damn near miraculous. With guys coming off injury next year plus new studs coming in, it should be a fun ride.
Mega shout-out to Coach Limegrover...what he did with the OL was
- Thread starter JayWye
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Could argue his impact was as important as JoMo's. Imagine last year starting three Freshman or RS Freshman (like PSU did at the Rose Bowl) and what that would have meant???
Getting Mahon and Nelson back and then throwing Menet and Fries into the mix for starters, this position has seen probably the most drastic turn of fortune in one calendar year as a program can hope to achieve.
Getting Mahon and Nelson back and then throwing Menet and Fries into the mix for starters, this position has seen probably the most drastic turn of fortune in one calendar year as a program can hope to achieve.
Sure hope he can make a few road graders who can actually move someone out of the way next year. Yes, great job by Limegrover
How elated must Limegrover be given that his last assignment was in Minny!?!? Must feel like one of the luckiest people on earth......
Agree. We should have the bodies to finally make the RPO over the middle work. Nice to have so many able OL that we don't know what the starting OL will be in 8 months. Noticed that Bey has been left out of the equation, but yet, he could start at LT with Mahon back over to RT where he appears to perform his best. That could happen if Nelson is not 100% come Sept.
Saw a potential OL starting unit with Menet at center; Interesting indeed.
Saw a potential OL starting unit with Menet at center; Interesting indeed.
I thought the overall line play was certainly improved this year, but it was especially improved just from Wisky to USC. 26 had holes against a VERY good Trojan defense.
From a big problem to "okay, not bad" in 2016
From "okay, not bad" to good in 2017?
From "good" to a real strong point in 2018, etc.?
From "okay, not bad" to good in 2017?
From "good" to a real strong point in 2018, etc.?
Yep now just imagine Barkely behind a good line. Scary for the other team, awesome for us.
I agree with the praise of Limegrover. I really think that this is the area where we need to see continued improvement, as well as the D line, if we want to have a chance at competing against Alabama. Our skill players are as good or better (on the whole) than just about everyone else. You need to have the linemen that can stop a 3rd and short on D and make a 3rd short on O. We have done really well with athletic D linemen, but if we want to raise above our current level of success (which is pretty amazing already), then we need the true road grader and the wardaddy type players to add to the athletes. I think we may have the bodies we need on O, but I still think we need at least one or two elite 1 technique players.
It helps when you recruit B10 quality raw materials like Bates, McGovern, Gonzalez, Wright, etc etc.
My cousin Ron is the DL coach at Citadel. He cut his teeth w/ Herb Hand about 15-20 yr's ago at, I think, West Virginia Wesleyen, and Ron could not be more complimentary about Herb as a person.
That said -- and w/ all due credit to Limegrover -- this year's OL performance makes me think even less of the job Hand did.
That said -- and w/ all due credit to Limegrover -- this year's OL performance makes me think even less of the job Hand did.
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anon_1eeb2b426hv3y
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He's made several. While not a new hire, promoting Pry seems to have been a good move as well. Can't fault him for having a thin LB corps and losing key guys to injury.
I'm hesitant to give another nod to Tim Banks, although he seems solid as well. My biggest problem there is "the whole recruitment of our players in State College-thing." I'm at least at the point where I accept the situation wasn't his making and his being there wasn't necessarily his call. If the coaches, players and former players can get over it, I can too. And it must have been tough for him to join this program with that in his past. He def deserves some man-points for that. And he seems another good hire by CJF, who also deserves (and gets) man-points for that tough call.
It is an enormous benefit for a struggling OL to have a QB who can make and extend plays with his feet. That just wasn't something in Hack's wheelhouse.
Yeah, I think Banks and Pry did commendable work this year and I should have mentioned them. The only thing really on my bug list was LB recruiting.
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anon_1eeb2b426hv3y
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That's fair. I wouldn't say you should have mentioned them.
LB recruiting, DT recruiting, etc., etc. Can't win them all. But this staff is really on with recruiting, and filling in gaps where the roster seems depleted. Just too many injuries, transfers, flips, etc. But looking at OL, DL and LB, it's truly amazing the team won the B1G, and nearly won the Rose Bowl.
I'd like to add Dwight Galt to the list of folks deserving praise. The S&C guy spends more time with most of players than anyone, so he deserves to be acknowledged for his part too. Not just for their continuing physical development either. This team's culture is forged as much in the S&C program as it is on the field.
With Nelson, Mahon, and Palmer you've got a different game against SC, the O- Line did a great job regardless.
Hats off to Coach Limegrover.
Hats off to Coach Limegrover.
