Big Dan & Co. vs. Georgia Tech

rockford

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Watching a game for the second time is always interesting, often because of the things you don't see.

For instance, I was expecting to see our offensive line really kicking GT butt, given the way we dominated the game (and especially the first quarter). Instead, I saw a first quarter in which our OL had one of its poorest run-blocking performances of the season. I scored LT Andries, LG Olson, RG Dunlap, and RT Faalele ... and had them at a cumulative 75% run blocking for the quarter.

The biggest offender was Big Dan himself, who scored just 58% run blocking. His deficiencies were many and varied:
• Got his feet tangled and fell down on the first play from scrimmage, accomplishing nothing
• Missed a block at the second level (something he's struggled with this season)
• On a play where he needed to get an inside release and lock up with a LB, he got beat inside by the lineman and failed to find a target at the second level
• Appeared to get lazy on a play where he blocked down (a tremendous strength of his), allowing the lineman to spin off and make the tackle

In addition, all four of our OL subjects failed on a single play where all were reaching to the right. Didn't really define where the ultimate breakdown occurred on that play, but all four of our guys achieved nothing.

Dunlap, making his first start of the season, scored 75% run blocking in the first quarter. Two of his three "fails" came on plays where he was tasked with getting to the second level, even though he appears to move well (especially laterally). Chalk it up to "ute."

Andries, making his first appearance at LT, looked entirely at home there.

All in all, a subpar opening quarter for the OL. Olson was his usual dependable self, and Andries was solid in a new position. But Dunlap looked like the new starter he was, and Faalele was uncharacteristically soft on the run.

For the quarter:
• Andries 83% run, 100% pass
• Olson 83% run, 100% pass
• Dunlap 75% run, 75% pass
• Faalele 58% run, 88% pass

Gee, I hope this improves. ;)

JTG
 

For the quarter:
• Andries 83% run, 100% pass
• Olson 83% run, 100% pass
• Dunlap 75% run, 75% pass
• Faalele 58% run, 88% pass

Gee, I hope this improves.

JTG

I'm sure it will improve. I have absolutely no doubt. These guys are excited and will continue to listen, get stronger, and produce.
 

I also rewatched the offense and particularly the O-line except for the 4th quarter. A couple observations.

-Dunlap is not great at making his blocks at the second level but ok when the guy he has to block is right in front of him. Thats expected of course from a 370 pounder. Same can be said of Faalele but he was decent in pass protection.
-TE's blocked very well. On many of the big plays, the TE's were the one's that collapsed the edge, not the OT and Ibahim ran right behind them.
-Blaise pass blocked well when he was at LT. When Schlueter was at LT, they usually had a TE block on the edge and had Schlueter block the inside guy.
-I think Weyler might have had the best performance.
 

Our TEs have been impressive blocking this year, so I can easily buy your statement regarding them (even though I haven't been focusing on them).

I haven't focused on Weyler all year, and I'm regretting it. It would have been illustrative of what a solid center looks like. But my intent was to look at the potential of guys who are going to be around for a while, and as a senior Weyler didn't meet that profile.

JTG
 

I still believe playing Faalele for the final 4 games was the way to go. We will regret this when he would be a senior.
 




I still believe playing Faalele for the final 4 games was the way to go. We will regret this when he would be a senior.

You must not have watched the Iowa game. The choice was a no brainer.


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I still believe playing Faalele for the final 4 games was the way to go. We will regret this when he would be a senior.

He will be in the NFL by then.


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Playing Faalele was the right choice in my book. The offense was able to hit another gear once that happened.

Weyler was so good this year. I will be cheering for him to get a shot at the next level.
 

I still believe playing Faalele for the final 4 games was the way to go. We will regret this when he would be a senior.
I doubt there was a chance that he'd still be around for a 5th year.
 






Why?

The whole Wisconsin dream offensive stayed.

A lot of posters think he will project as a 1st or 2nd round pick. Maybe he loves college, Minnesota, Fleck, whatever...but a lot of guys leave when they are guaranteed that kind of draft spot. NFL scouts will love his size and athleticism.

Now, I don't know if Faalele is ever going to be THAT kind of NFL prospect. Very few guys are. He had a very nice freshman campaign and I expect him to improve a lot by getting more experience. He has to be one of the least experienced players in the country, regardless of position.
 

I still believe playing Faalele for the final 4 games was the way to go. We will regret this when he would be a senior.

We shouldn’t have played Bateman either then.
 


