OSU 43 Youngstown St. 0
Offensive
Scouting Report: As usually is the case in a first game, the Bucks
made some good some bad plays. Hopefully we didn't lose Wells by
winning the game.
By Bill
Smith
Quarterbacks:
Our
QB's got hit WAY too often. The O-line is supposed to be a strength
of the team. Part of the problem is the pass blocking scheme. As we
learned twice against the SEC teams in the National Championship
game—a RB can not block a DE. An RB + TE can not block an All
American DE. However, I didn't notice any future 1st
round draft choices on the DL of Youngstown. Even so, we did a lousy
job of protecting the QB. Youngstown was able to put consistent
pressure on the passer. They put pressure on us with a 4 and 5 man
rush. The 5 O-linemen should be able to handle that without a
problem but we couldn't. That has to be fixed.
Todd Boeckman
looked good. A couple of TD passes added some whipped cream to the
effort. He is still inconsistent when throwing under pressure. He
looks more like the QB that lead the nation in QB rating through the
early season rather than the one that struggled in the last 3 game of
07.
Even
against a heavy rush, he found a receiver and threw a catchable pass.
Boeckman is not capable of great accuracy on the run. Given good
protection, Boeckman will be fine. Without it, we are in trouble.
Terrelle Pryor looked
very good. He looked like a 3rd
year player that is ready to run the offense any time he gets the
chance. His ability to run adds an exciting aspect to the offense.
On his first pass he read blitz and changed the play to shorten the
routes. He hit the slant despite the heavy rush. He has instincts
that are born not developed. Hopefully we will see more creative
calls on 1st
and goal situations. The option would be a great addition.
Pryor's
running is just spectacular. He runs the option holding the ball
until the last second then throws a perfect toss to the RB. The QB
draw for a TD was a beautiful effort. He is also special on naked
boots to the opposite side of a fake sweep. There has to be a
run/pass option that goes with that play.
Joe Bauserman has
potential as well. He was cool in the pocket despite the rush.
Running backs:
Beanie Wells
looked outstanding as usual. His combination of power and speed is
unique. The 43 yard TD run was breath taking. He can make the first
man miss. However, he can not make the second, third and fourth guy
miss. We got stuffed on 1st
and goal too many times. 3 times we saw the zone blocked iso-lead on
1st
and goal. All three times we ended up kicking a field goal. We
must get more physical. If we can't blow Youngstown off the line,
what chance do we have to push USC around?
I
have a problem with leaving Wells in for the 3rd
quarter. A couple of times, we saw Youngstown players twist his legs
on and after the tackle. He had no business being in there in the
3rd
Quarter.
According
to early reports the X-rays were negative. Even so, some of the most
devastating injuries of the foot can be to the soft tissue. Let's
hope he is not badly hurt.
Maurice Wells ran
with a nasty attitude. He looked really good. I think he is a
capable starter for most Big-10 games. I am not sure if he will be
enough to beat USC.
The
other backs looked OK but not great. Daniel Herron
seems to have some potential and Brandon Saine
is coming around. Saine was really effective at breaking tackles.
WR/TE:
Brian Hartline and Brian
Robiskie form one of the best
sets of WR in the country. They played alright but must do a better
job of recognizing a blitz and shortening routes when the D comes
with it. With their size, a few completed short drag patterns would
stop the inside blitz. They both use their big bodies very well at
screening off the DB.
They
are also not getting open like they should. Too often it takes a
great effort to catch a ball against close coverage. Better pattern
would help.
Ray Small's
speed is a weapon. He is fun to watch every time he touches the
ball. His 20 yard average on punt returns will give OSU some hidden
yards that can be critical.
The
TE's need to do a better job blocking on the run particularly sealing
the edge on sweeps. They have seldom been a major factor in the
passing game over the last couple of years. They have ability and
should be used more.
Offensive line:
The
line did not look good at all. Many of Boeckman's problems in the
last 3 game last year were due to protection breakdowns. The line
needs to get more physical. We have vet starters in all but the RT.
Other than a critical penalty inside the red zone, Bryant Browning
wasn't the problem. Alex Boone in particular struggled. We need
the line to pick up the pace.
Special Teams:
The
kickers did really well—and did it WAY too often. We did well
blocking for FG but fizzled out in the red zone and had to depend on
FG's.
KOff
team did very well also. Several kicks were touchbacks and others
were kept inside the 25 yard line.
Punt
return team was able to put a lot of pressure on the punter. The
Small returns were very good but a penalty called back his best
return.
Play calling:
When
OSU plays a team like Youngstown, there is no excuse for being forced
to kick 5 field goals particularly 3 times when we were 1st
and goal. We need to be much more diversified on calls in the red
zone. If we can't push the D off the ball, we need to get more
creative. Put Pryor in and let him have pass/run options.
A team
that can't score TD's against Youngstown will really struggle against
Wisconsin, Illinois and USC.
Bill
Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams and has scouted
talent. He is a senior writer for http://BrutusReport.com.
He has also published several novels on
http://ebooks-library.com/index.cfm
and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com