I made a conscientious decision last night to stay away from the message boards and blog writing until I cooled off. I feel much better now, but am still a little bitter about the play of our defense.
I'll start with this thought- 49 points to an Auburn team that scored only 3 against us last year?
Wow, we are in some trouble. I never would have thought Auburn would hang half a hundred on us. None of our fans would. Nor would our coaching staff, or players. That's not a good sign.
Thought #2- 390 rushing yards?
Another wow. Auburn doesn't even have the best rushing attack we will face this season.
Thought #3- Is our defensive coordinator too blind to make adjustments?
Carl Torbush stuck with a 3-man front much of the night and played a zone secondary allowing Auburn to pick us apart, at will.
I'll elaborate on #3 first. Torbush flat out choked on his first big test. In no way is Auburn's offense that much better than our defense. However, their offensive schemes were much better than our defensive schemes. We know that we're not the most talented at corner. But dropping back in zone coverage is not the answer. At least it's not the answer without an effective pass rush. If we're going to try a cloud defense, we have to put substantial pressure on the quarterback so he doesn't have time to find the holes in our secondary. Our safeties are above average. They can make up for the corners mistakes if the corners get burnt. But to give our secondary a chance, we must make the opposing quarterback make bad decisions. We have to put him on the run. We have to get him rattled.
We lost all depth in our defensive backfield from last year. However, we upgrading our D-line. On the defensive side of the ball, our most depth is on the defensive front. Why, then, are we playing 3 guys up there? Stack the box. At least run a 4 man front, maybe a five man. Prevent the run with a strong front 7. We know our linebackers are better than they played last night.
The scheme had a little to do with their "bad" game. We can go, virtually, 8-deep on the d-line without giving up much. Rotate those 8 guys to stay fresh. Let our three good linebackers back them up. Mix in some blitz packages, PLEASE!
Going back to thought #1. If anyone had told me that we would put 24 points on the board against Auburn, I would have predicted a win. It is simply inexcusable for us to give up 49 points. They seemingly picked up positive yardage, every play. Never did I feel like we were going to stop them. Completely different from the same game a year ago. Yes, they have a new offensive coordinator. One with a passing background, though. Gus Malzahn does not make a 46 point difference in one season. There are growing pains in learning a new system. Heck, ask our offense. The mis-direction worked great for them. Faked me and the camera man out every 3 or 4 plays. Torbush has to get this figured out. We have a similar offense to scheme against for next week. I expect, no demand, a much improved performance. Giving up 400 yards rushing is not going to cut it.
Which brings me back to thought #2. Auburn has no where near the best rushing attack we'll face this season. Vanderbilt's may be better. Vandy has a very mobile QB along with very agile running backs. The same scheme as this week will not work, and we will be torched for half a thousand yards of offense again if adjustments aren't made. Georgia Tech has the best rushing offense in the country. Think we saw mis-direction last night? Wait til the Yellow Jackets' triple-option attack comes to Starkville.
If we don't find a pass rush soon then we will have a loss on HOMECOMING! Houston has one of the premier passing offenses in the country. Ask Oklahoma State about it. Houston went into Stillwater and upset the #6 Cowboys yesterday, hanging 45 points on them. Think we're as good as OK State? Not even close. Middle Tennessee State beat Memphis by hanging 30+ points on the scoreboard. If Torbush doesn't find a system that works or learn to make halftime adjustments then we're in for a long season. We won't be favored in another game this season if he doesn't make adjustments.
Understand this. I'm not upset at the players at all. They simply ran the defense they were told to run. This is on the defensive coordinator. No wonder Texas A&M fired him. I'm not fully on his case or his removal yet. But a few more performances like last night and a change will need to be made... Mid-season if need be. We have talent on defense. We just need a system that they can succeed in.
Now, to contradict myself, we do need some playmakers to step up. If the system is changed, then guys like Zach Smith and Charles Mitchell will need to make plays. Big, fumble causing hits. Athletic interceptions out of nowhere. Big pass breakups. Touchdown saving tackles. They can't get lost in all the ground they have to cover. They have to make up for the lacking talent at corner. Another guy that has to step up and make plays is Pernell McPhee. For all the hype surrounding his signing, it is a necessity for him to wreak havoc on the opposing quarterback. That's why he is here. Of course, that is more likely to happen if and when Torbush changes his system and runs one we can be successful in.
Our defense is good enough to not give up more than 35 points the rest of this season. To give us a chance to win they need to hold opponents under 30. Carl Torbush, this all falls on your shoulders.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
13-10? C'mon now...
While doing my daily roundabouts on Six Pack, Bulldawg Junction, and Gene's Page, I came across a post (from a user that I will leave anonymous) that was predicting the score of the opener against JSU. HER honest to God prediction was that we would win 13-10. Now, I'm a pessimist myself, but that's going a tad bit overboard.
I'm not a feminist. But it was a woman that predicted that. I understand that women can love sports, too. But, that proves they don't have the same capacity for understanding the ins and outs of the world of college football like us men do. Much the same way I am about fashion, interior design, and PMS.
In defense of her, I will say that as a State fan, she has a right to think that. And I see where she's coming from. Hell, after 5 years of Croom I'm nervous about this game too. The truth of the matter is that we SHOULD not struggle with JSU. Not saying it won't happen. We'll cover the reasons for her misunderstanding first.
Point 1. We did once lose to Maine in football, not hockey. Couple that with losses to the likes of Troy State, Tulane, Houston twice (three times after this season), La Tech, and UAB. I can see the womanly reason for doubt against JSU. However, each of those teams I just named would soundly beat JSU by 3 or 4 touchdowns. SWAC football is no where near close to C-USA or the WAC. Jackson State did get pummelled by Delta State just 2 seasons ago. They will not stand a chance against an SEC program, even a bottom tier one like us.
Point 2. Croom. After watching the train wreck offense we ran under that buffoon, I can see the reason for doubting us to score less than 14. However, even the Croomster himself could manage 40-45 points against JSU. Add in the fact that we have a head coach now that understands, at least, the basic principles of offense, we should hang half a hundred or more on these guys.
Point 3. She is a woman. She doesn't understand the differences in levels of talent between D-1A and D-1AA. Much less between the SEC and the SWAC. JSU's best 2 players are transfers from, well, Mississippi State. And one of them isn't able to play the first game. The other would be 4th on our depth chart at quarterback.
Anyway, enough bashing that poor poster. She now knows, I think. Now on to my prediction...
First off, if we struggle with JSU, meaning win by less than 2 or 3 touchdowns, then that will be the only game we win all year. If we beat them by less than 7, it may as well be a loss. If we lose, I will not attend another game this season and will seriously recommend we give up football. This game should not even be close. Maine would beat JSU by 4 or 5 tds. I mean Delta State slobberknocked them.
For once, I think we might beat a D-1AA team soundly like the LSUs and Floridas do. I'm talking by 50 or so. In all seriousness, we should score as many as we want and they should score as many as we want them to have. Mullen should be able to choose a score and our guys go out there and make him a prophet. No way does this compare to the La Tech game from last year. Tech would put 35 to 40 up on JSU and would hold JSU under 10.
The main reason we will win, and win by many, is simply talent. JSU might have 4 or 5 guys that would make our travel roster. That's it. They aren't an Appalachian State. (As a matter of fact, if we were playing App State, I would predict a loss.)
