Jared's back and we talk about the Spring Game, spring practice, Chris Johnson leaving and other roster changes, and of course, Conference Realignment -- podcast@cokerchronicles.com
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Showing posts with label Chris Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Johnson. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Remembering Chris Johnson
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| Picture via Eric Christian Smith (SA Express News) |
I'd be lying if I said I didn't see it coming. While Chris has endless talent, he has always struggled to maintain a clean rap sheet and academic eligibility. Just as major programs started to move in and attempt to steal Johnson from Coker following a monster senior year for the East Central running back (1,587 yards and 16 touchdowns in just nine games), he was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and dismissed from the team.The Hornets went on to fail to score against Brandeis in the following week, leading to an early playoff exit for his squad.
Suitors backed off, and Johnson was essentially stuck with UTSA. Despite the young star's fall from grace, Coach Coker stuck with the explosive tailback, even after Johnson initially failed to qualify at UTSA. During his Miami days, Coker was often criticized for his overabundance of faith in his players. Never one to shy from giving a second chance, Coker watched many of his former Hurricanes fail to clean up their act, leaving a stain on the program.
Maybe that's what happened with Chris. I don't want to let speculation run wild, but I know Johnson was close to a couple of other athletes that left the team this year. A negative influence? It's tough to say without being in the locker room (and I hate when writers do this) but it's certain that his suspension at the end of the past season set a poor example for his peers.
Chris was a kid that I really wanted to see succeed-- how great of a story would that have been? Big time recruit takes chance on small-time hometown program, falls from grace, coach sticks with him, works hard in community college to gain eligibility, works his way in to the starting 11 and leads his hometown team to victory.
Unfortunately for every storybook ending in college football, there are a dozen more kids that slip through the cracks and suffer ill fates, or simply fail to realize an iota of their potential. Johnson was hands-down the most overpowering high school athlete I ever had the pleasure of seeing in person. With a stout frame and shifty, explosive footwork, Johnson regularly made 5A competition look like JV defenders.
At his best, Johnson was a threat to score every single time he touched the ball. He could do it by plowing over a middle linebacker on a dive or by twirling around cornerbacks and safeties on the outside. Johnson really was the complete package physically and athletically, but time and time again we are reminded that it takes mental preparedness and ethical make-up to play Division I football.
I hope that Chris elects to stay in school and finish his degree, whether it be at UTSA or elsewhere. As he said last winter, "God showed me that as quick as He can give me the world, He can take it away. I think I needed to see that before I took the next step. I really have learned from my mistakes".
Tidbits:
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| Picture via Thao Nguyen (Dallas News) |
The Charlie Reeve hire is official, per goutsa.com. Charlie's sons are named Bear and Ryder, y'all.
As all of our astute readers are aware, the Roadrunners will meet South Alabama in their first game of the 2012 season. The two teams were equally matched in 2011, sparring their way through two overtimes.
One of my favorite college football writers, Bill Connelly of Football Outsiders and SB Nation, chose South Alabama as his first team to preview for the 2012 season.
The Jaguars have actually seen a lot of change this offseason, as they will be moving to a spread offense following the firing of former offensive coordinator Greg Gregory. Picking up the flag is Robert Matthews, a guy that I'm quite frankly scared of. He's young (34), innovative, and served under Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State and Larry Fedora at Southern Miss, two fantastic offenses. Matthews is going to depend heavily on incumbent quarterback C.J. Bennett as the Jaguars aim to develop their passing game in the spread formation. I wasn't quite impressed with Bennett last season, but he was playing as a true freshman. He certainly has a high ceiling, so if Matthews can coach him up then we could be facing a gunslinger in Mobile on August 30th.
Most intriguing to me is that South Alabama seems to be abandoning their power game, led by stud running backs Demetre Baker and Kendall Houston. Considering the Jaguar offensive line will return only two starters from last year, perhaps it is a smart move.
