NastyStang wrote:Pope as the #1 RB - I like that, but will still see too much of Line. Hopefully he takes a giant step forward like his brother did.
Free safety says Shakiel OR Hayden. Is Hayden not fully recovered? I figured this was his spot easily, as he was playing great before his injury.
SR has always stood out athletically since he came on campus. He battling HG is probably more from SR stepping up than HG recovering from injury.
Darrion is the one to watch on Saturday at safety. That dude is going to be great.
My things to watch for (none of this comes from what I saw at practice):
1) How much can JR play? The number of plays he runs out there for dictates the frequency that we can play nickel, which is kind of important against a team like Baylor.
2) How do the linebackers do in coverage? We think we have good players at safety, but none of that matters if there are huge gaps in the middle of the field left by the linebackers. I'd keep a close eye on whomever plays next to Yenga in the middle.
3) Do we use 4 down linemen from time to time? Do we leverage the depth on the line or pass rushing OLBs to create a 4-down look, especially in a nickel or dime situation?
4) Do we use the improvements at safety to put an extra one on the field? Do we replace an LB with a safety from time to time to actually create a dime look (JR, AM, and HR at corner, three safeties, and two true LBs, 4 down linemen pushing Zelt inside to tackle and using Beau or EN as an end).
The improved size and depth in the secondary and d-line could use to more flexibility in the defensive schemes, which I think would have a dramatic impact and improve our rate of getting off the field on 3rd down. Will we start faking injuries at LB instead of DL in order to switch players out during the hurry up?
