Back home from the game...some thoughts.

[pawildcat]

CJF is 3-12 vs the Big three, but it will be better next year when we have a new QB, RB, and have to replace possibly our best OL.

OK, I get OSU and Michigan. Who do you think is the third of the "Big 3.?"

 

[LaJolla Lion]

Not bad sir; not bad!

And you did all this without the influence of alcohol??

I'm impressed!

Sure did. Had the kids with me.

 

[artsandletters]

PSU can have all the great talent that it wants but until better in-game decisions are made in tight games, we as fans might have to just be satisfied with 10-2 seasons. Three of the four losses this year were helped by a questionable coaching decision in a strategic part of the game. Deferring at the toss and going for it on the 4th down instead of the FG are two that had to be made in that game. Even though the defense was playing lights out the previous three series, you can't be guaranteed that you'll see that ball again and if you're down that far, you might as well go for it and if you do miss, UK has their backs to the goal line a bit more than they did after the kickoff. It's a meaningless game in the whole scheme of things but unfortunately, the same coaching moves that have lost them games in the past couple of years popped up again today.

Looking forward to next year, what I can't wait to see:

Defense -- Parsons played like a freshman at times this year...flies to the ball but doesn't quite finish and gets himself out of position sometimes. That'll change as he gets older...Lavar was the same raw talent at first. D-line should be a lot sturdier and hopefully can be big-time run stuffers.

WR's/TE's -- I was excited coming into this year of the prospects of having experience in JJ, Thompkins, and Polk (where was he today, btw?). Wow, that was disappointing. But the likes of Hamler, Dotson, and Shorter stretching the field with Friermuth (the next Gesicki/Brady?) roaming the middle of the field gives me some hope that they can help bring along the QB transition. I just hope that more packages next year include using the middle of the field more. Today, there was too much going toward a sideline, especially early on.

It was freakin' hot there today but I'm glad I wasn't on the Kentucky side with the sun in my face all day long. There was at least one concession stand that was out of water at halftime and that led to some ugly, long lines in the upper deck.

Looking forward to the occasional two TE set with Kuntz and PF.

 

[Beachwineguy]

There was at least one concession stand that was out of water at halftime and that led to some ugly, long lines in the upper deck.

It wasn’t only the lack of water causing the long lines. The Little Caesar’s stand didn’t have pizza throughout much of the game, then I think they ran out of wings too. I waited in line for much of the second quarter and the line barely moved, so we ended up going down to the first level and had no line to get food.

 

[Cosmos]

Start with the ugly.

• Special teams was a disaster and the reason for this loss. No way around it. Bad snap on the first FG, but still could have been made. Punt return for a TD. KO to start the half out of bounds. Fake punt also led to 3 points. Outside of Blakes first punt...epic fail all around there. 16 point swing on special teams...what a bad day there.
  
• Thompkins really will not be missed at all IMO. Nice solid person, but clearly lacked confidence the entire year long. JJ has to figure his head out, because the young guys can actually make plays and catch the ball.
• I don't like Franklin always has to take the ball. UK has a sh!t offense, let's be real. I think they had 29 yards passing in the first half. Why not defer, get a stop, and get momentum early when a team isn't a strong offensive team. Why put their best unit on the field first. Allen is a Beast BTW...kudos to him..dude showed up and played and really could have taken the night off.

Good,

• Trace was heart as usual...thanks for 3 incredible years. Best of luck finding a spot in the league...we'll be pulling for you.
• Pat F is a freaky good TE for a frosh...yep...just a frosh.
  
• Slade looked so quick out there and so physical...again as a true frosh.
• Shorter will be the big weapon we thought JJ would be hopefully.
• Micah outside of the almost INT and stupid personal foul was everywhere today.

Future

• I think Boobie should go because Slade is just so quick and is much more physical than I anticipated coming into this year. His run where he got tackled at the 1, he trucked the UK DB...trucked him. He also is quicker to the edge and threw some nice blocks. He will be a special one people...no SB...but we won't see that again. He will be very good though.
• Pat F, Shorter, Dotson, and Hamler will be a nightmare for opposing teams next year. IF...big IF Tommy is the man I expect this to be a run first team, but it will open up some bigger plays in time. Clifford is an interesting prospect. The second he came in after the injury I said to the guy next to me...first play is a bomb. Of course #3 wasn't going to make the catch as he has made one contested catch in 3 years I think, but it was a money throw.
• LB's will be back to LBU. Parsons is a freak...we all see it and the light is going on, but he still did dumb frosh things at times. I really like Brooks though, really like him. There will be a lot of talent and guys that can all run...should be fun to watch.
• DL will be ok next year IMO. Hopefully Givens returns and the DE's step it up. Time for the younger guys like Mustipher, Oweh, Culpepper, Hawkins....etc to step up there game as well as Simmons and Toney.
  
• PSU isn't going away and the talent is just starting to mature and reload....enjoy it for those of us that can. Too much has happened in the last decade not to.

Good post, Lajolla. Thanks for sharing.

