I really liked Herb Hand. Nice guy. And I will not speak poorly of him now that he's gone. But I will share that I am very excited for the Limegrover OL to take the field in the fall.
Run Game: As posted her before, the Moorhead/Limegrover running game will feature a spread zone attack with a sprinkling of power, down/pull/kick, and Pin&Pull concepts. What I am most happy to see is how Limegrover is teaching second-level blocking. Over the past few seasons, our OL has not accounted for the second-level with any consistency. I do not believe this was an ability issue, but a technique-issue. By design, our OL spent too much time and energy engaging the first-level defenders, and then struggled to disengage and have any real influence on the second-level. Limegrover spent over an hour talking about nothing but the inside zone. I am convinced that his half-man, post&run, and punch-through techniques (my terminology, not his) will allow our OL to not only account for the DL, but also get much-needed bodies on LBs. We have a talented and deep backfield; we need to pave a better road for them to run on.
Pass Game: Although he didn't talk about his passing game schemes or pass pro techniques, I did get to watch drills and pass skel. Limegrover is perhaps less polished than Hand, but he is very active. He has a keen eye, and coaches with high energy. There are few reps where an OL doesn't get a critique as Limegrover is constantly coaching them up. Pass pro technique looks similar to any OL coach I've seen, but there are a few things that leave me optimistic about our passing game. One would be simplicity. Last year's OL pass pro was too complicated - not just for a young or inexperienced OL, but for any. My belief is that it was UNNECESSARILY complex, and that opinion is perhaps supported by how much simpler Limegrover's scheme will be. Second, the added depth of our OL should make it easier for players to have one position to learn, as opposed to the constant switching around necessary the past two season. We played last year with seven OL. I am hopeful that 10-11 will be combat ready, if not by game one, then at least by mid-season. Lastly, our entire passing game package will complement the running game in ways we have not seen at Penn State. I am encouraged by the pace, design, and early execution of the offense. I am also cautiously optimistic about our young quarterbacks. Both looked good on Friday and Saturday, and Trace was very much in charge of his players.
On a personal note, I enjoyed, as always, talking football and life with Gardner Sorrell. A big man with a big heart, and a sharp perspective on OL play. It was also a treat to shake hands with bohucon. Always nice to put a face with a name. And then I got the chance to speak a few minutes with Austin Johnson after Saturday's practice. He and his family are among the sweetest people I've met and it was nice to catch up and wish him luck this spring.
I plan to get back to a few more practices (I have Marshall spring to cover as well) and will share here what I feel appropriate. Not drinking the cool-aid here, but it's hard not to be impressed with our new-look offense.
Run Game: As posted her before, the Moorhead/Limegrover running game will feature a spread zone attack with a sprinkling of power, down/pull/kick, and Pin&Pull concepts. What I am most happy to see is how Limegrover is teaching second-level blocking. Over the past few seasons, our OL has not accounted for the second-level with any consistency. I do not believe this was an ability issue, but a technique-issue. By design, our OL spent too much time and energy engaging the first-level defenders, and then struggled to disengage and have any real influence on the second-level. Limegrover spent over an hour talking about nothing but the inside zone. I am convinced that his half-man, post&run, and punch-through techniques (my terminology, not his) will allow our OL to not only account for the DL, but also get much-needed bodies on LBs. We have a talented and deep backfield; we need to pave a better road for them to run on.
Pass Game: Although he didn't talk about his passing game schemes or pass pro techniques, I did get to watch drills and pass skel. Limegrover is perhaps less polished than Hand, but he is very active. He has a keen eye, and coaches with high energy. There are few reps where an OL doesn't get a critique as Limegrover is constantly coaching them up. Pass pro technique looks similar to any OL coach I've seen, but there are a few things that leave me optimistic about our passing game. One would be simplicity. Last year's OL pass pro was too complicated - not just for a young or inexperienced OL, but for any. My belief is that it was UNNECESSARILY complex, and that opinion is perhaps supported by how much simpler Limegrover's scheme will be. Second, the added depth of our OL should make it easier for players to have one position to learn, as opposed to the constant switching around necessary the past two season. We played last year with seven OL. I am hopeful that 10-11 will be combat ready, if not by game one, then at least by mid-season. Lastly, our entire passing game package will complement the running game in ways we have not seen at Penn State. I am encouraged by the pace, design, and early execution of the offense. I am also cautiously optimistic about our young quarterbacks. Both looked good on Friday and Saturday, and Trace was very much in charge of his players.
On a personal note, I enjoyed, as always, talking football and life with Gardner Sorrell. A big man with a big heart, and a sharp perspective on OL play. It was also a treat to shake hands with bohucon. Always nice to put a face with a name. And then I got the chance to speak a few minutes with Austin Johnson after Saturday's practice. He and his family are among the sweetest people I've met and it was nice to catch up and wish him luck this spring.
I plan to get back to a few more practices (I have Marshall spring to cover as well) and will share here what I feel appropriate. Not drinking the cool-aid here, but it's hard not to be impressed with our new-look offense.
