Some thoughts watching the recording delayed (not live) and rewatching it again on Sunday.
Obviously great job by defense. Could have had another pick 6 and the only score was because of our guys taking each other our on the 3rd string. Nothing more to be said this week.
Offense. Lots of good but still lots to question.
Let's start with run blocking. It seems like when we ran counter, the pulling lineman would both block the same defender when there was another person to block. The RBs made the most of it. J Love's lung TD run was an example. Two lineman pulling, crashed into the same defender, leaving the linebacker unblocked and untouched. Love just team parallel to him until he turned the corner and outran him. There was another play pulling left where the OL did the same thing but live did a little hop over the defender and picked up 10 yards. These are going to get stuffed against better defenses/athletes. Unless someone tells me otherwise, I assume they aren't picking up the right run blocking assignments. This is all before the injuries, btw.
I thought we were done with end arounds to Jayden Thomas?
Riley Leonard doesn't have great vision - a few examples in less subtle ways. First play was his first touchdown he ran in from about 3 yards out. Well blocked and as he gets into the end zone he makes a cut right into the direction of the TE blocking the defender. It's like he had that cut in mind even though in a non-end zone situation he would have been tackled. The left side was wide open. Not significant because it already resulted in a TD, but I find that telling how he can't see that.
Next play, second quarter, shortly after the JT end around. The snap was at 4:46. RL throws it low to JT on the in cut. JT basically didn't make a strong cut because it's clear her didn't think he was going to get the ball! He was double covered but RL locked in on him and threw it anyway. JT was surprised the ball even went his direction and reacted late to the low throw. Inaccuracy aside, it should have not been thrown at all.
The next snap was the obviously wide open JL wheel route for a TD that RL kept and ran for 10 yards. Sigh.
Listening to the audio I just noticed a drunk girl saying, "Hold that mother-f'r or mother-f'ing" something before the commentators started talking again. The perils of crowd noise microphones I guess lol.
