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Scrimmage Impressions

Outside of punts and field goals did the team run kickoffs and punt/kick returns? If so how did it look, does the team have a shot at making plays on the return side and limiting the game changing returns?

Returns weren't run fully live. No idea. HCMM said something about depth likely to make returns & coverage better, but I don't think we'll have any real knowledge on how good that stuff is until we see it in games.
 
I understand that a public scrimmage will be pure vanilla, but special teams has me really worried. My head might explode if we lose a game because of special teams.
 
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So, I understand Diego drilled 1, had 1 blocked, and missed 1 correct? Whoever said the ball hit the snapper's backside was exaggerating. Falo and Jackson got way way up on this kick. This block is more on the line. They need to prevent the DL from getting up that high.
 
I understand that a public scrimmage will be pure vanilla, but special teams has me really worried. My head might explode if we lose a game because of special teams.
Prepare yourself now; it will happen. Even teams with average special teams usually lose at least one game a season due to special teams (they often win at least one game due to special teams too).

Our best hope is that it's not the difference between a bowl game or staying home.
 
Special teams sounds extremely scary. I was feeling the Kool-Aid a little, but now coming back to earth a bit. Gotta beat Hawaii.
 
Prepare yourself now; it will happen. Even teams with average special teams usually lose at least one game a season due to special teams (they often win at least one game due to special teams too).

Our best hope is that it's not the difference between a bowl game or staying home.

With a limited number of players, special teams coverage can't be practiced too hard for fear of injury, thus has to rely on player responsibilities and execution. You can coach a kid 50 times what to do, but in the heat of the game he has to do it! Toby can't make any tackles. Example: watch that CSU punt return for a TD two years ago. Greg Henderson and John Walker overran the play and the CSU kid walked by them, even though they weren't blocked and in exact position to blow up that play. Henderson was running on STs for three years and he fubarred badly on that play. Is it Toby's fault an upperclassman blows his assignment?

Same with Oliver missing three makeable FGs at Cal.

It all comes down to personal execution.
 
I am not worried about the kicking game considering one of the kickers was not practicing but I don't understand how Kinney could be so impressive in workouts to earn that ranking and then cannot perform when he gets on the field. It should not be that hard.
 
I am not worried about the kicking game considering one of the kickers was not practicing but I don't understand how Kinney could be so impressive in workouts to earn that ranking and then cannot perform when he gets on the field. It should not be that hard.

Your first sentence is confusing. You're not worried about the kicking game because someone who we have never seen wasn't practicing?
 
Your first sentence is confusing. You're not worried about the kicking game because someone who we have never seen wasn't practicing?

No I went to the other practice last Saturday and Graham looks like a good kicker, honestly I am not really concerned with field goal kicking. I don't know what was going on during the scrimmage but Diego has a leg on him so it doesn't make sense that he was only getting kickoffs to the 5-10 yard line. Punting is my real concern.
 
Possibly we are trying to kickoff with hang time to force a return into good coverage rather than allow the automatic spot at the 25? I don't know. Just asking/speculating.
 
Possibly we are trying to kickoff with hang time to force a return into good coverage rather than allow the automatic spot at the 25? I don't know. Just asking/speculating.

Didn't look like it. The kickoffs were not very high but I feel like we have seen Diego boot it out of the back of the endzone before (maybe in the spring) so that is why I was confused. The first kickoff was just flat terrible, landed at about the 8 yard line and was really low and fast. The second was a little better as I think it was caught on the 1 or 2 but it was still low and fast. Does someone remember in the spring game when Diego practiced kickoffs? I thought they looked pretty good.
 
re: DBT - I don't think so, or if we were trying to kick short, the height was terrible so the kick got there too fast. Overall, disturbing unless a practice routine or the result of a dead leg.
 
I'd like to go with nik's theory that it was more about wanting to get the KO coverage unit some work, rather than see how many times Diego could kick it out of the endzone. Won't know for sure until Hawaii.
 
I think everyone needs to take a deep breath with regard to special teams. Kinney was under fire for the first time as a college player. He's obviously got the leg and they'll scheme some ways to take pressure off of him. He'll be fine. I remember when O'Neill shanked like 10 kicks in a row at a practice during his sophomore year. Alex just needs to settle in and find his groove.

FG kicking is a concern, but I wouldn't be surprised if they'll have Diego handling kickoffs and long field goals. Graham can kick PATs and FGs <40 yards.

I'm way more concerned about things we can't fix, like lack of depth and fielding unproven players at LB, DL, and TE.
 
Devin Ross is jacked, Shay Fields is a lot bigger and Donovan Lee -- you're going to have to see it to believe it. I literally did not realize who it was and it took me a while. He's filled out like a running back.

I was out of town and didn't get to the scrimmage on Saturday, but I saw Lee at the grocery store yesterday. I couldn't believe it was him; he's filled out just like you said.

Also, anyone know where I could get a schedule poster?
 
With a limited number of players, special teams coverage can't be practiced too hard for fear of injury, thus has to rely on player responsibilities and execution. You can coach a kid 50 times what to do, but in the heat of the game he has to do it! Toby can't make any tackles. Example: watch that CSU punt return for a TD two years ago. Greg Henderson and John Walker overran the play and the CSU kid walked by them, even though they weren't blocked and in exact position to blow up that play. Henderson was running on STs for three years and he fubarred badly on that play. Is it Toby's fault an upperclassman blows his assignment?

Same with Oliver missing three makeable FGs at Cal.

It all comes down to personal execution.
It's strange to me that a player coached in one position excels at that position, and the same player coached at another, far simpler position with fewer reads, but by a different coach consistently falls short at that second position.

It's also pretty strange that this happens to multiple players too.

I wish I could figure it out.
 
I'd like to go with nik's theory that it was more about wanting to get the KO coverage unit some work, rather than see how many times Diego could kick it out of the endzone. Won't know for sure until Hawaii.
That is the most likely explanation. Why have all those guys out there to practice just to watch it sail over their heads all the time? I'm hoping for Kinney it was nerves...being in Folsom with a crowd etc. I know it's a small crowd etc, but the kid is what...18? FG kicking...yikes.
 
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