We won't use everything we've got. Mullen will/should hold some stuff back to keep off film for the next few opponents. Starters should be out of the game with 7 or 8 minutes left in the third. The second team should hold JSU at bay for a while and, perhaps, put up a few scores themselves. Finally, in the fourth we will see some of our touted freshman class finish it out with a score or two.
We will be winning by the score of 31-0 at halftime (31-3 barring a fumble on our opening drive because of jitters). Tyson will have a career day, throwing for 3 TDs and somewhere around 220 yards. Elliot and Ducre will each have a score and about 50 yards each. Elliot's TD will be a run of 40 or more yards. Charles Mitchell will have a pick and a decent return or 30 or so yards. Pernell McPhee and Sean Ferguson will each have a sack. While Chris White earns his stripes with a huge hit on a JSU slot receiver running a slant route. We should be able to pull the starters midway through the 3rd while up 45-3. After Relf and Russell get some reps and Choo Choo gets his swag on, we should win somewhere around 59-6. I'll give Rutland a long pass into our redzone against our 3rd string corners to set up that last field goal. Frosh d-end Fletcher Cox will record 2 sacks in the fourth to signal to the student section that it's time to leave. That's about it.
Now I want y'all to understand that this blowout will not be something to get too excited about. JSU really is nothing at all to what we will be facing the rest of our home games. Mississippi would put up 80 on the Tigers. We aren't near as good as them. This blowout is simply just the start of a 5 win season for us. And, for the record, everything I said in my prediction is simply what SHOULD happen. Now if we have about 6 or 7 ACLs torn in the first quarter, ole girl's prediction up there may come true, or close. Fact of the matter is, we will not lose to Jackson State. With or without AD. Even with Croom as coach, we might could win by 3 touchdowns.
I'm not a feminist. But it was a woman that predicted that. I understand that women can love sports, too. But, that proves they don't have the same capacity for understanding the ins and outs of the world of college football like us men do. Much the same way I am about fashion, interior design, and PMS.
In defense of her, I will say that as a State fan, she has a right to think that. And I see where she's coming from. Hell, after 5 years of Croom I'm nervous about this game too. The truth of the matter is that we SHOULD not struggle with JSU. Not saying it won't happen. We'll cover the reasons for her misunderstanding first.
Point 1. We did once lose to Maine in football, not hockey. Couple that with losses to the likes of Troy State, Tulane, Houston twice (three times after this season), La Tech, and UAB. I can see the womanly reason for doubt against JSU. However, each of those teams I just named would soundly beat JSU by 3 or 4 touchdowns. SWAC football is no where near close to C-USA or the WAC. Jackson State did get pummelled by Delta State just 2 seasons ago. They will not stand a chance against an SEC program, even a bottom tier one like us.
Point 2. Croom. After watching the train wreck offense we ran under that buffoon, I can see the reason for doubting us to score less than 14. However, even the Croomster himself could manage 40-45 points against JSU. Add in the fact that we have a head coach now that understands, at least, the basic principles of offense, we should hang half a hundred or more on these guys.
Point 3. She is a woman. She doesn't understand the differences in levels of talent between D-1A and D-1AA. Much less between the SEC and the SWAC. JSU's best 2 players are transfers from, well, Mississippi State. And one of them isn't able to play the first game. The other would be 4th on our depth chart at quarterback.
Anyway, enough bashing that poor poster. She now knows, I think. Now on to my prediction...
First off, if we struggle with JSU, meaning win by less than 2 or 3 touchdowns, then that will be the only game we win all year. If we beat them by less than 7, it may as well be a loss. If we lose, I will not attend another game this season and will seriously recommend we give up football. This game should not even be close. Maine would beat JSU by 4 or 5 tds. I mean Delta State slobberknocked them.
For once, I think we might beat a D-1AA team soundly like the LSUs and Floridas do. I'm talking by 50 or so. In all seriousness, we should score as many as we want and they should score as many as we want them to have. Mullen should be able to choose a score and our guys go out there and make him a prophet. No way does this compare to the La Tech game from last year. Tech would put 35 to 40 up on JSU and would hold JSU under 10.
The main reason we will win, and win by many, is simply talent. JSU might have 4 or 5 guys that would make our travel roster. That's it. They aren't an Appalachian State. (As a matter of fact, if we were playing App State, I would predict a loss.)
We won't use everything we've got. Mullen will/should hold some stuff back to keep off film for the next few opponents. Starters should be out of the game with 7 or 8 minutes left in the third. The second team should hold JSU at bay for a while and, perhaps, put up a few scores themselves. Finally, in the fourth we will see some of our touted freshman class finish it out with a score or two.
We will be winning by the score of 31-0 at halftime (31-3 barring a fumble on our opening drive because of jitters). Tyson will have a career day, throwing for 3 TDs and somewhere around 220 yards. Elliot and Ducre will each have a score and about 50 yards each. Elliot's TD will be a run of 40 or more yards. Charles Mitchell will have a pick and a decent return or 30 or so yards. Pernell McPhee and Sean Ferguson will each have a sack. While Chris White earns his stripes with a huge hit on a JSU slot receiver running a slant route. We should be able to pull the starters midway through the 3rd while up 45-3. After Relf and Russell get some reps and Choo Choo gets his swag on, we should win somewhere around 59-6. I'll give Rutland a long pass into our redzone against our 3rd string corners to set up that last field goal. Frosh d-end Fletcher Cox will record 2 sacks in the fourth to signal to the student section that it's time to leave. That's about it.
Now I want y'all to understand that this blowout will not be something to get too excited about. JSU really is nothing at all to what we will be facing the rest of our home games. Mississippi would put up 80 on the Tigers. We aren't near as good as them. This blowout is simply just the start of a 5 win season for us. And, for the record, everything I said in my prediction is simply what SHOULD happen. Now if we have about 6 or 7 ACLs torn in the first quarter, ole girl's prediction up there may come true, or close. Fact of the matter is, we will not lose to Jackson State. With or without AD. Even with Croom as coach, we might could win by 3 touchdowns.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Buehrle's "Perfecto" was special to watch
This time of year really is a slow time in the world of sports. College football has yet to even start practice. SEC Media Days does, however, provide those of us that feel football deprived a little something to chat about. NFL players have yet to report to training camp. Though, there's plenty of "hooplah" surrounding Big Ben, OchoCinco, and T.O. to keep NFL junkies busy. The only thing going on is Major League Baseball. So, on this slow Thursday in the sports world I turned all of my attention to the Day Games on TV.
I watched my Atlanta Braves blow a game against Barry Zito and the Giants. A game that could have and should have been won if not for little league mistakes by a certain few players. The Braves had been hot. Heck, they still can be considered hot as it was just their 2nd loss since the All-Star break. Still, every loss hurts when the Phillies are on fire. Not to mention the Phils are on the brink of maybe landing Roy Halladay for the rest of the season.
