Jersey Scrimmage Breakdown & Play-by-Play

[osugrad21]

CPD

4/9

Buckeyes defense a big hit in taking jersey scrimmage



Sunday, April 09, 2006 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Brian Hartline caught the ball and was crunched before he could see who was coming.
Mike Roberts destroyed the sophomore receiver, the crack of the pads filling a nearly empty Ohio Stadium during the jersey scrimmage on Saturday that in some ways is the most important measuring stick of Ohio State football's spring practice.
It was a third-string cornerback taking down a third-string receiver. But most of the defense poured onto the field, chasing Roberts toward the end zone while hooting and hollering their celebrations and congratulations. That drew a penalty from the officials working the scrimmage, and defensive coordinator Jim Heacock chastised his players for their excessive behavior.
But the message of the day was clear. After two weeks of practice, the Buckeye defense is sharper than one might expect in replacing nine starters, while the Buckeye offense is a bit off-kilter with a lot of veterans.
The defense won the scrimmage, 69-68, in a scoring system that rewards the offense for touchdowns, first downs and yardage and the defense for turnovers and stops, a system that lends itself to offensive victories. Coach Jim Tressel believes it's the first scrimmage win for the defense since the fall of 2003, and it means the defenders will now wear the cherished scarlet jerseys during practice.
But hits like Roberts', the four turnovers, several fumbled snaps while working in new centers Jim Cordle and Tyler Whaley, and starting receiver Anthony Gonzalez's inability to remember the touchdown he caught after suffering a concussion, indicated how much the windy two-hour session belonged to the defense.
"It's a huge deal," said quarterback Troy Smith, who completed 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards, one touchdown and one interception. "I take these scrimmages pretty seriously. It's practice, but it's a pride thing, and the defense did a great job today. Getting your butt whipped is not a good feeling, I don't care whether it's the regular season or practice or a jersey scrimmage. It doesn't feel good. So you come out the next day with a dedicated emphasis."
Gonzalez, still woozy after standing on the sideline wearing a headset for the final two-thirds of the game, in some ways saw this coming.
"Coming into today, the defense had actually probably gotten the best of us a little bit, and it kind of manifested itself on the field today," he said. "Our defense is doing a lot better than people may have thought."
Among the standouts on defense was linebacker Ross Homan, who enrolled in January and will be a freshman in the fall. He picked off a pass from fourth-string quarterback Robbie Schoenhoft, was part of a huge one-on-one collision with fellow freshman-to-be running back Chris Wells - which had to be ruled a draw - and was otherwise around the ball. His play caused Smith to invoke the ultimate compliment - a comparison with A.J. Hawk, who will be a first-round NFL draft pick in three weeks.
"Ross shows glimpses of A.J.," Smith said. "He has a quiet presence about him, and it's the way he's around the ball and makes things happen."
High praise. But it only made sense to remember last year's defensive star on a day when Ohio State football, unexpectedly, was all about defense.



