I recently watched the 2013 Indiana tilt, 2015 Colorado State, Michigan, Central Michigan
2013 thoughts:
--Eric Murray was terrifying as a sophomore. Opposing teams hadn't figured out they needed to avoid him yet, so they kept forcing the ball to his receiver and it never went well for the Hoosiers. He's always in position and does a great job of ripping at the ball if he's not in position to knock it away. Can I just say how much I love that the staff pulled Eric Murray out of Wisconsin without any competition?
--Our offense is so plodding. David Cobb is dominant, and Maxx Williams was already a force. Also, Engel is a sneaky good receiver, but he's not a Big 10 #1 WR or the guy you should hand it off to on jet sweeps. Yeesh.
--Maxx proved himself a star on that long catch and run for the late TD. Had a few other catches too.
--Leidner came in for Nelson a couple times and ran the offense well, had some big runs & a couple nice throws. However, he fumbled twice, and Nelson had his 2nd best Gopher performance against IU. Had forgotten how ugly PNelson's ball is. Leidner throws a much better ball, is a far more effective runner, and obviously was the right choice. Nelson did us a favor transferring
--Our OLine doesn't do DC many favors.
--Mitch is fast. Mitch is so much faster when he's healthy. I really hope we can keep him healthy this year because he is a legit threat to run for big chunks of yards when the D locks in on our RBs.
--Limegrover has a pretty decent day calling plays. Limegrover was a better play caller in 2013 than 2015, IMO.
--Defensively, our secondary was already great in 2013, but we weren't nearly as good at linebacker as we are now. Damien Wilson was a stud, and he had to be because Manuel's light bulb hadn't gone off yet, and while I love Aaron Hill and he was a heady, consistent player, but he had below average athleticism for a Big 10 backer. Those limitations and weak DE play allowed the Hoosiers to tear us up on the ground in the second half.
--We are way more athletic at LB & WR than we were in 2013. That allows the front 7 to maintain position better which gives the DBs a chance to fill.
--Matt Limegrover/Jerry Kill somehow became the single most predictable play caller I've ever seen in 2015. On 1st and 2nd down it's inside zone over and over again, with an occasional QB run also UP THE MIDDLE or occasional play action pass. Makes me wonder what happened to the guy who torched Nebraska and Indiana with jet sweep and jet sweep action plays? Ugh.
--Our 2015 OLine is more talented than the 2013 bunch, but they are just as inconsistent, and our frosh backs have great potential but can't create space in a phone booth like David Cobb could.
--Wozniak is a BEAST on WR screens and other plays where he can get out in front to block in space. When he is in front of a WR screen or swing pass to the RB, it is far likelier to succeed.
--Rodney is a really solid, impressive Big 10 RB.
--Shannon Brooks could be a superstar. I really believe that if the OLine improves a bit, those guys could put Barber/Maroney type numbers this year. I love Shannon's physical style, and I'm excited to see what he can do now that he's had a full offseason in the S&C program. We really need the OLine to step up so we can showcase these backs and give Mitch a little breathing room.
--Antonio Johnson is still great, but he wasn't as consistent in 2015 as he was in 2014.
--BBC's injury never truly healed. BBC maintained most of his agility but his top end speed just wasn't the same and it allowed him to give up some big plays like that 50 yard TD against CSU.
--Early in the year you can see Mitch is constantly throwing off his back foot due to his injury. Later in the year he's more mobile and he is stepping into his throws. When Mitch is healthy he is a quality passer.
--Our OLine has serious issues pass blocking. Pirsig struggled a lot early in the year.
--I think Celestin takes a big step forward this year.
--Poock isn't quite as explosive as Damien Wilson, but he's better at diagnosing plays and getting off blocks. Damien Wilson was best for the 2013 team because the other LBs were slow and often out of position and his speed compensated for them. Poock is the right Mike LB for the 2016 team because of those qualities and because he has far better support from his other LBs.
--Devondre Campbell got so much better it's startling. The guy deserves kudos for how he grew as a player in 3 years here.
--Jalen Myrick is almost as good as Eric Murray. Both are equally quick, but Myrick is faster. If Jalen stays healthy, I think he is a lock for Big 10 all-conference honors.
--Hank Ekpe has a motor problem. He is quick to give up on plays and will quit fighting. That quality cost us some long runs. Maybe that explains why he hasn't developed any pass rushing moves outside a speed rush.
--Gaelin Elmore has real potential. I don't know if he'll ever be a great pass rusher, but he's athletic and has the potential to be a monster against the run.
--Ayinde needs to take a big step forward this year. He showed some nice things but right now he's not playing at a Sawvel level.
--Kiante Hardin could be the real deal
--Stephen Richardson is a superstar. Sometimes he cuts through double teams so quickly that the OLs barely get mitts on him. Sometimes he chases down a running play 20+ yards downfield and makes tackles once he gets there. Dude could be an All-American if he can stay healthy.
The whole Limey/Z/Kill all calling plays together thing didn't work. Time after time you see the players looking to the sidelines only to have the play come in late and the team had to rush the play or take a TO. That's absolutely unacceptable for a HS team, let alone a Big 10 squad.
