I was thinking about this earlier. I have believed for a couple of years that these late starts on the west coast were what doomed the Pac 12. Isn't an 8:30 start by the 2nd half leaching into some of these players 2nd or 3rd stage of sleep? You have to think that this had something to do with the penalties, turnovers and drops.
Morning after: take-aways thread
- Thread starter Limey Frog
- Start date
Limey Frog
Full Member
Johnny Hodges is going to get this defense sorted out. I believe they'll cut down these first errors with guys like him in leadership.
Who is the JH of the offensive side?
Zebra Frog
KMA
ACC Officiating - I will give them a B- only because there are always first-game inconsistencies. They just didn’t seem to be working that well together and should get better. Probably let a lot of things go that B12 would have called, meaning the DB’s won’t be able to cover like the did last night.
Team discipline - Needs work. Caused too many stupid penalties. That is an easy fix.
Above are strictly my opinions, which aren’t worth a whole lot.
Team discipline - Needs work. Caused too many stupid penalties. That is an easy fix.
Above are strictly my opinions, which aren’t worth a whole lot.
West Coast Johnny
Full Member
1. Hoover was excellent. Don't know why people are talking about his limited ceiling as he showed in this game that the sky is the limit.
2. Offensive line did OK protecting Hoover but got no push up front and did not open any running lanes. Pretty much played patty cake on run blocking. Briles scheme is one dimensional and pass-happy... not physical at all.
3. Bech, Richardson & Williams are an amazing triple threat at WR and they will clean up the drops and fumbles.
4. The defense is much improved... much more aggressive and attacking. I like it.
5. Cam Cook made some plays in spite of poor run blocking from the o-line. But running backs don't seem like a strength and Trey Sanders might be washed up. Need to recruit better running backs.
6. Plenty of superlatives to give out on defense including too Jameel Johnson, Johnny Hodges, Abe Camara, Obiazor and Broughton. Need to be more disciplined and mature and cut down on the dumb penalties.
7. Deal brothers looked amazing.
2. Offensive line did OK protecting Hoover but got no push up front and did not open any running lanes. Pretty much played patty cake on run blocking. Briles scheme is one dimensional and pass-happy... not physical at all.
3. Bech, Richardson & Williams are an amazing triple threat at WR and they will clean up the drops and fumbles.
4. The defense is much improved... much more aggressive and attacking. I like it.
5. Cam Cook made some plays in spite of poor run blocking from the o-line. But running backs don't seem like a strength and Trey Sanders might be washed up. Need to recruit better running backs.
6. Plenty of superlatives to give out on defense including too Jameel Johnson, Johnny Hodges, Abe Camara, Obiazor and Broughton. Need to be more disciplined and mature and cut down on the dumb penalties.
7. Deal brothers looked amazing.
TooColdU
Active Member
Unless JH magically gets faster, he's going to be a weak spot in this defense. He would've been really good LB back in the 80s.
cdsfrog
Active Member
Contingent upon 75% less penalties, making FGs and avoiding turnovers. Stanford is a 2-3 win team.
The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog
Full Member
No false starts and no holdings, right?
AroundWorldFrog
Full Member
Ironically, JH
geezer
Colonel, USAF (Retired)
I turned off the tv at halftime and went to bed.
Woke up this morning and watched the second half on ESPN+ (no commercials).
Win/Win.
Only comment about the game is that the new defense seems to be narrowly focused on crashing the line of scrimmage to stop the run, get after the QB. Saw too many Stanford long runs and passes caught around the edge.
Woke up this morning and watched the second half on ESPN+ (no commercials).
Win/Win.
Only comment about the game is that the new defense seems to be narrowly focused on crashing the line of scrimmage to stop the run, get after the QB. Saw too many Stanford long runs and passes caught around the edge.
TxFrog1999
The Man Behind The Curtain
First, it's hard to properly evaluate last night as going into the game Stanford looked like a much improved team on paper, but it's hard to determine if what we saw from their offensive production was due to a return of an aggressive, fast flying TCU D or another season of inept offensive by the Cardinal. Similar situation on the offensive side, as trying to figure out if Hoover and the offense is a high scoring unit that can only be stopped by their own mistakes or if Stanford's defense hasn't really made any progress from last year.
However, with that being said, if you compare what we saw last night to the last 5 years this team is improved in many aspects:
However, with that being said, if you compare what we saw last night to the last 5 years this team is improved in many aspects:
- In contrast to years past the defense brought pressure... a lot. The front 4 did a great job working as a unity, staying home, and pressuring from the edge and 10 TFL are a huge turnaround for this unit. Tymon Mitchell and Cooper McDonald were harassing the OL all night and Deal was fantastic seeing how plays were developing in the backfield and being able to get off blocks to bottle up the runner.
