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Topic: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Topic: My Quick Thoughts on Today

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anorris
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My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 3:28:06 PM

Quick takeaways from today.

O-line: a lot of rushes that would've gone for a loss or no gain in years past went for 2-4 yards or forward progress today. Felt like we owned the trench there.

Not too many silly penalties, not many "oh no, there's only three seconds left on the play clock" frantic moments. Room for improvement, but not bad for an opener, at all.

We just beat a BCS school by double digits, and I'd rate our overall game a B at best. We left six points on the field, and definitely have room to get better.

Wheeee! Work is going to be fun tonight!

Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 3:45:59 PM

I thought the patience by the coaching staff to stick with the running game and being willing to take the three yards a crack to keep the Penn State pass rush respectful of the run, was the key to the entire game. Every third down was manageable. Everything within the system, within the game plan.

Using Blankenship in the passing game was a needed change this season after last year him being non-existent in it. I loved getting him involved in that.

And the defense made great adjustments midway through the first quarter. They were not athletic enough out there. They got the extra secondary player out there and suddenly McGloin had to make tougher throws.

Ohio's coaches won the chess match on Saturday.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 3:54:17 PM

Agree, agree except that it seemed that our defensive effectiveness (doesn't necess = when we changed strategy) came on at the start of the 2nd half.

Offense's effectiveness kept the D off the field, giving the D rest, making the D fresher so it could dominate.

We seemed to cover their receivers a lot tighter in the 2nd half--I guess we needed time to see what their offense would be.

And, we did all this with a rather decimated d-backfield.

Went from 'Oh, no, not good' at the end of the first half to, WOW, WHAT SECOND HALF!

Where's the band?!
WHERE"S THE BAND?!

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Pataskala
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 3:57:02 PM

The D was solid all day. Penn St's 2nd TD was not the D's fault; they'd been on the field most of the 1st half and had a very short field to defend.

I'd like to see the O mix it up more in the running game. There wasn't a lot up the middle in the first half, but they rarely went outside. The O line really came alive in the 2nd half and controlled the line play.

No worries about that D secondary. They weren't burned deep (although they might've been once or twice if it weren't for dropped balls) and came up with a key pick at the end. Liked Gerald Moore on the blitz and run defense. He had a couple of nice tackles.

The RBs looked sharp for a season opener. Blankenship was decent getting tough yards and came up as the go-to guy for passes on the edge.

The receivers were better than I thought they might be. Thompson caught a couple with people all over him and Foster had some nice catches. Need to be able to go deep more, tho.

The emotional aspect of the game played out pretty much as most everyone thought. Lots of it in the 1st Q, but by halftime the crowd was sitting on its hands and the second half was pretty emotionless for even Penn St's players.

One down, eleven to go. If they keep playing like this, it should be a great year.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

Kevin Finnegan
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Three stars...

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:03:42 PM

Following the hockey tradition of giving out three stars, I would give mine for today to:

3 stars--Tettleton...was a bit high at the beginning of the game and looked rusty. Yet once he settled down, he was as sharp as could be. Completed better than 75% of passes for over 320 yards. Hard to beat.

2 stars--Beau Blankenship--held on to the ball and ran hard all day. Had very few big plays, but also managed to get positive yards on almost every touch.

1 star--Could go to a bunch of guys...Jordan Thompson for his big catch on third down, the entire defense in the second half, Landon Smith for TWO big catches, but I would give it to the player I was most nervous about coming into the game: Grant Venham. He was not at fault on the block and, while he wasn't needed in the second half, he had a great game, averaging over 42 yards per punt. He looked great out there, and surprisingly was our best kicker today.

Great game.

LKGates
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:07:40 PM

Congratulations on a great win, from a Utah State Aggies fan. This was no surprise for us. You guys have a terrific program. I'll be very surprised if you don't bring home the MAC championship and a bowl win this year. I think we'll be going to the Potato Bowl this year, but I think you're headed somewhere else. Too bad, I'd love to have another shot at you!

Go Bobcats! Go AGGIES!

Last Edited: 9/1/2012 4:08:32 PM by LKGates

MonroeClassmate
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:10:52 PM

Surprising D on display considering not having a lick of game film.

The two carted off on carts and the shiek with the towel around his bloody head know how Bobcats tackle, eh!

JSF
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:15:00 PM

I was really hoping this was going to be about technical video/broadcast stuff.

"Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season.

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Bcat2
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RE: Three stars...

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:26:46 PM

finnOhio wrote:

4 stars-- The offensive and defensive lines. The offensive line wore down what is supposed to be one of the best D fronts in college football. The defensive front took the fight to PSU's B10 OL made up of mostly srs & jrs. Very proud of the lines.

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men." JFK

Gallia Cat
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RE: Three stars...

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:34:29 PM

Since Ohio had no film of Penn State's offense I was hoping to hang close till halftime so Ohio could make halftime defensive adjustments. boy did they! Really impressed how the Cats came out at halftime and dominated both sides of ball. Folks we have a solid staff here at Ohio.

So excited for next week.

