Obli's Observations

[Obliviax]

Just random observations from Saturday....

• I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.
• Bulls tried to bring a lot of people but the line picked it up pretty well on pass plays, not so much on running plays. Several first half plays were blown up on missed assignments. While the Bulls don't have a ton of talent on D, they do on O. And, this is a very well coached team. I expect them to challenge for the MAC. BTW, Toledo beat a ranked opponent (Arkansas). BG handily beat Maryland. MAC teams should be beaten but are no longer a walk over.
• How the heck did we not block that punt? That would have been huge. Looked to me like the defender was caught between tackling the punter and blocking it (he was there so early). I am sure he had nightmares on that.
• Refs were clearly flag happy. Bulls put up a video showing a flagged false start on their team and there clearly was no false start. PI on PSU was a really ticky tack call and change field position early. It was third and long, IIRC.
• Barkley was clearly the game changer. What was interesting to me was his speed and acceleration. Bulls defenders took bad angles and were surprised by his speed. On his leap, he hit the ground and accelerated back to close to full speed very quickly. Not a surprise here but this kid could be very special.
• Paris Palmer did a really nice job in the second half after Nelson went down with a knee. I watched him very closely and its hard to understand assignments without being in the huddle, he handled who he thought was his assignment very well. In fact, he dominated several times. Nelson, word is, did not suffer structural damage and will be back. If PP works out, might see the original line back in place.
• I watched Temple. Cincy had a package for T's blitzes and played it very well. Still unsure as to how and why PSU didn't anticipate this. However, T does have a very good D-line and their MLB is "Linebacker-U-ish". After watching the Buffalo game, I am convinced that our line struggles were a combo of first time game speed (Palmer) and not being prepared by the staff (unforgivable).
• As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.
• First half was in very difficult conditions. However, CH's passes seemed much crisper. His bullet passes had some zip on them and his deep throws were fairly accurate.
• Great to see the TE's involved; both of them. Gesicki's drops were weak but understandable. The sideline pass was in heavy rain and CH had some zip on that throw. The second one, MG saw the defender and was focused on trying to run him over to get into the endzone and forgot to secure the ball. Word is that he has good hands so hoping this is a learning experience and an anomaly.
• You can see the depth of the squad improving as we come out of sanctions by watching special teams. Right now, looks to be the strength of our team (aside from our punter). Coverages have been good (hope I didn't jinx it against R) and FG and returns have been as good as we've seen in several years. I suspect CJF will start to work in more true Frosh as the season goes on.

Overall, for some weird reason, I felt encouraged after the game. First, it sounds like Nelson is going to be OK. Second, the team played a much crisper game after mid-third quarter when the rain cleared. Did the Bulls just wear down? It looked to me like they were executing better. And, PP looked good (or much better). They seemed to gain some confidence and the Barkley runs got them into an aggressive, offensive mood (instead of being scared to screw up). If we can improve against a really struggling Rutgers team and then win the next two, that would allow us to gain a lot of experience and confidence before hitting the meat of the B1G season. At this point, I am not looking to win double digits but just want to be competitive in B1G.

A good game recap, from the Bulls perspective is here (including some odd Ref calls).

 

[NCLION]

I came away feeling a tad encouraged as well after feeling like the college football season was already over for me after Temple.

• I don't know how we didn't block that punt either, I think he was too concerned about roughing the punter
• Reeder played great. I really think he has the intangibles we need out there.
• Also props to Cabinda who took over in middle and appeared to be very animated about getting signals out and showing leadership.
• I have been a big fan of Bell and hope he is back saturday. The LB trio of Bell,Reeder and Cabinda can be very solid by conf play.
• DLine looks like its gelling. Nassib is becoming a player
• Barkley has "it"
• Glad Palmer played better and showed some quick feet on run blocks. He was bad game one but I felt bad for him as if he was getting all flack for entire OLine

Main thing I didnt see last year and game 1 this year was anyone stepping up and making this their team and showing leadership and fire. Hack just isnt that type pf player, I suspect he is one foot to the NFL at this point.
I think Barkley is the spark and piece to build around in that regard. Especially if he was huddling the Oline and explaining them how he wanted plays blocked. His speed along with Polk spread things out and opened our offense up. Also made OLine start firing off ball. I was waiting for a Mills/MRob spark and he may be it.

I also think guys like Cabinda and Bell and Reeder can be the leadership the Def needs.

Only disappointment is the WR still isnt showing me anything special. Want to see someone step up and be a force?

I still think we are a 6-6 type team but the talent is starting to bubble up.

 

[Marshall30]

Blocked punt, he simply over ran the play, the wrong way.

Barkley made the difference.

Special teams were near excellent.

Many BS penalties.

Gesicki always seem to be turned the wrong way.

