Two random things about last night...

[CadaverDawg]

Me and a buddy were discussing the game/team/coaches last night after the game, and 2 things came up that I thought were interesting and wanted to get the board's thoughts. They are random, so feel free to expand.

First off, Mullen said post game that Bell had made 27/28 (I think)of his practice field goals this week, so he had been improving. My question was, why in the name of Sly Croom, is bell only attempting 28 field goals in practice each week when he is the worst FG kicker statistically in the country? If we have a Ray guy nominated kicker in Swedenburg...we shouldn't even know how good Bell can punt, because his ass should be kicking FG's the entire practice. But I may be crazy to think that maybe Bells problem is that he isn't practicing enough to get better.

And secondly (credit to AugustaDawg)....
When they were showing replays of some of our pass plays, like the one with Malcolm's TD, and a few others....we only had 1 WR running hard on each of those plays and actually TRYING to get open. What is that all about? It's as if we only have one receiver in mind as an option for each pass play. How does that happen? Regardless, it is a major problem. Either the receivers are taking plays off when they don't think they will receive the pass, or the coaches are designing plays with only a player or two in mind as an option. But again, it looked awful, and I would be pissed as a QB if Malcolm was dropping 3 passes per game AND half assing the routes where he isn't the #1 option.

I may be reading into both of these things too much, but I just thought everything else had pretty much been covered, so I wanted to discuss some not so urgent matters.

Fire away

[FISHDAWG]

First off, Mullen said post game that Bell had made 27/28 (I think)of his practice field goals this week, so he had been improving. My question was, why in the name of Sly Croom, is bell only attempting 28 field goals in practice each week when he is the worst FG kicker statistically in the country?

he should be kicking at least 28 attempts per DAY .. not per week

[fishwater99]

First off, Mullen said post game that Bell had made 27/28 (I think)of his practice field goals this week, so he had been improving. My question was, why in the name of Sly Croom, is bell only attempting 28 field goals in practice each week when he is the worst FG kicker statistically in the country?

he should be kicking at least 28 attempts per DAY .. not per week


That has to be with the special teams unit as a whole. I am sure he is kicking way more than that...

[Ronny]

..Josh Freeman is not a NFL QB & will keep Tampa Bay in the shitter as long as he is allowed to play, the same rule of thumb applies to Devon Bell who does not belong on a D1 football field.

[chef dixon]

About the receivers not running hard, I think we are just way too watered down at that position right now and guys just aren't feeling like they are playing an important role when they get out there.

[HereComesTheSpiral]

..Josh Freeman is not a NFL QB & will keep Tampa Bay in the shitter as long as he is allowed to play, the same rule of thumb applies to Devon Bell who does not belong on a D1 football field.

Do you mean Freeman with the Vikings?

[RougeDawg]

About the receivers not running hard, I think we are just way too watered down at that position right now and guys just aren't feeling like they are playing an important role when they get out there.

They are taking the mentality of the head coach. He takes plays and series off, so why are we surprised that players loaf on oksya?

[ckDOG]

That has to be with the special teams unit as a whole. I am sure he is kicking way more than that...

Yeah, it has to be live special team drills with pressure. He has to be getting in hundreds of reps each week of just kicking with the holder.

27/28 is damn good in practice. 1) I don't believe it. 2) Who gives a shit? Rotate the kickers until we have a guy that makes one in a game. He gets the job until he misses one. Rotate until you find a guy that's mentally tough to make one in a live setting. This is ridiculous.

[Todd4State]

Dan also told an announcer that Bell had a range of something like 65 yards. What it comes down to is Dan is enamored with his leg strength. And now that it's not working out, Dan is going to keep doing it until it does work out to prove us wrong. Because you know- what the hell do us rednecks know about kicking a football?

[MarketingBully01]

Couldn't it also be because they are all young and freshmen? Could have something to do with it.

For the kicking point, I would have scrapped Bell and let the other kid kick because A) it's against Kentucky and B) you are playing at home. Why waste cycles on someone who IMO is not getting any better. That 47 yard try wasnt even close. He has had a decided effect on four of our games which we are 2-2 in (Kentucky and BG are the wins).

Now if we choose to go in a new direction, we have to bring a kid along on the road. Not the best of situations to be in but hey I don't get paid $2.7 million to make an obviously easy choice that would improve our football team at least by 20%. That shit is just terrible.

[SallyStansbury]

Dan also told an announcer that Bell had a range of something like 65 yards. What it comes down to is Dan is enamored with his leg strength. And now that it's not working out, Dan is going to keep doing it until it does work out to prove us wrong. Because you know- what the hell do us rednecks know about kicking a football?

Dan is enamored with Dan, and Dan is never wrong*.

Dan gave a scholarship to Bell, Bell is obviously the best talent/kicker because Dan gave him a scholarship, to use the other kicker would be admitting that he missed on a scholarship for a kicker. Dan is never wrong*. What we have is failure to execute.....

This would be exactly like Croom giving the scholarship to the roided out long snapper kid, forgive me the name escapes me, but assume that instead of being good like he actually was.....just say he sucked, and that Croom kept him in there because he was smart enough to give a scholarship to a long snapper*, nevermind that the kid kept snapping it over everyone's head or F-ing up. Dan's stubborn behavior is very Croom-like. Will it take a 45-0 style beat down turd-layin to fix this? Who knows?

[pdawg10msu]

..Josh Freeman is not a NFL QB & will keep Tampa Bay in the shitter as long as he is allowed to play, the same rule of thumb applies to Devon Bell who does not belong on a D1 football field.

freeman is with the vikings but we get your point

[CadaverDawg]

Couldn't it also be because they are all young and freshmen? Could have something to do with it.


Geez Louise.

Does it take being older to run hard now? Holy shit.

[Tbonewannabe]

Jackie, Marlin. Croom, Carlson. Mullen, Bell. What is it about MSU coaches and shitty kickers.

[Johnson85]

Carlson is not like the others. Carlson's problem was he didn't have the leg. He had a good year and a bad year, but the main problem is he was asked to do more than he could.

The only thing Bell is missing is between the ears (or maybe he needs less between the ears so he will stop thinking as much). Supposedly Marlin was the same way. Allegedly would kickoff through the endzone in practice and then not be able to make it inside the ten in games. It's a lot easier to believe with Bell since he is at least kicking the ball a long way, but that's what I always heard about Marlin.

[Dawg61]

..Josh Freeman is not a NFL QB & will keep Tampa Bay in the shitter as long as he is allowed to play, the same rule of thumb applies to Devon Bell who does not belong on a D1 football field.

Answer honestly. When's the last time you watched a full NFL game?

[bulldawg28]

Jackie, Marlin. Croom, Carlson. Mullen, Bell. What is it about MSU coaches and shitty kickers.

Jackie had Westerfield...aka automatic.

[Tbonewannabe]

Westerfield graduated in 2000. His last kicker was marlin.

[Tbonewannabe]

Croom had Andrews on the bench. He had a good leg and seemed to be benched because he was a Jackie recruit.

[hells bells]

Good point. Hope the fish, first fire and adult beverage was most excellent from your post early Thursday. My drive/arrive run to game/stay to end was exhausting with kids. But, for the kids, me included.

[t45fixer]

You bring up a good point cadaver, only one of the guys in the five wide would run a route everyone else quit. in three wide the same thing only one running a route and perkins was the safety valve in the screen.