Our defense should do really well in this game. Bye week hasn't put up any points so far this season.
But seriously though....thoughts on where we're at so far this season?
I pretty much expected that we'd be 1-2; was hoping for better, but not surprising.
Defense is (for the most part) doing much better than I thought they would be doing at this point. Offense was really starting to scare me, but with the new addition of Watson back into the mix, it looks like we finally have something of a running game that should allow us to open up the passing game (which we saw last weekend against CCU). As has been said by quite a few people, it seems like kick coverage has gotten pretty lax. Hopefully they can take this extra time to shore up that aspect a bit.
Stats-wise, so far this season...
(hard to compare even last season vs this season, since we had 2 Pioneer League teams and 2 Big 10 teams in OOC last year)
Offense:
QB Trenton Norvell - Had significant problems connecting with anyone in the game at Illinois. Did ok in the first game vs EIU, but seemed better in the game at CCU (could have been also because of the improved running game...less QB pressure). 109.03 passing efficiency so far this season, 587 yard passing and 3 TDs. Per game passing average of 190/game so far is higher than the 181.6 from his freshman year, but lower than his 252.9 last year.
RB Nikko Watson - 156 yards (in one game had more yards than the #2 and #3 RBs have had all season so far combined) and 2 TDs (equaling the total of all the other RBs this season.
RB Steve McShane - true freshman has shown flashes of quickness/speed at finding holes and flying through them. Still has a ways to go to be as good as the similarly-sized and style JC Baker, but has a lot of promise. 106 net yards so far this season.
WR Lance Lenoir - has had 2 100+ yard receiving games so far and caught 1 TD. Had some brilliant moments on kick returns in the first game vs EIU, but has been shut down significantly the the following two games.
WR Joey Borsellino - had over 100 yards and a TD against Coastal Carolina, although wasn't able to do much in the first two games. I feel like with the addition to our running game, it's opened up more mid-range passing options (10-15 yards) which the staff has taken advantage of to allow Borsellino to make a few more catches.
Defense:
Brett Taylor, Eddy Holtschlag, David Griffith, and Timothy Smith each have one interception, with Taylor's being a 42-yard pick-6.
LB Taylor currently leads the team with 28 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and the previously mentioned INT.
DB Aaron Diggs has 25 total tackles with 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery
Special Teams:
K/P Nathan Knuffman has punted 11 times with an average of 38.73 per punt, long of 48 and 3 inside the 20. More troubling is the fact that 2 of his punts so far have been blocked (as well as 1 FG, and I think 1 XP attempt). I feel like part of the issue is his front line allowing defender through, but also it seems like his kicks, in many cases, are pretty low and easy to block.
So, the team appears to be getting better in many aspects, but obviously has much to still work on.
In (nearly) completely unrelated news....here's a scarf:
Specifically, a "season" scarf that my wife is making me. The way it works is, you pick your team's primary and secondary colors. For each points you score, you do a row of your primary color, for each points the opponent scores, a row of the secondary color. From right to left, so far she has the Eastern game (a few rows of gold, big block of purple, two rows of gold, then another block of purple)...the big block of gold is the Illinois game, and so far she's a couple of scores into the CCU game...that one was very back and forth, should stripe nicely. By the end of the season, you have a scarf that you can wear (since it'll be winter) and that can remind you of football season all winter long.
Scott Lawson - Board Admin
