We made it down for the scrimmage today. I have but one word.

OFFENSE!

And lots of it. I noticed the stats floating around in a number of articles. LINK

Here is what I observed.

Offense seemed to score on 3 consecutive opening drives. I'm almost certain that the stats reported, are a little on the conservative side. There are a few plays that stick out, but not necessarily mentioned in Coach O's summary.

QBs
Danny Etling (despite reported stats) looked very sharp. He moved very well in the pocket, and even scrambled for an 8-10 yard gain to move the chains just outside of the red zone. He opened up with a long pass to Drake Davis for a TD. Later, he hit Chark in stride for another long score. Etling, and the number one offense, were never on the field for long (due to the number of explosive plays).

Justin McMillan made good decisions with the football. Was very effective as a passer, mostly exploiting the quick game, and roll outs. He, didn't try to do too much, and did a good job of taking what the defense gave him. I was really impressed with his decision making and command of the offense.

Lindsey Scott continued the trend of making good decisions, and had success attacking underneath coverage. He drove the the ball deep on a go route that was well placed, but well defended. Again, though missing in the reports on rushing stats, Scott broke a tackle from the pocket, took off and scored the 3rd TD of the day, on 15 yard scramble into the endzone. On another play, he rolled to his right, then reversed field, cut up the middle to move the chains for 1st down.

CONCLUSION: QB play was near flawless.

RUNNING BACKS

The offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders. So much so, that even walk-on RBs are starting to create a few waves for themselves. What I observed from top to bottom.

Darrel Williams - Nobody wants any part of him. He is running with authority. During one play, he appeared to be stopped near the 12 yard line. I turned my head for a second, and he exploded from the pile into the endzone for a score. I saw him score one other TD from the 5.

Nick Brossette - PHYSICAL!!!!!! Showed great vision today, and delivered nasty blows at the end of several runs, literally running over one defender in open field.

Reshaud Henry 34 - Justin Jones (I believe) #31
I don't know much about these two guys, but for the second straight week I've really been impressed with their quick burst ability. As with shorter backs, quickness seems to be their style. Their shiftiness seems to fit into Canada's system nicely.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Drake, Chark, Anderson, Gage, Sullivan, Dillon. This group is starting to really show out. Dillon and Gage are starting to really own the position. Their unique skill set was really on display to day. Both racked up nice yards after the catch. Gage pulled away on a quick shot down the middle for a nice gain. Anderson look good catching in the boundary. Chark and Drake are just two grown A** men. I love Chark's motor. He was high energy throughout the day, on every route, and sweep.

OFFENSIVE LINE
They flat out dominated today. This scheme is really making the best use of guys available. With the exception of about two plays, and a bad snap, pass protection was really good. However, run blocking is really starting to be the real identity of this group.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Bad: They gave up 3-4 long balls today. Two for scores, and one which set up the offense inside the 5.

Good: The DBs tightened down significantly after giving up a long Etling to Davis TD (the initial play of the scrimmage). The QBs were forced to the throw the ball away several times because of really tight coverage. All and all, it was a fairly pedestrian showing, on a day in which the run game was lethal, and QB decisions making was on point.

LINEBACKERS

I made a real effort to watch this group. Its certainly a work in progress, and practicing against this offense is really a chore. The LBs witnessed so much movement and motion, that it was very difficult to maintain their keys. I don't know if they will face an offense quite like their own. Despite that, Devin White made several nice stops throughout the scrimmage. Other than that, this group found themselves out of position, and in over pursuit throughout the day.

DEFENSIVE LINE

As stated above, the D-line was able to create pressure on a number of occasions, and had moments where they were really stout vs the run. I tried to focus on individual guys who were consistently created problems for the offense. Conclusion: They really miss Arden Key.

COACHING STAFF
From top the bottom, I continue to be impressed with Coach O, the coordinators, and everyone else in he building. The "open door" approach has really fostered a feeling of family among players, and recruits. Guys on the sidelines were seen cheering teammates on throughout the day. A seemingly small thing, but it certainly gives you the feeling that these kids are buying in.

We are going out of state next week on an unofficial visit, so we'll miss next week's action. If I hear anything of interest, I'll do my best to share it here.

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