I have now re-watched all 3 games and I have come away with some takeaways and changes I'd like to get your all's opinions.
Defense: I wish we would play a 3-4. Van Gorder so far plays primarily a 4-3 and 4-2-5 and I do not like either with our personnel. Benefit number 1 of playing the 3-4 is it allows us to get Robert Hicks and a healthy Dorian Etheridge on the field together, two of our best tacklers and after watching the WKU game again it was obvious that Hicks is a baller and needs to play. He fills gaps in the run game correctly and physically from the ILB spot, something we have been missing and big reason teams are averaging 5-6 ypc instead of 2-3 against us. Having two ILB on the field would make our safeties-turned-linebackers like CJ Avery and PJ Blue less of a liability in run defense and would help us accentuate what is good speed at the lber spot. Another reason for this success on the ground is we have established no edge on our defense to stop perimeter runs. Since Greenard went out, Derek Dorsey has been playing end and this is just not where he should be playing. He is too slow and does not have technique and as a result, we are getting little to no pressure on QBs with 4 man rush and jet-sweeps and stretch plays are gashing us. Peterson does a better job of this and a 3-4 would allow us to play the 3 big bodies up front like we have been as well as use Tabarius similarly to a Lorenzo Mauldin or Deiontrez Mount and have him stand-up rush. This especially makes sense if Van Gorder is going to start bringing in Boosie Whitlow and Yasir Abdullah on passing downs, a move that I really liked seeing in that WKU game.
Moving on to individuals. TreSean Smith should be starting over Khane Pass. Yes, Pass is a big hitter but he is reactive not instinctual and that is what we need. I don't care if the hit is big if its 5+ yards downfield already. Smith consistently comes up and makes sure tackles behind or right at the line of scrimmage bc he diagnoses plays faster and plays when in the box. He also show great instincts in the pass breakup last week where he came off assignment out of nowhere to make a play and in the two deep interceptions last year in limited time. He could be an all-conference player if given the time. I really like Chandler Jones as a nickel corner, and in passing downs I largely like what we are doing in coverage, the rush is where we need to improve. Rodjay needs to be used in a similar way and should never be lined up outside. He is physical and a good tackler, but he has been beat deep every time a man has a run a go route on him, twice against Bama and again against WKU even though the pass was dropped. And finally, I'd like to see Marlon Character start over Cornelius Sturghill. Sturg is fast, but technically unsound. He is not a sure tackler and does not have the size nor the instincts as a corner to start in the ACC. He will get picked on in the ACC every time there is a one v one. Character isnt perfect, he had a couple plays that he got beat on last game but also had some excellent ones. He played nearly the whole half and it is no wonder we got a couple coverage sacks, he is physical at the line of scrimmage, a smooth runner and is dripping with potential. This guy was a highly recruited player who fell into our laps from Auburn and between he and Mbanasor, we could have 2 very strong corners with increased experience. I'd also like to see Russ Yeast get a shot at some nickel/slot corner as well, I do not trust him on deep routes, but he is big and strong and a good DB to have near the box and made some nice plays last year on shorter routes.
Offense:
Dae needs to be the feature back. Especially if Malik is the starter for now. Those two showed a good rapport and tbh we just need to pick someone and go with them. He brings energy and toughness, similar to Cunningham and I'd like to see him get 15-20 carries next game and really be given a chance to earn that feature spot. Having said that, Hassan Hall and Javian Hawkins need to get more chances. Hall is so damn explosive, especially those first few steps and I like the set with him and Marcus Riley in the backfield with Cunningham a lot. Speaking of which, Tutu and Riley need more touches. I understand Riley had the drop last game, but he a great route runner and I think that drop was more a fluke than anything but even if not, hell our other recievers cant catch either apparently. At least Riley and Atwell offer some explosion and yac potential. They need not only short route touches but wheels and deep posts, because nobody is keeping up with them and their straightline speed. Feels like we are wasting some great playmakers right now. Jaylen Smith needs to be benched. I might be in the minority here, but I have always thought he was overrated. He never breaks tackles, he has a fumbling issue, a drop issue and really is only an effective route runner when it is deep downfield bc he has long strides. But he has been effective so while i never thought he was an NFL reciever he was at least explosive enough to keep in there but his head is up his ass. Not only bc of the drops but hes totally cool with it. Just trots off the field like nothing happened. Opposing players point and laugh at him and he just lets it go, they talk trash and he just puts his head down and walks away. There is no fire, there is no attitude and he seems like he just does not care right now. Devante Peete deserves to play and wants to play, Seth is sure-handed, Dez is a very good reciever and we have other options that deserve the ball more right now if this is how hes going to play. Finally, I do think starting Cunningham is the right choice. However, I do not think that means he should get all the snaps the enitre game. I still have faith in Pass. He is not getting help from the recievers and not getting run blocking or secure running from the backs and I think that has made him look much worse than he is. That Bama game showed me real flashes of greatness and I still believe he offers the best chance at a balanced, traditional offense and his confidence will never return if he is never given another chance. Start Malik, give us the best chance to win, but let Pass have some possessions and have the opportunity to earn his spot back and regain his confidence.
Overall:
I really like that this team has some definite parallels to the early Strong years. Young players making all our great plays on defense, a lot of them freshmen. Freshmen QB with young skillplayers oozing with potential around them. To me so far this season, every play that has given me hope revolves around a freshmen or sophomore and I think talent wise we are not inept. Something is just missing and if we play the right guys with the right mentalities and they get a couple of wins strung together here, this season could be completely different than what it feels like right now. However, if we lose this week, fail to beat a bad yet talented FSU team, it could also go downhill very quickly. Anyways, let me know what you guys think about some of the changes i mentioned and i'd be interested in hearing some things you all would like to see as well!
