The last time UTSA lost 24-21 it was to a team they should have probably beaten handily. That was September 10th. Nearly two months to the day that they dropped a decision to McMurray. This was another underachievement to another McTeam.
There is a tendency to dismiss this game like some of the others. I have been guilty of it at times. People say the losses don’t matter as much because they are not really playing for anything. It is true that they don’t matter but they shouldn’t be played as such.
That is the Big Challenge. We’ve mentioned it in this space before and probably will continue to do so. I cannot say for certain that guys on the team are checking out or not playing as hard or are pulling up with the finish line in sight. I do know that without senior leadership nor guys who have had to endure a full college season it seems likely that there would be fatigue in both the mental and physical varieties.
College football is a man’s game. It is mean and tough and usually takes three years to get built up to have success. Sure there are the guys that hop in and kick ass as 17 or 18-year olds. There are many more that need time in the weight rooms.
Maybe that accounts for the way Eric Soza seemingly has regressed. Maybe that accounts for all the arm tackles that allowed McNeese to rip through them for 190+ yards in the first half. * Maybe that accounts for all the fumbles, too.
*To be fair, Neal Neathery did some strategizing that stopped the bleeding and returned the Hardhat to the defense.
It is fantasy-shattering for some. No doubt it has and will affect attendance at the last home game. It already messed with the last one. None of that matters though. The “fans” have the luxury of being fickle and can wait until the team is good, playing for “something” or against a big name team.
The fact is that none of it matters. Sure there was a chance to capitalize on the initial excitement and fervor. Going a possible 4-6 with mostly freshman is impressive. The losses were freshman type losses. Turnovers, experience mistakes, being overwhelmed physically, and getting injured. Oh and losing to teams that they should beat.
There is a lot to look forward to. Not just next year but this week. I am excited to see Kam Jones do his thing like he has been doing live and not on a crappy internet feed. The dude has been killing it and Travis Bush has been getting it into his hands and putting him in space to do damage. Jailbreak screens, crossing routes, pitches.
How about Steven Kurfehs and Nic Johnson? Larry Coker thinks the former can play NFL ball and Nic Johnson is always making plays, yo. Also it is live college football for like fifteen bucks.
I know most of you who read this blog and post on rowdyville and rowdytalk are not hopping off the bandwagon but I needed to say it anyway.
Oh yeah and dammit I want some fireworks during the intros.
Go Runners.
Showing posts with label Game Recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Recap. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
UTSA vs Georgia State: Winning in Overtime
Hey! we won. That means we feel better about the dreadful play preceding the final field goal by Sean Ianno. It is funny how that happens. I mentioned on the podcast about the Cult of The Quarterback and how a comeback or two by Tebow seemingly erases all his flaws. Perhaps it is just that the glow of a win makes any flaws imperceptible. Wins are glamour shots -- the team looks like a hollywood starlet with the soft lighting and a perfect smile.
And so it goes.
Soza had some throws that were nearly cause for a benching. My dad, in his first visit to The Bird Dome (yeah, I said it) did a double face palm after the heave down the middle to a lone Georgia State safety (who smartly let it fall). When that play is broken down, you’ll find that it was a miscommunication between Soza and Kenny Harrison. Soza read the safety and threw down the middle while Harrison read the safety and broke outside on a corner route. Without the benefit of a second look I’ll go ahead and say it was Soza who read wrong. There was more room outside than there was inside.
That said, despite losing their best linebacker, the defense stepped up late. The post-would-be-interception drive could have been a four minute, clock-eating display of power football. Instead it was eaten up by the HardHat defense, giving the offense one more shot at redemption. Prior to that, they had forced three straight punts and a missed field goal. I don’t know how much you credit a team for forcing a missed field goal when they didn’t block it but you give them some credit for not allowing a touchdown.
There are always some lucky plays in football. Coaches obsess over controlling the outcomes of all the others. In our case, the two missed field goals were fortune we needed. More concerning is the two touchdowns scored in the first half. One was a sickening cutback by Donald Russell that started as a sweep/outside zone run to the left and ended with him scoring near the numbers from the right side.
