Like Arizona, the Sun Devils had a recent scrimmage at Camp Tontozona. Rashad Ross stood out in that scrimmage. That will happen when you have five catches for 193 yards and three TDs. At QB, Kelly has been slated to start against NAU but one writer said that since ASU will endure some growing pains this year, why not just start Eubank? If you know my background from being a CU fan in the old Big 8 and Big 12, I prefer dual threat type QBs to keep opposing defenses honest and that is how I build my videogame college football teams. Eubank is more of the big play type of QB with his feet, Kelly is a QB that won't make mistakes, and Bercovici is still making mistakes in camp so I think Eubank is the second QB that the Sun Devil coaches want to use. Another bonus for Eubank is that he was also recruited by Graham when Graham was still at Pittsburgh. In my honest opinion, the Sun Devils need to build for the future because the Pac-12 South will still be in a state of flux for sometime just like the Big 12 South was in a state of flux in the early days of that conference. So the Sun Devils just should go with Eubank and build for the future. Even the Sun Devil coaches said that Eubank throws the best deep ball.
ASU's improved LB corps look to improve on last season despite the departure of Burfict. Magee has been mentioned on my All 4CSports Blog Team for a reason. The secondary in some Fox Sports Arizona videos appeared to me that they need some work due to the big day by Ross. This could be an issue against NAU's experienced QB perhaps for a half until Graham yells at the secondary at halftime...remember he claimed to be under the weather but perhaps he was yelling quite a bit.
NAU's defense forced four turnovers in their recent scrimmage amd they were of the fumble variety. The kickers also went 7-8 on the day as well. Perhaps they are a little underrated in the Big Sky? The 'Jacks had some penalty issues but what team doesn't have that issue in fall camp?
Camp Tontozona holds a special place in ASU history. Given today's wired world of Facebook, Twitter, the Internet, etc; it is a great place to get away from modern technology and build bonds with your teammates. This goes back to the Kush days when the Sun Devils ran roughshod over the WAC before the 1978 move to the then PAC-8. I think I will keep a closer eye on this squad since I think this could be a winning team this year if the players buy into what Coach Graham is trying to do. People can bag on him all they want about his untimely departure from Pitt but the man can coach based on his experience at Rice and Tulsa, two of the smallest FBS schools out there. With the resources and potential that ASU offers, Coach Graham could build a powerhouse football team if he does away with his nomadic ways but a 6-6 record may be the best ASU can do this season. We'll see.
On a personal note, I was considering going to ASU myself out of high school...maybe it's not too late to become a fan of that school...LOL. But I like what Coach Graham is doing at ASU...he's a good coach regardless of how the hiring process went (remember the June Jones mess?).
Monday, August 20, 2012
Do you have the Pac-12 Network YET?
Today, I'm not posting news links since all the 4C football teams had their scrimmages this recent weekend and whatever information coming out from those scrimmages will be used in the upcoming game previews but this doesn't mean this post will be devoid of information.
Is anyone watching the Pac-12 Network in their home area? I got a personal message from an Ute fan on Pac-12 Board saying that he isn't getting the Pac-12 Network from his cable provider in Idaho and I told that person that I didn't think my grandparents from Idaho even know about the Pac-12 Network. They are truly Broncos fans (both the Boise and Denver variety) and with both teams breaking in new QBs, their hands must be full in breaking down the rosters especially my grandmother.
BlockU (the Utah SBNation blog site) is still fuming on their Twitter feed about the Pac-12 Network not being on Comcast Xfinity just yet and I'm in the same boat since Comcast serves both Denver and Salt Lake City. Can't blame Ute fans for being a little short on patience since they are nearly a week away from their first game and it will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks (yup all seven of them). I'm not hearing the same concerns from the Sun Devil fans since I believe they have Cox at this point and they are one of three providers with access to Pac-12 Now on www.pac-12.com.
The earliest I have heard about Pac-12 Now being on Xfinity TV is the end of this month which would be totally unfair to Ute fans who are dying to watch their football team for the first time since the Sun Bowl win over Georgia Tech. A conference-wide channel is nothing new for them as the Mountain West Conference, the former conference home of the Utes, had its own channel until the plug was pulled last Memorial Day weekend.