To get to my point. On what I thought would be a very boring Thursday laying on my couch, watching the Braves, and recovering from meltdown mode after hearing about the recent transfer rumors surrounding our football team, something amazing happened. I keep up with the Rays quite well because they are my 2nd MLB team. While keeping track of them on MLB.com, I noticed that through 5 innings they had no hits, no runs, no walks, and had reached on no errors. The boys from the South Side of Chicago were up 5 to 0 and one Mark Buehrle had a perfect game going. It really isn't that rare to see a guy working perfect to 3 or 4 or maybe 5 innings every now and then. But I kept watching and the Rays went down 1, 2, 3 in the sixth, too. Again in the 7th. Finally, with the Braves seemingly out of the game, I switched the channel over to ESPN who had live coverage of the White Sox/Rays when Buehrle was pitching. With two outs in the top of the eighth Pat Burrell lined a frozen rope that landed just an inch or two foul down the 3rd base line. Causing me and the 30,000 plus watching at U.S. Cellular Field to gasp for air. Burrell then lined out to end the inning, securing the perfect game through 8. After an uneventful bottom of the eighth, Buehrle threw a 2-2 fastball to Gabe Kapler. I thought it was over. That is until ChiSox CF Dewayne Wise went way up over the centerfield wall and brought it back to preserve the shutout, no-no, and perfect game. The catch was miraculous. Everyone in the stadium thought it was gone, including Buehrle himself. Wise bobbled the ball while falling to the warning track before he finally secured it in his left throwing hand. I jumped off the couch cheering for what was, is, and will be one of the greatest catches of all time. The feat wasn't complete yet. Buehrle battled back from a 3-1 count to strike out Michel Hernandez. Then, on the verge of history, got Jason Bartlett to ground into a 6-3 putout that had to be nerve-racking for White Sox shortstop Alexi Ramirez.
Watching Buehrle and his teammates dog pile on the mound provided a aesthetic experience for me. You can't help but cheer for a guy on verge of such an achievement. The last 2 perfect games I witnessed live on television. Both times against one of my teams. Both times I cheered for the opposing pitcher. When Randy Johnson threw his perfecto against the Braves in 2004 I was standing in my living room cheering as he struck out Eddie Perez to secure his place in pitching immortality. Today, I cheered for Mark Buehrle as he set down my Rays in order. 27 up, 27 down. I feel that I more or less cheer for the game of baseball, rather than cheering against my team.
These storybook moments live in baseball history forever. These moments are the reasons that baseball is and forever will be America's Past-time. "Heroes will be remembered. But legends never die." The legends of past generations will never pass. The Cy Youngs, Honus Wagners, Christy Mathewsons, Ty Cobbs, Joe Jacksons, Babe Ruths, Lou Gehrigs. Those names will never be forgotten. Baseball has always been here. Baseball will always be here. On the long days of summer when seemingly nothing else is going on in the world of sports, there's always that day game. One of those day games just provided my generation with a legend that will be remembered decades from now. I mean, think about it. In 130+ years of professional baseball there have been a total of 18 perfect games thrown. Eighteen. The rarity of that accomplishment is what makes baseball America's game.
I watched my Atlanta Braves blow a game against Barry Zito and the Giants. A game that could have and should have been won if not for little league mistakes by a certain few players. The Braves had been hot. Heck, they still can be considered hot as it was just their 2nd loss since the All-Star break. Still, every loss hurts when the Phillies are on fire. Not to mention the Phils are on the brink of maybe landing Roy Halladay for the rest of the season.
To get to my point. On what I thought would be a very boring Thursday laying on my couch, watching the Braves, and recovering from meltdown mode after hearing about the recent transfer rumors surrounding our football team, something amazing happened. I keep up with the Rays quite well because they are my 2nd MLB team. While keeping track of them on MLB.com, I noticed that through 5 innings they had no hits, no runs, no walks, and had reached on no errors. The boys from the South Side of Chicago were up 5 to 0 and one Mark Buehrle had a perfect game going. It really isn't that rare to see a guy working perfect to 3 or 4 or maybe 5 innings every now and then. But I kept watching and the Rays went down 1, 2, 3 in the sixth, too. Again in the 7th. Finally, with the Braves seemingly out of the game, I switched the channel over to ESPN who had live coverage of the White Sox/Rays when Buehrle was pitching. With two outs in the top of the eighth Pat Burrell lined a frozen rope that landed just an inch or two foul down the 3rd base line. Causing me and the 30,000 plus watching at U.S. Cellular Field to gasp for air. Burrell then lined out to end the inning, securing the perfect game through 8. After an uneventful bottom of the eighth, Buehrle threw a 2-2 fastball to Gabe Kapler. I thought it was over. That is until ChiSox CF Dewayne Wise went way up over the centerfield wall and brought it back to preserve the shutout, no-no, and perfect game. The catch was miraculous. Everyone in the stadium thought it was gone, including Buehrle himself. Wise bobbled the ball while falling to the warning track before he finally secured it in his left throwing hand. I jumped off the couch cheering for what was, is, and will be one of the greatest catches of all time. The feat wasn't complete yet. Buehrle battled back from a 3-1 count to strike out Michel Hernandez. Then, on the verge of history, got Jason Bartlett to ground into a 6-3 putout that had to be nerve-racking for White Sox shortstop Alexi Ramirez.
Watching Buehrle and his teammates dog pile on the mound provided a aesthetic experience for me. You can't help but cheer for a guy on verge of such an achievement. The last 2 perfect games I witnessed live on television. Both times against one of my teams. Both times I cheered for the opposing pitcher. When Randy Johnson threw his perfecto against the Braves in 2004 I was standing in my living room cheering as he struck out Eddie Perez to secure his place in pitching immortality. Today, I cheered for Mark Buehrle as he set down my Rays in order. 27 up, 27 down. I feel that I more or less cheer for the game of baseball, rather than cheering against my team.
These storybook moments live in baseball history forever. These moments are the reasons that baseball is and forever will be America's Past-time. "Heroes will be remembered. But legends never die." The legends of past generations will never pass. The Cy Youngs, Honus Wagners, Christy Mathewsons, Ty Cobbs, Joe Jacksons, Babe Ruths, Lou Gehrigs. Those names will never be forgotten. Baseball has always been here. Baseball will always be here. On the long days of summer when seemingly nothing else is going on in the world of sports, there's always that day game. One of those day games just provided my generation with a legend that will be remembered decades from now. I mean, think about it. In 130+ years of professional baseball there have been a total of 18 perfect games thrown. Eighteen. The rarity of that accomplishment is what makes baseball America's game.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
It's July, and I'm still not in football mode,
What is wrong with me? Usually, at this point of summer I'm begging for the start of football season. I am usually arguing with my Mississippi buddies on how we will get them in the Egg Bowl this year. Usually talking about which top recruits are going to make an impact this season. I ponder on which game will be our big upset. I'm working with numbers in my head to figure out which combination of wins and losses will get us to bowl eligibility. I am usually wondering how bad LSU will beat us this year. None of that is going through my head this July. Honestly, I'm just ready for November. Not for the Egg Bowl, not for Bowl eligibility, not for a big upset over the Tide. Simply put, I'm ready for basketball.
Not that I'm totally against the start of football season. I do hold hope like most fans. Something I wouldn't have if we had the same man pacing the sidelines as we did last year. Coach Mullen does give me a little optimism for years to come. Just not this year. Not with this schedule. Not with this offensive line. Not with the same ole 5 and a half foot quarterback. I'm a realist folks. I know that we simply don't have the talent to match up week in and week out in a conference the Detroit Lions would struggle with week in and week out.