From the glow of a win look at that run as evidence of our fast-flowing defense and a risk when you attack the ball carrier. If we lost? Well, that is our youthful inexperience in these matters. The truth lies somewhere in that space between. If you are going to give up big plays, do it in the first half. The other team could fall in love with themselves and look for the big throw/big run instead of doing the little things. Maybe they were beneficiaries of busted coverage (GSU was, Mark Waters got caught in no man’s land on Albert Wilson’s 54-yard TD), in which case you simply don’t do that anymore.
UTSA’s defense didn’t give up a big play in the second. In fact, here are GSU’s second half drives:
Not only did we see progress from the defense in this game, but also in this season. University of South Alabama came down here and ran the ball fairly well in the second half, which led to their comeback, which led to their OT win.
That is the good. The bad is very bad. The offense looked terrible all game until the last drive. It was enough to make me consider the benefits of simplifying the offense. I’ve maintained that Soza looks infinitely better when he makes quicker decisions.* When he throws on the run he seems more comfortable (though not as successful). He is reading the defense too slowly. The interception was not into triple coverage no more than any throw against a zone is against double or triple coverage. Kam Jones was running a drag/slant across the middle.
*I don’t know his progressions. I don’t know the pass keys. I don’t know. Sure looks like he holds the ball too long and is indecisive.
Soza has to throw this ball as Kam crosses behind the defender and the linebacker is backpedalling. Instead, he waited for Kam to sit in the zone which let the defender sit and wait to react to the pass. I can’t give you the real reason. Travis Bush and Soza know.
The good news is that during the last drive Georgia State played zones. It wasn’t quite prevent defense but it sure wasn’t aggressive either. Although we lined up in five and four receiver sets, Eric Soza was only looking to one side. In this case that was to the short side of the field (left). GSU played a couple different coverages but all with the same personnel. Some times the corner would take the flats and other times he would sprint back to cover the deep quarter. In those cases where he would sprint deep, the playside backer would sprint out and take the flats. The deep safety would either cover high or sprint up to the linebacker’s vacated spot. It all isn’t very complicated if you know anything about Cover 2, Cover 3 and Quarters.
When I say GSU wasn’t aggressive I mean a couple things: 1. They didn’t bring additional pressure to help their coverage. 2. They didn’t press.
They may have feared our speed. We did burn them on a couple wheel routes (against man coverage the wheel route is deadly) and so maybe they didn’t want Brandon Armstrong to do more of that? Perhaps, but I think it was more Bill Curry betting against Eric Soza.
Back to the drive. Against that coverage we ran two man routes and Soza just found the open man. The combinations and routes and contstraint plays (backside screen to Kam Jones) aren’t the real story. The fact that Soza was taking three and five-step drops, reading only one half of the field and making a throw was key. He looked every bit the quarterback we want him to be.
Unfortunately he also looked like the guy who deserves a lot of criticism. He was still inaccurate on a couple of those throws. The incompletions to Kam across the middle and to Brandon Armstrong on the sideline were just poor throws.
And so it goes.
Soza had some throws that were nearly cause for a benching. My dad, in his first visit to The Bird Dome (yeah, I said it) did a double face palm after the heave down the middle to a lone Georgia State safety (who smartly let it fall). When that play is broken down, you’ll find that it was a miscommunication between Soza and Kenny Harrison. Soza read the safety and threw down the middle while Harrison read the safety and broke outside on a corner route. Without the benefit of a second look I’ll go ahead and say it was Soza who read wrong. There was more room outside than there was inside.
That said, despite losing their best linebacker, the defense stepped up late. The post-would-be-interception drive could have been a four minute, clock-eating display of power football. Instead it was eaten up by the HardHat defense, giving the offense one more shot at redemption. Prior to that, they had forced three straight punts and a missed field goal. I don’t know how much you credit a team for forcing a missed field goal when they didn’t block it but you give them some credit for not allowing a touchdown.
There are always some lucky plays in football. Coaches obsess over controlling the outcomes of all the others. In our case, the two missed field goals were fortune we needed. More concerning is the two touchdowns scored in the first half. One was a sickening cutback by Donald Russell that started as a sweep/outside zone run to the left and ended with him scoring near the numbers from the right side.