The key for the Roadrunner defense will be to apply pressure on the inexperienced offensive line and entice Bennett to throw up some ducks as he did frequently in the Alamodome last year.
Be sure to follow the link to Connelly's preview above. It is quite extensive. Actually, check out Football Outsiders for more of Connelly's work. Don't be shocked when you realize you just spent two hours reading articles though.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Another Take on the Offense
Quarterback
I am not as high on Soza’s performance as either Dan McCarney, or Jared. It isn’t that I don’t recognize the the situation that Eric was in an expected something outstanding when an average performance would be satisfactory. No, I had no problems with his accuracy. Leadership and the ability to manage fellow freshman doesn’t have much to do with not throwing the ball into the ground. In fact -- just to be the a-hole here -- it can be argued that leading a team of peers is not as mammoth of an ordeal as commanding the respect of guys who have been to Rose Bowls and National Championships a la Colt McCoy or something. Granted, this is a totally different scenario but so is the situation in Akron and Louisiana Tech.
I don’t want to diminish the guy’s season but merely put look at it for what it was. He did an commendable job considering he had an unsettled line. Both he and the running backs would have benefited from more experience up front. That must be considered. Also, I have to give weight to Travis Bush’s comments. He knows what demands are placed on the quarterback in this system and how Eric Soza should run it. He knows what plays were called and the progressions he may or may not have missed.
Both Jared and I have been guilty of tossing out some easy Soza hate when he throws a terrible pass or coughs up a fumble at a most inopportune time. Afterwards we are both more levelheaded. That said, his turnovers were still pretty bad. I don’t have a problem with inconsistency in general as much as the timing and nature of his turnovers. I am not even talking about early season stuff against the likes of Southern Utah. The terrible throws in the Georgia State on? Those are what stand out.
Hitting the ground on a slant, swing, and screen --especially wide-open stuff is scary. That is what holds me back from giving all gold stars here. I’m hoping the wideouts and newness of the system and lack of confidence in the line is what made him short his throws but I can’t help but feel that is a bit too generous. It doesn’t matter too much, now though. Everyone has plenty of time to improve on all that stuff. Hopefully Soza isn’t so entrenched that he feels overconfident and Simmons, Polite, and Conque give him a run for his position. It’ll do everyone some good.
Running Back
I was looking forward to some magic from these guys. We did get some, but not from Chris Johnson, David Glasco, nor the other guys. Instead it was Evil Evans Okotcha. This isn’t terribly unusual in college ball. You hear about a heralded class and think you have a stable of studs when only one or two do anything if at all. There are many reasons for this ranging from guys not fitting in with the system, not adjusting, mis-evaluation of talent, or bad luck. Hell, sometimes it just takes time.
I like what we have here at the end though. This position is fickle and a handful of guys similarly talented isn’t a bad thing especially in this offense. The multiplicity means you don’t need a workhorse nor a feature guy (though Bush seems to want one). Having a two-back system a a Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown or a Reggie Bush and Lendale White. I like Evans as a power guy and Brandon Armstrong as a speedy changeup. Brandon was an awesome threat on swings and out of the spread. Oklahoma used to kill teams with those passes to Demarco Murray (among other things). I can live with Glasco, Johnson, Williams and any other guy spelling them until they figure out whatever they need to figure out in and out of the Alamodome.
I figure Bush wants a feature back so he can do everything he wants to do on offense. That means a guy that motion out to the slot and also blow someone up on a blitz. Every team in the nation wants that, too.
Wide Receiver and TEs
There isn’t much to add here. Kam Jones was beastly. Some guys had drops and there were a couple bright spots. Wideout is so dependent on the line and quarterback that it is hard to rate them objectively. As much as I like Kam, I’d like to see the ball spread around more organically than via formations and swapping roles. That is more a philosophical question that I’ll get to later.
Also, David Morgan made some nice catches.