I do think that we will see vast improvement in all three phases of the game. Offensively we should put up more yards and points. We should have more entertaining games than the 3-2 shootouts of our last coaching regime. The spread offense CDM has put in will help our weak offensive line. It will keep the defense on its toes. And, hopefully, we will be able to put a good enough product on the field to let Mr. Russell redshirt, saving him for some good years down the road. Defensively we should have a much improved in pass rush and better core group of linebackers. Our secondary definitely took a hit with the loss of Pegues, Fitz, Glanton, O'Quinn, etc. Our defensive line will surprise some folks, though. We will have to rely on that to help our inexperienced secondary out against the more pass heavy teams. On special teams we will see the most improvement. (Poor Croom just had no idea here. All fingers point to the Keith Andrews/Adam Carlson debacle here. Along with the 4th and 4 from the Georgia 27 with 2 minutes to go and down 3 points, "let's punt".) We finally have a consistent place kicker and an all-american punter. Hell, if we had had that last year we would have gone bowling.
Even with some positives, we have to look at the whole big picture. Yes, we will be better because we now have a coach with a higher football IQ than my girlfriend. But, everyone else around us will be better, too. Our schedule is not easy. Arkansas will be better, LSU will find a QB, Auburn has plenty of talent, we go to a strong Vandy team, we go travel to Commonwealth to play a decent UK team. Who does that leave? Oh yeah, 3 home games. Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Well, there's some good news. More on that in a minute.
To the games I think we should win. Jackson State- We should win this game by 5 or more touchdowns. Anything less than that is a loss. For no reason should a Div. 1AA SWAC school come in and beat us. Especially one just 2 years removed from a loss to Delta State. Houston- I don't care that they beat us by 70 points once. I don't care that they beat us every time we've played them this decade. They're still a C-USA team and if we're ever going to compete on a national level we have to beat these teams on a consistent basis. While I think we should win this game, I don't know that we will. That's what the Croom years did to my confidence. More of the same goes for the game at Middle Tennessee State. Do not even get me started on why we are traveling up to Murphreesboro for a football game. Some of Larry Templeton's dumbass moves are still haunting us. This is a trap game. We did not totally dominate them last year. We will be the biggest home game in the history of their football program, much like La Tech last year. The Blue Raiders will be up for this one. Still though, we should win. However, like I previously stated, I don't have any confidence when I say that. We might lose.
That leaves Georgia Tech as the only opponent not mentioned thus far. I expect them to come to Scott Field and totally dominate us much like they did last year. They have one of the best coaches in college football with Paul Johnson. They use a run-heavy offense that torched us for nearly 500 rushing yards last year. Mark it down. We won't even be in this game at half-time. Be ready for an early exit to the Junction for some happy times with Jack, Jim, and Crown.
I expect us to win 4 games this year. Too much newness and not enough talent to break through like the rebels did last year. I expect a year much like Arkansas had last season. Lots of ups and downs, maybe an upset win over a big opponent. In fact, that is my prediction. 4-8 with wins over J-State, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and.... wait for it.... LSU. We will finally get over the hump and beat the Bayou Bengals for the first time since our magical 1999 campaign.
While this seems very pessimistic, I'll admit that it is. That's the way I am about football right now. Glass half empty. I can't be any other way. All of that centers around my hatred for Mississippi. I can't get up for our football season because I know how good theirs is going to be. The rebels are gonna be good folks, really good. This is their year. All the stars have aligned for them. I am drinking the red and blue kool-aid much like all the national sports media. They have the quarterback. They have the coach. They have the schedule. They need only win 2 tough home games against LSU and Bama and they're packed for Atlanta. At which point their run should end against Tebow and the Gators, but who knows? Strange things happen in championship games. Nonetheless, this is the year of the rebel. The year they have been waiting for since 1963. Mark this down too. The rebels will win the West and go to Atlanta. I don't know what will happen from there. I expect the rebels to play in the Sugar Bowl, no less. With some luck in early December, they might play for it all. I hope and pray that I eat my words for this, but I just don't see it happening. I'll elaborate more on that later.
When I get around to it I'll go through my full predictions for each game this season. Hopefully, I'll be more optimistic by then, probably not though seeing as how good TSUN is going to be this year.
Not that I'm totally against the start of football season. I do hold hope like most fans. Something I wouldn't have if we had the same man pacing the sidelines as we did last year. Coach Mullen does give me a little optimism for years to come. Just not this year. Not with this schedule. Not with this offensive line. Not with the same ole 5 and a half foot quarterback. I'm a realist folks. I know that we simply don't have the talent to match up week in and week out in a conference the Detroit Lions would struggle with week in and week out.
I do think that we will see vast improvement in all three phases of the game. Offensively we should put up more yards and points. We should have more entertaining games than the 3-2 shootouts of our last coaching regime. The spread offense CDM has put in will help our weak offensive line. It will keep the defense on its toes. And, hopefully, we will be able to put a good enough product on the field to let Mr. Russell redshirt, saving him for some good years down the road. Defensively we should have a much improved in pass rush and better core group of linebackers. Our secondary definitely took a hit with the loss of Pegues, Fitz, Glanton, O'Quinn, etc. Our defensive line will surprise some folks, though. We will have to rely on that to help our inexperienced secondary out against the more pass heavy teams. On special teams we will see the most improvement. (Poor Croom just had no idea here. All fingers point to the Keith Andrews/Adam Carlson debacle here. Along with the 4th and 4 from the Georgia 27 with 2 minutes to go and down 3 points, "let's punt".) We finally have a consistent place kicker and an all-american punter. Hell, if we had had that last year we would have gone bowling.
Even with some positives, we have to look at the whole big picture. Yes, we will be better because we now have a coach with a higher football IQ than my girlfriend. But, everyone else around us will be better, too. Our schedule is not easy. Arkansas will be better, LSU will find a QB, Auburn has plenty of talent, we go to a strong Vandy team, we go travel to Commonwealth to play a decent UK team. Who does that leave? Oh yeah, 3 home games. Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Well, there's some good news. More on that in a minute.
To the games I think we should win. Jackson State- We should win this game by 5 or more touchdowns. Anything less than that is a loss. For no reason should a Div. 1AA SWAC school come in and beat us. Especially one just 2 years removed from a loss to Delta State. Houston- I don't care that they beat us by 70 points once. I don't care that they beat us every time we've played them this decade. They're still a C-USA team and if we're ever going to compete on a national level we have to beat these teams on a consistent basis. While I think we should win this game, I don't know that we will. That's what the Croom years did to my confidence. More of the same goes for the game at Middle Tennessee State. Do not even get me started on why we are traveling up to Murphreesboro for a football game. Some of Larry Templeton's dumbass moves are still haunting us. This is a trap game. We did not totally dominate them last year. We will be the biggest home game in the history of their football program, much like La Tech last year. The Blue Raiders will be up for this one. Still though, we should win. However, like I previously stated, I don't have any confidence when I say that. We might lose.
That leaves Georgia Tech as the only opponent not mentioned thus far. I expect them to come to Scott Field and totally dominate us much like they did last year. They have one of the best coaches in college football with Paul Johnson. They use a run-heavy offense that torched us for nearly 500 rushing yards last year. Mark it down. We won't even be in this game at half-time. Be ready for an early exit to the Junction for some happy times with Jack, Jim, and Crown.