From the glow of a win look at that run as evidence of our fast-flowing defense and a risk when you attack the ball carrier. If we lost? Well, that is our youthful inexperience in these matters. The truth lies somewhere in that space between. If you are going to give up big plays, do it in the first half. The other team could fall in love with themselves and look for the big throw/big run instead of doing the little things. Maybe they were beneficiaries of busted coverage (GSU was, Mark Waters got caught in no man’s land on Albert Wilson’s 54-yard TD), in which case you simply don’t do that anymore.
UTSA’s defense didn’t give up a big play in the second. In fact, here are GSU’s second half drives:
- 11 plays 56 yards missed fg
- 7 plays 32 yards punt
- 5 plays 15 yards punt
- 5 plays 17 yards punt
- 4 plays 3 yards missed fg
- 1 play kneel end of half
- 4 plays -6 yards missed fg (OT)
Not only did we see progress from the defense in this game, but also in this season. University of South Alabama came down here and ran the ball fairly well in the second half, which led to their comeback, which led to their OT win.
That is the good. The bad is very bad. The offense looked terrible all game until the last drive. It was enough to make me consider the benefits of simplifying the offense. I’ve maintained that Soza looks infinitely better when he makes quicker decisions.* When he throws on the run he seems more comfortable (though not as successful). He is reading the defense too slowly. The interception was not into triple coverage no more than any throw against a zone is against double or triple coverage. Kam Jones was running a drag/slant across the middle.
*I don’t know his progressions. I don’t know the pass keys. I don’t know. Sure looks like he holds the ball too long and is indecisive.
Soza has to throw this ball as Kam crosses behind the defender and the linebacker is backpedalling. Instead, he waited for Kam to sit in the zone which let the defender sit and wait to react to the pass. I can’t give you the real reason. Travis Bush and Soza know.
 |
| Throw it when Kam gets to point A. Not when he stops. |
The good news is that during the last drive Georgia State played zones. It wasn’t quite prevent defense but it sure wasn’t aggressive either. Although we lined up in five and four receiver sets, Eric Soza was only looking to one side. In this case that was to the short side of the field (left). GSU played a couple different coverages but all with the same personnel. Some times the corner would take the flats and other times he would sprint back to cover the deep quarter. In those cases where he would sprint deep, the playside backer would sprint out and take the flats. The deep safety would either cover high or sprint up to the linebacker’s vacated spot. It all isn’t very complicated if you know anything about Cover 2, Cover 3 and Quarters.
When I say GSU wasn’t aggressive I mean a couple things: 1. They didn’t bring additional pressure to help their coverage. 2. They didn’t press.
They may have feared our speed. We did burn them on a couple wheel routes (against man coverage the wheel route is deadly) and so maybe they didn’t want Brandon Armstrong to do more of that? Perhaps, but I think it was more Bill Curry betting against Eric Soza.
Back to the drive. Against that coverage we ran two man routes and Soza just found the open man. The combinations and routes and contstraint plays (backside screen to Kam Jones) aren’t the real story. The fact that Soza was taking three and five-step drops, reading only one half of the field and making a throw was key. He looked every bit the quarterback we want him to be.
Unfortunately he also looked like the guy who deserves a lot of criticism. He was still inaccurate on a couple of those throws. The incompletions to Kam across the middle and to Brandon Armstrong on the sideline were just poor throws.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday Review
We were beaten handily. UC-Davis looked (sounded) really good and UTSA, the complete opposite. Though there were some signs of life later in the game and two quick scores to get 17 points on the board, it came much later than against Southern Utah and left a lot of people with a poorer impression than in that first road game.
In fact, some are unbelievably questioning Travis Bush and the coaching staff already, confirming their lack of perspective. The team is mostly freshman and inexperienced players. They make young player mistakes that are nearly unpreventable.
It could be much, much worse. They could be getting shellacked every week and in boring fashion. Coker could be costing us games with terrible coaching decisions, and the recruits would look overmatched.
