ESPN committed to four hours ofpractice coverage of the NFPLA Collegiate Bowl this week, and theircommentators spent a significant amount of time playing up the HomeDepot Center facilities, and the effort needed to get better playersinto the game to raise the game's profile. The network then joins thegame 20 minutes in progress because they scheduled it right behind abasketball game. Some commitment from the network. Maybe we weresupposed to be considering converting Creighton's Doug McDermott intoa tight end.Then again, how seriously does the bowltake itself, when it takes the measurements of all the players offits website the day the game arrives? Granted, both rosters arestocked with players who are going to be lucky to make trainingcamps. In two years, it's established itself as the home for reallyundersized players at all positions (Todd McShay calls them“measurable misfits”), players who couldn't finish seasons due toinjuries or suspensions, and NFL family relatives who wouldn'totherwise get a second look.
But the Rams did get a practice squadplayer from last year's game, tackle Brandon Washington, and atraining camp body, LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis. Josh Hull played in thefirst edition of the game. And Nationals head coach Dick Vermeil OWNSthis game, winning it for the second straight year, as his Nationalscrushed Herm Edwards' Americans, 34-zip. Some takes on the notableperformers (measurements are from NFLDraftScout.com):
* DT Byron Jerideau, South Carolina,6'0” 334Another all-stargame, another game dominated by a South Carolina player. How did theGamecocks lose a game with the d-line they had? Jerideau beat DariusBarnes (Southern Miss) every which way. He stuffed at least threerunning plays, and showed not just a strong bull-rush, which you'dexpect, but good quickness off the snap. Dominant player of the game,though in a losing effort.
* DT Mike Purcell, Wyoming, 6'3”303Called out by BillPolian for playing an excellent game, and rightly so. Clogged themiddle against the run and showed the quickness and penetration toblow up draw plays. Also showed the brute strength to throw the guardto the ground to set up a near-sack and force a FG in the 2nd.American team had the strength in the trenches to dominate this game,if they only hadn't committed FIVE turnovers.
* DE Shane McCardell, MississippiState, 6'5” 260Speed/penetrationDE, who like many, will get caught upfield. Just whipped MichaelZordich to stuff a goal line run, but two plays later, bit too hardinside and Dayne Crist bootlegged around him for a TD. Can set theedge well against the run and has excellent pursuit speed. RB EricStephens couldn't get away from him on one play. Gets after QB well,got pressures with edge speed and flew unblocked through a gap tosack Ryan Higgins. Should have the ability and size to earn somelonger looks.
* TE Luke Willson, Rice, 6'5” 252Probably the bestreceiver in the game, though he looked a bit of a blocking liability.Beat Dominique Battle for a TD after the American defense botchedcoverage of trips formation. Showed soft hands and ability to gostrong and compete for the ball. Got open at all three levels. Runsvery good routes and catches the ball well, away from his frame.
* LB Jordan Campbell, New MexicoHighlands via USC, 5'10” 244Campbell blew upseveral running plays. Showed good speed and closed very well to theball. Showed good range to string out edge runs and some ability tofight off blockers and still get to the ball carrier. Had trouble onone play dropping back into coverage, got lost in traffic trying todouble back to the runner. McShay said he needs more consistency anddoesn't always get himself in the right place, but he showsinstincts, quickness, athleticism and a little pop.
* RB Orwin Smith, Georgia Tech,5'11” 202Probably the bestoffensive player in this game. Ran for 39 yards on 8 carries. Good,but not elite, speed, got the edge a couple of times for big gains.Caught the ball well and showed some moves on kickoff return.
* LB Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech,6'1” 234Taylor lookedreally good in pass coverage. He showed good quickness andrecognition picking up receivers out of the backfield, and read theQB's eyes for an interception in the 3rd. Has goodinstincts and diagnoses plays quickly.
* QB Jeff Tuel, Washington State,6'3” 221The broadcast crewgushed about Kansas' Dayne Christ all game – gee! he went to NotreDame at one time! - but Tuel was the best QB, going 8-for-8 for 64yards and a TD. He had the best combination of arm strength, accuracyand mobility there, as well as ability to move the offense. Made anice play early to wheel out of trouble and fire a bullet on the runfor a first down. Perfect sideline pass.
* QB Jordan Rodgers, Vanderbilt,6'1” 212Aaron's brotherdidn't get very good protection but showed nice scrambling ability,breaking out of collapsing pockets for a couple of good gains. Alsothrew some nice, tight slant passes. Did show poor pocket presence ona play in the 4th. Receiver tripped on a screen and heheld the ball FOREVER until getting sacked.
* C Kyle Quinn, Arizona, 6'3” 288Showed really goodmovement. Threw one of the best pull blocks of the game and got outfront of screen passes.
* FB Michael Zordich, Penn State,6'0” 233Fullback washaving an excellent game till he left with an injury. Made a greatdown block to seal the edge on a sweep and wiped out a LB in the laneon another nice gain. Tough and physical. Did get whipped at the goalline by McCardell on a run stuff.
