Fall Scrimmage Snippets

MGGopher

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I'm so desperate for Gophers football that I played this in slow motion twice to see who was making plays. Takeaways:
  • Josh Aune is starting at LB
  • Benny Sapp is running with the 2's, which means Nubin is probably starting at S (not surprising)
  • Bryce Williams still has no vision
  • Treyson Potts is getting touches and is tough to tackle
  • Mo, Rashod, and CrAB all scored and remain very good at football
  • Annexstad is the backup QB
 

Thanks for the sharing the video and your thoughts!

Just curious, how were you able to see something in that video for your first two bullet points? I know you said you played it slow motion. Can you share the timestamps?
 

Thanks for the sharing the video and your thoughts!

Just curious, how were you able to see something in that video for your first two bullet points? I know you said you played it slow motion. Can you share the timestamps?
And number three
 




Bryce Williams hasn't seen holes since he started here. He runs hard and tries, but he misses cutbacks all the time and will bounce outside the planned hole frequently
He also runs right into the back of lineman instead of hitting an open hole on inside zone runs.
 

Base on a 40 second video, it was determine that Bryce couldn't find the holes and ran into the backs of the linesman. I don't buy that.
 


Base on a 40 second video, it was determine that Bryce couldn't find the holes and ran into the backs of the linesman. I don't buy that.
Look at any of his other carries throughout his career. He doesn't have good vision.
 





I took away that our HOW is everything and that HOW you do something matters

I look for Jordan Howden to win the Heisman this year
 

It's pretty amazing that Bryce Williams was able to run for 500 yards in the B1G as a true freshman without being able to find any holes.

That highlight tape is indicative of Williams' deficiencies. The holes he hit were playside directly in front of him. He has good power and speed but doesn't find holes. If your interested in watching '18 Indiana or '19 Georgia Southern you can see open holes that Bryce flat out misses and instead runs directly forward into the backs of his linemen. No where in that highlight tape was evidence of his good vision.
 



Base on a 40 second video, it was determine that Bryce couldn't find the holes and ran into the backs of the linesman. I don't buy that.
I determined that watching him for the last two years, not based on anything I saw in this clip.
 


Mine is 41 seconds long. No wonder you're questioning the validity of the OP.
Well you caught me on that one! Sorry...on another note, this is a new season and looking forward to Bryce learning from his mistakes to have a great year. I'm not going to judge him or tear him down base on something that happened in the past.
 

It's pretty amazing that Bryce Williams was able to run for 500 yards in the B1G as a true freshman without being able to find any holes.

Meh, I wasn’t terribly impressed by Bryce’s freshman campaign. Good speed but not very powerful, not very shifty and poor vision and patience. A better RB would have done more with the opportunity. There is a reason he was the 5th string RB last year.

Watch the Georgia Southern game, was very bad and missed open holes. Sounds like he is battling for the #3 RB spot this year with Wiley and behind Potts.

 

I do think Bryce has shown some value when our OL collapses the DL and Bryce bounces outside. He has wheels. If he ever developed that remarkable Shannon Brooks nose for an opening hole, he’d be a gem. He is a just RS Soph. I still think (hope) he grows into a bigger role.
 

I do think Bryce has shown some value when our OL collapses the DL and Bryce bounces outside. He has wheels. If he ever developed that remarkable Shannon Brooks nose for an opening hole, he’d be a gem. He is a just RS Soph. I still think (hope) he grows into a bigger role.
I agree with you insofar as I hope that Bryce can figure it out. He has the tools to be a great back, but if I had to bet I'd say that he gets buried behind our incoming backs.
 

I do think Bryce has shown some value when our OL collapses the DL and Bryce bounces outside. He has wheels. If he ever developed that remarkable Shannon Brooks nose for an opening hole, he’d be a gem. He is a just RS Soph. I still think (hope) he grows into a bigger role.
I'd rather see what Potts, Wiley and Ky Thomas can do.
 

All this chatter about Williams and next to nothing about Aune? Is he starting because he's seized his opportunity and ran with it, or is he just the best we have for now?
 


Thanks for the sharing the video and your thoughts!

Just curious, how were you able to see something in that video for your first two bullet points? I know you said you played it slow motion. Can you share the timestamps?
LOL...I see others were just as desperate as me to see Gopher football, so I'm glad this little video got some run yesterday. It's fun to talk about football! My broad brush conclusions were given partially in jest, but I really did slow it down and re-watch it several times to see if anything at all could be gleaned from it given the veil of secrecy over this program. I mean the online roster hasn't even been updated to include Frosh who have been on campus for months! But just for FUN:
  • Aune features heavily in the video. For example, at 0:18, he knocks down a pass that appeared to be intended for Rashod. You can clearly see Sori-Marin and Howden, both presumed starters, so it seems like a 1's vs. 1's thing. MJ Anderson is also in the shot, but DL rotates much more frequently than other defensive positions. There's also a celebration at 0:24 with Aune, Durr, and Sori-Marin.
  • The Bryce Williams thing was totally in jest, so I'm sorry I even typed that one. But at 0:12 you see him make a really hesitant cutback directly into a defender (I think it's Aune again, btw).
  • The Benny Sapp one, I saw him at 0:19 making a tackle when Annexstad was at QB, so I presumed it was 2's vs 2's. But upon closer examination I see Mafe in that shot, so who knows.
 