Instead we look like a young team making mistakes that come with lack of playing time. You know what? Maybe Soza isn't the long-term answer at quarterback. Maybe the running backs don't make plays. Maybe the receivers outside of Kam Jones need to hang on to the ball and run better routes and the line needs to block better if we are ever going to win anything significant. You know what else? There is plenty of time to judge all that.
There have been two classes since the program started. That is it. The first one? They were sold on the promise of a dream. The second? Something similar. This next one? Well they are the ones who have seen what it can/will be. It is fairly reasonable to think we will get a slightly better class in.
Okay, what if we don't? Well we still would likely get one or two players in of the quality of our studs like Kurfehs, Brown, Macon or Haynes (to name a few). So, we either get more depth or stouter across the board. Maybe, just maybe we even get better at quarterback.
After all those scenarios play out, or if they don't and we are underperforming, you can call for people's jobs.
Before that? Dumb.
In fact, some are unbelievably questioning Travis Bush and the coaching staff already, confirming their lack of perspective. The team is mostly freshman and inexperienced players. They make young player mistakes that are nearly unpreventable.
It could be much, much worse. They could be getting shellacked every week and in boring fashion. Coker could be costing us games with terrible coaching decisions, and the recruits would look overmatched.
Instead we look like a young team making mistakes that come with lack of playing time. You know what? Maybe Soza isn't the long-term answer at quarterback. Maybe the running backs don't make plays. Maybe the receivers outside of Kam Jones need to hang on to the ball and run better routes and the line needs to block better if we are ever going to win anything significant. You know what else? There is plenty of time to judge all that.
There have been two classes since the program started. That is it. The first one? They were sold on the promise of a dream. The second? Something similar. This next one? Well they are the ones who have seen what it can/will be. It is fairly reasonable to think we will get a slightly better class in.
Okay, what if we don't? Well we still would likely get one or two players in of the quality of our studs like Kurfehs, Brown, Macon or Haynes (to name a few). So, we either get more depth or stouter across the board. Maybe, just maybe we even get better at quarterback.
After all those scenarios play out, or if they don't and we are underperforming, you can call for people's jobs.
Before that? Dumb.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Rambling Review: South Alabama 30 UTSA 27
Well.
That was a gut punch if there ever was one. Yet another welcome to the Big Show. I was ready to be content with the game. It was ugly and tough. The offense returned to the option with great success-- that may be overstating it. Soza and company didn’t put up Georgia Tech numbers but they did control the ball and manufacture long drives.
Three drives were at 12, 13, and 19 plays. There was only one three and out. One drive had the makings of a long one until Soza missed handled the snap and put is back at the three. Soza fumbled on first and ten from the one, the ball lazily drifting towards the sideline where Okatcha scooped it up to save us from disaster. At this point, I would have been content to go with a couple of dives and a punt. Instead, Bush called a dive and quarterback draw on 3rd and 7 from the 4 yard line. Or was it? I really couldn’t tell. Eric either did an amazing job of selling the pass or he found a lane when he saw no one was open. Either way that was exactly what we hoped Soza would be just two plays after we were screaming at him for being what we hoped he wouldn’t be.
And so it went. Three plays forward and a fumble to take us back. Section 143 (and others, according to tweets) had their energy sucked from them after the earlier 13 play, 70 yard-drive that ended with another Soza fumble at the 4 yard line.
Two drives can sum up the game. Twice we got into scoring position in the second half and twice didn’t get a point: the Soza fumble at the four and the blocked game winner at the last second.
The defense played amazingly well until the last quarter and overtime. USA found some success on powers and off tackle runs that eventually won them the game. Their last four runs went for 12, 12, 1(TD) and 25 (TD). Their 4th quarter drives were stopped because of sacks and incompletions. They were getting 4.15 yards a pop in the fourth and 7.18 in 4th plus OT.
For the first three quarters we were able to get into the backfield (Lekenwic Haynes had one hell of a stop in the first quarter) and cause CJ Bennett to throw terrible passes one of which was intercepted. You know, typical stuff from the Hard Hat Defense.
Speaking of Lekenwic, he had some good plays in the run game but nearly was beat over the top. Thankfully CJ Bennet is a freshman and couldn’t hit #8 Brian Lavender on a streak.
