sure i follow you???
The whole playbook was open. Actually he even tossed in some plays from the irregular sections. Doesnt mean he called every play in the book. He had the whole menu in front of him and mixed and matched based on game flow.
He had full confidence in Thorson.

Did fitz tell you this? Gonna go out on a limb and say that, once again, you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[hdhntr1]

For a 300 pounder, that was a pretty impressive tackle on that early sweep run which was crucial in limiting Stanford to 3 pts.



Good reports about Prater in camp (injuries and players ahead of him limited his action); gonna have to get used to thinking about a shorter than avg. LB than a tall WR when it comes to the Prater surname.




Too be fair, everyone has a bad game now and then (and really, Vitale only had a couple of chances) and on that drop in the RZ, Thorson could have thrown it w/ a little more touch.

But at the same time, Thorson's velocity is also probably what prevented those Stanford defenders from intercepting the ball.




Even for 1st game expectations, wouldn't give Thorson an A; after all, then what would one have to give UCLA's Rosen (a true frosh) who passed for 351 yds and 3 TDs against UVA?

On that basis, probably would give Thorson somewhere btwn an A- and B+.Thorson definitely showed some things but he put the pal in harms way way to often to get a B+/A-. I counted at least 6 times and that is out of 24 attempts. so that is 25% or more putting it in danger. It looks like he could b great for us and he did some special things, but he still needs to clean up a lot.




Not using the entire playbook early last year where part of the reason for the losses to Cal and NIU.




And to think that Siemian didn't even have CJ last season (tho Prater kinda took over that role, esp. for the last few games until he got injured) and lost Shuler halfway thru the season - and no Vault, Buckley and Cam playing w/ one hand.

Really hope one of the guys on the 2-deep or one of the frosh step up (or Cam doesn't sit out for too long).

Granted, one doesn't need to make it on to an NFL roster (much less be a starter or star) to have a productive college career, but it is a bit frustrating that the program hasn't been able to recruit better at WR when programs such as Minny, Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue have sent WRs and TEs to the NFL.



Think many of us were calling for things more like motion and better disguising of plays (instead of telegraphing which plays were run and which were pass).

Started to that in the 4th Q of the Michigan game and in the ND game.

As an aside, it's interesting/amusing to note that PSU and Stanford fans have eerily similar complaints about the playcalling on Saturday.

 

[Turk]

Did fitz tell you this? Gonna go out on a limb and say that, once again, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Oh boy. Carry on gcg!

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Oh boy. Carry on gcg!

You realize that wasn't me, right?

 

[Gladeskat]

Did fitz tell you this? Gonna go out on a limb and say that, once again, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Exactly how many players on the team can't stand Turk, ccf24?

Did you see Turk on the TV broadcast? Did you hear his podcast with CJ and TJ? Turk has become Mr. NU Football Fan.

 

[Purple is Forever]

Item 1: Game Summary
Game went as planned where Stanford's only chance was to jump out early. Nothing new here and nobody should be surprised. We have a very good team. The only way Stanford was going to beat us was if they found success going deep or testing the edge. Didn't happen. This was a huge recruiting win for us as well. Fitz has now beaten all the schools that we compete with for the smart kids [Stanford, notre dame, duke, vandy]. Most predicted a NU loss, including me, until I got the call that Fitz was opening up the entire playbook and not holding back with Thorson. That led me to flip my prediction. With that sorta confidence bestowed upon Thorson, no wonder his first start was the best first start win of any NU QB. The bottom line is that we all knew the leadership of this team was phenomenal pre season and imo that abstract item led to Trust. I really didn't see anyone breaking assignments all day long. A lot of trust out there. BTW, that Jerry Brown can still move. I loved the "Jerry Dance".

And the best thing other than winning was that it appears we had NO significant injuries!

All Turk Awards: Offense. Mertz, Dickerson, Jackson, Christian Jones, Thorson.
All Turk Awards: Defense: Lowry, Odenigbo, Walker, Gibson, Quero, Godwin, Henry, Harris, Van Hoose,
Special Teams: Mitchell
Mr All Turk: Tie, Mitchell and Walker

Item 2: Defensive Backs: A+
Some of that pressure was a result of consistent lock down coverage.

Van Hoose: A+ quiet game but a goodie. I doubt if he had a statline.
Godwin: B+ good game although I think it was him who lost coverage on that one deep ball that was dropped.
Harris: A+
Henry A+ Big hitting, smart play.
Quero: A+ Unit Turk Star. Nickel back who got robbed of one INT but snatched another. This kid can catch the ball. Also very good coverage when they tested him on some sideline patterns.

Item 3: Defensive Line: A
Lowry: A
Lancaster B+ Nice lateral movement. Held his own
Gibson: A Very good game and lots of pressure.
Odenigbo: A+ Turk's Gold Star for unit. Beastly
Others: Robbins, Xwas, Oxley, Thompson, Chapman. Of this group, I felt Chapman played the best.

Item 4: Linebackers: A+
Anthony Walker: A+ Turk's Unit Gold Star. As I said on the huddlecast, he will be NU"s all time TFL leader. 3 more yesterday. Pass defense continues to be just as good. As I said earlier, as a freshman he reminded me of a freshman Chris Spielman with his nose for the ball.

Drew Smith: A good lateral movement and good all around play. Not sure if him or Henry popposed the RB on that big fumble play.

Prater: Grade A I was impressed. I figured his spot was our weakest position but his movement and overall play was excellent. Interesting.

Item 5: Defensive Coordinator Grade A
Hard to argue anything less since everything worked. He has so many choices. He can go nickel with Quero and mix up other stuff. I found his use of Odenigbo interesting. Odenigbo as a DE but lining up in only a 2 pt stance often enough. Why the 2 point stance? Just asking.