Switching gears, I want to share with everyone why I am excited for the Pac-12 Network and one main feature that 4C fans should be very excited about. I was spoiled as a teenager back in the 1990's when I could expect CU to be on TV every game because the Buffs were a powerhouse team during that time and people want to see nothing but the best on TV. The Buffs during that time certainly fit the bill. When I went away to college, I wasn't able to watch the Buffs unless they were on ESPN since the Big 12 was in bed with Fox Sports during that time. Plus it has been awhile since most if not all of CU's games were on TV so this is a welcome change for Buff fans. During the week of the 2010 Rocky Mountain Showdown (CSU-CU), I was living at my mother in law's home with my wife (note to any married couple: get your own place to stay...seriously!), I got to exprience the Mtn. since it was being shown to everyone free of charge during that week and it was an awesome exprience that left me in envy of the MWC fanbase. I am very sorry that MWC fans lost that channel and unlike the Mtn, the Pac-12 owns 100% of the Pac-12 Network so a repeat of that is unlikely. What I am excited about the Pac-12 Network is the "Football in 60" feature where everyone can watch football games condensed into 60 minutes. I had the NFL Rewind thing where I could watch NFL games from 2008 to 2011 condensed into 30 minutes per game which were used by NFL head coaches for scouting purposes and it was wonderful especially if I missed a Denver Broncos game due to church (God comes FIRST) and I'm expecting the same of the Pac-12's 60 minute condensed football games. I will definetly be using that feature as soon as Comcast finally gets the Pac-12 Network on Xfinity TV.
Larry Scott said at the Pac-12's Media Day event for football that videogame consoles should be able to get Pac-12 Networks as well so that means I'm looking forward to watching those games on my Sony Playstation 3. FYI, the Playstation Store updates every Tuesday so it's possible that the Pac-12 app comes out tomorrow but given the issues that people are expriencing with the Pac-12 Network, I do't know if that is a priority for the Pac-12 at this point. I cannot watch video from the Pac-12 Network on my iPad either and hopefully that gets resolved soon. I can say that I'm glad I'm not the one in charge of all of this...just imagine the pressure that person should be feeling so why don't we all be nice to him until next week?
Football season starts NEXT week! Pretty exciting to be able to type that!
Is anyone watching the Pac-12 Network in their home area? I got a personal message from an Ute fan on Pac-12 Board saying that he isn't getting the Pac-12 Network from his cable provider in Idaho and I told that person that I didn't think my grandparents from Idaho even know about the Pac-12 Network. They are truly Broncos fans (both the Boise and Denver variety) and with both teams breaking in new QBs, their hands must be full in breaking down the rosters especially my grandmother.
BlockU (the Utah SBNation blog site) is still fuming on their Twitter feed about the Pac-12 Network not being on Comcast Xfinity just yet and I'm in the same boat since Comcast serves both Denver and Salt Lake City. Can't blame Ute fans for being a little short on patience since they are nearly a week away from their first game and it will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks (yup all seven of them). I'm not hearing the same concerns from the Sun Devil fans since I believe they have Cox at this point and they are one of three providers with access to Pac-12 Now on www.pac-12.com.
The earliest I have heard about Pac-12 Now being on Xfinity TV is the end of this month which would be totally unfair to Ute fans who are dying to watch their football team for the first time since the Sun Bowl win over Georgia Tech. A conference-wide channel is nothing new for them as the Mountain West Conference, the former conference home of the Utes, had its own channel until the plug was pulled last Memorial Day weekend.
Switching gears, I want to share with everyone why I am excited for the Pac-12 Network and one main feature that 4C fans should be very excited about. I was spoiled as a teenager back in the 1990's when I could expect CU to be on TV every game because the Buffs were a powerhouse team during that time and people want to see nothing but the best on TV. The Buffs during that time certainly fit the bill. When I went away to college, I wasn't able to watch the Buffs unless they were on ESPN since the Big 12 was in bed with Fox Sports during that time. Plus it has been awhile since most if not all of CU's games were on TV so this is a welcome change for Buff fans. During the week of the 2010 Rocky Mountain Showdown (CSU-CU), I was living at my mother in law's home with my wife (note to any married couple: get your own place to stay...seriously!), I got to exprience the Mtn. since it was being shown to everyone free of charge during that week and it was an awesome exprience that left me in envy of the MWC fanbase. I am very sorry that MWC fans lost that channel and unlike the Mtn, the Pac-12 owns 100% of the Pac-12 Network so a repeat of that is unlikely. What I am excited about the Pac-12 Network is the "Football in 60" feature where everyone can watch football games condensed into 60 minutes. I had the NFL Rewind thing where I could watch NFL games from 2008 to 2011 condensed into 30 minutes per game which were used by NFL head coaches for scouting purposes and it was wonderful especially if I missed a Denver Broncos game due to church (God comes FIRST) and I'm expecting the same of the Pac-12's 60 minute condensed football games. I will definetly be using that feature as soon as Comcast finally gets the Pac-12 Network on Xfinity TV.
