I think Coach Snyder may have coached his best game last week. UCLA is loaded with NFL talent on both the offensive and defensive lines. The center and right tackle are legitimate pros. The LB (Carter) and Safety who had 2 picks are also both pros. Imagine facing that defense with virtually no offensive weapons. Carson Coffman is a great kid, but he is simply not a Division 1 QB right now. He appears to be overwhelmed by the speed of the game, but no one should question that young man's heart and desire. He took an absolute beating and kept getting up and giving effort. Once the game slows down for him ( if it ever does) , he will perform at an improved level, but we need a playmaker at QB.
The OL continues to improve. I thought Mayfield played a much better game than last week and he showed a lot of enthuiasm. We did a much better job of getting lineman downfield to block. Weibert did a commendable job of making the calls and scheme assignments. Having said that, Coffman does them no favors. He has absolutely no pocket presence and often moves into pressure instead of away from it. Dan Marino was terribly slow, but he knew how to move in the pocket. Carson struggles with this immensely, but he is a work in progress. Coach Snyder has been to bowl games with seven different QBs, so he will get things straightened out.
Childs continues to disappoint. He simply can not get off blocks. Valentine showed some signs and I like his motor. I do not know where Gabe Crews is, but he sure would help. Fitzgerald is a monster, but he is constantly double-teamed. The secondary is coming through, but I hate the soft zones. Our CBs are good enough to press. They must not trust our safety's yet. Cosh and Koenning have done a fantastic job. Pomele and Houlik are too small and a step or two too slow, but they give good effort. The lack of push upfront from Calvin and Guidry is killing us. Stewart could have been a major force in this defense.
Coffman did a good job recognizing the soft corner on Lamark's side and Lamark made some great catches. We need to get him involved. I agree with Hatter. Daniel Thomas is the real deal. He reminds me of Eric Gallon before he hurt his knee. He needs to learn to finish his runs and fall forward when tackled, but I would not trade him for any back in the country. His upside is amazing. I just hope he sticks around 2 years.
I predicted 5 wins before the season began because I know from experience that it is difficult to change systems and maintain continuity. This team played with heart last week and at LaLa, which is something I could not say for last year's team. Their effort against ku last season was an indictment of the ineptitude of their head coach. Coach Snyder will get things fixed. I am sure of that. Am I a sunshine pumper? Hell Yes because I know how well this man can coach. He proved it to me again last Saturday night. How about the half-time adjustments we have made the last tow games?
