1. Offense: Looked very good until Barkley went down. Then the whole O went down the tubes. Hack looked very good IMO (and I'll add an "I told you so" SINCE they started moving the pocket). The thing guys on here were saying about Hack not being accurate on the move just ain't so. He DID miss a wide open WR for an easy TD toss at one point, but that kind of thing happens. The WRs still need to work on getting separation but I'm convinced, for example, that Hack would have hit the slant to Godwin for a TD had he gotten a half-second longer to throw the ball. There were a few really nice catches by both those guys, and I think they are doing a great job along with Hamilton. Allen and Scott looked OK running the ball considering that they had nowhere to run (the OLine didn't do a great job in the second half in the run game) but they aren't Barkley..matter of fact NO ONE is Barkley but Barkley. Palmer looked better...not great but seems to be getting better each week. He made a nice block on the screen to Allen in the 4th quarter, showing some agility on that play. Mahon still looks confused at times, but overall the OLine did a decent job against a VERY hard scheme.
2. The D is incredible...what else is there to say? The DLine is providing one of the best pass rushes I have ever seen at PSU, and is just ridiculous to try to run against. The LBs are getting better each week (have I mentioned lately that Troy Reeder is going to be THE next GREAT PSU LB?). The DBs are solid and also getting better all the time. Haley can be special eventually, and all of them hit when they come up on run support. Apke filled in nicely. FWIW how about Austin Johnson filling in at RB if Barkley is out next week? I'm jus sayinnnnn...
3. Special teams were (as the kids on my team say) "butt". I mentioned a few weeks ago that Thompkins has to get some discipline back there returning punts, and the play I pointed to back then was his "I'll turn the corner by running backwards...ooops can't make it..geez I just gave up 10 yards" return. Yesterday IMO he took a big risk by NOT just fair-catching the ball that he muffed and it cost PSU BIGTIME. He has to learn "when to hold and when to fold" as Kenny Rodgers said. Fair catch the ones where you have no shot at all to return, and I think yesterday he snuck a peek at the last second at the coverage guys bearing down on him and that's why he muffed it. With the hang time that punt had, he should have without a doubt fair caught the ball.
Gulla was sub-par, and the KO coverage team lost their lane discipline and created a HUGE seam on the KO return for a TD. I didnt see what happened on Julius' blocked FG but I'll assume that he hit it too low from that distance. He also yanked a KO out of bounds which also is a BIG "no no".
4. Coaching: I think the Offensive play calling has improved by 100% since Temple. The HB Pass was used with perfect timing and was executed VERY well. The run game is mixed real well with the pass, although Barkley being out kind of took away the "ooomph" of the run game. The passing game is being used exactly how I would use it, by emphasizing the short game to nullify the rush, and selectively taking shots downfield. They also are moving the pocket and doing other things to protect Hack that they didn't do vs Temple. NO WILDCAT WHOOO HOOO!! I was also delighted to see them starting to use the TE's, Screen game, and short flares to the RBs. These things also make life easier for Hack and the OLine.
Overall this was a very good game except for the ST breakdowns. If you take away the KO Return TD and the muffed punt that led to a TD, it wasn't even a close game. I'm seeing some nice things developing overall, and the injuries are a BIG concern but I think PSU will be ok vs Army no matter who is in there.
2. The D is incredible...what else is there to say? The DLine is providing one of the best pass rushes I have ever seen at PSU, and is just ridiculous to try to run against. The LBs are getting better each week (have I mentioned lately that Troy Reeder is going to be THE next GREAT PSU LB?). The DBs are solid and also getting better all the time. Haley can be special eventually, and all of them hit when they come up on run support. Apke filled in nicely. FWIW how about Austin Johnson filling in at RB if Barkley is out next week? I'm jus sayinnnnn...
3. Special teams were (as the kids on my team say) "butt". I mentioned a few weeks ago that Thompkins has to get some discipline back there returning punts, and the play I pointed to back then was his "I'll turn the corner by running backwards...ooops can't make it..geez I just gave up 10 yards" return. Yesterday IMO he took a big risk by NOT just fair-catching the ball that he muffed and it cost PSU BIGTIME. He has to learn "when to hold and when to fold" as Kenny Rodgers said. Fair catch the ones where you have no shot at all to return, and I think yesterday he snuck a peek at the last second at the coverage guys bearing down on him and that's why he muffed it. With the hang time that punt had, he should have without a doubt fair caught the ball.
Gulla was sub-par, and the KO coverage team lost their lane discipline and created a HUGE seam on the KO return for a TD. I didnt see what happened on Julius' blocked FG but I'll assume that he hit it too low from that distance. He also yanked a KO out of bounds which also is a BIG "no no".
4. Coaching: I think the Offensive play calling has improved by 100% since Temple. The HB Pass was used with perfect timing and was executed VERY well. The run game is mixed real well with the pass, although Barkley being out kind of took away the "ooomph" of the run game. The passing game is being used exactly how I would use it, by emphasizing the short game to nullify the rush, and selectively taking shots downfield. They also are moving the pocket and doing other things to protect Hack that they didn't do vs Temple. NO WILDCAT WHOOO HOOO!! I was also delighted to see them starting to use the TE's, Screen game, and short flares to the RBs. These things also make life easier for Hack and the OLine.
Overall this was a very good game except for the ST breakdowns. If you take away the KO Return TD and the muffed punt that led to a TD, it wasn't even a close game. I'm seeing some nice things developing overall, and the injuries are a BIG concern but I think PSU will be ok vs Army no matter who is in there.