Kam in the Wild Runner is deadly. Unfortunately he had one ill-advised throw that could have been picked off. Instead it resulted in a pass interference call. Still ....
We need to do a better job running between the tackles. The speed option had some nice results but we need something up the middle to keep them honest. Glasco (@glascoII) took some responsibility but I don’t know if it was an individual problem. We may not have the attitude to do it. South Alabama obviously was devoted to it and it paid off in the second half. We did hit on the overtime pass to Kam Jones. That worked beautifully and was a direct answer to the Jaguars’ aggressiveness in defending the option.
Our pass defense was bailed out by facing a poor quarterback again. Eric Brown looked solid but was beat on a couple of plays, Darrien Starling had a big hit that got the stadium hyped but later got beat bad on an out route. I’m okay with allowing a catch but not being within four yards of the guy? Sheesh.
Random:
Erik Brown looks shifty and solid in pass defense.
Morgan had a nice catch on third and six. He ran a seam route against the zone and made a nice grab to keep the drive alive.
That was a gut punch if there ever was one. Yet another welcome to the Big Show. I was ready to be content with the game. It was ugly and tough. The offense returned to the option with great success-- that may be overstating it. Soza and company didn’t put up Georgia Tech numbers but they did control the ball and manufacture long drives.
Three drives were at 12, 13, and 19 plays. There was only one three and out. One drive had the makings of a long one until Soza missed handled the snap and put is back at the three. Soza fumbled on first and ten from the one, the ball lazily drifting towards the sideline where Okatcha scooped it up to save us from disaster. At this point, I would have been content to go with a couple of dives and a punt. Instead, Bush called a dive and quarterback draw on 3rd and 7 from the 4 yard line. Or was it? I really couldn’t tell. Eric either did an amazing job of selling the pass or he found a lane when he saw no one was open. Either way that was exactly what we hoped Soza would be just two plays after we were screaming at him for being what we hoped he wouldn’t be.
And so it went. Three plays forward and a fumble to take us back. Section 143 (and others, according to tweets) had their energy sucked from them after the earlier 13 play, 70 yard-drive that ended with another Soza fumble at the 4 yard line.
Two drives can sum up the game. Twice we got into scoring position in the second half and twice didn’t get a point: the Soza fumble at the four and the blocked game winner at the last second.
The defense played amazingly well until the last quarter and overtime. USA found some success on powers and off tackle runs that eventually won them the game. Their last four runs went for 12, 12, 1(TD) and 25 (TD). Their 4th quarter drives were stopped because of sacks and incompletions. They were getting 4.15 yards a pop in the fourth and 7.18 in 4th plus OT.
For the first three quarters we were able to get into the backfield (Lekenwic Haynes had one hell of a stop in the first quarter) and cause CJ Bennett to throw terrible passes one of which was intercepted. You know, typical stuff from the Hard Hat Defense.
Speaking of Lekenwic, he had some good plays in the run game but nearly was beat over the top. Thankfully CJ Bennet is a freshman and couldn’t hit #8 Brian Lavender on a streak.
Kam in the Wild Runner is deadly. Unfortunately he had one ill-advised throw that could have been picked off. Instead it resulted in a pass interference call. Still ....
We need to do a better job running between the tackles. The speed option had some nice results but we need something up the middle to keep them honest. Glasco (@glascoII) took some responsibility but I don’t know if it was an individual problem. We may not have the attitude to do it. South Alabama obviously was devoted to it and it paid off in the second half. We did hit on the overtime pass to Kam Jones. That worked beautifully and was a direct answer to the Jaguars’ aggressiveness in defending the option.
Our pass defense was bailed out by facing a poor quarterback again. Eric Brown looked solid but was beat on a couple of plays, Darrien Starling had a big hit that got the stadium hyped but later got beat bad on an out route. I’m okay with allowing a catch but not being within four yards of the guy? Sheesh.
Random:
Erik Brown looks shifty and solid in pass defense.
