The block of the night.

[HazletonLion]

On Mcsorley's 70 yd bomb to Blacknall, watch Gesicki from the slot pick up blitzing Badger linebacker 53 coming with a head of steam. Mike absorbs the full contact battles him hard and long enough to give Trace time to throw.

http://pennstate.247sports.com/Bolt...with-Saeed-Blacknall-on-70-yard-bomb-49525254

 

[bjf1991]

On Mcsorley's 70 yd bomb to Blacknall, watch Gesicki from the slot pick up blitzing Badger linebacker 53 coming with a head of steam. Mike absorbs the full contact battles him hard and long enough to give Trace time to throw.

http://pennstate.247sports.com/Bolt...with-Saeed-Blacknall-on-70-yard-bomb-49525254

He actually had a couple nice pick ups in PassPro.........
And some real FUBARs as well

But, the fact that there were some nice pick ups mixed into his game? Even with the FUBARs - that's a definite step in the right direction

Toughest nights for the guys up front were for Gaia and Gesicki (thought both guards had surprisingly good nights.......not GREAT, but good, and better than I would have expected)

As a unit, incredibly improved after the first two series (where the blocking assignments were completely FUBAR on 4 of the 6 snaps)
I'd have to check my notes, but of the 55 or so snaps AFTER the first two possessions, I don't think there were more than 10 snaps that were FUBAR


Not the first time this year that the OL play improved SUBSTANTIALLY after they got the first couple series under their belts......and I think that's a good sign (especially wrt the coaching staff's ability to settle them down)

 

[Fayette_LION]

On Mcsorley's 70 yd bomb to Blacknall, watch Gesicki from the slot pick up blitzing Badger linebacker 53 coming with a head of steam. Mike absorbs the full contact battles him hard and long enough to give Trace time to throw.

http://pennstate.247sports.com/Bolt...with-Saeed-Blacknall-on-70-yard-bomb-49525254

Gesicki has really blossomed in his total development at TE. His catching and blocking have greatly improved over the year. Thanks to R Rhaney for his coaching

 

[Pocono Lion]

Hazleton, you read my mind. I saw a replay the next day and saw somebody blocking their ass off in the middle but I couldn't tell who it was. Thanks for pointing out it was Gesicki.

 

[bwifan]

He actually had a couple nice pick ups in PassPro.........
And some real FUBARs as well

But, the fact that there were some nice pick ups mixed into his game? Even with the FUBARs - that's a definite step in the right direction

Toughest nights for the guys up front were for Gaia and Gesicki (thought both guards had surprisingly good nights.......not GREAT, but good, and better than I would have expected)

As a unit, incredibly improved after the first two series (where the blocking assignments were completely FUBAR on 4 of the 6 snaps)
I'd have to check my notes, but of the 55 or so snaps AFTER the first two possessions, I don't think there were more than 10 snaps that were FUBAR


Not the first time this year that the OL play improved SUBSTANTIALLY after they got the first couple series under their belts......and I think that's a good sign (especially wrt the coaching staff's ability to settle them down)

That was not an easy pick up either. Being lined up outside the RT he had to make the correct read. Slide over to center and pick up the correct LB, since Wiscy blitzed the 2 inside LB's. The RG picked up one and Gesicki made the correct read picking up the other over center. Better than that first or 2nd series where Barkley missed the blitzing LB coming in between the LT and LG and instead went to help Bates at LT. I agree first couple series was more just missed assignments. Once they settled and reviewed on the sidelines what Wiscy was doing, basically firing LB's non stop they calmed down made their reads and boy did things start to open up.

 

[HazletonLion]

Hazleton, you read my mind. I saw a replay the next day and saw somebody blocking their ass off in the middle but I couldn't tell who it was. Thanks for pointing out it was Gesicki.

That was a fantastic play, i'm still buzzing over it'.