I expect us to win 4 games this year. Too much newness and not enough talent to break through like the rebels did last year. I expect a year much like Arkansas had last season. Lots of ups and downs, maybe an upset win over a big opponent. In fact, that is my prediction. 4-8 with wins over J-State, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and.... wait for it.... LSU. We will finally get over the hump and beat the Bayou Bengals for the first time since our magical 1999 campaign.
While this seems very pessimistic, I'll admit that it is. That's the way I am about football right now. Glass half empty. I can't be any other way. All of that centers around my hatred for Mississippi. I can't get up for our football season because I know how good theirs is going to be. The rebels are gonna be good folks, really good. This is their year. All the stars have aligned for them. I am drinking the red and blue kool-aid much like all the national sports media. They have the quarterback. They have the coach. They have the schedule. They need only win 2 tough home games against LSU and Bama and they're packed for Atlanta. At which point their run should end against Tebow and the Gators, but who knows? Strange things happen in championship games. Nonetheless, this is the year of the rebel. The year they have been waiting for since 1963. Mark this down too. The rebels will win the West and go to Atlanta. I don't know what will happen from there. I expect the rebels to play in the Sugar Bowl, no less. With some luck in early December, they might play for it all. I hope and pray that I eat my words for this, but I just don't see it happening. I'll elaborate more on that later.
When I get around to it I'll go through my full predictions for each game this season. Hopefully, I'll be more optimistic by then, probably not though seeing as how good TSUN is going to be this year.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Passing the time, getting ready for football season...
I was laying around the house the other day and I realized how I've neglected my blog for quite a while. Well, I figure with football season approaching fast, I need to get off my lazy ass and actually write something. I'll get in to football talk soon. As for now, how bout a little something to pass the time. An entry on my favorite sports teams. Sound boring? OK... I don't really give a rat's ass. Read something else.
MLS- Chicago Fire
English Premier- Manchester United
FCSpanish Premera- FC Barcelona
Serie Italiano- AC Milan
Ok, so I couldn't give two ***** about soccer unless the USA is playing or the MSU Ladies are playing.
As for the REAL sports. Gotta love my Atlanta Braves. Most underachieving franchise in the history of the game. Honestly. 14 straight playoff appearances and only ONE World Series ring. Grew up watching them on WTBS. True beauty watching Maddux carve up the opposition on the corners, Glavine use a power/finesse approach, and Smoltzy and Wholers blow guys away. Not to mention home grown guys through the Atlanta farm system like Javy Lopez, Ryan Klesko, Chipper Jones, Mark Lemke, Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, etc. More recently, when I was coming into manhood, my dad gave both me and my brother hats of the two new expansion teams. My brother got an Arizona Diamondbacks hat, and me, well let's just say I got screwed. Up until last year that is. I have cheered for the Rays since 1998. Enduring 10 consecutive losing seasons only to see the magic that happened last year. They did it the right way too. Building from the bottom up. No one year wonder teams like the Marlins and Dbacks did. They built a franchise. One that now, will be competing with the Yanks and Sox for quite a while.
NFL- Grew up a huge 49er fan. Mom was in love with Joe Montana, so naturally, I sided with her. Lived a great decade with Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, even Terrell Owens leading the 9ers to the playoffs, year after year. I liked the Saints a little bit bc of Pops. But once Aaron Brooks was crowned the Savior of the Franchise, I hated them. Haslett was an idiot. After the front office got smart, I decided to come back to the Saints. Moreso because of the hard times that have hit San Fran. But watching that magical run the year after Katrina was special for this whole part of the country.
NBA- Not that I care too much, but I like the Dallas Mavericks. Dampier is a major reason why. Plus I think Mark Cuban is a genius. And they are the only regional team worth a dang. I love to watch the Cavs though. No player in the League today even compares to King James. Not even Kobe. I'm sorry, no contest.
NHL- Who cares? Really? When it does come time to decide the winner of Lord Stanley's Cup, I always check to see if the Ducks are playing. I guess thats because I grew up watching Gordon Bombay take a bunch of misfits, put a Duck jersey on them, and suddenly they were winners. Therefore, making me a follower of the Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles. I also enjoy watching Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I still consider the Miracle on Ice the single greatest moment in the history of sports. It gives me chills just thinking about what our countrymen did on that frozen pond in Lake Placid that February. And that upset wasn't even for the Gold Medal.
Tennis- The only non-team sport where I dont cheer for individuals just on their nationality. I cheer for the women based on sexuality, or rather how good they look on the court. Always cheer for Miss Maria Sharapova because the more she wins, the more I get to watch her. As for the men's side, A Rod and James Blake are can't misses nowadays. The only decent American players with a shot at winning any of the Grand Slams. I do, however, respect Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Those two are so far ahead of the rest of the field. Rarely does anyone ever come close to beating these guys. No one beats Nadal on clay and Federer was ranked #1 for what? 5 straight years?
Golf- Love Tiger. He's, plain and simple, the best. No one compares. He works harder than anyone ever has. He has more mental toughness than I could ever dream of having. I can't hit a drive straight if a bird is tweeting in the background, much less with $2 million on the line. Plus, I want to see the best of my generation beat the best of my father's generation. And when Tiger gets number 19, I will call my dad and say "sorry, time for Jack to step aside". Other than Tiger, I love watching Lefty. Great guy. Fan favorite. Family man. When he finally broke through and won that elusive major at Augusta National, I jumped up and down, much like the entire gallery on the 18th that day. One of the greatest moments I have witnessed in golf.
Nascar- Again, who cares? I was into it once upon a time. But since then, have found much better things to do on Sundays than watch cars go around in circles for 3 or 4 hours. Always was and Earnhardt fan though. Now cheer for Little E because I'm loyal and follow bloodlines. Still, don't really care, though.
I'll try to keep this thing up a little more often. Don't hold me to that though. I have much more important things on my mind. Like my own golf game. Or the new lady in my life. Or getting ready for the 12 credit hours I'll be taking this fall. Sounds like a lot right?
MLS- Chicago Fire
English Premier- Manchester United
FCSpanish Premera- FC Barcelona
Serie Italiano- AC Milan
Ok, so I couldn't give two ***** about soccer unless the USA is playing or the MSU Ladies are playing.
As for the REAL sports. Gotta love my Atlanta Braves. Most underachieving franchise in the history of the game. Honestly. 14 straight playoff appearances and only ONE World Series ring. Grew up watching them on WTBS. True beauty watching Maddux carve up the opposition on the corners, Glavine use a power/finesse approach, and Smoltzy and Wholers blow guys away. Not to mention home grown guys through the Atlanta farm system like Javy Lopez, Ryan Klesko, Chipper Jones, Mark Lemke, Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, etc. More recently, when I was coming into manhood, my dad gave both me and my brother hats of the two new expansion teams. My brother got an Arizona Diamondbacks hat, and me, well let's just say I got screwed. Up until last year that is. I have cheered for the Rays since 1998. Enduring 10 consecutive losing seasons only to see the magic that happened last year. They did it the right way too. Building from the bottom up. No one year wonder teams like the Marlins and Dbacks did. They built a franchise. One that now, will be competing with the Yanks and Sox for quite a while.