Palmer clearly was much better.

Hack should be making better decisions at this point.

 

[bmw199]

Just random observations from Saturday....

• I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.
• Bulls tried to bring a lot of people but the line picked it up pretty well on pass plays, not so much on running plays. Several first half plays were blown up on missed assignments. While the Bulls don't have a ton of talent on D, they do on O. And, this is a very well coached team. I expect them to challenge for the MAC. BTW, Toledo beat a ranked opponent (Arkansas). BG handily beat Maryland. MAC teams should be beaten but are no longer a walk over.
• How the heck did we not block that punt? That would have been huge. Looked to me like the defender was caught between tackling the punter and blocking it (he was there so early). I am sure he had nightmares on that.
• Refs were clearly flag happy. Bulls put up a video showing a flagged false start on their team and there clearly was no false start. PI on PSU was a really ticky tack call and change field position early. It was third and long, IIRC.
• Barkley was clearly the game changer. What was interesting to me was his speed and acceleration. Bulls defenders took bad angles and were surprised by his speed. On his leap, he hit the ground and accelerated back to close to full speed very quickly. Not a surprise here but this kid could be very special.
• Paris Palmer did a really nice job in the second half after Nelson went down with a knee. I watched him very closely and its hard to understand assignments without being in the huddle, he handled who he thought was his assignment very well. In fact, he dominated several times. Nelson, word is, did not suffer structural damage and will be back. If PP works out, might see the original line back in place.
• I watched Temple. Cincy had a package for T's blitzes and played it very well. Still unsure as to how and why PSU didn't anticipate this. However, T does have a very good D-line and their MLB is "Linebacker-U-ish". After watching the Buffalo game, I am convinced that our line struggles were a combo of first time game speed (Palmer) and not being prepared by the staff (unforgivable).
• As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.
• First half was in very difficult conditions. However, CH's passes seemed much crisper. His bullet passes had some zip on them and his deep throws were fairly accurate.
• Great to see the TE's involved; both of them. Gesicki's drops were weak but understandable. The sideline pass was in heavy rain and CH had some zip on that throw. The second one, MG saw the defender and was focused on trying to run him over to get into the endzone and forgot to secure the ball. Word is that he has good hands so hoping this is a learning experience and an anomaly.
• You can see the depth of the squad improving as we come out of sanctions by watching special teams. Right now, looks to be the strength of our team (aside from our punter). Coverages have been good (hope I didn't jinx it against R) and FG and returns have been as good as we've seen in several years. I suspect CJF will start to work in more true Frosh as the season goes on.

Overall, for some weird reason, I felt encouraged after the game. First, it sounds like Nelson is going to be OK. Second, the team played a much crisper game after mid-third quarter when the rain cleared. Did the Bulls just wear down? It looked to me like they were executing better. And, PP looked good (or much better). They seemed to gain some confidence and the Barkley runs got them into an aggressive, offensive mood (instead of being scared to screw up). If we can improve against a really struggling Rutgers team and then win the next two, that would allow us to gain a lot of experience and confidence before hitting the meat of the B1G season. At this point, I am not looking to win double digits but just want to be competitive in B1G.

A good game recap, from the Bulls perspective is hear (including some odd Ref calls).

Reeder and Barkley really stood out. Barkley is as special as I thought (prepare the heisman campaign). I was very encouraged by the second half and watching other teams struggle in the afternoon. Temple was still unforgivable and there are still parts of the offense that make me lose my mind, but I am in a much better mood than I was in the first half during the in-game thread.

 

[Marshall30]

No one mentioned that Nassib was a beast.

 

[NCLION]

I want to see us come out and just run Barkley early and set the tempo for our OLine. Nothing builds confidence more than just firing off the ball and moving people.

 

[BBrown]

Just random observations from Saturday....

