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Spring Game Thoughts

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U got This said:
As frustrating as last yr was, im still expecting this group to improve on their situation from last yr,.growing pains will happen ,but I'll be **** if I lay down on this group and wave the white flag, others can but not me.
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Yeah i like the two freshman we got and Luka is a year older. I also feel very good about Demarcus Deroche and coach Viti
 
Ironmanfootball said:
You know @DMoney went to an online Glazier Clinic with him not bringing up Lofton once.
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OrangeBowlMagic said:
Quick thoughts on my concerns, post-spring, in order of importance:

1. Edge group in the run game. Bain and Mesi were as good as I can ever remember anyone being here at setting the edge in the run game. Who can come close to replicating that? Wilson and Lightfoot are elite pass rushers, I don’t trust either to do what 3 and 4 did (not that I expect them to exactly, but we need to be able to hold up there). But can they be OK? Can the other kids fill some gaps when they’re in the game?

2. Weak side backer and the overall depth. 31 wasn’t incredible, but he was solid. Can chase smith play the same way? I’m not sold. We need 1-2 more kids to step up.

3. Center. It’s an incredibly integral position in this offense (and most offenses). We’ve been spoiled. Lee, Carpenter, Brockermeyer the last 3 years. Again, no Outland trophy winners here, but coming into the last 3 years, we had a kid who we knew would be, at least, solid. We don’t this year. Where will Rodriguez fit in on that lineage?

4. The OL in general. We know the deal here. We lost 4 starters. Will we take a step back? It’s probably a favorite that we do, but if so, how much? Can it still be a Top 20 line?

5. The kicker. Davis was good, till he wasn’t. And it almost cost us the A&M game (yeah, it was windy). He melted down late in the year. We know a game is going to be at least partially decided, if not totally decided, by a kick. A Borregales brother ain’t walking thru that door. Who can hang their nuts out and make a kick?

1 is a MAJOR concern. Again, doesn’t mean we automatically blow. But it’s my main question. 2 and 3 are big. 4….i trust Mario and Alex. I know we’ll be good. The ceiling of the offense is predicated on how good, however. 5 is important but if this offense is as good as I think it is, we’ll be ok.

My reasons for extreme optimism:

1. Literally every other **** thing. Sweet ******** of god is this team loaded. Yes, I am firmly in the camp that this will be a better overall football team. We. Are. Absurdly. Loaded. Does that mean we are 40 yards from a natty on the last drive of the season? No. Football is a crazy game. Crazy **** happens. But I am fully convinced, on a snap to snap basis on both sides, this is one of the 5 best teams in the country. The offense is ******* disgusting. The defense is oozing talent, especially if we can get leads and make teams one-dimensional. The coordinator is a very likely serial murderer. Mario’s in-game coaching is markedly improved. The depth is the best it’s ever been. 5 years ago a kid like Mallory or Wingo would’ve been heavy rotational players and possibly starters. Now they’re gonna get most of their action squeezing water bottles during timeouts. Armondo Blount starts for every single ACC team…except here. Same with O’Conner. What even is this running back room? It’s a joke how deep and talented it is. I can go on for 20 mins. We have a very favorable schedule, especially early, when we need to gel. The ceiling here is a natty, full-stop. The talent is that good.

If we can fill some gaps on my concerns above and just make those good areas (they don’t have to be great), we are losing, at most, 1 game and just prison raping this league.

2023 was better than 2022. 2024 was better than 2023. 2025 was better than 2024. Those are literal facts. I don’t expect that trend to change in the least bit. This staff is assembling a monster, and we have coordinator continuity. The ceiling is truly the roof. Buckle in boys, we are gonna have a TON of fun this fall. Can’t wait.
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Lowe was suposed to help with #1 but seems like hes cooked
 
FuriousStyles said:
Don’t get your hopes up for that… Mario has shown that when it matters we will run the ball and punish people. That only comes from repping it consistently, not just late in games or at the end of the season.

That 4 wide set is something we could do but it’s not his brand of football and he won’t lean on it heavily.
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You can run the ball from twins spread too(or any other 01 personnel formation)

Its actually easier because it brings in smaller defenders which bodes well for the backs and lineman. Especially since we put such a heavy emphasis on WR blocking already.

Think Leveon Bell with the Steelers. His success was due large in part to them running the ball while in twins spread and having nickel and dime defenses on the field.

Coaches bother me when they equate running with 12/13 personnel groupings.

All it does is make it harder on the offense. Especially when you don't have ANY variety in your looks and you dont take advantage of opponents keying on your tendencies.
 
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U got This said:
As frustrating as last yr was, im still expecting this group to improve on their situation from last yr,.growing pains will happen ,but I'll be **** if I lay down on this group and wave the white flag, others can but not me.
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Group won't ever be anything more than average/OK. Air raid coaches dont tend to use the TE and when they do they go long stretches forgetting about em.
 
FuriousStyles said:
Don’t get your hopes up for that… Mario has shown that when it matters we will run the ball and punish people. That only comes from repping it consistently, not just late in games or at the end of the season.