NFL- Grew up a huge 49er fan. Mom was in love with Joe Montana, so naturally, I sided with her. Lived a great decade with Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, even Terrell Owens leading the 9ers to the playoffs, year after year. I liked the Saints a little bit bc of Pops. But once Aaron Brooks was crowned the Savior of the Franchise, I hated them. Haslett was an idiot. After the front office got smart, I decided to come back to the Saints. Moreso because of the hard times that have hit San Fran. But watching that magical run the year after Katrina was special for this whole part of the country.
NBA- Not that I care too much, but I like the Dallas Mavericks. Dampier is a major reason why. Plus I think Mark Cuban is a genius. And they are the only regional team worth a dang. I love to watch the Cavs though. No player in the League today even compares to King James. Not even Kobe. I'm sorry, no contest.
NHL- Who cares? Really? When it does come time to decide the winner of Lord Stanley's Cup, I always check to see if the Ducks are playing. I guess thats because I grew up watching Gordon Bombay take a bunch of misfits, put a Duck jersey on them, and suddenly they were winners. Therefore, making me a follower of the Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles. I also enjoy watching Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I still consider the Miracle on Ice the single greatest moment in the history of sports. It gives me chills just thinking about what our countrymen did on that frozen pond in Lake Placid that February. And that upset wasn't even for the Gold Medal.
Tennis- The only non-team sport where I dont cheer for individuals just on their nationality. I cheer for the women based on sexuality, or rather how good they look on the court. Always cheer for Miss Maria Sharapova because the more she wins, the more I get to watch her. As for the men's side, A Rod and James Blake are can't misses nowadays. The only decent American players with a shot at winning any of the Grand Slams. I do, however, respect Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Those two are so far ahead of the rest of the field. Rarely does anyone ever come close to beating these guys. No one beats Nadal on clay and Federer was ranked #1 for what? 5 straight years?
Golf- Love Tiger. He's, plain and simple, the best. No one compares. He works harder than anyone ever has. He has more mental toughness than I could ever dream of having. I can't hit a drive straight if a bird is tweeting in the background, much less with $2 million on the line. Plus, I want to see the best of my generation beat the best of my father's generation. And when Tiger gets number 19, I will call my dad and say "sorry, time for Jack to step aside". Other than Tiger, I love watching Lefty. Great guy. Fan favorite. Family man. When he finally broke through and won that elusive major at Augusta National, I jumped up and down, much like the entire gallery on the 18th that day. One of the greatest moments I have witnessed in golf.
Nascar- Again, who cares? I was into it once upon a time. But since then, have found much better things to do on Sundays than watch cars go around in circles for 3 or 4 hours. Always was and Earnhardt fan though. Now cheer for Little E because I'm loyal and follow bloodlines. Still, don't really care, though.
I'll try to keep this thing up a little more often. Don't hold me to that though. I have much more important things on my mind. Like my own golf game. Or the new lady in my life. Or getting ready for the 12 credit hours I'll be taking this fall. Sounds like a lot right?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Renardo Sidney
This kid is sensational. I rarely put much stock in the hype of a senior in high school, but as I have stated before, this kid is the piece we were missing last year. A true "Diaper Dandy". Now I know nothing is official yet, but being a State fan, we get worked up over this stuff. Dare I say Pat Patterson? Anyway, this kid has it all. Watch his highlight tape. A 6'10" power forward with weight and muscle. A guy that can shoot the 3. A guy that can put the ball on the floor. A guy that has moves down low. It's no wonder he was rated the top player in his class when he was just a fledgling 8th grader in Jackson, Mississippi. What a roller coaster he has been through since then. An eligibility battle with the Mississippi High School Activities Association. A dad that wanted his son out of Mississippi so he could get noticed. A move to Los Angeles. A New York Times article regarding his secrets, i.e. sucking his thumb and a blanket he takes everywhere. Scouts saying he's lazy and that he might never reach his true potential. A whirlwind recruiting saga between the likes of USC, UCLA, and yes, Mississippi State.
I don't really care. This kid can flat out play ball. He will make our team better. If he is interested, we must find a scholarship for him. He is the "missing piece". A 4-guard line up isn't gonna be taking us to any Final 4's unless talents like MJ and Kobe arrive. A rotating line up consisting of 5 shooters and 4 big men will win us a national championship. Think about it. Swat, Sidney, Ravern, Randy, Dee. With guys like Kodi, Ro', Phil and Shaunessey coming off the bench. No one could stop it. Scoring power like the '96 team. Defensive presence like the '04 team. All into one. Calipari and Kentucky wouldn't know what hit 'em.
Not only would it surely make us a contender. We would immediately been thrown into the national spotlight. That's what these 1 and done's do nowadays. Take Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant. One year with a program, yet their programs are still feeling the effects of their short presence. The media attention would be astronomical. Expectations would be higher than ever. Exposure would be nationwide for recruits everywhere to see. The after-effects of Sidney would surely help to bring in that Fab 5 class from Mississippi for the class of 2011. We deserve for this to happen, what with the pain the NBA draft has inflicted on us over the past decade. Monta and Outlaw would surely have provided us with a National Title. I promise. Still though, I'll be satisfied the the Varnado-Renardo connection. Nice ring to it wouldn't you say?
I'm jumping the gun here. I'm in a dreamworld. Afterall, the kid is still committed to Southern Cal. But the proverbial "what ifs" are overwhelming. I did the same thing about 4 years ago with Ryan Perrilloux. Only to be disappointed. Still, it's fun ain't it?
I don't really care. This kid can flat out play ball. He will make our team better. If he is interested, we must find a scholarship for him. He is the "missing piece". A 4-guard line up isn't gonna be taking us to any Final 4's unless talents like MJ and Kobe arrive. A rotating line up consisting of 5 shooters and 4 big men will win us a national championship. Think about it. Swat, Sidney, Ravern, Randy, Dee. With guys like Kodi, Ro', Phil and Shaunessey coming off the bench. No one could stop it. Scoring power like the '96 team. Defensive presence like the '04 team. All into one. Calipari and Kentucky wouldn't know what hit 'em.
Not only would it surely make us a contender. We would immediately been thrown into the national spotlight. That's what these 1 and done's do nowadays. Take Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant. One year with a program, yet their programs are still feeling the effects of their short presence. The media attention would be astronomical. Expectations would be higher than ever. Exposure would be nationwide for recruits everywhere to see. The after-effects of Sidney would surely help to bring in that Fab 5 class from Mississippi for the class of 2011. We deserve for this to happen, what with the pain the NBA draft has inflicted on us over the past decade. Monta and Outlaw would surely have provided us with a National Title. I promise. Still though, I'll be satisfied the the Varnado-Renardo connection. Nice ring to it wouldn't you say?
I'm jumping the gun here. I'm in a dreamworld. Afterall, the kid is still committed to Southern Cal. But the proverbial "what ifs" are overwhelming. I did the same thing about 4 years ago with Ryan Perrilloux. Only to be disappointed. Still, it's fun ain't it?