Larry Scott said at the Pac-12's Media Day event for football that videogame consoles should be able to get Pac-12 Networks as well so that means I'm looking forward to watching those games on my Sony Playstation 3. FYI, the Playstation Store updates every Tuesday so it's possible that the Pac-12 app comes out tomorrow but given the issues that people are expriencing with the Pac-12 Network, I do't know if that is a priority for the Pac-12 at this point. I cannot watch video from the Pac-12 Network on my iPad either and hopefully that gets resolved soon. I can say that I'm glad I'm not the one in charge of all of this...just imagine the pressure that person should be feeling so why don't we all be nice to him until next week?
Football season starts NEXT week! Pretty exciting to be able to type that!
Toldeo-Arizona Part II
All the 4C teams had scrimmages this weekend so hopefully the teams start to come into focus. Arizona's defense made some improvements by forcing some turnovers. More on the recent scrimmage from the Arizona Star. Simply put, the offense is still moving pretty well but at the same time, it raises questions about the defense.
Denker continues to impress as the backup QB for the Wildcats and I think we know who the 2013 starting QB will be. The Arizona Star did an article on Denker who throws left handed and is nicknamed "Vanilla Vick".
Rich Rod said "We have to get better at what we can control. The one thing we can always control is our execution, and that has to be the focus starting tomorrow." I believe this will always be an issue with any team with a new coaching staff in place during the first season. Somewhere, I read that Rich Rod's first UA team will pass the ball more than any team that Rich Rod has coached in the past and that wouldn't be too great of a departure from the Air Raid offense under Mike Stoops so that explains why the UA offense is moving well at this point.
Meanwhile, in Toldeo, six cornerbacks are battling for open jobs at both corner spots. The Toldeo Blade article goes into detail about each cornerback including a seventh if that person is medically cleared. Nicholas Guy, one of the commenters who used his Facebook account as a plug-in, commented about the Rockets needing to be the ones that are throwing for 500 yards not giving up 500 yards through the air. A little trash talk between Rocket fans and Bowling Green fans on that comment section...maybe it will be a good fireworks display.
Running back is also an area of concern since the Rockets have to replace two RBs that helped lead the 17th ranked rushing attack in the nation. David Fluellen was part of a deadly three headed monster last season but had a broken bone in his foot that has restricted him in practice until recently. Cassius McDowell is a speedster from Florida who has taken advantage of the injury to Fluellen. A freshman, Damion Jones-Moore, is expected to be the third RB in that rotation. A former walk-on offensive lineman will be making his first start against the Wildcats' new 3-3-5 defense along with two other new starters on the offensive line. It's ironic that player's first game was against Arizona when they visited the Glass Bowl and he is making his first start against Arizona. I'm sure he is looking for a better performance this time around as the Rockets could only get two points in that game.
It appears to me that the keys for the Wildcats is to keep throwing the football well & take care of the football, and the defense will need to keep the Rocket running game in check. Should UA do both of those well, there's no dobut that UA will win this game unless the unexpected happens.
Denker continues to impress as the backup QB for the Wildcats and I think we know who the 2013 starting QB will be. The Arizona Star did an article on Denker who throws left handed and is nicknamed "Vanilla Vick".
Rich Rod said "We have to get better at what we can control. The one thing we can always control is our execution, and that has to be the focus starting tomorrow." I believe this will always be an issue with any team with a new coaching staff in place during the first season. Somewhere, I read that Rich Rod's first UA team will pass the ball more than any team that Rich Rod has coached in the past and that wouldn't be too great of a departure from the Air Raid offense under Mike Stoops so that explains why the UA offense is moving well at this point.
Meanwhile, in Toldeo, six cornerbacks are battling for open jobs at both corner spots. The Toldeo Blade article goes into detail about each cornerback including a seventh if that person is medically cleared. Nicholas Guy, one of the commenters who used his Facebook account as a plug-in, commented about the Rockets needing to be the ones that are throwing for 500 yards not giving up 500 yards through the air. A little trash talk between Rocket fans and Bowling Green fans on that comment section...maybe it will be a good fireworks display.
Running back is also an area of concern since the Rockets have to replace two RBs that helped lead the 17th ranked rushing attack in the nation. David Fluellen was part of a deadly three headed monster last season but had a broken bone in his foot that has restricted him in practice until recently. Cassius McDowell is a speedster from Florida who has taken advantage of the injury to Fluellen. A freshman, Damion Jones-Moore, is expected to be the third RB in that rotation. A former walk-on offensive lineman will be making his first start against the Wildcats' new 3-3-5 defense along with two other new starters on the offensive line. It's ironic that player's first game was against Arizona when they visited the Glass Bowl and he is making his first start against Arizona. I'm sure he is looking for a better performance this time around as the Rockets could only get two points in that game.