CPD

4/9

Ten things I think about... OSU jersey scrimmage



Sunday, April 09, 2006

Columbus -- Ten things worth noting from the Ohio State football team's Saturday morning jersey scrimmage:
1. Let's start with the basics. Here's who opened the scrimmage as the first team offense: Troy Smith (QB), Maurice Wells (TB), Stan White Jr. (FB), Ted Ginn Jr. (WR), Anthony Gonzalez (WR), Rory Nicol (TE), Steve Rehring (LT), Jon Skinner (LG), Tyler Whaley (C), T.J. Downing (RG), Tim Schafer (RT).
2. And the first line of defense for the first series: Jay Richardson (DE), David Patterson (DT), Joel Penton (DT), Alex Barrow (DE), John Kerr (MLB), James Laurinaitis, (OLB), Marcus Freeman (OLB), Malcolm Jenkins (CB), Antonio Smith (CB), Jamario O'Neal (SS), Nick Patterson (SS).
3. Projected or potential starters who sat out Saturday with various injuries: Antonio Pittman (TB), Doug Datish (C), Kirk Barton (RT), Quinn Pitcock (DT) and Mike D'Andrea (LB). And Alex Boone, who had been named the starting left tackle, has been moved to the second team, an obvious punishment for being picked up on a DUI charge. He may he there for a while.
4. We know you can't wait any longer, so he's the story on running back Chris Wells, the Buckeyes top recruit who enrolled for the spring semester so he could join the team early. With starter Antonio Pittman sidelined, running backs Wells (19 carries, 94 yards), Maurice Wells (12 carries, 44 yards) and Erik Haw (14 carries, 93 yards) all looked good. Haw broke a 71-yard touchdown with a nice cutback move. Chris Wells showed vision as well, making the corner for a 20-yard run and ripping off another 26-yard gain called back by holding. "He's very patient for a younger guy," coach Jim Tressel said. "I was very impressed with his patience in waiting for things to develop. He's got a ways to go in the passing game and all that stuff, but we're throwing a million things at him and I'm very pleased. He's shining pretty good." Pittman breaks a lot of tackles for a 195-pound guy, but it's not hard to see the different part of the game the 225-pound Wells offers the Buckeyes. A lot of carries seemed to end with an extra yard gained on his strength.
5. A position opened by graduation that's as crucial as any the Buckeyes are trying to fill is the kicker spot so ably manned in the recent past by Mike Nugent and Josh Huston. Right now, sophomore Ryan Pretorius from South Africa is first on the depth chart, followed by freshman Aaron Pettry from Kentucky. With the scrimmage tied, Pretorius had a 58-yard try blocked to end it and give the defense the win, but both showed decent legs in a sometimes difficult wind. Pretorius made a 47-yarder and missed a 40-yarder, while Pettry was good from 26, 41 and 42 yards and missed a 43-yarder.
6. So we're straight, here's the current depth chart at linebacker. Middle linebacker has John Kerr followed by Chad Hoobler and Austin Spitler. Weakside linebacker is Marcus Freeman followed by Ross Homan and Ryan Lukens. Strongside backer is James Laurinaitis followed by Curtis Terry and juco transfer Larry Grant. Mike D'Andrea is a wildcard with his injuries. And Laurinaitis did see some time at middle linebacker in certain sets. Kerr, along with defensive tackle David Patterson, were the most vocal leaders on the defense.
7. Other defensive players who stood out: Vernon Gholstson at second-team defensive end, who forced his way into the backfield several times; second-team linebacker Curtis Terry, who also lined up at defensive end in some formations and forced a fumble by Chris Wells; defensive back Kurt Coleman, another recruit in early for the spring who had a sack and some plays in pass defense; and backup safety Anderson Russell, who was all over the field.
8. There were no developments in the race to be the No. 3 quarterback now and the early leader for starting quarterback in 2007. Troy Smith and Justin Zwick, Nos. 1 and 2 now, will be gone then, but neither sophomore Todd Boeckmen (9-of-18 passing for 88 yards) nor freshman Rob Schoenhoft (10 of 25 for 77 yards and one touchdown) were sharp, throwing behind and short of receivers in the wind.
9. About 250 fans watched the scrimmage, invited after paying $49.95 to become insiders on Jim Tressel's Web site, www.coachtressel.com. One of them wore a short sleeve Buckeye T-shirt and must have lost his elbows to frostbite.
10. Tressel has heard the outcry from some fans who aren't liking the new jerseys unveiled on Wednesday. He's not worried about it, but he was a bit surprised. "[There was] a lack of knowledge when some people spouted off about what we've had and what we haven't had," Tressel said. "Probably in the last 20 years we've had four or five different stripings and pipings and that kind of thing. Coach Hayes used to say, ‘Whether they're talking good or talking bad, keep them talking.'"
— Doug Lesmerises