Offensive Line
Really, we should have started with these guys as the entire operation’s success is tied to them. As mentioned, this was gigantic question mark entering the year. Travis Bush (admittedly) played it close to the vest early in the year. Short passes and safe runs saved everyone. The big guys did good and might have prevented disaster on a number of occasions. The running game struggled as they all do when manned by young, smallish lines. A better line (as these guys improve and we bring in those JUCO guys) will “solve” a lot of offensive problems. We aren’t going to find a bunch of road-pavers at this level so we need to find diamonds in the the rough, to use another terrible cliche. We need diamonds and dudes with smarts and cleverness akin to the service academies and Hawaii that PreSnapRead mentions here:
One thing that’s important to consider: Hawaii has to play things differently. The Warriors can’t play things straight, in other words, but must approach football in a similar way to the three service academies, each of which runs an offense that works on technique and precision, not speed and athleticism.
We probably don’t need to quirk it up as much but “technique and precision” are the keys to winning with less.
That brings me to the Offensive Coordinator.
He can call a really good game. He found ways to work with his personnel and got the football to Kam in a myriad of ways when it became clear that he was and is our biggest home run threat. He has gotten raves from opposing coaches and looks to go on to bigger and better things eventually.
The only thing that I wonder about is the complexity of the offense. With so many young players and especially on the offensive line, it seems odd to throw so many formations and sets at a team. It is making his quarterback look bad. It may not be totally deserved, but he has to know that no one cares.
Philosophically, I lean more toward the Air Raid stuff for a number of reasons, but also because it makes experts out of players in the tiny amount of teaching time available at this level. It also is very good at spreading the ball around. Each guy learns his position and only his position. Air Raid guys like Dana Holgorsen say “the ball finds the playmakers.” You don’t need to move them around.
Again, that is a philosophical quibble I have. Bush has brought some excitement and for whatever this program means for this town, it still is ultimately entertainment.
I can’t wait for the spring game.
I am not as high on Soza’s performance as either Dan McCarney, or Jared. It isn’t that I don’t recognize the the situation that Eric was in an expected something outstanding when an average performance would be satisfactory. No, I had no problems with his accuracy. Leadership and the ability to manage fellow freshman doesn’t have much to do with not throwing the ball into the ground. In fact -- just to be the a-hole here -- it can be argued that leading a team of peers is not as mammoth of an ordeal as commanding the respect of guys who have been to Rose Bowls and National Championships a la Colt McCoy or something. Granted, this is a totally different scenario but so is the situation in Akron and Louisiana Tech.
I don’t want to diminish the guy’s season but merely put look at it for what it was. He did an commendable job considering he had an unsettled line. Both he and the running backs would have benefited from more experience up front. That must be considered. Also, I have to give weight to Travis Bush’s comments. He knows what demands are placed on the quarterback in this system and how Eric Soza should run it. He knows what plays were called and the progressions he may or may not have missed.
Both Jared and I have been guilty of tossing out some easy Soza hate when he throws a terrible pass or coughs up a fumble at a most inopportune time. Afterwards we are both more levelheaded. That said, his turnovers were still pretty bad. I don’t have a problem with inconsistency in general as much as the timing and nature of his turnovers. I am not even talking about early season stuff against the likes of Southern Utah. The terrible throws in the Georgia State on? Those are what stand out.
Hitting the ground on a slant, swing, and screen --especially wide-open stuff is scary. That is what holds me back from giving all gold stars here. I’m hoping the wideouts and newness of the system and lack of confidence in the line is what made him short his throws but I can’t help but feel that is a bit too generous. It doesn’t matter too much, now though. Everyone has plenty of time to improve on all that stuff. Hopefully Soza isn’t so entrenched that he feels overconfident and Simmons, Polite, and Conque give him a run for his position. It’ll do everyone some good.