It appears to me that the keys for the Wildcats is to keep throwing the football well & take care of the football, and the defense will need to keep the Rocket running game in check. Should UA do both of those well, there's no dobut that UA will win this game unless the unexpected happens.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Friday August 17, 2012 News
Chris Nwoke, the projected starting RB for CSU, was seen riding a stationary bike with a protective boot due to an injured ankle and the Rams are down to three healthy RBs with two weeks to go before the game against CU. RamNation is speculating in this form that Nwoke's injury is worse than first thought and Nwoke would miss the CU game which would be a huge blow to CSU's offense. That could make Jordan Webb's first game as the starting QB easier and the eventual backup QB for the Buffs could get to play due to a forecast of three and outs by the CSU offense.
An Arizona walk-on WR is making a serious case to get serious playing time. Rich Rod, like his CU counterpart, will be counting on freshmen for depth. Can anyone say those two schools will be battling it out for the 2015 South crown? GoArizonaWildcats posters these days are speculating what the pass-run ratio will be on offense this year. One poster said RicRod's past teams had a 60-40 rush ratio while one poster said that due to Matt Scott and talent at WR, it could be 55-45 in favor of the pass while one said 50-50. One poster said that there is lack of depth at QB despite UA just naming what appears to be a capable back-up QB to Scott in Denker.
Like with the UA walk-on WR, a similiar story is happening with a freshman DT for the Sun Devils. Coach Graham claims he is sick or was that all the yelling he was doing at camp? HouseOfSparky previewed the OL and claimed that the OL was out of shape last season and is in better shape this season. If my suspicions are correct, Coach Graham's voice these days could be due to him screaming at his OL to get off their rears and get to running drills. Or the OL getting beat by a freshman DT?
Utah's bowl destination could hinge on the kicking game this year. Coach Whittingham wasn't too happy with special teams last week as it was noted by this blog in a earlier post. Those Utah kickers might want to call up that Boise State kicker who missed a FG at Nevada that cost BSU dearly a couple of years back. On the CougarUte Forum, early talk on UNC-Utah focuses on five questions then BYU fans give their Ute counterparts a hard time about losing to CU last season. The same Ute fans are thinking Hays will be the backup QB so Wilson can redshirt. That will all hinge on Wynn's ability to stay healthy.
An Arizona walk-on WR is making a serious case to get serious playing time. Rich Rod, like his CU counterpart, will be counting on freshmen for depth. Can anyone say those two schools will be battling it out for the 2015 South crown? GoArizonaWildcats posters these days are speculating what the pass-run ratio will be on offense this year. One poster said RicRod's past teams had a 60-40 rush ratio while one poster said that due to Matt Scott and talent at WR, it could be 55-45 in favor of the pass while one said 50-50. One poster said that there is lack of depth at QB despite UA just naming what appears to be a capable back-up QB to Scott in Denker.
Like with the UA walk-on WR, a similiar story is happening with a freshman DT for the Sun Devils. Coach Graham claims he is sick or was that all the yelling he was doing at camp? HouseOfSparky previewed the OL and claimed that the OL was out of shape last season and is in better shape this season. If my suspicions are correct, Coach Graham's voice these days could be due to him screaming at his OL to get off their rears and get to running drills. Or the OL getting beat by a freshman DT?
Utah's bowl destination could hinge on the kicking game this year. Coach Whittingham wasn't too happy with special teams last week as it was noted by this blog in a earlier post. Those Utah kickers might want to call up that Boise State kicker who missed a FG at Nevada that cost BSU dearly a couple of years back. On the CougarUte Forum, early talk on UNC-Utah focuses on five questions then BYU fans give their Ute counterparts a hard time about losing to CU last season. The same Ute fans are thinking Hays will be the backup QB so Wilson can redshirt. That will all hinge on Wynn's ability to stay healthy.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
UNC-Utah Part II
If anyone has forgotten, this will be on the brand new Pac-12 Network. Did anyone have the chance to watch the Pac-12 Network last night? I didn't have a chance to do so because I might not have the correct basic cable subscription with Comcast but I'm not going to die because I know I will eventually be able to get it. It will take time plus the thought of watching games at Buffalo Wild Wings while eating some wings is still pretty appealing. Speaking of that, it would be a good idea to check with your resturant or bar to see if they carry the Pac-12 Network.