L.C.
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:47:21 PM

Monroe Slavin wrote:

Agree, agree except that it seemed that our defensive effectiveness (doesn't necess = when we changed strategy) came on at the start of the 2nd half....

It only seemed that way because Penn State got 7 points off a turnover, while Ohio missed a FG. Yards by quarter:

1st Qtr Ohio 47, Penn State 169
2d Qtr Ohio 146, Penn State 64
3rd Qtr Ohio 154, Penn State 64
4th Qtr Ohio 152, Penn State 66

After Q1, it was all Green, except for a blocked punt.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 4:53:30 PM

While Ohio got lucky with that tipped touchdown, if the Bobcats don't make three errors on special teams with the blocked punt and two missed field goals, they coast.

That's good when the Cats win by 10 against Penn State and feel like they left points out on the field.

Robert Fox
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/1/2012 5:39:38 PM

Agree, and I was mildly annoyed with Brian Griese when he commented that Ohio had "gotten lucky" with the interception. Ohio got no more lucky with that than PSU got 'lucky" with the blocked punt.

oubobcatjohn
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 1:34:03 AM

We really played a great game overall. That was an extremly tough atmosphere and the team found a way to hang in there during that first quarter until we got our feet wet. Tettleton was very good and didn't force things. He played like a veteran QB and let the game come to him. Liked how we keep pounding Blankenship. He is a big physical back and that took its told on Penn State D-line. I think our receivers really stepped up in the second half. They caught a lot of big conversions. Penn State had good coverge but we found they open guys and moved the chains. Excellent tacking by our defense. We avoided the big play and made them have to drive until they stalled. defensive backs played well making tackles and avoiding big yards after catches. We got a lot of good receivers. They all stepped up today. I think we may be deeper at receiver than last year. Looked like 4 or 5 guys that could catch the ball and run with it. Clark, Bussey, Foster and Futrell were big as was Smith with the yards after the catch for touchdowns. Both offense and D-lines were great today. We won those battles and by the 4th quarter we were opening holes and and on the defense we got to the QB for some needed pressure.

Kicking game was off today, but I'm sure that will give the coaches something to address in practice.
Weller is a good kicker and he's been huge for us. Kick coverage was excellent today. We had Penn State pinned in poor field position on every kickoff.

Valley Cat
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 9:01:48 AM

Total team win. Every aspect of this win guys stepped up. If I told you last year after week one that OUr starting corners against PSU would be Larenzo Fisher and Ian Wells how excited would you have been at that Cats chances?
How about No Travis Carrie and Xavier Hughes wouldn't get on the bus from Athens?
I don't know if it is recruitting the right type of kids or coaching? This team though seems to have such a "next man up" mentality and is so much on the same page.
The offensive line, I mean if anyone deserves a pat on the back it is these kids and Kevin Lightner. The defensive front 7 that they beat the tar out of yesterday was no joke. Hull, Hodges and Mauti were all highly regarded LB's, some of the class of the Big Ten. Other than the muffed punt you wouldn't even know Hodges played. Linemen got to the second level. I can't say I ever remember another group like this, they dominated at the point of attack. McGrath and Prior held their own.
Depth at wide receiver. Huge plays by Smith, Cochran, Bussey and Clark. The Cats have to be about eight deep at wide out. Hopefully the Dovell injury isn't too serious. I actually had anxiety about this group headed in, their were a lot of receptions to replace. No doubt this group will excel and form an identity of their own.
PSU may win five games this season but I don't care going into that stadium under those circumstances facing an offense that was full of unknowns this is such an impressive win.
As I write this I am full of emotions. Just an alum who went to most of the games as student during the Grobe era with a few beers in him. I thought it may never get better than the 8-3 team. I have felt almost obligated to buy season tickets and to take my kids from Cincinnati to Athens about 10 times a year for games. This program is at a place right now where I never thought it would be. So proud to be a Bobcat. Eleven more games.

C Money
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 9:24:20 AM

L.C. wrote:

Yards by quarter:

1st Qtr Ohio 47, Penn State 169
2d Qtr Ohio 146, Penn State 64
3rd Qtr Ohio 154, Penn State 64
4th Qtr Ohio 152, Penn State 66

This right here tells the tale. Their success early on was due to our soft coverage. No tape = don't give up anything big early on, get an idea of what they're doing, and then make adjustments. Even going in down 14-3 at half, I wasn't super concerned, because you could really sense in that second quarter that we were starting to make the plays that we needed. But it comes back to experience. Our coaches and players had it and could make in-game adjustments as needed. Their's didn't, and this is the result.

Last Edited: 9/2/2012 9:30:03 AM by C Money

mf279801
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 10:07:13 AM

I originally made this obervation to C Money yesterday, in the first half: It might not pay off for us today (in fact it did), but can you imagine how deadly the O is going to be if we keep running a blur or near blur offense through MAC play? SOooo excited for next saturday!