Running Back
I was looking forward to some magic from these guys. We did get some, but not from Chris Johnson, David Glasco, nor the other guys. Instead it was Evil Evans Okotcha. This isn’t terribly unusual in college ball. You hear about a heralded class and think you have a stable of studs when only one or two do anything if at all. There are many reasons for this ranging from guys not fitting in with the system, not adjusting, mis-evaluation of talent, or bad luck. Hell, sometimes it just takes time.
I like what we have here at the end though. This position is fickle and a handful of guys similarly talented isn’t a bad thing especially in this offense. The multiplicity means you don’t need a workhorse nor a feature guy (though Bush seems to want one). Having a two-back system a a Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown or a Reggie Bush and Lendale White. I like Evans as a power guy and Brandon Armstrong as a speedy changeup. Brandon was an awesome threat on swings and out of the spread. Oklahoma used to kill teams with those passes to Demarco Murray (among other things). I can live with Glasco, Johnson, Williams and any other guy spelling them until they figure out whatever they need to figure out in and out of the Alamodome.
I figure Bush wants a feature back so he can do everything he wants to do on offense. That means a guy that motion out to the slot and also blow someone up on a blitz. Every team in the nation wants that, too.
Wide Receiver and TEs
There isn’t much to add here. Kam Jones was beastly. Some guys had drops and there were a couple bright spots. Wideout is so dependent on the line and quarterback that it is hard to rate them objectively. As much as I like Kam, I’d like to see the ball spread around more organically than via formations and swapping roles. That is more a philosophical question that I’ll get to later.
Also, David Morgan made some nice catches.
Offensive Line
Really, we should have started with these guys as the entire operation’s success is tied to them. As mentioned, this was gigantic question mark entering the year. Travis Bush (admittedly) played it close to the vest early in the year. Short passes and safe runs saved everyone. The big guys did good and might have prevented disaster on a number of occasions. The running game struggled as they all do when manned by young, smallish lines. A better line (as these guys improve and we bring in those JUCO guys) will “solve” a lot of offensive problems. We aren’t going to find a bunch of road-pavers at this level so we need to find diamonds in the the rough, to use another terrible cliche. We need diamonds and dudes with smarts and cleverness akin to the service academies and Hawaii that PreSnapRead mentions here:
One thing that’s important to consider: Hawaii has to play things differently. The Warriors can’t play things straight, in other words, but must approach football in a similar way to the three service academies, each of which runs an offense that works on technique and precision, not speed and athleticism.
We probably don’t need to quirk it up as much but “technique and precision” are the keys to winning with less.
That brings me to the Offensive Coordinator.
He can call a really good game. He found ways to work with his personnel and got the football to Kam in a myriad of ways when it became clear that he was and is our biggest home run threat. He has gotten raves from opposing coaches and looks to go on to bigger and better things eventually.
The only thing that I wonder about is the complexity of the offense. With so many young players and especially on the offensive line, it seems odd to throw so many formations and sets at a team. It is making his quarterback look bad. It may not be totally deserved, but he has to know that no one cares.
Philosophically, I lean more toward the Air Raid stuff for a number of reasons, but also because it makes experts out of players in the tiny amount of teaching time available at this level. It also is very good at spreading the ball around. Each guy learns his position and only his position. Air Raid guys like Dana Holgorsen say “the ball finds the playmakers.” You don’t need to move them around.
Again, that is a philosophical quibble I have. Bush has brought some excitement and for whatever this program means for this town, it still is ultimately entertainment.
I can’t wait for the spring game.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Reality Bites
Welcome to heart break, Roadrunner fans. After showing few signs of mortality against a strong Northeastern team, UTSA fell flat on their face today in the Alamodome against Division III McMurry University. Repeatedly stumbling under their own feet, the Roadrunners took away every chance of victory they had on their own accord. Plagued by special team woes, untimely penalties, poor blocking, and a simply pathetic showing from the secondary, UTSA looked every bit like a first year program comprised primarily of freshmen.