- The senior corners did what senior corners should do and then some. Locking down Ayomanor for most of the game and keeping him out of the endzone was huge, especially since Broughton did it all night on an island. If Broughton continues to be able to handle the top receivers in the conference one-on-one that will help the safeties, which appear to still be the big question mark on D.
- Hoover wasn't the wild gunslinger that we saw last year when this team got behind. He made good decisions with the ball and completed some fantastic passes in tight windows. If you take out the three major drops and the JP fumble, his passes for over 400 yards with about a 75% completion rate and 3 TDs. Considering how he played against bad teams last year this was a vast improvement in maturity and accuracy.
- We're stacked at WR and having two great TEs adds so many weapons for Hoover that I can't imagine how bad of a headache this unit will be for defensive coordinators week in and week out. Yes, we saw three critical drops last night, but I trust those guys to get that worked out, but even if they don't Hoover has a LOT of options this year that not only can catch but gain YAC.
- Offensive line wasn't great, that's true, but they didn't fold like a cheap suit like we saw against every opponent last year. Hoover had time, he didn't need to scramble as much, and a few of those holes they opened for Cook (if he decides to trust them) were well executed and an improvement over last year's unit. Zero penalties on the line was a breath of fresh air and if the big guys continue to grow and improve as a unit this offense will feel more like the 2014 Peach Bowl team where we anticipated points with every possession.
Limey Frog
Full Member
100%. I said the same thing when the announcer said "TCU may not want to score too fast here". I was yelling that we needed to score, period. If fast is how you're built to score, score fast if you need a score. Worrying about the other team having time is the defense's job.
I like Hodges. He is one of the more active linebackers we've had in last several years. However, as I pointed out in the Depth chart thread, he and Obiazor have a tendency to "whiff" on filling holes and tackling head on.
I only played against 2 really good linebackers in the 1980s in Highschool. Jim Jordan El Paso Eastwood 1980 and Britt Hager Odessa Permian 1984. I would've probably preferred to be hit by Hodges/Obiazor as 5th/6th year guys versus Jordan/Hager as juniors' seniors. Both of these guys probably had 4.8 speed on a track. With Football pads they were much faster. They made mincemeat out of my ribs and many others.
K Elarms Orr experimental start against SMU.
Limey Frog
Full Member
Hoover threw behind his receivers quite a few times. He was good, I just don't think he's going to be elite-level great.
Limey Frog
Full Member
No Stanford will win 5 + games this year. The QB is good but his Arm talent is being restricted by FCS coaching mentality.
WCJ you are correct. Hoover's arm motion and efficient/quick release were evident. I believe his quick release is better than most of our QBs in last 25 years. Please note i stated most. Lou Holtz is the only person to really compliment the arm talent of a TCU QB in last 25 years and that was Boykin.
Limey, if you have the game on DVR take a look at those passes. Those passes/plays were ill/designed plays somewhere in the netherworld. Not in the true flat. Somewhere in between. OC Briles has to correct this/ Particularly the angles. Most of those passes were thrown on 45-degree arcs. The passes need to be set up on 70- or 35-degree arcs or the receivers being 7-10 yards shallower or deeper.
Hoover was excellent. I’m not sure what more you can expect. Cam Cook had 81 rushing yards in his first start.
That game could/should have been a 20-30 point win. It wasn’t just the penalties…it was the timing of them to extend drives. Same with turnovers - JP fumbling on a first down gain in our own territory and the butt fumble inside their 5.
I’m way more optimistic after game 1 than I expected. Defense was fun to watch and Broughton, among others, looked really good.
That game could/should have been a 20-30 point win. It wasn’t just the penalties…it was the timing of them to extend drives. Same with turnovers - JP fumbling on a first down gain in our own territory and the butt fumble inside their 5.
I’m way more optimistic after game 1 than I expected. Defense was fun to watch and Broughton, among others, looked really good.
I think Shad Banks will play there especially in passing situations. He concussed himself on the opening kickoff and did not return last night as far as I can tell.
One Frog Nation
Active Member
the 3 biggies are
Red Zone O
Penalties - 15 yarders after the plays is over. several needless ones
the run game just looked disjointed
Red Zone O
Penalties - 15 yarders after the plays is over. several needless ones
the run game just looked disjointed