Those spoiled Utes...they made history last year in playing in the first Pac-12 game and now they play in the first Pac-12 Network game. I don't think UNC's fans are complaining either since this means one extra game to watch their team lose like last season...I'm not sure if that really is a benefit to them.
Last Thursday, I did an initial blog on the upcoming UNC-Utah game and I did discuss about who the UNC QB will be but I think everyone would be interested to know who the other players who are capable players. Clarence Bumpas transferred to Greeley from Kansas State and was fourth in FCS football with 145 tackles. He had at least ten tackles in nine out of UNC's 11 games last season. I'm sure the Ute coaches will be keeping an eye on where Bumpas will be but there is another former FBS linebacker that they might want to keep an eye on and that is Leilon Willingham who chose Central Florida over the Buffs but decided to transfer back home and settled on the Bears so he could play right away. UCF is one of those programs that could be a BCS Buster team this coming season before the Golden Knights move to the Big East for the 2013 season. Willingham played in 10 games and started three of them. He also saw some time at Defensive End.
There are some former CU Buffs players who played under Dan Hawkins that are playing at UNC and Seth Lobato isn't the only former Buff on the Bears roster. Will Jefferson played some WR and RB while in Boulder, he didn't do a whole lot but he flashed some big play potential. Quentin Hildreth didn't see much time at CU but led the Bears in rushing last season (388 yards and three TDs) including a career best 117 yards at Colorado State last season. I am not aware of any other former Buffaloes who are playing for the Bears this year. Again, they only showed flashes of potential but couldn't get it together.
I believe UNC will be an improved team this year but the Big Sky Conference is still a solid FCS conference. As a Coloradoan fan, I'd be happy to see the Bears have at least a .500 record this season.
Has UNC played some FBS teams recently? The answer is yes. In 2010, Michigan State rolled to a 45-7 win in East Lansing just after their head coach had a mild heart attack and missed the game. The Spartans were up 35-0 at the half in that game. The Bears had four turnovers with Dylan Orms (his brother is a DB on the CU team) at QB, and only managed 266 offensive yards. Last year they lost 33-12 in Fort Collins against the Rams. The Rams led 28-0 at half-time but the Bears outplayed the Rams in the second half. As we know, CSU wasn't a very good team last year and that is why the Rams have a new head coach this year.
How do I think the Utes will do in the season opener? I think the Utes will play better than they did against Montana State (the Bobcats were picked to win the BSC this year) for certain and I think the Ute offense should be able to top 40 points but 50 might be unlikely given the talent at LB for the Bears. The Bears have given the Bobcats fits ever since joining the Big Sky Conference. If the Utes don't get at least 35 points, that could become a source of concern for the Utes this season.
Two more weeks to go! Did Utes hunt for bear meat in addition to buffalo meat during their heydays?
Those spoiled Utes...they made history last year in playing in the first Pac-12 game and now they play in the first Pac-12 Network game. I don't think UNC's fans are complaining either since this means one extra game to watch their team lose like last season...I'm not sure if that really is a benefit to them.
Last Thursday, I did an initial blog on the upcoming UNC-Utah game and I did discuss about who the UNC QB will be but I think everyone would be interested to know who the other players who are capable players. Clarence Bumpas transferred to Greeley from Kansas State and was fourth in FCS football with 145 tackles. He had at least ten tackles in nine out of UNC's 11 games last season. I'm sure the Ute coaches will be keeping an eye on where Bumpas will be but there is another former FBS linebacker that they might want to keep an eye on and that is Leilon Willingham who chose Central Florida over the Buffs but decided to transfer back home and settled on the Bears so he could play right away. UCF is one of those programs that could be a BCS Buster team this coming season before the Golden Knights move to the Big East for the 2013 season. Willingham played in 10 games and started three of them. He also saw some time at Defensive End.
There are some former CU Buffs players who played under Dan Hawkins that are playing at UNC and Seth Lobato isn't the only former Buff on the Bears roster. Will Jefferson played some WR and RB while in Boulder, he didn't do a whole lot but he flashed some big play potential. Quentin Hildreth didn't see much time at CU but led the Bears in rushing last season (388 yards and three TDs) including a career best 117 yards at Colorado State last season. I am not aware of any other former Buffaloes who are playing for the Bears this year. Again, they only showed flashes of potential but couldn't get it together.
I believe UNC will be an improved team this year but the Big Sky Conference is still a solid FCS conference. As a Coloradoan fan, I'd be happy to see the Bears have at least a .500 record this season.