- Special Teams
This is what really stood out to me. Josh Ward (scholarship kicker) was absolutely miserable. Ward had three kick offs before being yanked in favor of Sean Ianno at the end of the fourth. Two of Ward's kicks flew wildly out of bounds, putting the War Hawks in excellent field position. Field position is absolutely crucial when you're facing a high-octane offense like McMurry's air raid O. At this point in time, I'm extremely disappointed in Coker & Tony Jeffery for offering Josh Ward a scholarship. If you're going to give a scholarship to a special teams player you need to be certain that he's a game-changer. After watching Ward's poor mechanics I'm forced to wonder if the UTSA coaching staff even saw him play before the day he showed up to practice. Ward's wind up on kicks is entirely too lengthy, opening him up to blocks like the one we saw McMurry return for a touchdown today. At this level of competition you must adjust your mechanics to the speed of the game. Aside from Ward, the blocking on special teams was also atrocious. In UTSA's first two games there have been a myriad of opponents in the backfield as the Roadrunners attempt to kick/punt. These issues absolutely must be addressed before UTSA can expect to compete and (hopefully) upset some of the tougher teams on their slate. On the flip side, major props to UTSA's return game who have provided Soza and his crew with great field position to start nearly every drive this year. I love the trio of Monroe, Harrison, and Jones on kick offs.
- Play calling
Was a bit confused here. Bush seemed to abandon everything that worked well in Week One. Granted, most of the bad looks we saw in Game Two were the fault of poor execution, but there were some real head-scratchers-- namely, why didn't Kam Jones (93 all-purpose yards) touch the ball until the second half? Jones is our biggest play maker and should be our go-to guy. What happened to the play-action game? I only counted a handful of play-action passes. I know McMurry was blitzing a lot of guys in their 3-man front, but damn. McMurry safety Will Morris was biting hard on every play, some play action could have led to deep completions.
- Offensive Line
Okay, I believe that they are all freshmen now. Guard Payton Rion played miserably. He is not ready to start yet; I expect Mike Sanchez or James Bakke to usurp his starting spot next week. Soza was under pressure too often (6 hurries, 1 sack). Often Soza only needed an extra split-second in the pocket to allow the passing routes to develop. This must improve. While the line's pass blocking was bad, the blocking from the running backs in the pocket was equally disheartening.
- Secondary
Wow, disgusting. Jeremy Hall got toasted early and was lifted in favor of Alondre Thorn who showed signs of promise, including a key pass break-up in the end zone. Starling got burnt on a few plays but played decent enough to keep the Runners in the game. His take-away interception in the third quarter was one of the coolest plays in UTSA football's short history. Yet again, Malcom Scott did not play. I think we can go ahead and label him as a redshirt. Getting Erik Brown into the program looks to be a huge coup after the UTSA corner backs took a lickin' in Week Two. McMurry was able to sneak quite a few deep balls past Mark Waters. As a 4-2-5 free safety, it is imperative that Waters stays behind all receivers. DISCLAIMER: Waters might have been dropping down into normal coverage when McMurry was rolling with five receivers. Can't recall.
- Linebackers
Steven Kurfehs played quite well, but that's easy to say when he's doing little more than guarding the flat. Kurfehs did a great job of coming in to mop up on tackles, got to love the guy's energy on the field. Brandon Reeves killed UTSA on several plays today. Kudos to Hal Mumme on recognizing his lack of speed and using it to draw mismatches that provided the War Hawks with several first downs. Personally, I would have put a corner back or safety in for Reeves since the front four were smothering the run anyways. Brandon Reeves simply does not have much coverage skill. Best believe that other teams have taken notes.
- Defensive Line
Impressed again. Jason Neill worked his way into the starting four and played well. All discussion must fall to Marlon Smith though, who garnered 4 sacks, 3 pass break ups, 9 tackles (5 solo), and a blocked field goal. What a monster-- I can't wait to watch Smith develop further as a defensive lineman. His 6'6 frame is a giant (ha, get it?) asset. Plenty of room to pack on the muscle. I believe Smith is up to five pass break ups on the season. He might break some kind of record for that.