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

4/9

OSU FOOTBALL
Defense shows its tough, soft sides
Unit wins scarlet practice jerseys from veteran-laden offense
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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Whoops and shouts cut through the chilly breeze in Ohio Stadium as a dozen or so players streamed onto the field to slap the helmet or bump chests with Ohio State cornerback Mike Roberts.
Roberts had just leveled receiver Brian Hartline during the Buckeyes’ jersey scrimmage, and the defensive sideline erupted.
Penalty flags flew for excessive celebration and the voice of defensive coordinator Jim Heacock roared above the din. He wasn’t happy at a loss of yardage that, in the fall, could make the difference in a close game.
But that snippet neatly summed up the day. The Buckeyes defense was athletic, enthusiastic and aggressive, forcing five turnovers and making enough plays to win back the scarlet practice jerseys 69-68.
But the defense is also young and made some mistakes.
"We just got a little over-excited," defensive end Vernon Gholston said. "It’s something we’ve definitely got to work on, but we were just competing and guys weren’t thinking."
Although a one-point win is not a blowout, it must be considered an upset because the offense returns eight starters from last season and the defense just two.
There was intense competition to fill those spots on defense, as seen by the number of young players who stood out.
Here is an unofficial list of players who made at least an eye-opening play (a turnover, sack, tipped pass or hard hit): Ross Homan, Antonio Smith, Anderson Russell, Todd Denlinger, James Laurinaitis, Jamario O’Neal, Gholston, Lawrence Wilson, Alex Barrow, Jay Richardson, Roberts, Marcus Freeman and Andre Amos.
None of those 13 started in the regular season last year.
"It was good, hard work and good, physical, competitive kids," coach Jim Tressel said. "They want to be good. They want to uphold the tradition of excellent Ohio State defense."
Barrow recovered a fumble caused when Richardson hit quarterback Troy Smith. The defensive line chased down quarterbacks throughout the game and forced numerous bad passes.
"It was a good day for all of us," Barrow said. "A lot of us hadn’t been able to compete full-go (in a) competitive atmosphere, so this was good for the coaches to see what we can do and try to get in good with the coaches.
"We’ve just got to figure out who our best guys are, work hard all through the off-season, and I think we have a good opportunity to be as good as we were last year."
The offense likely struggled because it was missing starters Doug Datish and Kirk Barton on the line and because of the cold and wind, which appeared to cause some passes to flutter.
But Smith still was not happy.
"Getting your butt whipped is not a good feeling," he said. "I don’t care whether it’s a regular day of practice or a jersey scrimmage, it doesn’t feel good."
The offense scored three touchdowns, a 14-yard pass from Smith to Anthony Gonzalez, a 9-yard pass from Rob Schoenhoft to Dan Potokar and an Erik Haw 71-yard run.
Tailbacks Maurice Wells, Chris "Beanie" Wells and Haw had their moments looking impressive in the absence of starter Antonio Pittman (hamstring).
Schoenhoft threw two interceptions, to Amos and Homan. Russell stripped the ball from Beanie Wells and recovered the fumble. Barrow recovered another fumble, as did an undetermined player who jumped on a dropped snap.
Three new kickers combined to go 4 of 7 on field goal attempts. Aaron Pettrey was 2 of 3, first-teamer Ryan Pretorius 1 of 3 and Andrew Good 1 of 1.
Pretorius’ second miss was a 58-yard attempt on the final play. It was blocked, giving the defense one point for a stop and the victory.
[email protected]

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

4/9

OSU FOOTBALL | NOTEBOOK
Gonzalez hopes concussion won’t harm grades
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez was knocked into the strange world of a concussion yesterday, and he didn’t like it.
He suffered it during the jersey scrimmage in Ohio Stadium and is out of spring drills indefinitely. The junior could not recall the hit, nor that he had made a leaping grab of a 14-yard pass from Troy Smith for one of the offense’s three touchdowns.
But he could remember the last time he suffered a concussion.
"Sixth grade," Gonzalez said.
He made a self-diagnosis as he paced the sideline after his touchdown.
"He came up to me and said, ‘I think I have a concussion. I can’t really remember what’s going on,’ " Smith said. "I told him, ‘Just get a granola bar and sit down. It’s OK.’ "
Gonzalez has more on his mind than football. A philosophy major, he had a 4.0 gradepoint average in the winter quarter and is vying to be named a Rhodes scholar.
"To be honest, the thing I’m most worried about is this affecting my school," Gonzalez said. "Other people I’ve talked to who have had this happen say they had their worst quarters right after it."
He knows why.
"Long-term memories, they’re fine," Gonzalez said. "Shortterm, you really don’t have them."
A run to remember

With No. 1 tailback Antonio Pittman out because of a pulled hamstring, his three primary competitors — sophomores Maurice Wells and Erik Haw and freshman Chris "Beanie" Wells — got in for plenty of action. Haw had the biggest play, turning a toss right into a 71-yard touchdown run.
Haw said he doesn’t mind if he has become the forgotten man at tailback.
"I’m going to go hard regardless, even if LaDainian Tomlinson is here," Haw said. "I don’t try to focus on the next man or knock the next man. It’s just the competition is going to make a lot of the backs better."
Haw had 12 carries for 90 yards, Chris Wells 20 for 76 yards, Maurice Wells 13 for 49 and Joe Gantz 8 for 21.
Mixing dots and stripes

During the 155-play scrimmage, the blustery conditions made passing an adventure, not to mention the mix-and-match No. 1 line. The line is supposed to have three starters back, but two of them, right tackle Kirk Barton and probable center-/former left tackle Doug Datish, sat out for precautionary reasons. Projected starting left tackle Alex Boone, who was cited for drunken driving after a two-car accident a week ago, toiled with the second team.
That left only returning starter T.J. Downing at right guard and left guard Steve Rehring from the projected No. 1 unit, and Rehring played left tackle. Joining them were Jon Skinner at left guard, Tyler Whaley at center and Tim Schafer at right tackle.
Linebacker U . reloads