• I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.
• Bulls tried to bring a lot of people but the line picked it up pretty well on pass plays, not so much on running plays. Several first half plays were blown up on missed assignments. While the Bulls don't have a ton of talent on D, they do on O. And, this is a very well coached team. I expect them to challenge for the MAC. BTW, Toledo beat a ranked opponent (Arkansas). BG handily beat Maryland. MAC teams should be beaten but are no longer a walk over.
• How the heck did we not block that punt? That would have been huge. Looked to me like the defender was caught between tackling the punter and blocking it (he was there so early). I am sure he had nightmares on that.
• Refs were clearly flag happy. Bulls put up a video showing a flagged false start on their team and there clearly was no false start. PI on PSU was a really ticky tack call and change field position early. It was third and long, IIRC.
• Barkley was clearly the game changer. What was interesting to me was his speed and acceleration. Bulls defenders took bad angles and were surprised by his speed. On his leap, he hit the ground and accelerated back to close to full speed very quickly. Not a surprise here but this kid could be very special.
• Paris Palmer did a really nice job in the second half after Nelson went down with a knee. I watched him very closely and its hard to understand assignments without being in the huddle, he handled who he thought was his assignment very well. In fact, he dominated several times. Nelson, word is, did not suffer structural damage and will be back. If PP works out, might see the original line back in place.
• I watched Temple. Cincy had a package for T's blitzes and played it very well. Still unsure as to how and why PSU didn't anticipate this. However, T does have a very good D-line and their MLB is "Linebacker-U-ish". After watching the Buffalo game, I am convinced that our line struggles were a combo of first time game speed (Palmer) and not being prepared by the staff (unforgivable).
• As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.
• First half was in very difficult conditions. However, CH's passes seemed much crisper. His bullet passes had some zip on them and his deep throws were fairly accurate.
• Great to see the TE's involved; both of them. Gesicki's drops were weak but understandable. The sideline pass was in heavy rain and CH had some zip on that throw. The second one, MG saw the defender and was focused on trying to run him over to get into the endzone and forgot to secure the ball. Word is that he has good hands so hoping this is a learning experience and an anomaly.
• You can see the depth of the squad improving as we come out of sanctions by watching special teams. Right now, looks to be the strength of our team (aside from our punter). Coverages have been good (hope I didn't jinx it against R) and FG and returns have been as good as we've seen in several years. I suspect CJF will start to work in more true Frosh as the season goes on.

Overall, for some weird reason, I felt encouraged after the game. First, it sounds like Nelson is going to be OK. Second, the team played a much crisper game after mid-third quarter when the rain cleared. Did the Bulls just wear down? It looked to me like they were executing better. And, PP looked good (or much better). They seemed to gain some confidence and the Barkley runs got them into an aggressive, offensive mood (instead of being scared to screw up). If we can improve against a really struggling Rutgers team and then win the next two, that would allow us to gain a lot of experience and confidence before hitting the meat of the B1G season. At this point, I am not looking to win double digits but just want to be competitive in B1G.

A good game recap, from the Bulls perspective is hear (including some odd Ref calls).

Nice Post.
Agree with all your points.
I'm still concerned about punting.
I thought the refs were flag happy too. The last Chop Block call Ham thought was really iffy.
I also thought the Bulls (either WR or TE) fumbled the ball and it was never reviewed.
I came away with a better feeling as well.
Good news about Nelson I thought he was done for.

 

[bkmtnittany1]

with Johnson and zettel getting double teamed a lot....nassib will be a beast...sorta like pick your poison...don't double zettle or Johnson and they will kill ya...

 

[Obliviax]

No one mentioned that Nassib was a beast.

Agree. But one of the reasons why is because the Bulls doubled down on Zettel and Johnson. That left the Tackle one-on-one with Nassib. (or they'd have to bring a RB, flanker or TE to double). While Nassib is doing great, kudus need to be given to Zettle and Johnson. In the first two games, we haven't given up a lot of ground up the middle.

 

[CDW3333]

The offense was completely different in the second; it bore little resemblance to the offense in the first game. In the Buffalo game, Hack was under center for the most part, there were multiple TE formations, more zone blocking, more moving pocket, and more motion (not just Polk). It actually looked like an offense a division 1-A team would run.

The first game was some sort of basterdized zone read without a QB run option.

 

[BBrown]

I want to see us come out and just run Barkley early and set the tempo for our OLine. Nothing builds confidence more than just firing off the ball and moving people.

With Hack under center. He just seems more comfortable under center.

 

[BBrown]

The offense was completely different in the second; it bore little resemblance to the offense in the first game. In the Buffalo game, Hack was under center for the most part, there were multiple TE formations, more zone blocking, more moving pocket, and more motion (not just Polk). It actually looked like an offense a division 1-A team would run.

The first game was some sort of basterdized zone read without a QB run option.

Yea I will never, ever, ever understand what that Temple game plan was.

 

[Obliviax]

With Hack under center. He just seems more comfortable under center.

Looks to me like the RB can get a better head of steam up, hitting the line. When he hands off from the shotgun, the RB starts from a standing position (dead in his tracks) and its too slow to develop.

 

[BBrown]

Looks to me like the RB can get a better head of steam up, hitting the line. When he hands off from the shotgun, the RB starts from a standing position (dead in his tracks) and its too slow to develop.

Exactly. Why we make the RB run 7 yards to pick up 2 is beyond stupid.

 

[bmw199]

Yea I will never, ever, ever understand what that Temple game plan was.

No one will, because there wasn't one.

 

[LundyPSU]

Just random observations from Saturday....