Monday, February 16, 2009
My Baseball Preview
I've been waiting on this for a while. The John Cohen era is about to begin and I am anxious to see the product we put on the diamond this year. Last year was rough. Our worst season in 30 something years? However, much of that was due to injuries. We had some expectations coming off that CWS run, but, the loss of a Ed Easley, a Mitch Moreland, a Jeffrey Rea, and a Brian LaNinfa can do that to you. This year, we will be much improved. I have been to every scrimmage since fall practice, call me obsessed, but I can tell that this team is hungry. They won't let a repeat of last year happen, too competitive, too good. Yes, too good. Injuries killed us last year. With most of those guys fully healed, we now have depth virtually everywhere on the field. So without anymore waiting, here is my 2009 baseball preview that some have looked forward to.
The Outfield: This is probably our strongest group top to bottom. It's a given, that if Grant Hogue is healthy he will start. He will be ready to go soon and will more than likely lead the league in stolen bases. He batted over .300 last year and looks good to improve on that this year. He is our centerfielder and an ex-walk on at that. He can bunt for a hit pretty much at will and will certainly wreak havoc on the basepaths. Other than that, everything else out there consists of guys fighting for their place. I would feel comfortable with any of them playing at any given moment. I do think, however, that it will depend on the matchup against the other team's pitcher. I'll just name the guys and their strengths. Experience may play a factor in this and Nick Hardy has that. He has a good arm, hits well, and runs above average. Very quality player that is a senior and leader on this team. Jason Nappi absolutely raked early in the year last year. The guy has a big bat and a powerful right handed swing. He will be one of our power hitters, but I believe he won some bunting contest in the fall. Judging by Cohen's style, that may play a factor in playing time. Luke Adkins just hits the baseball. He is a pure hitter in the way that he can hit to all fields from the left side of the plate. Something about Nettleton products I guess but this USM transfer will get some big hits for us this year. Ryan Collins batted over .300 last year as a Freshman in SEC play. He has a very strong arm and gets good reads on fly balls. He stepped up last year and helped as a freshman and should only improve throughout his sophomore campaign. Mark GoForth played a role in getting us to Omaha a few years ago after transferring from Birmingham Southern. He is a great defensive outfielder. Makes diving plays on a regular basis during BP. With his experience, he will get some playing time, especially against RHPs. Brent Brownlee is a diamond in the rough type. He is a speed demon and may be the only guy on the team that rivals Grant's speed. Brownlee played great in the fall and fits perfectly into Cohen's aggressive style of play. This redshirt freshman will see the field plenty this year and will be great before his days at Dudy Noble are over.
The Infield: Depth is also a good thing here. Connor Powers and Russ Snead provide great experience on the corners. C. Powers will hit his fair share of dingers this year. He is a great hitter and pretty dang good with the glove too. Snead is coming off that nagging hip injury that sidelined him all fall but has impressed me so far this spring. He had some big hits in that Omaha run and has a great athletic frame. JuCo transfer Jarrod Parks provides that will surely be needed through the wear and tear of SEC play. He has some pop in his bat and can play both corner positions also. Freshman Nick Ray has potential. He is a first baseman and also provides depth should someone go down. He hits well. JuCo transfer Justin Bussey and true freshman Frankie Rawdow have really been impressive all fall and spring. They will push returning lettermen Jet Butler and Ryan Powers for playing time in those important middle infield positions. Bussey is an all around player. He fields, hits, runs, throws, and yes, bunts. Rawdow is similar. Both guys are very athletic. Jet has experience and is a leader. He too played a major role in that CWS run as a true freshman. He has a very strong arm and most importantly is a switch hitter. Powers has probably the best glove and has hit well throughout the spring scrimmages. Should be interesting to see how the middle infield plays out.
The Catchers: 5 quality guys behind the plate. All have different strengths. Ryan Duffy is big and can hit for power. He moves around great for a big guy behind the plate. Johnny Allen is a ballplayer. The guy works hard and isn't afraid to get dirty. He has probably the better arm of the group and is big and strong and can hit the ball long and far. Brooks Lewis works hard. He too can hit and has done well in scrimmages. Scott DeLoach may be the best defensive catcher. He blocks well and moves well on bunts and such. He has really hit well this spring. Cody Freeman is probably the best hitter in the group. His bat will be in the lineup somewhere whether he's behind the plate, at 1st base, or DHing. He hits the long ball, too. Played very well as a true frosh last year. We have depth here too, should someone go down.
The Pitching: Really, this may be the only question mark. Ricky Bowen is the ace and will get us deep into ball games. He pitched well in the Cape last summer and of course has done well all fall and spring. Look for him to be the Friday guy. Lefty Forrest Moore will more than likely be the Saturday guy. He has been unhittable at times and gained loads of experience as a freshman last year. Extremely competitive. The Sunday guy, I have no idea. Could be a number of guys. Chad Crosswhite would be the obvious choice given his experience. I don't know if he wants to go 6 or 7 innings though. I could see him as our SEC relief guy that comes in when a starter has trouble. It's imperitive he be healthy for us to have that guy with experience that you trust with the game on the line. He, too, has been unhittable at times. Greg Houston has really impressed me this spring. With some added velocity and his will to compete he will get some outs for us and helps us with some of that SEC relief question. Justin Bussey pitches, too. He's a guy that could come in late in ball games and shut the door. He throws hard and gets outs. Michael Busby can't be touched when he's on. He can reach the low to mid-90s when he wants. If he's throwing strikes and hitting spots then no one can touch him and he will be a weapon in SEC play. We have a strong group of freshman pitchers that have pitched extremely well at times and not as good at times. That all comes with getting comfortable and settling in. Devin Jones and Tyler Johnson showed flashes of being great RHPs for us in the fall. I was impressed with both of them and I believe we will seem them making some starts for us this season. Nick Routt threw great the other day and will definitely see the mound some because of our shortage on LHPs. Caleb Reed has done well in his shorter outings and I think he will be a key piece to our mid-week puzzle. David Hayes has also done well at times and will be player for us down the road. Getting away from the freshmen, Jared Wesson will be key for us too. When he is on, he is very tough to hit. I think he will be a lefty that we call on to get some outs in the 7th and 8th innings. Lee Swindle is a senior that will also have to come in and get us some outs. Especially on weekends when the bullpen is being worked, which will happen at some point. Tyler Whitney has done well at times and I think he is the only man on Earth to win a Governor's cup. He will could play a key role in mid-week and SEC games. Jared Koon and Drew Hollinghead have both dropped down to side arm. I believe that's because the coaches wanted some guys to be able to come in and give different looks to hitters. They both pitched well Sunday and will also be important to this staff. Redshirt freshman Paxton Pace is a guy that could help us if he is healthy. I haven't seen much in the way of him pitching but watched him in high school. If he gets back to that level when he is fully healthy then he may be a diamond in the rough in this group. He may play a key role especially if someone goes down with an injury. We need him healthy to provide just that little extra depth to come in and eat some innings for us. Overall, this is the place where we can't afford too many lengthy injuries, if any. We need these guys to be healthy because of the inexperience of some and talent of others. This is what will make the difference in us being a decent NCAA Tournament team and us being a contender to go further.
Guys, we are going to surprise some people this year. We have a coaching staff that won't settle for anything less than the best. We have depth in the field and will do anything it takes to score runs. We will steal bases, bunt them over, and depend on the middle guys to drive them in. We will be really aggressive. I think we will win more than 30 games, make the SEC Tournamentwith a .500 or better league record, and get a bid to a regional somewhere. If we get hot, and remain healthy, we could make a lot more noise than that. Only time will tell. Best thing to do is to get yourselves out to Dudy Noble and support this team in Coach Cohen's inaugural season. Be there Friday night as we open up against Northern Illinois.