They said Franklin dedicated two precious practices to special teams. Yet it netted a -16 point swing by my count: fake FG, two missed FGs and a punt return for TD. Not good.

I thought coach made the right choice with 3 TOs and 4 mins remaining. What I don't understand is why the defense didn't sell out to stop Snell. I mean, the entire freaking building knew where the ball was going and yet he converted twice! There went the game.

Kentucky had much to play for. They hadn't a ten-win season since 1974 or some such. It was their Superbowl. With few exceptions our kids played flat until the 4thQ.

This year our offense suffered through SB-separation anxiety. Next year will be TM-separation anxiety. That said, the future is bright. The talent is ever evolving. These games serve to expose our weaknesses. No need to revisit them as posters here have hit on it. For those of you who can't handle brutal honesty I suggest you find another board.

 

[RashaanKirk]

He's actually building a talented roster. Slade, Pat F, Shorter, Hamler, Dotson....yeah...that will suck for at least the next 2 years.

LaJolla, you did not mention Daniel George who seems to have a ton of potential as well. Did he see any action yesterday, and if so how did he look?

 

[LaJolla Lion]

LaJolla, you did not mention Daniel George who seems to have a ton of potential as well. Did he see any action yesterday, and if so how did he look?

I don't recall seeing him out there yesteday. George is another young guy who will compete for snaps next year. Hell Cam Sullivan Brown showed he can catch a ball this year. Mac H is also still young and could provide some plays moving forward. I saw Mac H in quite a bit along with Shorter, DT, Hamler, JJ, and Dotson for the most part.

 

[kgilbert78]

PSU does not recruit nationally like those schools and is not located in a recruiting hot bed.

While I disagree with some of your other points, I thought this to be interesting. I think PSU does recruit nationally. But the core of the team, like most other schools, tends to come from your home area and around it. In the past this was PA, NJ, Eastern OH, and MD. That once *was* a recruiting hotbed, especially NJ, given Rutgers failure to do much with it. But much of this area was where the steel workers, coal miners, and farmers lived. Some of those industries are gone and the kind of tough kids you got from those areas aren't as prevalent. The game has also gotten faster--and that tends to mean Southern kids, who are not as affected by the weather.

 

[TheGLOV]

Sure did. Had the kids with me.

You are ambidextrous!!



(Triple word score)

 

[mmp121]

From JF’s comments after the game, I think Galiano and Corley are gone.

PC for those to see and hear for yourselves...

 

[katchthis]

A few times Kentucky lined up multiple receivers on one side, and we wouldn’t cover them all. We got burned by this a few times. Never understood why we left them open all day.

A

Parsons better take a few geometry classes in the summer because he took I think his 100th terrible angle on the long catch and run in the second half today.

WTF . 8 tackles , 5 assists , almost ran Snell down from the opposite side on Benny's 3 yard TD run. Parsons was a freak. He's learning, but what a motor.

 

[Safety Blitz]

While I disagree with some of your other points, I thought this to be interesting. I think PSU does recruit nationally. But the core of the team, like most other schools, tends to come from your home area and around it. In the past this was PA, NJ, Eastern OH, and MD. That once *was* a recruiting hotbed, especially NJ, given Rutgers failure to do much with it. But much of this area was where the steel workers, coal miners, and farmers lived. Some of those industries are gone and the kind of tough kids you got from those areas aren't as prevalent. The game has also gotten faster--and that tends to mean Southern kids, who are not as affected by the weather.

I agree. My main points were (1) PA no longer produces the elite football talent it produced two, three or four decades ago; and (2) PSU does not recruit nationally at the level many of the blue blood programs currently do. PSU under Franklin is improving in that area, but is still well behind the big boys. I don’t foresee a day when PSU regularly wins recruiting battles for multiple 5* players from all across the country.

 

[Judge Smails]

It’s amusing to me that Franklin gets so much crap from his own fan base when it is easy to look around the Big Ten at actual examples of guys who can’t coach.

Brian at MGoBlog


On the other, Michigan had 50 seconds and two timeouts on the clock, ran for three yards, and called timeout with under 20 seconds on the clock. Michigan's buffoonery before the half isn't a motivation issue. It's something that's plagued Michigan since Harbaugh's arrival. There is no tempo package, in 2018. Down 17 with the end of the third quarter approaching Michigan was still huddling and snapping the ball with under five seconds on the game clock. They had a ten-play, five-minute drive on which the average play stripped 31.4 seconds off the clock. At the end of it they were still down two touchdowns.

Michigan is 124th in S&P+'s pace metric, and the surprising bit of that is that they're not dead last. This is year four. In year four you've got a pretty good idea of what the final product is going to look like. This isn't a bug for Harbaugh, it's a feature.

The last two years Michigan has seemingly scrapped their preseason plan a few games in. There's a ton of coaching turnover, with guys coming in for one year and then bailing. Recruiting has gone in fits and starts; even this year when Michigan's class is the best in the league they still had some baffling in-state failures seemingly brought about by disorganization. The pace of play also speaks to that disorganization.

All of this is probably permanent, and it'll stop Michigan from being an actual power.