• I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.
• Bulls tried to bring a lot of people but the line picked it up pretty well on pass plays, not so much on running plays. Several first half plays were blown up on missed assignments. While the Bulls don't have a ton of talent on D, they do on O. And, this is a very well coached team. I expect them to challenge for the MAC. BTW, Toledo beat a ranked opponent (Arkansas). BG handily beat Maryland. MAC teams should be beaten but are no longer a walk over.
• How the heck did we not block that punt? That would have been huge. Looked to me like the defender was caught between tackling the punter and blocking it (he was there so early). I am sure he had nightmares on that.
• Refs were clearly flag happy. Bulls put up a video showing a flagged false start on their team and there clearly was no false start. PI on PSU was a really ticky tack call and change field position early. It was third and long, IIRC.
• Barkley was clearly the game changer. What was interesting to me was his speed and acceleration. Bulls defenders took bad angles and were surprised by his speed. On his leap, he hit the ground and accelerated back to close to full speed very quickly. Not a surprise here but this kid could be very special.
• Paris Palmer did a really nice job in the second half after Nelson went down with a knee. I watched him very closely and its hard to understand assignments without being in the huddle, he handled who he thought was his assignment very well. In fact, he dominated several times. Nelson, word is, did not suffer structural damage and will be back. If PP works out, might see the original line back in place.
• I watched Temple. Cincy had a package for T's blitzes and played it very well. Still unsure as to how and why PSU didn't anticipate this. However, T does have a very good D-line and their MLB is "Linebacker-U-ish". After watching the Buffalo game, I am convinced that our line struggles were a combo of first time game speed (Palmer) and not being prepared by the staff (unforgivable).
• As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.
• First half was in very difficult conditions. However, CH's passes seemed much crisper. His bullet passes had some zip on them and his deep throws were fairly accurate.
• Great to see the TE's involved; both of them. Gesicki's drops were weak but understandable. The sideline pass was in heavy rain and CH had some zip on that throw. The second one, MG saw the defender and was focused on trying to run him over to get into the endzone and forgot to secure the ball. Word is that he has good hands so hoping this is a learning experience and an anomaly.
• You can see the depth of the squad improving as we come out of sanctions by watching special teams. Right now, looks to be the strength of our team (aside from our punter). Coverages have been good (hope I didn't jinx it against R) and FG and returns have been as good as we've seen in several years. I suspect CJF will start to work in more true Frosh as the season goes on.

Overall, for some weird reason, I felt encouraged after the game. First, it sounds like Nelson is going to be OK. Second, the team played a much crisper game after mid-third quarter when the rain cleared. Did the Bulls just wear down? It looked to me like they were executing better. And, PP looked good (or much better). They seemed to gain some confidence and the Barkley runs got them into an aggressive, offensive mood (instead of being scared to screw up). If we can improve against a really struggling Rutgers team and then win the next two, that would allow us to gain a lot of experience and confidence before hitting the meat of the B1G season. At this point, I am not looking to win double digits but just want to be competitive in B1G.

A good game recap, from the Bulls perspective is hear (including some odd Ref calls).

Good summary, Obli. I saw the game, with a few distractions so always helpful to get others assessment. I was encouraged, but mostly because of a few individual performances (Barkley, Reeder, Scott, etc) and the opportunity to forget the Temple game. I should probably put more weight on the impact of the rain. But still hard not to be frustrated by the offense. Improved, so I will take it for now. Rutgers will be a tough game to win this week. Never thought I would say that, but its a new world for these Nittany Lions.

 

[joeparules]

I came away feeling a tad encouraged as well after feeling like the college football season was already over for me after Temple.

• I don't know how we didn't block that punt either, I think he was too concerned about roughing the punter
• Reeder played great. I really think he has the intangibles we need out there.
• Also props to Cabinda who took over in middle and appeared to be very animated about getting signals out and showing leadership.
• I have been a big fan of Bell and hope he is back saturday. The LB trio of Bell,Reeder and Cabinda can be very solid by conf play.
• DLine looks like its gelling. Nassib is becoming a player
• Barkley has "it"
• Glad Palmer played better and showed some quick feet on run blocks. He was bad game one but I felt bad for him as if he was getting all flack for entire OLine

Main thing I didnt see last year and game 1 this year was anyone stepping up and making this their team and showing leadership and fire. Hack just isnt that type pf player, I suspect he is one foot to the NFL at this point.
I think Barkley is the spark and piece to build around in that regard. Especially if he was huddling the Oline and explaining them how he wanted plays blocked. His speed along with Polk spread things out and opened our offense up. Also made OLine start firing off ball. I was waiting for a Mills/MRob spark and he may be it.

I also think guys like Cabinda and Bell and Reeder can be the leadership the Def needs.

Only disappointment is the WR still isnt showing me anything special. Want to see someone step up and be a force?

