ThisIsOurTime
Active Member
Been watching the first half of the OkState game today and admittedly haven't watched their other games but a few things have jumped out:
1. OkState offense is very good in large part because of its versatility. They run the ball well with Hill and the backup, can complete the must have 3rd down passes to Stoner and can stretch the field with the long ball to a slew of receivers. Hard to take away an aspect of their game like the running game when they are so proficient in the other areas. Probably have to go more situational although even then OkState was willing to run the ball on 3rd and 11 near their end zone and do other things to break tendencies. It will be a challenge whatever the coaches decide. Would love to find a way to negate Stoner especially on 3rd down as he seems to the player who really extends the drives for OkState.
2. Rudolph is playing with a lot of confidence. He does not seem the least bit concerned about the Pittsburgh pass rush who have had several runs at the QB but struggled to bring him down. Rudolph would side step and patiently wait to look down field. It seems the Pittsburgh defenders were taken by surprise by Rudolph's size and agility. Hopefully, our players will be better prepared. One small benefit of Rudolph's confidence of standing tall in the pocket and willingness to extend plays rather than run up field is that he may be susceptible to the occassional strip ball. Plus, with his desire to not run up field when the play breaks down, this should give the DL and LBs a little extra time to keep pursuing even if they miss on the initial rush.
3. Left side of OkState's line seemed to have trouble blocking Pittsburgh. Whether it was a DL guy or a delayed blitz by a LB, this seemed to surprise them and since this was Rudolph's blind side, it also surprised him. However, despite this early advantage, Pitt wasn't able to bring Rudolph down often. So either the Pitt defenders aren't breaking down effectively and/or Rudolph is doing something to fool the Pitt defenders when in tight spaces. Either way, there should be an opportunity here but I am not sure it is as great as we would like. The delayed blitz seems to be a way to get pressure when OkState is looking for intermediate or deeper passing routes but that is high risk/reward with their receiving group.
4. OkState defense is hard to judge because the Pitt offense left a lot to be desired. I know we should be able to do more but I think how well we do in this game will turn more on how well our defense does. If we can run the ball consistently in this game, it may prove to be extra helpful to our defense if they get gassed at times.
1. OkState offense is very good in large part because of its versatility. They run the ball well with Hill and the backup, can complete the must have 3rd down passes to Stoner and can stretch the field with the long ball to a slew of receivers. Hard to take away an aspect of their game like the running game when they are so proficient in the other areas. Probably have to go more situational although even then OkState was willing to run the ball on 3rd and 11 near their end zone and do other things to break tendencies. It will be a challenge whatever the coaches decide. Would love to find a way to negate Stoner especially on 3rd down as he seems to the player who really extends the drives for OkState.
2. Rudolph is playing with a lot of confidence. He does not seem the least bit concerned about the Pittsburgh pass rush who have had several runs at the QB but struggled to bring him down. Rudolph would side step and patiently wait to look down field. It seems the Pittsburgh defenders were taken by surprise by Rudolph's size and agility. Hopefully, our players will be better prepared. One small benefit of Rudolph's confidence of standing tall in the pocket and willingness to extend plays rather than run up field is that he may be susceptible to the occassional strip ball. Plus, with his desire to not run up field when the play breaks down, this should give the DL and LBs a little extra time to keep pursuing even if they miss on the initial rush.
3. Left side of OkState's line seemed to have trouble blocking Pittsburgh. Whether it was a DL guy or a delayed blitz by a LB, this seemed to surprise them and since this was Rudolph's blind side, it also surprised him. However, despite this early advantage, Pitt wasn't able to bring Rudolph down often. So either the Pitt defenders aren't breaking down effectively and/or Rudolph is doing something to fool the Pitt defenders when in tight spaces. Either way, there should be an opportunity here but I am not sure it is as great as we would like. The delayed blitz seems to be a way to get pressure when OkState is looking for intermediate or deeper passing routes but that is high risk/reward with their receiving group.
4. OkState defense is hard to judge because the Pitt offense left a lot to be desired. I know we should be able to do more but I think how well we do in this game will turn more on how well our defense does. If we can run the ball consistently in this game, it may prove to be extra helpful to our defense if they get gassed at times.
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