The Buckeyes lost all three 2005 starting linebackers, including All-American A.J. Hawk, but they still showed depth yesterday. The No. 1 unit was Marcus Freeman, John Kerr and James Laurinaitis, but Curtis Terry, Chad Hoobler, Austin Spitler, freshman Ross Homan and junior-college transfer Larry Grant were among those who rotated through.
Two of them in particular caught Smith’s eye, starting with Grant.
"It’s his presence he brings to the field, he has an attitude about himself, a linebacker’s attitude that I think we’re going to need," Smith said. "And to me, Ross shows glimpses of A.J. There is a quiet presence about him, he is always around the ball, and he makes things happen. . . . It’s early, but I think those are going to be the guys that step up."

 

[Buckin' A]

http://www.theozone.net/football/2006/Springball/jerseyscrimmagerumblings.htm


Football

Jersey Scrimmage Rumblings
By Tony Gerdeman
The number one thing that I am going to take away from the jersey scrimmage is my extremities, because it got so cold for a while that I was afraid I was going to lose them.​

The second thing that I am taking away from the scrimmage is that this defense is far from decimated.
The third thing I'm taking away from the game is a new appreciation for the stocking cap.
Those are the main points that I wanted to get across to you.
Here are some others...

The Offense:​

The phrase "the tip of the iceberg" gets thrown around a lot, but where it concerns the offense, today Coach Tressel only displayed the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg. There weren't really any option plays. There was virtually no downfield passing, though the quarterbacks rarely had time to look. And with Troy Smith wearing a black "no contact" jersey, he basically played with two legs tied behind his back.
Quarterbacks:
Troy Smith - He was hampered by having to play two-hand tap (actually "one-hand tap" bordering on "no-hand tap") against the defense. He wasn't very accurate today, and he admitted that he didn't have a very good game. Of course, most series saw rotating quarterbacks, so there's really no way to gain a rhythm. The thing that separates Smith from most other quarterbacks is his ability to pick up the 3rd down with his feet. That was pretty much eliminated once he pulled the black jersey over his head.
Justin Zwick - Zwick made a couple of nice throws, but for the most part his passes were low and behind the receivers. There isn't a lot to say about the quarterbacks. In fact, these last two sentences were complete filler.
Todd Boeckman - Boeckman also made a couple of nice throws and showed good mobility during his all-day chase from the defensive line. On one such scramble for safety, defensive tackle Todd Denlinger chased Boeckman to the sideline where linebacker Chad Hoobler hit him late and out of bounds and subsequently received a 15 yard personal foul. Say what you want about Boeckman, but one way or another he keeps the drive alive. Though if he continues to do it in that manner, keeping the drive alive may be a secondary concern.
Rob Schoenhoft - Every time I've seen Schoenhoft, I've been impressed by his mobility in the pocket as well as out of it. You only need to watch him throw once or twice to know he has an arm, but his mobility isn't always as apparent. Today he had several sidesteps to avoid the rush and actually showed an ability to get around the corner like Craig Krenzel used to.
Running Backs
Maurice Wells - Wells started with the first team offense and looked very impressive running between the tackles. He looks to be more adept at finding the holes. He has also gotten noticeably stronger, even moving a pile or two. The coaches will find ways to get him involved come September.
Chris Wells - Wells fumbled two or three times on the day, and I'm sure that that's what the coaches are going to focus on with him. Aside from the fumbles (as if there were such a thing), Wells looks the part of a prototypical big back. He had a couple of lengthy runs. One being about 25 yards and another of about 37 yards. The latter got called back, but it was still impressive because it showcased Wells' ability to get to the corner and get by those that wish to do him harm. Where Wells excelled was falling forward. Most of the time, because of his strength and momentum, he would gain an extra yard before giving in to the defense. He may not have any 80 yard runs this season, but he is a guy that can be given the ball eight straight times on a drive and be responsible for 80 yards the hard way.