- Running Backs
Very strong showing from the running backs today. David Glasco (50 yds., 1 TD) and Evans Okotcha (47 yds., 4 key first downs) both played brilliantly. Chris Johnson also bounced back in a minor way following his sloppy performance in Game One. We have to remember that Johnson is three years removed from the game. I've noticed that Chris hasn't done the best job of utilizing his blockers, instead trying to gain as many yards as he can by juking, jiving, spinning, whatever. I think in a few more weeks we will see his potential begin to blossom. CheRod Simpson made his presence felt with 42 receiving yards and a TD catch. CheRod, keep rocking the Polamalu bro.
- Soza
So maybe Eric Soza isn't quite a Heisman candidate. Forcing a lot of throws and keeping some balls he should have gotten rid of, Soza seemed to be trying to do too much. One particularly alarming throw was made into double coverage, deep down the field. Soza needs to learn that offense isn't always going to come easy-- trust the process and have the foresight to throw away dangerous passes. Under/over throwing screen passes to wide-open receivers is unacceptable. This has to improve (Noticing a trend?). Lastly, the overthrown pass to Wanamaker in the end zone was a killer. UTSA wins this game if Soza can lower that throw three inches. It would have been nice to blow out McMurry as was anticipated so we could get a taste of what Ryan Polite can bring to the table. C'est le vie.
- Receivers
Not a bad showing from the receiving corp. Armstrong and Freeman led the way with 41 and 35 yards, respectively. Freeman also pulled in a touch down in the third quarter. I still find it hard to fathom that Kam Jones only caught one pass. Only two balls were thrown his way. Travis Bush needs to get the ball into Jones' hands in open space. Reverses help, but that's not going to cut it. David Morgan continues to impress with three catches for 32 yards, including a rolling, shoe-string completion. Love this kid as a receiver-- as he grows and develops he's going to be a beast of a tight end.
- Fans
We need to be better. Fans were screaming while UTSA had the ball on offense, preventing Soza from effectively calling audibles, likely leading to unnecessary time outs. The volume level on the field was so loud that Leonard and Soza were forced to use a silent count... at home! The home-town crowd did the Wave for ten minutes straight.... while UTSA had the ball. Things like this need to be cut out. The energy and enthusiasm is awesome, but we're preventing our offense from operating at maximum efficiency. Save it for when the good guys are on defense. Be watching for more from Coker Chronicles on some sorts of a fan-education program. As our young team learns how to do this football thing, we must also learn as fans. In fact, the UTSA administration must learn as well. As our Twitter follower @Del_Negro pointed out, the Alamodome ribbon board said "Let's Get Loud!" when the Roadrunners were on offense.
- Halftime
Loved the mariachis. Puro San Antonio. I would have been totally down with UTSA having a mariachi marching band, but alas. Very cool gesture by UTSA to honor the military the day before the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a lump in my throat as I watched the American flag cover the Alamodome turf.
- Closing Thoughts
This is how it feels to lose. It sucks. This was a horrible loss, but it's the type of loss that makes a team improve. The film from this game is going to show the coaches and players a myriad of mistakes that can be improved upon. Depth chart changes will be processed. The coaches will push the players to get better with a tough week of practice. A salty Southern Utah team awaits the Roadrunners next week. Remember how Sacramento State beat Oregon State last week and earned a #12 ranking in FCS? Yeah, well Southern Utah took them behind the shed today and delivered a thrashing. UTSA is Southern Utah's homecoming game. It's going to take focus, preparation, and luck to win the program's first ever road game. We're about to see what this UTSA team is made of. As always, be sure to add your game pictures to our Flickr group. We've got a great podcast with a very special guest lined up for you guys next week, so be sure to be tuning in.
McMurry vs. UTSA Box Score
Post-game notes
UTSA post-game Quotes
Discuss the game with fans
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