StarkVegasSteve
09-21-2025, 10:26 AM
Another great day of college football yesterday. Started it with a mimosa and Arkansas/Notre Dame and ended with a vodka drink and USC/Michigan St.
1. After last year, I will never again be unhappy about a win. We also have now doubled our win total from last year, and I made a little change when our season win total over hit yesterday so that never hurts. Saying all that, we definitely have plenty that needs to be cleaned up.
2. I thought Shapen was up and down. He didn?t make any mistakes and he took what they gave him when he tucked to run it, but he missed 2-3 deep balls that could?ve put the game on ice a lot earlier. He is going to have to be at his best next week and be ready for a shootout.
3. A great day for the running attack, and Fluff Bothwell specifically. I thought he ran hard and really took what they gave him. Also thought he caught the ball well out of the backfield. Loved what I saw out of Xavier Gayten and I think he is going to be special for us. It seems like he had supplanted Daniels for RB3. We are going to have to get Booth going and more involved. He found the end zone a couple of times yesterday so hopefully that will facilitate a good week for him next week.
4. I was slightly disappointed in our WR corps yesterday. I do not necessarily think they played bad, but we just couldn?t not find the big play. We barely missed a couple of big ones to Thompson. I also thought we probably expanded the rotation yesterday to give Thompson and Evans a break of sorts. Still need Aydin Williams to step up. He had one catch again but we really need him to break out next week and have 3-4 and get some YAC.
5. Our TEs are bad. They provide nothing in the blocking game and the PFF numbers bear that out. Seydou is ok in the pass game but the rest are nothing burgers.
6. Our OL was iffy at best yesterday. We are still having trouble picking up delayed blitzes and really need to settle on a LG because Luke Work is not it. He was our worst graded player yesterday and you did not need the PFF numbers to see that.
7. DL was pretty good in not letting them establish a run game. No one had over 50 yds for them and if you take away that one long run they rushed 25 times for under 100 yds.
8. LBers were the LBers. I think Jalen Smith is finally starting to figure it out and I think he will have a good week next week. This group is going to have to come to play next week. Tennessee is going to put our LBers in coverage and try to expose them.
9. Our secondary was just ok. Jett Jefferson obviously was not fully healthy and they exposed him a few times. Kelley Jones got beat a couple of times, deep one time, as well but their QB just could not capitalize. I have been continually impressed with Jayven Williams. We need to continue to find him snaps. Next week will be the biggest test yet for this group. I thought Issac played really well and finally got an INT. He played that ball perfectly and looked like an NFL safety on that one. He and the rest of the safeties have to come to play next week.
10. We HAVE to clean up the penalties. 11-103 yesterday is just inexcusable. Luke Work was a regular offender but Hunter Washington also got a stupid ass unsportsmanlike.
11. Ferrie was good and Pulliam was good. The rest?.yikes. Please for the love of god roll with Pulliam at P from here on out.
12. Next week is just as big, if not bigger than Arizona St. Make no mistake there will be more than a few people watching to see if AZ State was just a fluke or if we are really improved and have taken the next step. Win Saturday and the hype train will be in overdrive.
Bring em and ring em next week #HailState
1. After last year, I will never again be unhappy about a win. We also have now doubled our win total from last year, and I made a little change when our season win total over hit yesterday so that never hurts. Saying all that, we definitely have plenty that needs to be cleaned up.
2. I thought Shapen was up and down. He didn?t make any mistakes and he took what they gave him when he tucked to run it, but he missed 2-3 deep balls that could?ve put the game on ice a lot earlier. He is going to have to be at his best next week and be ready for a shootout.
3. A great day for the running attack, and Fluff Bothwell specifically. I thought he ran hard and really took what they gave him. Also thought he caught the ball well out of the backfield. Loved what I saw out of Xavier Gayten and I think he is going to be special for us. It seems like he had supplanted Daniels for RB3. We are going to have to get Booth going and more involved. He found the end zone a couple of times yesterday so hopefully that will facilitate a good week for him next week.
4. I was slightly disappointed in our WR corps yesterday. I do not necessarily think they played bad, but we just couldn?t not find the big play. We barely missed a couple of big ones to Thompson. I also thought we probably expanded the rotation yesterday to give Thompson and Evans a break of sorts. Still need Aydin Williams to step up. He had one catch again but we really need him to break out next week and have 3-4 and get some YAC.
5. Our TEs are bad. They provide nothing in the blocking game and the PFF numbers bear that out. Seydou is ok in the pass game but the rest are nothing burgers.
6. Our OL was iffy at best yesterday. We are still having trouble picking up delayed blitzes and really need to settle on a LG because Luke Work is not it. He was our worst graded player yesterday and you did not need the PFF numbers to see that.
7. DL was pretty good in not letting them establish a run game. No one had over 50 yds for them and if you take away that one long run they rushed 25 times for under 100 yds.
8. LBers were the LBers. I think Jalen Smith is finally starting to figure it out and I think he will have a good week next week. This group is going to have to come to play next week. Tennessee is going to put our LBers in coverage and try to expose them.
9. Our secondary was just ok. Jett Jefferson obviously was not fully healthy and they exposed him a few times. Kelley Jones got beat a couple of times, deep one time, as well but their QB just could not capitalize. I have been continually impressed with Jayven Williams. We need to continue to find him snaps. Next week will be the biggest test yet for this group. I thought Issac played really well and finally got an INT. He played that ball perfectly and looked like an NFL safety on that one. He and the rest of the safeties have to come to play next week.
10. We HAVE to clean up the penalties. 11-103 yesterday is just inexcusable. Luke Work was a regular offender but Hunter Washington also got a stupid ass unsportsmanlike.
11. Ferrie was good and Pulliam was good. The rest?.yikes. Please for the love of god roll with Pulliam at P from here on out.
12. Next week is just as big, if not bigger than Arizona St. Make no mistake there will be more than a few people watching to see if AZ State was just a fluke or if we are really improved and have taken the next step. Win Saturday and the hype train will be in overdrive.
Bring em and ring em next week #HailState