Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Kent State

Watching this back showed plenty of positives and plenty of areas for improvement. But no real complaints about a penalty free, turnover free, road win to start the year. Before I get into the grades, I have to mention the poor production quality of this ESPN U broadcast. The game lacked the vital yellow firstdown line and only intermittingly had the down and distance information on the screen. What happened? ESPN U’s announcers have often had a JV feel (not an issue this week) but this was the first time the production seemed lacking.

Offense: B-

The offensive line looked better in the zone scheme than it ever did last year. Watching it back did show a few flaws though. First the good, Tennant and Ramsey both played well. Both moved well and didn’t have major breakdowns. We also got some openings off of their openings on draws. Castonzo struggled a little. While fine in pass protection and run blocking to his left, Castonzo got tripped up a little on the zone pushes to his right. This is important because as the tail of the line (when going right) he’s got to help seal off the blindside of the RB. Also, if Castonzo doesn’t clear out his area (when he is the tail end) the opportunity to cut back doesn’t exist. I assume he’ll get better and quickly adjust to his new position. On the right side Claiborne and Lapham looked good. The coaches also got Richman and Rossi into the mix on the right side too. Rossi looked very strong and comfortable in the run plays. Nitpicking aside, the line looked very, very good. This could be the surprise unit of the season.

I feel for Ryan Purvis. I have a funny feeling that he won’t get the stats to make all ACC this year. However, you would never know it from watching him play. He caught two balls and provided a crucial block on Crane’s first TD. His blocking was solid throughout the night. Anderson also showed promise. He made a tough catch and provided good blocking. McMichael came in during the three tight end sets.

The WRs did a good job too. Even if Crane starts throwing it more, these guys are not going to get nearly as many opportunities this year. Robinson had some good runs after the catch. Jarvis had a really nice catch over the middle. When you only throw 18 balls, the poor catches are easy to single out. Megwa had a bad drop and Momah should have made more of a play on the deep ball that Crane floated. All the WRs did a good job blocking downfield.

His stats didn’t jump out, but Josh Haden played well. I was most impressed with his ability to make bad plays (i.e. no blocks or a bad pitch) and turn them into positive plays. He also broke a big run and looked comfortable between and outside the tackles. Smith is obviously very explosive and can be a big asset to the team. He still doesn’t look completely comfortable running in traffic. McCluskey will be a great change of pace back. He gets to the hole quickly and runs hard. He also looked comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield.

Chris Crane looked very comfortable running the ball. He’s lumbering but surprisingly quick and agile. This dynamic will be an added dimension to what we do on offense. The more worrisome part of his play was the passing game. He was good on the short quick reads (passes to the flat, screens, etc.). His pocket passing left something to be desired. He airmailed two balls to the point where the receivers couldn’t make plays. He also scared me when the plays broke down. He’s got a good arm, but his fundementals totally broke down on these adlibs. He wasn’t picked off, but could have been at one point. Crane proved he can be very effective and manage a game. He showed he’s tough and can fight through contract. Next he’ll need to prove that he can pass when we need him to.

This game further cemented my love for Steve Logan. This is technically the same offense we ran last year. Only you would never know it from the style of play and the plays called. He mixed in the option. Whereas Ryan was making reads and audibles at the line, Crane’s reads where post snap and had him either handing off or keeping it. This was not the pass happy unit of last year. The methodical third TD drive showed patience and a good understanding of what we have. Designing a gameplan to your talent and then going out and grinding away towards 230 rushing yards showed we are in good hands. Now he just needs to get Crane more comfortable in the passing game.

Defense: A

The first team defensive line dictated the game early. They generated plenty of pressure without gimmicks. Raji looked as good as ever. Albright got to the QB. Ramella didn’t make any standout plays but kept contain. Brace’s push disrupted their offense throughout. Newman looked very good. Scafe, Giles, and Willette got on the field but didn’t do anything poor or great of note.

Like the defensive line, it seemed like we rotated the LBs less than we did last seaosn. Is it a depth issue or maybe because there are some injuries? McLaughlin played well. Herzy made some big plays. The INT showed how instinctive and athletic he is. He should be all ACC. Francois had a real strong game and should probably be on the field more. Toal looked healthy and was active. Akins was one of the few to struggle. He missed some tackles and got pushed around a bit.

The defensive backs weren’t tested, but did a good job in stopping the run. I was most impressed with Donnie Fletcher. For a true freshmen he seemed to know where he needed to be and did a good job wrapping up. Gause was good although not involved in many plays. The safeties played very close to the line. I am not sure if it was a new wrinkle or just lack of respect for Kent State. Anderson had a few missed tackles and seemed a step slow. Davis looked good and made a real athletic play on the INT. Johnson got on the field but wasn’t close to much action.

Spaz had the guys ready. No gimmicks were needed as the front four did all the damage on their own. The team lost a little intensity in the second half, but seemed concerned about preserving the shutout. Next week will be the real test for Spaz as his teams have always been frustrated by Paul Johnson’s attack.

Special teams: A-

Another area that looked better than it did all last season. Bennett’s kick offs were long and straight. No issues there. Quigley looked like a senior punting the ball. He got the ball off quickly and gave them good hang time.

The coverage units were also strong and surprisingly filled with our best players. I know Jags has put many of our best on special teams, but seeing Herzy, Robinson, Albright etc out there was refreshing and showed a commitment to improving.

One kick return of little importance. The punt returns were passive but at least we didn't let the ball roll.

Overall: B+

A good start to the year. The effort, execution and motivation all seemed to be in place. The mistakes were fixable and the staff seems to know what it has. Let's hope it is a sign of how the season will play out.