The Outfield: This is probably our strongest group top to bottom. It's a given, that if Grant Hogue is healthy he will start. He will be ready to go soon and will more than likely lead the league in stolen bases. He batted over .300 last year and looks good to improve on that this year. He is our centerfielder and an ex-walk on at that. He can bunt for a hit pretty much at will and will certainly wreak havoc on the basepaths. Other than that, everything else out there consists of guys fighting for their place. I would feel comfortable with any of them playing at any given moment. I do think, however, that it will depend on the matchup against the other team's pitcher. I'll just name the guys and their strengths. Experience may play a factor in this and Nick Hardy has that. He has a good arm, hits well, and runs above average. Very quality player that is a senior and leader on this team. Jason Nappi absolutely raked early in the year last year. The guy has a big bat and a powerful right handed swing. He will be one of our power hitters, but I believe he won some bunting contest in the fall. Judging by Cohen's style, that may play a factor in playing time. Luke Adkins just hits the baseball. He is a pure hitter in the way that he can hit to all fields from the left side of the plate. Something about Nettleton products I guess but this USM transfer will get some big hits for us this year. Ryan Collins batted over .300 last year as a Freshman in SEC play. He has a very strong arm and gets good reads on fly balls. He stepped up last year and helped as a freshman and should only improve throughout his sophomore campaign. Mark GoForth played a role in getting us to Omaha a few years ago after transferring from Birmingham Southern. He is a great defensive outfielder. Makes diving plays on a regular basis during BP. With his experience, he will get some playing time, especially against RHPs. Brent Brownlee is a diamond in the rough type. He is a speed demon and may be the only guy on the team that rivals Grant's speed. Brownlee played great in the fall and fits perfectly into Cohen's aggressive style of play. This redshirt freshman will see the field plenty this year and will be great before his days at Dudy Noble are over.
The Infield: Depth is also a good thing here. Connor Powers and Russ Snead provide great experience on the corners. C. Powers will hit his fair share of dingers this year. He is a great hitter and pretty dang good with the glove too. Snead is coming off that nagging hip injury that sidelined him all fall but has impressed me so far this spring. He had some big hits in that Omaha run and has a great athletic frame. JuCo transfer Jarrod Parks provides that will surely be needed through the wear and tear of SEC play. He has some pop in his bat and can play both corner positions also. Freshman Nick Ray has potential. He is a first baseman and also provides depth should someone go down. He hits well. JuCo transfer Justin Bussey and true freshman Frankie Rawdow have really been impressive all fall and spring. They will push returning lettermen Jet Butler and Ryan Powers for playing time in those important middle infield positions. Bussey is an all around player. He fields, hits, runs, throws, and yes, bunts. Rawdow is similar. Both guys are very athletic. Jet has experience and is a leader. He too played a major role in that CWS run as a true freshman. He has a very strong arm and most importantly is a switch hitter. Powers has probably the best glove and has hit well throughout the spring scrimmages. Should be interesting to see how the middle infield plays out.
The Catchers: 5 quality guys behind the plate. All have different strengths. Ryan Duffy is big and can hit for power. He moves around great for a big guy behind the plate. Johnny Allen is a ballplayer. The guy works hard and isn't afraid to get dirty. He has probably the better arm of the group and is big and strong and can hit the ball long and far. Brooks Lewis works hard. He too can hit and has done well in scrimmages. Scott DeLoach may be the best defensive catcher. He blocks well and moves well on bunts and such. He has really hit well this spring. Cody Freeman is probably the best hitter in the group. His bat will be in the lineup somewhere whether he's behind the plate, at 1st base, or DHing. He hits the long ball, too. Played very well as a true frosh last year. We have depth here too, should someone go down.
The Pitching: Really, this may be the only question mark. Ricky Bowen is the ace and will get us deep into ball games. He pitched well in the Cape last summer and of course has done well all fall and spring. Look for him to be the Friday guy. Lefty Forrest Moore will more than likely be the Saturday guy. He has been unhittable at times and gained loads of experience as a freshman last year. Extremely competitive. The Sunday guy, I have no idea. Could be a number of guys. Chad Crosswhite would be the obvious choice given his experience. I don't know if he wants to go 6 or 7 innings though. I could see him as our SEC relief guy that comes in when a starter has trouble. It's imperitive he be healthy for us to have that guy with experience that you trust with the game on the line. He, too, has been unhittable at times. Greg Houston has really impressed me this spring. With some added velocity and his will to compete he will get some outs for us and helps us with some of that SEC relief question. Justin Bussey pitches, too. He's a guy that could come in late in ball games and shut the door. He throws hard and gets outs. Michael Busby can't be touched when he's on. He can reach the low to mid-90s when he wants. If he's throwing strikes and hitting spots then no one can touch him and he will be a weapon in SEC play. We have a strong group of freshman pitchers that have pitched extremely well at times and not as good at times. That all comes with getting comfortable and settling in. Devin Jones and Tyler Johnson showed flashes of being great RHPs for us in the fall. I was impressed with both of them and I believe we will seem them making some starts for us this season. Nick Routt threw great the other day and will definitely see the mound some because of our shortage on LHPs. Caleb Reed has done well in his shorter outings and I think he will be a key piece to our mid-week puzzle. David Hayes has also done well at times and will be player for us down the road. Getting away from the freshmen, Jared Wesson will be key for us too. When he is on, he is very tough to hit. I think he will be a lefty that we call on to get some outs in the 7th and 8th innings. Lee Swindle is a senior that will also have to come in and get us some outs. Especially on weekends when the bullpen is being worked, which will happen at some point. Tyler Whitney has done well at times and I think he is the only man on Earth to win a Governor's cup. He will could play a key role in mid-week and SEC games. Jared Koon and Drew Hollinghead have both dropped down to side arm. I believe that's because the coaches wanted some guys to be able to come in and give different looks to hitters. They both pitched well Sunday and will also be important to this staff. Redshirt freshman Paxton Pace is a guy that could help us if he is healthy. I haven't seen much in the way of him pitching but watched him in high school. If he gets back to that level when he is fully healthy then he may be a diamond in the rough in this group. He may play a key role especially if someone goes down with an injury. We need him healthy to provide just that little extra depth to come in and eat some innings for us. Overall, this is the place where we can't afford too many lengthy injuries, if any. We need these guys to be healthy because of the inexperience of some and talent of others. This is what will make the difference in us being a decent NCAA Tournament team and us being a contender to go further.
Guys, we are going to surprise some people this year. We have a coaching staff that won't settle for anything less than the best. We have depth in the field and will do anything it takes to score runs. We will steal bases, bunt them over, and depend on the middle guys to drive them in. We will be really aggressive. I think we will win more than 30 games, make the SEC Tournamentwith a .500 or better league record, and get a bid to a regional somewhere. If we get hot, and remain healthy, we could make a lot more noise than that. Only time will tell. Best thing to do is to get yourselves out to Dudy Noble and support this team in Coach Cohen's inaugural season. Be there Friday night as we open up against Northern Illinois.
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