O-line observations, and other random thoughts

[carbonpoke]

just from a casual observer:

1. I heard they are still trying to clean-up the afterbirth from fresno states prolapse (collapse) last Saturday. After the game, derron smith was seen trying to pass brian hill his number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUVeEgXkK0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lol I kid
maybe the fresno d-line should have lined up facing the other direction in the 3 point stance, might have given b. hill a tighter hole to squeeze through.

2. speaking of the oline... anybody notice a completely different unit. not that it has changed much... gotten healthy maybe. but still the same core of guys. Do you think it might have something to do with game experience, and having a running back that can go the distance. I think the confidence and respect goes both ways. its not like the team doesn't believe in the other running backs. but hill can score more, through contact... than wick and may. he combines the talents of both backs into one package. so the line gets rewarded with a shot of adrenaline by hill.

Utah state is good... but I think coming home will be good for the cowboys. heres to battle in the trenches... world war 1 warfare. this is the key to the game. can we be better than them... in the mud and the muck... or little black pebbles (turf)

[LanderPoke]

just from a casual observer:

1. I heard they are still trying to clean-up the afterbirth from fresno states prolapse (collapse) last Saturday. After the game, derron smith was seen trying to pass brian hill his number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUVeEgXkK0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lol I kid
maybe the fresno d-line should have lined up facing the other direction in the 3 point stance, might have given b. hill a tighter hole to squeeze through.

2. speaking of the oline... anybody notice a completely different unit. not that it has changed much... gotten healthy maybe. but still the same core of guys. Do you think it might have something to do with game experience, and having a running back that can go the distance. I think the confidence and respect goes both ways. its not like the team doesn't believe in the other running backs. but hill can score more, through contact... than wick and may. he combines the talents of both backs into one package. so the line gets rewarded with a shot of adrenaline by hill.

Utah state is good... but I think coming home will be good for the cowboys. heres to battle in the trenches... world war 1 warfare. this is the key to the game. can we be better than them... in the mud and the muck... or little black pebbles (turf)

Brian Hill is badass for sure, but is Wick chopped liver, now? I think Wick would have put up similar numbers vs. Fresno and I also think he's probably a better back, still. What happens when Wick comes back?

[fromolwyoming]

just from a casual observer:

1. I heard they are still trying to clean-up the afterbirth from fresno states prolapse (collapse) last Saturday. After the game, derron smith was seen trying to pass brian hill his number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUVeEgXkK0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lol I kid
maybe the fresno d-line should have lined up facing the other direction in the 3 point stance, might have given b. hill a tighter hole to squeeze through.

2. speaking of the oline... anybody notice a completely different unit. not that it has changed much... gotten healthy maybe. but still the same core of guys. Do you think it might have something to do with game experience, and having a running back that can go the distance. I think the confidence and respect goes both ways. its not like the team doesn't believe in the other running backs. but hill can score more, through contact... than wick and may. he combines the talents of both backs into one package. so the line gets rewarded with a shot of adrenaline by hill.

Utah state is good... but I think coming home will be good for the cowboys. heres to battle in the trenches... world war 1 warfare. this is the key to the game. can we be better than them... in the mud and the muck... or little black pebbles (turf)

Brian Hill is badass for sure, but is Wick chopped liver, now? I think Wick would have put up similar numbers vs. Fresno and I also think he's probably a better back, still. What happens when Wick comes back?

Agreed. And just a few days ago, some people were saying they were not impressed with Hill, talk about a 180.

But I think Wick would have done pretty well too. He does break big runs in almost every game. He pushes the line forward. He gets those hard to come by yards. Wick got here barely 190lbs. He's now 211lbs and a force on the ground. Hill is a big back to begin with at 6'1 203. Both can be considered "Big 10 Bruisers", so to speak.

[NowherePoke]

just from a casual observer:

1. I heard they are still trying to clean-up the afterbirth from fresno states prolapse (collapse) last Saturday. After the game, derron smith was seen trying to pass brian hill his number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUVeEgXkK0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lol I kid
maybe the fresno d-line should have lined up facing the other direction in the 3 point stance, might have given b. hill a tighter hole to squeeze through.

2. speaking of the oline... anybody notice a completely different unit. not that it has changed much... gotten healthy maybe. but still the same core of guys. Do you think it might have something to do with game experience, and having a running back that can go the distance. I think the confidence and respect goes both ways. its not like the team doesn't believe in the other running backs. but hill can score more, through contact... than wick and may. he combines the talents of both backs into one package. so the line gets rewarded with a shot of adrenaline by hill.

Utah state is good... but I think coming home will be good for the cowboys. heres to battle in the trenches... world war 1 warfare. this is the key to the game. can we be better than them... in the mud and the muck... or little black pebbles (turf)

Brian Hill is badass for sure, but is Wick chopped liver, now? I think Wick would have put up similar numbers vs. Fresno and I also think he's probably a better back, still. What happens when Wick comes back?

Agree with this. On a lot of those big runs by Hill, he burst through a hole in the line and found nobody in the middle of that Fresno D. Prior to tweaking his ankle, you could see that Hill had another gear that Wick probably doesn't have (one run in the 1st quarter where he got to the corner around a LB or S comes to mind), but Wick finishes through contact consistently and has great vision. Hill could become a great back, and I think he will, but Wick is our #1 RB and he has earned that designation.

[carbonpoke]

Im not saying that wick isn't the guy. He most definitely is. He has better vision, and can withstand a wider verity of defensive talent and looks than hill can.

what Im saying is, wick is hurt. the team was looking for an identity crisis... but that didn't happen. what the o-line got was a running back that got to the hole, and through hole, faster! Hill still has a lot to learn. But his attributes speak for themselves. Hill rewards the o line with more yardage; for less amount of blocking time.

cant wait to see Hill as the primary, wick as the secondary, may as the utility... and whoever is next in line as the back up.

can you say Horseman...(the four), or high plains hydra. we will be very dangerous, and quickly. as long as the line produces like it did last Saturday.

[Dutchnation]

I noticed that The first thing out of hill's mouth was credit to his O-line. I've never heard wick do that. I'm not saying he never has, I just personally haven't heard him credit his o-line. Just an observation. I too agree that wick would have obliterated that fsu defense.

[Brew_Poke]

Well, Colby K. wouldn't be in the top 5 qbs in conference if our OL sucked as bad as some of us (including yours truly) had been thinking.

[ragtimejoe1]

Well, Colby K. wouldn't be in the top 5 qbs in conference if our OL sucked as bad as some of us (including yours truly) had been thinking.

Agreed. If defense would have even marginally been adequate, things would be a little different right now. Offense isn't stellar, but is adequate to win games in the MWC this year.

[NowherePoke]

Well, Colby K. wouldn't be in the top 5 qbs in conference if our OL sucked as bad as some of us (including yours truly) had been thinking.

Agreed. If defense would have even marginally been adequate, things would be a little different right now. Offense isn't stellar, but is adequate to win games in the MWC this year.

I think the offense has really improved as the year went on, and not just against Fresno. Obviously the OL plays a big part in that and I think Colby has grown into the starter role. I can't remember a single really poor play he made against Fresno.

Unfortunately, as the offense has improved (keep in mind, that improvement only brings us to middle of the pack in terms of MWC offenses, but much better than we thought at the beginning of the year), the defense has regressed to match last year's debacle and special teams have really hurt us.

I have mentioned it before, but early in the season it kind of felt like we were a decent team held back by the limitations of the passing game. That has turned around. The downside to that is that we can't really look to an upgrade at the QB spot to be the panacea for all that ails the Pokes. I think Coffman will do well, but Kirkegaard is 3rd in the MWC in Pass Efficiency. Not sure how much we can improve in that regard. I don't think Bohl wants a QB to throw it 50 times a game and lead the league in passing yards. I am guessing he would take a top 3 QB efficiency and a stout running game and be happy if he could build a defense that resembles his NDSU squads.

On the other hand, the defense is a problem that requires several classes of talent to build and develop. Improvement may be a long ways off. OOC is much easier next year though, so that might help in the W-L column.

[LanderPoke]

Ha ha, I was the first one to doubt Hill's ability, but wow did he ever prove me an idiot. I think it should be something like a 60-40 time split with Wick getting more carries. Am I the only one that thinks May should become a receiver? May is fast as hell and has great hands and would be a handful after the catch to bring down.

[tttgowyo]

If we had Wick and Hill at 100% against Fresno, we would have had even more ridiculous video game like stats. When Brian got tired they could have subbed Wick in and out and Fresno's D would have all had their tongues out. I don't think Hill's crazy awesome performance takes ANYTHING away from how good Wick is. I think we are a stronger team with BOTH of them. Hard to argue against that.

[joshvanklomp]

just from a casual observer:

1. I heard they are still trying to clean-up the afterbirth from fresno states prolapse (collapse) last Saturday. After the game, derron smith was seen trying to pass brian hill his number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUVeEgXkK0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lol I kid
maybe the fresno d-line should have lined up facing the other direction in the 3 point stance, might have given b. hill a tighter hole to squeeze through.

2. speaking of the oline... anybody notice a completely different unit. not that it has changed much... gotten healthy maybe. but still the same core of guys. Do you think it might have something to do with game experience, and having a running back that can go the distance. I think the confidence and respect goes both ways. its not like the team doesn't believe in the other running backs. but hill can score more, through contact... than wick and may. he combines the talents of both backs into one package. so the line gets rewarded with a shot of adrenaline by hill.

Utah state is good... but I think coming home will be good for the cowboys. heres to battle in the trenches... world war 1 warfare. this is the key to the game. can we be better than them... in the mud and the muck... or little black pebbles (turf)

Brian Hill is badass for sure, but is Wick chopped liver, now? I think Wick would have put up similar numbers vs. Fresno and I also think he's probably a better back, still. What happens when Wick comes back?

Agree with this. On a lot of those big runs by Hill, he burst through a hole in the line and found nobody in the middle of that Fresno D. Prior to tweaking his ankle, you could see that Hill had another gear that Wick probably doesn't have (one run in the 1st quarter where he got to the corner around a LB or S comes to mind), but Wick finishes through contact consistently and has great vision. Hill could become a great back, and I think he will, but Wick is our #1 RB and he has earned that designation.

They are two different backs. Wick is a power back, while Hill provides the top-end speed.

I disagree that Wick would have similar numbers because Wick wouldn't have broken as long of runs IMO. He is a contact runner like you said, but the long runs didn't require any contact. Wick just doesn't have Hill's speed.

[ragtimejoe1]

On the other hand, the defense is a problem that requires several classes of talent to build and develop. Improvement may be a long ways off.

Unfortunately, you are probably right. However, even a good d-line will vastly improve the overall defense. Hopefully, we get some improvement up front fast which will help mask our other deficiencies.

[NowherePoke]

just from a casual observer:

1. I heard they are still trying to clean-up the afterbirth from fresno states prolapse (collapse) last Saturday. After the game, derron smith was seen trying to pass brian hill his number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUVeEgXkK0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lol I kid
maybe the fresno d-line should have lined up facing the other direction in the 3 point stance, might have given b. hill a tighter hole to squeeze through.

2. speaking of the oline... anybody notice a completely different unit. not that it has changed much... gotten healthy maybe. but still the same core of guys. Do you think it might have something to do with game experience, and having a running back that can go the distance. I think the confidence and respect goes both ways. its not like the team doesn't believe in the other running backs. but hill can score more, through contact... than wick and may. he combines the talents of both backs into one package. so the line gets rewarded with a shot of adrenaline by hill.

Utah state is good... but I think coming home will be good for the cowboys. heres to battle in the trenches... world war 1 warfare. this is the key to the game. can we be better than them... in the mud and the muck... or little black pebbles (turf)

Brian Hill is badass for sure, but is Wick chopped liver, now? I think Wick would have put up similar numbers vs. Fresno and I also think he's probably a better back, still. What happens when Wick comes back?

Agree with this. On a lot of those big runs by Hill, he burst through a hole in the line and found nobody in the middle of that Fresno D. Prior to tweaking his ankle, you could see that Hill had another gear that Wick probably doesn't have (one run in the 1st quarter where he got to the corner around a LB or S comes to mind), but Wick finishes through contact consistently and has great vision. Hill could become a great back, and I think he will, but Wick is our #1 RB and he has earned that designation.

They are two different backs. Wick is a power back, while Hill provides the top-end speed.

I disagree that Wick would have similar numbers because Wick wouldn't have broken as long of runs IMO. He is a contact runner like you said, but the long runs didn't require any contact. Wick just doesn't have Hill's speed.

Very good point. On a lot of those runs, Hill broke through the line and found absolutely nobody in the middle of the field. His speed allowed him to maximize the gains on those breakout runs. Wick isn't slow by any means, but Hill has another gear. Not sure he was really able to hit that other gear after tweaking the ankle though. If he was 100% he would probably have 2 more TD's and over 400 yards total from that game.

Definitely a very solid rotation for next year with Wick/Hill/May.

[WYCowboy]

On the other hand, the defense is a problem that requires several classes of talent to build and develop. Improvement may be a long ways off.

Unfortunately, you are probably right. However, even a good d-line will vastly improve the overall defense. Hopefully, we get some improvement up front fast which will help mask our other deficiencies.

IMO, you have to get pressure on the opposing team's QB. If you let a good QB sit in the pocket and look over the field and find his receivers or give him an escape route to run, they will beat a very good defensive secondary & linebackers a large percentage of the time.

[johnywyo]

Heck of a game by the Cowboys. That West Side Division is lackluster, San Jose may be the best team.
After being on the flip side of these games with Fresno for a number of years it was encouraging to throttle their ass on Bulldog turf. Good things coming for our young kids as Bohl executes the plan. Hill ate lunch, the O line performed at a high level and Colby picked on their decent secondary. What is evident is, if we can establish the run the play action will give us a lot of seams to throw to. We may surprise ourselves again this week.

[laxwyo]

Not to diminish what hill did but tapscott was breaking runs off too. I think our RBs are so good and our OL was on point that any of our backs would have torn them up. Give or take making it into the end zone or getting stopped at the 10. Wick has broke plenty of runs against top Ds

[joshvanklomp]

Not to diminish what hill did but tapscott was breaking runs off too. I think our RBs are so good and our OL was on point that any of our backs would have torn them up. Give or take making it into the end zone or getting stopped at the 10. Wick has broke plenty of runs against top Ds

Yes, Tapscott was breaking some runs, and the offensive line deserves credit for the initial holes being created. But beyond that, it was Hill. Tapscott doesn't have the breakaway speed Wick has, who doesn't have the breakaway speed Hill has.

[mwc fan]

If Wick would've played the Fresno st Defense would've stacked the box the entire game. What Hill got was a product of Fresno's not respecting him or kolby. If Wick would have defenses line up like Fresno he would average 150+ yards a game. Despite the stats Hill, Wick is a guy who demands a defensive coordinators respect. He runs with better pad level and has more burst and Vision than the others. I like all our backs though. It's a great sign for the future.