Has UNC played some FBS teams recently? The answer is yes. In 2010, Michigan State rolled to a 45-7 win in East Lansing just after their head coach had a mild heart attack and missed the game. The Spartans were up 35-0 at the half in that game. The Bears had four turnovers with Dylan Orms (his brother is a DB on the CU team) at QB, and only managed 266 offensive yards. Last year they lost 33-12 in Fort Collins against the Rams. The Rams led 28-0 at half-time but the Bears outplayed the Rams in the second half. As we know, CSU wasn't a very good team last year and that is why the Rams have a new head coach this year.
How do I think the Utes will do in the season opener? I think the Utes will play better than they did against Montana State (the Bobcats were picked to win the BSC this year) for certain and I think the Ute offense should be able to top 40 points but 50 might be unlikely given the talent at LB for the Bears. The Bears have given the Bobcats fits ever since joining the Big Sky Conference. If the Utes don't get at least 35 points, that could become a source of concern for the Utes this season.
Two more weeks to go! Did Utes hunt for bear meat in addition to buffalo meat during their heydays?
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Wednesday August 15 News
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/ua/articles/20120814arizona-footballs-down-dirty-line-heart-offense.html
UA's OL certainly has declawed the new 3-3-5 defense at this point. Given that UA is settled at QB, that might be the problem. Too bad UA doesn't open with NAU this year.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/20120814asu-football-cameron-marshall-limited-rest-of-camp.html
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/20120814asu-football-cameron-marshall-limited-rest-of-camp.html
Cameron Marshall is done being tackled by his teammates perhaps due to his conditioning after ankle surgery. With their expect workhorse RB sidelined for the time being, perhaps the Sun Devils will figure out who the QB is but it has just happened. Taylor Kelly is the QB for now.
http://www.buffzone.com/cu-news/ci_21312410/football-cu-buffs-mcculloch-uses-height-advantage
http://www.buffzone.com/cu-news/ci_21312410/football-cu-buffs-mcculloch-uses-height-advantage
Tall CU WR out of New Mexico learning how to use his body to his advantage. It's amazing that both UNM & NMSU didn't recruit him but the was due to an injury in his senior year of high school.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/54696434-89/utes-defensive-fumbles-whittingham.html.csp
Utah is fumbling the ball in practice and is the unsettled QB situation partly to blame? For a team that is expected to challenge USC for the Sout crown, that will become a nightmare if it doesn't get fixed fast.
CSU-CU Part 1
I'm going to attempt to be objective when it comes to CSU and CU given that I am a CU fan myself but there is no promises in this case but I'll try my best.
I will focus on CSU in this post. The Rams are led by first year coach Jim McElwain who was the offensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban who just won the National Championship. CSU fans who love to drink the kool-aid (I do too) will be giddy that they have a coach who coached a National Championship team. Who would't be giddy in that case? The reality is that CSU is in the Mountain West which would be too great of a barrier at this point and in the future towards a National Championship but the Rams can try to duplicate the greatness of the Sonny Lubbick years. Did you know that McElwain was one of the three finalists for the open CU coaching job that went to Jon Embree? I can only imagine Mike Bohn's agony if CSU wins in Denver this year and will provide fuel for the rabid CU fans to run Bohn out of town sooner than later.
In what seems like perfect timing, Sports Illustrated released an article on why Nick Saban has been successful at LSU and Alabama. McElwain is mentioned in the article but so is former Washington Husky great Don James and former CU coach Eddie Crowder who coached the Buffaloes in the 1960's and 1970's. McElwain is attempting to duplicate what Saban has taught him at a school that has less resources to work with despite strong backing from Jack Graham, the ambitious CSU athletic director who aims to build a new on-campus stadium in Ft. Collin which is something that I personally support despite my disdain for the Rams.
Garrett Grayson is widely believed to be the starting QB for the Rams against the Buffs. In his time as the QB for the Rams, he was 43 of 77 passing for a TD-INT ratio of 2-6 and 542 yards passing. He was sacked eight times and that most likely will be a concern given that the Rams OL gave up 27 sacks in a spring scrimmage (Coach McElwain counted 32!). I'm not sure who the backup QB for the Rams will be but if the OL continues to struggle like that, Grayson might not last the full season. But if you look at the stats posted on the CSU website, Grayson seems to have some potential as he threw for 242 yards against TCU because the Rams didn't give up a sack. He did decent against Air Force despite being sacked four times but he had a dismal performance against Wyoming where he was sacked three times and threw three picks in a 22-19 loss to the hated Cowboys. In McElwain's offense, the idea is for Grayson to be a game manager instead of being a hero and I am not sure where Ram fans will put Grayson in that regard. The good news is that in a recent summer scrimmage, pass protection was better so the CSU OL apparently worked hard over the summer. It doesn't change the fact that the OL will have to open holes for the running game and I would expect the Rams to go after CU's front seven which the Rams didn't do very well against the Buffs last season.