Morgan had a nice catch on third and six. He ran a seam route against the zone and made a nice grab to keep the drive alive.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Episode 8: Mid Season Review
In this week's episode, we review the Sam Houston trip Jared took, take stock of the team at mid-season, and preview U of South Alabama.
We recorded part two Wednesday night and it is now up.
Enjoy!
Part 1 Download
Part 2 Download
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Booze Fueled Instant Reaction: Sam Houston
Eric Soza lost a lot of fans tonight. He wasn’t the problem. He was a problem, however. The offensive line did a decent enough job keeping the BearKats from killing him. The bottom line is that Sam Houston lined up to stop the run. They manned up and pressed the wideouts and dared Eric Soza to exploit that and he couldn’t.
Some would say that the onus is on Kam and company to get open and make the catches. A fair assessment as that may be, Soza failed to put his corps in position to make a play. At least three times the Runners were bailed out by a pass interference call. Most often the series involved Soza not seeing wide open guys down field and throwing a poor pass to his intended target.
He is not a complete waste. I actually think he is a solid dude and has mucho potential. In trying to do so much and always make an awesome play, he is not making a solid play.
With that said, lets give a round of applause to the defense. The entire first half was spent defending the red zone or damn near it. Sam Houston’s vaunted rushing attack managed but 8 points and a lot of one and two yards gains. Kurfehs bottled up Flanders and his backups on the options and tosses. It was a thing of beauty.
Later, when Flanders broke free for a long reception on a shovel pass and later the twirling reverse-field score, it was more a symptom of tired legs than poor defense. It was always going to be a tall order to defend a side that wanted to run and stayed committed for the duration.
We availed ourselves well. If the Soza and the offense could have provided a foray or two into enemy territory in the first half this game might have a different result.
It isn’t as simple as that, though. For a 20th ranked FCS team at home, with a nasty run game to only put up 20-something points and allow one score? Well, that has happened twice already. Western Illinois lost 20-7 at Bowers. We lost 22-7 tonight. What does this mean? I posit that it means that we are young and talented and in two years probably would do the damage that I not-so-humbly predicted on the podcast.
It is yet another reminder of the state of the program. We are young and inexperienced. We have talented guys that are trying to figure things out still. Our quarterback is winning the position battle because ostensibly he has a better grasp of the offense than the other guys. After a year or two we should A) Have more competition at the QB spot or B) Have a Soza with a less-happy feet making confident, accurate throws.
Good news is that we are hanging with teams that are considered good. We have three of the last five games at home, where our offense plays much much better. As the week moves on and time begins its healing of wounds we’ll start looking at Soza’s performance in context: Sam Houston’s defense played pretty damn tough. Maybe tougher than Southern Utah’s. That is even while looking forward to SFA in Reliant.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Episode 6: The First Loss
An hour and a half of goodness:
Beat via @DJ_Sheednomics of UTSA with “Swaggy” by @BDSMonstaz
DOWNLOAD/SMARTPHONE FRIENDLY
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
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Post-game Quick Notes
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| One of the many incredible pictures from mysa.com this weekend. Indulge. |
Wow, what a whirlwind of a weekend it has been. (Alliteration!) Just going to touch on a few things on the top of my mind before I pass out, possibly for days.
All Eric Soza Everything - The young man stepped up to the challenge today. If Soza produces at 70% of what we saw today for the duration of the season then UTSA will do just fine against its higher-tier opponents. Brilliant decision making, particularly on options and zone reads, gave the Runners four first downs with his feet. The ability to extend drives on busted plays is a gargantuan bonus in your play caller, something that separates good quarterbacks from MVPs. Soza showed this ability throughout Saturday's affair.
Defensive Line - Round of applause. As I had mentioned in the podcast last week, there is seriously zero drop-off in talent from the first to the second string. Guys were moving around, sealing gaps, breaking blocks, and making plays. 36 total rushing yards for the Riverhawks. As predicted, Jason Neill played a lot, even at defensive tackle at times. The dude is huge. Once he adjusts to the college game he's going to be a sack machine. Huge showing from Franky Anaya. Anaya looks to be a major asset for Coach Neathery after a clutch tackle for a loss on fourth down and amassing four strong tackles in semi-limited playing time. OkSt transfer Ashaad Mabry may not have lit up the stat sheet with just two tackles, but the NSU offensive line had to change their game plan in order to compensate for his size and power. Mabry drew several extra blockers and NSU generally ran away from him. Dear Richard Burge, I'm sorry for doubting you. You are a great defensive tackle.