Item 6: OL: Grade B+
Really strange to give them an B+. It wasn't like they were overpowering, but rather that there was a reason why Thorson wasn't sacked, and it wasn't like Thorson was moving in the pocket. This OL won the LOS battle. I know Stanford is in transition up front, but I still was impressed.
Say hello to Mr Dickerson. Mertz had a good game, and Mogus was solid after a few early blown blocks but Dickerson was the man. On Jackson's two longer runs, Mr Dickerson sealed the deal. What a solid stud he is and it was awesome seeing him on the field a lot. Nice soft hands as well.

North had a nice first start but he really has to get that snap down. That cost us two drives.

Item 7: WR: Grade C+
Honestly, other than Christian Jones, we really didn't have any solid WR while Cam sat out.
Vitale continues to disappoint with two more drops. Shuler made a helluva catch. But not really impressed with any amount of separation on any sorta route by anyone other than Jones. Nagle and Roberts burned their shirts. For this offense to be two dimensional, Vitale doesn't have a choice but to do what he does, and that is catch the pill and head up field. Neither him or our WR group has drops as an option this year.

Christian Jones: A. He may carry the WR group this year like Bates did in his senior year. Personally, I was surprised that Christian Jones was anything more than a decoy, so it was good to see him actually full go.

Item 8: RB: Grade B+
Our bread and butter, Jackson, was great once again. This guy has touched the ball close to 400 times in his career now and only fumbled once. He has that Marcus Allenesque vision and sliding through holes and almost never getting hit headon. Not sure where he gets the power from but he always goes forward even when being met.
As noted before the game, Long was the workhorse behind Jackson as Anderson is still learning. Long wasn't 'wow' out there as I know he can do better. Twice he was trying to read the zone blocking but never made his cut and got strung out. IMO, he is more of a north south runner and really needs to hit a hole quick.

Item 9 QB: Grade B-
If I were grading Thorson on his first game expectations, I'd give him an A. But I'm grading him on the production on the position. That said, he made some good decisions and some REALLY nice throws. I don't blame him for alligator arming the one trick play. As one would expect, a bit robotic out there and I'd like to see him flow more in the pocket or out of the pocket. His ball handling was REALLY good though. He finishes the plays even after he hands the ball off, and in many instances, the LB"s were frozen. Wow, he got some wheels and is such a talent that he can burn any defense with any given mistake. He did get a bit lucky today as he had passes sail, and some that could have been picked. But it isn't like he has great receivers out there. Virtually no separation anywhere. He will have to make a lot of perfect throws this year, I think. Doesn't seem like he likes to get hit on runs. Sorta stops when he runs???? He is going to get his bell rung if he keeps doing that. Not saying anyone wants him to put his shoulder down, but sliding, lunging, etc isn't a bad option.

Item 10: Offensive Coordinator: McCall: A+
Interesting play calling.

Item 11: Head Coach: Fitz: Grade A+
Nice shorts. As noted, there was not going to be a repeat, of lack of readiness this year. Only bummer was Fitz basically motioning Quero to get down. I understand it, nobody needs to risk pulling a hammy on a pick 6 if not needed, but imo, I think our team really needs to finish big plays, why not? No biggie. Great that Fitz put a lot of trust on Thorson and let Thorson play football. IMO, there is no other way. Great to see the whole playbook but that's how the kid will learn as well. Fitz got a lot of recruiting bragging rights now.

Item 12: Special Teams: Grade B
All Mitchell does is save and win games for us. Mr Clutch as I thought the impact play of the game was his 49 yarder that shifted things into desperation for Stanford. Not comfortable with Shuler back on punt return. Good to see us return one but that punter didn't leave us much option. Shuler also fumbled one out of bounds. yikes.
Not comfortable on our long snapping or punting. Pedestrian at best. Although I'd like Mitchell to be the kickoff guy booming them into the endzone, the new kid Miccuci sp?? did fine and put one in the endzone, and had otherwise fine kicks. Kickoff return is fine. It's just a matter of time before Vault gets a big gainer.

I don't agree with Mitchell sharing Mr 'All Turk' with Walker. He did miss a field goal. Walker is in a class all by himself.

 

[Turk]

I don't agree with Mitchell sharing Mr 'All Turk' with Walker. He did miss a field goal. Walker is in a class all by himself.

I was mixed but Mitchell is a big play guy. All he does is win football games for us and although he did miss an early FG, I felt his clutch 49 yarder was the play of the game that rooted Stanford out where it had to be a lot more risky to chase grass. But Walker is definitely the man. Fitz is a legend, Walker is becoming one.

 

[willycat]

I was mixed but Mitchell is a big play guy. All he does is win football games for us and although he did miss an early FG, I felt his clutch 49 yarder was the play of the game that rooted Stanford out where it had to be a lot more risky to chase grass. But Walker is definitely the man. Fitz is a legend, Walker is becoming one.

Read somewhere that Mitchell is working himself back in shape. Maybe that's why he wasn't kicking off, where he has proven to get more distance then Micucci showed last Saturday. Anyone hear what's Mitchell's conditioning problem might be?

 

[hdhntr1]

Read somewhere that Mitchell is working himself back in shape. Maybe that's why he wasn't kicking off, where he has proven to get more distance then Micucci showed last Saturday. Anyone hear what's Mitchell's conditioning problem might be?

Is he still playing BB? Is he trying to get his leg back in shape?

 

[NJCat83588]

Is he still playing BB? Is he trying to get his leg back in shape?

Pat said in the press conference yesterday that he has a "lower body injury" and is still recovering. Doesn't sound like it has anything to do with baseball.