Defense: I wish we would play a 3-4. Van Gorder so far plays primarily a 4-3 and 4-2-5 and I do not like either with our personnel. Benefit number 1 of playing the 3-4 is it allows us to get Robert Hicks and a healthy Dorian Etheridge on the field together, two of our best tacklers and after watching the WKU game again it was obvious that Hicks is a baller and needs to play. He fills gaps in the run game correctly and physically from the ILB spot, something we have been missing and big reason teams are averaging 5-6 ypc instead of 2-3 against us. Having two ILB on the field would make our safeties-turned-linebackers like CJ Avery and PJ Blue less of a liability in run defense and would help us accentuate what is good speed at the lber spot. Another reason for this success on the ground is we have established no edge on our defense to stop perimeter runs. Since Greenard went out, Derek Dorsey has been playing end and this is just not where he should be playing. He is too slow and does not have technique and as a result, we are getting little to no pressure on QBs with 4 man rush and jet-sweeps and stretch plays are gashing us. Peterson does a better job of this and a 3-4 would allow us to play the 3 big bodies up front like we have been as well as use Tabarius similarly to a Lorenzo Mauldin or Deiontrez Mount and have him stand-up rush. This especially makes sense if Van Gorder is going to start bringing in Boosie Whitlow and Yasir Abdullah on passing downs, a move that I really liked seeing in that WKU game.
Moving on to individuals. TreSean Smith should be starting over Khane Pass. Yes, Pass is a big hitter but he is reactive not instinctual and that is what we need. I don't care if the hit is big if its 5+ yards downfield already. Smith consistently comes up and makes sure tackles behind or right at the line of scrimmage bc he diagnoses plays faster and plays when in the box. He also show great instincts in the pass breakup last week where he came off assignment out of nowhere to make a play and in the two deep interceptions last year in limited time. He could be an all-conference player if given the time. I really like Chandler Jones as a nickel corner, and in passing downs I largely like what we are doing in coverage, the rush is where we need to improve. Rodjay needs to be used in a similar way and should never be lined up outside. He is physical and a good tackler, but he has been beat deep every time a man has a run a go route on him, twice against Bama and again against WKU even though the pass was dropped. And finally, I'd like to see Marlon Character start over Cornelius Sturghill. Sturg is fast, but technically unsound. He is not a sure tackler and does not have the size nor the instincts as a corner to start in the ACC. He will get picked on in the ACC every time there is a one v one. Character isnt perfect, he had a couple plays that he got beat on last game but also had some excellent ones. He played nearly the whole half and it is no wonder we got a couple coverage sacks, he is physical at the line of scrimmage, a smooth runner and is dripping with potential. This guy was a highly recruited player who fell into our laps from Auburn and between he and Mbanasor, we could have 2 very strong corners with increased experience. I'd also like to see Russ Yeast get a shot at some nickel/slot corner as well, I do not trust him on deep routes, but he is big and strong and a good DB to have near the box and made some nice plays last year on shorter routes.
Offense:
Dae needs to be the feature back. Especially if Malik is the starter for now. Those two showed a good rapport and tbh we just need to pick someone and go with them. He brings energy and toughness, similar to Cunningham and I'd like to see him get 15-20 carries next game and really be given a chance to earn that feature spot. Having said that, Hassan Hall and Javian Hawkins need to get more chances. Hall is so damn explosive, especially those first few steps and I like the set with him and Marcus Riley in the backfield with Cunningham a lot. Speaking of which, Tutu and Riley need more touches. I understand Riley had the drop last game, but he a great route runner and I think that drop was more a fluke than anything but even if not, hell our other recievers cant catch either apparently. At least Riley and Atwell offer some explosion and yac potential. They need not only short route touches but wheels and deep posts, because nobody is keeping up with them and their straightline speed. Feels like we are wasting some great playmakers right now. Jaylen Smith needs to be benched. I might be in the minority here, but I have always thought he was overrated. He never breaks tackles, he has a fumbling issue, a drop issue and really is only an effective route runner when it is deep downfield bc he has long strides. But he has been effective so while i never thought he was an NFL reciever he was at least explosive enough to keep in there but his head is up his ass. Not only bc of the drops but hes totally cool with it. Just trots off the field like nothing happened. Opposing players point and laugh at him and he just lets it go, they talk trash and he just puts his head down and walks away. There is no fire, there is no attitude and he seems like he just does not care right now. Devante Peete deserves to play and wants to play, Seth is sure-handed, Dez is a very good reciever and we have other options that deserve the ball more right now if this is how hes going to play. Finally, I do think starting Cunningham is the right choice. However, I do not think that means he should get all the snaps the enitre game. I still have faith in Pass. He is not getting help from the recievers and not getting run blocking or secure running from the backs and I think that has made him look much worse than he is. That Bama game showed me real flashes of greatness and I still believe he offers the best chance at a balanced, traditional offense and his confidence will never return if he is never given another chance. Start Malik, give us the best chance to win, but let Pass have some possessions and have the opportunity to earn his spot back and regain his confidence.
Overall:
I really like that this team has some definite parallels to the early Strong years. Young players making all our great plays on defense, a lot of them freshmen. Freshmen QB with young skillplayers oozing with potential around them. To me so far this season, every play that has given me hope revolves around a freshmen or sophomore and I think talent wise we are not inept. Something is just missing and if we play the right guys with the right mentalities and they get a couple of wins strung together here, this season could be completely different than what it feels like right now. However, if we lose this week, fail to beat a bad yet talented FSU team, it could also go downhill very quickly. Anyways, let me know what you guys think about some of the changes i mentioned and i'd be interested in hearing some things you all would like to see as well!
