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Auburn game thoughts

PSU Soupy

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2008
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-Clifford played a great game very solid perhaps his best game yet at PSU.
-PSU locked into an O line and they did really well. Saw the starting five plus a few plays with Efner and Holmes but mostly the starting 5.
-PSU safeties and CBs are excellent Linebackers are solid but would like to see more plays being made from the LBs.
- Dotson continues to amaze me. His catches and Washingtons’s hands are so impressive.
-TEs best game in a while from the TE room. Super solid.
- Great game challenges upcoming on the road in Iowa and tOSU and at home with Uof M.
Our offense, Defense and Special Teams wI’ll be a challenge for all of our opponents.
Great game for CJF. Great interview at halftime.
-MY called a great game, love the new offense.
 
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We overcame really poor referee calls. Sign of a good team.
We are good offensively, Defensively and Special Teams.

Could be a great year. we likely get through September undefeated (yes, I am writing off Villanova), but the schedule is still brutal after that. If we do win the B1G, there is no chance we get left out of the playoff. This schedule is hard
 
Yurich called a great game A-
Pry stopped blitzing as much second half
Needed a little more out of our DEs
They figured out #17 was legit and started to double him after the fist series. Someone else on that defense needs to find a way to be a pass rushing force. Otherwise that was a great performance from the defense. We have avoided the injury bug so far. No targeting also.

I like warren in the wildcat. That could be something to watch.

i don’t mind the 4th down attempts, but not a DL doing it. The fridge could get away with that, but no one else will.

this offense wilts when it needs to run the clock out. I don’t understand with a bench full of highly rated RBs and TEs how grinding out one first down is impossible.

Dotson is the new Saquon, he makes everyone look good.

Clifford with the game of his life. He does that every week and this could be a fun year.

our kicking game has completely taken away kickoff and punt returns. That’s crazy.
 
Pass blocking was very very good. Run blocking average ... maybe. But Clifford was 28 for 32. Congrats to the oline and the good hands by all receivers.
Another thought - I like the way the transfer from Baylor runs. We'll be seeing more of him as the season matures.
 
They figured out #17 was legit and started to double him after the fist series. Someone else on that defense needs to find a way to be a pass rushing force. Otherwise that was a great performance from the defense. We have avoided the injury bug so far. No targeting also.

I like warren in the wildcat. That could be something to watch.

i don’t mind the 4th down attempts, but not a DL doing it. The fridge could get away with that, but no one else will.

this offense wilts when it needs to run the clock out. I don’t understand with a bench full of highly rated RBs and TEs how grinding out one first down is impossible.

Dotson is the new Saquon, he makes everyone look good.

Clifford with the game of his life. He does that every week and this could be a fun year.

our kicking game has completely taken away kickoff and punt returns. That’s crazy.
Yep!
 
Yurcich is the key to the improvements. And it’s not just coaching Clifford.

He changed the whole system. You don’t see 70% RPO plays. Hell, I don’t remember any! He runs a system that fits his players’ talents. Something we haven’t done since Trace graduated. And we didn’t even use Barkley correctly.

This system fits Clifford quite well. Allows him to see the field and react. But it doesn’t ask too much of him. Less running. Less quick reads on RPOs. It’s uses the receivers and backs well. Includes the TEs. So unpredictable. Not the same play run 30 times with options. It is also a much better tempo allowing momentum to seize the day. Not the goofy “prairie dog “ offense of the whole team staring at the sidelines. (Someone else used that prairie dog name .....don’t remember but a great name).

I think that Levis would have been a good fit in this offense. Levis is not a quick running, quick cutting QB that the RPO requires. But in this O he would excel just as Clifford is doing.
 
I'm going to give a take I've not seen:

Cain isn't 100% yet, but he's probably our most consistent at doing the little things.

Lee is going to be our best rusher, but he's got to earn the trust. He's fast and he's getting downhill.

Lovett played well I thought. He's going to be a big help going forward. He seems to have that extra gear this offense lacks at the RB spot and will improve with additional playing time.
 
I'm going to give a take I've not seen:

Cain isn't 100% yet, but he's probably our most consistent at doing the little things.

Lee is going to be our best rusher, but he's got to earn the trust. He's fast and he's getting downhill.

Lovett played well I thought. He's going to be a big help going forward. He seems to have that extra gear this offense lacks at the RB spot and will improve with additional playing time.
Agree, was impressed with Lovett from the couple touches he got. How much eligibility does he have after this season?
 