I still think we are a 6-6 type team but the talent is starting to bubble up.

Love to see a former walk-on like Nassib become a force on the d-line, but where has Sickels been? IIRC, he was one of the highly rated recruits (along with CH and Mahon?) who stuck to their commitments. I had high hopes for him after a good showing in the B/W game, but he has been AWOL the first two games. With Nassib, AJ and AZ just imagine how good (great?) this line would be if Barnes stuck around another year!?

 

[Raffycorn]

Love to see a former walk-on like Nassib become a force on the d-line, but where has Sickels been? IIRC, he was one of the highly rated recruits (along with CH and Mahon?) who stuck to their commitments. I had high hopes for him after a good showing in the B/W game, but he has been AWOL the first two games. With Nassib, AJ and AZ just imagine how good (great?) this line would be if Barnes stuck around another year!?

Sickels is still a bit of the young buck on the DL, and he's drawing the toughest assignment going against the LT every play. Zettel and Johnson have both been around the block for at least a full season as a starter, and Nassib is an experienced fifth year senior. Sickels is a RS Sophomore who split playing time last year as his first game experience. I wouldn't be surprised to see him turn it on as the season goes on - he does have .5 sack and 1.5 TFL through two games - which isn't really all that bad if he wasn't being overshadowed by his spectacular teammates.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Just random observations from Saturday....

• I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.
• Bulls tried to bring a lot of people but the line picked it up pretty well on pass plays, not so much on running plays. Several first half plays were blown up on missed assignments. While the Bulls don't have a ton of talent on D, they do on O. And, this is a very well coached team. I expect them to challenge for the MAC. BTW, Toledo beat a ranked opponent (Arkansas). BG handily beat Maryland. MAC teams should be beaten but are no longer a walk over.
• How the heck did we not block that punt? That would have been huge. Looked to me like the defender was caught between tackling the punter and blocking it (he was there so early). I am sure he had nightmares on that.
• Refs were clearly flag happy. Bulls put up a video showing a flagged false start on their team and there clearly was no false start. PI on PSU was a really ticky tack call and change field position early. It was third and long, IIRC.
• Barkley was clearly the game changer. What was interesting to me was his speed and acceleration. Bulls defenders took bad angles and were surprised by his speed. On his leap, he hit the ground and accelerated back to close to full speed very quickly. Not a surprise here but this kid could be very special.
• Paris Palmer did a really nice job in the second half after Nelson went down with a knee. I watched him very closely and its hard to understand assignments without being in the huddle, he handled who he thought was his assignment very well. In fact, he dominated several times. Nelson, word is, did not suffer structural damage and will be back. If PP works out, might see the original line back in place.
• I watched Temple. Cincy had a package for T's blitzes and played it very well. Still unsure as to how and why PSU didn't anticipate this. However, T does have a very good D-line and their MLB is "Linebacker-U-ish". After watching the Buffalo game, I am convinced that our line struggles were a combo of first time game speed (Palmer) and not being prepared by the staff (unforgivable).
• As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.
• First half was in very difficult conditions. However, CH's passes seemed much crisper. His bullet passes had some zip on them and his deep throws were fairly accurate.
• Great to see the TE's involved; both of them. Gesicki's drops were weak but understandable. The sideline pass was in heavy rain and CH had some zip on that throw. The second one, MG saw the defender and was focused on trying to run him over to get into the endzone and forgot to secure the ball. Word is that he has good hands so hoping this is a learning experience and an anomaly.
• You can see the depth of the squad improving as we come out of sanctions by watching special teams. Right now, looks to be the strength of our team (aside from our punter). Coverages have been good (hope I didn't jinx it against R) and FG and returns have been as good as we've seen in several years. I suspect CJF will start to work in more true Frosh as the season goes on.

Overall, for some weird reason, I felt encouraged after the game. First, it sounds like Nelson is going to be OK. Second, the team played a much crisper game after mid-third quarter when the rain cleared. Did the Bulls just wear down? It looked to me like they were executing better. And, PP looked good (or much better). They seemed to gain some confidence and the Barkley runs got them into an aggressive, offensive mood (instead of being scared to screw up). If we can improve against a really struggling Rutgers team and then win the next two, that would allow us to gain a lot of experience and confidence before hitting the meat of the B1G season. At this point, I am not looking to win double digits but just want to be competitive in B1G.

A good game recap, from the Bulls perspective is hear (including some odd Ref calls).

Always love reading these after a game; good stuff. I'll add that another young freshman playing quite well is John Reid (pretty sure he's getting more snaps than any other FR so far...). He's a great tackler in space and has very good coverage skills/instinct. The PI on him was garbage - he's going to be a good one!