Erik Haw - Haw had the run of the day with his 71 yard touchdown. The run started to the right, and as soon as he got through the defensive line, he cut back to his left. He avoided three or four guys, got to the sideline and outraced defensive back De'Angelo Haslam, who had the angle. He is also adept at falling forward and getting an extra yard where he can.
Stan White Jr./Dionte Johnson - The fullbacks weren't really a giant part of the offense today. There was some I-Formation, but not a ton. They weren't really involved with the ball and were mostly out there to block and wave their arms in the flats.
Receivers:
Ted Ginn - Ginn didn't play a huge role in the offense today, only having a few catches. He did run an end around in which he threw a pass--it wasn't a shining moment for Ginn. Ginn did get behind the defense on a few quarterback scrambles, but due to the wind, the quarterbacks were unable to connect with him.
Anthony Gonzalez - Gonzo had a great touchdown grab, snagging a high hard one from Troy Smith in the end zone. On the catch, however, Gonzalez got concussed and his day was pretty much over.
Brian Robiskie - I have Robiskie in this slot over Roy Hall simply because he played before Roy Hall did. Don't read anything into it. Unless you want. If you ask Troy Smith, he'll tell you that there may not be a better set of hands on the team than Robiskie's. The thing that Robiskie does better than anybody is that he can catch the nine-foot high 84 mph fastball in traffic and not get destroyed while doing it.
Roy Hall - Hall was mixing in with the ones and twos throughout the game. You know what you're going to get with Roy. He's going to catch the ball and look to physically dissuade a tackler. The one play that keeps coming to mind regarding Roy was not a good one for him, however. He ran a sideline pattern, but dropped the ball. As he did so, Jamario O'Neal unleashed the fury that some strong safeties are wont to do. He put Hall on the ground right in front of the defense and the defense exploded in "good jobs" and "way to go's"...or something to that effect.
Brian Hartline - I'm guessing Hartline was the leading receiver, as he worked with the twos and threes. He just has a knack for finding the open spaces and getting the ball. He does leave himself open for some nice hits from the defense, but he showed some toughness today by bouncing up quickly and jogging back to the sideline. I was hoping to see Hartline thrown to down the sideline, but there were virtually no deep passes thrown that didn't involve a defensive breakdown.
Albert Dukes - Dukes was also working with the twos and threes. He had a nice grab of about twenty-five yards in between the safety and corner on the sideline.
Rory Nicol - Nicol was working with the ones, but I don't recall him with many touches. The one interesting aspect of the tight end play was that they were lining up out wide in three-receiver sets. He also was able to keep his blocks long enough to allow the running backs to get by him when necessary.
Marcel Frost - Frost was with the twos and had a couple of catches. Nothing spectacular. He also lined up wide several times.
Offensive Line:
Steve Rehring - Rehring started with the ones at left tackle. It was not his best day, but then again, he was a left guard a few days ago. The defensive ends were in the backfield all day long, if that's any indication. Of course, the line as a whole was pretty patchwork, as T.J. Downing was the only first teamer in his normal position.
Alex Boone - Boone was the 2nd team left tackle. He was hot and cold. There were instances when he was keeping his man ten yards away from the quarterback. There were also instances where he wasn't. I'm guessing he's been through a lot this week and that may have hampered his performance today. He and Todd Denlinger got into a little shoving match during the scrimmage, as Boone showed a bit of a mean streak today.
Jim Cordle/Tyler Whaley - There were bad snaps galore today. In a day of makeshift offensive lines, the defensive line came out victorious.
T.J. Downing - Downing was fine today. He did do some talking, however. At one point in the scrimmage, and with his offense trailing, Downing, who was taking a series off, spotted Rob Sims on the opposite sideline hanging out with the defense. Downing yelled at Sims asking him what he was doing over there. Sims pointed up at the jumbotron and responded with, "Scoreboard."
Tim Schafer - Schafer started at right tackle today. As was mentioned earlier, the defensive ends and rush linebackers were wreaking havoc all day.
Jon Skinner - Skinner played quite a bit today and rotated in with the ones and twos.

