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So, I decided to watch the entire game a second time. This time, instead of following the ball like I do during live action, I just watched the trenches and didn't even pay attention to where the ball was going. I just wanted to see for my own eyes whether we had grown as much as it looked like yesterday, or was it just a case of FSU not being motivated or just not nearly as good as people thought, after all, preseason polls are absolutely worthless. Each play, I would take notice of who was in the game and picked one or two players to focus on and just see how they handled their assignment. I have several observations I would like to share, but sadly don't have time for a report on everybody who played.
Observation number 1: I think FSU is actually very good on both sides of the ball. They have some very physical players with a lot of talent. In recent seasons, this group probably would have tossed us around some. I don't think they are a top 5 team though, but that's mostly due to their skill players, not the guys close to the ball.
Observation number 2: I was super impressed with the effort we played with, across the board. In fact, it might be the best collective effort I have seen in the white and gold in a couple decades.
Observation number 3: The OL has come together in a very special way. The coordinated execution against a very good unit on the other side of the ball WAS as good as I had hoped. Two players that kind of jump off the screen for me are Hawes (TE) and Rutledge (RG). Hawes will be an NFL TE without a doubt. His blocking, whether on the interior or out in space was devastating. His technique is great and he is just an aggressive beast. He didn't catch a pass I don't think, but he blew players up all day and looked in complete control without a false step. A lot has been said about Rutledge and rightfully so. There were times I could swear Shaq Mason was back in uniform. The thing is, the returners have all gotten better (IMHO) and these two guys have been huge additions that raised the bar even further. KUDOS to the staff for finding them.
Observation number 4: We are rotating a TON of guys on the DL (often multiple times a drive) and there doesn't seem to be much drop off. Once again, returners all look better to me, but there are a couple new guys that have really helped. Height (DE) and Van Den Berg (DT). Height is going to cause a lot of headaches this season. We haven't had a guy like him since maybe Attaochu or M. Johnson. He is just athletic as can be and knows how to defeat blocks in space. In the pass rush, he is our best on the edge. Although Van Den Berg rotated in with the 2's, to my eye he is the quickest off the ball and has the best push. If he wasn't being doubled, the guy he was going against was going to end up 3 yards in the backfield. He might not be as long as some others or as adept at separating from blocks or chasing plays, but there is huge value in pushing back into the pocket like that.
There are too many guys to talk about and too little time. Although I believe our OL might be the better and more polished unit overall, our DL has improved the most since last year and that means a lot. We really came off the ball hard and fought with a ton of energy. The TECHnique is better for sure, but the fight and grit is just night and day different from recent seasons. Right now it still feels a little weird to talk about GT and quality depth along the LOS in the same sentence, but that is where I BEElieve we are.
Observation number 1: I think FSU is actually very good on both sides of the ball. They have some very physical players with a lot of talent. In recent seasons, this group probably would have tossed us around some. I don't think they are a top 5 team though, but that's mostly due to their skill players, not the guys close to the ball.
Observation number 2: I was super impressed with the effort we played with, across the board. In fact, it might be the best collective effort I have seen in the white and gold in a couple decades.
Observation number 3: The OL has come together in a very special way. The coordinated execution against a very good unit on the other side of the ball WAS as good as I had hoped. Two players that kind of jump off the screen for me are Hawes (TE) and Rutledge (RG). Hawes will be an NFL TE without a doubt. His blocking, whether on the interior or out in space was devastating. His technique is great and he is just an aggressive beast. He didn't catch a pass I don't think, but he blew players up all day and looked in complete control without a false step. A lot has been said about Rutledge and rightfully so. There were times I could swear Shaq Mason was back in uniform. The thing is, the returners have all gotten better (IMHO) and these two guys have been huge additions that raised the bar even further. KUDOS to the staff for finding them.
Observation number 4: We are rotating a TON of guys on the DL (often multiple times a drive) and there doesn't seem to be much drop off. Once again, returners all look better to me, but there are a couple new guys that have really helped. Height (DE) and Van Den Berg (DT). Height is going to cause a lot of headaches this season. We haven't had a guy like him since maybe Attaochu or M. Johnson. He is just athletic as can be and knows how to defeat blocks in space. In the pass rush, he is our best on the edge. Although Van Den Berg rotated in with the 2's, to my eye he is the quickest off the ball and has the best push. If he wasn't being doubled, the guy he was going against was going to end up 3 yards in the backfield. He might not be as long as some others or as adept at separating from blocks or chasing plays, but there is huge value in pushing back into the pocket like that.
There are too many guys to talk about and too little time. Although I believe our OL might be the better and more polished unit overall, our DL has improved the most since last year and that means a lot. We really came off the ball hard and fought with a ton of energy. The TECHnique is better for sure, but the fight and grit is just night and day different from recent seasons. Right now it still feels a little weird to talk about GT and quality depth along the LOS in the same sentence, but that is where I BEElieve we are.