 

[Bob78]

He actually had a couple nice pick ups in PassPro.........
And some real FUBARs as well

But, the fact that there were some nice pick ups mixed into his game? Even with the FUBARs - that's a definite step in the right direction

Toughest nights for the guys up front were for Gaia and Gesicki (thought both guards had surprisingly good nights.......not GREAT, but good, and better than I would have expected)

As a unit, incredibly improved after the first two series (where the blocking assignments were completely FUBAR on 4 of the 6 snaps)
I'd have to check my notes, but of the 55 or so snaps AFTER the first two possessions, I don't think there were more than 10 snaps that were FUBAR


Not the first time this year that the OL play improved SUBSTANTIALLY after they got the first couple series under their belts......and I think that's a good sign (especially wrt the coaching staff's ability to settle them down)

My seats were high in the end zone - a nice perspective once in a while. High enough that we did not lose perspective at the other end of the field.
Anyway, after the first couple series, when it was apparent that we had to do something different to pick up the blitzing pressure, I was thinking that Geisicki moving over into the backfield was a 'tell' that we had called a deep route as the primary target, and the TE was there to help block to provide the necessary time. But I'm not sure it was, and I'm not sure Wisconsin saw it that way.

As the game went on and we were coming back, it was apparent that Wisconsin had no answer for our receivers and passing game other than pressure and keeping their fingers crossed, and the 1-1 matchups were heavily in our favor. By the 4th quarter, they were playing 10 yards off the slot and widest wideout - basically a prevent look on D. JoeMo's wheel route call in the 4th was brilliant because of their ongoing blitzing and pressure. From my perspective, you could see what was happening at the snap, and there was no way their D scheme at that point could stop it. The replays are a blast to watch on that one.

 

[m.knox]

On Mcsorley's 70 yd bomb to Blacknall, watch Gesicki from the slot pick up blitzing Badger linebacker 53 coming with a head of steam. Mike absorbs the full contact battles him hard and long enough to give Trace time to throw.

http://pennstate.247sports.com/Bolt...with-Saeed-Blacknall-on-70-yard-bomb-49525254

The game being replayed on FSN2 right now. You are exactly correct. He was battling one on one and kept McSorley clean.

That said, I did get a kick out of the announcers kind of "warning" that PSU had a good record of coming back.

 

[OhioLion]

Not going to discredit your post, but would like to add my son's version of the best blocks.
He is a WR in high school and tends to watch them more than anything else. He was going crazy Saturday in the stands yelling "look at that blocking"!! On a couple of Barkley's runs, Godwin and Blacknall were doing a tremendous job on the outside. One on the Wisc sideline had (I believe) Godwin running the DB a good 12 - 15 yards down field then dumping him out of bounds. Training film stuff.
One other note; McSorley takes the snap, rides the ball to Barkl - "HE BURNED HIM DEEP!!! HE BURNED HIM DEEP!!!" was all anyone in section 148 could hear as my son is screaming about Blacknall breaking deep on the bomb following the missed FG. I didn't know it was a pass yet, and my son recognized the move put on the DB by Blacknall.

Nice to have these guys back next year!!

OL

 

[HazletonLion]

Not going to discredit your post, but would like to add my son's version of the best blocks.
He is a WR in high school and tends to watch them more than anything else. He was going crazy Saturday in the stands yelling "look at that blocking"!! On a couple of Barkley's runs, Godwin and Blacknall were doing a tremendous job on the outside. One on the Wisc sideline had (I believe) Godwin running the DB a good 12 - 15 yards down field then dumping him out of bounds. Training film stuff.
One other note; McSorley takes the snap, rides the ball to Barkl - "HE BURNED HIM DEEP!!! HE BURNED HIM DEEP!!!" was all anyone in section 148 could hear as my son is screaming about Blacknall breaking deep on the bomb following the missed FG. I didn't know it was a pass yet, and my son recognized the move put on the DB by Blacknall.

Nice to have these guys back next year!!

OL

Your son noticed the play development , great observation. He knows it takes 11 for it to work as drawn up.
If you remember Joe Morehead said in the Purdue game " if everyone blocks this right Barkley scores, and he did for 70 yards.