The Defense: ​

Well, the defense may have lost nine starters, but the returning guys are just as mean and just as angry. And just as fast. They also looked to be more focused on creating turnovers. The defensive line won the game today, but they had some help from the secondary. There weren't too many guys beating the defensive backs. In fact, they only let receivers get behind them maybe four or five times, and those were mostly on broken plays and scrambles. There are a lot of quality players vying for only a few spots. I think it's safe to assume that whoever wins the jobs, will be sufficiently qualified to be dubbed "Silver Bullets".
Defensive Line:
Alex Barrow - After today, this is the new address on the front of Alex Barrow's ValPak coupon book:
Alex Barrow
The Backfield
Columbus, OH 43210
Barrow has a relentless knack to get by his man and send the quarterback in search of safety. And when he didn't get by his man, it was usually because his jersey was being grabbed. Barrow was working with the ones today and he should be expected to be in the immediate rotation come September.
Vernon Gholston - Gholston was also with the ones today, and played the part. He put pressure on both Zwick and Smith. He looks completely healthy and ready to contribute in a big way in 2006.
Lawrence Wilson - Wilson didn't play very much today, and didn't do so until late. It looked like he was having problems getting loose. I can't say that I blame him, I'm still a little tight and I've been inside for about six hours now.
Jay Richardson - Richardson was yet another defensive end that had a good game. In fact, I don't believe there was anybody on the defensive line that had a "bad" game. In fact, Richardson won the game when he blocked Ryan Pretorius' 58 yard field goal attempt on the last play of the scrimmage.
David Patterson - Patterson christened the scrimmage with a quick sack on Smith. That kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.
Quinn Pitcock - Did not play.
Joel Penton - Penton was his typical self. Solid. Reliable.
Todd Denlinger - He was working with just about all of the teams today. And he made plays no matter who he was matched up against. He was held a couple of times. He frustrated the linemen constantly. He seemingly impressed the coaches so much that he was in on the final drive of the scrimmage.
Nader Abdallah - Abdallah surprised me today. He was in the backfield several times. He was mixing in with the twos some and the threes mostly.
Juan Garnier - When everybody is asking, "Who's 96?", that's gotta be a good thing, right?
Linebackers:
Anthony Schlegel - That's "Coach Schlegel" to you. He was helping the linebackers down on the field. Schlegel was resplendent in his sweatpants, flannel and boots. Oh, and headset.
Marcus Freeman - Freeman was relatively quiet. He was relaying the defensive calls. He worked mostly on the weak side, but also some in the middle. He did knock David Patterson out of the game while both were going for a tackle. To me, it was the hit of the game.
John Kerr - Kerr started with the ones in the middle. He had several "perfect" tackles, where he met the ball carrier head-on and stopped them where they stood.
James Laurinaitis - Laurinaitis was the other starter. He also dropped down to rush end on passing downs. Later in the game, he also played some middle linebacker.
Curtis Terry - Terry was working with the twos mainly, and some with the ones. Look for that to continue. He was all over the ball today. People talk about defenders coming to the ball with bad intentions, I bet even Terry's good intentions will push you down the stairs. When he hit the ball carrier, he stuck to them and took them to the ground. He can deliver a hit. Just ask Chris Wells, who fumbled due to one of Terry's intentions.
Ross Homan - If you're okay with the new jerseys and want to beat everybody to the punch, go get yourself a 51 jersey. Homan was with the twos today, working the weak side. He also played the middle and baited a quarterback into an easy pick. He had several tackles that had the sidelines jumping. He also had a nice collision with Chris Wells, though Chris won that battle. Consider it a freshman reenactment of Bo Jackson over Brian Bosworth, but this time there was no touchdown and Bosworth actually got the tackle. And if you don't believe me, the next time you see Troy Smith, ask him what he thinks about Homan.
Larry Grant - Grant started out with the threes, but mixed in with the twos throughout the scrimmage. He reminds me a bit of Curtis Terry right now, but he still has a ways to go. But he's only been here for a little bit, so there is a learning curve. Grant also played some rush end and was, at times, unbelievably fast around the edge. He is also a deliverer of bad news to the ball carrier. He makes sure they get the message.
Chad Hoobler - Hoobler was working with the twos and threes. He was the second middle linebacker in. He was also working outside. His most (in)famous play was the personal foul on Boeckman mentioned above.
Austin Spitler - Spitler was working with the threes, though I don't recall him making too many plays. Don't take that as a harbinger of things to come, however, because Troy Smith didn't make too many plays today, and we all know what he's capable of.
Cornerbacks:
Malcolm Jenkins - You didn't really see Jenkins involved in too many plays today. That's a good thing.
Antonio Smith - Smith was with the first team today, and he looked good. He reminded me of a poor man's Antoine Winfield with dreads. He had some very nice tackles today.
Andre Amos - Amos was working with the twos. He had some stiff hits today as well. He also had an interception on a Boeckman scramble. Boeckman, who apparently thought Albert Dukes was going to be able to get out of his curl quicker than he did, threw it right to Amos. He does not appear to be a corner that shies away from contact. He seems to look for it.
Donald Washington - Washington was also with the twos to open up. I don't really recall too much stuff going his way, either.
Kurt Coleman - Coleman was with the threes. He made some nice plays. He had some nice hits as well. If he's the fifth best cornerback on this team, you should smile.
Mike Roberts - If Freeman had the hit of the day, Roberts had the tackle of the day. While he was covering Brian Hartline, Hartline caught the ball and as soon as he did, Roberts was on him, picking him up and dropping on the ground right in front of the defense's sideline. The defense went crazy and got penalized for excessive celebration. If you ask me, however, that was a bogus call. What's wrong with fifteen defenders leaving the sidelines jumping around and celebrating from the thirty yard line to the end zone for twenty-five seconds? C'mon.
Sirjo Welch - Welch was also with the threes as the game progressed. He didn't get too involved today, but they never really went his way.
Safeties:
Nick Patterson - Patterson opened up at free safety with the ones. He was solid and involved in numerous piles.
Jamario O'Neal - O'Neal was also with the ones. He had a couple of tackles near the line of scrimmage where he would somehow squeeze through blockers and take the runner's legs out. He's going to light some people up this season. Be ready.
Brandon Mitchell - Mitchell was with the twos today. I don't really remember too much coming from him, but it may have been because he was overshadowed by...
Anderson Russell - (Excuse me while I get into full gush mode.) For me, Russell was the story of the scrimmage. He had some very nice tackles, he defended a couple of passes (or dropped them, if you're a pessimist) and scooped up a Chris Wells fumble. Russell was everywhere the ball was. He is a playmaker, and it was apparent from about his third snap.
Devon Lyons - Lyons was working with the threes. There wasn't really a lot to report.
Curt Lukens - Lukens was the third strong safety in. He had a decent hit or two. (How's that for analysis.)