That 4 wide set is something we could do but it’s not his brand of football and he won’t lean on it heavily.
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The big question is do we the offensive line to punish ND or anyone we’d face in the playoffs. Teams are going to want to play slow against us. It sounds like the run blocking is way ahead of the pass blocking, so maybe we’ll be alright there.

Against the ACC comp, I see us definitely using a lot 4 wide sets and absolutely lighting up the scoreboard. The only reason we didn’t do it more in the regular season last year was because we didn’t have the depth at WR
 
Canezum5 said:
Group won't ever be anything more than average/OK. Air raid coaches dont tend to use the TE and when they do they go long stretches forgetting about em.
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When Arroyo was here, it sure was hot and cold as if he was forgotten about, to your point.

For this yr im not expecting a Arroyo type yr.

with how the offense is run my expectations for the unit are consistently good blocking and reliable hands when called upon. The unit wasnt nothing major Last yr of course But the loss of lofton in crunch time hurt when it mattered most. One small crack sunk the ship.

Last yr was below average this yr needs to level out.
 
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OrangeBowlMagic said:
Agreed. Thats a very big loss if it comes to fruition. Even if we did have him it’d still be my #1 concern but the reason it’s blinking in red light is I’m assuming he’s gone.
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For me Oline is higher than Edge run game, You bought in a portal DE who is on a contract year essentially, you have two DTs who are also on contract years and both played at high level to end last season so it will be difficult to double and we should have more depth.. Now if you mean it will be hard to replace two first rounders, lol.. Yea thats unprecedented to have two guys that talented at DE.. but we should be fine as long as we stay healthy and Lowe gets his head out of his ***..

The drop off of first round DE with portal DE who has first round potential and is a 4th year player compared to losing 4 Olineman with 100+ starts and replacing them with Rodriguez and freshman protecting blindside.. ehhh..

Also the narrative makes it seem to have grown like Damon Wilson was getting pancaked all over the field and never played run D, Mizzou was top 15 against the run, I just dont see how its higher issue than oline. Blount played DT just like Bain/Mesi and now asked to play Bain role, I dont see him getting overwhelmed when he played DT last year..
 
Pretty good track record demonstrating that TE isn't an emphasis (target-wise) in Dawson's offense. And yet a #1 offense in '24, and playoff quality last year. So why all the concern?
 
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MiamiCanesFan77 said:
Barry said there were repeated issues with high snaps… from the starting center?
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chris2183l said:
I still have major concerns with the OL in general. U dont lose 4 starters (3 likely solid NFL guys) and not have some drop off. I hope they are serviceable enough to give mensah time and the Run game some push and we should still be ok...
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We did in 2001. Won’t likely be better than last year, but will be better in spots. We will be better at LG and Center. The other 3 spots we will be ok. Depth we have Merriweather, Congdon, Wilkerson and SJ. OL is in better shape that 95% of the rest in FBS.
 
SinisterCane said:
Sad to see TEU in its current state
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I hate comments like this… Dawson is an air raid OC by pedrigree coming up and he’s mixing in a power running game that his boss expects.

There’s only so many snaps and highlighting the TE I don’t think is common in air raid offenses… sucks but it is what it is. As long as we have guys like Toney, Moore, Barkate, etc eating and destroying coverages weakening boxes and letting fletch and brown run down hill with bad intentions
 
3FW said:
We did in 2001. Won’t likely be better than last year, but will be better in spots. We will be better at LG and Center. The other 3 spots we will be ok. Depth we have Merriweather, Congdon, Wilkerson and SJ. OL is in better shape that 95% of the rest in FBS.
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Run blocking seems to be good, but pass blocking was an issue in the scrimmage. Flo mentioned this last week, but Mensah was running for his life. I’m hoping Merriweather can come in and be the swing RT with McCoy. Sucks he couldn’t participate much in spring. That spot certainly has a lot of work to do
 
skyman said:
For me Oline is higher than Edge run game, You bought in a portal DE who is on a contract year essentially, you have two DTs who are also on contract years and both played at high level to end last season so it will be difficult to double and we should have more depth.. Now if you mean it will be hard to replace two first rounders, lol.. Yea thats unprecedented to have two guys that talented at DE.. but we should be fine as long as we stay healthy and Lowe gets his head out of his ***..

The drop off of first round DE with portal DE who has first round potential and is a 4th year player compared to losing 4 Olineman with 100+ starts and replacing them with Rodriguez and freshman protecting blindside.. ehhh..

Also the narrative makes it seem to have grown like Damon Wilson was getting pancaked all over the field and never played run D, Mizzou was top 15 against the run, I just dont see how its higher issue than oline. Blount played DT just like Bain/Mesi and now asked to play Bain role, I dont see him getting overwhelmed when he played DT last year..
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The portal DE we got is a WAY different player than the 2 we lost. He’s elite at what he does and I’ve said on record here he will have more sacks than Bain, so I’m sky high on him. But he has very little interest in playing the run and setting the edge.
 
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