I watched the Iowa game. You think he would have won that game? LMAO

Nope but if u didn't replace the RT, give Daniel a few more games to become attuned to the college game and the line to gel then: our QBs likely get beat up and potentially injured; our offense doesn't get the opportunity to gel; and, likely we don't pick up a 6th and 7th win to propel us into next year.


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Putting Dan on the field was an absolute game changer this year. I always thought you should RedShirt a true freshman OL no matter what. I was wrong.


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It would seem pretty unlikely Big Dan spends more than three years in college. Paraphrasing Bill Parcels..."How many people on the planet are that big, that strong, that agile? You gotta draft em when you get the chance."
The NFL loves potential. I can't imagine with just normal progression he's not somewhere in the 1st or 2nd round in two years? Higher if it all clicks and he dominates.
 

Dan will be here for 3 years the way he is progressing. You could red shirt him like e did Max Williams or play him for three years.. Max only saw the field for two years because of the RS. It’s a good problem to have.
 

Putting Dan on the field was an absolute game changer this year. I always thought you should RedShirt a true freshman OL no matter what. I was wrong.

My 9th grade math teacher said the ability to say the bolded above was the surest sign of intelligence.

He was right.
 
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Putting Dan on the field was an absolute game changer this year. I always thought you should RedShirt a true freshman OL no matter what. I was wrong.


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Exactly where I'm at too. There's no reasonable argument that this did not work out well.
 

Dan will be here for 3 years the way he is progressing. You could red shirt him like e did Max Williams or play him for three years.. Max only saw the field for two years because of the RS. It’s a good problem to have.

+10000
 

I still believe playing Faalele for the final 4 games was the way to go. We will regret this when he would be a senior.

Doubt it. I think we’ll relish it.

College football is always next man up. If you have regrets about playing someone you need to get out of coaching.
 

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The play near the end of the clip, where he drives his man 10-15 yards downfield, pancakes him and lands on top of him ... ouch!

JTG
 

The OL -- including Faalele -- kicked it up a notch in the second quarter, including a long drive where Schlueter came in at LT and Andries moved back to his old spot at RG.

I'm really hoping what we've seen the last few games turns out to be our trademark: long, time-consuming drives that wear down the opponent and erode his will to compete.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing about our success on the ground in this game was that it wasn't necessarily a result of our OL consistently destroying the defensive front seven. Our OL played well, but it certainly seemed our success could just as well be attributed to scheme, play-calling, execution and some damn hard running by Mo.

I don't have the first-half stats, but we dominated time of possession and led by 10 even though I only had our OL (minus Weyler) graded at 81% run blocking for the quarter. I consider that slightly below average.

Faalele mostly righted his ship in the quarter, although there was an instance where he got beat by a simple swim move on 3rd and 7, forcing QB Morgan to scramble for a two-yard gain and bringing about Carpenter's second field goal.

Other than that, Big Dan made at least three really nice plays in the quarter:
• As mentioned above, check out the play in the video where he pushes his man all over hell and back and than pancakes him ... and them turns him into a pancake.
• On a pass play where the defender was trying to beat him outside, the defender lost his balance and Faalele effortlessly jerked him to the ground ... then gave him a nice shove when he regained his feet.
• Near the end of a run play, Faalele was jogging along behind the action when a wayward LB entered his field of vision. Big Dan gave him a simple sideways bump and the LB went butt over breakfast.

All in all, I really like the way our OL is dominant without being dirty. They look you in the eye and kick you in the butt. And now that Donnell Greene is gone, they seem less likely to pick up heat-of-the-moment penalties. Case in point: GT had a little jerk DB #29 (Carpenter, I think) who twice got in Schlueter's face after plays. Schlueter could have kicked seven different kinds of dog crap out of the guy, but chose instead to walk away and let the offense speak for itself. I admire the self-restraint, even though I'd love to see the dick get decked.

For the half:
Andries: 87% run, 100% pass
Olson: 78% run, 100% pass
Dunlap: 83% run, 78% pass
Faalele: 74% run, 85% pass
Schlueter: 88% run, 100% pass

Andries did much in this half to establish himself as a swing lineman, capable of holding down a G or T spot.

JTG
 

Dunlap and Faalele are Freshmen with lots of raw talent and it showed at times. However, their body of work bodes well for the next couple of years.
 

Our OL started wonky against New Mexico and Fresno IIRC, both I was watching closely and were getting very little push... or getting pushed around way more than you would have expected.

But they also pulled it together in those games eventually, at least better than the opening drives.
 




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