OL: great pass blocking. Clifford: much better pocket presence and great vision on the TD to Dotson when he was flushed out of the pocket. That combination looked GREAT this game. Wish the OL was as consistent in run blocking.
 
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OL: great pass blocking. Clifford: much better pocket presence and great vision on the TD to Dotson when he was flushed out of the pocket. That combination looked GREAT this game. Wish the OL was as consistent in run blocking.
They will get there. Remember this is the third very different blocking scheme in as many years. It will take time.
 
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Lee is going to be our best rusher, but he's got to earn the trust. He's fast and he's getting downhill.
Lee had a series where he carried Ball State defenders with him but he fumbled once and recovered.

Lee had 2 carries for 15 yards against Auburn but once again he fumbled and PSU was lucky to recover.

It's not a big sample size but Lee looks like a beast and he's the only player who seems to be able to consistently gain yards running between the tackles. But that doesn't matter if he fumbles.
 
Great game and nice win, but I guess I’m just old fashioned. I dislike the fourth down calls. Punt the darn ball and use your defense. I honestly don’t think this game would have been this close with smarter decision making on the sideline.
Agree. It's playing against our strengths. We have a strong, special teams, field position game. On the other hand our short yardage, run game is questionable at best. Turning the ball over on downs is still a turnover.
 
Lee had a series where he carried Ball State defenders with him but he fumbled once and recovered.

Lee had 2 carries for 15 yards against Auburn but once again he fumbled and PSU was lucky to recover.

It's not a big sample size but Lee looks like a beast and he's the only player who seems to be able to consistently gain yards running between the tackles. But that doesn't matter if he fumbles.
Lovett will be better….he’s got that “it” factor.
 
Hindsight is 20-20 when going for it on fourth and 1. It is becoming evident that it is not our strength, but the what-if enticement is pretty alluring. It is all situational. Give the other guy some credit.

A lot of character building for both teams in that situation. Auburn gets the stops as needed but loses the war. State loses the battle but perceivers to win the war. Always have to remember the other team is trying to win as well.
 
Hindsight is 20-20 when going for it on fourth and 1. It is becoming evident that it is not our strength, but the what-if enticement is pretty alluring. It is all situational. Give the other guy some credit.

A lot of character building for both teams in that situation. Auburn gets the stops as needed but loses the war. State loses the battle but perceivers to win the war. Always have to remember the other team is trying to win as well.

I liked the first call to go for it on 4th. The second one not so much (although we did get it and it was spotted wrong)
 
I've been critical of Clifford, but he had a great game. If he wants to come back for a 6th year, fine with me. Yurcich's offense, yeah, looks good. I never liked that slow developing RPO offense where the back gets the ball standing still in the backfield. We just had great talent when it worked. Anybody else disappointed with Noah Cain? I know the blocking was an issue, but Lee and Lovett look better, definitely quicker. It almost seems as if Cain runs to contact rather than daylight.
 
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The pick at then end of the first half doesn’t sit well with me. That took points off the board. Can’t just throw that up like that.
 
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Lee had a series where he carried Ball State defenders with him but he fumbled once and recovered.

Lee had 2 carries for 15 yards against Auburn but once again he fumbled and PSU was lucky to recover.

It's not a big sample size but Lee looks like a beast and he's the only player who seems to be able to consistently gain yards running between the tackles. But that doesn't matter if he fumbles.
I like coach's response to bench him after second fumble this year. Should make the lesson sink in.
 
-Clifford played a great game very solid perhaps his best game yet at PSU.
-PSU locked into an O line and they did really well. Saw the starting five plus a few plays with Efner and Holmes but mostly the starting 5.
-PSU safeties and CBs are excellent Linebackers are solid but would like to see more plays being made from the LBs.
- Dotson continues to amaze me. His catches and Washingtons’s hands are so impressive.
-TEs best game in a while from the TE room. Super solid.
- Great game challenges upcoming on the road in Iowa and tOSU and at home with Uof M.
Our offense, Defense and Special Teams wI’ll be a challenge for all of our opponents.
Great game for CJF. Great interview at halftime.
-MY called a great game, love the new offense.
This is not a great PSU team…they will lose 2 or 3 games.

BUT: They are a very good team. Sound in all phases. Franklin doing his best work to date for in-game coaching. Yurzich and Pry doing excellent jobs.

Cliff played his best game ever and having a very nice year. Secondary play has been superlative. Portal adds (especially 17) - terrific.

Very smart and hard-playing team…and darn fun to watch. If we can keep the talent pool flowing, the best is yet to come.
 
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