Special Teams:​

The was no punting today, just field goals and extra points.
Ryan Pretorius - He was the first kicker in and showed some leg strength but was a bit inconsistent on accuracy. However, when Coach Tressel decided to go for a 58 yard field goal to win the game, he called on Pretorius. That has to mean something.
Aaron Pettrey - Pettrey was very impressive today. He looked to be a bit more accurate today and the field goals that he made were good by plenty.
I think that's about it. The score was not indicative of the decisiveness of this win for the defense. Who gives points for first downs, anyway?


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[crazybuckfan40]

Anthony Schlegel - That's "Coach Schlegel" to you. He was helping the linebackers down on the field. Schlegel was resplendent in his sweatpants, flannel and boots. Oh, and headset.

He was too far away to be able to recognize him, but I was wondering what coach was wearing farmer like clothes with a head set on.

 

[jwinslow]

haha that was him? Hilarious.

btw, I disagree that coleman is not big enough, he had some extremely strong tackles (where he grabbed the WR and ripped them down). He may not be ready to start, but I do not think he is undersized for his position.

 

[RLC65]

I remember thinking Boone was going to have pass protection problems when watching the Army All Star game last year. I was hoping a year of experience would have found him improving at that aspect.
Go Bucks!

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I remember thinking Boone was going to have pass protection problems when watching the Army All Star game last year. I was hoping a year of experience would have found him improving at that aspect.
Go Bucks!

Yeah he still has a lot of work to do, but if he is able to get that first hit and get into his guy he is ok. The way they were beating him, was by pure speed around his outside shoulder. Also this year it would help b/c if they try to blitz Smith like that he can easily step up inside that and Booney can push him out. Swick and Boeckman were just standing in the pocket too long yesterday.

Another thing of note that I found interesting was how many times we went to shotgun two backs with 3 WR. I know I didnt see that formation last year. We usually ran it with a rb and a fb, but sometimes a TE in the slot.

But my thought was what if they would put Beanie and Pitt in there, and the teams would have to respect option either way, unlike when Pitt is lined up on the right there is a good chance the option is going to the right.

 

[osugrad21]

Another thing of note that I found interesting was how many times we went to shotgun two backs with 3 WR. I know I didnt see that formation last year. We usually ran it with a rb and a fb, but sometimes a TE in the slot.

That is the new fad in football courtesy of Rich Rodriguez. Read option.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

That is the new fad in football courtesy of Rich Rodriguez. Read option.

I can't even imagine the possibilities with Smith Pittman and Wells/Wells/Haw in the backfield. It is a great formation for us and we clearly didnt show much out of it besides passing plays.

Also no option was run all day yesterday, which is our bread and butter.

Another thing I like is the Shotgun Heavy as I call it with the two TE, rb, and 2 receivers out wide.

The possibilities are endless with our talent and depth at every position.

 

[BearBuck27]

That is the new fad in football courtesy of Rich Rodriguez. Read option.