First Quarter - Could things have gone any smoother? Kam Jones comes within a few inches of running back the opening kickoff, Eric Soza grabs the NSU defense by the cajones, and an infantile offensive line held up quite well. Which bring us to...
Offensive Line - All in all, fine job by the OL. With a few more games under their belt this group could be salty. I did not notice any blown assignments (Please correct me if I'm wrong, my student section seat wasn't the best to be watching the offensive line from) and Soza typically had plenty of time to make a play. I was mainly keeping my eye on true freshman Payton Rion whom did appear overwhelmed on a few plays. Run blocking needs to improve, there was very limited space for an interior run game.
Running Backs - Solid contributions from CheRod Simpson, David Glasco, Chris Johnson, and Tevin Williams. One major gripe is with Chris Johnson. I'm sure you all saw his boneheaded play where he ran roughly 25 yards backwards trying to create his own dynamite. This isn't East Central High anymore; running like that in college isn't going to get you far unless you're Noel Devine.
REDSHIRT ALERT: Freshman 300 pounder Josh Walker did not play in the game. Neither did De'Metrius Jacobs or Malcom Scott. I would imagine the decision to redshirt Malcom Scott came after the transfer of Erik Brown. Good news for the future.
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| Darrien Starling breaks up a pass. Again, thanks to Mysa.com on the pics. |
Receivers - Mixed bag here. Impromptu starter Brandon Freeman was a fairly reliable option for Soza, reeling in five catches for 43 yards. There were some drops, but I feel that Freeman is going to get the same treatment that an athletic third basemen gets in baseball. The average fan complains about the error the fielder makes when they should be grateful that the defender was even capable to be able to reach a position to field the ball. Some of Soza's throws to Freeman were off target but Brandon still made them look catchable. We've still yet to see the game-changing ability that Coker claims Freeman is capable of... but hey, this is just one game. Kam Jones had some terrific catches, including a 38 yard needle-thread from Soza and a stellar catch in the end zone for a touch down. Past that, catches were spread among several receivers-- a very good sign of depth in perhaps the only position where the Runners have it. Reception of the night? David Morgan's catch and run on a wide open play action-pivot tight end screen. No idea how NSU lost track of a dude his size, but Morgan chugged his way down to the goal line, narrowly missing pay dirt Expect some big plays like this from the Marble Falls product.
Special Teams - Kickoffs and Returns were strong. The foolish mental mistakes that I was anticipating thankfully did not happen. Sean Ianno nailed a 21 yard kick and missed a 38 yarder under blitz pressure from the defense. Much to the delight of the Roadrunner fans, Ianno nailed some lengthy kicks in warm ups. Punts were a bit on the short side (average of 34.2 yards per punt) but Josh Ward puts some nice lift on the ball, preventing the opposition from making some noise on returns. UTSA will be pleased if they can get more punts down in the opponent's red zone like they saw from Ward in the second quarter.
This UTSA team has the capacity of being very good, especially when you factor in a few years of experience down the road. Travis Bush's offense is something to behold. Did he use this much misdirection, play action, and trickery at Texas State? Help me out here, Bobcats. Defensively, the Runners played with energy and passion. Let's not forget that Patrick Hoog, Cole Hubble, Lekenwic Haynes, Earon Holmes, and Drew Douglas were all absent with injuries (to name a few).
Valiant effort from the Roadrunners in game one. Thank you to everyone who laughed at my homer-ific prediction of 30-10 in favor of UTSA. I'm going to scroll through score prediction from our Twitter followers tomorrow, but I think I was the closest out of anyone. It was great to meet some of our readers/followers/listeners at the game. Looking forward to meeting more of your pretty faces next week. But for now it's off for a much-needed period of hibernation for me. Many more posts/podcast coming your way soon.
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