Ted Thompson
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 11:13:52 AM

My 2 cents:

- Agree with everyone about how well we were treated by PSU fans. Got so many "Welcome to State Colleges" before the game that it was almost unnerving. I thought the real test would how we were treated after the win. They came up aces there as well.
- I thought the stadium was lacking. Small video boards relative to other stadiums of that size. No auxiliary scoreboards. Never saw scores or game statistics on the scoreboard. Also was surprised to see the tailgating lots, other than the yellow lots, not very full.
- Amazing what they did to the area where the Paterno statue was. They put a hill in with a bunch of trees on it. There was a makeshift memorial there on Saturday.
- While the crowd got loud at times, not really deafening. Didn't seem to impact Ohio at all.
- Very nice Bobcat Bash.
- Ran 88 plays (PSU had 70) at Penn State.
- Times were in these type of games that Ohio would find a way to hang around for three quarters or so. But they could never run the football (average around 2.0 YPC) so the defense would ultimately fade. Solich and staff have not built the line to the point where they can average 3.7 yards on 47 carries against what is probably going to be a good Penn St. defense. And it's not like we were exactly tricking them.
- Great adjustment on defense. Not sure whether it was the inexperience or giving PSU too much credit, but CBs were way off receivers. DBs came up and made McGloin beat them over the top and he couldn't. Things really seemed to tighten up when Bass/Wells were in and give credit to Carpenter for under-cutting some routes (and the tip that lead to the initerception that sealed the game).
- Ohio is going to be OK at the receiver spot.
- I just love how Solich and staff build depth. They are not afraid to put in a backup at any position on the field at any time. Helps you prepare for injuries and for 4th quarters (see yesterday).
- This Tyler Tetteton guy. I mean his numbers speak for themselves. But if you need a drive against BG or Utah St. or to go 93 yards at Penn St late in the 4th quarter, he's your guy. Watch other team's QBs (see Toledo v. Arizona) and you'll know how good we've got it.
- That last drive. 14 plays, 93 yards and 6:42 off the clock. 3 huge 3rd-down conversions on great catches by Jordan Thompson, Bakari Bussey and Landon Smith.
- Benefits of a walk-on program. K. Moore, Kristoff and Hasting all starters and combine for 12 tackles. Ryan Clark with 4 catches for 54 yards and was solid fielding punts.
- 1st down was run-heavy (24 runs, 11 passes). But it did set up the first-down pass, Ohio was 9-11 on those.
- If I'm doing the math right, Ohio was 12-for-13 on 3rd down conversiosn in the second half. Incredible.
- Thought Bill O'Brien made a tactical mistake at the end of the first half. Could have called a timeout with 40 seconds left and made Ohio punt. Especially since you had just blocked their last punt. The fans booed Ohio mercilessly for calling the TO with 3 seconds left. But Ohio had a chance for some free points with a Hail Mary or penalty so why not? The fans should have been booing O'Brien but maybe he's "not interested in calling timeouts".

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L.C.
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 11:45:44 AM

I thought another tactical error by Penn State was trying to play up-tempo with Ohio. It was compounded by a fact that I gleaned from the PSU boards - apparently Ohio brought some huge fans to help cool the team, but PSU did not. Almost 90 offensive plays for Ohio - amazing. Look at the footage of the Ohio post-game press conference. You see Gerald Moore and Blankenship, and you can tell they left it all on the field. I hope they are getting a good day of rest today, they deserve it.

Oh, and not so long ago, in competitive games a lot of Ohio players used to get cramps. I saw several PSU players with cramps yesterday, but don't recall any Ohio players with that problem. I don't know what they have changed, but it worked.

Last Edited: 9/2/2012 11:50:08 AM by L.C.

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bobcatsquared
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 3:07:31 PM

Ted Thompson wrote:

My 2 cents:

- This Tyler Tetteton guy. I mean his numbers speak for themselves. But if you need a drive against BG or Utah St. or to go 93 yards at Penn St late in the 4th quarter, he's your guy. Watch other team's QBs (see Toledo v. Arizona) and you'll know how good we've got it.
- Thought Bill O'Brien made a tactical mistake at the end of the first half. Could have called a timeout with 40 seconds left and made Ohio punt. Especially since you had just blocked their last punt. The fans booed Ohio mercilessly for calling the TO with 3 seconds left. But Ohio had a chance for some free points with a Hail Mary or penalty so why not? The fans should have been booing O'Brien but maybe he's "not interested in calling timeouts".

Tettleton: I just kept thinking during the game that I trust TT will make the right decision and make a play. Can't say that I've felt this way about an Ohio quarterback since . . . well since ever (not quite old enough to see Cleve play; unfortunately, I am old enough to watch him coach the Bobcats).

End of first half: reminded me of end of first half in Detroit in MACC game when, if I recall correctly, Ohio got conservative w/ a 20-point lead. I remember thinking this was a mistake and that Ohio should have attempted to add to the lead. Of course, we know how that turned out. Maybe we learned something from that December game v. NIU. Don't take any plays off.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: My Quick Thoughts on Today

Posted: 9/2/2012 4:35:33 PM

Zero sacks and no mention of OUr offensive tackles. That is, it was like our two all-leaguers were still at those spots--just getting it done. Well played, gents.

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