 

[BBrown]

Always love reading these after a game; good stuff. I'll add that another young freshman playing quite well is John Reid (pretty sure he's getting more snaps than any other FR so far...). He's a great tackler in space and has very good coverage skills/instinct. The PI on him was garbage - he's going to be a good one!

Yea that was a horrible call.

 

[dmk228]

As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.

Agreed. That game plan was an absolute disaster. Will be interesting what happens to Donovan long term. If CJF has to take over calling the offense, then what the heck is Donovan's role?

 

[Obliviax]

Always love reading these after a game; good stuff. I'll add that another young freshman playing quite well is John Reid (pretty sure he's getting more snaps than any other FR so far...). He's a great tackler in space and has very good coverage skills/instinct. The PI on him was garbage - he's going to be a good one!

Thanks, Midnighter. I try to bring up unreported, under reported, or gut feel from the game.

BTW, just finished Entourage as a bing watch show. Loved it. Piven is a genius. I recall him winning over breaking bad for several years, now I know why. Great show.

 

[TN Lion]

Noticed Barkley's acceleration after the leap. Very impressive.

 

[Obliviax]

Agreed. That game plan was an absolute disaster. Will be interesting what happens to Donovan long term. If CJF has to take over calling the offense, then what the heck is Donovan's role?

Right....i noticed CJF had the play sheet in his hand and didn't in previous games. I also noted that CJF referred to himself as the CEO and delegated to his staff. I noted that was an odd comment at the time. It would appear he's lost a little confidence in his offensive staff after Temple. It will be interesting to observe moving forward.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Right....i noticed CJF had the play sheet in his hand and didn't in previous games. I also noted that CJF referred to himself as the CEO and delegated to his staff. I noted that was an odd comment at the time. It would appear he's lost a little confidence in his offensive staff after Temple. It will be interesting to observe moving forward.

Did I read that Donovan is calling the O from the booth this year? Was that the case last year?

 

[BBrown]

Did I read that Donovan is calling the O from the booth this year? Was that the case last year?

It started out that way at the UCF game but something went wrong with the headsets (yea imagine that and it wasn't at the Patriots) so he came down on to the field.
I think he went back up to the booth for a few games but when things started to go bad he spent the rest of the season "handling" Hack.

 

[Obliviax]

It started out that way at the UCF game but something went wrong with the headsets (yea imagine that and it wasn't at the Patriots) so he came down on to the field.
I think he went back up to the booth for a few games but when things started to go bad he spent the rest of the season "handling" Hack.

Really? I can't imagine an OC on the field. Way too much to see from the booth. If you've ever been on the sideline, you really can see anything on the far side of the field and depth perception is a problem. How do you see how a CB is playing a WR on the other side of the field? How do you determine spacing on the D? How do you detect line stunts?

Shocking. I'd say the OC has to be up in the booth while a few key position coaches are on the sideline tracking injuries, coaching their positions up (after getting direction from the OC in the booth) and assessing injuries/psyches...

 

[michnittlion]

I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.

I think the offensive line shuffle was the correct move ------ Paris Palmer is probably not a long-term positive contributor up front. But I'm with you, I was shocked they actually did it. Shifting three guys is no small matter.

I had a hard time seeing the move as neither of (a) they weren't paying attention, or (b) making a panic move ---- and that troubles me quite a bit.

 

[royboy]

Too early to write off Paris Palmer. He did some good things Saturday, in what was his 2nd game of FBS football.

 

[Obliviax]

I think the offensive line shuffle was the correct move ------ Paris Palmer is probably not a long-term positive contributor up front. But I'm with you, I was shocked they actually did it. Shifting three guys is no small matter.

I had a hard time seeing the move as neither of (a) they weren't paying attention, or (b) making a panic move ---- and that troubles me quite a bit.

PP outplayed Nelson at LT. So I am not so sure that PP is not a long time contributor...but its just one game. I have been impressed with PP's strength, which to me was the biggest concern coming in. To me, and this is from the Temple game, he had trouble understanding how far to drop into pass protection. His man, often did a swim move to get underneath him and take an inside path to the QB. In many cases, the QB will step to his left but Hack never did that. In fact, Hack never moved to his left...not even once. He always scrambles to his right.

 

[SR108]

Just random observations from Saturday....