Dennis Franchione and aTm ran this formation with that same option up and down on Texas last year.

 

[barlow1802]

Also no option was run all day yesterday, which is our bread and butter.

I dont know that i agree with this.. the option always made me nervous.. i can think of a few that when we ran it i thought, 'great play call.' and even then it wasn't executed perfectly.

I would say our bread and butter was the option pass.. but maybe we didnt run it enough for it to be a bread and butter play.. did we a single play or a group of plays we could rely on last year?

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I dont know that i agree with this.. the option always made me nervous.. i can think of a few that when we ran it i thought, 'great play call.' and even then it wasn't executed perfectly.

I would say our bread and butter was the option pass.. but maybe we didnt run it enough for it to be a bread and butter play.. did we a single play or a group of plays we could rely on last year?

We went to the option alot, but most of the time Smith held on to it. If you remember we were having troubles scoring in the redzone early in the year, and then we started using the option and Smith scored on it quite a few times, and then when we continued to use it that is what made the option pass so effective.

 

[Oh8ch]

First, kudos to Winslow et al for the thread.

My initial excitement at hearing the inexperienced D had beaten the heralded O has certainly been tempered as I read more about the constraints that the Offense was operating under. But that is OK, because that is what this scrimmage was all about. Not who can execute complex schemes, but who can go out mano-a-mano and make plays.

What does excite me is that on the D not only were we making plays, but so many people were making plays. I was always confident we could field a solid D in the fall, but was concerned that we would not have the depth to cover the inevitable injuries. That concern has been mitigated.

Now we just have to wait until fall to find out who has the football sense to execute defensive schemes against skilled O-Coordinators on the other side and not have to go back and pick up their jocks after each play. Experienced players alwasy talk about the game 'slowing down' as their understanding of what is happening on each play becomes second nature to them. No way is the game going to be moving in slow motion for our Defense when we travel to Austin. We will play hard and hit hard, but we will make mistakes and get burnt long from time to time early in the year. If our O can cover for those mistakes in the early games - and I am betting they can - it will be a sweet season.

Also, I know we sound like homers when we say that a kid must be a stud or JT wouldn't have offered him, but that is simply the truth. Just look at the list of relatively unheralded players (Robiskie, Russel, Jenkins, Terry, Barrow, Rehring) who are preparing to join the ranks of Sims and Hawk as kids the recruiting services felt might be a reach for a major program.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

First, kudos to Winslow et al for the thread.

My initial excitement at hearing the inexperienced D had beaten the heralded O has certainly been tempered as I read more about the constraints that the Offense was operating under. But that is OK, because that is what this scrimmage was all about. Not who can execute complex schemes, but who can go out mano-a-mano and make plays.

What does excite me is that on the D not only were we making plays, but so many people were making plays. I was always confident we could field a solid D in the fall, but was concerned that we would not have the depth to cover the inevitable injuries. That concern has been mitigated.

Now we just have to wait until fall to find out who has the football sense to execute defensive schemes against skilled O-Coordinators on the other side and not have to go back and pick up their jocks after each play. Experienced players alwasy talk about the game 'slowing down' as their understanding of what is happening on each play becomes second nature to them. No way is the game going to be moving in slow motion for our Defense when we travel to Austin. We will play hard and hit hard, but we will make mistakes and get burnt long from time to time early in the year. If our O can cover for those mistakes in the early games - and I am betting they can - it will be a sweet season.

Also, I know we sound like homers when we say that a kid must be a stud or JT wouldn't have offered him, but that is simply the truth. Just look at the list of relatively unheralded players (Robiskie, Russel, Jenkins, Terry, Barrow, Rehring) who are preparing to join the ranks of Sims and Hawk as kids the recruiting services felt might be a reach for a major program.

Yeah I agree that you have to look for indiviudual performances in games like this and not the team as a whole, and I agree with you about the depth. It just seemed to me as I was trying to narrow things down into starters and things of that there is still alot of competition to be held b/c all these guys are good, not just a couple of them.

I also couldnt agree more on your last paragraph. I think we have the best talent evaluators and some may not how they take a while to evaluate guys and send out offers at what seems to be a very slow pace at times, but they get more out of the unhearlded guys than anyone in the country.

I mean our main competition for Russell was Duke, b/c no one was recruiting him until we found him.

Also Robiske and Washington who everyone was calling reaches and just fillers are turning out to be very good. I know they probably werent the highest guys on our board, but the staff knew that they could play and have both been very pleasant suprises.