LOL...I see others were just as desperate as me to see Gopher football, so I'm glad this little video got some run yesterday. It's fun to talk about football! My broad brush conclusions were given partially in jest, but I really did slow it down and re-watch it several times to see if anything at all could be gleaned from it given the veil of secrecy over this program. I mean the online roster hasn't even been updated to include Frosh who have been on campus for months! But just for FUN:
  • Aune features heavily in the video. For example, at 0:18, he knocks down a pass that appeared to be intended for Rashod. You can clearly see Sori-Marin and Howden, both presumed starters, so it seems like a 1's vs. 1's thing. MJ Anderson is also in the shot, but DL rotates much more frequently than other defensive positions. There's also a celebration at 0:24 with Aune, Durr, and Sori-Marin.
  • The Bryce Williams thing was totally in jest, so I'm sorry I even typed that one. But at 0:12 you see him make a really hesitant cutback directly into a defender (I think it's Aune again, btw).
  • The Benny Sapp one, I saw him at 0:19 making a tackle when Annexstad was at QB, so I presumed it was 2's vs 2's. But upon closer examination I see Mafe in that shot, so who knows.
Something I found interesting in Fleck's presser the other day was that he said Mariano would be looking to play either linebacker spot depending on who he was playing with. So maybe Aune would start outside with Mariano inside while Willis/Gordon played the Mike with Mariano outside. (baseless speculation).

Ryan Burns mentioned Donald Willis's hudl highlight tape in his podcast the other day. I gave it a watch and MAN that kid can hit. I'd recommend watching a couple minutes just to see his power.
 

Something I found interesting in Fleck's presser the other day was that he said Mariano would be looking to play either linebacker spot depending on who he was playing with. So maybe Aune would start outside with Mariano inside while Willis/Gordon played the Mike with Mariano outside. (baseless speculation).

Ryan Burns mentioned Donald Willis's hudl highlight tape in his podcast the other day. I gave it a watch and MAN that kid can hit. I'd recommend watching a couple minutes just to see his power.

Cool to see a kid from Highland Park HS starting at LB. I can't say I remember any Gophers from Highland
 

Cool to see a kid from Highland Park HS starting at LB. I can't say I remember any Gophers from Highland
Tony Levine was a WR under Wacker. The last kid from the Saint Paul City Conference I remember is Tapeh.

Edit -- upon review Jeremiah Carter played for Central.
 
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LOL...I see others were just as desperate as me to see Gopher football, so I'm glad this little video got some run yesterday. It's fun to talk about football! My broad brush conclusions were given partially in jest, but I really did slow it down and re-watch it several times to see if anything at all could be gleaned from it given the veil of secrecy over this program. I mean the online roster hasn't even been updated to include Frosh who have been on campus for months! But just for FUN:
  • Aune features heavily in the video. For example, at 0:18, he knocks down a pass that appeared to be intended for Rashod. You can clearly see Sori-Marin and Howden, both presumed starters, so it seems like a 1's vs. 1's thing. MJ Anderson is also in the shot, but DL rotates much more frequently than other defensive positions. There's also a celebration at 0:24 with Aune, Durr, and Sori-Marin.
  • The Bryce Williams thing was totally in jest, so I'm sorry I even typed that one. But at 0:12 you see him make a really hesitant cutback directly into a defender (I think it's Aune again, btw).
  • The Benny Sapp one, I saw him at 0:19 making a tackle when Annexstad was at QB, so I presumed it was 2's vs 2's. But upon closer examination I see Mafe in that shot, so who knows.
Thank you much for the clarification.

I think like others have already said: playing/rotating in with the 1's in a scrimmage doesn't mean you won the starting job. Of course, you realize that.


I think there are plenty of fierce battles going on in camp, now. For backup/rotation spots, but especially for the few starting spots that are unsettled. Maybe: #2 RB, #3 WR, right guard on offense, and LB (multiple) and SS on defense.
 

Thank you much for the clarification.

I think like others have already said: playing/rotating in with the 1's in a scrimmage doesn't mean you won the starting job. Of course, you realize that.


I think there are plenty of fierce battles going on in camp, now. For backup/rotation spots, but especially for the few starting spots that are unsettled. Maybe: #2 RB, #3 WR, right guard on offense, and LB (multiple) and SS on defense.
Seth Green had a highlight reel one handed catch in one of the highlight tapes. It'd be awesome to see it click for him in year 5.
 

Seth Green had a highlight reel one handed catch in one of the highlight tapes. It'd be awesome to see it click for him in year 5.
I would love to see that, too. However, is it just me, or does he seem too big and lacking quickness to effectively play receiver? He seems built more like a receiving tight end (Irv Smith type) to me.
 

I would love to see that, too. However, is it just me, or does he seem too big and lacking quickness to effectively play receiver? He seems built more like a receiving tight end (Irv Smith type) to me.
Dajon McKnight was pretty slow but did ok at receiver.
 




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