• I was shocked that the staff went with three changes on the O-line. I mean, here is a game week, with very limited practice time, and the staff moves three guys around. Seems to me they either weren't paying attention in the spring and fall or they were in panic mode.
• Bulls tried to bring a lot of people but the line picked it up pretty well on pass plays, not so much on running plays. Several first half plays were blown up on missed assignments. While the Bulls don't have a ton of talent on D, they do on O. And, this is a very well coached team. I expect them to challenge for the MAC. BTW, Toledo beat a ranked opponent (Arkansas). BG handily beat Maryland. MAC teams should be beaten but are no longer a walk over.
• How the heck did we not block that punt? That would have been huge. Looked to me like the defender was caught between tackling the punter and blocking it (he was there so early). I am sure he had nightmares on that.
• Refs were clearly flag happy. Bulls put up a video showing a flagged false start on their team and there clearly was no false start. PI on PSU was a really ticky tack call and change field position early. It was third and long, IIRC.
• Barkley was clearly the game changer. What was interesting to me was his speed and acceleration. Bulls defenders took bad angles and were surprised by his speed. On his leap, he hit the ground and accelerated back to close to full speed very quickly. Not a surprise here but this kid could be very special.
• Paris Palmer did a really nice job in the second half after Nelson went down with a knee. I watched him very closely and its hard to understand assignments without being in the huddle, he handled who he thought was his assignment very well. In fact, he dominated several times. Nelson, word is, did not suffer structural damage and will be back. If PP works out, might see the original line back in place.
• I watched Temple. Cincy had a package for T's blitzes and played it very well. Still unsure as to how and why PSU didn't anticipate this. However, T does have a very good D-line and their MLB is "Linebacker-U-ish". After watching the Buffalo game, I am convinced that our line struggles were a combo of first time game speed (Palmer) and not being prepared by the staff (unforgivable).
• As such, I noticed CJF was MUCH more involved on offense than he was last game. Instead of delegating, it looked like he was deep into the O game plan, play calling and in-line adjustments. We'll see but the Temple O game-plan may have fallen into the "unforgivable" category. Something to watch moving forward.
• First half was in very difficult conditions. However, CH's passes seemed much crisper. His bullet passes had some zip on them and his deep throws were fairly accurate.
• Great to see the TE's involved; both of them. Gesicki's drops were weak but understandable. The sideline pass was in heavy rain and CH had some zip on that throw. The second one, MG saw the defender and was focused on trying to run him over to get into the endzone and forgot to secure the ball. Word is that he has good hands so hoping this is a learning experience and an anomaly.
• You can see the depth of the squad improving as we come out of sanctions by watching special teams. Right now, looks to be the strength of our team (aside from our punter). Coverages have been good (hope I didn't jinx it against R) and FG and returns have been as good as we've seen in several years. I suspect CJF will start to work in more true Frosh as the season goes on.

Overall, for some weird reason, I felt encouraged after the game. First, it sounds like Nelson is going to be OK. Second, the team played a much crisper game after mid-third quarter when the rain cleared. Did the Bulls just wear down? It looked to me like they were executing better. And, PP looked good (or much better). They seemed to gain some confidence and the Barkley runs got them into an aggressive, offensive mood (instead of being scared to screw up). If we can improve against a really struggling Rutgers team and then win the next two, that would allow us to gain a lot of experience and confidence before hitting the meat of the B1G season. At this point, I am not looking to win double digits but just want to be competitive in B1G.

A good game recap, from the Bulls perspective is here (including some odd Ref calls).

They improved from week one, How much is hard to say given the opponent, but they improved.

The OLine pass protected much better, Hackenberg showed flashes of his potential, the return game showed signs of being special, and Barkley looks like he could be an elite back. I liked the OLine changes. I believe in playing your five best guys, even if they are not necessarily prototypes at their position. We still have a long way to go. I actually like playing Rutgers this week. While they are not great by any means, they are a good opponent for this team in terms of seeing if we are getting better.

I am really impressed with the D Line. If whats left of the linebackers can stay healthy and catch up, and if the secondary can catch up, we should have a really good D by the end of the year. Right now, without Bell, we are really young at LB. Our secondary depth while talented, is also very young and inexperienced. Nassib, Johnson and Zettle are a real handful for anyone. Reeder played well for a first game. We need to get Bell back.

 

[BBrown]

Really? I can't imagine an OC on the field. Way too much to see from the booth. If you've ever been on the sideline, you really can see anything on the far side of the field and depth perception is a problem. How do you see how a CB is playing a WR on the other side of the field? How do you determine spacing on the D? How do you detect line stunts?

Shocking. I'd say the OC has to be up in the booth while a few key position coaches are on the sideline tracking injuries, coaching their positions up (after getting direction from the OC in the booth) and assessing injuries/psyches...

I agree with you but thats just what I remember happening from last season. I think I'm correct.
OB called the plays so it must be done sometimes. Would be interesting to see how often and by whom.

 

[Obliviax]

Noticed Barkley's acceleration after the leap. Very impressive.