* CB Demetrius McCray, AppalachianState, 6'1” 185Had a big game,stripping Jamal-Rashad Patterson for a late fumble and picking off aweird deflection to kill the Americans' last attempt to score.
* LB Alex Debniak, Stanford, 6'1”235Was a persistentpass rush threat with at least three pressures and was called out byPolian as one of the best players of the game.
* DT Deon Goggins, Syracuse, 6'1”270Bull-rushed JeffNady (Nevada) for a sack and helped force a fumble by tripping up IsiSofele. Is going to have tough time making the NFL at that size,though.
* WR Greg Jenkins, Alabama State,6'1” 211Doesn't look thatsize to me. Came to game as a QB but practiced at both QB and WR.Played most of game at WR. Took him till the 4th quarterto settle down. Had a drop early, but got a lot smoother. Wheeledaway from a safety on a short hitch to gain 20 in 4th andfollowed it by deking the LB on a drag route for 8. Caught well andran good routes once he got the feel of things. Got two series at QB,showed some scrambling ability but threw wobbly passes and theoffense stalled badly.
* WR Jamal-Rashad Patterson,Stanford, 6'2” 213Leading receiverin the game, 8-86. Soft hands, worked the sidelines well, made aone-handed catch late in the game. Showed a nice stiffarm on AllenChapman to turn a quick screen into a 10-yard gain. Showed ballsecurity issues, though, getting stripped late in the game for afumble. High and tight!
* WR Myles White, Louisiana Tech viaMichigan State, 6'0” 179White also got alot of action: 6 catches for 46. Showed some quickness gaining 20 onan end-around but was mostly short WCO stuff other than that. Didn'tshow separation downfield. Reliable hands.
* QB Dayne Crist, Kansas via NotreDame, 6'4” 232Broadcast gushedabout him a little too much, but he showed good pocket presence andaccuracy leading the Nationals to their 2nd TD. Did a goodjob finding his checkdowns, and handled the ball well, other thanblowing an exchange with Monroe in the 4th. I don't see anelite, field-stretching arm, but he did show he could run an offensewith some tempo.
* DT Terrence Stephens, Stanford,6'1” 294Showed somebull-rush, and Dick Vermeil compared him to D'Marco Farr. That can'thurt to have on your resume.
* RB Mike James, Miami, Fla, 5'11”220Didn't get a wholelot of blocking or anything done on the ground (6-21), but I do wantto single him out for unselfish play, taking over at fullback afterZordich's injury. Struggled there a little but did manage to throw acouple of good blocks.
* DB Jakar Hamilton, South CarolinaState via Georgia, 5'11” 196Hamilton got a lotof hype leading up to the game but did not come close to living up toit. He was poor on punt and kick returns, running backwards on punts,muffing the catch on one kickoff and losing a fumble at the end ofanother return. He was arguably down on that play, but Herm Edwardsstripped him of the return job after that. Hopefully he factored inbetter in pass protection.
* RB Eric Stephens Jr., Texas Tech,5'8” 194Used his blockswell on middle runs, and showed some ability as a change-of-pacereceiver, but had only 33 yards on 13 carries and repeatedly failedto run away from defenders. Just didn't show any breakaway speed.
* QB Brad Sorenson, Southern Utah,6'4” 237Has a strong armand stood strong in the pocket, but like they said about him allweek, he throws everything 100 mph. Showed he could throw on the run,but also showed he could throw wild fastballs, and failed to look theLB off on Taylor's simple INT in the 3rd. His other INTwas a low fastball that bounced back up to McCray after Pattersonwent down to dig it up.
* OG Kevin Saia, Louisiana Tech,6'2” 305McShay called himone of the best players in this year's game during the week; helooked like a classic heavy-legged waist-bender to me getting beatenby Jonathan Mathis (Texas A&M) for a sack before halftime. I hopehe just missed the snap count; that didn't look good otherwise.
* OT James Nelson, UTEP, 6'6” 341Bad in passprotection, giving up a sack to Josh Williams and a major pressure toMcCardell. Had to hold Williams another time to prevent a sack.Doesn't keep his feet moving.
* OG Drew Schaefer, Washington, 6'4”292Poor outing. Gotwhipped by Jeremy Coleman to blow up a run, gave up a sack after Coleman whooshed by him with a swim move, got thrown to theground by Mike Purcell to blow up a screen pass. Wasn't firmrun-blocking often enough to make up for those speed and balancedeficiencies.
* QB Ryan Higgins, Fordham, 6'2”212Struggled asexpected (4-11-42). Can really fire it when he steps into it, butalso reacts like he doesn't know where the ball's going when he letsgo of it. Had a couple of poor overthrows, a poor dumpoff that didn'tlead his receiver enough, and had a screen pass swatted down. Was adeer in the headlights with Purcell coming right at him in the 2nd,barely getting the ball thrown away, should have been called forgrounding.
* WR Quincy McDuffie, CentralFlorida, 5'8” 175Dropped a pass onthe opening possession, blew the exchange on an end-around the nextdrive and was barely heard from again. Hope he runs fast at his proday.
-$-
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder