Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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5 Responses to "Labor Day Press Conference: Jeraill McCuller"Okay. I'll be the first to comment. There has been a lot of talk about the O-line in reference to the U of SC game. Mark it down, now. This O-line is going to be as good as we have ever had... by the end of this year! We have some kids on the 2-deep that are wet behind the ears, but they are getting coached-up by the best.
You can ALWAYS find blame if that's what you're looking for. You can blame the O-line for Thursday's loss if you want, but this Staff came into the game with a winning plan. The execution wasn't there at times. Albeit, crucial times. Injuries, fumbles, missed assignments, missed tackles, dropped balls, six sacks, penalties, bad calls...and we lost by 4! Come on.
This team will get better as we go through the season, and the ceiling is pretty high right now. Don't get down on our boys. Show up and be loud, and for God's sake, be proud.
Go Pack!
Well...I like to see some more snaps in the trenches out of Andy Barbee before I get my expectations up too high. We are at a crossroads of 3 of the 4 best veteran OL (McCuller, Williams, Larsen) playing in their last season and to date the best three up and comers playing for the first time. Only Vermiglio returns with all this promising talent that is still new to the program.
With that in mind I'm trying to keep it in perspective that any domination you get out of Mattes, Wallace and Allen is more then you should usually expect from OL this early in their careers. By all accounts Mattes could be very well be on his way to being the rare exception to this rule.
Vermiglio's status and Andy Barbees abilities are the real variables at play IMO. I have a lot of faith in Andy as a competitor and Coach Horton as the OL Guru. Andy got beat out by Mattes in training camp and judging by how the RS Fr played in game one that it isn't a true indication that he's an inconsistent performer. By contrast I think that Andy made it a fierce battle for so long is a testament to his toughness and competitive fire.
I could go on and on about OL play since it's my personnel opinion that you will always over achieve as a football team if your OL kicks butt. You may not win a conference championship or national title but you will get more out of your team then you you're probably supposed to.
Jose, I agree with everything that you're saying, but take this thought into account regarding my remarks: We have NEVER had an above average O-line! Or, at least within my Wolfpack memory. I'm not saying that we haven't had above average players. But I can't recall when the O-line was ever a strength of ours, as a unit. Can you? Can Anyone? We've had some lines in the 'not too distant past' that had the potential to be above average, if not really good. But, they didn't pan out. Hell, Rivers had to take shotgun snaps, and a three step drop for four years. Instituting the 'Double Play Action' was only one other way to create time to throw the ball. Still, we had Scott Koistra and Sean Lochlear? I'm not even sure that they were both here under Amato. They are the only two O-linemen that I can remember that have made it in the league, recently.
I'm not trying to degrade the linemen that have played at our beloved school in the past. I appreciate every one of their efforts, hard work and determination. But, I am going to have to lift up the newer 'TOB' guys, and Coach Horton for a minute, though. These coaches have proven their abilities along the Offensive trenches. The R-Fr's that we're talking about are STUDS. Not only that, they are TOB's STUDS! They didn't have to 'buy into' a system that came along. They were sold before they arrived in Raleigh. They have the attributes, mentally and physically, that these coaches are looking for. Guys like Mattes are going to become the rule rather than the exception. Crisp coming in will be huge (literally) for our program. Sam Jones is the same way. With these really big guys taking over the line, I would argue that Wilson may not be a better choice at Quarterback once these O-linemen becomes dominant. Glennon could stand back there, in the pocket, seeing over those giants, and kill Defenses all day long.
This transformation may not take place this year, but consider this. These men aren't 'trained' in the off season. They are getting their training right now. That mid-season evaluation period has had this team turn a corner every year, to date. And I don't expect that to change this year. I expect this program to turn a corner with a signature win at some point really soon. This year, it could be VT or FSU. I thought that the Miami game last year took this team to another level. Miami wasn't great, but there was a lot on the line, and we failed to pull out (virtually) the same win the year before. A win in Tallahasee or Blacksburg would signify that same jump forward. I'm not saying that we will win, or even play for an ACC Championship this year, but there is the possibility. Ask any of our players or coaches and they will tell you the same.
That's what I love about the expansion of the conference, that it isn't over until you're mathematically eliminated from your division. That could last until your last game. Not long ago, if you lost 1-2 ACC games, you knew FSU wasn't going to lose that many, and the rest of the season sucked. No more. We have a shot dammit, and I'm going to keep on dreamin' because that's what I'm good at! Good night, now!
Sorry, I get pumped up sometimes. I'm better now. Go Pack!
Good interview. The kid handled the questions very well and sounded more like a coach than a player.
Some folks have been saying that we went into that game with players that were feeling "over confident", but I think it's more like we weren't ready or prepared for that level of competition in the first game of the season.
This just may turn out to be one of those early games where when the end of the season rolls around, we'll all be wishing we could revisit for another shot at the Gamecocks.
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