Alabama had some very good RBs while McElwain was in Alabama and the general idea is that good college football teams are able to run the football. It is being stressed in Boulder for the Buffs as well but that's for Part II next week while the focus is on the Ram RBs. It appears that there are injury concerns at RB behind Chris Nwoke, who is believed to be the starting RB. According to the CSU site, Nwoke rushed for 1,130 yards and nine TDs. Grayson appears to be a good running QB and I'm impressed with his stats against Air Force and Wyoming. Despite those seven combined sacks, Grayson still ran for 134 yards on 32 carries which averages 4.19 yards per carry. Grayson didn't play in last year's Rocky Mountain Showdown but Nwoke ran for 29 yards on seven carries in the loss to the "dirty hippies" (as CSU students call CU). Nwoke had a high of 269 games on 29 carries against Air Force for 2 TDs so Nwoke is capable of having a big day on the ground.
I am not too familiar with CSU's passing game but the top two returning WRs when it comes to yardage had zero yards last year against the Buffs. There is also the pass protection issue from the spring game plus Grayson having a 2-6 TD-INT ratio. The CSU OL will be up against an exprienced DE and DT plus some talented newcomers & returning players could make it a difficult against the OL. The WRs are going against a very young group of CBs for the Buffs and at least one CB will be a true freshman making his first collegiate start in an intense game like the RMS. I expect Grayson to go after Yuri Wright or Kennth Crawley, who are both east coast kids with some swagger as it is being said in Boulder.
There are some defensive concerns entering summer camp for the Rams after Mike Orkapo in addition to two other defensive players were kicked off the team for his involvement in an off campus fight that led to serious injuries. Even if those three came back, the question would be how would CSU improve on defense after a season where they gave up 4,959 yards or 413.2 yards per game last season. According to the CSU website, the Rams D yielded 5.5 yards per carry and 11.9 yards per catch and those are not very good stats for any defense since teams could just require two downs to get another first down on the ground while allowing QBs to have 61.8 passes completed against a Rams secondary that is said to be a team strength this year.
For anyone curious about how the CU offense fared against the CSU defense, the Buffs had 360 total yards (145 rush and 215 pass) for an average gain of 5.5 yards against the Rams defense. That was against a more experienced group of skill position players for the Buffs as the Buffs will have new starters at QB, RB, FB, TE, and both WR positions due to the injury of Patrick Richardson in the spring. CU's offensive line is said to be a team strength. We'll see how both teams play soon enough but at the same time, I would expect a sloppy game due to the Rams having a new offense and the Buffs having so many new starters on offense.
I want to cover special teams for the Rams but information is scarce at this point and I will attempt to address that in Part II.
One intangible that I am curious about is whether CSU's President will go ahead with the construction of the on-campus stadium during the week of the RMS to fire up the Rams and their fans & alumni. But recent talk is that decision has been delayed to October so we'll see about that.
One thing won't change and that is the intense hate that both sides have for each other. That's a good reason to tune into FX on the day of the football game. I plan on eating at Buffalo Wild Wings for that game with my wife. I do support eating buffalo burgers since they are healthy. I do have one small request and that is to cut off CAM's balls...people aren't interested in the size of a bighorn ram's balls during a football game.
I will focus on CSU in this post. The Rams are led by first year coach Jim McElwain who was the offensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban who just won the National Championship. CSU fans who love to drink the kool-aid (I do too) will be giddy that they have a coach who coached a National Championship team. Who would't be giddy in that case? The reality is that CSU is in the Mountain West which would be too great of a barrier at this point and in the future towards a National Championship but the Rams can try to duplicate the greatness of the Sonny Lubbick years. Did you know that McElwain was one of the three finalists for the open CU coaching job that went to Jon Embree? I can only imagine Mike Bohn's agony if CSU wins in Denver this year and will provide fuel for the rabid CU fans to run Bohn out of town sooner than later.
In what seems like perfect timing, Sports Illustrated released an article on why Nick Saban has been successful at LSU and Alabama. McElwain is mentioned in the article but so is former Washington Husky great Don James and former CU coach Eddie Crowder who coached the Buffaloes in the 1960's and 1970's. McElwain is attempting to duplicate what Saban has taught him at a school that has less resources to work with despite strong backing from Jack Graham, the ambitious CSU athletic director who aims to build a new on-campus stadium in Ft. Collin which is something that I personally support despite my disdain for the Rams.