As a former High School Hurdler, when you jump "up" you lose momentum forward. The higher you jump, the less forward energy you have. He hit the ground, the defender hit his feat which caused him to be a tad unbalanced, and he hit full speed in two steps. I watched it about 20 times. Also, on his long run, you can see that he accelerates so fast that the D didn't react well and took bad angles. finally, on several shorter runs, he lowered his shoulder and got extra yardage. This guy is not only the real deal, he's the total package.

 

[SR108]

As a former High School Hurdler, when you jump "up" you lose momentum forward. The higher you jump, the less forward energy you have. He hit the ground, the defender hit his feat which caused him to be a tad unbalanced, and he hit full speed in two steps. I watched it about 20 times. Also, on his long run, you can see that he accelerates so fast that the D didn't react well and took bad angles. finally, on several shorter runs, he lowered his shoulder and got extra yardage. This guy is not only the real deal, he's the total package.

The last elite back we had was Larry Johnson Jr. This kid has that kind of potential.

 

[royboy]

As a former High School Hurdler, when you jump "up" you lose momentum forward. The higher you jump, the less forward energy you have. He hit the ground, the defender hit his feat which caused him to be a tad unbalanced, and he hit full speed in two steps. I watched it about 20 times. Also, on his long run, you can see that he accelerates so fast that the D didn't react well and took bad angles. finally, on several shorter runs, he lowered his shoulder and got extra yardage. This guy is not only the real deal, he's the total package.

He has the ability to follow his blockers very closely, esp. on sweeps. Haven't seen a similar ability since Ki-Jana Carter. Don't think he has the top end speed that Ki-Jana had, but he gets up to high speed very quickly, cuts well, and also sees openings. Just a lot of talent.

 

[BBrown]

He has the ability to follow his blockers very closely, esp. on sweeps. Haven't seen a similar ability since Ki-Jana Carter. Don't think he has the top end speed that Ki-Jana had, but he gets up to high speed very quickly, cuts well, and also sees openings. Just a lot of talent.

I almost fell out of my seat when I saw them run a toss sweep.
Please run it more.

 

[MontereyLion]

The offense was completely different in the second; it bore little resemblance to the offense in the first game. In the Buffalo game, Hack was under center for the most part, there were multiple TE formations, more zone blocking, more moving pocket, and more motion (not just Polk). It actually looked like an offense a division 1-A team would run.

The first game was some sort of basterdized zone read without a QB run option.

Temple game was the worst offensive game plan I can every remember seeing by a Penn State team. Even worse then 6-4. This one for Buffalo was much better. Better use of the tight ends, in run blocking and the pass game. Olinemen pulled many, many times to lead in run blocking. The pocket was moved a lot. There was actually a game plan. I am telling you there was no game plan for Temple. Was is stupidity, or arrogance? You pick.

 

[PSU&Trout]

As a former High School Hurdler, when you jump "up" you lose momentum forward. The higher you jump, the less forward energy you have. He hit the ground, the defender hit his feat which caused him to be a tad unbalanced, and he hit full speed in two steps. I watched it about 20 times. Also, on his long run, you can see that he accelerates so fast that the D didn't react well and took bad angles. finally, on several shorter runs, he lowered his shoulder and got extra yardage. This guy is not only the real deal, he's the total package.

Ob,what is your feeling regarding a rb hurdling a player at the D1 level. I was under the impression it was something not encouraged because of the loss of momentum and being venerable while in the air.

 

[bmw199]

I almost fell out of my seat when I saw them run a toss sweep.
Please run it more.

I remember the toss sweep LJ took to the house against MSU to go over 2k for the season. Everyone in the stadium knew it was coming and MSU could do nothing to stop it.

 

[lionroar88]

Some additional notes:

1. Barkley was a hurdler in HS, and a very, very good one. You saw that Saturday... it looked like he was 4 feet off the ground when he went over that defender, the acceleration after was due to being a hurdler
2. When Nelson went down I was VERY concerned. But the addition of Barkley in the backfield took some of the pressure off Palmer (he could just play his game), on a few of Barkley's runs to the left Palmer flat out man handled his man!
3. We were playing Buffalo... not Alabama, not tO$U, not MSU... they have a lot of improvement to do before they are ready for the big guys
4. I did not see Franklin with the playbook during much of the 1st half, the 2nd half he had it the whole time
5. In the Temple game I thought Mahon was trying to play LG and LT, and I felt on a number of occasions Palmer was distracted by this and it hurt his game. A number of times during the Temple game Palmer has his man locked up then Mahon would be standing around or would then try to 'help' Palmer and would end up freeing the defender from Palmer (he would get in Palmer's way). Did not see that happen in the 2nd half on Saturday.

IMHO Palmer looked like a guy playing his 1st FBS game against Temple, on Saturday he looked like it was the 1st game of his 2nd season... if he improves on that pace and he starts Saturday against Rutgers that would mean he should be on track to being a big contributor on the OL.