Garrett Grayson is widely believed to be the starting QB for the Rams against the Buffs. In his time as the QB for the Rams, he was 43 of 77 passing for a TD-INT ratio of 2-6 and 542 yards passing. He was sacked eight times and that most likely will be a concern given that the Rams OL gave up 27 sacks in a spring scrimmage (Coach McElwain counted 32!). I'm not sure who the backup QB for the Rams will be but if the OL continues to struggle like that, Grayson might not last the full season. But if you look at the stats posted on the CSU website, Grayson seems to have some potential as he threw for 242 yards against TCU because the Rams didn't give up a sack. He did decent against Air Force despite being sacked four times but he had a dismal performance against Wyoming where he was sacked three times and threw three picks in a 22-19 loss to the hated Cowboys. In McElwain's offense, the idea is for Grayson to be a game manager instead of being a hero and I am not sure where Ram fans will put Grayson in that regard. The good news is that in a recent summer scrimmage, pass protection was better so the CSU OL apparently worked hard over the summer. It doesn't change the fact that the OL will have to open holes for the running game and I would expect the Rams to go after CU's front seven which the Rams didn't do very well against the Buffs last season.
Alabama had some very good RBs while McElwain was in Alabama and the general idea is that good college football teams are able to run the football. It is being stressed in Boulder for the Buffs as well but that's for Part II next week while the focus is on the Ram RBs. It appears that there are injury concerns at RB behind Chris Nwoke, who is believed to be the starting RB. According to the CSU site, Nwoke rushed for 1,130 yards and nine TDs. Grayson appears to be a good running QB and I'm impressed with his stats against Air Force and Wyoming. Despite those seven combined sacks, Grayson still ran for 134 yards on 32 carries which averages 4.19 yards per carry. Grayson didn't play in last year's Rocky Mountain Showdown but Nwoke ran for 29 yards on seven carries in the loss to the "dirty hippies" (as CSU students call CU). Nwoke had a high of 269 games on 29 carries against Air Force for 2 TDs so Nwoke is capable of having a big day on the ground.
I am not too familiar with CSU's passing game but the top two returning WRs when it comes to yardage had zero yards last year against the Buffs. There is also the pass protection issue from the spring game plus Grayson having a 2-6 TD-INT ratio. The CSU OL will be up against an exprienced DE and DT plus some talented newcomers & returning players could make it a difficult against the OL. The WRs are going against a very young group of CBs for the Buffs and at least one CB will be a true freshman making his first collegiate start in an intense game like the RMS. I expect Grayson to go after Yuri Wright or Kennth Crawley, who are both east coast kids with some swagger as it is being said in Boulder.
There are some defensive concerns entering summer camp for the Rams after Mike Orkapo in addition to two other defensive players were kicked off the team for his involvement in an off campus fight that led to serious injuries. Even if those three came back, the question would be how would CSU improve on defense after a season where they gave up 4,959 yards or 413.2 yards per game last season. According to the CSU website, the Rams D yielded 5.5 yards per carry and 11.9 yards per catch and those are not very good stats for any defense since teams could just require two downs to get another first down on the ground while allowing QBs to have 61.8 passes completed against a Rams secondary that is said to be a team strength this year.
For anyone curious about how the CU offense fared against the CSU defense, the Buffs had 360 total yards (145 rush and 215 pass) for an average gain of 5.5 yards against the Rams defense. That was against a more experienced group of skill position players for the Buffs as the Buffs will have new starters at QB, RB, FB, TE, and both WR positions due to the injury of Patrick Richardson in the spring. CU's offensive line is said to be a team strength. We'll see how both teams play soon enough but at the same time, I would expect a sloppy game due to the Rams having a new offense and the Buffs having so many new starters on offense.
I want to cover special teams for the Rams but information is scarce at this point and I will attempt to address that in Part II.
One intangible that I am curious about is whether CSU's President will go ahead with the construction of the on-campus stadium during the week of the RMS to fire up the Rams and their fans & alumni. But recent talk is that decision has been delayed to October so we'll see about that.
One thing won't change and that is the intense hate that both sides have for each other. That's a good reason to tune into FX on the day of the football game. I plan on eating at Buffalo Wild Wings for that game with my wife. I do support eating buffalo burgers since they are healthy. I do have one small request and that is to cut off CAM's balls...people aren't interested in the size of a bighorn ram's balls during a football game.
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